Friday, March 29, 2013
World Turmoil
Greetings...
It seems as if lately the world is literally falling apart. From a sinkhole opening up underneath the bedroom of a man in Florida and swallowing him whole to the citizens of Cyprus having the bank accounts raided by their government to an ever increasing debt here in the United States...not to mention the wild weather that we are experiencing and growing threats from an immature 28 year-old in North Korea along with the usual up-upheaval in the Middle East...we may be found asking, "What in the world is going on?"
As we prepare for the holiest day of the Christian Faith, the celebration of Easter on Sunday, we certainly can connect the dots...The Apostle Paul, in writing to his son in the ministry Timothy, expressed it like this, "In the last days, perilous times will come..."
Throughout the Christian world, there is an anticipation of the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, for this is the hope of the believer in Jesus....Paul again writing to Titus, "Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV), "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."
I want to take this opportunity to say Happy Easter! The grave is empty for He has risen, He has risen indeed!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Demise of Western Civilization
Good Morning...
During the campaign of 2008, I had an ongoing debate with a Christian of the more liberal persuasion who claimed that President Obama would be great for the country...my point was that President Obama would be the most prolific abortion President in history...I must admit that I used some hyperbole when saying that "The streets would run with the blood of aborted babies"...however, four years later, we find that unfortunately, I was right...President Obama has removed the protection provisions for medical practioners who don't want to be involved in abortion...He has demanded that religious institutions provide abortion services to all employees in spite of obvious objections to that...now we find that abortion selection is now defended by President Obama and the House of Representatives Democrat members...Our civilization is being destroyed before our very eyes...Joel Rosenberg pegs it:
CULTURAL COLLAPSE? CANNIBALISM, "MOMMY PORN," GAY RIGHTS, ABORTION DRIVING U.S. HEADLINES THIS WEEK
What in the world is going on?
Joel C. Rosenberg
(Washington, D.C., June 7, 2012) -- Forget the stagnant American economy and our severe debt crisis and the rapidly mounting troubles in Greece and Spain, at least for a moment. Consider what's driving the news just this week:
* Pornography -- Did you know the #1, #2 and #3 books on Amazon today (June 6) are the "Fifty Shades of Grey" novels that are being widely described as "Mommy Porn" and have already sold more than 10 million copies in just six weeks? Yes, you read that right - 10 million copies in six weeks. (see "Hotel in 'Mommy Porn' novel offering 50 Shades-themed packages," Fox Oregon, May 23, 2012; "How 'Fifty Shades of Grey' Is Shaking Up the Business of the Romance Genre," The Daily Beast, June 6, 2012)
* Cannibalism -- "Exclusive: Causeway Cannibal Had Bible, Recently Smoked Pot When He Attacked," CBS Miami, June 6, 2012
* Cannibalism --- "Cannibal Copycat? Police Say Man High On Bath Salts Threatened To Eat Officer," CBS Tampa, June 6, 2012
* Cannibalism -- "Cannibalism Trend Can Feed On Itself, Experts Say: 6 Acts Of Human Consumption Draw Lurid Attention," ABC Indianapolis, June 6, 2012
* Gay Rights -- "Prop. 8: appeals courts set stage for Supreme Court review of gay marriage," Christian Science Monitor, June 6, 2012
* Abortion -- "President Obama, 168 House Members Defend Sex-Selection Abortion," National Right To Life news story, May 31, 2012
What in the world is going on? Yes, we face the very real possibility of an economic collapse in the not-too-distant future. But is it possibly we're already imploding culturally? The country is deep in a full blown political war between Democrats and Republicans, but do we honestly believe either party -- or either presidential nominee -- knows how to fix the mess we're in?And where is the Church? In a nation of tens of millions of self-professed born-again, evangelical Christians, how can we be in so much trouble? And is there any hope of turning this around?
Next week, on Tuesday, my new book release, "Implosion: Can America Recover From Our Economic and Spiritual Challenges In Time?" I was going to start writing about these moral and cultural issues then. But they cannot wait. Here are a few excerpts from the book:
* "These are not normal times. Americans have been gripped by a widespread and deeply rooted pessimism in recent years. They are open asking whether our nation can survive....A growing number of Americans fear that this period of our history is different and the crises we face today -- and those coming up over the horizon -- may be far worse than anything we have experienced in the past....Many Americans genuinely fear that God is preparing to removed his hand of protection and blessing from our country, or perhaps already has. The fear that unlike previous dark times in our national history, God may not intend to help us turn things around and get us back on the right track....
* "We must not kid ourselves. The evidence suggests we may very well be aboard the Titanic, heading for icebergs and inexplicably increasing our speed toward disaster. So many on board are unaware of the dangers fast approaching and not concerned in the slightest. We haven't hit the icebergs yet, but if we don't make a sharp turn fast, we soon will, and we will sink. Who will serve as our captain and crew going forward? Will they understand the gravity of the threat and have the wisdom, courage and speed to take appropriate action before it is too late? What is our role as passengers? Are we to succumb to decadence...."
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Butterfly!!!!!!!!
Hey...The following report is excellent! I couldn't have said it better myself!
Special Report: Caterpillars Can't Fly
In Defense of the Faith
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
The Bible identifies four intelligent, sentient (self-aware) spiritual creations of God. The first of the created beings are the angels.
"Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts. . . Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created." (Psalms 148:2,5)
The Bible further teaches that their home is in heaven (Matthew 24:36), their activity is both on earth and in heaven (Psalms 103:20, Luke 15:10, Hebrews 1:14) and their destiny is the Eternal City of Revelation 21:12.
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. . ." (Hebrews 12:22)
Angels are unique creations of God, not to be confused with any other of God's created beings. Even though some fall, as was the case with Satan, the fallen angels remain angels throughout their existence. Their numbers are constant; they neither propagate nor die.
The second sentient creation of God was man. Man was created in perfection in both body and spirit and remained in fellowship with God until the Fall.
Adam’s physical descendents were known as Gentiles, from the Hebrew word “gowy” a word which means figuratively, “a troop of animals.”
Gentiles are born with both a living spirit and a sin nature. As soon as the sin nature comes to the forefront with the first deliberate sin, the spirit dies and must be reborn, or ‘born again.’
“For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” (Romans 7:9)
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)
The spirit of a newly-born baby cannot knowingly sin, but it is “born of the flesh” – with a sin nature. When he is old enough and mature to understand sin and knowingly sins anyway, his spirit dies and must be “born again.”
Every person from Adam to Abraham was born a Gentile, albeit sinless, yet estranged from God at birth, at first too young to have fellowship, and then too sinful – alive in the flesh only, like a gowy, an animal.
As to their estate, from Adam until Christ, the Gentiles were:
"without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12).
God created, through Abraham’s grandson Jacob, a new class of spiritual being out of the existing spiritually-dead Gentile (animals of flesh) stock that we know now as the Jew.
For 1500 years, they were known as the Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) or ‘Israelites” until the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, leaving only the descendants of Judah and Benjamin in Judea.
Judea’s inhabitants were captured by Nebuchadnezzar and were known henceforth as ‘the Jews.’
They are the Children of the Promise – that ‘Promise’ being that God would take them out of the world of the Gentiles and make them a great nation, separated unto Himself that He would personally redeem in the last days.
A Jew is not born a Gentile – he is born a Jew. A Jew cannot become a Gentile, even if he changes his religion or abandons it altogether. Not only will God not allow it, neither will the Gentiles.
A Jew is always hyphenated, even in Israel. An Israeli-Jew is different than an Israeli-Arab or other Gentile.
There are German-Jews, Irish-Jews, English-Jews, Russian-Jews; about the only nationality that doesn’t automatically hyphenate Jews are Americans (who hyphenate everything else; African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Japanese-Americans, etc.)
A Jew can even become a Christian – but he is still hyphenated; as a Christian in the Church Age, he becomes a Messianic-Jew.
So different is this race of spiritual beings that some five-sixths of Scripture bears directly or indirectly on the Jews. The destiny of the Jews is traceable through the Millennial Kingdom and into the new heaven and earth which follows.
In this present Church Age, all Divine progress in the national and earthly program for Israel is on hold; individual Jews have the same opportunity as do individual Gentiles for salvation by personal faith in Christ as Savior.
But Scripture is clear that, when the present age concludes, God will again turn His full attention to the national, rather than personal, redemption of Israel.
Note that each of these spiritual entities is a direct creation of God. Adam and Eve were not created as spiritually dead human animals (Gentiles) – they were created spiritually alive.
The Gentile race was created by God as a result of spiritual death and the curse(s) imposed thereby; sin, work, sweat, childbirth, illness and death.
“And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far. . . (Isaiah 5:26)
The Jews were created by God to serve as His ensign, or His symbol, like the flag on a ship. When a ship is flagged with a national ensign, it is deemed to belong to that nation. The ensign of the Jews God Himself – they are a unique spiritual creation of God, created neither as angels nor Gentiles.
