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“We’re becoming a country where we have more and more takers and less makers. We don’t want to turn the safety net into a hammock.” — Rep. Paul Ryan, Wisc.
Planned Parenthood, the world’s largest abortion provider, is offering for Christmas presents “the gift of life” certificates. These certificates allow recipients access to services offered at Planned Parenthood, which includes abortions.
Charmaine Yost of Americans United for Life offers this commentary: “Planned Parenthood’s fumbling fund raising efforts reveal a fundamental disconnect with the heart of most Americans, where the majority of us embrace unborn children in the womb as a gift, wrapped and hidden until the birth-day of celebration. As exciting as opening Christmas gifts can be, nothing compares to the joy a mother feels when she meets her child for the first time.
“But as always the real victims of Planned Parenthood’s crass marketing will be women,” said Yost. ”You have to wonder if those women who find an abortion gift certificate waiting for them on Christmas morning might think that Santa simply ran out of lumps of coal.”
A panel of Oklahoma House of Representatives passed House Bill 2321 which allows “the state Board of Education to adopt guidelines for the nonsectarian, nonreligious academic study of the Bible and its influence on literature, art, music, culture and politics.”
“This lays some ground fire to back these teachers who would like to refer to the Bible,” said bill author Rep. Todd Russ. “It’s intended to be an additional tool for presenting our heritage and the history of America and the value system of America and where it came from.”
I appreciate Rep. Russ’ description of “ground fire.” It reminds me of the line from the song “Pass It On” that says it only takes a spark to get a fire going. May this Bible teaching fire continue to spread throughout our country.
Jennifer Lopez was recently asked about artificial insemination. The actress/singer said she preferred the natural process for pregnancy because she believes it demonstrates her faith and submission to God as the One who is responsible for bearing children.
“I … believe in God and I have a lot of faith in that, so I just felt like you don’t mess with things like that,” said Lopez, who conceived her twins Emme and Max through natural methods in 2008. “And I guess deep down I really felt like either this is not going to happen for me or it is. You know what I mean? And if it is, it will. And if it’s not, it’s not going to.”
Though this is an issue for couples to consider when having children, it is appreciated that Lopez recognizes who is the Author and Creator of life and the Blessed Controller of all things.
I knew I liked Brit Hume, and now I have a solid basis for my appreciation for the news man with the catchy name.
On The O’Reilly Factor, Hume shared that he encourages Tiger Woods to turn to Christianity and “be a great example to the world.”
This is a great discussion between Hume and O’Reilly. The two shared what Christianity offers, which is forgiveness and redemption. “Jesus Christ offers something that Tiger Woods badly needs,” said Hume.
Hume shared there have been those who harshly criticized him for his words, as well as the impression he gave for putting down Buddhism. He explained himself well and shared that even Scripture tells there would be those who would be angered by mentioning the name of Jesus.
National religious leaders release historic declaration of conscience
The Manhattan Declaration was released on Nov. 20, 2009, and was signed by 152 prominent religious leaders of our time. The document gives a very clear message to Christians on three fundamental truths that have been challenged in today’s society.
These truths are the sanctity of life, the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
Those of you who visit the Pilgrim’s Progress site know all three of these truths are valued by the editors, and we do our best to preserve them by reporting and offering commentary on relevant issues to life, marriage and religious liberty.
After reading through the Manhattan Declaration, I have decided to feature some of the passages I found insightful. I plan to do this in segments with this blog entry focusing on passages from the Preamble and sections of the Declaration that uphold Life:
Abby Johnson said watching an abortion procedure for the first time made her change her view and led to her quitting her position as director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in southeast Texas. An article on FoxNews.com reports her decision.
“When I was working at Planned Parenthood I was extremely pro-choice, ” Johnson said. “But after seeing the internal workings of the procedure for the first time on an ultrasound monitor, I would say there was a definite conversion in my heart … a spiritual conversion.”
Johnson also revealed the clinic was stressing to perform more abortions because the need for more money. Johnson confessed that abortion clinics are a “very lucrative business.”
I wonder how many other abortion clinic directors would respond when viewing an abortion procedure?
I’m not sure what Irene Vilar will accomplish by publishing her book “Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict.”
