Abraham Lincoln: Tyrant and Terrorist

Here's a video that tells the truth about the War for Southern Independence, and the lead aggressor opposing Southern freedom.

HT: http://reformedcovenanter.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/abraham-lincoln-tyrant-and-terrorist/

What Man Hath Joined Together...

...Let not man separate.

Hurrah for the Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals for disallowing a lesbian divorce case in the state of Oklahoma. How can you issue a divorce for what was never a legitimate marriage? Legal Counsel Tim Tracey of the Alliance Defense Fund rightly asserted that this was a back door attempt to undermine the marriage amendment of Oklahoma that was passed by 76 percent of the voters.

Here is a link for the One News Now story where I originally read this:

Click Here.

Oklahoma Legislative Alert

Many of my readers are homeschoolers in Oklahoma. If this includes you, please read the following legislative alert I received from OCHEC.

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Legislative Alert SB1403

Author Sen. Mary Easley

January 15, 2010

Senator Mary Easley, has pre-filed a bill for the 2010 session that would include the following language into law: "The parent or guardian of a child utilizing other means of education shall provide written notification to the public school district of residence of intent to utilize other means of education prior to the first day of each school year, or within ten (10) days of the beginning of the provision of such other means of education to the student."

OCHEC opposes this bill because, regardless of it's intent, it accomplishes nothing. It is unnecessary and is wasteful of both the parent's and state's time and resources.

Notification will not improve home educated students academically. Studies have consistently shown that there is no correlation between the amount of state regulation of home education and academic success.

Notification will not prevent parents from fraudulently claiming to be home educating their child. Oklahoma's laws regarding truancy and educational neglect have been reviewed and found to be adequate, when enforced. If there are parents willing to incur charges of truancy, they would certainly be willing to file a fraudulent notification. Scofflaws will continue to scoff at laws.

Please contact Senator Easley by telephone, email and/or mail and express your opposition to this bill. This would also be an excellent opportunity to contact your senator and ask that this bill be opposed. Contact information may be found at: www.lsb.state.ok.us .

Once the bill has been assigned to a committee, OCHEC will request that you contact the members of the committee and ask that the bill not be heard.

The Government Can

Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade was the landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down state laws prohibiting abortion. I’m going to use a word in this article that I don’t believe is entirely accurate when applied to this case. That term is “legalized.” It is said that Roe v. Wade “legalized” abortion. And in a sense, that is correct. Though if we simply consider the form of government that we have, you will realize that it is not the job of the Supreme Court to make law. That dirty work is supposed to be left to the legislative branch of government. Yet, despite overstepping their jurisdictional boundaries, the Supreme Court has, in effect, legalized elective abortion for all nine months of pregnancy for any reason whatsoever.

Roe v. Wade was decided on January 22, 1973. The plaintiff was an anonymous “Jane Roe.” The defendant was District Attorney of Dallas County Henry Wade. The case revolved around Jane Roe, later identified as Norma McCorvey who claimed she had been raped and desired an abortion. Texas law denied her the abortion. Attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington jumped at the opportunity to advance their own agenda at the expense of McCorvey. They filed suit on her behalf. Norma McCorvey is now an outspoken pro-life advocate, though she was once a worker in an abortion mill. She admits that she lied about being raped. In her book, Won By Love, she details how a little seven year old girl, a daughter of a pro-life protester loved her unconditionally. Emily would constantly tell Norma, “Miss Norma, we’re praying for you.” At the time Norma’s identity was still protected. This small group of protesters had no idea they were talking with the very Roe of Roe v. Wade. The little girl’s persistence finally paid off when Norma McCorvey repented of her sin and turned to Christ. Norma McCorvey now leads a pro-life ministry called “Roe No More.” Listen to her testimony about the effects that this little girl had on her.

As my mind was challenged to consider the truth of the Gospel, God began working on my heart through a 7-year-old girl named Emily, the daughter of O.R. volunteer Ronda Mackey.