Finally, the Scriptures reveal a new spiritual creation of God, neither Jew nor Gentile, but reborn out of both. That new creature is a Christian.
When one becomes a Christian, the Bible says;
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek [Gentiles - ed]: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him." (Romans 10:12)
A Christian is a NEW creature that is reborn out of the old man, either Jew or Gentile, in much the same way a butterfly is ‘reborn’ out of a caterpillar. Caterpillars can’t fly, but butterflies can.
A caterpillar has to endure a kind of ‘death’ in the cocoon before being transformed, and the transformation is not merely beautiful, it is permanent. A caterpillar, once reborn as a butterfly, cannot by an act of his own will, turn himself back into a caterpillar.
A Christian is a Gentile or a Jew who dies to himself and is reborn in Christ.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." (Galatians 6:15)
The Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20), having been raised WITH Christ (Colossians 3:1-3) and are so different than any other created rational being that Jesus says of the Christian;
"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 15:19, 17:14,16)
The Scriptures which direct a Christian in his walk with the Lord are adapted to the fact that the Christian is no longer striving to secure a standing before God, but is already 'accepted in the beloved'.
"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)
Christians, by their existence, have already attained every spiritual blessing;
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ . ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Obviously, no human effort can bring a person to fulfill God's standard of sinless perfection. God, anticipating the believer's inability to walk worthy of his high calling, freely bestows His empowering Spirit to indwell each believer.
Scripture also promises that when their elect number is complete, as unique citizens of heaven, they will be removed from the earth at the Rapture.
The bodies of believers who have died will be raised and living saints will be translated. (1st Corinthians 15:20-57, 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18)
At the Bema Seat in glory, believers will be judged as to their rewards for service. (1st Corinthians 3:9-15, 9:18-27, 2nd Corinthians 5:10,11), the Body of Christ will be wed to the Bridegroom, (Revelation 19:7-9) and return WITH Him to share as His consort during the Millennial Reign.
This new creation, like angels, Gentiles and Jews, can be traced into eternity future, but they are unique from the rest. They are promised no land, no house, no earthly capital or city, no earthly kingdom and no earthly king.
Scripture promises that the Jews will inherit the earth. The Gentiles will inhabit it with them as a subordinate people. But the Church does not share in that inheritance.
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:17)
The Church inherits what Jesus inherits and the Age of Grace concludes at the Rapture. The Body of Christ – the Church – is complete.
The Tribulation Period is the final seven years of the Age of Law, under which God will judge a Christ-rejecting world. During this period, some Gentiles will become believers, but, unlike during this present age, they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Whose earthly ministry also concludes at the Rapture.
During the Church Age, believers are promised to 'resist the devil and he will flee from you,' because 'greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. (James 4:7, 1st John 4:4)
During the Tribulation, without the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to resist the devil, with the promise that 'he will flee from you' – the Bible says that is no longer true.
How else could they be 'overcome' by him as Revelation 13:7 says the Tribulation saints will be?
It is not POSSIBLE for Church Age believers to play a role in the Tribulation, other than as recipients of God's justice for sin, although believers, by definition, have already been judged and found righteous at the Cross.
Consider the Promises of Jesus, given the Church, in the context of the horrors of the Tribulation Period sent to ‘try them which dwell upon the earth.’
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:26-27)
If the destiny of the Church is to partake in God's judgment against the world, then my heart should be troubled indeed. And I should be very, very afraid. But I'm not afraid.
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)
When the bottom falls out, caterpillars can't fly. Butterflies can.
Special Report: Caterpillars Can't Fly
In Defense of the Faith
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
The Bible identifies four intelligent, sentient (self-aware) spiritual creations of God. The first of the created beings are the angels.
"Praise ye Him, all His angels: praise ye Him, all His hosts. . . Let them praise the name of the LORD: for He commanded, and they were created." (Psalms 148:2,5)
The Bible further teaches that their home is in heaven (Matthew 24:36), their activity is both on earth and in heaven (Psalms 103:20, Luke 15:10, Hebrews 1:14) and their destiny is the Eternal City of Revelation 21:12.
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels. . ." (Hebrews 12:22)
Angels are unique creations of God, not to be confused with any other of God's created beings. Even though some fall, as was the case with Satan, the fallen angels remain angels throughout their existence. Their numbers are constant; they neither propagate nor die.
The second sentient creation of God was man. Man was created in perfection in both body and spirit and remained in fellowship with God until the Fall.
Adam’s physical descendents were known as Gentiles, from the Hebrew word “gowy” a word which means figuratively, “a troop of animals.”
Gentiles are born with both a living spirit and a sin nature. As soon as the sin nature comes to the forefront with the first deliberate sin, the spirit dies and must be reborn, or ‘born again.’
“For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” (Romans 7:9)
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7)
The spirit of a newly-born baby cannot knowingly sin, but it is “born of the flesh” – with a sin nature. When he is old enough and mature to understand sin and knowingly sins anyway, his spirit dies and must be “born again.”
Every person from Adam to Abraham was born a Gentile, albeit sinless, yet estranged from God at birth, at first too young to have fellowship, and then too sinful – alive in the flesh only, like a gowy, an animal.
As to their estate, from Adam until Christ, the Gentiles were:
"without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12).
God created, through Abraham’s grandson Jacob, a new class of spiritual being out of the existing spiritually-dead Gentile (animals of flesh) stock that we know now as the Jew.
For 1500 years, they were known as the Children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) or ‘Israelites” until the Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, leaving only the descendants of Judah and Benjamin in Judea.
Judea’s inhabitants were captured by Nebuchadnezzar and were known henceforth as ‘the Jews.’
They are the Children of the Promise – that ‘Promise’ being that God would take them out of the world of the Gentiles and make them a great nation, separated unto Himself that He would personally redeem in the last days.
A Jew is not born a Gentile – he is born a Jew. A Jew cannot become a Gentile, even if he changes his religion or abandons it altogether. Not only will God not allow it, neither will the Gentiles.
A Jew is always hyphenated, even in Israel. An Israeli-Jew is different than an Israeli-Arab or other Gentile.
There are German-Jews, Irish-Jews, English-Jews, Russian-Jews; about the only nationality that doesn’t automatically hyphenate Jews are Americans (who hyphenate everything else; African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Japanese-Americans, etc.)
A Jew can even become a Christian – but he is still hyphenated; as a Christian in the Church Age, he becomes a Messianic-Jew.
So different is this race of spiritual beings that some five-sixths of Scripture bears directly or indirectly on the Jews. The destiny of the Jews is traceable through the Millennial Kingdom and into the new heaven and earth which follows.
In this present Church Age, all Divine progress in the national and earthly program for Israel is on hold; individual Jews have the same opportunity as do individual Gentiles for salvation by personal faith in Christ as Savior.
But Scripture is clear that, when the present age concludes, God will again turn His full attention to the national, rather than personal, redemption of Israel.
Note that each of these spiritual entities is a direct creation of God. Adam and Eve were not created as spiritually dead human animals (Gentiles) – they were created spiritually alive.
The Gentile race was created by God as a result of spiritual death and the curse(s) imposed thereby; sin, work, sweat, childbirth, illness and death.
“And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far. . . (Isaiah 5:26)
The Jews were created by God to serve as His ensign, or His symbol, like the flag on a ship. When a ship is flagged with a national ensign, it is deemed to belong to that nation. The ensign of the Jews God Himself – they are a unique spiritual creation of God, created neither as angels nor Gentiles.
Finally, the Scriptures reveal a new spiritual creation of God, neither Jew nor Gentile, but reborn out of both. That new creature is a Christian.
When one becomes a Christian, the Bible says;
"For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek [Gentiles - ed]: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him." (Romans 10:12)
A Christian is a NEW creature that is reborn out of the old man, either Jew or Gentile, in much the same way a butterfly is ‘reborn’ out of a caterpillar. Caterpillars can’t fly, but butterflies can.
A caterpillar has to endure a kind of ‘death’ in the cocoon before being transformed, and the transformation is not merely beautiful, it is permanent. A caterpillar, once reborn as a butterfly, cannot by an act of his own will, turn himself back into a caterpillar.
A Christian is a Gentile or a Jew who dies to himself and is reborn in Christ.
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2nd Corinthians 5:17)
"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." (Galatians 6:15)
The Christian, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20), having been raised WITH Christ (Colossians 3:1-3) and are so different than any other created rational being that Jesus says of the Christian;
"They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." (John 15:19, 17:14,16)
The Scriptures which direct a Christian in his walk with the Lord are adapted to the fact that the Christian is no longer striving to secure a standing before God, but is already 'accepted in the beloved'.