The South Florida Sun Sentinel describes Vilar in this article “… a striking 40-year-old literary agent … from the age of 16 to 33, she could neither stop herself from conceiving, nor from terminating her pregnancies. Fifteen of them.”
Charmaine Yost, president of Americans United for Life said, “Her story is just so tragic. It really underscores everything we always say in the pro-life movement — that abortion is part of a very sad story for women.”
The article also quotes Robin Morgan, who wrote the book’s forward, “There is a perfectly human tendency to say we can’t afford ambiguity, we can’t afford nuance. I am afraid it comes from years of being pummeled by the extreme, anti-choice right. The truth is it’s a complicated issue.”
I believe Ms. Morgan’s perspective contributes to the complexity she states. I’m curious who she includes in the so-called “extreme, anti-choice right.”
Last week, I had the chance to see The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. I expected the movie to be somewhat typical of recent movie releases with a Christian theme – weak in acting, solid in message.
Staged in the summer of 1970, the film gives an appeal to more innocent times. Boys walking to an ice cream parlor, fishing from a river bank, mowing lawns in the neighborhood are some of the activities of bygone days Sperry features.
Gavin McLeod of The Love Boat and The Mary Tyler Moore Show plays the title role and befriends Dustin and his two young pals, encouraging them to come to his house for a Bible study. Jonathan Sperry shares some great lessons of life.
He gives them a unique perspective of how to handle a bully who takes a slice of pizza away from the boys. Instead of fighting, Sperry tells them to offer the bully another slice.
Robert Guillaume of Benson plays Mr. Barnes, Sperry’s crotchety neighbor. For an undisclosed reason, Sperry pays Dustin to mow Barnes’ yard, but tells him to never reveal to Barnes who is paying for the work.
Nobody can miss the straightforward message in this film. The plot is creative and reveals some unexpected moments throughout. Of all the Christian-theme movies I have seen, none is as powerful as The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.
I just read an article about actor Gavin McLeod who played Captain Stubing on The Love Boat along with other television and movie roles including Murray on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. He is starring in a newly release movie called The Secret of Jonathan Sperry.
I’ve never heard of the movie until I read this article. Apparently it is affiliated with the same people who produced Fireproof and Facing the Giants. I found out it is being shown this weekend in Oklahoma City. I plan to see it and will give a review. To find out more about the movie go to www.sperrymovie.com
“To the vast majority of Americans, the purpose of health care is to protect, improve and lengthen life. Life is the primary goal; issues of health care financing are secondary.”
James Pinkerton offers this provoking statement in his column “Why Obamacare Will Fail and the Media Will Fail to Notice Its Flaws.” He also points out an alarming perspective given by the Washington Post as the paper analyzes President Obama’s health care plan slipping in approval ratings because the president’s “opponents seized control of the discussion, elevating side issues such as abortion and end-of-life counseling.”
Sanctity of Life should always be valued. Affordable health care is a reasonable pursuit, but not at any cost. Lowering the level of care so that “everyone” can be covered should not be the primary goal.
If you are a fellow Sooner fan, you still feel awful after Saturday’s loss to BYU in Dallas. All the high hopes of the 2009 season have greatly been tainted by the result, even though all is not lost for experiencing success this year.
The biggest flaw in OU’s performance was obvious to anybody who watched the game. The offensive line was the culprit, committing multiple penalties from start to finish, on key drives and at critical moments. The lack of coverage led to quarterback Sam Bradford’s injury and prevented plays from developing.
Listening to Todd Blackledge’s commentary, I agree with his assessment of the Sooners’ formation schemes. Linemen, especially inexperienced ones, don’t like being down in the stance that long. It affects their psyche. They want to go to the line, snap the ball and execute.
I respect Bob Stoops, Kevin Wilson and the OU coaching staff. I don’t know all the ins and outs of the teams. I don’t have the familiarity of the personnel.
I was impressed with how well last year’s offensive squad performed in the no-huddle, hurry-up offense. I even remember the very first play last year against Chattanooga, sitting up in the north endzone stands and thinking aloud “Hey, they’re in a no-back formation. This is interesting.” And I continued to be impressed with how well Sam Bradford and his crew performed throughout the season.
I say this because I know the coaches are very capable of designing success. No way will I ever say I know more than Coach Stoops and staff. Blaming coaches and calling for their heads after a loss is pretty shallow.
