Over the last year I've had a lot of trouble with the Internet and with a collapsing laptop computer. First the keyboard stopped working, and then after several months of using an alternate keyboard it quit altogether. Turns out the problem was the motherboard, but it took two months to get the part and I've mostly been offline or borrowing other computers. During the time frame I seldom visited the blog and things I had written were stored on Facebook or elsewhere.
So here I am catching up over the last year. Most of these are in chronological order backwards. To those following my blog if you care to read my comments about the campaign season last year it's all here. If not, I'll try to be back on the blog more often to stay current with my posts.
Thanks to everyone who reads.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Republican Debate Minus Trump
1/29/16
This was a great debate in many ways. Trumps absence actually allowed the others to get more of their own ideas presented. There were hard questions and there was some back and forth with the moderators. The worst part came at the beginning when Kelly tried to get Cruz to attack Trump. He wouldn't do it and Trump only came up again at the end of the debate by Bush.
Carson I think got the shaft, the least time of all the debaters, although Kasich also complained of not being given a chance to answer some questions. Cruz struggled to explain his position on immigration and the gang of eight issue, but overall had a pretty good night. Bush had probably his best night since the debates started. If he had been like this in the beginning he might have held more of his support.
Rubio's problem still seems to be consistency on immigration, but I think he had the best night of all. He was forceful, firm, and fired up. There is conviction in him that you hardly see in some of the others. I think he would be a great debater in the elections if he's the nominee. I think everyone did well in this debate, but Rubio was spectacular, and I'd say he won this round.
This was a great debate in many ways. Trumps absence actually allowed the others to get more of their own ideas presented. There were hard questions and there was some back and forth with the moderators. The worst part came at the beginning when Kelly tried to get Cruz to attack Trump. He wouldn't do it and Trump only came up again at the end of the debate by Bush.
Carson I think got the shaft, the least time of all the debaters, although Kasich also complained of not being given a chance to answer some questions. Cruz struggled to explain his position on immigration and the gang of eight issue, but overall had a pretty good night. Bush had probably his best night since the debates started. If he had been like this in the beginning he might have held more of his support.
Rubio's problem still seems to be consistency on immigration, but I think he had the best night of all. He was forceful, firm, and fired up. There is conviction in him that you hardly see in some of the others. I think he would be a great debater in the elections if he's the nominee. I think everyone did well in this debate, but Rubio was spectacular, and I'd say he won this round.
Newsweek Goes Under
1/29/16
The liberal rag Newsweek has gone belly up and is closing its doors, but before it goes, in its last edition is an article by Matt Patterson, no relation, about obama. It may be the first time in history the magazine has told the truth. Most importantly, the article exposes obama's weaknesses as a speaker.
"In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. These people - conservatives included - ought now to be deeply embarrassed. The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of cliches, and that's when he has his Teleprompters in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all."
FINALLY. I've been saying this for eight years. BHO is a disaster at public speaking but even conservative pundits rave about his skill. He has none, and it's taken a liberal magazine going out of business before somebody has woken up to the truth.
The liberal rag Newsweek has gone belly up and is closing its doors, but before it goes, in its last edition is an article by Matt Patterson, no relation, about obama. It may be the first time in history the magazine has told the truth. Most importantly, the article exposes obama's weaknesses as a speaker.
"In 2008, many who agreed that he lacked executive qualifications nonetheless raved about Obama's oratory skills, intellect, and cool character. These people - conservatives included - ought now to be deeply embarrassed. The man thinks and speaks in the hoariest of cliches, and that's when he has his Teleprompters in front of him; when the prompter is absent he can barely think or speak at all."
FINALLY. I've been saying this for eight years. BHO is a disaster at public speaking but even conservative pundits rave about his skill. He has none, and it's taken a liberal magazine going out of business before somebody has woken up to the truth.
The Fairness Doctrine
2/10/16
Bernie Sanders: economic idiot, history dunce. He wants to create an economy that will help all people by stealing from the rich to give not only to American poor, but to all the poor countries in the world because it's not fair that America has more than anybody else, because a founding principle of America is fairness.
First, fairness was never a principle of any of our Founders, neither is it written in any of our founding documents. It is a socialist principle designed to consolidate power in the government at the cost of personal liberty. Our founding principles are based on freedom and limited government, the opposite of what Sanders is proposing.
Second, Robin Hood is a mythological legend who never improved anybody's life by taking from the rich to give to the poor. The 20th century is littered with socialist failures all around the world because socialism is the slippery slope toward the total destruction of not only the economy, but the society. It is the one thing that socialists like Sanders, Hillary, and the liberal university propagandists who pretend to be educators never learn.
Hillary is no different except that she's also a bald faced liar.
Bernie Sanders: economic idiot, history dunce. He wants to create an economy that will help all people by stealing from the rich to give not only to American poor, but to all the poor countries in the world because it's not fair that America has more than anybody else, because a founding principle of America is fairness.
First, fairness was never a principle of any of our Founders, neither is it written in any of our founding documents. It is a socialist principle designed to consolidate power in the government at the cost of personal liberty. Our founding principles are based on freedom and limited government, the opposite of what Sanders is proposing.
Second, Robin Hood is a mythological legend who never improved anybody's life by taking from the rich to give to the poor. The 20th century is littered with socialist failures all around the world because socialism is the slippery slope toward the total destruction of not only the economy, but the society. It is the one thing that socialists like Sanders, Hillary, and the liberal university propagandists who pretend to be educators never learn.
Hillary is no different except that she's also a bald faced liar.
Biden's Night at the Oscars
2/29/16
Did you see Vice President Joe "the plagiarizer" Biden at the Oscars? He was bringing attention to the problem of sexual assault on college campuses and wanted students to take the pledge to step in and help whenever they saw someone being forced against their will.
HEY! What about the Green Beret your administration just drummed out of the Army for preventing a five-year-old boy from being raped by a Muslim pervert in Afghanistan? A little double standard here? Who cares what the Army policy about local involvement is? The soldier rescued a child from being sodomized by a deviant pedophile. You kick him out and want us to believe you're serious about preventing sexual assault? Hypocrite isn't a strong enough word for the depraved, nefarious two-faced slugs in this government.
The Oscars was the right venue for Joe's plug. The elite of the celluloid universe worshipping themselves because they can undress and use four-letter-words in front of a camera, making jokes about boobs and adultery, and promoting everything antithetical to good government, good morality, and decent society seems the right place for an administration bent on the destruction of America's Judeo-Christian values to play the self-righteous game. It's all about image with no character; a bunch of holograms without substance.
This country is heading to blazes, and if Americans don't have the brains to defeat hillary in the coming election we will, like a bunch of mindless lemmings, follow her into the pit. It's time to send Biden to the old folks home, obama back to crime-ridden Chicago where he can live in a gun-free zone with the highest crime rate in the country, and hillary to jail.
If Christians and evangelicals don't have the common sense to come together with conservatives and moderates and vote for the Republican candidate, even if it is potty-mouth playground bully Donald Trump, they'll have no right to complain when they lose their religious freedom and everything else in the next election.
Did you see Vice President Joe "the plagiarizer" Biden at the Oscars? He was bringing attention to the problem of sexual assault on college campuses and wanted students to take the pledge to step in and help whenever they saw someone being forced against their will.