Quite understandably, I had difficulty relating to children. I had given birth to three, all of whom had been placed for adoption (one of them against my will). And because I worked in an abortion clinic, I was fearful of bonding with anyone so young. It was part of my denial. When you know what is happening to the children behind closed doors, it's difficult to become attached to them outside.

Emily's blatant affection, frequent hugs, and direct pursuit disarmed me. The little girl's interest was all the more surprising considering Emily made it very clear that her acceptance of me wasn't an acceptance of my lifestyle. Early on in our relationship, I explained to Emily, "I like kids and wouldn't let anyone hurt little kids," to which Emily responded, "Then why do you let them kill the babies at the clinic?"

On another occasion, I invited Emily into my office. As I made appointments, Emily kept herself occupied. During one phone call, I lost my temper and said to a caller, "I'd just as soon see you in hell as see you in here," and Emily responded, "You don't have to go to hell, Miss Norma. You can pray right now and Jesus will forgive you."

This childlike faith cut open my heart, making me receptive to the truth being shared by the adult volunteers at Rescue. I wasn't won over by compelling apologetics. I had a ninth grade education and a very soft heart. While the O.R. adults targeted my mind, Emily went straight for the heart. And over time, Emily began to personify the issue of abortion--especially when Ronda broke down and told me that Emily had almost been aborted.

If any of you are familiar with this case, or you have been told that Roe v. Wade only prohibited abortions in the first three months, you have been fed a half truth. Roe indeed declares that abortion is legal for any reason for the first three months. However, it also allows for abortions after the three month time period for reasons of rape, incest, or the health of the mother. There is a much less publicized companion case, Doe v. Bolton that was also decided on the same day as Roe. This case defined “health of the mother” to be anything that a woman and her doctor decide it to be, including psychological health. Here is the official statement:

Whether, in the words of the Georgia statute, "an abortion is necessary" is a professional judgment that the Georgia physician will be called upon to make routinely. We agree with the District Court… that the medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors - physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman's age - relevant to the well-being of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.

So, with the supported of the companion case, Roe indeed legalizes abortion for all nine months of pregnancy for any reason whatsoever. This is also why pro-lifers are so adamant about not including exceptions in any pro-life legislation that is proposed. We are particularly opposed to any language that makes “health of the mother” a valid exception. As a side note, “Mary Doe,” later identified as Sandra Cano, identifies herself as pro-life and claims that her attorney, Margie Pitts Hames, lied to her in order to have a plantiff.

Roe v. Wade did not come to us in a vacuum. Like most bad law, it came from bad precedent. In 1965 another egregious case was decided in Griswold v. Connecticut. This is the Supreme Court decision that struck down state prohibitions on birth control. In this decision the Supreme Court somehow “discovered” a secret “right to privacy” that had been hidden in the "penumbras" and "emanations" of other constitutional protections besides the original Bill of Rights. What most of the American people do not understand is that chemical forms of birth control often cause spontaneous abortion. How appropriate then, for it to be the precedent used for the outright killing of children through mechanical means. This assertion is thoroughly documented in Randy Alcorn’s book, Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortion? Sadly, just like the abortion issue today, the churches of 1965 had already failed to speak out against the deadly effects of chemical birth control. When God’s people are silent, depraved human nature takes over and commits terrible sins.

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Thou shalt not kill.
(Deu 5:17)

Last night after family worship I looked at my email on my Blackberry and learned some shocking news. Late term abortionist George Tiller had been shot and killed yesterday during his church service.

We don't have a TV, and we didn't listen to the radio at all yesterday, so it's likely that you heard about this sooner than I did.

For those unfamiliar with the abortion debate you may be unfamiliar with George Tiller. He was, by far, the most ruthless, blood thirsty, and money hungry abortionist I had ever read or heard about. He performed gruesome "partial-birth" abortions. Indeed, he was one of a very few in the country willing to kill children in this manner.

