Caution: Road Out Ahead

Years ago I used to live in Connecticut.  For those of you familiar with the highway linking New York to Connecticut, you will surely remember the I-95 Mianus River Bridge tragedy.  In 1983, a 100-foot section of roadway collapsed into the River below due to aging infrastructure and lack of proper oversight.  Early one morning around 1:30 a.m., the neglected and rusted underpinnings simply gave way and the roadway fell leaving a “bridge to nowhere” straight into the River. 

Apparently, some astute drivers were able to recognize the road hazard up ahead while others, completely oblivious to their coming destruction, simply continued to speed along.  Little did they know that their vehicle was about to become a flying projectile careening into the night air and crashing down into the river below.  I think the unique horror of the story gripped the public’s imagination, as this was on the news for quite some time.    

There were several accounts of both heroism and heartbreak the next day in the news after the event.  However, a particular story still remains lodged in my memory forever.  One driver, who was able to safely stop his vehicle before plunging over the edge, got out of his car and started frantically jumping up and down to alert the other motorists of the upcoming danger.  Many, thankfully, slowed down and asked the very agitated man what the problem was. 

“Did he need assistance”? “Was he out of gas”?

Even those who probably just thought he was crazy, still slowed down out of curiosity.  Just this small amount of caution was enough to save their lives. 

According to eyewitnesses, one car with a passenger merely glanced at the man yelling to get their attention and casually flipped him the finger.  A few seconds later they were airborne and on their way to a tragic death. 

I always wonder to this day what went through their minds during those last seconds on earth.  They must have rapidly comprehended that they had made a horrible judgement call.  Their flippant (excuse the pun) attitude had caused them to disregard an urgent message designed to save them from impending doom.  I expect they must have had a 5 or 10 second revelation that went from arrogance and casual disregard, to slight alarm, then abject terror relatively quickly.  At some point, the realization must have dawned on them that it was too late to apply any preventative measures or corrections.  Then nothing but blackness and destruction. 

Today in the United States, Americans are those motorists driving along the highway.  Many, many respected economists, authors, clergy, TV hosts, radio personalities, public servants, friends and neighbors are frantically jumping up and down trying to get your attention. 

STOP, STOP, STOP—for God’s sake—turn around!

Please America, don’t just “flip us the bird” and step on the gas. 

The Great American Apostasy

Today I blogged, tweeted, texted and read my Kindle.  It struck me, as I wrote this, that just a short time ago—this sentence would have been completely unintelligible.  My grandmother, who passed away in 1994, would have no conceptual knowledge or understanding of these activities.  My…how quickly the times have changed. 

Recently, I attended a service in a Southern Baptist Church.  Since I have been an attendee of all sorts of Christian churches in my life, I no longer identify with one single denomination.  When asked, I simply say:  “I’m a Christian”.  If I need to go into any further explanation I add “and I believe the Bible, both Old and New Testament, are the living, breathing, absolutely 100% true Word of God”.  Besides, I actually enjoy listening to a variety of different sermons.  I’d like to believe that it has helped me to become a more informed individual as a result.  At least I hope so.

Anyway, for this evening, I melded in with the Southern Baptists.  They are always good for some straight forward Bible preaching and this evening I was in the mood to hear it.  Well, on this occasion, the Pastor didn’t disappoint.  As we would say in a more charismatic church, “Wow, was he on fire!”  He let the congregation have it right between the eyes.  We were in a large auditorium that seats well over a thousand people.  I happened to be sitting almost at the back with a good view of the large number of people in attendance.  Here was the eye-opener:  He didn’t say anything that an outsider or an unbeliever would find unusual to hear in a Southern Baptist Church.  He railed against abortion, marriage redefinition, and other social issues of the day.  The only difference was that I noticed very few people were clapping or enthusiastic.  Most had a glazed, disinterested or annoyed look on their faces.  It I had to put the crowd’s collective attitude into one sentence it would be something like:

 “OK, OK already…we get it, let’s move on”.