I would like to offer a suggestion of revamping. Utilize huddles and quicker snaps once in formation. I do understand the desire to read defenses and prevent substitutions, but it appears the personnel lacks the experience to do this effectively, at least on every play.
Huddles would benefit both Landry Jones and the linemen, especially if Jones were to take snaps on the road. As I already said, linemen want to block and don’t want to be held at point. Since opponents are familiar with OU’s fast-break approach, I wonder if it would throw them off in reverse if the Sooners did huddle and hike the ball quicker than expected?
Conservative blog Midwestern Clarity gave my exact sentiments after watching Julie & Julia, a recent movie release featuring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams.
Both actresses were amazing, especially Streep whose performance as Julia Childs was incredible. As Midwestern Clarity points out, Streep’s “cadence and accent on choice syllables is so faithful to the real deal, it is almost unsettling.”
Overall, I did enjoy the movie, but there was one ridiculous and unnecessary line. Adams’ character meets with her boss who confronts Adams about missing work and posting in her blog about her absence. The scene concludes with her boss stating “a Republican would have fired you.”
Hollywood is famous for berating conservatives and the Republican party. However, I don’t recall a more baseless and chiding remark about conservatism ever featured in film. I welcome suggested considerations.
To my sheer disappointment, information about Rick Pitino’s adulterous affair in 2003 was revealed this week. The University of Louisville basketball coach followed a very tragic trail to cover up his infidelity including paying $3,000 for an abortion.
Pitino spoke in a news conference about how he apologizes every day to his family for his failure. What is unfortunate is he hasn’t admitted his lethal mistake regarding his unborn child.
Pro-life student organization Cardinals for Life is calling for the University of Louisville to dismiss Pitino immediately. The organization challenges the university if action is not taken, UL is condoning the abortion of Pitino’s child.
Here is my suggestion. Pitino should make a confession that he was wrong to pay for that abortion and publicly join the pro-life ranks. He made a horrible, immoral decision, but he can be forgiven.
Whether or not he should be dismissed is up to the university, but as a successful basketball coach who holds great influence on many, even beyond the basketball community, Pitino needs to take a stand and tell the world abortion is wrong.
A greater, more positive outcome would result, the Sanctity of Life would be emphasized, and healing would begin.
The February issue of Journal of Family Psychology is claiming couples who live together prior to marriage are making an unwise decision.
“Cohabiting to test a relationship turns out to be associated with the most problems in relationships,” said lead researcher Galena Rhoades of the University of Denver. “Perhaps if a person is feeling a need to test the relationship, he or she already knows some important information about how a relationship may go over time.”
The study does not give a direct support toward waiting until marriage to cohabitate, but its results do give couples some encouragement to wait. For this, the study is applauded.
Mark Joseph gives a good perspective about Sarah Palin. I find it interesting, since many have compared the Alaska governor to Ronald Reagan, the comparison Joseph gives.
Palin is 45. When Reagan was 45, it was 1956, and he was miles away from being the “Great Communicator.”
“Reagan spent those intervening two decades writing, listening, reading, talking and developing a philosophy of governance that he simply didn’t have at the age of 45, when he was a shadow of the politician he would become,” Joseph said. ”If Palin is to be a serious political force in American politics, she too will need to take time to hone her craft and both deepen her understanding of the issues as well as sharpen her communication skills.”
Last week I heard Charles Krauthammer project Mitt Romney to be the Republican candidate for 2012 and Palin for 2016. I guess you can do the math on how he thinks the results will turn out for the 2012 election.
I have yet to hear anybody give a positive nod on Palin’s decision to step down as governor. I have heard many give constructive advice about her taking some time for refinement. Maybe she doesn’t need to run for president in 2012, and maybe she doesn’t plan to run.
Considering the fact she was basically thrown into the ring less than four months before last year’s election and the fact this time last year the majority of the country never even heard of Sarah Palin (present company included), she may need to allow more time for herself as well as for American voters to develop understanding and appreciation, respectively.
I have watched almost two hours of coverage on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stepping down from her position. Needless to say, she is going to have a major challenge ahead of her. Many are going to criticize her on all sides. I do like her, and I want her to do well because right now there are few in politics who hold the views I have on the issues. So though I have some concerns about this decision, Sarah Palin is somebody I would support if she does run for president in 2012.