HEY! What about the Green Beret your administration just drummed out of the Army for preventing a five-year-old boy from being raped by a Muslim pervert in Afghanistan? A little double standard here? Who cares what the Army policy about local involvement is? The soldier rescued a child from being sodomized by a deviant pedophile. You kick him out and want us to believe you're serious about preventing sexual assault? Hypocrite isn't a strong enough word for the depraved, nefarious two-faced slugs in this government.
The Oscars was the right venue for Joe's plug. The elite of the celluloid universe worshipping themselves because they can undress and use four-letter-words in front of a camera, making jokes about boobs and adultery, and promoting everything antithetical to good government, good morality, and decent society seems the right place for an administration bent on the destruction of America's Judeo-Christian values to play the self-righteous game. It's all about image with no character; a bunch of holograms without substance.
This country is heading to blazes, and if Americans don't have the brains to defeat hillary in the coming election we will, like a bunch of mindless lemmings, follow her into the pit. It's time to send Biden to the old folks home, obama back to crime-ridden Chicago where he can live in a gun-free zone with the highest crime rate in the country, and hillary to jail.
If Christians and evangelicals don't have the common sense to come together with conservatives and moderates and vote for the Republican candidate, even if it is potty-mouth playground bully Donald Trump, they'll have no right to complain when they lose their religious freedom and everything else in the next election.
Fox News Republican Debate 2
3/5/16
In the past week several events have taken place that not only added to the expectations for this debate, but raised questions about the candidates and whether or not the Republican Party has become so divided that it will split. With Jeb Bush no longer in the race Marco Rubio has apparently become the Republican establishment’s attack dog trying to take down Donald Trump, and he has boasted that his mission is to make sure Trump does not get the nomination.
Claiming the mantle of the conservative movement, which he has not earned, Rubio warned that Trump would destroy the party. His attacks last week got so low they sounded like something a drunk would say in a dingy barroom brawl. Trump’s hands are small, he said, and implied other parts of his anatomy are too.
Adding fuel to the fire a report came out last week saying that David Duke of Ku Klux Klan fame had endorsed Trump. When questioned about it Trump vacillated on whether he would accept Duke’s support or not. Interestingly enough, and something the media hasn’t covered, on Monday Duke issued a statement saying he had not endorsed Trump, but Trump’s flip-flopping could not have helped him.
Several key Republicans stated emphatically that they would never vote for Trump. Many evangelicals are saying the same thing because of his changing positions on abortion, immigration, and moral issues. They are wondering if he can be trusted to really act like a conservative now that he’s talking like a conservative.
Ted Cruz, who had stayed above the fray until Trump started calling him a liar and challenging his eligibility, ran some campaign ads that were so far below the belt that he fired his campaign manager the night before Super Tuesday. His ad against Rubio was so shameful that many evangelicals, the ones that are supposed to be his base, are questioning his Christian credentials. However, an Illinois judge threw out the case against his eligibility, so that’s no longer an issue.
Cruz’s personal enemies from the Bush Administration have written articles defaming his character, while others who know him well, and including James Dobson and Franklin Graham, have painted a completely different picture of him. Considering Bush is a part of the establishment one has to wonder if those attacks are not a hatchet job by the Republican leadership to keep the truest conservative from the nomination, because he, even more than Trump, would wrest control of the party away from them. On the other hand, campaign scandals certainly haven’t helped Cruz.
Super Tuesday was a huge win for Trump who won seven states. Cruz took three including the biggest prize, his home state of Texas, but with only 43% of the vote. Rubio surprisingly took Minnesota and was a close second in Virginia. Kasich gave Trump a run for Vermont and Massachusetts, but he’s staying on hoping a win in his home state of Ohio on March 15, will thrust him forward to the nomination.
Dr. Ben Carson, every bit a gentleman, finally facing the reality that he can’t win, bowed out on Wednesday. Carson had good results in Virginia and Rubio immediately complained that if Carson had gotten out before Tuesday he might have been able to beat Trump, but that’s not necessarily true. Carson’s votes would more likely have gone to Cruz or even Trump.
After his victories Tuesday a very different Donald Trump emerged. Rather than boasting and trashing his opponents, he gave a very conciliatory victory speech, praising Cruz for his hard work in Texas, and then took questions. One has to wonder if now sensing he’s on his way to the nomination he wasn’t trying to mend fences.
Wednesday produced one more moment of drama when Mitt Romney, who lost his presidential bid against Obama in 2012, gave a speech condemning Trump in every possible way and concluding he’s not presidential material. Trump had supported Romney in 2012, which made this betrayal even more incredible. Pundits have been talking all week about the possibility of a brokered convention if none of the candidates reaches the 1237 delegates needed to win the nomination in Cleveland next August. Then, just before the debate got under way, it came out that Romney might be preparing to offer himself as a candidate at the convention if it is brokered. So there is method to his madness.
As if all of this hadn’t been bizarre enough, the debate was hosted by Fox News with the same three moderators as the last two Fox debates. Trump did not threaten to boycott this debate even though Megyn Kelly was on the panel, and the much anticipated debate was finally ready to begin.
Chris Wallace opened the discussion by asking Trump about Romney’s comments. Without missing a beat Trump pointed out the Romney was a failed candidate and an embarrassment who had begged for his endorsement in 2012. Wallace followed up by asking about the KKK, which Trump emphatically disavowed. Wallace thanked him for his answer and Trump thanked him for the question.
Bret Baier then asked Rubio about how low his attacks against Trump had been in the last couple of weeks. Rubio responded that Trump always attacks everybody and the media gives him coverage. The people want to discuss policy so let’s talk issues, he said.
Trump, again sounding conciliatory, took back his “light weight” comments about Rubio. Then he showed his hands and mentioned how large they are, and said he has no problems with other body parts either, which brought a loud laugh. Actually by being nice he made Rubio look bad without even trying.
Megyn Kelly next asked Cruz about losing the evangelical vote. He didn’t answer the question but launched into his campaign talking points attacking Obama and claiming he was the only one who could beat Trump. Trump jumped in to remind everyone who had won the most states.
Then Rubio went into attack mode saying two-thirds of the Super Tuesday votes were against Trump, and Trump did not hold conservative principles of limited government.
When Trump tried to refute the criticisms Rubio kept interrupting until the dust up almost went out of control. In the end Rubio again looked bad. Being the attack dog doesn’t really suit a guy with his good looks and polished demeanor.
Baier then asked Kasich if he was just in trying to get a brokered convention. Kasich responded that he beats Hillary in polls by the widest margin. He then touted his record of balancing the budget under Clinton for four straight years and did the same as governor of Ohio. Although he has a great record, Kasich is often like a broken record. It’s the same thing over, and over, and over.
Wallace then asked Rubio about his comment that Trump is a con artist. Rubio took the bait and went after Trump saying he was not a successful businessman because he had inherited 100 million of wealth, and never created jobs because the private sector creates jobs not the government.
Trump responded in kind saying Rubio lied, and referring to him as the “little guy” again. Trump explained that he started with a one million dollar inheritance and that the answer was cash flow. The fact that he’s worth ten billion dollars should give anybody listening a clue that he knows something about business. At that pointed I just wanted to shout the obvious: Trump works in the private sector!!! He is a jobs creator.
Rubio called out Trump on changing his mind so much saying he is untrustworthy and won’t do what he says. Whenever someone brings up his failures Trump goes on the attack rather than sticking to the issues. The problem here was that Rubio started the attack.