In the most recent article in World magazine, (July 2012), there was a disconcerting subtitle:

Southern Baptists see membership decline for 5^th straight year

The last line of the article stated:

“The tide is going a different way, America is increasingly becoming a secular culture, not a Christian culture”. 

The Bible talks a great deal about the signs preceding the “End of the Age”.  One of the signs, mentioned by Paul the Apostle, is the Great Apostasy.

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come (End of the Age) unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction (2 Thess. 2:1-3).

Definition of Apostasy from Webster’s Dictionary:

An abandonment of what one has professed; a total desertion, or departure from one's faith or religion

In 2009 at a news press conference in Turkey, President Obama declared that the U.S. was not a Judeo-Christian nation.  His remark set off a firestorm of controversy.  I just have one question:  “When did that happen?”  I must’ve missed the memo. 

Interestingly, the Mormon Church had a mass resignation in “honor” of Independence Day just last week.  Here are some direct quotes from this news article:

A group of about 150 Mormons quit their church in a mass resignation ceremony in Salt Lake City on Saturday in a rare display of defiance ending decades of disagreement for some over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.

Participants from Utah, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere gathered in a public park to sign a "Declaration of Independence from Mormonism."

 

The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is known for its culture of obedience, and the mass ceremony was a seldom-seen act of collective revolt.

Among the reasons cited by those resigning are the church's political activism against gay marriage and doctrinal teachings that conflict with scientific findings or are perceived as racist or sexist.

(Bloggers Footnote:  Please see my blog about the 7 Deadly Sins of Human Secularism found in “A New Foundation?” dated 6/30/2012-- both racism and sexism are noted). 

Robin Hansen, a participant who said she quit over a "culture of abuse" which she believes is cultivated by church teachings promoting obedience.

That last sentence really did me in.  I mean, can you imagine the NERVE of the Mormon Church?  They actually have the audacity to promote OBEDIENCE?  How DARE they! 

Apparently, America is not only rushing headlong into the abyss—but it is in a hurry to do so.  Our citizens demand anarchy and they want it NOW!  I guess patience is no longer a fashionable virtue lately either.   

The Old Testament says that the Lord detests:

“feet that are quick to rush into evil.”~Psalms 6:18

Now, for the record I am not a Mormon.  I also have some serious differences with their theology.  However, I have known many Mormons in my life and they are truly honest, good-hearted, faithful and hard-working individuals.  If the truth were told, they put many “Garden variety” Christians to shame.  So, this story continued to bother me.  Like my previous blog on the 4^th of July—these protesters were openly stating that they want to “Declare Independence” from Godly principles.  They want the Church (which refers collectively to all of God’s people) to embrace polygamy, non-Creationism evolution, abortion and same sex marriage—ergo, become APOSTATE.   

Based on my non-scientific, anecdotal experience in the Baptist church, a full 50% of the audience, or possibly as much as 2/3^rd’s of the attendees, were simply NOT INTERESTED that evening in hearing what the Pastor had to say.  Others were downright offended or annoyed.

Look around.  Take note:

The Great American Apostasy is well underway.

Leave the Gun...Take the Cannoli

Fourth of July Message:

In this infamous line from the Godfather, lovable wise-guy Pete Clemenza had just whacked Paulie Gatto, the despicable traitor and wife-beater.  While I am no fan of the Mafia, nor do I condone gangster murders—this classic line deserves its beloved and enshrined place in American film history.  It is rife with symbolism, not just for this movie, but for American attitudes about life.

Today is the 4^th of July.  Is this just another day off for you?  Do you gripe about America and all of her “faults”?  In the United States today, we are born expecting to enjoy all the liberties and freedoms that come along with being a citizen of this great nation.  Whether you are a rabid right-winger or a card carrying member of the “blame America first crowd”, take a moment to read how we regularly take for granted the many liberties we enjoy in the United States.  Let this be a WAKE UP call for all of us today on a day aptly named “Independence Day”.    

