Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

CHRIST IS RISEN!

 

GOOD FRIDAY MEDITATIONS

 

 

 

The World's Largest Ever Male Voice Choir from the old Cardiff Arms Park in Wales sing "Were You There" (May 1993)

 

 Keith and Kristyn Getty

 Lyrics:

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood. 

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross. 

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow. 

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love. 

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost! 
We stand forgiven at the cross.

TODAY'S WASHINGTON UPDATE FROM THE FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL

FRC reports:

Going DUMB on DOMA

 

Today was the second historic hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the future of marriage in America. Today, they heard a challenge to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA is not new to FRC because we helped lead the efforts for it in the 90s. The Defense of Marriage Act specified that states would not have to recognize same-sex "marriages" from other states and defined marriage for all federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. Only the latter provision has been challenged in court, but advocates for redefining marriage have been simultaneously trying to repeal the entire law in Congress.

The legal arguments today were complicated by the fact that President Obama and his Justice Department have chosen to abdicate their responsibility to defend federal laws in court, and have instead joined in declaring DOMA unconstitutional. This forced the House of Representatives, in the form of its "Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group" (BLAG), to intervene to defend the law. FRC's Senior Fellows Chris Gacek and Ken Klukowski, both attorneys, were at the Supreme Court for the oral arguments, and Chris said not to believe media spin that DOMA took a total beating. He reported that Paul Clement, the former U.S. Solicitor General hired by the House BLAG to defend DOMA, gave the strongest performance of any attorney in the two days of arguments.

No amount of legal footwork by those seeking redefinition of marriage can change the fact that society needs children, and children need a mom and a dad. It's not just about love between adults, it's about civilization. That's a compelling reason for both California and the federal government to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and for the Supreme Court to uphold both Proposition 8 and DOMA.

There is Life Beyond DC!

Conservatives are rightly dismayed by many of the actions of the current Administration, but this week we can celebrate some true victories in North Dakota--victories achieved in large part due to the leadership and energy of two of FRC's top pro-life advocates coming alongside state leaders.

After testifying multiple times, over a period of several weeks, before various committees of the North Dakota legislature, Dr. David Prentice and Anna Higgins, JD, effectively educated that state's lawmakers who ultimately voted to "ban abortions performed solely for the purpose of gender selection and genetic abnormalities" and to "ban abortions after the detection of a fetal heartbeat." Legislators approved another measure that "requires admitting and staff privileges at a nearby hospital for any physician who performs abortions in North Dakota" so that the courts can decide what kind of "precise restriction" there is on doctors who perform abortions. These precedent-setting bills have been signed into law by Governor Jack Dalrymple (R-N.D.).

Dr. Prentice, the world's leading expert on adult stem cell research, and Anna, who directs FRC's Center for Human Dignity, convincingly and persuasively spoke for the sanctity of unborn life and the well-being of mothers. I'm honored to lead a team of passionate and articulate professionals like David and Anna, who are helping change America, one state at a time.

Florida Atlantic University in Hot Water over "Jesus Stomping" Case

These days it can be difficult to live out your Christian faith on college campuses. On one Florida University campus, it is especially difficult for students whose grade point average depends on their willingness to stomp on Jesus. Ask Florida Atlantic University Junior Ryan Rotela. When Rotela refused to participate in a classroom assignment that would involve jumping on a sheet of paper bearing Jesus' name, as a way to "discuss the importance of symbols in culture," he was immediately suspended from class and brought up on academic charges after reporting this activity to university officials. Rotela did not want to participate in the exercise, as it violated his religious beliefs.

The University finally backed down yesterday but only after Liberty Institute threatened legal action and Fox News reporter Todd Starnes brought this latest incident of religious persecution to the attention of millions. Liberty Institute, which represented Rotela, declared victory in this case, as officials from Florida Atlantic University apologized and removed the academic charges from his record. Hiram Sasser, Director of Litigation, at Liberty Institute, was thankful. Sasser said, "Decades ago, the Supreme Court ruled that students do not leave their First Amendment rights at the school house gate: That is still true today."

In addition to that victory, Florida Governor Rick Scott has asked the state's university system to look into this incident and to ensure that this type of lesson will not take place again. Scott said, in a letter to the chancellor, "The professor's lesson was offensive, and even intolerant, to Christians and those of all faiths who deserve to be respected as Americans entitled to religious freedom." Bravo to Ryan for standing firm in his faith even in the face of harassment and threats. You have inspired millions to keep standing firm for their biblical beliefs and First Amendment rights.

** FRC has been at the forefront of the recent Supreme Court oral arguments. Don't miss my appearance on Fox News' "America Live with Megyn Kelly," as I debated why the U.S. Supreme Court should uphold natural marriage. You can watch the clip below. Also, don't miss my appearance on Fox Business' "Lou Dobbs Tonight," at 7:00 p.m. (ET), as well as Ken Klukowski's appearance on PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," at 6:15 p.m. (ET).

INTERVIEW WITH ALISTER McGRATH, AUTHOR OF "C.S. LEWIS: ECCENTRIC GENIUS, RELUCTANT PROPHET"

As a man profoundly influenced by C.S. Lewis, I found this interview of interest.  The book is newly published.  The reviewer is Will Vaus, himself a Lewis scholar.    

WV: C. S. Lewis, about whom you have now written a biography due out in March 2013, was quite a prolific author, but so are you. How do you manage to write so many books?

AM: There are two reasons. One is that I love reading. The other is that I genuinely like writing. So when I want to relax, others might go for a walk, but my instinct is to read or to write. I find it very easy to write books. I’m Irish and the Irish are supposed to have this innate ability to write. The other thing is that I read an awful lot of stuff that I find very stimulating and I want to share what I am learning. One reason why I wanted to write this biography of C. S. Lewis is, and you know this, he is simply fascinating. I thought there were some connections I could make that perhaps had been overlooked and tell the story in a fresh way.

WV: You have certainly done that. I noticed one thing about your book that was different than the other biographies of Lewis was that you had set him in context, the context of intellectual ideas that were current during his lifetime, as well as setting his life in the context of world events.

