The Rise of the Christian Left and the Fall of Christian Conservatives

Recently I have read several articles that are about a study that shows a decline in conservative Christianity and a rise in the Christian Left. Here is one. I think that there is a blending of definitions that creates a great misunderstanding between the difference in conservative politics and conservative Christianity. 

I am a conservative Christian. I believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God; that it is in his death, burial and resurrection that we have the hope of eternal life. I believe that the Holy Spirit of God lives in those that proclaim Jesus as Lord and guides us as we strive to follow our Lord. I believe that we are called on to share the Good News of salvation so that others may be drawn into the Kingdom of God.

I am not a political conservative--at least not as defined by today's standard. Most would say I am a social liberal. I believe that we have an obligation--both as Christians and as fellow citizens--to help those in need. I am not a political proponent, nor am I a political opponent of issues like abortion, birth-control, gay rights or other issues that seem to be so divisive between the politically conservative Christians and ... well, everybody else. I believe that any argument on legislation of social issues that begins with "the Bible says," is a poor argument. It's not a poor argument because the Bible is right or wrong about a subject, it's a poor argument because I don't want the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Tripitaka or any other holy book or religious belief to be the sole reason that we make the laws to govern all of our citizens.

I don't think that I really fit into the character of "The Christian Left." There are enough issues that I am uncomfortable with to keep me from identifying with them completely. Nor do I believe that the people that believe in the core theological beliefs of the Bible are in decline. If fact, I would say that they are on the increase. I would say that many new followers of Jesus are abandoning the judgment and the politics of "The Christian Right" and working to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus by sharing His love and compassion rather than condemning the behavior of those outside of the faith. Just because they are not followers of the Tea Party or any of their spokespersons, doesn't mean that they are not conservative in their Christian beliefs.

I welcome those that would share Jesus with others. I welcome those that share his love by taking care of those that are in need. And I welcome those that share the Hope of eternal life found in Jesus. I welcome those that are living out their faith and not just going to church on Sunday. It may be okay for outsiders to label us as Christian Right and Christian Left. However, inside the family of Christianity, shouldn't we just call one another brothers and sisters in Our Lord Jesus?

John <><

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What would happen if...?

A recent political conversation has me wondering...

Given the number of conservative GOP governors that were once very much against ObamaCare but now embrace it because of the money it brings to their states and their states' economies;

And given the number of times the Republican controlled House has voted to repeal it, knowing that it will never pass in the Democratic controlled Senate;

What would happen if just enough Democratic senators voted in favor of repeal that it would take every Republican senator's vote to pass?

Would it pass?

Or what if the Senate passed its own bill and sent it to the House? Would a Democrat proposal be able to pass in the House?

When it comes down to the monies for healthcare providers and the benefits for their citizens, it would appear that the once vocal opponents have seen the light. If it appeared that repeal actually had a chance of passing, would they now lobby their Congressional representatives to oppose a repeal?

Would the House quit playing games that appeal to a shrinking base?
Could we expect them to...I don't know...start governing?

Just wondering...

John
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Some will win, some will lose...

...some were born to sing the blues.

These lyrics from Journey's Don't Stop Believing are going to prove true for all of the government agencies and for all of the people that are affected by the sequester cuts.

After the week of delays that resulted from the FAA cuts that caused air traffic controllers to be furloughed, our Congress has instructed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to find the money someplace else. So here's the deal in a nut shell. The FAA cuts it programs back as far as it can and still needs to furlough ATC one day per pay period (original talks were one day per week). They've cut back training (for new hires in the system), placed a freeze on hiring (in spite of nearly half of the current controller workforce being eligible to retire), and scaled back on the upgrades to the National Airspace System (NAS).

The short term impact (delays) is felt immediately but isn't even the real danger in the "across the board" cuts of sequestration. The long term consequences will have a far greater impact. But to take care of the immediate pain, Congress has instructed the DOT to find the money (from other areas) to put the controllers back to work. One Congressman said that the bill is unnecessary because the DOT already had that authority. I say it's unnecessary because Congress has the authority and responsibility to fund the FAA.

And I wonder--where are they getting the money? Are other programs being gutted (think other transportation programs)? Are other employees being laid off?

This band-aid fix might address the immediate pain, but it really doesn't do anything to address the irresponsibility of "across the board" cuts and non-management of our nation's funds or to address the gradual replacement of an aging workforce. If a third of the eligible controllers retired, the impact would be far greater than the 10% furlough that we've been facing; but we're still in a hiring freeze and the Academy is still shut down for training.

Sure, I want to go back to work. But where is the outrage over the other programs that are being cut? Is Congress only going to address the cuts that create massive social and corporate outrage? And what of the bogus fix that tells the DOT to rob one of the other agencies to keep air traffic on the job? What can you do with a Congress that refuses to govern and with an electorate that keeps putting them back in office?

AARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!

That's it for today's rant.
(Ugly John is wanting out.)