"To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)
Christians, by their existence, have already attained every spiritual blessing;
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ . ." (Ephesians 1:3)
Obviously, no human effort can bring a person to fulfill God's standard of sinless perfection. God, anticipating the believer's inability to walk worthy of his high calling, freely bestows His empowering Spirit to indwell each believer.
Scripture also promises that when their elect number is complete, as unique citizens of heaven, they will be removed from the earth at the Rapture.
The bodies of believers who have died will be raised and living saints will be translated. (1st Corinthians 15:20-57, 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18)
At the Bema Seat in glory, believers will be judged as to their rewards for service. (1st Corinthians 3:9-15, 9:18-27, 2nd Corinthians 5:10,11), the Body of Christ will be wed to the Bridegroom, (Revelation 19:7-9) and return WITH Him to share as His consort during the Millennial Reign.
This new creation, like angels, Gentiles and Jews, can be traced into eternity future, but they are unique from the rest. They are promised no land, no house, no earthly capital or city, no earthly kingdom and no earthly king.
Scripture promises that the Jews will inherit the earth. The Gentiles will inhabit it with them as a subordinate people. But the Church does not share in that inheritance.
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:17)
The Church inherits what Jesus inherits and the Age of Grace concludes at the Rapture. The Body of Christ – the Church – is complete.
The Tribulation Period is the final seven years of the Age of Law, under which God will judge a Christ-rejecting world. During this period, some Gentiles will become believers, but, unlike during this present age, they are not indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Whose earthly ministry also concludes at the Rapture.
During the Church Age, believers are promised to 'resist the devil and he will flee from you,' because 'greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world. (James 4:7, 1st John 4:4)
During the Tribulation, without the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit to resist the devil, with the promise that 'he will flee from you' – the Bible says that is no longer true.
How else could they be 'overcome' by him as Revelation 13:7 says the Tribulation saints will be?
It is not POSSIBLE for Church Age believers to play a role in the Tribulation, other than as recipients of God's justice for sin, although believers, by definition, have already been judged and found righteous at the Cross.
Consider the Promises of Jesus, given the Church, in the context of the horrors of the Tribulation Period sent to ‘try them which dwell upon the earth.’
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:26-27)
If the destiny of the Church is to partake in God's judgment against the world, then my heart should be troubled indeed. And I should be very, very afraid. But I'm not afraid.
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1st Thessalonians 4:16-17)
When the bottom falls out, caterpillars can't fly. Butterflies can.
Christians and Israel
In recent months, the intensity with which Christians have increased their rhetoric against Israel has been astounding...I have known all along that as the time of the return of Jesus grew near, there would be a greater hatred spewed towards God's Chosen People, but even the level that we are witnessing is disconcerting; and to know that people who name the name of Jesus Christ are part and parcel joining this barrage of criticism and hatred is alarming...the following article by Jim Fletcher really shows what is happening and as Christians who love God and His people, we should certainly be aware:
Israel’s Christian Enemies
My heart is grieved. Frankly, I would imagine my ideological enemies would smile about that, since I’m talking about the myriad attacks against Israel. I write again this week about American Christians’ efforts to marginalize both the Jewish state, and its supporters in the evangelical world.
I am discovering more and more that the vast majority of even those who support Israel are not aware of much of this. Who knew the attacks would come from evangelical ranks?
This week, I bring you news from three fronts (though each dovetail with each other, since anti-Israel evangelicals are superb networkers): The diabolical “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference in Israel; the Palestinian Authority’s clamping-down on religious freedom—you won’t hear Christian Palestinianists talk about this; and, more from the Leadership Network.
We start with the Checkpoint goings-on. To refresh your memory, this is from a team of anti-Israel Christians (one wonders how much the PA is involved, behind the scenes) who have created a propaganda campaign against the Jewish state and her supporters.
Fortunately for us, researcher extraordinaire Dexter Van Zile attended (check out his work at www.camera.org) and gives us first-hand accounts. First, from Christian Newswire (which apparently doesn’t discern the sinister nature of this gathering):
“A major breakthrough in the evangelical world took place in Bethlehem through a gathering of over 600 international and local Christians, including renowned evangelical leaders. Organized by Bethlehem Bible College, the conference, under the banner ‘Christ at the Checkpoint,’ addressed the issue of how to find hope in the midst of conflict. The conference exceeded all expectations.”
Major breakthrough? This kind of activity has been going on for some time, and I wonder if most supporters of Israel get it. Here is another telling paragraph from the Newswire story:
“Conference organizers challenged the evangelical community to cease looking at the Middle East through the lens of ‘end times’ prophecy and instead rallied them to join in following Jesus in the prophetic pursuance of justice, peace and reconciliation.”
Do you see? There is a major movement underfoot to jettison the teaching of Bible prophecy from the American Church; sadly, in my view, it is succeeding at a breathtaking pace. A major component of the Checkpoint crowd’s propaganda:
“The Kingdom of God has Come.” Do you get it? This is a fundamental, ideological straw-breaker between us and them (and yes, it is “us and them”). These people believe at the core that their efforts have already brought the Kingdom of God to Earth. In their world, it isn’t necessary for Jesus to return to rescue a disintegrating planet. People can save themselves.
Now, to Dexter Van Zile’s piece in The Algemeiner. He has reported that the PA’s Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, has shut down Bethlehem pastor Rev. Naim Khoury; Khoury’s son Steven had told Van Zile that the PA is severely restricting the church from operating; the Khourys are courageous Christians who do not tow the company line in that region when it comes to Israel.
According to Van Zile:
“The irony, Steven said, is that the PA’s announcement comes right after the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference. This conference, which took place from March 5 through March 9, 2012 was a gathering of approximately 600 Evangelical Protestants from across the globe (mostly from the United States) to discuss the theology of Christian Zionism, which some Evangelicals believe increases the prospect of violence in the Middle East and gives support to Israeli policies that they do not like.
“During the opening night of the conference, Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad told the assembly that his government respected the rights of Christians. Palestinians celebrate religious holidays together, PA officials attend Christmas celebrations and even attend Midnight Mass for Christmas, Fayyad said.”
Coincidence? Please. As usual, the “voices of tolerance” from the left, which is how I think the Checkpoint crowd would identify themselves if asked, bring out the fangs when it comes to pro Israel support. Their hypocrisy is mind-boggling.
You can read the whole account at: www.algemeiner.com/2012/03/13/exclusive-baptist-church-in-bethlehem-declared-illegitimate-by-palestinian-authority/
Now, it’s no accident that these efforts parallel those of Catalyst, the conference program spearheaded by the Leadership Network—begun by folks like Peter Drucker and Bob Buford, and advanced by Rick Warren and Bill Hybels.
In a recent Catalyst newsletter, I spotted a talk by Todd Deatherage of the Telos Group; the Telos website describes the group thusly:
“The Telos Group believes in the redemptive power of Jerusalem, despite the modern war being waged there by Israelis and Palestinians today. We believe, however, that the promise of Jerusalem as an exemplar of peaceful coexistence between the three great monotheistic religions will not be realized until the rights and viability of all of Jerusalem’s communities--Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim--are protected. We believe that the best way to protect the rights of all of Jerusalem’s communities is through a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a solution that is mindful and respectful of the faith communities’ needs and concerns.
“Telos Jerusalem brings the world’s top Jerusalem experts together in an unprecedented initiative to monitor real-time facts on the ground and to analyze how those facts impact the potential political resolution of the Jerusalem question as well as religious interests in and around the Holy City. Telos Jerusalem guides Telos leadership pilgrimages on complete tours of the Holy City, including the Old City, the Holy Basin, and Greater Jerusalem--exploring all of the communities and the full geopolitical impact of the modern Israeli-Palestinian conflict on this ancient city. Telos Jerusalem will begin releasing later this year a monthly newsletter, urgent updates, and occasional case studies with maps, allowing people the world over to explore modern Jerusalem in all of its dimensions.”
Deatherage’s talk at Catalyst revealed the fact that he works with such groups and people as Sami Awad and Lynne Hybels. His PowerPoint highlighted those who worked to produce the “Little Town of Bethlehem” film, now openly being used as a propaganda piece targeting unaware evangelical leaders.
Interestingly, Deatherage began his talk with a photo of the famed garden café at Jerusalem’s American Colony Hotel. I’ve been there, and it is a meeting place between Palestinians and Western media and leftist religious groups. So we know right off the bat where Deatherage is coming from.
Midway through his remarks, Deatherage said the following:
“Eschatology matters, in so many areas of life. What we think about the end helps shape how live and act today. So if we believe that violence and war and bloodshed in the Middle East is predetermined and necessary and maybe even a good thing, then how responsible would we be to Jesus’s call that we be peacemakers? How authentically Christian is any theology that makes us more perpetuators of conflict than agents of reconciliation?”
