April 2009

“The U.S. Senate easily confirmed Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as secretary of Health and Human Services April 28 despite controversy over her record on abortion and the political contributions she has received from the country’s most notorious abortion doctor.” Read some commentary from Richard Land here.

This is by far Obama’s most controversial, partisan, pro-choice pick in my book. I could easily look the other way on almost all of the others, but this is inexcusable. And so is Sam Brownback‘s voting to approve her.

“A Georgia Senate committee has approved legislation that would limit the use of in vitro fertilization and embryo research. With concerns that the use of the medical technology is going overboard, pro-life groups are promoting the bill, the Ethical Treatment of Human Embryos Act.”

Read the rest here.

The Washington Post has an interesting new piece that makes “the emotional, biological and economic case for marrying young.” Read it here.

HT: JR

courtesy of kathyireland.com

As a former subscriber to Sports Illustrated, I am very familiar with Kathy Ireland. Now that I am older and wiser, I have a greater appreciation for the former swimsuit model.

“My entire life I was pro-choice — who was I to tell another woman what she could or couldn’t do with her body?” said Ireland while promoting her book Real Solutions for Busy Mom: Your Guide to Success and Sanity. “But when I was 18, I became a Christian, and I dove into the medical books. I dove into science. Read the rest of this entry »

Mike Huckabee is featured in the latest issue of World Magazine. Marvin Olasky follows the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate on a routine schedule of talk show productions and speaking engagements and asks Huckabee a solid list of questions regarding current issues and the possibility of running for office again.

In the article, Huckabee hits a Ruthian grand slam when he responds to Olasky’s question, “How do you break out of the Christian ‘box’?”

Huckabee said, “I don’t want to break out of the box if that means people think I’m somehow abandoning my faith. If my faith is the reason people say, ‘I’m not going to vote for him,’ then good, don’t vote for me, because I’m not going to abandon who I am to get your vote. . . . When I was governor people asked me, ‘Is it hard being a governor and a Christian?’ and I said, ‘No, it’s actually easier. I don’t have to wake up every day and decide what I’m going to believe today.’ If I get defeated, I get defeated. That’s part of the deal. I’d rather be defeated and go to my grave with some sense of consistency of conviction than that I had to win every last office in America including the presidency but had to sell my soul to do it.”

I was one of the many who participated in the national webcast of Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall For Hope on Thursday, April 23. I believe a rebroadcast of the event is becoming possible, and I encourage you to watch it by going to www.townhallforhope.com for details.

Dave opened with some personal thoughts about the recent economic crisis and gave a historical perspective of what shaped America’s economy. This was followed by a Q&A session of Dave taking questions from an array of communication sources including Twitter, Facebook, email, phone and from the audience.

I thought the questions were of the typical financial advice-seeking inquiries. Personally, I would have liked for more skeptics to have posed questions, those who aren’t sold on Dave’s approach, because I know there are a lot of hurting people who are relying on the theory that government will turn the ship and right the wrongs of these economic ills. Read the rest of this entry »

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. ”

C.S. Lewis, from ‘Is Theology Poetry?’

I am not a scientist. I am not a doctor. In fact, I do not even own a white coat. But I can recognize unethical science when I see it, and embryonic stem cell research (albeit with noble intentions) fits in this category.

That is why I was aggravated to see that Gov. Henry vetoed a bill that would have essentially banned the practice in Oklahoma, while encouraging adult stem cell research. The latter is reported to have proven, positive results. The former does not, which is why it is surprising that the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce lobbied against the bill. You would think business executives would want to invest in the type of research that provides results.

Be that as it may, a veto-override in the Oklahoma State Senate has failed. To read more about the legislators who changed their vote, click here. I am not alone in my view, as more important people, such as Joni Eareckson Tada, oppose the use of embryonic stem cell research on ethical grounds.

Controversy arose after the Miss USA Pageant on Sunday. Apparently a professing gay judge asked Carrie Prejean, Miss California her view of gay marriage. Her response was the following:

“We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite. And you know what, I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised.”

Both co-directors of the pageant responded differently. One was “saddened.” The other fully supported Prejean’s response. Read the rest of this entry »

“Church attendance is slipping rapidly as Britain has become one of the most secular countries in Europe,” says a telling NPR report.

Read the rest here. May the Lord help them–and us.

Rick Perry speaks at a Texas TEA Party

Texas Governor Rick Perry has made many bold moves while he has been the leader of the Lone Star State. He is a social conservative who has made his Christian beliefs publicly known.

Perry spoke at a few of the TEA Parties in Texas yesterday, rallying attendees with remarks of supporting states’ rights. He said, “The federal government is strangling Americans with taxation, spending and debt.”

He also provoked some interesting thoughts of Texas seceding from the United States. On April 9, the Governor gave his support of a state resolution affirming states’ rights under the 10th Amendment.

It doesn’t appear likely that Texas would once again become its own sovereignty, but I do hope the current White House and Congress would come to an understanding of how serious Americans are about the dissatisfaction of the economic decisions they are making and the “big government” philosophy they are following.

Living in Oklahoma, there are only a few areas I could be envious of Texas. One area especially would be that Texans have a better governor.

The Christian Research Journal has a thought-provoking piece on the Roman Catholic Church.

Entitled, “What Think Ye of Rome? An Evangelical Appraisal of Contemporary Catholicism,” the author goes out of his way to provide an fair and balanced answer to his own question.

Was he generous enough, though? I am still deciding but would like your opinion.

Christ has died.

Christ has risen.

Christ will come again.

Here’s wishing you all a good Good Friday and a meaningful, Happy Easter!

I think I speak for all the Pilgrim’s Progress bloggers. We love living in Oklahoma.

There are many reasons why we love our state, but one of the significant reasons is Oklahoma has great people. We even have some of these great people as elected officials, which not only says a lot for them but also for those who vote for them.

I love the language used in the Use of Force for the Protection of the Unborn Act, which is close to being passed in the Oklahoma State Senate. Rep. Mike Thompson and Sen. Glenn Coffee are heroes for the unborn and determined warriors for the Sanctity of Life.

Now I am curious how the governor will respond when this bill reaches his desk.