Jenny Sanford released a statement to the media today, regarding her husband South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s public admittance to an affair.
There are some great words and phrases used in her remarks — forgiveness, reconciliation, repentance, institutions of marriage and family. I don’t know Mrs. Sanford, but I admire what she had to say.
“Forgiveness opens the door for Mark to begin to work privately, humbly and respectfully toward reconciliation with me. However, to achieve true reconciliation will take time, involve repentance, and will not be easy,” she said.
There is great truth and wisdom in her statement. She is correct that his actions were a violation of trust and a disgrace to the sanctity of marriage. She also is gracious and wise to recognize that saving their marriage is a process that will take time, but it is not beyond restoration.
I also appreciate Mrs. Sanford’s awareness of the need to privately restore their marriage. I only wish a certain reality TV couple would have been aware of this need.
“As God can protect his people under the greatest despotism, so the utmost civil liberty is no safety to them without the immediate protection of His Almighty arm. I fear that Christians in this country have too great a confidence in political institutions … [rather] than of the government of God,” from Confidence in God in Times of Danger by Alexander Carson.
Last week, David Letterman made a “coarse” joke about Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her daughter who were visiting New York City. The joke was done in poor taste, and all who were offended and outraged by the joke have legitimate grounds to respond the way they did.
I could give a lengthy analysis of why Letterman’s joke was bad, give an interpretation of his intent, accuse him of being an angry liberal, so on and so forth. But I won’t do that; rather I will focus on something all of us should be ready and willing to do when we have done something wrong. That is admit the wrong and begin the process of forgiveness.
Monday night, Letterman gave a sincere apology:
I commend him for what he said. He admitted there was a misunderstanding, and he gave a thorough explanation. He also was genuine in apologizing to everyone involved.
Forgiveness is not a quick remedy. Time is needed. But the greatest thing about forgiveness is watching how God can work. I recently received a good description about forgiveness from Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life. I think it is applicable to this situation.
I’m not a frequent viewer of The O’Reilly Factor, but once in awhile I do tune in to see what Mr. Bill is reporting. On Monday night, he did something that is rarely done in the state of Oklahoma — accuse Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry of being irresponsible and apathetic. He also called out Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson.
According to the McAlester News-Capital a district judge sentenced a child rapist a year in prison after a plea bargaining agreement with the rapist’s attorney. O’Reilly said he called both Henry’s and Edmondson’s offices to get their reaction to this sentence. Henry’s office declined to comment, and Edmondson said he was “too busy” to talk to O’Reilly.
O’Reilly has been on a crusade against judges who give short sentences to child rapists and sex offenders. He also is an advocate for Jessica’s Law and will call out lawmakers who appear to make decisions that contradict the popular law that is designed to punish sex offenders and reduce their ability to re-offend.
I am curious to see how this accusation on national television will pan out for both Henry and Edmondson. Henry is a lame duck, but Edmondson plans to run for governor. Regardless of their future plans, O’Reilly’s bulldog-like tactics could make it troublesome for both politicians, especially in this conservative state.
Recently, I read an article by Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com criticizing NBA All-Star Dwight Howard for thanking God for Howard’s team the Orlando Magic making the NBA Finals. Here is what Howard said in the press conference after Orlando defeated Cleveland in the Eastern Division series:
“First, I want to thank God, man, because without Him none of this would be possible. I told my guys before the game if we come out, we play 100 percent, play hard for 48 minutes, then God is gonna do the rest, and He did tonight. We got a good victory; man … it’s all because of Him.”
Freeman gives a common rebuke to comments like Howard’s, saying God doesn’t care about sporting events, that He is more concerned about world tragedies and other severe issues. He has a point, but it is easy to forget that God has no limits to his care and the concerns of this world. And because we are limited to the understanding of God’s will, it is possible that God has a purpose and plan that involves the NBA Finals and specifically Dwight Howard.
But as Jesus reminds us, God cares for the sparrow and the lilies of the field, so he also cares and provides for us. Also, we are reminded that in everything we do, we are to give all the glory to God. Howard is to be commended for showing his thanks.
Last year, I posted a blog about the show Jon & Kate Plus 8. Like many who are up on Jon and Kate’s recent marital problem, I do feel for the Gosselins, including their twins and sextuplets.