AM: It’s a rounded picture I think. But there’s more that needs to be done. I just thought this book would get the discussion underway.

WV: So when did you first read C. S. Lewis?

"BREAKAWAY" - AMAZING CHRISTIAN STUDENT MOVEMENT AT TEXAS A&M DRAWS THOUSANDS WEEKLY

 Tracy Winborn reports:

COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Breakaway Ministries began 25 years ago as a small Bible study on the campus of Texas A&M University, but now it's a weekly gathering with thousands of students on fire for the Lord.

Each Tuesday evening, the students meet at the school's basketball arena for worship, prayer and Bible teaching.

"I went to Breakaway on the first Tuesday night, and it completely rocked my world. I have never in my life just instantly felt that close to thousands of people. It was just amazing," sophomore Rachel Fisher said.

Breakaway Ministries is a non-denominational Bible study. It's mission is to introduce college students to Jesus Christ and call them to walk with Him for a lifetime.

Their passion seems contagious, and it's having what you might call a domino effect.

MARCH 21 - WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY

I have a 23 year old friend who has Down syndrome.  He's doing great, and I've learned never to underestimate the joy and blessing a person with Down syndrome can bring to a family, to the work place, or any gathering.  As I learned from visitng the World Down Syndrome Day website,

21 March 2013 marks the 8th anniversary of World Down Syndrome Day, a global awareness day which has been officially observed by the United Nations since 2012. Each year the voice of people with Down syndrome, and those who live and work with them, grows louder.

I've blogged about Down syndrome in the past (list of previous posts can be found at the end of this blog post).  Today Savannah Guthrie wrote an article, "What World Down's Syndrome Day meant to me."  She writes:

On March 21, we mark World Down Syndrome Day — an opportunity to draw much deserved attention to a group of wonderful people that are contributing to their communities in exciting ways. For me, this day is personal; it’s a chance to remember and reflect on an individual who has had a huge impact on my life, my Uncle Pierce.

Pierce Franklin Long, Jr. was born on July 5, 1933. He was my mother’s older brother, my grandparents’ first child, their only son. Because he was born so close to the Fourth of July, my grandmother used to call him, “my little firecracker.” And it’s true that Pierce always sparkled with life and personality, with humor and charm.

ABORTION HORRORS IN PHILADELPHIA BEYOND HUMAN LANGUAGE TO DESCRIBE

The FRC Reports:

It was a scene that Philadelphia's District Attorney Seth Williams says "comprehension of the English language doesn't and cannot adequately describe." From its 15-year-old "anesthetists" to blood-stained walls, Kermit Gosnell's Pennsylvania abortion facility was the site of 261 pages of abortion horrors--horrors for which he is finally on trial. Yesterday, a jury sat in shocked silence as Gosnell's medical assistant recounted the pattern of cold-blooded killing. At Gosnell's request, Adrienne Morton admitted that she had "cut the necks of at least 10 babies after they were delivered." Weeping, she told the courtroom about a picture she had taken of a baby on her cell phone because he was bigger than any victim she had ever seen. "Gosnell later joked that the baby was so big he could have walked to the bus stop."

Prosecutors tried to recreate the third-world conditions of the "clinic" in court with old and dirty equipment--one of the many nightmares in an office where 15-year-old high school students "perform intravenous anesthesia on patients" and "fetuses frequently clogged the toilet." Gosnell, who faces the death penalty, insists that he's the victim of racial profiling--instead of what he actually is: a monster whose inner-city torture chamber is the real face of "choice" in America.

Update 3/22/13  - Important link:  Assistant to Kermit Gosnell admits to killing 10 born-alive babies.  Gruesome, gruesome, gruesome!  As someone wrote, "Shouldn’t this be front page news, and worthy of extended series a la Casey Anthony? "  Indeed!

NEW YORK TIMES: "YOUNG OPPONENTS OF GAY MARRIAGE UNDAUNTED BY BATTLE AHEAD"

I think this NYT article by Ashley Parker both insightful and fair though some of the statistics allegedly favoring gay marriage need substantial updating.   Reuter's latest poll shows only 41% support for gay marriage.  (See my comments below).   Excerpts from the NYT article:

They identify themselves as part of the “pro-marriage movement” and see themselves at the beginning of a long political struggle, much like the battle over abortion. If they can begin shifting the terms of the debate away from gay rights and toward the meaning of marriage, they say, they have a chance to survive short-term defeats. . .

“Proponents of same-sex marriage have done a fantastic job of telling the story of same-sex marriage through music and television and film,” said Eric Teetsel, 29, the executive director of the Manhattan Declaration, which describes itself as a movement of Christians for life, marriage and religious freedom. “I think it’s really a case where once they hear the other side of the issue, and really think about it deeply, we’re going to win a lot of those folks back.” . . .

Last week, the Heritage Foundation released a report by Ryan T. Anderson, 31, in defense of traditional marriage, “Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It.” Mr. Anderson, a Heritage Foundation fellow, has also held briefings for members of Congress, their staff members and others to explain his arguments against same-sex marriage, and he and two co-authors released a book last year laying out their case in depth. . .

“When you de-link marriage from childbearing, you then have to increase the complexity of that relationship,” said Caitlin Seery, 25, the director of programs for the Love and Fidelity Network, which works with college groups to advocate traditional marriage. 

Opponents of same-sex marriage say they realize they may lose the current fight, but they optimistically take the long view, pointing to Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion. At the time, they say, opponents of abortion were told their cause was lost, but the fight continues 40 years later. . .

“If you take the longer view of history — I’m not talking just 15 years, I’m talking 40 years or even 100 years — I can’t help but think that the uniqueness of man-woman marriage will be adjudicated over time,” said Andrew T. Walker, 27, a policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation.

 Either way, they are not planning on giving up any time soon.

 “Even if we are doomed, and I’m totally naïve, I think it’s important that I do this work anyway,” said Mr. Teetsel, of the Manhattan Declaration. “If what I believe is true is true, then I’ve got a responsibility to be on its side for as long as I can be.”