Cruz hit Trump on foreign workers in his hotels and called on Trump to release a tape of a conversation he had off the record with the New York Times that could verify if he was telling the truth or not. Trump refused to turn over something that was private and off the record.
The debate actually covered a lot of issues from where to make cuts in the budget, to immigration, the border fence, the military, ISIS, work visas for foreign workers, Edward Snowden and more. Many of the criticisms of Trump were legitimate concerning his constant switching on issues. Rubio seemed to have him cornered about the failure of his “Trump University.” Kasich gave a good answer about education being handled at the local level instead of the Federal.
When the bickering got heavy Kasich offered a passionate appeal to stop the fighting. People are suffering and want to know who can fix this, he said. Let’s stop fighting.
Baier gave Kasich the only question of the night on gay issues. His answer was very diplomatic, saying the law has been changed, we need to be tolerant, but at the same time there needs to be common sense. People shouldn’t be forced to make cupcakes for someone’s gay event if they don’t want to. Cruz chimed in that the Supreme Court got the issue wrong. Marriage and adoption should be left to the states, but when it comes to religious liberty he will not compromise. Trump agreed with him.
All agreed on no restrictions on the Second Amendment. Wallace made one last attempt to get Kasich into the brouhaha against Trump but he wouldn’t oblige.
The highlight of the debate might have been when Kelly asked Trump about his constantly changing positions. Trump replied that successful people are flexible, that he has studied the issues, and when he found he was wrong he changed his mind. Trump wrong? About anything? Wow. That was an admission for the ages.
This was the best debate of them all so far. The moderators were tough, but fair. They kept control of the flow for the most part and gave everyone a chance to speak. More importantly, what they did at the end of the debate may have saved the Republican Party. The last question to Rubio, Cruz and Kasich was if Trump were the nominee would they support him. On the
spot they all said yes.
Trump was then asked if he didn’t get the nomination if he would still support the nominee or run a third party ticket. With a little touch of humor he thought out loud, me not win the nomination? He answered that he would support whoever the Republican candidate is.
That may have been the most comforting of anything said in any of the debates so far, and for all the angst conservatives have with the media, the Fox News moderators may have just saved the Republican Party and the next election.
Who actually won the debate? Kasich probably comes out on top. He stayed above the pettiness and was solid in all his answers, and he was given more time to express himself. He made one comment about friends telling him he was the only adult on the stage, and tonight that comment was very true. He refused to get drawn into the schoolyard banter and looked better for it. It was a very good night for him.
Trump was on the defensive most of the night with both Rubio and Cruz going after him. He had answers for most of the accusations, but some of them didn’t ring true. He definitely did not have the kind of night he’s had before where he was completely in control. Rubio was his usual smooth self, but this new role as attack dog made him look bad. He had some good things to say, but wasted most of it attacking Trump. Cruz did the same, although not as viciously as Rubio. He has all the right positions but is quite irritating when he feels the need to go after Trump more than putting out his plan.
Overall it was a great debate. I guess we’ll know more what the general public thinks by March 15.
In the past week several events have taken place that not only added to the expectations for this debate, but raised questions about the candidates and whether or not the Republican Party has become so divided that it will split. With Jeb Bush no longer in the race Marco Rubio has apparently become the Republican establishment’s attack dog trying to take down Donald Trump, and he has boasted that his mission is to make sure Trump does not get the nomination.
Claiming the mantle of the conservative movement, which he has not earned, Rubio warned that Trump would destroy the party. His attacks last week got so low they sounded like something a drunk would say in a dingy barroom brawl. Trump’s hands are small, he said, and implied other parts of his anatomy are too.
Adding fuel to the fire a report came out last week saying that David Duke of Ku Klux Klan fame had endorsed Trump. When questioned about it Trump vacillated on whether he would accept Duke’s support or not. Interestingly enough, and something the media hasn’t covered, on Monday Duke issued a statement saying he had not endorsed Trump, but Trump’s flip-flopping could not have helped him.
Several key Republicans stated emphatically that they would never vote for Trump. Many evangelicals are saying the same thing because of his changing positions on abortion, immigration, and moral issues. They are wondering if he can be trusted to really act like a conservative now that he’s talking like a conservative.
Ted Cruz, who had stayed above the fray until Trump started calling him a liar and challenging his eligibility, ran some campaign ads that were so far below the belt that he fired his campaign manager the night before Super Tuesday. His ad against Rubio was so shameful that many evangelicals, the ones that are supposed to be his base, are questioning his Christian credentials. However, an Illinois judge threw out the case against his eligibility, so that’s no longer an issue.
Cruz’s personal enemies from the Bush Administration have written articles defaming his character, while others who know him well, and including James Dobson and Franklin Graham, have painted a completely different picture of him. Considering Bush is a part of the establishment one has to wonder if those attacks are not a hatchet job by the Republican leadership to keep the truest conservative from the nomination, because he, even more than Trump, would wrest control of the party away from them. On the other hand, campaign scandals certainly haven’t helped Cruz.
Super Tuesday was a huge win for Trump who won seven states. Cruz took three including the biggest prize, his home state of Texas, but with only 43% of the vote. Rubio surprisingly took Minnesota and was a close second in Virginia. Kasich gave Trump a run for Vermont and Massachusetts, but he’s staying on hoping a win in his home state of Ohio on March 15, will thrust him forward to the nomination.
Dr. Ben Carson, every bit a gentleman, finally facing the reality that he can’t win, bowed out on Wednesday. Carson had good results in Virginia and Rubio immediately complained that if Carson had gotten out before Tuesday he might have been able to beat Trump, but that’s not necessarily true. Carson’s votes would more likely have gone to Cruz or even Trump.
After his victories Tuesday a very different Donald Trump emerged. Rather than boasting and trashing his opponents, he gave a very conciliatory victory speech, praising Cruz for his hard work in Texas, and then took questions. One has to wonder if now sensing he’s on his way to the nomination he wasn’t trying to mend fences.
Wednesday produced one more moment of drama when Mitt Romney, who lost his presidential bid against Obama in 2012, gave a speech condemning Trump in every possible way and concluding he’s not presidential material. Trump had supported Romney in 2012, which made this betrayal even more incredible. Pundits have been talking all week about the possibility of a brokered convention if none of the candidates reaches the 1237 delegates needed to win the nomination in Cleveland next August. Then, just before the debate got under way, it came out that Romney might be preparing to offer himself as a candidate at the convention if it is brokered. So there is method to his madness.
As if all of this hadn’t been bizarre enough, the debate was hosted by Fox News with the same three moderators as the last two Fox debates. Trump did not threaten to boycott this debate even though Megyn Kelly was on the panel, and the much anticipated debate was finally ready to begin.
Chris Wallace opened the discussion by asking Trump about Romney’s comments. Without missing a beat Trump pointed out the Romney was a failed candidate and an embarrassment who had begged for his endorsement in 2012. Wallace followed up by asking about the KKK, which Trump emphatically disavowed. Wallace thanked him for his answer and Trump thanked him for the question.
Bret Baier then asked Rubio about how low his attacks against Trump had been in the last couple of weeks. Rubio responded that Trump always attacks everybody and the media gives him coverage. The people want to discuss policy so let’s talk issues, he said.