Envision this scenario:  You open your eyes in the morning after a good night’s slumber on a soft, dry bed.  As you stumble sleepy-eyed to the coffee machine, your particular, special brand of coffee flavor awaits you.  The vast array of coffee selection in your local grocer is made possible by our competitive, free enterprise society.  I mean, seriously—life is too short to drink lousy coffee, right?

Once happily ensconced in front of your home computer, you begin to peruse the news.  This news is put out by independent news agencies all across our FREE PRESS society.  None of them are functioning as a direct branch or arm of our government (despite what some may hotly claim!).  Yes—there is a plethora of free thought and speech right in front of you as you continue to sip your Starbucks. 

You decide that you will grudgingly go along with the wife and the kids to Church, Mass or Temple today, depending on your persuasion.  The thought of being bombed, arrested or killed while you are there doesn’t even enter into your consciousness.  It’s ludicrous—yet that is the norm in many societies throughout the world.  Nevertheless, you’d really prefer to just stay in your pajamas all day.  God will understand.  For crying out loud—aren’t we supposed to get a day of rest?  Thank goodness there is no forced labor in America.  Hmmm…wondering what millions of people in North Korea are doing today. 

Next, you get up and open your refrigerator.  Let’s see…what shall you have for breakfast?  There is an array of choices.  Pancakes?  Nah.  Cereal, bacon, eggs?  Never mind…let’s go get some breakfast at the local restaurant.  You feel like being waited on today.  It doesn’t cross your mind that 800 million people per day go to bed hungry.  Just a small portion of the global population enjoys the option either financially, geographically or otherwise to simply get up in the morning and get something to eat.  You are one of the lucky ones—but that never crosses your mind.  Run a comb through your hair, throw on some jeans and a T-shirt and hop into your late model car.  The kids are in the back with their IPods, IPads, IPhones and who knows what gadgetry—as long as they are quiet.  You need another cup of coffee before you can stand their incessant quarreling.  Your children are safe, secure…some may even say coddled.  The children in the Sudan are starving, orphaned, enslaved and enlisted against their will to commit bloody war crimes.  U.S. kids have the dilemma in the morning of whether they should check their texts or Facebook first.  The restaurant is crowded and the service was not that great so you leave the waitress a stingy tip.  Besides, she wasn’t very attentive to your needs.  You wanted a third cup of coffee but she seemed too distracted.  Maybe next time she’ll move a little faster if she wants to get a nice gratuity.     

Back at home.  Before you hop in the sanitary, hot shower with unlimited clean water—you stop and blast that idiot on Twitter who wants to wage a “War on Women” by tightening abortion policies.  Then you proceed to write some nasty comments about your Congressman or Senator with impunity and utter assurance that the Secret Police will not be stopping at your door anytime soon with handcuffs.  Nice stuff...this Freedom of Speech concept.  Unfortunately, the majority of the global population does not have this right.  Oh yes, nor does it have indoor plumbing and unlimited flowing clean water.  Well, that’s their problem.  They should just throw the bums out of office on their next election.  Oh…wait.  That’s right.  They don’t have free elections.  Their lives are not run by the concept:  Of the People, By the People, For the People.  They are at the capricious whim and discretion of their corrupt and evil leaders.  Mostly they are living with disastrous violations of the most basic human rights. 

Well…you get the picture…This “make-believe” sample American day could go on and on.

Today, there is a movement to go off of our foundational Judeo-Christian ethic.  We’d also like to keep all the rights, liberties, freedoms and financial blessings.  However, this is the very same ethic that has been the wellspring of all of our rights, liberties, freedoms and blessings.  We are quick to “leave the gun”—God’s enforcement through Biblical boundaries and “take the cannoli”—all the goodies that go with abiding by our Judeo-Christian principles.

Today let’s celebrate what is special and different about America.  No…it’s not perfect.  Yes…we should always strive to correct inequalities and improve upon this great country.  But if we move off of our foundational values—the loss of our much beloved freedoms and blessings will not be far behind. 

So…do we leave the “gun”?  No more God-inspired guidelines.  No more Judeo-Christian foundation.  No more 10 Commandments.
And just take the “cannoli”?  The liberties, freedoms, and blessings?