Me: Read the whole article.  You'll be surprised at the number of young people in their 20s who are involved in the pro-marriage movement.  One problem with statistics in the article is that they are now inaccurate.  The Family Research Council cited yesterday an "astonishing large survey sample" conducted by the Reuters Corporation that showed only 41% of Americans support same-sex marriage.  Keep reading for FRC's summary of Reuter's latest poll.

BEN CARSON ON 2016: I LIKE RAND, BUT I MAY RUN TOO

Update 3/20/13 - The New York Times ran a substantial (and fair) piece on Dr. Carson titled, "Neurosurgeon's Speeches Have Conservatives Dreaming of 2016."  It's an excellent introduction to Dr. Carson and his views.

Andrew Johnson reports:

Although he’s not closing the door on his own 2016 run, Dr. Ben Carson said he’s a big fan of another potential candidate who also happens to have medical experience. In an interview last night with Sean Hannity, Carson praised Senator Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist, for his courage, conviction, and logical thinking.

“Part of the problem that we’re having right now is that there are a lot of people who lack courage, who always want everybody to adore them, and that just are not willing to take stands based on real convictions, and when I see that, I’m really impressed with it,” Carson said of Paul.

As for his personal aspirations, Carson said he will revisit the possibility of running in a year or so to see if there’s “significant sentiment” in favor of his candidacy.

Me: I predict Dr. Carson will run.  Last year he wrote, America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made This Nation Great.  (So far it has garnered 375 five star Amazon reviews!)  Did Carson publish his book as part of a grand strategy?  Quite possibly.   The book, like his speeches, speaks with power to a great swath of the American people.  For years people have seen Carson as a potential political star and have suggested he think about running for office.  After his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, no less an influential organ than the Wall Street Journal headlined an editorial, "Ben Carson for President."  I suspect Carson has been mulling the Presidency for years, particularly given the policies of the man currently occupying the White House.  

Carson spoke at the recent CPAC gathering in Washington.  A writer covering Carson's speech headlined his report:   "How to destroy America in Four Steps."  

He [Carson] explained that if he were an enemy of the United States, he would set about destroying the nation in four simple steps: create division among the people, encourage a culture of ridicule for basic morality, undermine the nation’s financial stability through excessive government debt, and weaken the military.  ”It appears, coincidentally, that those are the very things that are happening right now,” he observed.  ”And the question is, how do we stop it?  Can we stop it, or must we inexorably follow the same kind of path that other pinnacle nations have followed before their destruction?” 

Here is Carson's CPAC speech:

 

Carson is the most intriguing figure on the national stage right now.  Whether he eventually throws his hat into the presidential race or not, I agree with the Amazon commenter who said of his book, America the Beautiful, "Every library in the U.S. should have a copy of this book."   Amen to that.  Carson's views are the tonic that the United States needs at this historical moment.

PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL SEE AMAZING ISRAELI TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS ON HIS VISIT TO ISRAEL

This week President Obama visits Israel.  According to the Mideast Dispatch Archive website,

During his visit, Obama will also be shown a special exhibit put on for him highlighting a few of the technological breakthroughs made by Israeli universities and start-ups -- in the fields of renewable energy, the fight against traffic accidents, medicine, search and rescue, and robotics.

Israel was recently ranked first country in the world in “research and development intensity” in a comprehensive study published by the Bloomberg news agency.

The innovations that Obama will see are outlined below, with accompanying videos.

TCHAIKOVSKY FLASHWALTZ AT HADASSAH HOSPITAL

But before that, you may also wish to view this remarkable “Tchaikovsky Flashwaltz” performed last week by forty students from the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance, who adopted a classical approach to the flashmob trend as they flashwaltzed Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers at the new wing at Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital. Doctors, patients and passers-by joined in the fun.

The surprise concert was part of Good Deeds Day, an annual event that originated in Israel in 2007 and now takes place in over 50 countries worldwide.

The Academy students enjoyed the performance so much that they have decided to schedule regular concerts at the hospital. The Hadassah Medical Organization treats over one million patients annually, without regard to race, religion or national origin.

Here are innovations President Obama will see:

-  In the field of energy alternatives – Phinergy: revolutionizing how we drive
-  In the field of the struggle against traffic accidents – Mobileye
-  In the field of medicine – Rewalk
-  In the field of search and rescue – robot snake
-  In the field of medicine – BNA technology by ElMindA
-  In the field of medicine – MiniDesktop
-  Israel develops the next generation operating room

Visit the website for videos and explanations.  Below is #3 - "Rewalk"

 

MICHAEL POTEMRA'S REFLECTIONS ON HEARING BACH'S B-MINOR MASS LAST NIGHT AT LINCOLN CENTER

Potemra writes:

Lent is, paradoxically enough, a joyful time in New York City, because it tends to feature some of the world’s very best performances of sacred choral music. Tonight offered one such, the New York Philharmonic’s rendition of Bach’s Mass in B Minor. It is my opinion, and not mine alone, that this is the greatest work by history’s greatest composer; and the Philharmonic and its associates did an excellent job of traversing it. Among the featured soloists were celebrated mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter and soprano Dorothea Röschmann (I don’t follow the music world closely at all, so I hadn’t heard of her before; she has a great voice, and the pictures of her do not do justice to her physical beauty).

The B Minor Mass reminds me vividly of how true Ratzinger’s remark of many years ago really was: There are as many ways to God as there are people. Picture a packed house at Lincoln Center, enraptured by a theological document composed when the Roman Empire still existed. The central section of a full Mass setting is devoted to the Nicene Creed, a traditional summary of the basics of the Christian faith, and Bach spent part of his final years on earth working on precisely this section of the Mass. How many people in that auditorium endorsed each of the exactitudes specified in that document? How many would have been agitated by the word “filioque” — which once split Christendom in two? How many paid attention to the words at all? And yet the work speaks to all of them, because the God who is beyond words is in the music every bit as much as in the words.