John

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Politics: As Usual

Ugh!

Politics!

What ever happened to government? Has our entire legislature gone crazy? In fourteen days the sequestration deadline (that they imposed on themselves and then delayed until March 1) will go into effect. To make sure that the whole country knows just how serious they are about solving the budget problems we face, Congress is taking a ten day recess!

If they were grade schoolers that hadn't completed their work, the teacher would take their recess away and make them complete their work first. If they were responsible adults (instead of the entitlement minded brats that they always rail against) they would stay without being told that this needs to get handled before anybody takes a break.

The across the board cuts will affect everybody in varying ways. The following is from Politico's summary on its effect on transportation:

SECRETARY SOUNDS SEQUESTER SIREN: Senate Appropriations Democrats joined their House counterparts in raising a warning flag on the sequester’s aviation impacts, as the upper chamber committee posted a letter (http://1.usa.gov/Z0XszQ) from Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood explaining the tangible impacts of the nearly $1 billion in automatic transport cuts the sequester would serve up. His chief worry is that thousands of air traffic controllers would face furloughs, causing a reduction in air traffic that threatens to have tangible effects on Americans’ everyday travels. “The result will be felt across the country, as the volume of travel must be decreased. Sequestration could slow air traffic levels in major cities, which will result in delays and disruptions across the country during the critical summer travel season,” LaHood wrote.

But don't worry, "safety will not be compromised."
The FAA isn't waiting to start waving that tired old flag.

I know and trust my fellow air traffic controllers to be doing what we do every day. But I also know that the industry will push the limits of balancing reduction in workforce and maintaining as much volume as possible to the limits.

I also expect each government agency to follow the irresponsible leadership of Congress by making "across the board" cuts. That is the simplest (not the safest or best) way to solve the less money problem. What that means is that we'll still have money in the budget for new office furniture (that we'll have to spend or lose) but won't be able to move it to the pot that pays controller salaries where it is really needed. Instead of looking for ways to cut waste, we'll just cut everything. Instead of prioritizing our spending needs, we'll treat everything as equal. We'll just follow the lead of our Congress.

Of course, following the lead of Congress might mean that when it's critical to be on the job, separating airplanes...

...it will be time for recess.

I can promise you, the Federal employees that provide safe service for the flying public have a far better work ethic than the legislators that represent them. We'll be on the job every day that they'll let us...

John <><

By the way, you can help. Go to this link, type in your zip code at the bottom and then follow the instructions. A letter will be generated and sent to your legislators urging them to deal with the issues and avoid sequestration.
Thanks.

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So Much in the News This Weekend--But Not Here

It's been a couple of days since I've had time to sit and read the blogs that I usually follow. Naturally, that also means that I haven't had (or at least taken) the time to post on my own.

It's been a big weekend for things in the news: Inauguration weekend, MLK Day, Sanctity of Life Sunday, Gun control protests on a day when 5 are injured from gun accidents at gun shows, the NHL opens its long delayed season, Baseball great Stan "The Man" Musial dies--so many things to write about. If you've done much reading of news articles or blogs over the past 48 hours, you've been reading about these things.

Personally, I'm more interested in writing that I had a great visit with my daughter this past weekend and am looking forward to visiting with my son and daughter in-law next weekend. The weekend visit with Hannah wasn't an exciting time or anything. It was a pleasant time to see her in her college environment. The campus was quiet. Due to the long weekend, many students went home. The visit was short but we managed to replace a headlight on her car, eat out a couple of times, visit the bookstore at the mall (and buy her a book, of course), catch a movie, go to church together on Sunday and even managed a stop at Starbucks. One more year and my baby will be out of college and on her own.

Wow! How did that happen?
My baby is a great young woman.

Next weekend I'll be in Chicago with Aaron and Jenny. I am really looking forward to going to the UFC fights with Aaron. I'll get to go to church with them at HTC and I always look forward to that, too. I'll stop and visit my folks on the way back home and am hoping and praying for good travelling weather.

I write about these things because life matters and life goes on.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't be concerned with political or social issues. I'm not saying that we shouldn't feel free to voice our opinions on gun rights, pro-life, pro-choice, gay rights, taxes, spending, or the state of our country.

I'm just saying that we all have lives to live in spite of what happens in Washington D. C.

In many ways the above discussions have divided us and pitted us against one another. But in spite of the things that tend to divide us, we are not so different. We want what's best for our kids--and our parents. We want opportunities for them. We want to live in a safe environment. We want to live with the freedoms that citizens of The United States are supposed to have.

I know that there are people that have to be more passionate about social, political, religious or environmental issues because they are directly impacted on a daily basis. I know that there are activists that stand for them that would say that I'm making light of those issues when I choose to ignore them in favor of writing about personal things because I'm tired of reading about, writing about the things that are dividing us.

I'm not ignoring them with the expectation that they will go away. I'm ignoring them here, today--to give you a break, to give myself a break. It is only for a moment, I know. But it is a break.