Trump, again sounding conciliatory, took back his “light weight” comments about Rubio. Then he showed his hands and mentioned how large they are, and said he has no problems with other body parts either, which brought a loud laugh. Actually by being nice he made Rubio look bad without even trying.
Megyn Kelly next asked Cruz about losing the evangelical vote. He didn’t answer the question but launched into his campaign talking points attacking Obama and claiming he was the only one who could beat Trump. Trump jumped in to remind everyone who had won the most states.
Then Rubio went into attack mode saying two-thirds of the Super Tuesday votes were against Trump, and Trump did not hold conservative principles of limited government.
When Trump tried to refute the criticisms Rubio kept interrupting until the dust up almost went out of control. In the end Rubio again looked bad. Being the attack dog doesn’t really suit a guy with his good looks and polished demeanor.
Baier then asked Kasich if he was just in trying to get a brokered convention. Kasich responded that he beats Hillary in polls by the widest margin. He then touted his record of balancing the budget under Clinton for four straight years and did the same as governor of Ohio. Although he has a great record, Kasich is often like a broken record. It’s the same thing over, and over, and over.
Wallace then asked Rubio about his comment that Trump is a con artist. Rubio took the bait and went after Trump saying he was not a successful businessman because he had inherited 100 million of wealth, and never created jobs because the private sector creates jobs not the government.
Trump responded in kind saying Rubio lied, and referring to him as the “little guy” again. Trump explained that he started with a one million dollar inheritance and that the answer was cash flow. The fact that he’s worth ten billion dollars should give anybody listening a clue that he knows something about business. At that pointed I just wanted to shout the obvious: Trump works in the private sector!!! He is a jobs creator.
Rubio called out Trump on changing his mind so much saying he is untrustworthy and won’t do what he says. Whenever someone brings up his failures Trump goes on the attack rather than sticking to the issues. The problem here was that Rubio started the attack.
Cruz hit Trump on foreign workers in his hotels and called on Trump to release a tape of a conversation he had off the record with the New York Times that could verify if he was telling the truth or not. Trump refused to turn over something that was private and off the record.
The debate actually covered a lot of issues from where to make cuts in the budget, to immigration, the border fence, the military, ISIS, work visas for foreign workers, Edward Snowden and more. Many of the criticisms of Trump were legitimate concerning his constant switching on issues. Rubio seemed to have him cornered about the failure of his “Trump University.” Kasich gave a good answer about education being handled at the local level instead of the Federal.
When the bickering got heavy Kasich offered a passionate appeal to stop the fighting. People are suffering and want to know who can fix this, he said. Let’s stop fighting.
Baier gave Kasich the only question of the night on gay issues. His answer was very diplomatic, saying the law has been changed, we need to be tolerant, but at the same time there needs to be common sense. People shouldn’t be forced to make cupcakes for someone’s gay event if they don’t want to. Cruz chimed in that the Supreme Court got the issue wrong. Marriage and adoption should be left to the states, but when it comes to religious liberty he will not compromise. Trump agreed with him.
All agreed on no restrictions on the Second Amendment. Wallace made one last attempt to get Kasich into the brouhaha against Trump but he wouldn’t oblige.
The highlight of the debate might have been when Kelly asked Trump about his constantly changing positions. Trump replied that successful people are flexible, that he has studied the issues, and when he found he was wrong he changed his mind. Trump wrong? About anything? Wow. That was an admission for the ages.
This was the best debate of them all so far. The moderators were tough, but fair. They kept control of the flow for the most part and gave everyone a chance to speak. More importantly, what they did at the end of the debate may have saved the Republican Party. The last question to Rubio, Cruz and Kasich was if Trump were the nominee would they support him. On the
spot they all said yes.
Trump was then asked if he didn’t get the nomination if he would still support the nominee or run a third party ticket. With a little touch of humor he thought out loud, me not win the nomination? He answered that he would support whoever the Republican candidate is.
That may have been the most comforting of anything said in any of the debates so far, and for all the angst conservatives have with the media, the Fox News moderators may have just saved the Republican Party and the next election.
Who actually won the debate? Kasich probably comes out on top. He stayed above the pettiness and was solid in all his answers, and he was given more time to express himself. He made one comment about friends telling him he was the only adult on the stage, and tonight that comment was very true. He refused to get drawn into the schoolyard banter and looked better for it. It was a very good night for him.
Trump was on the defensive most of the night with both Rubio and Cruz going after him. He had answers for most of the accusations, but some of them didn’t ring true. He definitely did not have the kind of night he’s had before where he was completely in control. Rubio was his usual smooth self, but this new role as attack dog made him look bad. He had some good things to say, but wasted most of it attacking Trump. Cruz did the same, although not as viciously as Rubio. He has all the right positions but is quite irritating when he feels the need to go after Trump more than putting out his plan.
Overall it was a great debate. I guess we’ll know more what the general public thinks by March 15.
A Foul Mouth
5/8/16
Now the antithesis of a great mother. Someone argued on a friend's Facebook page that she will vote for hillary because she is a mother and Trump has a foul mouth.
Here is my response:
"If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for pro abortion on demand, no restrictions, no sovereign borders, illegal aliens invading the country, a weak military, no respect in the world, betrayal of Americans in Benghazi by refusing to increase security or recommend military intervention that could have easily been there in time to save their lives, lying about an unheard of video being the cause of the attack, infusion of Muslims into the country, bend over for the gay lobby, voter fraud, criminal misuse of top secret emails, Clinton Foundation scandals, a lawyer who got a child rapist off and laughed about the poor child's suffering, environmental kow-towing that is destroying jobs and the entire coal industry, a socialist economy that will keep you in the poor house, a woman that lies so much that 56% of the country believes she's untrustworthy, and you think that's better than a man who has a foul mouth?
Read former FBI agent Gary Aldrich's book, Restricted Access. Behind the scenes hillary is as foul mouthed as a drunken sailor. Trump wasn't my first choice, and he may be flawed, but he's a far sight better than this mess."
Now the antithesis of a great mother. Someone argued on a friend's Facebook page that she will vote for hillary because she is a mother and Trump has a foul mouth.
Here is my response:
"If you vote for Hillary, you are voting for pro abortion on demand, no restrictions, no sovereign borders, illegal aliens invading the country, a weak military, no respect in the world, betrayal of Americans in Benghazi by refusing to increase security or recommend military intervention that could have easily been there in time to save their lives, lying about an unheard of video being the cause of the attack, infusion of Muslims into the country, bend over for the gay lobby, voter fraud, criminal misuse of top secret emails, Clinton Foundation scandals, a lawyer who got a child rapist off and laughed about the poor child's suffering, environmental kow-towing that is destroying jobs and the entire coal industry, a socialist economy that will keep you in the poor house, a woman that lies so much that 56% of the country believes she's untrustworthy, and you think that's better than a man who has a foul mouth?
Read former FBI agent Gary Aldrich's book, Restricted Access. Behind the scenes hillary is as foul mouthed as a drunken sailor. Trump wasn't my first choice, and he may be flawed, but he's a far sight better than this mess."
The Compromise of Politics
5/25/16
For anyone waffling on whether or not to stay home because your conscience won't let you vote for Trump, or worse yet, will vote for Hillary because Trump has a foul mouth, is a liar and was disrespectful to Ted Cruz's wife, let me make an observation:
A vote for Hillary is a vote for abortion on demand, gay marriage, transgenders in girls bathrooms, moral degeneracy in the vein of Sodom and Gomorrah, a laughing stock on the world stage, greater economic debt, and chaos at home. She is as foul-mouthed as Trump and the numerous scandals she lies about every day proves it. A vote for her is a godless, morally blind, anti-Christian vote.