PAUL F. CRAWFORD- "FOUR MYTHS ABOUT THE CRUSADES"

I read Crawford's enlightening journal article in the Spring 2011 Intercollegiate Review and am delighted to see it is available online.  The four myths he cites are the following:

Myth #1: The crusades represented an unprovoked attack by Western Christians on the Muslim world.

Myth #2: Western Christians went on crusade because their greed led them to plunder Muslims in order to get rich.

Myth #3: Crusaders were a cynical lot who did not really believe their own religious propaganda; rather, they had ulterior, materialistic motives.

Myth #4: The crusades taught Muslims to hate and attack Christians.

This is a truly excellent piece of work.  Highly recommended.  Read it in its entirety here.

G.K. CHESTERTON'S "ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI"

I find myself recommending G.K. Chesterton's "St. Francis of Assisi" to people from time to time, and with the new pope taking the name Pope Francis, it is perhaps more timely than ever for us to re-study the life of the original St. Francis.  I can think of no more delightful introduction than G.K. Chesterton's biography.   It's a slim, easy read and available in various editions.  If you want to save money, you can read it free on the internet.  Here's one source:  http://archive.org/stream/francisofassisi00chesuoft#page/n9/mode/2up

* Previous posts on Chesterton:

G.K. Chesterton: Unfailing in Wit, Wisdom, and Sanity

G.K. CHESTERTON ON "THE INNOCENCE OF SEX"

Quote of the Day - G. K. Chesterton on Original Sin, Beggars, and Kings

"100 YEARS OF WIT AND WISDOM" - G. K. Chesterton's Book "Orthodoxy"

G.K. CHESTERTON: REASON NEEDS TO BE BALANCED BY POETRY AND IMAGINATION

WEIRD THINGS HAPPENED ON THE SET OF 'THE BIBLE'

Grady Smith writes:

For producer Mark Burnett, who worked on the ten-hour special with wife Roma Downey, the success of  "The Bible" isn’t all that surprising. “It will be, over the next 40 or 50 years, the most watched thing that Roma and I have ever made,” he told EW, quite confidently, back in January.

At the time, Burnett gushed about shooting the series. “I really believe what I’m going to tell you right now,” he said. “The hand of God was on this…. the edit came together perfectly, the actors came together perfectly, it just comes to life.” But Burnett wasn’t just speaking about how well the practicalities of production had gone. “Weird things happened during filming,” he said. “Everybody would look at each other like, “Whoa.”

Here are a few of the “weird things” he was talking about:

A mighty desert wind
“There’s a scene with Jesus and Nicodemus, when Nicodemus comes to Jesus in the night. It’s a very still night, not a breath of wind, and we’re on the edge of the Sahara desert in a palm grove in an oasis… Jesus says, ‘The Holy Spirit is like the wind.’ At that moment, a wind, like as if a 747 was taking off, blew his hair, almost blew the set over and sustained for 20 seconds across the desert, and the actors didn’t break — they kept going. And everything stopped. Everyone just looked at everyone like, ‘What just happened?’” 

There were more "weird things" . . . 

SHOULD PROTESTANTS CARE ABOUT EVENTS IN CATHOLICISM? MOST DEFINITELY.

I heartily agree with Justin Taylor's recent post on "Why Protestants Should Be Interested in Rome."   He writes:

Carl Trueman offers some reflections on George Weigel’s new book, Evangelical Catholicism: Deep Reform in the 21st-Century Church.

He writes, “Some may wonder what the point of reflecting on Rome is for a Protestant.” He offers three points by way of response:

First, Protestants benefit from a conservative papacy: on public square issues such as abortion, marriage and religious freedom, the RCC has a higher profile and more power—financial, legal, institutional—than any Protestant group. We all benefit from the cultural and legal power of the RCC in these areas.

Second, your neighbours probably do not distinguish between Christian groups. A sleazy, morally corrupt RCC is like a sleazy, morally corrupt televangelist ministry: we are all marked with the same brush in the public eye and our task of evangelism becomes that much harder.

Third, RC authors often offer more penetrating insights into secular culture than their evangelical equivalents. Comparing George Weigel to Rob Bell in such circumstances is akin to comparing Michelangelo to Thomas Kinkade.

Therefore, while I have very serious theological disagreements with Catholic authors, I would suggest that they by and large offer well-argued, well-written and insightful commentaries on the state of the world in a way that is rare in evangelical circles. . .

Me:  I have read a fair amount of Weigel's writings and agree with Trueman.  It is always nourishing and insightful to read a man whose cultural and historical sensibilities are well-informed and penetrating.

Update:

I liked Peggy Noonan's commentary on Pope Francis, but I learned even more from Walter Russell Mead who pointed out:

The choice of a Latin American, and the first non-European pope in more than a thousand years, made headlines around the world and galvanized many Catholics in developing countries where the Church is strong. But behind the drama is the cautious intelligence of an institution whose traditions stretch back to the times of the Caesars; with the exception of Australia and New Zealand, Latin America is the most European region in the whole global South. Argentina is the most European of Latin American countries, and Pope Francis, whose parents emigrated from Italy in the last century, is one of the Argentinians whose European roots are as strong and deep as they get.  [my emphases]

BEN SHAPIRO TALKS OF BULLYING FROM LIBERALS AND LEFTISTS

Ben Shapiro, editor of Breitbart, recently appeared on CBN.  I'm not sure when I've ever heard more succinct, to-the-point responses in my life.

Julia Gabriel Williams writes:

Bullying: In Washington, it's politics as usual, with some of the biggest offenders being those who protest against the practice the most.

Bullying has morphed into what some call the Left's "go-to tactic" to squash opponents through fear, threat of force, and rhetorical intimidation.

At least that's how Breitbart.com's Editor-At-Large and national best-selling author Ben Shapiro sees it. . .

Shapiro addressed the issue of political bullying in his newest book, Bullies: How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences America.

The Harvard Law graduate writes of how liberals and the media are the true culprits, playing the race, class, and sexism card all the while claiming to be victims.