I think it’s obvious what is going on here. I spoke this week with a researcher who has studied the Leadership Network, and was told that the leaders of the group actively work to train younger leaders to let go of the “old time” teachings (my phrase) regarding eschatology. That means of course that anything relating to the Rapture, pro Israel support, and warnings of the tribulation coming are dismissed as the rantings of fringe thinkers and doom lunatics.
Notice that Deatherage regurgitates the lie that Bible prophecy teachers and students are basically warmongers who hope a soon-coming bloodbath in the Middle East triggers Armageddon.
As I’ve said before, I’ve never talked to or known a prophecy teachers who promotes that kind of agenda. Yet the straw-man has been constructed. And Deatherage’s allegation is still repulsive and false.
Deatherage went on to call the Israeli security fence—THAT HAS SAVED JEWISH LIVES—a “gross injustice.”
I will say here very clearly and directly: that statement is immoral.
Jewish lives are meaningless to most of the world, so the irony is that so-called peace activists and those working for “reconciliation” ignore threats to Jews. It’s not in their vocabulary or, more accurately, their talking points.
The Christ at the Checkpoint crowd is advancing its cause among young evangelicals in America. They are being helped by such as Mart Green’s EGM Films, the Leadership Network, and—drumroll—the PA.
All of them are of like-mind when it comes to Israel and especially Israel’s Christian supporters. The hostility is disturbing.
I urge readers to study groups like the Leadership Network, and its offshoots like Catalyst, along with the individuals who are being promoted/marketed through LN. Remember again that Warren and Hybels are big-time mentors, and this is trickling down (flooding, really) to guys like Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. I’d dearly love to hear either of them really make a statement about Israel, eschatology, and the Palestinian conflict. Not likely to happen.
Often, readers of Israel Watch ask me how they can make a difference. A few things come to mind:
•Attend some of these conferences. Go to www.catalystspace.com. I know resources are tight, but think about attending the next Christ at the Checkpoint. Buttress this kind of attendance by also learning from the good guys. The Jerusalem Post is hosting an important conference in New York in April— http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/NYCAbout.aspx. A conference like this will cost you about a grand; I think it’s well worth it. Once you’ve attended one of these, let others know what transpired. Be a reporter. Learn. Pass it on.
•Most of you are pretty smart. You are savvy. Learn about these people and what their agendas are. For example, though it’s time-consuming (this is something a retired person might be able to do), you will find layer after layer of networks, and you will stumble onto important information. Study the Leadership Network and connect the dots.
•Consider a trip to Israel. Israel’s enemies often have more resources than the rest of us, so what for us is a huge sacrifice is provided for them. But press on and prayerfully consider going. Let me know if this is an option for you. Aside from your airline ticket (which admittedly can be considerable, especially in warmer months…around $1,500 or more), one can see the country relatively cheaply. It can be done.
And, don’t be intimidated. Just remember that the person you might dialogue with—someone on the opposite side of the fence—is coming at it from a different worldview, namely, they do not really believe in the authority of the Word of God. A person like this might say he does, but you’re smart enough to know whether that’s true or not. Study about the Middle East. Read Michael Oren’s book, Six Days of War. Read his other classic, Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East—1776 to the Present. Other books and articles. Armed with facts, confront the enemies of Israel…in a respectful way.
We stand on the edge of history. Israel is being surrounded. The warriors who defend the Land of Israel will do their jobs. And the Lord of History will do His, and it will be complete.
Those of us who love Zion—we who are not ashamed but rather lean our faces into the wind—will hold the line until the ultimate Cavalry show up: a single commander of unmatched majesty and power.
Until then, let us not concede an inch to Israel’s many enemies.
Especially those in the evangelical community. I decided a long time ago that an enemy of Israel is my enemy, as well.
There are a lot of them in the Church.
jim@prophecymatters.com
Israel’s Christian Enemies
My heart is grieved. Frankly, I would imagine my ideological enemies would smile about that, since I’m talking about the myriad attacks against Israel. I write again this week about American Christians’ efforts to marginalize both the Jewish state, and its supporters in the evangelical world.
I am discovering more and more that the vast majority of even those who support Israel are not aware of much of this. Who knew the attacks would come from evangelical ranks?
This week, I bring you news from three fronts (though each dovetail with each other, since anti-Israel evangelicals are superb networkers): The diabolical “Christ at the Checkpoint” conference in Israel; the Palestinian Authority’s clamping-down on religious freedom—you won’t hear Christian Palestinianists talk about this; and, more from the Leadership Network.
We start with the Checkpoint goings-on. To refresh your memory, this is from a team of anti-Israel Christians (one wonders how much the PA is involved, behind the scenes) who have created a propaganda campaign against the Jewish state and her supporters.
Fortunately for us, researcher extraordinaire Dexter Van Zile attended (check out his work at www.camera.org) and gives us first-hand accounts. First, from Christian Newswire (which apparently doesn’t discern the sinister nature of this gathering):
“A major breakthrough in the evangelical world took place in Bethlehem through a gathering of over 600 international and local Christians, including renowned evangelical leaders. Organized by Bethlehem Bible College, the conference, under the banner ‘Christ at the Checkpoint,’ addressed the issue of how to find hope in the midst of conflict. The conference exceeded all expectations.”
Major breakthrough? This kind of activity has been going on for some time, and I wonder if most supporters of Israel get it. Here is another telling paragraph from the Newswire story:
“Conference organizers challenged the evangelical community to cease looking at the Middle East through the lens of ‘end times’ prophecy and instead rallied them to join in following Jesus in the prophetic pursuance of justice, peace and reconciliation.”
Do you see? There is a major movement underfoot to jettison the teaching of Bible prophecy from the American Church; sadly, in my view, it is succeeding at a breathtaking pace. A major component of the Checkpoint crowd’s propaganda:
“The Kingdom of God has Come.” Do you get it? This is a fundamental, ideological straw-breaker between us and them (and yes, it is “us and them”). These people believe at the core that their efforts have already brought the Kingdom of God to Earth. In their world, it isn’t necessary for Jesus to return to rescue a disintegrating planet. People can save themselves.
Now, to Dexter Van Zile’s piece in The Algemeiner. He has reported that the PA’s Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, has shut down Bethlehem pastor Rev. Naim Khoury; Khoury’s son Steven had told Van Zile that the PA is severely restricting the church from operating; the Khourys are courageous Christians who do not tow the company line in that region when it comes to Israel.
According to Van Zile:
“The irony, Steven said, is that the PA’s announcement comes right after the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference. This conference, which took place from March 5 through March 9, 2012 was a gathering of approximately 600 Evangelical Protestants from across the globe (mostly from the United States) to discuss the theology of Christian Zionism, which some Evangelicals believe increases the prospect of violence in the Middle East and gives support to Israeli policies that they do not like.
“During the opening night of the conference, Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad told the assembly that his government respected the rights of Christians. Palestinians celebrate religious holidays together, PA officials attend Christmas celebrations and even attend Midnight Mass for Christmas, Fayyad said.”
Coincidence? Please. As usual, the “voices of tolerance” from the left, which is how I think the Checkpoint crowd would identify themselves if asked, bring out the fangs when it comes to pro Israel support. Their hypocrisy is mind-boggling.
You can read the whole account at: www.algemeiner.com/2012/03/13/exclusive-baptist-church-in-bethlehem-declared-illegitimate-by-palestinian-authority/
Now, it’s no accident that these efforts parallel those of Catalyst, the conference program spearheaded by the Leadership Network—begun by folks like Peter Drucker and Bob Buford, and advanced by Rick Warren and Bill Hybels.
In a recent Catalyst newsletter, I spotted a talk by Todd Deatherage of the Telos Group; the Telos website describes the group thusly:
“The Telos Group believes in the redemptive power of Jerusalem, despite the modern war being waged there by Israelis and Palestinians today. We believe, however, that the promise of Jerusalem as an exemplar of peaceful coexistence between the three great monotheistic religions will not be realized until the rights and viability of all of Jerusalem’s communities--Israeli and Palestinian, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim--are protected. We believe that the best way to protect the rights of all of Jerusalem’s communities is through a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a solution that is mindful and respectful of the faith communities’ needs and concerns.
“Telos Jerusalem brings the world’s top Jerusalem experts together in an unprecedented initiative to monitor real-time facts on the ground and to analyze how those facts impact the potential political resolution of the Jerusalem question as well as religious interests in and around the Holy City. Telos Jerusalem guides Telos leadership pilgrimages on complete tours of the Holy City, including the Old City, the Holy Basin, and Greater Jerusalem--exploring all of the communities and the full geopolitical impact of the modern Israeli-Palestinian conflict on this ancient city. Telos Jerusalem will begin releasing later this year a monthly newsletter, urgent updates, and occasional case studies with maps, allowing people the world over to explore modern Jerusalem in all of its dimensions.”
