Sunday, September 28, 2008

Excuse Me...But Do You Have Prince Albert In The Can?

So....
Congress Sucks ! Just my opionion but I am SICK SICK SICK of hearing about whos fault it is that things dont get done.
These people are elected by US to guide and lead and instead they worry about what will happen if they dont get a chance to go campaingn more ...or have to actually make a decision and stick with it ....
Franklin Rooselvelt said it best in 1933 "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something."
Something has got to be done ...SOMETHING...
I hate Congress tonight ...
The following link is how I feel tonight ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM9KcAS5_K4

Monday, September 15, 2008

It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World......

So....
Gov Sarah Palin finally sat down at the end of last week for some interviews by ABCs Charlie Gibson. I am always amazed at how two different people can watch the same thing and come away with TWO VERY DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
Speaking for myself I was VERY unnerved to hear Gov Palin talk of possible war or fighting with Russia over a country that is not even in NATO. If we are to use history as a guide, and I think we should, we managed to not go to war with the USSR in nearly 50 years of the Cold War. I would like to think that I am a pretty smart guy when it comes to some things and it would seem to make sense that we should be talking to people about things and not loading guns ...just in case. I sleep easier at night knowing that she can see Russia from an island off the coast of Alaska.....talk about ready to lead on day one !!

Gov Palin went on to discuss her ideas of the "Bush Doctrine" and how it relates to terrorism. And when I say discuss ....I mean she really seemed to have no idea what was going on or the true meaning of the doctrine. She did say that what she brought to the table in terms of foreign policy was that she had a good knowledge of the oil and gas situation in her state. This was to be a foundation of the McCain/Palin White house.....sound confusing ?? Thats cause it is.....

She could not define what the McCain/Palin ticket would do to change the last 8 years of a Bush White House. She mentioned putting the banking and houseing industry back into the hands of people...and getting the Fed out of things. Here's the kicker though ....most analysts on CNN MSNBC And FOX all say that the gross deregulation of the above industries has directly lead to the HUGE problems we are having as we speak.
How can we really afford 4 or maybe 8 more years of this nonsense???

One more thing...for her to say that she thinks Sen Obama is regretting not putting Hillary Clinton on the ticket.....that is just insulting really. Would Hillary have been a great person on the ticket ...no doubt. But Joe Biden is a great one also....
Speaking of women .....for those on the right to get upset when those in the LIBERAL and LEFT LEANING Media question Palins background as a leader....GIVE ME A BREAK ...This is the same media that tore Hillary Clinton to shreds not just in this election but for 8 years while she was first lady .
The media, I believe , has an obligation to uncover the facts and report them to the country.
If Gov Palin or her biggest fans cant handle two months of being in the limelight perhaps she should have stayed in the Governors mansion in Juneau.

On to lighter things ....
Has any one been watching the second season of Mad Men on AMC. It is an AMAZING show ....Perhaps the best thing on TV right now folks....One thing that I am really impressed about this show is their attention to detail . The show takes place in the early 1960's at an ad agency on Madison Avenue in NYC. Its almost like watching something that was ACTUALLY filmed in 1962....the colors, the art, the clothes, the smoking, the sexism...its all there in bright living color.
Check it out some Sunday and see for yourself .

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

To be is to do .....

So .....

Politics seem to be the dish of the next few months ....So I am going to try and post about religion and politics.

I have wondered when religion became so ingrained with politics in this nation? I know how our nation was founded. I know the founders and framers looked towards a higher power when planning our country. But they were also clear to place in our constitution that "te congress cannot pass any law making any religion the religion of the United States, or take away the freedom to worship as one pleases ." Ammendment 1, first paragraph of the Constitution.

Abortion and the right for two men or two women to marry seems to be the main thing that people talk about when it comes to politics and religion.


The following statistics come from a group called The Pew Forum: Religion and Public Life Survey. They are independent of any church or social group.

Abortion

I honest to God dont think there will ever be a time in this country when everyone agrees on this subject. Recent polls have shown that more than half of those surveyed say that abortion always will be or should be legal. A majority of those said that abortion should be legal if the person involved is raped, the life of the mother is in danger or there is incest involved. 13% said it should be illegal in any circumstance.

46% of women in this country who had abortions in 2006 were not using birth control of any kind. Using birth control of some kind would have possibly resulted in 500,000 fewer abortions that year. Perhaps if both sides could agree on birth control then maybe less abortions could be achieved in this nation.

What if we went back and started really trying to show that sex is a sacred act between two people. Not something you do after a few dates or drinks. This would also DRASTICALLY reduce abortions in this nation.

70% of those polled who had abortions called themselves Christians. Perhaps as a church we could do more to support those who decide to carry the child to term. Show them love and understanding. The church has to do a better job of saying "We love you ...regardless"

Its clear that over the last nearly 40 years nothing has changed as far as the debate on abortion goes. It will take calmer heads and understanding to address this issue. But its generally not one that should be held on a national debate stage.

amicans cannot be easily characterized as conservative or liberal on todays most pressing social questions....Along with favoring no clear ideological approach to most social issues,the public expresses desire for a middle ground on the most divisive social concern of the day:abortion.

Summery of the Pew Report on Abortion.



Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage

These are also two very difficult situations to wrap our minds around and come to some sort of middle ground. The stark reality of it is this: One day we will all know people who are openly gay and living their lives. They might be children,grandchildren,neices and nephews,co workers or close friends.
Those against homosexuality or same sex marriage often quote scripture. Genesis 19:1-29 deals with two messangers sent to the town of Sodom where Lot lived. The men of the town demanded that the messangers be turned over to them and to be sexually assulted. Most biblical historians will say that this is more of a cultural reference. The men would sexually assult other men to show their power over those men.

Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 come from a section of the Old testament known as the Laws of Moses. Purity or Holiness Codes. 18:22 says that "You shall not lie with a male as with a women; it is an abomination." The word abomination translated from greek and arabic means something uncustomary. Not a sin. The people of that time were trying to build the nation of Israel. There are many laws on the pages of Leviticus that we never mention... "Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material" Leviticus 19:19. "Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed" also found in chapter 19.

Corinthians mentions "male prostitutes and sodomites" alongside with drunks and the greedy. God says that they shall not inherit the earth. How many of us have ever been drunk or greedy?
1st Timothy 1:10 mentions "sodomites" along with liars and those involved with other women outside their marriage. Who out there have ever lied about something or possibly cheated on our wives or husbands.

Some people will say that at the very core of this debate is the issue of civil rights . We have two different standards in the country in relation to how we treat gays and lesbians. Many of these people daily live a life that is a living nightmare.

Billy Graham was asked once in an interview his views on homosexuality he said" Im going to quote the Bible here, not myself, that homosexuality is a sin. But there are other sins. Why do we jump on that sin as though it's the greatest sin? The greatest sin in the Bible is idolatry, worshiping other things besides the true and living God. But homosexuality is a sin and needs to to be dealt with and needs to be forgiven, and thats why Christ came and died on the cross"

Christianity has to be a mix of grace and truth that Jesus Christ brings to us all. We all have sexual baggage . We all have baggage...PERIOD.
Matthew 5:28 says " it is ultmately a matter of the heart, and brokeness is as common in our private thoughts and attitudes as it is in our behaviors."

James says in 1:26 " If you claim to be religious but dont control your tounge, you are fooling yourself , and your religion is worthless"

and of course in Pauls letter to the Corinthians he says this : Faith , hope and love ...and the greatest of these is love" 13:13

We need to love. Unconditionally each person. Each other. Every day.

I close with this

My church's exclusion of homosexuals who confess Christ and live together in committed love makes me very sad.....Is there really a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea? Is his mercy wide enough to fulfill one of the deepest of all human needs by the way my wife and I have fulfilled them for fifty years-In an abiding partnership of lasting love? I think I know my own heart well enough to believe that if his mercy is wide enough for me, it must be wide enought for them also....
Lewis Smedes.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Speaking From Experience.....

So....
I been reading alot about the canidates lately. Trying to bone up on what everyone is all about... We are less than two months away from one of the biggest decisions this country has ever faced and it seems all we hear about lately is that people are not ready to lead. Obama is not ready to be president or Palin is not ready to be veep. My question today is this ....who is ever really ready to be President of the United States?
I mean if we look over all the years of this country was there ever ,EVER any person who was truly ready to lead on day one? I would offer this ...No! No one has never been fully ready to walk into that big oval room and run this country. Thank God our founders knew this and distributed the power all around.
Here are a few examples of past presidents
  • Abe Lincoln-He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature and lost to Stephen Douglas in 1858 for a senate seat. He was elected in 1860 and lead us through the Civil War.
  • Teddy Roosevelt -During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt was lieutenant colonel of the Rough Rider Regiment. Republican candidate for Governor in 1898. Roosevelt won and served till he was tapped by McKinley to be his Veep.
  • George Washington-Farmer and from 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. May 1775, Washington was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. In 1787 the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President of the United States.
  • William McKinley-Private in the army during the Civil War. Lawyer. Served 14 years in Congress. Was on Ways and Means committee. Elected president in 1896.
  • Franklin D Roosevelt- He won election to the New York Senate in 1910. President Wilson appointed him Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 1920. In 1928 Roosevelt became Governor of New York.
  • Harry S. Truman-Captain in the army during WW I. Elected county judge in Missouri in 1924. Elected to US Senate in 1934. Choosen as Veep in 1944 and was on the job weeks before FDR died.

So....I would say that no one is ready to be president ...ever. You can plan and prepare and run for congress or be the governor of a state. You can serve in local politics and get things done on a local level but you still are not ready for what lies ahead of you. I admire any person willing to give their time and energy for their country in this capacity. There is no "SCHOOL FOR PRESIDENT"....you get elected and then you go to work doing the damned best job that you can do for all the people of this nation.

Was George Bush prepared for what happened 9 months after he took office in 2001. No. Perhaps he had briefings that terroists were plotting but they had no real idea when or where. Thats what I believe anyway....He had to jump in the water feet first and learn to swim real quick.

Was Ronald Reagan prepared to be shot three months into his first term in March or 1981? Hell no...you assume the risk but who knew...he survied and managed to lead this country.

Harry S Truman is now considered one of the best presidents we have ever had but he was a failed shop owner from Independencebefore going into politics. Hell he did not even know we had an atomic bomb till the day after FDR died.

We could go on for ever and list every president....I am just saying how bout we as a whole lay off who is better prepared and just focus on the issues. Focus on what we are going to do to make this country better . How we are going to improve education and reform social security. How can we balance a budget while providing for the people of this nation and funding our troops over seas. How can we establish a fair tax system in this country that is balanced among everyone. There is so much to tackle....May the best person win on November 4.