Yet, in all of this, I must decry his killing. It is not given unto man, as individuals, to carry out justice. As sinful as he was, George Tiller was made in the image of God. Our responsibility was to pray for his soul. I am convinced that he is burning in hell right now, and that saddens me greatly. The torments of hell are too much to wish upon even our greatest enemy. How much better would it have been for George Tiller to have joined the ranks of other abortion "turncoats" like Dr. Benard Nathanson, Carol Everett, and Norma McCorvey?

Pray for the Tiller family. Pray for our country. Pray that the liberals will not be allowed to use the actions of a crazed mad man to paint pro-lifers as "violent." The man who shot Tiller was not "pro-life" at all. I join with my brothers and sisters fighting this great abortion holocaust in declaring that:

...we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
(Eph 6:12)

God help us.

Deadly Medicine

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Oklahoma City Science Museum and viewed a traveling exhibit they have entitled, Deadly Medicine. It is all about eugenics. For lack of a better term eugenics could be described as a science, though it’s a sinister idea that seems undeserving of the title of science. Basically, eugenics involves the process of creating a “master race” by encouraging many children among the desired race of people and discouraging and even killing the offspring of undesirables. Who are the undesirables you may ask? Well, that’s entirely at the whim of the leader making the decisions.

A huge focus of this particular exhibit was the Nazi regime. Hitler’s policies were on display. It was very saddening, but quite interesting to read about all the steps he took to produce genetically flawless Germans. There were rules concerning who was allowed to marry who based solely on the heritage of the individuals. A German certainly could not marry a full blood Jew. He was disallowed from marrying a half Jew. If I remember correctly, a German could only marry if they could prove full German blood for four generations previous. Even someone with only partial Jewish blood could not marry a full blood Jew. For those families who could prove their German heritage, mothers were given medals when they bore a particular number of children. I saw a picture of a proud German grandmother showing her golden medal that symbolized her birth of twelve or more children.

There was a huge push to eliminate any genetic disability. Those with mental disabilities were labeled as “feeble minded” and either forcibly sterilized or simply killed. The exhibit made a brief mention of eugenics right here in the borders of America. The famous Supreme Court decision Buck v. Bell was exposed as an American eugenics policy whereby the mentally disabled could be forcibly sterilized against their will. Speaking for the majority, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes declared,

“It is better for all the world, if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind… Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”

Carrie Buck was the first person to be forcibly sterilized in the United States under this decision. Eugenics was also the reason for laws passed that forbad interracial marriage. The exhibit mentioned Virginia’s law against this passed in 1927.

For those who’ve never been exposed to this type of information, this exhibit was a huge eye opener. Yet, the real missing link in this exhibit was the link between abortion and eugenics. Dr. Josef Mengele was the most active of the SS doctors at Auschwitz. Mengele routinely conducted experiments on humans. After the war, Josef Mengele practiced medicine in Buenos Aires in the 1950’s. He had a reputation as a specialist in abortions, which were illegal at the time.
Not all former Nazi doctors set up shop outside the borders of the United States. Villis Kruze was a former SS officer who, after the war, worked as an abortionist for Kaiser Permenente in Ohio and Hawaii.

One thing that the exhibit did not mention was that abortion was legalized in Germany in 1933 under the Third Reich. There were approximately 500,000 abortions annually in a country of 60 to 70 million people. In Nazi Germany, the “health of the mother” could refer to racial “health.” By definition, a Jewish or black mother was considered racially “unhealthy.” This is very interesting as "health of the mother" is favored loophole used today to try and detooth any pro-life legislation.

The biggest of all omissions in this exhibit, however, was the deafening silence in exposing the mother of the American eugenics movement, Margaret Sanger. How you can devote a museum exhibit to eugenics and not bring up Sanger’s name is beyond me. I can think of only two possible reasons for this.

1) This was an exhibit set up by the National Holocaust Museum, and Sanger’s eugenic bent targeted not only Jews, but Southern Europeans, Slavs, Latins, Blacks, Hispanics, Fundamentalists, and Catholics. Basically she was an equal opportunity eugenicist. Every non-Aryan – Red or Yellow, Black or White, all were noxious in her sight.