Deatherage’s talk at Catalyst revealed the fact that he works with such groups and people as Sami Awad and Lynne Hybels. His PowerPoint highlighted those who worked to produce the “Little Town of Bethlehem” film, now openly being used as a propaganda piece targeting unaware evangelical leaders.
Interestingly, Deatherage began his talk with a photo of the famed garden café at Jerusalem’s American Colony Hotel. I’ve been there, and it is a meeting place between Palestinians and Western media and leftist religious groups. So we know right off the bat where Deatherage is coming from.
Midway through his remarks, Deatherage said the following:
“Eschatology matters, in so many areas of life. What we think about the end helps shape how live and act today. So if we believe that violence and war and bloodshed in the Middle East is predetermined and necessary and maybe even a good thing, then how responsible would we be to Jesus’s call that we be peacemakers? How authentically Christian is any theology that makes us more perpetuators of conflict than agents of reconciliation?”
I think it’s obvious what is going on here. I spoke this week with a researcher who has studied the Leadership Network, and was told that the leaders of the group actively work to train younger leaders to let go of the “old time” teachings (my phrase) regarding eschatology. That means of course that anything relating to the Rapture, pro Israel support, and warnings of the tribulation coming are dismissed as the rantings of fringe thinkers and doom lunatics.
Notice that Deatherage regurgitates the lie that Bible prophecy teachers and students are basically warmongers who hope a soon-coming bloodbath in the Middle East triggers Armageddon.
As I’ve said before, I’ve never talked to or known a prophecy teachers who promotes that kind of agenda. Yet the straw-man has been constructed. And Deatherage’s allegation is still repulsive and false.
Deatherage went on to call the Israeli security fence—THAT HAS SAVED JEWISH LIVES—a “gross injustice.”
I will say here very clearly and directly: that statement is immoral.
Jewish lives are meaningless to most of the world, so the irony is that so-called peace activists and those working for “reconciliation” ignore threats to Jews. It’s not in their vocabulary or, more accurately, their talking points.
The Christ at the Checkpoint crowd is advancing its cause among young evangelicals in America. They are being helped by such as Mart Green’s EGM Films, the Leadership Network, and—drumroll—the PA.
All of them are of like-mind when it comes to Israel and especially Israel’s Christian supporters. The hostility is disturbing.
I urge readers to study groups like the Leadership Network, and its offshoots like Catalyst, along with the individuals who are being promoted/marketed through LN. Remember again that Warren and Hybels are big-time mentors, and this is trickling down (flooding, really) to guys like Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. I’d dearly love to hear either of them really make a statement about Israel, eschatology, and the Palestinian conflict. Not likely to happen.
Often, readers of Israel Watch ask me how they can make a difference. A few things come to mind:
•Attend some of these conferences. Go to www.catalystspace.com. I know resources are tight, but think about attending the next Christ at the Checkpoint. Buttress this kind of attendance by also learning from the good guys. The Jerusalem Post is hosting an important conference in New York in April— http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/NYCAbout.aspx. A conference like this will cost you about a grand; I think it’s well worth it. Once you’ve attended one of these, let others know what transpired. Be a reporter. Learn. Pass it on.
•Most of you are pretty smart. You are savvy. Learn about these people and what their agendas are. For example, though it’s time-consuming (this is something a retired person might be able to do), you will find layer after layer of networks, and you will stumble onto important information. Study the Leadership Network and connect the dots.
•Consider a trip to Israel. Israel’s enemies often have more resources than the rest of us, so what for us is a huge sacrifice is provided for them. But press on and prayerfully consider going. Let me know if this is an option for you. Aside from your airline ticket (which admittedly can be considerable, especially in warmer months…around $1,500 or more), one can see the country relatively cheaply. It can be done.
And, don’t be intimidated. Just remember that the person you might dialogue with—someone on the opposite side of the fence—is coming at it from a different worldview, namely, they do not really believe in the authority of the Word of God. A person like this might say he does, but you’re smart enough to know whether that’s true or not. Study about the Middle East. Read Michael Oren’s book, Six Days of War. Read his other classic, Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East—1776 to the Present. Other books and articles. Armed with facts, confront the enemies of Israel…in a respectful way.
We stand on the edge of history. Israel is being surrounded. The warriors who defend the Land of Israel will do their jobs. And the Lord of History will do His, and it will be complete.
Those of us who love Zion—we who are not ashamed but rather lean our faces into the wind—will hold the line until the ultimate Cavalry show up: a single commander of unmatched majesty and power.
Until then, let us not concede an inch to Israel’s many enemies.
Especially those in the evangelical community. I decided a long time ago that an enemy of Israel is my enemy, as well.
There are a lot of them in the Church.
jim@prophecymatters.com
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Academics
Greetings!
In my last blog, I told you about my son Collin who played Basket ball at Calvary Christian School in Columbus, Georgia (all the while maintaining a 3.9 gpa!)So let me tell you about our son Cameron...
Cameron is pictured in the middle of our photo, in the graduation get-up! In that photo, he had just graduated from Columbus High School which is ranked in the top three in the state of Georgia!
Cameron decided that he wanted to go away from home for college...his mother and I agreed that he was ready to spread some wings and see what he could do...he decided on Kennesaw State University located in Kennesaw, Georgia...little did we know that this was the third largest school in the University System of Georgia (Behind the University of Georgia and Georgia State)...
Cameron has done very well...his first year was highlighted by being accepted into their honor's program and then a trip to Brazil (where all the kids who really could not speak English, called him Justin Beiber!)...
In his second year, Cameron became an RA...Residence Assistant, and has flourished in that role...
The biggest news is that he has made the Dean's list for the second time! Congratulations to Cameron on a job well-done! looking forward to what he will accomplish over his final two years!
In my last blog, I told you about my son Collin who played Basket ball at Calvary Christian School in Columbus, Georgia (all the while maintaining a 3.9 gpa!)So let me tell you about our son Cameron...
Cameron is pictured in the middle of our photo, in the graduation get-up! In that photo, he had just graduated from Columbus High School which is ranked in the top three in the state of Georgia!
Cameron decided that he wanted to go away from home for college...his mother and I agreed that he was ready to spread some wings and see what he could do...he decided on Kennesaw State University located in Kennesaw, Georgia...little did we know that this was the third largest school in the University System of Georgia (Behind the University of Georgia and Georgia State)...
Cameron has done very well...his first year was highlighted by being accepted into their honor's program and then a trip to Brazil (where all the kids who really could not speak English, called him Justin Beiber!)...
In his second year, Cameron became an RA...Residence Assistant, and has flourished in that role...
The biggest news is that he has made the Dean's list for the second time! Congratulations to Cameron on a job well-done! looking forward to what he will accomplish over his final two years!
Basketball
Hey...
My youngest son, Collin, pictured in the white and blue stripped shirt in our photo, has played Basketball for Calvary Christian School for the last 5 years...the J.V. squad in 8th grade and the Varsity squad from 9th grade until this his senior season...he has played extremely well, even though I am his dad I can say that!
As the season wound down, Collin got to within 74 points of 1,000 for his career...now note that Collin plays the "point" position, meaning that he normally is the play-maker who dishes the ball off to others who shoot and score...and in fact, he is very near if he hasn't passed, the all-time assist record! At any rate, as our team made the regional tournament to determine which four teams would make the state tournament, he needed 11 points for 1,000...Collin scored 10 points and we qualified for the next round of the Regional's, one (1) point short of 1,000! he was sitting on 999 going into the next game...our family travelled to Tifton, Georgia where we had just watched him fall one point short...The game was played against Sherwood Christian Academy from Albany, Georgia, the school is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church which has brought us such outstanding films as "facing the Giants", "Fireproof" and of course, "Courageous"...Collin shot a Free-throw after being fouled and scored his 1,000th point! Our fans erupted and I am sure that the opposing fans thought we were crazy! After all, it was just one free-throw! At any rate, we were overjoyed! After all that we have been through (see previous postings)here was a ray of sunshine!
CCS made the state tourney and we played Tatnall Square Academy in the first round...Collin decided he would not lose in the first round like we did when he was a Sophomore...at any rate, he lit up the night with 26 points, including a three-pointer that moved us 4 ahead after Tatnall had clawed back from 6 down...from there, we held on to win 58-56!
In round two, we played the defending state champs, Mt. Vernon, and the outcome was not the same...we lost by 15 and Collin only scored 5 points, shooting only twice in the second half...our team reverted to some late season bad habits of jacking up shots that were not there...oh well!
Collin had an outstanding career at CCS, becoming only the fourth player in the school's history to score 1,000 points!
My youngest son, Collin, pictured in the white and blue stripped shirt in our photo, has played Basketball for Calvary Christian School for the last 5 years...the J.V. squad in 8th grade and the Varsity squad from 9th grade until this his senior season...he has played extremely well, even though I am his dad I can say that!