Pause.
Breathe deeply.
Whisper a prayer for a loved one.
Call a friend.
Smile.

I enjoyed the weekend without TV. I missed having my computer handy (remember, I don't have a smart phone) but could get used to less of it. I can see that I didn't miss anything important by not reading Facebook for a day.

Maybe I'll see you again tomorrow.
Maybe tomorrow will be your day to take a break.

For today, be well. Be kind. Be a blessing to somebody.

John <><

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John Hill (age 32) meet John Hill (age 52)

If I was to meet the man I was 20 years ago, I wonder if I would like him. I hope that I have changed (for the better) over the past couple of decades. Heck, I'd like to think that I've learned a few things in just the past couple of years.

I know that I have learned to be more forgiving and less judgmental. I believe that I am much slower to anger than I once was. I think that I am more willing to try to understand somebody else's view point and less likely to insist on everything having to go my way.

I firmly believe that the fifty something John would think that the thirty something John has said some foolish things and believed that he would never back down from whatever stance that he made at the time.

While it is certainly possible that there are people that are very much the same as they were twenty years ago, I would hope that we have learned a few things along the way and, at the very least, become better versions of our old selves. Some of us may have been more foolish in our younger years than we care to admit. Most of us have said and done things that we wish we hadn't. I have learned that it isn't always important to say what's on my mind. Some things are hurtful and nobody really benefits from hearing them. Chance are pretty good that I would think that thirty something John is an arrogant, outspoken, foolish jerk.

This is a good time to apologize to the people that I may have offended in the past. For saying things that didn't need to be said (even if I believed it); for saying things in a mean-spirited manner; for not listening to your side of the issue/argument; for just being a jerk--I humbly ask for your forgiveness. Please excuse that insensitive, immature person of my past.

I bring this up because it would seem that there are people that are judging people based on words that were spoken many years ago. Whether it's war hero and former Senator Chuck Hagel or preacher Louie Giglio or any other public person, can we get beyond their past and look at their character today? Can we accept that we are not the same as we were in the past and they may not be either?

As much as our news media condemns our politicians for catering to the money of big donors, it is the media chasing the money of advertisers and huge ratings that inspires the sensationalizing of the news and the exploitation of people and events that have no real bearing on truth or ability. They play on our need for news and they abuse our trust. Politicians that we've elected to office are more interested in running for re-election than they are in doing the job we've elected them to do. There is so little integrity in these two fields that it is absolutely bizarre that they are the ones that are always crying foul on one another!

Sometimes I just have to shake my head and sigh.
(Fifty something John shakes head and sighs)
(Thirty something John pauses for a moment...then he also shakes head and sighs)
Maybe he's brighter than I thought.

John <><

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It's Friday (that's the day before Saturday)!

I'm reminding you that it's the day before Saturday so that you can be planning for our Be Nice to a Stranger Day. I do hope that you will participate and maybe even share your experience. I've made a couple of plans that involve people that aren't exactly strangers (and that's okay--you can, too), but I also plan on targeting a random stranger or two for an encouraging word or act of kindness. Let's have a great Saturday and make a few people smile!
If you haven't already shared this post with your friends, please do! The more people being nice, the better our world will be -- for a day, anyway!

____________________________

Saturday is also the day for our Ozarks Chapter of American Christian Writers' meeting. This is our "Lightning Writing" meeting which will challenge your creativity. If you are up for the writing challenge and live in the Springfield MO area, please consider coming to the meeting. You'll get a few starting sentences to choose from and about 45 minutes to write. This is always a fun meeting! Please come and join us.

____________________________

Wow! I had a voice mail today from my Congressman's office! I sent an e-mail with some suggestions for budget cuts and they actually called to talk about them. I'll call them back today. I encourage you to share your reasonable ideas with your reprehensatives, as well. Who knows? Maybe they're to the point of actually listening to their constituents!

Have a grand weekend!

John <><

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Saving a Little Money...

In our household budgets, we can often find ways to save a few dollars here and a few more there. By saving a few dollars in a few places, we can often finds ways to save a significant amount of the total budget.

For example:

At Starbucks you can go green and buy a reusable plastic cup for a dollar. Not only do you help save a tree, but they will give you a $0.10 credit each time you use it. After 10 cups, you're money ahead. Or you can buy your beans there (assuming you go there because you happen to like their coffee) and brew your own at home, saving many dollars over a daily stop. (I have a friend that refers to them as Four-bucks, because he says that's what it generally costs him to stop.) I've done both of these and am enjoying some home brewed Starbucks Anniversary Blend as I write.

A short time ago, we purchased a Soda Stream soda making machine. Using it over buying sodas saves enough to offset the initial cost, saves our earth by using refillable bottles, is better for me because my drinks use sucralose instead of aspartame, and I end up drinking less soda and spending less on a daily basis.

I know, I know. we're talking a few cents here and there. Even in a small household budget it's small. But, it does add up.