2) Perhaps the biggest reason that Sanger’s history was not included is that the modern mammoth organization that she formed holds tremendous political power. Planned Parenthood is an international “charitable” organization. There’s a tremendous financial incentive to keep under wraps the racist intentions of their founder, and the racist policies that they continue to advance today.

Margaret Sanger unashamedly called for the elimination of “human weeds,” for the “cessation of charity,” for the segregation of “morons, misfits, and the maladjusted” and for the sterilization of “genetically inferior races.” (Margaret Sanger, The Pivot of Civilization (New York: Brentano’s, 1922), p. 101.)

Sanger had a particular hatred for blacks. In 1939, she designed a “Negro Project” in which she proposed the following:

“The mass of Negroes, particularly in the South, still breed carelessly and disastrously, with the result that the increase among Negroes, even more than among Whites, is from that portion of the population least intelligent and fit.” (Madeline Gray, Margaret Sanger: A Biography (New York: Marek, 1979), p. 332)

Her solution , according to the same reference source, was to hire three or four:
“Colored Ministers, preferably with social service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities” to travel to various African-American enclaves and propagandize for birth control.

Commenting on this approach, she reasoned:
“The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population and the Minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members.”
Sanger’s agenda against African Americans did not die with her. The worldwide organization she established, Planned Parenthood, continues to promote her racist agenda. Today 78% of Planned Parenthood clinics are in minority communities. Blacks make up 12% of the population, but account for 35% of all the abortions in America.

It is vital that we expose Margaret Sanger for who she was, and Planned Parenthood for the evils they continue to employ today. For more information check the sources I have provided in the footnotes above and in the references I have listed below.

References:
http://www.blackgenocide.org/
http://www.blackgenocide.com/
Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood by George Grant, Highland Books, Fourth edition 2000

Don't Mess with the Special Olympics!

I had to smile when I read the following after I posted my blog entry on Obama's blunder earlier:

http://www.onenewsnow.com/AP/Search/US/Default.aspx?id=459670

Apparently Special Olympics participant Kolan McConiughey, who is mentally disabled, has bowled five perfect games since 2005.

I think we should have a televised competition between Mr. McConiughey and Mr. Obama. Let's see who has the last laugh.

From the article:
"The 35-year-old McConiughey has been bowling since he was 8 or 9. His advice for Obama? Practice every day."

I think the President needs to practice more than just his bowling.

For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
(Jas 3:2-8)

Commander in Chief Maligns Americans With Disabilities

Some of the most special people in the world are those individuals who go through life bearing the challenge of Down Syndrome. My sister-in-law, Lori, was just such an individual. She passed away in 2002 due to cancer. She is sorely missed by her parents, her brother, my wife, my children, and myself, as well as many others whom she touched in her brief 26 years. Lori was much more like a cousin than an aunt to my children. She used to sit down at the table and color in her coloring book or draw pictures along with my three oldest. My second son, and fourth oldest child was a baby when we lost Lori, and Lori loved him.

One special memory I have with Lori is showing up to watch her run in the Special Olympics. If you've never been to such an event, I would highly recommend going. It is a day full of competition, but also full of love. It's a time when you stand and cheer the person who comes in last place and congratulate them for finishing the race. It's not uncommon to see participants stop to help a fellow competitor if they fall down. At the end of the race everyone gets hugs.

Though we are all born with a sin nature, the sin nature of precious souls who have Down Syndrome are often the same type of sin nature you observe in your toddler. Yes, they are selfish at times. They may cry on a whim, but they are some of the most loving people you will ever know.

So you can imagine my shock when I read the following news story out of the Washington Post this morning:
Click here for the story

Flippantly commenting to Jay Leno on his poor skill at bowling, President Hussein remarked, "It's like -- it was like Special Olympics, or something." How dare he insult Americans with disabilities like this?!!! To make such a trite remark shows his utter disregard for human life. It emphasizes that his pre-election comment that determining when life begins is "above his pay grade" truly reflects his core beliefs.