A non vote because you don't like Trump is giving your tacit approval to this destruction of America. Trump may not be perfect, but he's not afraid to confront the lunacy of political correctness, and he is surrounding himself with conservative advisors. As for foreign policy he's got more experience than BHO had when he was elected. When world leaders start warning the US not to elect a person, it's not because they think he'll be a pushover like Obama, it's because they are afraid he'll rebuild America to greatness.
I was also appalled at Trump's bully-boy attacks against Cruz and his wife and the other candidates, but for all his unchristian antics, he's the only candidate who has had the courage to stand up and say persecution against Christians in America must stop.
Politics is all about compromise. Sometimes you have to take a flawed candidate in order to prepare the way for a better one next time. Staying home and not voting for anyone is reneging on your God given right guaranteed in our Constitution to be part of the government process, a right most of the world has never and still doesn't have.
Your conscience doesn't allow you to vote for Trump. Does it then allow you to sit by and let hillary win? That's a conscience with ethical problems.
We have the greatest government in the history of the world, a government of the people, but if we the people don't get involved we will fail in our obligations as American citizens, and throw it all away. Not voting is surrendering not only your rights but your liberty to godless people who will only be too happy to take them from you.
If you don't vote, don't complain if you don't like the results.
For anyone waffling on whether or not to stay home because your conscience won't let you vote for Trump, or worse yet, will vote for Hillary because Trump has a foul mouth, is a liar and was disrespectful to Ted Cruz's wife, let me make an observation:
A vote for Hillary is a vote for abortion on demand, gay marriage, transgenders in girls bathrooms, moral degeneracy in the vein of Sodom and Gomorrah, a laughing stock on the world stage, greater economic debt, and chaos at home. She is as foul-mouthed as Trump and the numerous scandals she lies about every day proves it. A vote for her is a godless, morally blind, anti-Christian vote.
A non vote because you don't like Trump is giving your tacit approval to this destruction of America. Trump may not be perfect, but he's not afraid to confront the lunacy of political correctness, and he is surrounding himself with conservative advisors. As for foreign policy he's got more experience than BHO had when he was elected. When world leaders start warning the US not to elect a person, it's not because they think he'll be a pushover like Obama, it's because they are afraid he'll rebuild America to greatness.
I was also appalled at Trump's bully-boy attacks against Cruz and his wife and the other candidates, but for all his unchristian antics, he's the only candidate who has had the courage to stand up and say persecution against Christians in America must stop.
Politics is all about compromise. Sometimes you have to take a flawed candidate in order to prepare the way for a better one next time. Staying home and not voting for anyone is reneging on your God given right guaranteed in our Constitution to be part of the government process, a right most of the world has never and still doesn't have.
Your conscience doesn't allow you to vote for Trump. Does it then allow you to sit by and let hillary win? That's a conscience with ethical problems.
We have the greatest government in the history of the world, a government of the people, but if we the people don't get involved we will fail in our obligations as American citizens, and throw it all away. Not voting is surrendering not only your rights but your liberty to godless people who will only be too happy to take them from you.
If you don't vote, don't complain if you don't like the results.
The Evangelical Vote
6/13/16
A friend of mine posted an article by a guy named Alan Noble about why evangelicals shouldn't vote for Trump or hillary but work to get solid conservatives elected at all lower levels. I wrote bunk, there's no reason why you can't do both so I was asked for my opinion of the article. The article is too long to repost, but here's what I wrote:
Well to try and be brief, everything Noble just accused Trump of he could have said about hillary, only worse. He certainly has drunk the liberal koolaid, because that's exactly how he sounds, regardless of his supposed evangelical credentials.
He would rather see a hillary presidency than a Trump because Trump is deceptive - you mean like the Benghazi coverup, email scandals, you name it, hillary passes another lie every day. Trump is only running for himself - you mean hillary is running for any other reason? Trump lacks principles to lead the country - like after abandoning four Americans in Libya you think hillary has any principles of leadership at all? Trump won't ask God for forgiveness - when has hillary ever asked God for forgiveness? Trump is a racist - based on what information, and how is hillary any different? He boasts about his infidelities - like she boasts about getting a child rapist off and slanders the women her husband has raped or with whom he's had affairs?
The difference between the two is that Trump for all his faults is surrounding himself with some true conservatives - he's already announced he wants Trey Gowdy for Attorney General. Do you think that might be better than Holder or Lynch? By far. We might have somebody who will uphold the law again instead of covering for Democrat criminals.
Noble says if we fold to Trump's coercion we will lose our political voice - what political voice do you think we'll have left if hillary wins? She's anti-Christian, anti Israel, pro Islam, and already vowing to remove the 2nd Amendment. By standing up to the political correctness that is turning our society into the laughing stock of the world, Trump is already giving us our political voice back.
What really exposes Noble is that while he was working on his doctorate at Baylor University, a very liberal Southern Baptist school, he came to the conclusion that "sovereign individualism" is a threat to "human flourishing." In other words, self-government, personal accountability, hard work and accomplishment, the rugged individualism that built our country and the ideals that made America great, are what holds people back. According to Noble, the things that built America are counter productive. That's big government socialism talking.
It looks to me like Noble is a liberal plant disguised as an evangelical to stop Christians from voting for Trump in order to let hillary win. What difference does it make if we keep control of Congress? Conservatives have won the House three times in the last six years and the Senate and accomplished nothing. Four years of hillary combined with the same spineless Republican Congress that hasn't had the guts to stand up to obama and we won't have a country left to worry about. We need somebody in the White House with a vision to help the country, and as flawed as Trump is, he's got a better vision than hillary.
A friend of mine posted an article by a guy named Alan Noble about why evangelicals shouldn't vote for Trump or hillary but work to get solid conservatives elected at all lower levels. I wrote bunk, there's no reason why you can't do both so I was asked for my opinion of the article. The article is too long to repost, but here's what I wrote:
Well to try and be brief, everything Noble just accused Trump of he could have said about hillary, only worse. He certainly has drunk the liberal koolaid, because that's exactly how he sounds, regardless of his supposed evangelical credentials.
He would rather see a hillary presidency than a Trump because Trump is deceptive - you mean like the Benghazi coverup, email scandals, you name it, hillary passes another lie every day. Trump is only running for himself - you mean hillary is running for any other reason? Trump lacks principles to lead the country - like after abandoning four Americans in Libya you think hillary has any principles of leadership at all? Trump won't ask God for forgiveness - when has hillary ever asked God for forgiveness? Trump is a racist - based on what information, and how is hillary any different? He boasts about his infidelities - like she boasts about getting a child rapist off and slanders the women her husband has raped or with whom he's had affairs?
The difference between the two is that Trump for all his faults is surrounding himself with some true conservatives - he's already announced he wants Trey Gowdy for Attorney General. Do you think that might be better than Holder or Lynch? By far. We might have somebody who will uphold the law again instead of covering for Democrat criminals.
Noble says if we fold to Trump's coercion we will lose our political voice - what political voice do you think we'll have left if hillary wins? She's anti-Christian, anti Israel, pro Islam, and already vowing to remove the 2nd Amendment. By standing up to the political correctness that is turning our society into the laughing stock of the world, Trump is already giving us our political voice back.