A few days ago, I wrote about our legislative reprehensatives kicking the fiscal can further down the road and asked for some cost saving measures that we could share with our fellow countrymen and minders of the federal purse. A few of my fellow federal employees have managed to find $500k to 750k that could be saved in our small facility by following some simple common sense. I've forwarded these to my Senators and Congressman along with a few other cost savings or income producing ideas. While that may be a mere drop in the bucket, somebody once said, "...a million dollars here, a million dollars there, before long you're talking about real money!"

Maybe the US Army doesn't really need to sponsor a NASCAR team at a few million dollars a season or own and maintain 234 golf courses around the world at an undisclosed amount of money that is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. These would be cuts in the defense spending that would have no impact on the mission of our military. Certainly there are areas that everybody can look at and agree that these are not good uses for our tax dollars.

The other day I saw a man that had just cashed in two plastic coffee containers that he had filled with loose change. The total was a few hundred dollars!

What if our government officials quit kicking the can down the road and instead used it to collect a few dollars of savings here and there. It really doesn't take much to start to add up to some serious money.

To illustrate:
A friend of mine recently posted this picture. It doesn't sound too difficult, and the  rewards seem to be well worth the effort.

I know that we need more than baby steps to solve the monster of a problem that we have created. But we have to manage to slow this train down and get it turned around without bringing it to a crashing stop. Why are there so many reasonable cuts that nobody wants to look at?
Let's look at everything.

Tweet your Senators and House representatives your ideas. E-mail them. Call them. Hold them accountable.

John <><

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Kicking the Can

As much as I hate to start the year with another political commentary on the ineffectiveness of our elected reprehensatives, I have to say that I am thoroughly disgusted with the non-work that has been done in Congress in regards to taxes and spending.

I am interested in compiling a list of government expenditures that can be cut to reduce spending. I know that everybody has their own ideas--some well thought out and reasonable, some not so very much. If you have an idea, please suggest it here. Even one idea that saves a measly 1 million dollars is a helpful idea--really less than that if the expenditure doesn't outweigh the benefit.

Be nice.

Here we go!

John <><

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Fiscal Cliff: What does it mean to you?

Each day of December that passes moves the US one day closer to the "fiscal cliff" that was created by our own incompetent politicians.

As a Federal employee, I have been watching with job security in mind. One would think that the powers that be would be certain to keep the air traffic control facilities fully staffed and operational...and they will, at least for the time being. But across the board cuts cut, well...across the board, and we are a part of that board.

Where I have some control, I have made some changes in my thrift savings plan to protect from a huge market drop. I don't know what will happen to prices at the grocery store or the gas pump. I don't know if I'll be paying more in taxes and taking home less money. I know that I will not be affected by losing unemployment benefits or access to medical care. I know that my health insurance plan for the coming year is already determined, both in cost and coverage. I know that I am eligible to retire and have that as an alternative should it eventually come to that.

I also know that I have kids that will be facing the task of finding jobs in an already depressed job market. I know that there are many people that will face immediate and devastating consequences. I know that even a few dollars less in take home pay or a few dollars more in expenses will cause many to fall off of the delicately balanced economic tightrope that they walk every day.

How does the "fiscal cliff" affect you?

I've sent comments to my legislators (unanswered) about how I feel about their lack of input into the "negotiations" between Speaker Boehner and President Obama. When the time comes, I will work to support or oppose their re-elections based on their handling of the coming events.

Because there will be little pain for me on Jan. 1, I am not facing the holidays with a great amount of stress over the impending cliff. I sense that the same holds true for many of my friends and readers. Perhaps there are those that you know that will be greatly impacted by tax increases or spending cuts. I'm curious about the political and media hype of a "cliff" and is it really going to have a falling into an abyss kind of effect.

I can tell you that I am not looking for a bunch of posturing on the politics that appears to be driving the stalemate. I will probably choose not to post political rants in the comments here and may delete such comments on Facebook. What I am interested in is knowing how you or somebody you know will be impacted by our legislators failing to do their jobs or waiting until January do something.

John <><

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Black Thursday Laws

A few days ago I posted about Black Friday and what it costs us. Obviously, I'm not a fan.

Having said that, I am opposed to the law proposed by Missouri State legislators that would restrict stores from being open on Thanksgiving Day. In spite of the fact that I think it is silly to spend a holiday at the store instead of with your family, the reality is that for some people, holiday shopping is a family event.

I doubt that you will see me in a store on Thanksgiving Day, waiting in line for a great sale on a "door buster" special. However, I think that the decision to be open or to shop should be left to the retailers and shoppers. Face it, this was an experiment by the big box stores. If nobody showed up or the profits didn't exceed the expenses, it won't happen again. If people showed up and spent enough money on items other than the loss leaders, it will happen again and again.

I will say that I feel for the employees that have to work on the holiday, but I've worked the retail racket myself and currently work in a 24/7 occupation. I've worked on plenty of holidays and missed too many kids' events and family gatherings. It is an occupational hazard.