Today on the 4^th of July, is America poised to “declare independence” from God? 

Unfortunately, if we do that….

We’re going to get whacked. 

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ~Psalm 33:12

A New Foundation?

In the book “Amateur”, now #1 on the N.Y. Times Best Seller list, there is a story about President Obama calling for a meeting with all the top historians in the country.  With just 5 months experience in the Oval Office, he wanted their advice on what to call his Presidential legacy.  Lyndon Johnson had “The Great Society”.  FDR had “The New Deal”.  He floated the idea of:  “A New Foundation”.  How eerily prescient this name becomes now that we have a better understanding of his new brand of liberalism.  He is truly the Pontificator-in-Chief for the Human Secular movement.  At the beginning of his Presidency, he sensed that the U.S was ripe to move off the foundational Biblical underpinnings our country was securely built on.  It actually appeared quite reasonable for the President to attempt to identify “a new foundation”.  Lord knows, (or Obama knows, depending on your perspective), you simply cannot have NO foundation—everyone would agree that this is patently ludicrous.  It would be complete lawlessness.  Or perhaps that is the underlying objective here.  

In architectural engineering, it is not necessarily just the building strength that survives an earthquake but the integrity of the foundation.  For instance, scientists have studied why some similar structures immediately collapse while others come out virtually unscathed during a major quake.  They found the underlying problem to be improper foundations that are constructed on sandy soil.  When the earthquake strikes, the rocking back and forth literally LIQUEFIES the sandy foundation whereas the firm foundation moves along with the building acting as a strong footing or support.  As a nation we have already moved off the gold standard for our currency, now we are about to move off the “gold” standard of the Bible for our foundational principles.  Will our “new foundation” survive the next political or economic earthquake?  Let’s take a look at the frightening new American foundation proposed by the President: 

Just as there are 7 Deadly Sins in Judeo-Christian Theology, The New Foundation movement has its own 7 Deadly “Sins”. 

1)      The sin of Racism (Played as the “Race Card”)

2)      The sin of Sexism (promoted as the “War on Women”)

3)      The sin of Environmental or Animal Neglect (Green Party/PETA Support)

4)      The sin of Economic Inequality (Entitlement Philosophy/Gov’t Nanny State)

5)      The sin of Corporate Greed (as protested by the Occupy Movement)

6)      The sin of Intolerance (Social Change Support:  Abortion/Marriage Redefinition)

7)      The sin of Worshipping any God other than Self:  or best known as Secular Humanism (requires Individual Obeisance)—The greatest commandment of which is:

“To Thine Own Self Be True”.

On their face, some of these may actually look commendable.  It is upon closer examination of these “trespasses” that we see the deeper problem.  It is the underlying foundational source of these concepts that need to be examined.  If these principles generate from an unsound footing, they will produce instability.  So, just what is the basis of these new foundational values?  Let’s take a look:

The Sin of Racism:  I think all good people can agree that racism is evil.  However, our current obsession with this “sin” comes from fostering hatred between classes.  We see blacks pitted against whites, Immigrants stirred up against Nationalists.  We have all heard the term “Divide and Conquer”.  Guess what?  An America that is divided is very easy to conquer.    

The War on Women: Today “Women’s Rights” now means the freedom to be enslaved.  Have women REALLY advanced in society over the last 4 or 5 decades?  Men expect (and freely receive) sex with no commitments.  Marriage and fidelity are no longer fashionable.  Our children are growing up in broken families with no fathers as we do double duty as single mothers.  Pornography has exploded and we are now told that the womanly ideal is to be immodestly dressed, scandalously unclothed or a 90 pound waif. Let’s face it:  modern day woman is now stripped down, naked and skeletal.  I envision someone in a death camp.  We also get to “enjoy” the “freedom” to dismember our children right out of our womb and toss them in the trash.   Sex selection is the norm in Planned Parenthoods across the country.  Guess who is getting “selected”?  Yes, that’s right—little GIRL babies.  American women have embraced the grim reaper specter of death.  This is the REAL “War on Women”.