As the season wound down, Collin got to within 74 points of 1,000 for his career...now note that Collin plays the "point" position, meaning that he normally is the play-maker who dishes the ball off to others who shoot and score...and in fact, he is very near if he hasn't passed, the all-time assist record! At any rate, as our team made the regional tournament to determine which four teams would make the state tournament, he needed 11 points for 1,000...Collin scored 10 points and we qualified for the next round of the Regional's, one (1) point short of 1,000! he was sitting on 999 going into the next game...our family travelled to Tifton, Georgia where we had just watched him fall one point short...The game was played against Sherwood Christian Academy from Albany, Georgia, the school is a ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church which has brought us such outstanding films as "facing the Giants", "Fireproof" and of course, "Courageous"...Collin shot a Free-throw after being fouled and scored his 1,000th point! Our fans erupted and I am sure that the opposing fans thought we were crazy! After all, it was just one free-throw! At any rate, we were overjoyed! After all that we have been through (see previous postings)here was a ray of sunshine!
CCS made the state tourney and we played Tatnall Square Academy in the first round...Collin decided he would not lose in the first round like we did when he was a Sophomore...at any rate, he lit up the night with 26 points, including a three-pointer that moved us 4 ahead after Tatnall had clawed back from 6 down...from there, we held on to win 58-56!
In round two, we played the defending state champs, Mt. Vernon, and the outcome was not the same...we lost by 15 and Collin only scored 5 points, shooting only twice in the second half...our team reverted to some late season bad habits of jacking up shots that were not there...oh well!
Collin had an outstanding career at CCS, becoming only the fourth player in the school's history to score 1,000 points!
I'm Back!
Hello Everyone! Sorry! I have been gone for a while now, but I'm back!
Just as an update: I started teaching at Calvary Christian School in Columbus, Georgia and have been really busy with getting back into the swing of teaching...I teach 9th through 11th grades with the 9th graders studying the Old Testament, the 10th graders learning the New Testament and the 11th graders studying Apologetics and Theology...Whew!
In recent days, I have had opportunity to preach in several locations around Columbus and was even asked to consider being the bi-vocational pastor at a church here in the area...word to the wise...if you serve on a Pastor Search committee, deal with only ONE prospective pastor at a time! I was called today and informed that the church had voted in a different guy as pastor...where did he come from? I never knew that there was anyone else being considered...I was told they were voting on me today, so what gives here? This is highly unusual...Most churches would never do something like this, but I guess if you do this long enough, you will see most anything!
On a positive note, we have an opportunity to stop the foreclosure of our home, but I must come up with $2400.00 before Friday, February 24th, 2012...Let me back up...After leaving my former church, we were unable to make our mortgage payments after May 1, 2011 and you can see previous postings for the reasons why, anyway, our original note holder sold our note to a company in California who offered to try and help us by reducing the interest rate...however, it really was not low enough for us because whereas I am now employed, I am under-employed, meaning my salary is much less...so...we received a letter from an attorney in Atlanta representing the note-holder letting us know that we were being foreclosed...We got another letter from another Law Firm in Atlanta who stated that they worked to help people in foreclosure to maintain their homes...so we must pay them their fee ($600.00) and then pay the court costs of stopping the foreclosure ($1700-1800)...
Please pray for us as look for guidance from the Lord on our next move...Thanks!
Just as an update: I started teaching at Calvary Christian School in Columbus, Georgia and have been really busy with getting back into the swing of teaching...I teach 9th through 11th grades with the 9th graders studying the Old Testament, the 10th graders learning the New Testament and the 11th graders studying Apologetics and Theology...Whew!
In recent days, I have had opportunity to preach in several locations around Columbus and was even asked to consider being the bi-vocational pastor at a church here in the area...word to the wise...if you serve on a Pastor Search committee, deal with only ONE prospective pastor at a time! I was called today and informed that the church had voted in a different guy as pastor...where did he come from? I never knew that there was anyone else being considered...I was told they were voting on me today, so what gives here? This is highly unusual...Most churches would never do something like this, but I guess if you do this long enough, you will see most anything!
On a positive note, we have an opportunity to stop the foreclosure of our home, but I must come up with $2400.00 before Friday, February 24th, 2012...Let me back up...After leaving my former church, we were unable to make our mortgage payments after May 1, 2011 and you can see previous postings for the reasons why, anyway, our original note holder sold our note to a company in California who offered to try and help us by reducing the interest rate...however, it really was not low enough for us because whereas I am now employed, I am under-employed, meaning my salary is much less...so...we received a letter from an attorney in Atlanta representing the note-holder letting us know that we were being foreclosed...We got another letter from another Law Firm in Atlanta who stated that they worked to help people in foreclosure to maintain their homes...so we must pay them their fee ($600.00) and then pay the court costs of stopping the foreclosure ($1700-1800)...
Please pray for us as look for guidance from the Lord on our next move...Thanks!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Update!
Hey...Wow! How time flies! I had not realized that there had been no post from since July! I am sorry that I have been away for so long...let me get caught up...
In August, I began working as a Bible Teacher at Calvary Christian School for grades 9-11...My friend and Pastor, Dr. Don Wilhite here at Calvary, helped to bring this about and had actually approached me about teaching back in April of this year...Its not Pastoring, but at least I do have an opportunity to share Christ with over 100 students EVERY DAY! What a joy this has been...I even had the opportunity to lead a young man to Christ in September!
August also saw my two daughters, Ashley and Megan, move to Macon, Georgia...the house seems rather empty now (and a lot quieter!) because our son, Cameron, is away at Kennesaw State University and now the girls gone too...
In October, our oldest son, Christopher got married! His wonderful new bride, the former Caitlyn Smith, now Mrs. Caitlyn Yarbrough, actually teachers 4th grade at Calvary Christian School! Chris now too has left home and so Sandy and I have just our youngest son Collin at home...He is a senior at Calvary Christian and is starting his final campaign as a basketball player at Calvary...we are praying that he has a great season!
We are now in November, and just as I stated in earlier post this year, we are now in the process of losing our home...we can no longer afford our mortgage, and have really not even made a payment since May...a couple of weeks ago, we received notice from our mortgage company that the foreclosure process was beginning...Working at Calvary allows us to be able to put food on the table, but it is a far cry from the previous level of income, not that I am complaining, just explaining...so, we are unsure what the future brings, just praying for God's provision...the point of course is that sin has consequences and there is fallout even on "innocent" people...
Let me encourage you to live cleanly, soberly, loving God and man, following Him with all that you are and trusting in Him and His Holy Word...
May God richly bless you as you continue to read my blog!
In August, I began working as a Bible Teacher at Calvary Christian School for grades 9-11...My friend and Pastor, Dr. Don Wilhite here at Calvary, helped to bring this about and had actually approached me about teaching back in April of this year...Its not Pastoring, but at least I do have an opportunity to share Christ with over 100 students EVERY DAY! What a joy this has been...I even had the opportunity to lead a young man to Christ in September!
August also saw my two daughters, Ashley and Megan, move to Macon, Georgia...the house seems rather empty now (and a lot quieter!) because our son, Cameron, is away at Kennesaw State University and now the girls gone too...
In October, our oldest son, Christopher got married! His wonderful new bride, the former Caitlyn Smith, now Mrs. Caitlyn Yarbrough, actually teachers 4th grade at Calvary Christian School! Chris now too has left home and so Sandy and I have just our youngest son Collin at home...He is a senior at Calvary Christian and is starting his final campaign as a basketball player at Calvary...we are praying that he has a great season!
We are now in November, and just as I stated in earlier post this year, we are now in the process of losing our home...we can no longer afford our mortgage, and have really not even made a payment since May...a couple of weeks ago, we received notice from our mortgage company that the foreclosure process was beginning...Working at Calvary allows us to be able to put food on the table, but it is a far cry from the previous level of income, not that I am complaining, just explaining...so, we are unsure what the future brings, just praying for God's provision...the point of course is that sin has consequences and there is fallout even on "innocent" people...
Let me encourage you to live cleanly, soberly, loving God and man, following Him with all that you are and trusting in Him and His Holy Word...
May God richly bless you as you continue to read my blog!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Land of The Free and Home of the Brave...
July 1, 2011
Is Another Ballot Heist Coming?
By Tom Rowan
The integrity of American elections ought to be above reproach. Unfortunately, recent history suggests that when candidates are desperate, serious hanky-panky is not out of the question.
The 2000 Florida Presidential election was severely marred by Al Gore's botched election robbery. The massive vote fraud in Palm Beach County stands as immutable proof of the extent that crooked Democrats will go to steal an election. After botching the robbery in "ballot box boiler rooms," the Democrats resorted to stall tactics, the courts, and endless recounts to steal the election for Gore. The only mistake the voter frauds made is that they did not destroy enough valid votes.