What more can I say? The American people have truly elected a despicable, evil person for a commander in chief. I used to think Bill Clinton was the worst modern president we've ever had. But the Democratic party has outdone themselves with this character. They are going to have to work really hard to find a lower low life than this guy next time around.

Witherspoon Introduction Message

This is my review of the Introduction message from the 2008 Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy. The speaker is Doug Phillips of Vision Forum.

Very appropriately, Doug begins by describing just who John Witherspoon was. He is described as a “son of the cross.” Witherspoon was an educator, a clergyman, and a mentor. He personally trained one sixth of all our founding fathers. Yet, it’s surprising that you rarely, if ever, hear his name mentioned in history text books. You’ve never witnessed a motion picture made about John Witherspoon. There is a clear reason for this. John Witherspoon is considered very politically incorrect by today’s standards. He unapologetically declared the Christian God to be the one, true, God, and the source of all our law. Witherspoon was a Scot. He came to the shores of this country with two foundational books; “Lex Rex” by Samuel Rutherford and “Aaron’s Rod Blossoming” by George Gillespie. Doug expounds on Witherspoon much more eloquently than I have given here in this brief review. I came away from this lecture with a much better appreciation for our largely forgotten “founding father,” John Witherspoon.

In this introductory message, Doug proceeds to introduce the many excellent speakers that will appear in this conference, along with a short preview of their topics. Some of the speakers that he mentioned are as follows: Jordan Lawrence, former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, Hon. Howard Phillips, Bill Einwecter, Col. John Eidsmoe, Don Hart, Bob Renault, Jerome Corsi, and Larry Pratt. I have listened ahead to a few of these speakers, and I can say without a doubt that it has been outstanding information. I’ll save my comments for the reviews I will offer on each of the speakers, but I can tell that this is an excellent resource to add to my library.
Though I’ve heard Doug present the story of Josiah uncovering the lost book of the law, he did a great job declaring it again in this lecture. He also exposes some of the errors that we face as a country, including a quote by evolutionist Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes who stated:
“The sacredness of human life is a purely municipal ideal of no validity outside the jurisdiction.”

Doug spends some time exposing the threat of feminism on our country. Written before the November elections, he theorizes how former President Bill Clinton would fulfill his congressionally defined duties as “first spouse” should his wife win the presidency. Though humorous, but not funny, Bill would have been in charge of flower arrangements in the White House. He would have selected the china pattern for the White House dishes. All the while his wife met with heads of state discussing foreign policy.

Doug identified a vulnerability that we have in the Church. There is a tendency for us to be divided against each other. Yet, when we look at the actions of the namesake of this conference, we will learn that John Witherspoon was able to have much greater influence by unifying Christians under a common cause.

There were three separate questions that Doug posed. I’ll leave it to you to get the CDs to find the answers. These question take us to the root of our epistemology, or our process of thought. The first question is, “What is law?” Next, “Can man legislate morality?” Finally, he asked the following: “Which of these men is the most religious, Charles Darwin, Billy the Kid, Billy Graham, or Billy Clinton?” He polled the audience, and Billy the Kid is the only one that got no votes. If you haven’t heard Doug ask this question before, the answer may surprise you.
All in all, I can tell that I’m really going to enjoy listening to these messages. I look forward to offering reviews on each message.

I do have one suggestion for Vision Forum, if they are reading this review. I absolute love my Jamestown Quadricentennial CDs. In addition to the excellent information there, I also appreciate the fact that the very last CD in the set is a compilation CD of all the messages given in MP3 format. This makes it very convenient for me to load all the messages onto my MP3 player. I’m one of those guys who doesn’t have a CD player in my car. But I do have an MP3 player. So, in order to listen to these Witherspoon messages I ripped them all to MP3s. The problem is that each CD is made up of several tracks. So I have a whole lot of individual files that I haven’t taken the time to name. I’ve got “Disc 1 – Track 1,” “Disc 1 – Track 2,” etc. all loaded on my MP3 player. I may take the time at some point in the future to look for software that could combine all the files from a particular CD into one MP3. However, I haven’t had the time to do that so far.