  

Mankind against nature:  Ironically, as I write this the United States is on fire—literally.  For all our good intentions towards “Mother Nature” (whomever or whatever that is)—the forces of nature seem to be combating us.  Maybe we need to realize, it is not Mother Nature that we need to reconcile with, but Father God. 

Economic Inequality:  Rich against poor.  We now promote laziness and lack of personal responsibility as a virtue.  Ironically, our nation has achieved the absolute highest standard of living EVER RECORDED on planet Earth.  So…WHY are we so angry with successful people?  The only answer I can seem to come up with is plain and simple ENVY.  There is also a complete lack of thankfulness and gratitude for the many and multiple blessings that we enjoy as Americans.  We are not only seeing the glass as half empty—we are petulantly throwing the other half in the face of our fellow Americans.   

Corporate Greed:  This pits companies against individuals.  Remember the statement--“Corporations are people too”?  Mitt Romney got slaughtered in the press for this comment.  However, it happens to be the plain truth.  Take note of how corporations are doing very poorly in Obama’s economy.  Unfortunately, for the “little guy” this also translates into lack of employment opportunities, loss of pension funds and declines in their stock market portfolio.  The suffering is widespread.  While I am certainly not defending grievous actions such as Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scam, suggesting that we discard our historically successful Capitalistic society and exchange it for Socialism does not advance the cause of the middle class.     

Intolerance:  This sets social “progressives” against people of faith.  Suddenly you are a “homophobe” or at “war against women” because you refuse to sanction a particular behavior.  Why is it OK to ask a person to abandon their FAITH but not OK to ask a person to abandon their harmful LIFESTYLE?  Very strange reasoning.  The only intolerance I see today is intolerance towards people who won’t adopt the human secularist position lock, stock and barrel.  Almost ANYTHING or ANY type of behavior is tolerated today EXCEPT—God forbid—saying something is a SIN  (ssshhhhhhh!).  That simply will not be tolerated.  You will be tarred and feathered and run out of town.  The Scarlet Letter we brand today is not “A” for adultery, but “A” for Anti-American if you don’t acquiesce to the human secularism standard.  Our 1^st Amendment right to freedom of religion should at least afford us the protection of not having to endorse something we find morally objectionable.  It is no longer an issue of “tolerance”.  It is complete and total intolerance to any other position other than the new one being promoted by human secularists.  You will either comply, or they will MAKE YOU comply.  The HHS mandate forcing the Catholic Church to pay for aborti-facients is a clear example of this.  This is not about birth control.  Birth control has been readily accessible and easily obtained by every single person in America that can walk into a drug store.  This is about complying with the new religion of Human Secularism.  Even if it violates the most closely held tenet of your own faith—such as “Thou Shalt Not Murder”.  All the arguments pretending that these are not equivalent are patently false.  It is the same arguments given by the German people during the execution of 6 million Jews.  “Well, I didn’t put the Jews in the gas chamber.  My only function was to cut the lawn at Dachau.  I really had no clue what was going on there.  What smoke?  What chimney?  I don’t know why people went in but never came out.  I just minded my own business”.  Before you know it, you are promoted to Director in Charge of putting the people in the oven.  The really, really, evil guy is the one who actually turns on the gas.  You had nothing to do with it.  Go home and have dinner with your family while you assuage your conscience. 

This is the same justification of paying for abortifacients.  You say:  “Well—I didn’t make the women take them”.  No, you just supplied the murder weapon.  If this was a court of law, you would be getting a hefty sentence as an accomplice.  According to the Obama administration, all we need is a little “accommodation” to shut us up.  Unfortunately, the “accommodation” is an adjustment of your morality and conscience. 