OBAMACARE REGULATIONS STACKED FLOOR TO CEILING

Charlie Spiering reports:

After printing off all 828 pages of new Obamacare regulations released yesterday, Sen. Mitch McConnell marveled at the bill after stacking it up in his office to show constituents how big of a mess it could be.

“Just take a look at this giant stack: one day’s worth of ObamaCare regulations. 828 pages in one day,” McConnell wrote on his Facebook page. “Overall, there are nearly 20,000 pages – with many, many more to come. This is the owner’s manual for the health care law that’s supposed to make things better. Are you kidding? This law is a disaster waiting to happen.”  [my emphases]

Note: On the chair, next to the stack is the original 2,700 page Obamacare legislation. This stack is 7 feet 3 inches high."

PRESIDENT OBAMA WILL DINE WITH MISS ISRAEL - AN ETHIOPIAN JEWESS

Story here.  (HT: Drudge)

SUDAN: ISLAMIC BELLIGERENCE AND SOARING PERSECUTION

Be among the few who pay attention to the terrible persecution being meeted out to Christians in the world today, especially by Islamists.  Elizabeth Kendall of the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin reports:

**   Islamists -- a powerful force in Sudan -- hold President Gen. Omar el-Bashir responsible for the loss of southern Sudan. Of course he is responsible, for he systematically marginalised, cheated, persecuted and fought the predominantly Christian non-Arabs of southern Sudan while trying to impose Islam on them until all they wanted was separation. Eventually on 9 July 2011 South Sudan became an independent nation. Khartoum's hardline Islamists believe secession should never have been an option, not merely because southern Sudan is resource-rich, but because Islamists do not believe Allah's land should ever be forfeit -- especially not at the behest of the US! In the latter part of 2012, Arab Spring-inspired protests erupted in Khartoum only to be hijacked by Islamists who attacked Western embassies. Rumours abounded that a coup was imminent. Whilst some of the discontent in Khartoum is due to economic hardship and repression, the Islamist discontent pertains to the growing belief that el-Bashir has failed the State by not being Islamic enough! A key opposition figure, Hassan al-Turabi, has asserted that el-Bashir's regime should not even be regarded as Islamic! Factions inside the regime are leveraging this discontent to increase their power, leaving el-Bashir under pressure to prove his Islamist credentials. This is the context for the campaign of systematic persecution that began in late 2012 (see RLPBs 198 and 199, and for more details RLM 6 March 2013).

On 14 February doctors in Khartoum cross-amputated a man's right hand and left foot under orders from the government as a punishment for robbery. Canada responded by condemning the deteriorating human rights situation in Sudan, noting also the targeting of civil society organisations, particularly those which are owned and run by Christians. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird called on Khartoum 'to respect the rights of Sudan's people, to cease its intimidation of civil society and political opponents, and to end indiscriminate bombardments of civilians'.

TOP 200 CHRISTIAN MINISTRY BLOGS

Click here.  It's interesting that there's a preponderance of Reformed theology blogs.   Blogs by women are appearing more and more.  As Ed Stelzer notes,"'Blog malls' and "Group Blogs' are more popular than ever.  Bloggers for Patheos and The Gospel Coalition dominate the top 200 rankings."

WHY DO ATHEISTS LIKE DAN BARKER ABANDON THEIR FAITH?

Wintery Knight's post of the same headline as mine reads:

Unbelievable’s latest radio show featured a discussion with former Christian Dan Barker, the founder and co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The MP3 file is here. (60 minutes)

And then Wintery Knight offers four major reasons why people leave Christianity:

1. They want to do something immoral with impunity. This type of person wants to do something immoral that is forbidden by Christianity, like pre-marital sex. They dump Christianity in order to feel better about seeking happiness in this life, apart from God and his moral duties.
2. They want to pursue happiness in irresponsible ways. This type of person thinks that God’s job is to save them when they act irresponsibly while pursuing happiness. When God disappoints them by not giving them what they want in order to be happy, they leave the faith.
3. They want to be loved by people, not by God. This type of person thinks that Christianity is a tool that they can use to become popular. When they first try to articulate the gospel in public, they find that people don’t like them as much, and they feel bad about offending people with exclusive truth claims that they cannot back up using logic and evidence. So, they water down Christianity to get along with atheists, liberal Christians and other religions. Finally, they jettison Christianity completely and focus on making everyone feel good about whatever they believe.
4. They don’t want to learn to defend their faith. This type of person is asked questions by skeptics that they cannot answer. Usually this happens when people go to university after growing up in the shelter of the Church. The questions and peer pressure make them feel stupid. Rather than investigate Christianity to see if it’s true and to prepare to defend it in public, they dump it so they can be thought of as part of the “smart” crowd.

WK then analyzes the interview Dan Barker gave.  Highly recommended.  It's important to know (as you will soon realize) that WK believes in a highly rational, thoughtful, truth-filled, approach to Christian faith.  I do too.   Read WK's analysis.

NEWS FROM BRIAN BROWN, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE

Greetings from the state of Minnesota, where good people marched for marriage!

Hundreds of good people of every race, creed and color showed up to make it clear: Marriage is the union of husband and wife, not to be redefined by politicians.

I spoke on your behalf and on behalf of God's vision of marriage. WCCO-4 in Saint Paul, MN reported my speech this way:

"Proponents of same-sex marriage want us to believe that this is inevitable, this is going to come no matter what we do, so we might as well pack up and go back to our homes and stop fighting. We will never stop fighting for the truth," said Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage.

Senate Minority Leader David Hann (R-Eden Prairie,) also spoke up for marriage on Thursday: "We believe that marriage is not something that legislatures created or government created. We believe that marriage is something that God created and reflects an order that God created and it is the thing that unites children with their parents."

You'll recall that opponents of the 2012 Minnesota Marriage Amendment had promised voters the amendment was unnecessary—that you could vote "no" and nothing would change in the law on marriage. That proved about as true as promises in so many other states that civil unions and gay marriage bills would not compromise religious liberty.