What I believe to be the best thing for the reality TV couple to do is cancel the show. Many will disagree with me or give a negative response, knowing they won’t cancel, especially after the recent season premiere scored a rating of 10 million viewers. That would be all the more reason for this media mayhem to end. There is too much attention and not enough support to help them heal and restore their marriage. That can only happen in private.
I know this won’t happen overnight. It would be a long process to get out of public viewing, but it can start if they will allow it.
Lynn Roush also gives a solid Christian perspective about the Gosselins, their show and healing their marriage.
Bill Shuler gives 10 provoking points that I hope encourage more people to value the sanctity of life. As he says, “There is no higher standard that a nation can adopt than to value and to protect life.”
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 »
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 »
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.
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.
I have much admiration for conservative columnist Cal Thomas. He recently posted an article titled “Apologies Just Tell Our Enemies We’re Weak.”
He makes some excellent points in regards to Secretary Hillary Clinton apologizing to Mexico for the demand of drugs in America. This apology is not constructive. Some could say she was grandstanding and just continuing the “company line” of blaming the former administration for everything that is wrong.
And Cal is right when he says “what good does it do? Unless she has a suggested policy to accompany her confession or apology, I fail to see how it lowers the level of violence in Mexico or reduces the demand for illegal drugs in the U.S.”
However, I will not agree with him when he says apologizing shows weakness. When someone is wrong, admit it. When there isn’t admittance, there is pride.
The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” This will cause more weakness than confession ever will.
There were many mornings in the 1980s when my mother would drive my brother and me to school. There were times when some sort of typical family bickering would break out, if for no other reason but that it was early in the morning, and all three of us preferred to be back in bed.
This also was the time when Lake Hefner Parkway was being developed. Traveling at least 20 miles to our private Christian school was an adventure at times, dealing with a constant changing route due to construction.
But no matter how much bickering or aggravation we experienced on those early mornings, when it became 7:30, the radio was turned on to KTOK, and the familiar voice would appear that seemed to calm us for the remainder of the trip. Read the rest of this entry »
Governor Bobby Jindal
Last night, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal gave the Republicans’ response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. I give the young state executive leader a high grade. Read the rest of this entry »
If you haven’t heard by now, an Oklahoma City motorist made the news because a police officer pulled him over for featuring an “Abort Obama Not the Unborn” sign on his car.
The reason for such action was due to the motorist possibly being a “threat against President Obama.” Dear friends, don’t you find this conclusion quite fascinating?
Someone says they want to “Abort Obama,” and that is a terrible thing. However, someone wants to abort an unborn child, and that is acceptable?
The police officer’s action provokes so many alarming responses. Of course, the issue of first amendment rights is one of the cards one would pull immediately. Many who tolerated the negative Bush signs for so long could voice their disgust as well.
For me, the greater concern is the overemphasis given to the first part of the phrase of the confiscated sign over the latter. Instead of a negative focus on our current president, let us use our energies to focus on giving life to the unborn.
North Dakota state representatives made a strong move yesterday. They drew a proverbial line in the sand that boldly states when life begins – which is rightly declared at conception.
Rep. Dan Ruby is a hero for the unborn. He is to be commended for sponsoring a bill that declares “any organism with the genome of homo sapiens is a person protected by rights granted by the North Dakota Constitution and state laws.”
Oklahoma representatives also are mentioned in the linked article. Rep. Dan Sullivan authored a bill that prevents doctors from performing abortions strictly on the grounds of gender of the unborn child.
Many would say this is mostly a useless bill because such reason for abortion has never been recorded. However, I believe it provokes public thought and can be influential in encouraging future parents to not consider abortion.
I experienced my first Rose Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol yesterday. It was a great thrill to participate in this significant event.
I witnessed many people throughout the floors of the building, scampering to find their respective senators and house representatives. There was quite an array of families, senior citizens and school groups in attendance. I appreciated being among the many of my state who made a concerted effort in telling our government officials that Sanctity of Life is a valuable and sacred thing.
Last year, I wrote a post about the priority of environmentalism from a Christian perspective (March 14). After reading Father Jonathan’s article “Limiting Couples to Just Two Kids is Not the Way to Save the Earth,” I have witnessed one of my greatest fears regarding the global warming issue.