And then the ultimate:

Humanism:  Man against God.  As we slowly and insidiously remove any mention of God from our public sector, we can almost feel the blanket of darkness descending upon our nation.  The light recedes and the darkness advances.  Ironically, we call this “enlightenment”.  The atheist movement now calls themselves “the Brights”.  I have a scripture for them:

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.~Isaiah 5:20

So…if Americans want to embrace more tension, strife, class warfare, weather related disasters, economic failure, global chaos or simply enjoy seeing Maletov cocktails thrown at innocent businesses by the Occupy movement,--we should immediately adopt these new principles.  Anarchy is the net result of the doctrines of Human Secularism.  If the Judeo-Christian ethic is replaced by these new Presidential ideals, they will become the cracked and shaky foundation for our next Brave New World. 

The next “earthquake” is coming.  What will our foundation be?  Pray for the U.S.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand.

~Words: Edward Mote cir­ca 1834; first ap­peared in Mote’s Hymns of Praise, 1836.

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?
~Psalm 11:3

Cannibalism--The New Normal

There has been a disturbing development in the news lately regarding an alarming rise in instances of cannibalism.  We read these stories with a mixture of morbid fascination and innate revulsion.  They remind us of something out of a horror flick with titles like: “Miami Face-Eating Zombie” or the “Psycho Cannibal Porn Star” and “Man Arrested with Roasted Fetuses in Luggage”.  It’s almost difficult to fathom that these are all real headlines!  It’s the ultimate global car accident—we don’t want to watch it but we can’t look away.  Our initial knee-jerk reaction is “What in the world is going on?  Is cannibalism some kind of demented, new trend for goodness sakes?” 

In India, recent news articles have reported that abortion clinic workers were feeding the overabundance of aborted female fetuses to the dogs in order to clear the mountain of evidence away.  The prevalence of sex-selection abortion is something the Indian people prefer not to publicly acknowledge.  The birth ratio of boys to girls in India is now the lowest in the entire world at 1000 males born for every 801 females.  Lest we start feeling smug in the U.S.—recent undercover reports have confirmed “sex-selection” abortions are, indeed, the ugly truth at Planned Parenthood offices around our own country.  Congress recently voted DOWN a bill to ban the practice.  Truly, our national conscience has “gone to the dogs” as a result of this de facto sanctioning of infant gendercide.  This, my dear readers, is the real “War on Women”.  The symbolism and spiritual emptiness in this act is both frightful and revolting. 

When I searched for Cannibalism in Bible history, I came across the story by Flavius Josephus (c. 37-95 A.D.).  Josephus was the Jewish historian who gave a first hand account of the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D.  He was appalled at the spectacle of a mother roasting and eating her own child during the siege.  Truly, he wrote, this was the epitome of a nation in the throes of a complete freefall.  When a child was the least safe in the hands of its own mother—Josephus realized there can be no doubt as to what he was witnessing: The “End of the Age” was at hand. 

In the United States, we have already “consumed” over 53 million of our children in the American Abortion Holocaust.  Do we honestly believe that we will avoid any national repercussions of this atrocity? Or, in keeping with the car accident analogy and latest news headlines, perhaps we too are on the “Highway to Zombie Hell”.

Fasten your seatbelt.  

Rev 2:4~The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.

   

Kardashian Nation

My parents had three standard answers for the age-old childhood lament: “I’m BOOORED!”  My dad would say “Go read a book”. My mom would state “Go get a job”.   If this failed to shut us up, we would be unceremoniously ushered outside to find a friend to play with.  Thinking back on it, these responses were perfectly distilled nuggets of parental wisdom.  Books were integral to creating a lifelong love of learning and rich imagination development.   A chore or job enabled us to develop a sense of responsibility, enjoy the satisfaction of work well done, and assist us with the practical ability to earn some extra money.  Lastly, face to face interaction with our friends helped us to expand some very useful social skills. 

As my children became teenagers, I assumed that I was well prepared to do battle armed with these three options.  However, there was something missing….No whiny complaints.  Just an eerie silence.  I started to wonder if I were somehow an amazing, masterful parent who was able to bring up such well adjusted children that they did not need any further guidance.  No such luck.  I began to notice two strangely hypnotized children staring with glazed eyes into a thin rectangular screen.  They seemed not to notice their surroundings except when nature or hunger called.  Even then, they would robotically go into the bathroom and kitchen--navigating the furniture while still staring into the little box. 