So on the one hand, we want people to spend money and have jobs. On the other hand, we want stores to be closed and people to stay home from work and shopping. Hmmm...

I think that our legislators (at every level) have plenty to do (like working on...oh, I don't know...governmental things), without passing stupid regulations on people. We can make up our own minds about when we want to shop and what we are willing to give up for a great deal.

Really? Did you think that we sent you to Jefferson City to help us figure out when to shop?
Give me a break.

John <><

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Moving On ...

The GOP machine continues to play the blame game in trying to determine what went wrong and how Gov. Romney lost the election so badly.
Romney blames the gift giving promises of Pres. Obama and the voter/takers for the loss.
Red states are petitioning for secession.
The President says that Gov. Romney's financial plan was rejected by the voters and feels some kind of electoral blessing to implement his plan.
The GOP controlled House says they retained majority status to keep the President from implementing his plan.
We are a divided nation.
...Still.

After months of political ads, debates and campaigns; after billions of dollars being spent on buying votes and favors, we are back to where we started. Certainly, there have been some subtle changes; a few more Democrats in the House, some new faces in the Senate, but essentially we're back to a Republican controlled House, a Democratic controlled Senate and a Democrat in the White House.

Did we learn anything positive from the past four years or do we continue to nothing for the next four? Do the extremes of the parties hold enough power to continue in an all or nothing negotiating posture where nothing gets done or can the reasonable members of the parties finally step up and recognize that compromise is going to be the way to solve our nation's financial woes?

It's time for our representatives to move on.
It's time to get out of the campaign mode. It's time to stop politicking for the next election. It's time to just do what needs to be done. It's time for our representatives to do their jobs.

And it's time for us, the voters, to hold them accountable.

John <><

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Men of Reason: Where have they gone?

Have you ever looked at your list of Facebook friends and wondered where some of them came from?

Recently, one of mine sent me a message asking how we knew each other. The truth was -- we didn't. I know that he and his wife were referred to me by a mutual friend of Filipino heritage. This mutual friend was trying to help me connect to my own Filipino heritage.

Today, we met for coffee.

Part of what prompted the meeting was a note asking about our political differences in the presidential election aftermath. It was nothing confrontational or anything, just curiosity of what motivates somebody to vote democratic over republican. I enjoyed our chat.

As we talked about our differences without getting mad, offensive or defensive, I wondered what has happened that we no longer seem to be able to do this simple thing in Washington. We were just two men that shared our political, social and economic philosophies with each other and respected the other's opinion even though we may not have been in agreement. All-in-all, I don't think that we were too far apart. He is more center-right; I am more center-left.

I think that we were in some agreement that our two party system has moved to the extremes of the parties and that our representatives are more concerned with representing their parties than they are with representing their constituents. They can either vote the way they are told to vote or they can go home. None of their legislative proposals will be heard. They will get no good committee assignments. They will get no help running for re-election. If they won't follow the party line, the party will replace them with somebody who will.

I am sad that there is still so much political posturing going on about the impending fiscal cliff. I'm wondering if we are going to see a repeat of the earlier waiting until the last possible moment before kicking the can down the road again. The only reason we are here today is because our legislators didn't do the job set before them in the past. This isn't a cliff; it's a pit of our own making. It seems like a huge waste of time and resources to dig this gigantic pit so that we can now build a bridge over it or negotiate our way around it. For most reasonable people, it would have made more sense to to start the bridge building years ago.

But there's that word again -- reasonable!

Perhaps the few new Senators and Representatives can bring a little voice of reason to their respective parties. Perhaps they can talk like problem solving citizens instead of political puppets. Perhaps they will realize that they don't owe allegiance to the parties, but to the people. Perhaps men and women of reason will be heard.

But I doubt it.

Pray hard.
Preach the Word.
Make friends.

John <><

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Clowns to the left of me; Jokers to the right...

Now that the 2012 elections are over and our duly elected reprehensitives head back to DC to continue with the ever maddening partisan gamesmanship, is it time for the reasonable Americans that find themselves center-right, center-left or pretty much in the middle and without representation to form a solid, moderate third party?

I'm not talking about a fringe element of the left or right like the Tea Party. I'm talking about an organized party of reasonable thinking, define the problem/find the answer kind of citizens; the kind of people that are willing to put the good of the country above party controlled agendas.

There are Independents that fit the bill, but the problem with Independents is that they are ... well, independent. They go to DC and then have to chose whether to caucus with the Democrats or the Republicans and are very limited in what their small, reasonable voices can do to influence the power of the larger party.

What if centrists (still with extremes of center-right and center-left) could come together enough to oust the extremes from both sides and actually--what's the word I'm looking for here--oh yeah, govern!
How cool would it be to actually have legislators that legislate, executives that execute and enforce that legislation and judges that judge?