Promoting abortion for the ridiculous notion that it would save the Earth is an absolute low. Father Jonathan’s article even presents Jonathon Porritt’s concept of making sure teenage mothers abort their children for the sake of the environment.
Please friends, let us pray this does not become the norm.
The number one reason why Barak Obama disappoints me in his taking the Office of President of the United States is his future decisions to diminish the progress done on pro-life issues.
As reported, President Obama will lift the ban on funding for groups providing abortions overseas. This comes as no surprise, but it is still a sad moment.
Dear friends, please pray that there could still be hope for abortion practices to be lessened in spite of the President’s decisions.
For Christmas this year, I received not one but two copies of Do the Right Thing by Mike Huckabee — one from my mother-in-law and another from a friend.
The irony of this is I attempted to purchase the book for my mother, and it was sold out (though I noticed this particular popular bookstore was well stocked with multiple books on Obama, as well as many liberal authors).
Since I’m in the middle of reading four different books, I’m only on chapter four, but already I’m convinced this is one of the best books I have ever read, mostly because of one profound paragraph. Read the rest of this entry »
The name of the movie is The Unborn. It is a horror film starring Gary Oldham who plays a “spiritual advisor to a young girl who is tormented by the soul of her unborn twin brother.”
Did you catch that?
I just read a message from Mike Huckabee. I hope you will read it as well and will be encouraged.
In the past, I have referred to Father Jonathan’s news blog on Fox News website. He has posed another intriguing penning.
In his “Letter to a Frazzled America,” he asked readers to post responses to three questions. Read the rest of this entry »
A special thanks to Brian Hobbs for passing along a story from The Baptist Messenger‘s Bob Nigh.
Along with passing the proclamation to emphasize prayer for the next President of the United States, Oklahoma Southern Baptists also heard a passionate address from BGCO President Alton Fannin, pastor of FBC Ardmore. Read the rest of this entry »
I had the wonderful experience of attending the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma annual meeting in Broken Arrow, Okla. Personally, it was a great experience for many reasons.
One reason I would like to share with our blog readers is my appreciation of a resolution that BGCO messengers passed. I am truly thankful for the conservative values represented by Oklahoma Baptists, and they were emphasized in many of the proposed resolutions. But one resolution holds significant encouragement.
I just finished watching Governor Sarah Palin give her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. This woman is phenomenal and gave one of the greatest speeches in American political history. Read the rest of this entry »
Have we posted enough commentary about Rick Warren’s Faith Forum?
I am thinking more and more that Pastor Warren’s table talk is the pivotal point of this presidential campaign. I read a great op-ed from the Wall Street Journal outlining some of the heavy questions featured in Warren’s oral quiz.
Also, regarding the Democrats featuring “faith” at their convention this year, Pew Forum’s Michael Cromarty says it does not have an effect on Evangelicals due to the fact that Evangelicals are “interested in policy not just language.” Obama’s usage of “church speak” will not hold as much clout until he changes his position on non-negotiable issues such as abortion.
My friend Brian Hobbs has done an excellent job of promoting Rick Warren’s recent forum with the two presidential candidates. Warren was phenomenal with his line of questioning.
Personally, I expected the typical shallow dialogue that was featured in the primary debates. Warren’s questions were well-phrased with no vague political slant.
The question of the night was “At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?” Of course, McCain was spot on with his answer, “At the moment of conception.”
Obama, however, failed miserably with his answer: “I think that whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that quesiton with specificity, you know, is above my pay grade.”
I watched Warren in a follow-up interview on Fox News’ Hannity and Colmes. The man gained my confidence again after his exchange with liberal commentator Alan Colmes:
Colmes: And “above my pay grade,” he’s coming under fire for that as if to say — I interpreted — to me, you know, that’s really between a person and God, that’s really higher than any of us.
Warren: Yeah. Well, you know what? He is right in the fact that it isn’t his decision, it’s God’s decision. If you believe Psalm 139 where — as a pastor I do — it says I formed you in your mother’s womb and I planned all your days before you were born, so obviously to me, that was — an answer that I wasn’t comfortable with, but I thought that he shared his view and people know where he stands.
Excellent Pastor Warren! May all future debate moderators follow your lead!