Only in Palm Beach
Robert Cook emailed me during and after the 2000 Florida recounts. I remember that Robert lived in Georgia at the time and he and I were certain of voter fraud in Florida and that the media were actively covering it up. Robert ran the election numbers and sent them to me. At the time I forwarded the information to every single member of the Florida House and Senate in a push for fraud-proof electronic voting. What Robert mathematically deduced was that Florida was the victim of a massive vote fraud scheme in Palm Beach County. Robert recounted his analysis and sent it to Michael Reagan. This short report is required reading for anyone who really wants to understand what actually happened in the 2000 Florida Presidential election.
The analysis leaves exactly zero room for the possibility for anything other than massive vote fraud. As Newsmax.com's Carl Limbacher reported: "Robert is a nuclear engineer with a track record for analyzing and correcting trends, errors and mistakes in heavy construction projects (ships, power plants, nuclear reactors, military and aerospace vehicles, etc.) for more than twenty years, put forth a compelling case that the 19,120 presidential race ballots at issue in Palm Beach County were 'destroyed by deliberate double-punching ballots with a "second punch" for Al Gore or Pat Buchanan.'" The results are shockingly clear evidence of vote fraud:
Only Palm Beach County, Florida voters seem incapable of understanding and using this style of ballot (butterfly ballot -- chosen by local Democrats).
Only in Palm Beach, FL were 15,000 ballots "invalidated" (for double-punched ballots) in the 1996 Presidential election. (Past history of vote fraud in 1996.)
Only in Palm Beach (and in only the most heavily Democratic precincts) were 19,120 ballots rejected in 2000 for double-punching.
Only in Palm Beach did this "double-punch" error happen only in the Gore-Bush-Buchanan selections for President.
Only in Palm Beach has the news media complained about "massive" ballot confusion.
Only in Palm Beach did Gore gain 750 votes in a recount.
Only in Palm Beach County that more than 20% of the registered Republicans "forgot" to vote for their party's presidential candidate.
Only in Palm Beach did Bush receive less than 65% of the registered Republican voters.
Only in Palm Beach did Buchanan get less than half of the votes he received before in 1996.
Cook provides the probable means by which a Democrat conspirator could have disenfranchised thousands of voters and destroyed their "punch ballot cards":
Stamping 45,000 ballots with a tool (or other device) through the Gore slot gives: Every Gore vote = still a valid Gore vote. (No change in the total, no change in the recount.) Every Bush, Buchanan, Workers Party, and Libertarian Party ballot IS IMMEDIATELY INVALID. They will be thrown out because they have two votes. They NEVER were counted in the first place = no change in the recount. The double-punch occurs ONLY in the presidential race, and no position on the ballot is disturbed. All other races are correctly counted. EVERY ballot that had no vote (a "protest vote" against both major candidates) becomes a Gore vote. All other races on the ballot are not disturbed, and are correctly counted.
In this way, stacks of ballots cards (valid votes) were destroyed in a matter a few fevered post election moments. This simple vote fraud technique explains all the ridiculously improbable statistical outliers of that election. There simply is no other plausible mathematical explanation.
As the 2012 election looms, concerned voters should recall the nationwide voter registration frauds of ACORN, Al Franken's brazenly stolen Minnesota Senate election, and George Soros' SOS Project which seeks to install crony Secretaries of State to "oversee" how close elections are "decided." The massive vote fraud in Florida in 2000 ought to concern every voter in every state. If the Democrat party so brazenly tried to steal Florida's 2000 election, chances are very good that they will try to steal other "close" elections in 2012.
Recall too that the groundwork is already being laid for vote fraud in 2012. Donna Brazile is already complaining about nonexistent "voter disenfranchisement" (just as the Democrats did in 2000). Editorials are being written and lawsuits are being filed in an attempt to thwart any meaningful measures to eliminate vote fraud. Whomever the GOP nominates for president, he or she will face Obama's vicious nonstop smear machine, the usual network media bias, and a massive George Soros-funded effort to steal this election. With Obama's poll numbers as bad as they are and with his reelection prospects as bleak as any President's in living memory, a massive and nationwide voter fraud campaign is already underway. And, if past elections are any indication, this vote fraud campaign will be successful to varying degrees. The degree to which the 2012 Democrat vote fraud campaign will be successful depends on whether voters who care enough to show up to vote care enough that their votes are being stolen and complain about it. And if they care that they are the voters who are actually being "disenfranchised."
Of my most bitter memories of the 2000 Florida recount (and attempted election theft) was that our military votes were being challenged at our local courthouse by Gore lawyers dressed in pinstriped suits with thick New Jersey accents. This was simultaneously happening all across Florida. Gore's "election" lawyers were dressed like (and talked like) the typical Hollywood typecast depiction of a sleazy mobster. Another laughable and lighter moment was when Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley offered to "help" us Floridians "count" our votes. That would be like asking Al Gore for a weather report.
Is Another Ballot Heist Coming?
By Tom Rowan
The integrity of American elections ought to be above reproach. Unfortunately, recent history suggests that when candidates are desperate, serious hanky-panky is not out of the question.
The 2000 Florida Presidential election was severely marred by Al Gore's botched election robbery. The massive vote fraud in Palm Beach County stands as immutable proof of the extent that crooked Democrats will go to steal an election. After botching the robbery in "ballot box boiler rooms," the Democrats resorted to stall tactics, the courts, and endless recounts to steal the election for Gore. The only mistake the voter frauds made is that they did not destroy enough valid votes.
Only in Palm Beach
Robert Cook emailed me during and after the 2000 Florida recounts. I remember that Robert lived in Georgia at the time and he and I were certain of voter fraud in Florida and that the media were actively covering it up. Robert ran the election numbers and sent them to me. At the time I forwarded the information to every single member of the Florida House and Senate in a push for fraud-proof electronic voting. What Robert mathematically deduced was that Florida was the victim of a massive vote fraud scheme in Palm Beach County. Robert recounted his analysis and sent it to Michael Reagan. This short report is required reading for anyone who really wants to understand what actually happened in the 2000 Florida Presidential election.
The analysis leaves exactly zero room for the possibility for anything other than massive vote fraud. As Newsmax.com's Carl Limbacher reported: "Robert is a nuclear engineer with a track record for analyzing and correcting trends, errors and mistakes in heavy construction projects (ships, power plants, nuclear reactors, military and aerospace vehicles, etc.) for more than twenty years, put forth a compelling case that the 19,120 presidential race ballots at issue in Palm Beach County were 'destroyed by deliberate double-punching ballots with a "second punch" for Al Gore or Pat Buchanan.'" The results are shockingly clear evidence of vote fraud:
Only Palm Beach County, Florida voters seem incapable of understanding and using this style of ballot (butterfly ballot -- chosen by local Democrats).
Only in Palm Beach, FL were 15,000 ballots "invalidated" (for double-punched ballots) in the 1996 Presidential election. (Past history of vote fraud in 1996.)
Only in Palm Beach (and in only the most heavily Democratic precincts) were 19,120 ballots rejected in 2000 for double-punching.
Only in Palm Beach did this "double-punch" error happen only in the Gore-Bush-Buchanan selections for President.
Only in Palm Beach has the news media complained about "massive" ballot confusion.
Only in Palm Beach did Gore gain 750 votes in a recount.
Only in Palm Beach County that more than 20% of the registered Republicans "forgot" to vote for their party's presidential candidate.
Only in Palm Beach did Bush receive less than 65% of the registered Republican voters.
Only in Palm Beach did Buchanan get less than half of the votes he received before in 1996.
Cook provides the probable means by which a Democrat conspirator could have disenfranchised thousands of voters and destroyed their "punch ballot cards":
Stamping 45,000 ballots with a tool (or other device) through the Gore slot gives: Every Gore vote = still a valid Gore vote. (No change in the total, no change in the recount.) Every Bush, Buchanan, Workers Party, and Libertarian Party ballot IS IMMEDIATELY INVALID. They will be thrown out because they have two votes. They NEVER were counted in the first place = no change in the recount. The double-punch occurs ONLY in the presidential race, and no position on the ballot is disturbed. All other races are correctly counted. EVERY ballot that had no vote (a "protest vote" against both major candidates) becomes a Gore vote. All other races on the ballot are not disturbed, and are correctly counted.
In this way, stacks of ballots cards (valid votes) were destroyed in a matter a few fevered post election moments. This simple vote fraud technique explains all the ridiculously improbable statistical outliers of that election. There simply is no other plausible mathematical explanation.
As the 2012 election looms, concerned voters should recall the nationwide voter registration frauds of ACORN, Al Franken's brazenly stolen Minnesota Senate election, and George Soros' SOS Project which seeks to install crony Secretaries of State to "oversee" how close elections are "decided." The massive vote fraud in Florida in 2000 ought to concern every voter in every state. If the Democrat party so brazenly tried to steal Florida's 2000 election, chances are very good that they will try to steal other "close" elections in 2012.