So, my one “constructive criticism” of these CDs so far is simply a technical one. This little issue is minor, and I certainly wouldn’t let it stand in the way of acquiring this set. I think you’ll agree with me that it is an excellent addition to any library. Order your copy by clicking here.

2008 Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy

I received my copy of the 2008 Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy last Thursday night. There is a wealth of information packed into these CDs! The Introduction CD was very good, giving a brief history of John Witherspoon and introducing who the speakers are on the rest of the CDs. I've had the time to listen to a few of them so far. I can say that there's is so much good information that I will need to devote a blog entry for each message. To cram it all into a single review would be an injustice. Click on the hyperlink in this message to order your own copy of this fantastic resource. Over the next few weeks as I post reviews of the individual messages, I invite you to listen to the recordings yourself and leave your own comments in the comment section. The topics covered are things that mature, Christian men need to know in order to have an "understanding of the times." Order your copy today and join me in reviewing these time sensitive messages.

And the Winner Is...

Robert Leever of Lebanon, OR. Thanks to all who entered. Robert answered my question:

"Why do Christians need to have a firm understanding of our United States Constitution?"

He won a copy of The 2008 Witherspoon School of Law and Public Policy.

Here is his well thought out reply:

Here's a bit of the passage (NIV) I used for my conclusions: Romans 13:1-71

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Of course, the dilemma in our country today is what to do when the authority is not acting according to the AUTHORITY of the land (not to mention the LAWS of nature and of nature's God). We actually live in a day where people turn their backs on the LAW thinking it is for our own good...like the law is an inconvenience to GOOD governing...

If we are honest with ourselves we see it is just the same old sin problem--us wanting to be God and have others submit to our whims instead of the other way around. So, I believe, the only way for a believing Christian (strange I have to phrase it that way) to be truly adhering to the passage from Paul, is to submit to the Constitution since it is the SUPREME law of the land. How can one do that, if he knows not what the law is? Indeed, how can one understand his freedoms without studying from whence they come? If we do not know our freedoms, we are DOOMED to loose them.

Indeed, our elections reflect this problem in a larger and more personal sense. Our government was devised by the most intellectual and God fearing men of their day. Today, our government is being "run" by the least intellectual and least God fearing people of our day. Is it any wonder when you ask the question, "What does it mean to be an American?" No grade school student can give an answer...and college students begin to quote our Nation's misdeeds...even to the point of tears and anger.

Why should we learn the Constitution? God clearly demands obedience and how can we obey Godly authority when we cannot obey earthly authority? How can we obey earthly authority if we don't learn how and what it is? Our American authority is NO single governing body or individual. It is a unique Document. Devised by the most brilliant of minds to ensure that no governing body (oligarchy) or individual (dictator/dictating king-earthly, that is) could easily take over and control this nation...indeed, it has take over 200 years for this to begin to happen...The more intriguing question is, Can we again regain what our Constitution meant? I'm hopeful, but doubtful.

2 1/2 Days Left Until Witherspoon Deadline

Thus far I've received only a few small number of entries for the Witherspoon contest. I hope that's because you all are working hard to write an excellent essay. About 2 1/2 days left to submit one. You have a great chance of winning this wonderful resource.

Win Free Witherspoon!

How would you like to add an excellent resource to your homeschool library with no cost to your family?

The 2008 Witherspoon School of Law & Public Policy is packed full of vital information that you need. Our Christian forefathers left us a godly, Constitutional government. Yet each and every day, we see our freedoms slipping away. Whether we are talking about our First Amendment right to free speech being attacked through the "Fairness Doctrine" or "hate crimes" legislation, the constant attack on our Second Amendment right to bear arms, or simply our rights as parents to lead our children according to God's principles; our adversary, the devil, and his cohorts on the political left are pulling out all the stops in trying to squash our Constitutional Republic.