What really exposes Noble is that while he was working on his doctorate at Baylor University, a very liberal Southern Baptist school, he came to the conclusion that "sovereign individualism" is a threat to "human flourishing." In other words, self-government, personal accountability, hard work and accomplishment, the rugged individualism that built our country and the ideals that made America great, are what holds people back. According to Noble, the things that built America are counter productive. That's big government socialism talking.
It looks to me like Noble is a liberal plant disguised as an evangelical to stop Christians from voting for Trump in order to let hillary win. What difference does it make if we keep control of Congress? Conservatives have won the House three times in the last six years and the Senate and accomplished nothing. Four years of hillary combined with the same spineless Republican Congress that hasn't had the guts to stand up to obama and we won't have a country left to worry about. We need somebody in the White House with a vision to help the country, and as flawed as Trump is, he's got a better vision than hillary.
What Biblical Principle?
7/25/16
I keep seeing people write they can't vote for Trump because of biblical principle. I would like to know what principle that is? Show me a Scripture. God called Elijah to anoint Jehu to be king of Israel. Jehu was a godless man. He could probably be compared with Trump except that he was much worse. God used him anyway and he eradicated Baal worship in Israel.
So what is the biblical principle? I've been told God is more important than the USA. Of course God is more important, but God also gave us nations and established borders and told us to pray for our leaders. In America He has given us a situation unique to any in OT or NT times. We can actually vote for our leaders and effect change in the direction of the country. So why do we squabble over a flawed man who is seeking out Christian leaders for guidance when the alternative is evil incarnate?
There are a lot of things I don't like about Trump, but at this point what other valid option is there for defeating hillary? What is the biblical principle that says we should throw away the country and the future of religious freedom and world wide missions because we don't have a born again fundamental or evangelical Christian with a perfect family record running for office?
I keep seeing people write they can't vote for Trump because of biblical principle. I would like to know what principle that is? Show me a Scripture. God called Elijah to anoint Jehu to be king of Israel. Jehu was a godless man. He could probably be compared with Trump except that he was much worse. God used him anyway and he eradicated Baal worship in Israel.
So what is the biblical principle? I've been told God is more important than the USA. Of course God is more important, but God also gave us nations and established borders and told us to pray for our leaders. In America He has given us a situation unique to any in OT or NT times. We can actually vote for our leaders and effect change in the direction of the country. So why do we squabble over a flawed man who is seeking out Christian leaders for guidance when the alternative is evil incarnate?
There are a lot of things I don't like about Trump, but at this point what other valid option is there for defeating hillary? What is the biblical principle that says we should throw away the country and the future of religious freedom and world wide missions because we don't have a born again fundamental or evangelical Christian with a perfect family record running for office?
I Give Up
8/4/16
I just read a very long article by a never-trumper about four things for a Christian to consider before voting for Hillary. It's too long to post and I'm tired of this stuff from people who are so blind that they will sacrifice the future because there is not a perfect candidate, but here is my response anyway. You'll get an idea what the guy was saying by my comments and I'm not nearly as long as he was:
Okay, I give up. I surrender. Give the country to Hillary and accept the consequences. Obviously God is preparing to judge our nation so let's just sit back and watch it happen. Let's not occupy till He comes, let's just hide in our churches and pretend to be spiritual by disengaging from life.
This article would carry more weight if the author had his theology correct, but he starts from a flawed premise. Arguing from 1 Corinthians 5 he claims we shouldn't have any connection with Trump. But the passage is talking about church discipline of a Christian brother. It doesn't apply.
Further, the OT prophets never said anything about campaigning for leaders because they had no choice in the selection of their kings. There is no foundation to any argument using those prophets that applies to our situation today other than calling the nation to righteousness.
Neither does the author understand America's history or our political process. America is unique in the history of nations in that we were founded by godly men as a Christian nation, and guaranteed the right to vote and to influence the direction of our government. This author wants us to refrain from political involvement because it is corrupting the church and our Christian testimony. The reality is it is exactly because the church has disengaged that we are in this quagmire.
He claims a Trump presidency will silence the voice of the "prophetic church." This so-called prophetic church for the most part is silent now. What makes him think a Hillary presidency will wake it up? Hillary wants to totally silence the church in the public and private arenas. Trump is openly calling for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment so that the church will be unmuzzled.
He's against Trump because his election may bring God's judgment, but he's okay letting Hillary win which most certainly would be God's judgment and the destruction of our country. So let's just surrender and let God's judgment rain on us. Let's go sit on a mountain like a bunch of Millerites and wait for the rapture. God is sovereign and He's going to accomplish His will no matter what we do. Calvin said so. So let's do nothing.
I think I'd rather do what Jesus said and occupy till He comes. Let's take advantage of the freedom God has given us and use the political process to try and turn the country back to our roots. We need to understand that politics is a step by step process. There is no giant leap solution. Trump may be flawed, but he is a step in a political process that will give us a little window of hope for the future. With Hillary there will be no future.
I keep hearing the argument that churches and preachers should stay out of politics and stick to the Gospel. Why? That's the secular anti-Christian view of our government. Why should we give in to that? Why should we let non-Christians tell us what to do?
There were 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Of those, 52 were dedicated Protestant Christians, and many, including Roger Sherman, who was one of the most prominent members, were theologians. Preachers gave us our country. Why should we not take it back from secularists who want to silence our voices?
When you go to vote remember four things: Hillary, Hillary, Hillary, and Hillary. That's the future if Trump loses.
I just read a very long article by a never-trumper about four things for a Christian to consider before voting for Hillary. It's too long to post and I'm tired of this stuff from people who are so blind that they will sacrifice the future because there is not a perfect candidate, but here is my response anyway. You'll get an idea what the guy was saying by my comments and I'm not nearly as long as he was:
Okay, I give up. I surrender. Give the country to Hillary and accept the consequences. Obviously God is preparing to judge our nation so let's just sit back and watch it happen. Let's not occupy till He comes, let's just hide in our churches and pretend to be spiritual by disengaging from life.
This article would carry more weight if the author had his theology correct, but he starts from a flawed premise. Arguing from 1 Corinthians 5 he claims we shouldn't have any connection with Trump. But the passage is talking about church discipline of a Christian brother. It doesn't apply.
Further, the OT prophets never said anything about campaigning for leaders because they had no choice in the selection of their kings. There is no foundation to any argument using those prophets that applies to our situation today other than calling the nation to righteousness.
Neither does the author understand America's history or our political process. America is unique in the history of nations in that we were founded by godly men as a Christian nation, and guaranteed the right to vote and to influence the direction of our government. This author wants us to refrain from political involvement because it is corrupting the church and our Christian testimony. The reality is it is exactly because the church has disengaged that we are in this quagmire.
He claims a Trump presidency will silence the voice of the "prophetic church." This so-called prophetic church for the most part is silent now. What makes him think a Hillary presidency will wake it up? Hillary wants to totally silence the church in the public and private arenas. Trump is openly calling for the repeal of the Johnson Amendment so that the church will be unmuzzled.
He's against Trump because his election may bring God's judgment, but he's okay letting Hillary win which most certainly would be God's judgment and the destruction of our country. So let's just surrender and let God's judgment rain on us. Let's go sit on a mountain like a bunch of Millerites and wait for the rapture. God is sovereign and He's going to accomplish His will no matter what we do. Calvin said so. So let's do nothing.