At first, I enjoyed the quiet.  After all, who really wants to listen to kids complaining about having nothing to do?  However, I began to realize, with a growing concern, just how damaging this can be. 

Maybe this seems like a harmless diversion to you until you realize that, as a nation, we are all gazing glassy-eyed into our individual techno devices—computer screens, IPads and IPhones.  Pollsters have actually gone out and asked people on the street to identify photos such as Ronald Reagan, Joe Biden, and Margaret Thatcher with some hilarious (or very, very sad) results.  However, these same people will easily recognize Kim Kardashian or Snookie.  Ha, ha—right?  Until you realize, the joke is on us. 

Today, in the news Russia and China are planning a major “war games” practice along with Syria and Iran.  The Muslim Brotherhood has claimed the winning majority in the recent Egyptian elections.  Egyptian terrorists already have begun attacking Israel from the Sinai Peninsula just within the first 24 hours of these election results.  Apparently, this outcome emboldened them and signaled that it is now “open season” on the Jews.  Let the games begin. 

If I were to poll 100 people on the street, I would venture that maybe only a handful would even have a clue as to what I just referenced.  Yet, these are matters of extreme national importance and severely affect our global security.  They have the ability to throw a match into the tinderbox of the entire world. 

No worries…Just let me check my FaceBook page again.  I always wondered what happened to Susie from 3^rd grade.  Hey!  Do you think Kim Kardashian’s derriere is actually real?

Zero Gravitas

Happy Father's Day 2012!  Here's my Father's Day message about God our Father:

I don’t believe in gravity.  Yeah, yeah…I know there is evidence of it all around us.  For instance, all my stuff somehow stays anchored to the floor and doesn’t float around the house like a NASA space mission.  Leaves fall from the tree and everything that goes up eventually comes down.  Nevertheless, I simply don’t believe in it.  It’s too “confining”.  Besides, I’ve always believed I can fly.  In fact, after I finish writing this blog I’m going to climb up on the roof of my house and jump off.  How many want to wager a $10,000 Romney-sized bet that I won’t splat on the ground?  Ok…just kidding or JK as my kids would text.  The gravity analogy was just a mental exercise.  My point?  Just because you don’t believe in something does not mean the consequences will be any different for you.

Here’s a couple of other things to consider.  We need gravity.  We wouldn’t be able to exist without gravity.  Gravity is the glue the holds the entire world together.  Without it, everything would go flying into outer space as the Earth rotates.  We all would be able to literally “fly”.  However, let me assure you, we would not enjoy the trip. 

I think God gets a bad rap sometimes.  We read the prophetic judgements of the Old Testament and equate it with someone throwing a massive celestial “hissy fit”.  Sometimes I’d really rather skip those sections and go straight to the love and forgiveness part.  However, they are there for a reason. 

Before I had kids, I don’t think I understood the concept of “God the Father” very well.  Soon after becoming a parent this became very real to me.  Sometimes you have to be harsh to get your point across.  My son is a master of persuasion. I sincerely pray he uses this skill to advance good causes later on in life.  For now, he wields it on his parents when he wants to do something we would normally not allow.  It’s gotten to the point where I over-exaggerate my answers so we don’t have to go the entire nine rounds of verbal jousting anymore.  The conversation looks something like this:

Mommmmmm….Why can’t I go (fill in the blank with any number of dangerous, unwise choices). 

My answer:  “Because you will get hit by a truck”. 

Of course, I don’t WANT this to happen.  It would be a parent’s worst nightmare.  God, our Father, is basically saying the same thing.  When He says “Repent—or else”, it is not a vicious threat.  It is an allegorical shorthand that we must sit up and take notice of.  His unchangeable moral laws are a necessary component of living in an earthly realm where there MUST be definite principles.  If we eschew these laws our society will eventually implode.  This is a historical fact.  We need to give these moral laws more gravitas…more weight.

As a nation we need to wake up and renew a commitment to our Judeo-Christian foundation…Or else the United States is about to get hit by the proverbial truck.

No, seriously.