It is imperative that Christian fathers and mothers be equipped to meet these attacks and have a firm understanding of the foundation on which our Constitution was built.

I am pleased to offer a free copy of this valuable resource to the man, woman, or child who best, in my own opinion, answers the following question:

"Why do Christians need to have a firm understanding of our United States Constitution?"

Please limit your response to 1500 words or less. Please email me (at mike@mikesoutherland.com) your submission no later than 11:59 PM on February 26. I will review them and post the winner by midnight on February 27. I will also post the text of the winning entry on my blog. You can either type your essay in an email, or send it as a Microsoft Word attachment. I will contact the winner directly on Februrary 27 to find out shipping information. This contest is open to U.S. residents only. If you are under 18, please get your parents' permission to enter.

Even if your entry is not selected as the winner, please consider ordering this excellent resource. You can order it here.

I Think You'll Need This

With less than a week remaining before the Obamanation begins, I want to share a couple of tools that should prove helpful in the next four years.

Here is a tool you may use to contact your federal representatives and senators (This will redirect you to another site):

Use the one below for your state representatives:

Contact them often. The forces of liberalism are feeling empowered. If there's one silver lining on this new administration it's that Christians should finally wake up and participate in their government like they did during the Clinton era. The evils of the new incoming administration should certainly keep us from rolling over and going back to sleep after the long nap Christians seem to have taken with Bush in office.

Bombshell May Have Been Averted

Praise God. It sounds like the bureaucrats heard from the people and actually listened. I'm not positive we're all out of the woods yet, but this sounds a lot more promising. From the sound of this I don't think we have to worry about federal agents knocking down our doors in the middle of the night because we sold some used curriculum on eBay. It also seems to let resellers off the hook unless they are trying to sell recalled products.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html

I'll update if I hear more. I'm still not sure about the specifics regarding the sale of new, home produced products (like baby blankets). If you know, please leave me a comment here.

Small Business Bombshell!

Maybe I've had my head buried in the sand lately, or I've been concentrating on other things, but something just almost completely slipped by my notice. Last week my daughter alerted me to something she was reading on Jennie Chancey's sewing forum, Sense and Sensibility. At Church last Lord's Day, one of the ladies in our fellowship was talking about it. Then just last night I received an email from a friend expressing the same concerns. It seems as though the nanny state has determined to protect all our children from lead poisoning. However, rather than aiming squarely at the main culprit of lead distribution in toys; "Red China," our bureaucratic empire headed by the elite group of legislators decided this would be a great time to take a pot shot at all those small businesses across America.

It turns out that this new law, which I understand has already passed and will go into effect on February 10, 2009, requires that every product that can appear to be targeted for children under 13 years old must pass rigorous lead testing. It doesn't matter if the component parts have already been tested for lead, each end product must be tested also. This also applies to book sellers. This will add a lot of unnecessary expense and will expose small business owners to extremely harsh and unreasonable punishment if they violate this law knowingly or ignorantly. The penalty is $100,000 and two years in prison.

This is an outrage! I don't watch TV, but from what I understand, the media is largely ignoring this. I even wondered if it were for real or not. But after a bit of internet research, it seems to be accurate.

I have not researched this as thoroughly as I need to, but I wanted to get the word out to my readers as soon as possible. Check out the following link:
http://www.handmadetoyalliance.org/

This is an organization that is standing together to fight this. As a disclaimer, I haven't thoroughly examined this website either. But it does not appear to contain objectionable material. There's a link there to "Ideas for Change in America." I did check out that site and found a bunch of left wing liberal causes. I signed up anyway and registered my vote against this one issue.

I have a feeling that we'll be needing to call our legislators pretty regularly starting after say...January 20. The Obamanation is beginning, though this law was passed under the Bush regime.

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.