I think I'd rather do what Jesus said and occupy till He comes. Let's take advantage of the freedom God has given us and use the political process to try and turn the country back to our roots. We need to understand that politics is a step by step process. There is no giant leap solution. Trump may be flawed, but he is a step in a political process that will give us a little window of hope for the future. With Hillary there will be no future.
I keep hearing the argument that churches and preachers should stay out of politics and stick to the Gospel. Why? That's the secular anti-Christian view of our government. Why should we give in to that? Why should we let non-Christians tell us what to do?
There were 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Of those, 52 were dedicated Protestant Christians, and many, including Roger Sherman, who was one of the most prominent members, were theologians. Preachers gave us our country. Why should we not take it back from secularists who want to silence our voices?
When you go to vote remember four things: Hillary, Hillary, Hillary, and Hillary. That's the future if Trump loses.
The SCOTUS Argument
8/5/16
Recently Dr. David Jeremiah made the argument that the Supreme Court is why hillary must be defeated. If she is able to pack a court with a possible 7-2 liberal majority that will judge according to liberal agenda instead of the Constitution the country will never recover.
Apparently in response to Jeremiah, Ian Tuttle has written an article for the formerly conservative National Review explaining why that is a bad argument. His premise is that Trump would be more dangerous in his Supreme Court picks than hillary because he already suggested he could appoint his very liberal sister, likely in jest, who is a judge. He conveniently ignores the short list of potential conservative judges that Trump has also proposed. In response I wrote the following:
So the option is either Trump who might appoint liberal justices, or Hillary who will definitely appoint the most liberal judges. Seems like a no-brainier to me.
Tuttle argues that a Hillary court could be held in check by litigation. Why could a Trump court not be held in check the same way? Tuttle's logic is that the SCOTUS is limited in that it can only take cases that are presented to it. SCOTUS is also limited by the Congress which according to the Constitution can dictate which cases the Court can take. But Congress reneged on that responsibility long ago.
Two problems with Tuttle's argument: a Hillary Department of Justice would take every issue Hillary wants dealt with to the court. If you think the DOJ would be any more honest under Hillary than it is now you are fooling yourself.
Second, in 1980 in the case of Bob Jones University vs. the IRS, the DOJ refused to bring the case to the court because BJU had committed no crime. The court then appointed a prosecutor to try the case anyway and ruled against BJU 8-1, not because of the law, but because of public policy. They've already litigated cases that were not brought before them and they've been making unconstitutional decisions ever since. Anyone who thinks a Hillary court would not do the same in order to overturn every moral restraint in our culture is blind.
This faux conservatism that would rather give the election to hillary and a socialist oligarchy which would be the end of constitutional government and our freedoms than take a chance on Trump who is the only realistic alternative is short-sighted insanity.
Recently Dr. David Jeremiah made the argument that the Supreme Court is why hillary must be defeated. If she is able to pack a court with a possible 7-2 liberal majority that will judge according to liberal agenda instead of the Constitution the country will never recover.
Apparently in response to Jeremiah, Ian Tuttle has written an article for the formerly conservative National Review explaining why that is a bad argument. His premise is that Trump would be more dangerous in his Supreme Court picks than hillary because he already suggested he could appoint his very liberal sister, likely in jest, who is a judge. He conveniently ignores the short list of potential conservative judges that Trump has also proposed. In response I wrote the following:
So the option is either Trump who might appoint liberal justices, or Hillary who will definitely appoint the most liberal judges. Seems like a no-brainier to me.
Tuttle argues that a Hillary court could be held in check by litigation. Why could a Trump court not be held in check the same way? Tuttle's logic is that the SCOTUS is limited in that it can only take cases that are presented to it. SCOTUS is also limited by the Congress which according to the Constitution can dictate which cases the Court can take. But Congress reneged on that responsibility long ago.
Two problems with Tuttle's argument: a Hillary Department of Justice would take every issue Hillary wants dealt with to the court. If you think the DOJ would be any more honest under Hillary than it is now you are fooling yourself.
Second, in 1980 in the case of Bob Jones University vs. the IRS, the DOJ refused to bring the case to the court because BJU had committed no crime. The court then appointed a prosecutor to try the case anyway and ruled against BJU 8-1, not because of the law, but because of public policy. They've already litigated cases that were not brought before them and they've been making unconstitutional decisions ever since. Anyone who thinks a Hillary court would not do the same in order to overturn every moral restraint in our culture is blind.
This faux conservatism that would rather give the election to hillary and a socialist oligarchy which would be the end of constitutional government and our freedoms than take a chance on Trump who is the only realistic alternative is short-sighted insanity.
A Biblical Principle for Voting for Trump?
8/10/16
I wrote the following awhile ago but then found out I had made a serious error. Some have already seen it and commented but I don't want it to look like I'm smearing someone so I'm deleting the original and reposting with error corrected. My point remains the same. If you didn't see the original don't worry about it. (I hate to admit I made a mistake!)
Well, I finally got an answer to my question about the biblical principle for not voting for Trump. Constitution Party candidate Darrell Castle says the Bible prohibits a Christian from voting for Trump as the lesser of two evils because Romans 3:8 says it is wrong to do evil in order to achieve good.
The problem with the argument is that voting itself is not an evil act, neither is voting for a candidate to prevent an opposing candidate from completely destroying the country and our religious freedoms an intent to do evil. Evil is widely defined by Webster as being bad, wrong, immoral, wicked, depraved, reprobate and more, but also something that brings sorrow, trouble or destruction. The Bible views evil in Psalm 51:4 as anything that contradicts the holy nature of God.
Castle holds many acceptable positions for Christians. He is a social conservative and favors traditional moral values. He is an evangelic Presbyterian and a strict Constitutional constructionist. There is a lot about him and his party to like, but I disagree with his theological view of politics.
There are of course some candidates that are better morally or spiritually than others, but all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and in God's sight if you've committed one sin you are as guilty as the one who has committed them all (James 2:10-11). Since God is no respecter of persons and in His sight all sin is equally evil a vote for Castle simply becomes a vote for the lesser of three evils. Now don't misinterpret me. I'm not excusing anyone's sin, but if Romans 3:8 prohibits a vote for Trump, it also then prohibits a vote for Castle.
This is the problem with trying to find the "perfect" biblical candidate. There are none. But the reason in a nation of 319 million people we are down to Trump and hillary as the only viable candidates in this election is because preachers have failed to oppose wickedness, pulpits have grown cold, and Christians have disengaged from the process. We need revival fires ignited in churches and we need Christians united against sin, but revival doesn't start with the president, it starts with the preacher.
We also need a view of the future politically and ecclesiastically that sees beyond November. We don't have the most desirable candidates running right now on any ticket, but of the two front runners, one is listening to Christians, the other is demanding we shut up. One is suggesting Christians unite as a political force, the other is demanding we reject the Bible. The one gives hope that we could save the country from national and spiritual suicide, the other will tighten the noose and prepare the way for the Antichrist.
Vote your heart, but don't give me any more false piety about not voting for the lesser of two evils. Considering the conservative nature of the Republican platform and the debauched, godless nature of the Democrat, any vote that would split the Republican Party and allow Hillary to win is a vote for the worst evil.