In the past, I have referred to Father Jonathan who does a column on Fox News’ website. A couple of weeks ago he wrote a column that disappointed me, giving a theological perspective that is contrary to mine.
His latest, though, is a really good one. I encourage you to read it especially if the difficulties of life have you down. Check out his column ”Happiness on the Isle of Capri.”
A study should be done on how foolish and inconsistent the phrase “reproductive rights” is. Apparently the originator and deprived endorsers believe the birth mother is the only one responsible for a pregnancy to occur and thinks she should be the one who decides whether or not her unborn child should be born.
If you can’t tell, I totally detest the phrase. The loathing I possess goes beyond the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard. It may equate ice picks in eye sockets.
Who actually qualifies for “reproductive rights”? What about women who are barren? What are their so-called “reproductive rights”?
And what happens when a woman who tries to demonstrate this monstrosity and aborts her child, only to discover that the baby survives the procedure?
Am I being ridiculous? Am I over-dramatic? Not at all.
As reported in this article, Jodie Percival of Nottinghamshire, England, decided to abort her unborn son eight weeks in her pregnancy. She decided to do so because he was projected to have a life-threatening kidney condition.
The abortion failed. Percival was angry at first, but her frustration turned to joy.
“I just couldn’t believe this child had got through it all and looked so perfect,” she said.
Her son Finley was born three weeks premature. He had minor kidney damage but is expected to lead a normal life.
“He may need an operation but as only one of his kidneys is affected he can survive,” said Percival. “I still struggle to believe just what he has fought through. Now he’s here I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
So I ask again, how does this wonderful occurrence fit in the absurd philosophy that promotes “reproductive rights”?
I just read this article about an Australian baby who was born after an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs when a fertilized egg develops outside of the uterus.
The birth is described as “a medical phenomenon” as such pregnancy usually miscarries or is terminated by doctors because of the threat it can cause to the mother.
A justifiable argument for the practice of abortion is potential harm to the birth mother. However, I believe this wonderful event demonstrates God’s sovereignty. This is why I believe whoever came up with the horrible term of “reproductive rights” is foolish.
My head is still shaking negatively. Scott McClellan has surrendered to the almighty dollar.
The former White House press secretary’s recent book release is a so-called ”tell all” about his time serving the Bush administration. I have no intentions of reading this book because I don’t see, in the long run, how it can benefit.
It will not change anybody’s mind about President Bush or going to war in Iraq. It won’t affect the upcoming election. The only thing it does is stir the water cooler and provide another media headline for the week.
McClellan will sell some books, but I believe there will be long-term damage for him. McClellan already was forgotten when the ever-impressive Tony Snow replaced him. Whatever smear this book reveals will cause McClellan to be considered a weasel more so than a patriot.
I remember a statement my pastor once said. “What I say about you says more about me than it does about you.”
Whatever truth McClellan believes he’s sharing in his book will not bode well for himself. I may be in the minority for now, but I believe history will look favorably on President George W. Bush. McClellan will only enjoy his riches for a brief season.
The Learning Channel is currently running the third season of Jon & Kate Plus 8. I have recently been introduced to this reality show, but I am quite fascinated with the group dynamics of this young couple and their family of twins and sextuplets.
It’s an interesting experience in my house on Monday nights now. My wife and I have been married for 10 months, and it seems like she and I each carry an opposite gene.
I want to watch Jon & Kate, and she prefers to watch CSI:Miami. How odd is it that the husband is interested in a reality show about a couple with a bunch of kids and the wife prefers to watch a crime show? Fortunately, both shows don’t come on at the same time, so I have my preference at 8 p.m., and she gets to watch Horatio speak his overdramatic lines at 9 p.m.
So what is it about this show that appeals to me?
It could be that as an inexperienced husband I find it educational to watch another couple whose lives are on display to the world, observing how they relate to each other, how they fight yet work out situations.
It could be that I like making my wife paranoid with the thought I could actually consider wanting a set of multiple kids and will have us rush out to meet with a fertility doctor. Fear not, though. Jon & Kate have no bearing on when we decide to have children.
What I do find appealing about the show is some of the things TLC does not emphasize. Jon and Kate Gosselin are committed Christians, and they do have pro-life convictions.