I know that there are many of us that feel stuck in the middle without a representing voice in DC. We aren't liberal enough to feel comfortable with many of the views of the Democrats and aren't conservative enough to go along with the Akin/Mourdock/Walsh/Ryan anti-science, govern by my religion philosophy of legislation. If we cannot find reason within the two parties, I say it's time to forget trying to reform them and it's time to replace them.

Unfortunately, I have no idea how to go about bringing on such a political revolution. There has to be somebody with the same thoughts that can unite those of us that are political centrists into an organized movement of citizens that will speak for the real majority of Americans. If you think that is possible; if you think that is necessary then share this post far and wide. Let's begin a moderate movement that can break the gridlock that impedes the governance of our great land.

John <><
(Share it with your representatives, too. Maybe it will stir them towards getting something done.)

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A Final Word of Encouragement

There have been many posts that deal with the outcome of Tuesday's election. Some have been thoughtful and encouraging. Many have been negative, angry and hurtful. There have been posts from sore losers and poor winners.

The most troubling ones have been the posts from Christians that seem to face the future with a sense of fear and doubt. How can children of the King be hopeless?

The letter that follows was written to encourage a small group of friends and is posted here with permission. I hope that it also encourages you.

John <><

... just wanted to send along some encouragement for you today and this week.  Last night, I was keeping track of folks' comments on Facebook as I watched the election results unfold.  Like you, my heart was filled with swells of both expectation and sadness throughout the evening.  

     I don't know how you voted yesterday, nor do I really care.  What I do know is that I saw several of you voiced your displeasure at the results of the election.  I saw frustration bubble over into rage at what was taking place.  And, quite frankly, I saw some hopelessness in your posts.

     Personally, I share many of your concerns and fears about the direction that our country is heading.  Right now, my head is spinning over the idea that recreational marijuana and gay marriage has been legalized in a popular vote of the people in certain states.  I'm reading the writing on the wall, and when I hear the media state that the way that I believe is no longer mainstream and that issues like these have become "civil rights issues," I get worried.  I don't completely understand how some people feel the way that they do racially, and I wonder if my own kids and grandkids will feel the same way about me and my beliefs about homosexuality someday.  I fear that they will one day have to deal with people calling them bigoted because of their Bible-based beliefs.

      Let's be clear:  President Obama is not the problem.  Democrats are not the problem.  As Christians, we know that we are in a constant battle with the principalities and powers of darkness.  Our concern should not be directed towards men... they are fallible, weak, and many times self-serving.  This is true not only of politicians, but ourselves as well.  If we look really deeply into our own hearts, we'll see the struggle between the "old man" and the "new man"... between the flesh and the Spirit.

     But, I promised encouragement, didn't I?   Like I asked Sunday night:  do we believe that the Bible is true?   Completely true?   That God's promises apply to us just as much as they did to those that we read about?   If so, here's the encouragement:

"The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate." (Psalm 34:22)

"Behold, He that keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps." (Psalm 121:4)

"I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust ate..." (Joel 2:25)

"The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next.  Everything in creation is being more or less held back.  God reigns it in, until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead.  Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens."  (Romans 8:19-21, MSG)

"Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of Hosts is His name.  He will fervently plead their case so that He might bring rest to the earth."  (Jeremiah 50:34)

"No, in all things we have been made more than conquerors through Him that loved us.  And I am convinced that nothing can separate us from God's love.  Neither death nor life, angels nor demons, or fears for today nor our worries for tomorrow... not even the powers of Hell can separate us from God's love."  (Romans 8:37-38)

     These verses represent literally just a fraction of the words that God speaks to us in times of concern and worry... He promises that He will be our strength for a new day.   He says that we will mount up with wings like eagles.  If we truly believe that His Word is true, verses like these should fill us with hope.   Hope not held in a man, or a country, or a government... but hope held in the One Who holds the world in His hands.  Last night didn't take God by surprise and, make no mistake, things will get worse before they get better.  There is an endgame to all of this, after all.  But the One Who spoke this world into existence also dwells within us, granting us peace and hope to face what is thrown at us.  We talked Sunday night about the fact that God WILL give us more than we can handle in order to draw us back to Him.  It is my prayer that we as Christians will begin to truly seek God's face and turn from our unrighteousness, that He might be glorified.

     So, truly pray for President Obama... he carries a weight on his shoulders that none of us can fathom.  Truly pray for our leaders, that they would seek Jehovah God in all that they do and dictate.  And pray for yourself, that you will have the strength to strive to walk closer to Him today than you did yesterday.   Know that I love each of you, and because I care about you, I send you these tidings of hope and joy.

     I found this song ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoAYb8YmCwQ ) on my iPod as I drove into work today... it seemed appropriate.  If you choose to listen to words, let the promise of God being sovereign wash over you.

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Facebook Wisdom

You and I both know that there is a great deal of information and misinformation that finds its way to the grand social medium of Facebook. Sorting through the piles of manure to find the gems of truth is a daunting task. Fortunately, one of my Facebook friends has done the hard work for us.