Well, there is hope that Minnesotans are beginning to see through the other side's duplicity: a StarTribune poll released this week found Minnesotans oppose gay marriage 53 percent to 38 percent.

March for Marriage Update: Momentum Continues to Grow!

The March for Marriage in our nation's capital takes place on March 26—if you plan to attend, you can RSVP on Facebook by clicking here.

I was excited by the news recently reported by EWTN: "Leaders within the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are encouraging their brother bishops to support the upcoming March for Marriage."

"We are grateful for this opportunity to express support for the Marriage for March and to encourage participation in this event," said Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades and Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone in a letter to their fellow bishops.

"The march will be a significant opportunity to promote and defend marriage and the good of our nation, to pray for our Supreme Court justices, and to stand in solidarity with people of good will," their letter went on to say.

NOM Leaders Remind Us What We're Fighting For

We will be on the steps of the Supreme Court as the Justices take up oral arguments on the case that could ban Prop 8 and bring gay marriage to every state in the union, including yours. I hope that you can join us and stand alongside us as we demand justice for children and respect for our Constitutional right to speak, to donate, to organize, and yes to vote for marriage as the union of husband and wife.

NOM's Chairman of the Board, the distinguished law professor and litigator John Eastman, recently took our case to the media, smacking down the legal arguments for gay marriage in U.S. News and World Report. There is no civil right to same-sex marriage, he points out, because "the Supreme Court's recognition of marriage as a fundamental right has always been grounded on what makes marriage a unique relationship." He explains:

In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Court defined marriage as a "fundamental" right because it is one of the "'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival," a point which is only true because the institution is rooted in the biological complementarity of the sexes, the formal recognition of the unique union through which children are produced. [...] [The 14th Amendment's equal protection clause] requires that individuals who are similarly situated must be treated similarly. It should be obvious, but as long as procreation is an important part of why society lends its weight to the institution of marriage, same sex and opposite sex relationships are simply not similarly situated with respect to that important aspect of marriage.

Here's the bottom line, according to Professor Eastman: "Laws that foster the one relationship because of its unique ability to further the public good serve legitimate, even compelling governmental interests, and should be upheld."

Also recently, NOM's Communications Director, the dynamic young Thomas Peters, was on CNN, arguing the Supreme Court must respect our rights and the rights of 7 million Californians who voted for Prop 8. I really enjoyed watching him smack down the absurd meme that gay marriage is somehow important for economic growth (some people will say anything!):

Another member of NOM's family, Christopher Plante (NOM's Northeastern Regional Coordinator), was recently featured as a 'Rhode Island Power Player' in the local press, described as a person having a "large impact" on the state. As Chris told the media, "We've been told time and time again that same-sex marriage was inevitable and time and time again that has proven false. Of particular importance to us is working closely with our grassroots supporters, having them call, email, and visit their Senators, because it's the people who will ultimately hold these elected officials accountable."

They also asked him what his advice would be for the next Christopher Plante: "Have a thick skin and good sense of humor!"

Heightened Points of Interest in the SCOTUS Marriage Cases

President Obama, who has written movingly of his own longing for his absent father's love as a boy, is now in Court sadly arguing there's no evidence children need either a mother or a father.

Obama's Justice Department filed a brief "rebutting" the arguments made by supporters of Prop 8 that the ideal for a child is a mom and dad. "The [California] Voter Guide arguably offered a distinct but related child-rearing justification for Proposition 8: 'the best situation for a child is to be raised by a married mother and father,'" said the administration's brief, submitted to the court by Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr.

"As an initial matter, no sound basis exists for concluding that same-sex couples who have committed to marriage are anything other than fully capable of responsible parenting and child-rearing," the Obama administration told the court. "To the contrary,... children raised by gay and lesbian parents are as likely to be well adjusted as children raised by heterosexual parents."

There are a lot of objections you and I could make to irresponsible statements like these. But I like the response raised by a reporter who covered this story very well for CNSnews, Terence Jeffrey:

So far in the history of the human race, no child has ever been born without a biological father and mother. Now, in the Supreme Court of the United States, the Executive Branch of the federal government is arguing that, regardless of the biological facts of parenthood, states have no legitimate and defensible interest in ensuring that children conceived by a mother and a father are in fact raised by mothers and fathers.

In other SCOTUS news, Justice Anthony Kennedy—the swing vote who will likely determine whether our rights to fight for marriage in a democratic fashion will be respected and upheld, or whether our beloved Constitution will be misused as a weapon to strike down the definition of marriage in all 50 states and make gay marriage a part of our Constitution—had some interesting things to say recently.

Now, Kennedy has proved very sympathetic to various gay rights arguments and many people fear he will find a right to gay marriage in our Constitution. Of course, we won't know for sure until he actually issues a decision.

But for us, there was some hopeful news this week, when Justice Kennedy returned to Sacramento on the occasion of the opening of a federal courthouse library named for him. According to the Associated Press:

Justice Anthony Kennedy says he is concerned that the U.S. Supreme Court is increasingly the venue for deciding politically charged issues such as gay marriage, health care and immigration.

The 76-year-old associate justice said Wednesday that major policies in a democracy should not depend 'on what nine unelected people from a narrow legal background have to say.'

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Ted Olsen and David Boies must be shaking in their boots as they read those words.

Do not believe the falsehood that gay marriage is inevitable. Join us on March 26 and speak truth to power; stand up for God's vision of marriage.

Speaking of which — here are some brave military chaplains doing just that — standing up for marriage and speaking truth to power. If you haven't seen it yet, please check out our brand-new MarriageADA video released yesterday about the perilous threat to our military chaplains posed by efforts to redefine marriage. And please send these brave men a note of support for standing up and lending their voice to bring attention to this important cause!

I look forward to standing with you myself in our nation's capital later this month! With your help and God's help, we will not only stand for marriage—we will march!

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage

BRENNAN DOESN'T USE BIBLE WHEN SWEARING IN AS CIA CHIEF

From Weasel Zippers:

Via TWS:

John Brennan was sworn in today at the White House. He was confirmed as the new CIA director yesterday.