When discovering Kate was pregnant with six, her doctor attempted to provide comfort with the suggestion of reduction. Kate emphatically said on the show that her response was “we will NOT discuss reduction.” That sound byte was a major selling point for me.
I found the Gosselins’ website, and reading their story was priceless.
“I have learned that I am not at all in control of my own life—God is,” Kate writes. ”He owns every facet of my very being! What great relief to know that all that stress does not have to sit on my shoulders anymore! I give it to God and he takes care of it for me! I have learned to be grateful for everything I have.”
Of all the multitude of reality shows that have been aired and are currently airing, I don’t know if there ever could be one with a greater impact of planting seeds of the gospel as well as providing a positive pro-life message than Jon & Kate Plus 8.
Recently, a proclamation was made by leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention regarding the issue of the environment and climate change.
I haven’t come to a definite conclusion on what to make of this. I did notice BGCO executive director/treasurer Dr. Anthony Jordan was listed among the signatories of the declaration.
Christians should be good stewards of the land and not hold a reputation of being irresponsible with natural resources. I have no difficulty in recycling and having a “green-friendly” approach to living.
I also believe that Christians should have the proper perspective of living obediently and remembering God alone is responsible for providing all things for us to enjoy (I Tim. 6:17) and His plans cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2), even by an interpreted climate change.
Father Jonathan has a regular column on the Fox News website. Of course, he and I will differ on certain theological issues, but he regularly gives a perspective that will cause me to ponder.
He gave his commentary on the SBC leaders’ environment proclamation, and there’s a passage that provoked my usual pondering.
“I think we can learn a great deal from this environmental debate,” he said. ”Being ‘green’ is the newest semi-spiritual movement to sweep American culture. Part of its success can be attributed to the hollow and thirsty hearts of millions of Americans who long for spirituality and want to take part in the adventure of doing good for others, but who are fed-up with what they consider harsh and senseless demands of religion and its hypocritical leaders. They have found in environmental activism a moral cause.”
He is correct. There are many “hollow and thirsty hearts” in our country. However, I do question what he means by “harsh and senseless demands.” If such demands are biblical, then it doesn’t matter if someone interprets them as harsh, and they certainly wouldn’t be senseless.
But here’s what I can appreciate from both the SBC leaders and Father Jonathan. The sanctity of life is a greater cause.
“Any policy that puts the defense of the earth above the interests of human life is unacceptable,” the priest said.
“We are proud of our deep and lasting commitments to moral issues like the sanctity of human life and biblical definitions of marriage. We will never compromise our convictions nor attenuate our advocacy on these matters, which constitute the most pressing moral issues of our day,” the SBC proclamation states.
The concern of raising the banner of environmental issues is holding it higher than what the Bible emphasizes. Let’s pray it will never fly above the pro-life standard.
The Europeans seem to be admired by many Americans.
We drool over their fashion savvy and gawk at their expensive automobiles. We enjoy listening to their musicians and viewing their actors on the screen.
Have you noticed how our friends in the U.K. value life of the unborn? I just finished reading this article about a man who was sentenced after he “tried to kill his unborn child by feeding his wife abortion pills he bought over the Internet.”
The English media doesn’t cover up or overlook issues regarding the value of all human life. In past, I’ve read articles how the medical profession in England frowns upon the practice of abortion. The majority of British doctors wouldn’t dare perform an abortion, and those who do are shunned.
The convicted man in the article is Gil Magira, a millionaire businessman. His defense was he has an obsessive compulsive disorder which gave him a series of bizarre habits.
In America, there would be many who would run to Magira’s side and demand he be aquitted. Judge Oliver Sells saw it differently.
“You knew the risks in using those drugs without the proper medical conditions being in place,” he said when sentencing Magira to four years in jail. “Those risks were serious. There were real risks, both to the mother and to the unborn child.”
The Daily Mail article also features remarks from the victimized pregnant mother, Anat Abraham. She shared how shocked she was and how inhumane Magira’s actions were when her pregnancy was 11 weeks.
“What made it worse was how determined he seemed to be to get rid of the baby I could feel moving … Every day that passed I thought I had bought the baby another day to live,” Abraham said.
Keep in mind, Magira’s actions were not intending to harm Abraham’s life. Yet this article portrays him as inhumane for doing something that is practiced regularly in the United States.
I wonder if the English could be influential in another aspect of American society.