He posted this as his status and gave me permission to copy and paste it to my status. In giving his permission he said, "Copy, copy, copy away. I hope it gets a million hits."

I few others have copied it and posted it as their status but it deserves to be read by many more people.
To make it easier for you to share, I'm posting it here at Out of My Hat. You can simply share this link so that everybody can benefit from the wisdom that he has gleaned from the postings on Facebook.

Thanks to Facebook, I now feel very well informed as to the issues our nation faces and the basic differences between the big parties are very clear. So the summary of what I have learned is: If I vote for the one guy we will have no jobs, outrageous debt, become slaves to China, get nuked by Iran, dissolve the military, ban God, Bibles, and guns. Have all our problems instantly solved by raising 

taxes on a handful of evil rich people. People will have children just to abort them. The nation will be secretly run by Islam. George Carlin will be the smartest person to have ever lived. Gas prices will remain at record highs, but the earth will heal. The government will decided who gets to see the doctor and who doesn’t. Academic and financial achievement will be capped because everyone needs to be average. If you work you will have to support 100 who don’t. Terrorism will be defeated with warm smiles and free hugs.
Then there is choice number two. All the poor people will die instantly because there is a huge advantage to keeping the poor people poor. The rich will be, well, rich and pay less in taxes than a secretary. Birth Control will be illegal and Row V Wade will be instantly dissolved somehow. My black friends will be placed in chains. All women will be raped. Schools will collapse. Student loans will be outlawed. College will be a rich kid’s game. People will not be allowed to have abortion because we need more children just to make more soldiers to steal more oil. The earth will collapse because one more pipeline will connected to Canada. The nation will be secretly run by Salt Lake City. Gas will be $.87 again. Detroit will fall off a cliff. Starting a business is like becoming a slave owner. Grandma’s social security will be stolen to make more nuclear weapons. Banks will collapse, but not Swiss banks, because that is where this guy keeps his money.
But no one will do anything about illegal immigration, because they need that Hispanic vote to win.
What a world we live in. Happy voting, Tuesday.

John <><

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Decision 2012

For anybody that is still undecided about which candidate they will vote for in Tuesday's Presidential election, I want to share these two interviews that were done by Ed Stetzer and published on his blog.

The first is Why Vote for Governor Romney and the second is Why Vote for President Obama.

I hope that you find these to be informative.

John <><

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Getting to the Polls

As we enter into the weekend prior to election day (and to the end of this cycle's annoying political ads), I hope that everybody (that hasn't already voted) is making plans to get to the polls.

Several weeks ago, I requested to have Nov. 6 off at work. I've done this to make myself available to help people get to their voting places. If you live in Southwest Missouri and know of somebody that needs a ride to their polling place, have them contact me. They can leave a comment here, send me an e-mail, or give me a call.

In spite of the fact that Missouri is primarily a red state and I'll probably be taking people that will vote in opposition to my own vote, my main objective is to get people to the polls. Since I don't know if there will be anyone that wants to take advantage of this offer, it would help if any requests would be made at the earliest opportunity. I prefer to avoid the peak times (early morning, lunch hour, evening) but will be available all day.

Pastors, if you have people in your churches that need a lift, give them my number. Facebook friends, do you know of somebody that needs a lift? Put them in contact with me.

Let's all get out and vote.

My prediction is that either President Obama or Governor Romney will become the President of the USA.
Either Senator McCaskill or Congressman Akin will become the Senator of Missouri.
... And God will remain on His Throne.
Those that vote against Romney, Akin or any others like them will not burst into flames and be condemned to eternal hell fire (at least not for their vote).

Maybe we can re-learn good manners and treat people with differing opinions with respect. Maybe we can learn to ignore the hateful vitriol that the politicians and the political spin doctors spew (and will continue to spew) on a regular basis.

Whether you view your vote as a civic duty or an incredible privilege, please vote.
We are the USA
...and that's what we do.

John <><

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Non-partisan Disaster Solutions

The past few days have shown many pictures and clips of President Obama and Governor Christy working together to take care of the Superstorm Sandy destruction.

In the aftermath of 9-11, both parties came together to work together to rebuild NYC and to direct our military efforts in retaliation to the enemies of the USA and those that harbor them.

It is clear that we work well when the citizens of our country are facing a crisis, whether by natural disaster or by attack of an enemy. I'm just wondering how long it will be before our elected representatives will realize that we are facing an economic disaster when it comes to the ever increasing National Debt. It is a crisis that is worthy of non-partisan solutions.

I want to point out that I have purposely used the term "non-partisan" instead of "bi-partisan." I want to see us solve our debt crisis as Americans rather than as Republicans and Democrats. I also want to clarify two terms that are often used interchangeably when that are not interchangeable.