“Brennan was sworn in with his hand on an original draft of the Constitution, dating from 1787, which has George Washington’s personal handwriting and annotations on it,” according to the White House. He does not appear to have placed his hand on a Bible, a Torah, a Koran, or other sacred religious text as he said the oath.

Me:  Should this not be considered another sign of this administration's embracing radical secularism and a continual distancing of itself from Christianity?  Consider: free abortions, homosexual marriage, no conscience protection for those opposed to funding abortifacients, and now dissing the Bible in swearing-in ceremonies.

Update from Olivier Knox of Yahoo news:

Spokesman John Earnest said Brennan had asked for a document from the National Archives that would demonstrate the U.S. is a nation of laws.

"Director Brennan told the president that he made the request to the archives because he wanted to reaffirm his commitment to the rule of law as he took the oath of office as director of the CIA,” Earnest said.

The Constitution itself went into effect in 1789. But troublemaking blogger Marcy Wheeler points out that what was missing from the Constitution in 1787 is also quite symbolic: The Bill of Rights, which did not officially go into effect until December 1791 after ratification by states. (Caution: Marcy's post has some strong language.)

That means: No freedom of speech and of the press, no right to bear arms, no Fourth Amendment ban on “unreasonable searches and seizures,” and no right to a jury trial.  [my bolding ]

How ... symbolic?

GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS BULLY TEBOW, CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

Todd Starnes writes:

Gay rights activists are demanding Tim Tebow back out of a speaking engagement at Liberty University just two weeks after pressuring the New York Jets quarterback to cancel a speaking engagement at the First Baptist Church of Dallas.

Tebow is expected to speak this weekend at Wildfire – a men’s conference hosted by the conservative Christian university. His remarks will be closed to the general public.

The professional football player is well-known for sharing his faith in Christ – but in recent weeks he’s come under fire from the national media and gay rights activists for speaking in churches that follow biblical teaching.

Huffington Post called Liberty a “notoriously conservative private college with an anti-gay reputation.” And more than 10,000 people have signed a petition launched by Faithful America calling on the quarterback to cancel his speech.

“Liberty University isn’t just another conservative Christian college,” the group stated. “It’s ground-zero for a global assault on the legal rights of gays and lesbians – and a symbol of everything that’s wrong with the religious right.

A Liberty University spokesman refused to comment.

Faithful America said Tebow would give his “Christian faith a bad name” by speaking at the university founded by the late Jerry Falwell.  [more]

Does anybody besides me find this outrageous?  As one commentor questioned, where is the petition to counter the gay activists' petition?

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST FOR ISRAEL AND PRESIDENT NETANYAHU

From an email, originally from Mike Evans and the Jerusalem Prayer Team -

My long-time friend Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet succeeded in putting together a coalition government. He must form a group that comprises a majority in the 120-member Knesset. This is proving extremely difficult in the deeply divided body. He is asking Israel’s President Shimon Peres for an extension of up to two weeks. 

The real battle being fought is a spirit war. Israel’s election was held on January 22 of this year. The prime minister’s party won 31 seats, but something else very important happened within that same twenty-four hour period of time: President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second term in office.

The significance of this is very existential. Why? It is no secret that President Obama dislikes the Prime Minister and does not want a Likud Party in office. The two parties Netanyahu most needs to form his government—the Labor Party, and the Yesh Atid Party—control 34 seats between them. Both have presently refused to join the Netanyahu government.

My friends in diplomatic circles in Jerusalem have told me what is happening is that President Obama’s advance team is in the city meeting with those party leaders and encouraging them to dig in their heels. My contacts believe that if Netanyahu is prohibited from forming a government, new elections will be forced on the Israeli people, and the Prime Minister will not be given a necessary mandate. This would give President Obama a Leftist party with which he could work to divide Jerusalem and quickly create a Palestinian state.

President Obama’s new secretary of defense Chuck Hagel is without question no friend to Israel, and the newly confirmed secretary of state, John Kerry, is not far behind. The president will visit Jerusalem the very week Netanyahu is faced with meeting his deadline to form a government. Mr. Obama will speak to the Knesset, meet with Palestinian leaders, Jordanians, and present his peace plan—not one that the Prime Minister can or will support.

Please join me right now in urgent prayer for this situation. This is a huge crossroads moment for Israel’s future…and for the rest of the world. Every nation that curses Israel will fall under the judging hand of Almighty God.

TIME MAGAZINE - WHY MEDICAL BILLS ARE KILLING US

It's a long article, but it exposes a lot of rot most of us don't know anything about.  In short, our medical bills are outrageous and unwarranted.  Here's the article - http://healthland.time.com/2013/02/20/bitter-pill-why-medical-bills-are-killing-us/#ixzz2MowzaIGO

When we debate health care policy, we seem to jump right to the issue of who should pay the bills, blowing past what should be the first question: Why exactly are the bills so high?

CHINA PLANS TO WIPE OUT HOUSE CHURCHES

Jonathan Saruk reports for Morningstar News:

Government sponsored persecution rose 42 percent in 2012

China's Christians felt a noticeable rise in persecution in 2012 as the Communist government began the first of a three-phase plan to eradicate unregistered house churches, a new report says.

Incidents of persecution of Christians rose by about 42 percent last year compared with 2011, according to the report by human rights group China Aid. Many of these incidents involved groups of Christians. In total, the number of individual persecuted Christians rose by roughly 14 percent and total individual detentions increased by nearly 12 percent. China Aid said overall total persecution in six categories was about 13 percent worse than in 2011-though China Aid termed its statistics just "the tip of the iceberg."

At least 132 incidents of persecution affecting 4,919 Christians-442 of whom were clergy-were reported in the country last year, according to China Aid's annual report. The Texas-based group tracked detention of at least 1,441 Christians, the sentencing of nine of them, and the abuse (verbal, mental and physical, including beatings and torture) of 37 Christians.