Recall too that the groundwork is already being laid for vote fraud in 2012. Donna Brazile is already complaining about nonexistent "voter disenfranchisement" (just as the Democrats did in 2000). Editorials are being written and lawsuits are being filed in an attempt to thwart any meaningful measures to eliminate vote fraud. Whomever the GOP nominates for president, he or she will face Obama's vicious nonstop smear machine, the usual network media bias, and a massive George Soros-funded effort to steal this election. With Obama's poll numbers as bad as they are and with his reelection prospects as bleak as any President's in living memory, a massive and nationwide voter fraud campaign is already underway. And, if past elections are any indication, this vote fraud campaign will be successful to varying degrees. The degree to which the 2012 Democrat vote fraud campaign will be successful depends on whether voters who care enough to show up to vote care enough that their votes are being stolen and complain about it. And if they care that they are the voters who are actually being "disenfranchised."
Of my most bitter memories of the 2000 Florida recount (and attempted election theft) was that our military votes were being challenged at our local courthouse by Gore lawyers dressed in pinstriped suits with thick New Jersey accents. This was simultaneously happening all across Florida. Gore's "election" lawyers were dressed like (and talked like) the typical Hollywood typecast depiction of a sleazy mobster. Another laughable and lighter moment was when Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley offered to "help" us Floridians "count" our votes. That would be like asking Al Gore for a weather report.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Same-Sex Marriage...Disaster in New York
The state of New York passed a Bill to allow Same-Sex Marriage last week...another sign of the decadence of this nation and the further evidence that God has removed His hand from this nation...as usual, Dr. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, responds...
The Empire State’s Moral Revolution: New York State Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
Last Friday was a sad day for marriage and, if the advocates of same-sex marriage are right, it was also a sign of things to come.
Monday, June 27, 2011
The legal, social, moral, and political maps of America were redefined last Friday night as the New York State Senate voted 33-29 to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. The State Assembly had already approved the measure, leaving the Republican-controlled Senate the last battleground on the marriage issue. Shortly after the Senate approved the measure, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law. It will take effect in July, thirty days after the Governor’s signature was affixed.
It will be difficult to exaggerate the impact of New York’s move to legalize same-sex marriage. The statistics tell part of the story. New York State becomes the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage, but its population is greater than that of the other five combined. When same-sex marriage is legal in New York next month, fully one in every nine Americans will live in a state or jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is legal. By any measure, this is a massive development in the nation’s legal and moral life.
Add to this the fact that California, the nation’s most populous state, is hanging in the balance as Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment passed by the state’s voters defining marriage as exclusively the union of a man and a woman, is now an issue before the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. It arrived at the appellate court after a federal judge in California ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. If California is added (again) to the states with legal same-sex marriage, more than a third of the nation’s citizens will live where same-sex marriage is the law of the land.
Furthermore, gay rights groups are counting on their New York victory to serve as a momentum-builder for similar efforts across the nation. At present, 29 states have constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage, while another twelve have laws against it. Marriage is expected to be soon on the ballot in Minnesota and North Carolina, where similar constitutional amendments are in development. On the other hand, same-sex marriage advocates intend to focus on the states of Maine and Maryland for renewed efforts toward legalization.
One crucial aspect of the New York development is the fact that same-sex marriage was legalized by legislation, and not by order of a court. Eventually, an unusual coalition led by the Governor Andrew Cuomo and major Republican donors pushed the measure through the Senate, even though Republicans had prevented even a vote on such a measure in recent years. As dusk set in Albany on Friday, the fate of marriage appeared to rest on one Republican senator, whose crucial vote would determine the margin for or against the chamber taking the vote. In the end, the measure reached the floor, where it passed by a four-vote margin.
One of the lessons learned in this sad spectacle is the fact that enough Republican senators changed their positions on the issue under intense pressure, thus enabling the passage of the legislation. The same was true for the minority of Democratic senators who had previously voted against the measure. One of these, Carl Kruger, changed his vote because the nephew of the woman Kruger lives with was so outraged over the issue that he had cut the couple off from an ongoing relationship. “I don’t need this,” the Senator told a colleague, “It has gotten personal now.”
Well, of course it has. But what this statement really means is that many Americans, including many in the political class, simply fold their moral convictions when they conflict with the lifestyles or convictions of a friend or relative.
Thus far, whenever the people of a state have had their say, marriage has been defended as the union of a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage has been made legal by courts (such as in Iowa and Massachusetts) and by legislatures in some northeastern states. If current trends continue, the American map of marriage will reveal a deep and consequential division between states which recognize same-sex marriage and those who do not.
Given the central importance of marriage to our civilization and culture, it is hard to imagine how such a mixed moral landscape can last. Add to this the fact that President Obama has instructed his own Attorney General not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in courts.
In the end, it is difficult to know how one can exaggerate the importance of New York’s shift on marriage. New York is not merely a highly populous state — it also includes the nation’s most significant city in terms of economics, business, and cultural influence.
The legalization of same-sex marriage represents nothing less than a moral revolution, for what the law allows and recognizes, it also approves. Last Friday was a sad day for marriage and, if the advocates of same-sex marriage are right, it was also a sign of things to come.
The Empire State’s Moral Revolution: New York State Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
Last Friday was a sad day for marriage and, if the advocates of same-sex marriage are right, it was also a sign of things to come.
Monday, June 27, 2011
The legal, social, moral, and political maps of America were redefined last Friday night as the New York State Senate voted 33-29 to legalize same-sex marriage in the state. The State Assembly had already approved the measure, leaving the Republican-controlled Senate the last battleground on the marriage issue. Shortly after the Senate approved the measure, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law. It will take effect in July, thirty days after the Governor’s signature was affixed.
It will be difficult to exaggerate the impact of New York’s move to legalize same-sex marriage. The statistics tell part of the story. New York State becomes the sixth state to recognize same-sex marriage, but its population is greater than that of the other five combined. When same-sex marriage is legal in New York next month, fully one in every nine Americans will live in a state or jurisdiction where same-sex marriage is legal. By any measure, this is a massive development in the nation’s legal and moral life.
Add to this the fact that California, the nation’s most populous state, is hanging in the balance as Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment passed by the state’s voters defining marriage as exclusively the union of a man and a woman, is now an issue before the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco. It arrived at the appellate court after a federal judge in California ruled that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. If California is added (again) to the states with legal same-sex marriage, more than a third of the nation’s citizens will live where same-sex marriage is the law of the land.
Furthermore, gay rights groups are counting on their New York victory to serve as a momentum-builder for similar efforts across the nation. At present, 29 states have constitutional amendments prohibiting same-sex marriage, while another twelve have laws against it. Marriage is expected to be soon on the ballot in Minnesota and North Carolina, where similar constitutional amendments are in development. On the other hand, same-sex marriage advocates intend to focus on the states of Maine and Maryland for renewed efforts toward legalization.
One crucial aspect of the New York development is the fact that same-sex marriage was legalized by legislation, and not by order of a court. Eventually, an unusual coalition led by the Governor Andrew Cuomo and major Republican donors pushed the measure through the Senate, even though Republicans had prevented even a vote on such a measure in recent years. As dusk set in Albany on Friday, the fate of marriage appeared to rest on one Republican senator, whose crucial vote would determine the margin for or against the chamber taking the vote. In the end, the measure reached the floor, where it passed by a four-vote margin.
One of the lessons learned in this sad spectacle is the fact that enough Republican senators changed their positions on the issue under intense pressure, thus enabling the passage of the legislation. The same was true for the minority of Democratic senators who had previously voted against the measure. One of these, Carl Kruger, changed his vote because the nephew of the woman Kruger lives with was so outraged over the issue that he had cut the couple off from an ongoing relationship. “I don’t need this,” the Senator told a colleague, “It has gotten personal now.”
Well, of course it has. But what this statement really means is that many Americans, including many in the political class, simply fold their moral convictions when they conflict with the lifestyles or convictions of a friend or relative.
Thus far, whenever the people of a state have had their say, marriage has been defended as the union of a man and a woman. Same-sex marriage has been made legal by courts (such as in Iowa and Massachusetts) and by legislatures in some northeastern states. If current trends continue, the American map of marriage will reveal a deep and consequential division between states which recognize same-sex marriage and those who do not.
Given the central importance of marriage to our civilization and culture, it is hard to imagine how such a mixed moral landscape can last. Add to this the fact that President Obama has instructed his own Attorney General not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in courts.
In the end, it is difficult to know how one can exaggerate the importance of New York’s shift on marriage. New York is not merely a highly populous state — it also includes the nation’s most significant city in terms of economics, business, and cultural influence.
The legalization of same-sex marriage represents nothing less than a moral revolution, for what the law allows and recognizes, it also approves. Last Friday was a sad day for marriage and, if the advocates of same-sex marriage are right, it was also a sign of things to come.
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