The deficit is the difference between what we spend each year and what we take in. It is the amount we borrow to meet our extravagant spending habits. It what increases our total debt. Even though the deficit has decreased in recent years, the simple fact that we continue to spend more than we take in means that the debt continues to increase. To pay down the debt, we have to eliminate the deficit.

To eliminate the deficit, one of three things has to happen.
We can spend less.
We can earn more.
We can use some combination of the two.

I really hope that our Congress will work together after the elections to work for all Americans. A part of me believes that if President Obama is re-elected, we stand a better chance of getting things done for the simple reason that there will no longer be a reason for the partisan crap that would keep him from re-election. I'm afraid that if Gov. Romney is elected, the Democrats in Congress will pull the same obstructionist garbage that the GOP has been doing for the last four years and we would continue in our debt spiral.

Sometimes you just want to slap those people and tell them to grow up! They act like junior high kids fighting over who is the most popular kid in the school. It's too bad that our representative are more interested in representing their parties than they are about representing their people.

Maybe Gov. Christy could help President Obama bring the parties together and work the budget as if it was a natural disaster. It may be entirely man-made, but it is a disaster just the same.

John <><

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Why Pro-life/Pro-choice Doesn't Factor Into My Vote

Okay, it's time to clear the air.

Over the past many years, I've had opportunities to share with several people about why I don't use pro-life/pro-choice as a test on candidates. These have primarily been one on one exchanges with reasonable people that have asked. Most people are quick to make poorly informed decisions about my views because they would rather judge than ask.

I know that some think that I'm a heretic of some sort, or perhaps a Christian that has lost my mind. I have never said that I think that abortion is okay. And yet, I am often regarded as a pro-choice person and treated with the disdain reserved for godless reprobates.  Apparently, many people fail to realize that there are both pro-choice Republicans and pro-life Democrats.

But when it comes right down to it, it really doesn't matter.

We have been sold a lie that has lived for decades. Originally, it was pushed by the GOP as a divisive wedge and a huge money maker. I believe that the Dems have jumped on the financial bandwagon to keep the money coming in and the fight going on. In the end, either the candidates are ignorant of how our system works or they are manipulating the voters in order to get their money and their vote. Neither situation speaks well of their ability to govern.

Here's the deal:

The Supreme Court that made the Roe v Wade decision was made up of five Republican justices and four Democratic justices. The vote was 7-2, with one Republican and one Democrat in opposition. It wasn't a partisan issue. In the late 70s, the religious right began to champion the idea that the Roe v Wade decision could be overturned if conservative presidents would appoint conservative justices and the make up of the Supreme Court would change to the point that a reversal would be possible.

Unfortunately, THIS IS NOT TRUE!
There is no appeals process for a decision of the High Court!
A current bench cannot even re-hear an old case, much less overturn it.
The only way that it could be re-tried is if there is new evidence that might change the decision.

There have been decisions that were reversed when the decision of a later case rendered the previous ruling moot or reversed it due to changes in society. Others were reversed due to Amendments to the Constitution.
And that's pretty much it.

Even if the High Court is made up of nine far right, pro-life jurists, they could not simply choose to reverse the Roe v Wade decision.

You may have heard a clip from a previous debate when Gov. Romney was asked if he was President and Congress sent him a bill that would overturn Roe v Wade, would he sign it? The fact that he answered the question (or the fact that it was asked at all) shows a true ignorance of our system of law and justice. Congress can't send a bill that overturns the Constitutional rights as decided by the Supreme Court!

Electing pro-life legislators to write laws that overturn the decision or act in opposition to the decision is futile since they would be ruled as unconstitutional.

For pro-lifers that want to push legislation to limit abortions, you have to work within the confines of the decision. It doesn't matter if you disagree with the decision, it's all you have to work with. As medicine improves and viability moves earlier into the second trimester, laws should be pushed to restrict access according to the Ruling. This has been done on a few rare occasions and is the only real legislative answer.

Or you can push for a Constitutional Amendment.
You will need for 2/3 of the House and 2/3 of the Senate to agree on a proposal defining person-hood to send to the states for ratification. Thirty-eight of the fifty states would have to ratify it for it to become an Amendment.

When you consider that a person-hood amendment recently failed in Mississippi, I'd say it's a long shot.

I'm a realist.
I realize that this is as much a philosophical issue as it is a scientific or religious issue. The question is, When does the unborn child become an individual person with individual rights? I believe that if Christians want non-Christians to believe as they do, they are living a dream world. It is foolishness.

I choose not to waste my time on the futile arguments of the laws of the land and to share the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus. If you are a Christian that feels like pouring your money and time into the futility of electing officials that you expect to be some kind of religious leaders; have at it. And if you feel better for judging me, well ... go ahead, but you'll have to get in line.

I am not ignorant of the issues or how the system works. Within the Ruling--addressing the issues of poverty, providing birth control, providing birth options, and sharing the Hope found in Jesus; these are the ways to reduce abortions in the US. The real issue isn't whether abortions are legal or illegal. The issue is to keep them rare.


John <><

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