Beijing, administered directly under the central government, witnessed the highest number of persecution cases, at 62, affecting 934 Christians; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China followed with at 11 cases involving 382 Christians. Persecution was also high in central China-comprising Henan and Hubei Hunan provinces-where 1,056 Christians were affected, and in east China, which includes Shandong, Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces, which witnessed harassment of 750 Christians.

The report also notes that persecution last year was 61 percent worse than in 2010; 85 percent worse than in 2009; 120 percent worse than in 2008; 308 percent worse than in 2007; and 372 percent worse than in 2006.

GAY MAFIA IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY

If Michael Voris is correct, the Roman Catholic church is in deep crisis.  (HT: VirtueOnline)

 

 

HISTORY CHANNEL'S "THE BIBLE" REACHED 13.1 MILLION VIEWERS

Wow.  That's a lot of viewers.  Bill Carter of the New York Times reports:

The record pace being set by cable programming continued Sunday night as “The Bible,” a series on the History network, reached 13.1 million viewers, the biggest audience for an entertainment show on cable television this year.

Even by the standards of broadcast television, that would be an enormous audience, about twice as big as any show on NBC over the last month. Just as impressive was the show’s performance among viewers in the age groups sought by most advertisers.

The Bible stories featured Sunday night, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and Moses, attracted 5.6 million viewers in the 18- to 49-year-old age group, one of the best figures on cable this year. (It tops “Duck Dynasty,” for example, but not “The Walking Dead.”)

The numbers exceeded all expectations, especially the performance among younger adults, because it had been thought that the audience for Bible stories might be heavily tipped toward older viewers.

WHY THE BIBLE SHOULD BE TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Simple answer:  Westerners cannot be considered literate without a basic knowledge of this foundational text.  (Dictionary of Cultural Literacy)

As Roma Downey and Mark Burnett (creators of "The Bible" TV miniseries) put it in their Wall Street Journal article, consider:

Without the Bible, Shakespeare would read differently—there are more than 1,200 references to Scripture in his works. Without the Bible, there would be no Sistine Chapel and none of the biblically inspired masterpieces that hang in countless museums world-wide.

In movies, without biblical allegories, there would be no "Les Misérables," no "Star Wars," no "Matrix," no "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, no "Narnia" and no "Ben-Hur." There would be no Alcoholics Anonymous, Salvation Army or Harvard University—all of which found their roots in Scripture. And really, what would Bono sing about if there were no Bible?

Is it legal to teach the Bible in the public schools?  Yes.  The Supreme Court has so ruled.   Read the article for more info...  [more. . .]

THE END OF THE UNIVERSITY AS WE KNOW IT

Nathan Harding's article in The American Interest is of major importance when we try to visualize higher eduction in the future.

n fifty years, if not much sooner, half of the roughly 4,500 colleges and universities now operating in the United States will have ceased to exist. The technology driving this change is already at work, and nothing can stop it. The future looks like this: Access to college-level education will be free for everyone; the residential college campus will become largely obsolete; tens of thousands of professors will lose their jobs; the bachelor’s degree will become increasingly irrelevant; and ten years from now Harvard will enroll ten million students. - See more at: http://www.the-american-interest.com/article.cfm?piece=1352#sthash.pDUKS4rY.dpuf

"THE BIBLE" TV MINISERIES BEGINS TONIGHT ON THE HISTORY CHANNEL

The 10-hour, five-week miniseries,“The Bible,” premieres Sunday, March 3, at 8 p.m. ET on The History Channel. Scroll down for a useful news piece published by the Huffington Post.

 

 

Jaweed Kaleem of the Huffington Post writes:

One is best known for playing a kind-hearted angel on a hit television drama. The other is the man behind more than a dozen record-breaking reality shows. But husband and wife Roma Downey ("Touched by an Angel") and Mark Burnett ("Survivor," "The Voice") say their biggest achievement is yet to come -- and it offers a stark contrast to the primetime roles that have made them sought-after Hollywood stars.

Called "The Bible" and set to premiere Sunday on the History Channel, their new production is a 10-hour scripted miniseries that aims to take viewers on a dramatic, special effects-filled journey through the world's most popular book, from the story of Noah's Ark to the Exodus and the life of Jesus.

"We're trying to tell the story of God's love for his people," said Downey, who plays the role of Mary in the five-episode series.

She and Burnett were inspired after watching "The Ten Commandments," the famed -- but dated -- 1956 film by Cecil B. DeMille that makes its rounds in television reruns during major holidays. "We saw this as an opportunity engage people in new and exciting ways to consider these stories and re-experience them," said Downey, who conceived the project with Burnett nearly four years ago.  [more...]

ARTICLES WORTH READING

     - Michelle Malkin spotlights the secretive educational agenda that is undermining the curriculum in our nations' schools in her column, "Rotten to the Core: The growing grassroots revolt against Common Core."

     - Charles Krauthammer exposes President Obama's "The Sky is Falling" rhetoric regarding sequestration.

     - Claudia Rosett pulls back the curtain on the United Nations' anti-Semitic "Alliance of Civilizations"

WHY MY BLOGGING HAS BEEN LIGHT FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS

Five weeks ago I had a 5mm thick growth removed from my left shoulder.  The pathology report came back "nodular melanoma," which I learned is a particularly aggressive form of melanoma.   This has meant I've needed to spend considerable time consulting with doctors and doing independent research concerning how I should proceed to renewed vitality.  Most of you know that melanoma is "not good," shall we say.  Unlike many other forms of cancer, I learned it is notoriously "unpredictable" and there is no method to be rid of it once and for all.

But in truth, thanks to the prayers of many friends, and to God's sustaining grace in answer to those prayers, I am feeling very well, and in fact wouldn't be surprised if I am already healed.  In personal times of prayer I have had unusual sensations that suggest that possibility, and some friends have expressed particular confidence in my healing.   I am currently following natural protocols involving diet and supplements which can only further my vitality even if I am already healed, or  advance healing if I am not yet fully healed. 

Meanwhile I am trying to discern how best to invest my time.  I may return to subtantial blogging, or I may continue to blog lightly.  I am not yet sure.  I appreciate your prayers, and wish God's blessing on all my readers.