I wrote the following awhile ago but then found out I had made a serious error. Some have already seen it and commented but I don't want it to look like I'm smearing someone so I'm deleting the original and reposting with error corrected. My point remains the same. If you didn't see the original don't worry about it. (I hate to admit I made a mistake!)
Well, I finally got an answer to my question about the biblical principle for not voting for Trump. Constitution Party candidate Darrell Castle says the Bible prohibits a Christian from voting for Trump as the lesser of two evils because Romans 3:8 says it is wrong to do evil in order to achieve good.
The problem with the argument is that voting itself is not an evil act, neither is voting for a candidate to prevent an opposing candidate from completely destroying the country and our religious freedoms an intent to do evil. Evil is widely defined by Webster as being bad, wrong, immoral, wicked, depraved, reprobate and more, but also something that brings sorrow, trouble or destruction. The Bible views evil in Psalm 51:4 as anything that contradicts the holy nature of God.
Castle holds many acceptable positions for Christians. He is a social conservative and favors traditional moral values. He is an evangelic Presbyterian and a strict Constitutional constructionist. There is a lot about him and his party to like, but I disagree with his theological view of politics.
There are of course some candidates that are better morally or spiritually than others, but all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and in God's sight if you've committed one sin you are as guilty as the one who has committed them all (James 2:10-11). Since God is no respecter of persons and in His sight all sin is equally evil a vote for Castle simply becomes a vote for the lesser of three evils. Now don't misinterpret me. I'm not excusing anyone's sin, but if Romans 3:8 prohibits a vote for Trump, it also then prohibits a vote for Castle.
This is the problem with trying to find the "perfect" biblical candidate. There are none. But the reason in a nation of 319 million people we are down to Trump and hillary as the only viable candidates in this election is because preachers have failed to oppose wickedness, pulpits have grown cold, and Christians have disengaged from the process. We need revival fires ignited in churches and we need Christians united against sin, but revival doesn't start with the president, it starts with the preacher.
We also need a view of the future politically and ecclesiastically that sees beyond November. We don't have the most desirable candidates running right now on any ticket, but of the two front runners, one is listening to Christians, the other is demanding we shut up. One is suggesting Christians unite as a political force, the other is demanding we reject the Bible. The one gives hope that we could save the country from national and spiritual suicide, the other will tighten the noose and prepare the way for the Antichrist.
Vote your heart, but don't give me any more false piety about not voting for the lesser of two evils. Considering the conservative nature of the Republican platform and the debauched, godless nature of the Democrat, any vote that would split the Republican Party and allow Hillary to win is a vote for the worst evil.
Remembering Dennis Potts
8/31/16
I first met Dennis and Shelia at Bob Jones University in the faculty dining room in 1988 or 89. I was there visiting with the McCauleys and since I had just come from the Philippines they introduced us. When I went back to the PI I drove down to Quezon City and looked them up. It began a friendship that for me at least was an unending blessing for the last 26 years. Dennis performed our wedding in their home in 1991, and their youngest daughter, Julia, was our flower girl when we had a church ceremony later.
Dennis was always ready to listen, talk, or offer sage advice. His eyebrows would press into a frown and he would kind of point his lips, and then out came the wisdom. He suggested I start my blog several years ago and he commented often on it. He had a great sense of humor and always a positive outlook.
Unfortunately our visits were few and far between with us being in Kenya for so many years, but we always got together when we passed through the PI going on furlough or returning. We knew he wasn't doing well, but this news was shocking to us. He will surely be missed by many. At the end of Cooper's novel, The Last of the Mohicans, the Indian sachem says of his dead son, The Great Spirit had need of him. Perhaps we could paraphrase that to say, Our loving Heavenly Father had need of Dennis and took him to receive his reward.
Please remember Shelia also. She recently had a mild heart attack. Pray for grace for her and the family. Psalm 139:17-18.
I first met Dennis and Shelia at Bob Jones University in the faculty dining room in 1988 or 89. I was there visiting with the McCauleys and since I had just come from the Philippines they introduced us. When I went back to the PI I drove down to Quezon City and looked them up. It began a friendship that for me at least was an unending blessing for the last 26 years. Dennis performed our wedding in their home in 1991, and their youngest daughter, Julia, was our flower girl when we had a church ceremony later.
Dennis was always ready to listen, talk, or offer sage advice. His eyebrows would press into a frown and he would kind of point his lips, and then out came the wisdom. He suggested I start my blog several years ago and he commented often on it. He had a great sense of humor and always a positive outlook.
Unfortunately our visits were few and far between with us being in Kenya for so many years, but we always got together when we passed through the PI going on furlough or returning. We knew he wasn't doing well, but this news was shocking to us. He will surely be missed by many. At the end of Cooper's novel, The Last of the Mohicans, the Indian sachem says of his dead son, The Great Spirit had need of him. Perhaps we could paraphrase that to say, Our loving Heavenly Father had need of Dennis and took him to receive his reward.
Please remember Shelia also. She recently had a mild heart attack. Pray for grace for her and the family. Psalm 139:17-18.
Defining Moments, 9/11
9/11/16
History is filled with defining moments that influenced the course of nations and world events. These defining events have often produced battle cries that have inspired patriots to action. “Remember” has become a common battle cry in American history. Remember the Alamo, remember the Maine, remember Pearl Harbor, remember 9/11. It’s sad how in only fifteen years so many American’s have forgotten the significance of 9/11. But these remember moments lead to the inevitable question, “Where were you when?” Key events are so important in our lives that people tend to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they happened.
I was on the playground at Asbury Elementary School at noon time when one of my classmates came back from lunch at home and said with a big grin on his face, “The president’s been shot.” He was kind of an ornery kid and nobody believed him until the bell rang and we went back to class. Our teacher, Miss Mundy, who was an exchange teacher from England, was almost in tears at her desk and very softly told us what happened and that we all needed to go home.
I was at my grandmother’s watching on TV when Neil Armstrong said the immortal words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I was in college working at Wendy’s when we heard that Reagan had been shot and my heart sank. All afternoon we asked for updates from people ordering at the drive through window.
And then there is 9/11. I was in Kenya at a village called New Wood putting up a church building with another missionary, Ole Konnerup. Late in the afternoon one of our colleagues, Richard Edwards, called on the cell phone to tell us planes had flown into the World Trade Center. I immediately called my wife and told her to turn on the TV.
Many of these defining events have led to wars, the toppling of dictators, and the rescue and freeing of enslaved people, and we might say the restoration of the normal way of life. But on 9/11 the world changed. When the Muslim driven Al Qaeda terrorists flew the planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon the world entered a phase it has never seen before. There have been tyrants and conquering armies since Nimrod 4500 years ago. There have been holy wars and crusades against infidels infused with religious fanaticism. There have been terrorist acts and suicidal maniacs, but on 9/11 a new kind of conflict emerged, the War on Terror, against a new kind of enemy.
This enemy could not be identified by uniforms, flags, marching formations or battlefield tactics. It could not be defined by borders or nationalistic spirit. This enemy is defined by the ideology of Islamic Jihad. In spite of the blind American leadership that has refused to see the obvious, this is a holy war like none other before it. It is Islamic idealism trying to take down the “Great Satan,” the United States, and destroy the Jewish nation of Israel, as only a precursor to conquering the world.
This war through subtlety and infiltration has affected every nation of Christian background, and the west in general. Look what has happened in France, Germany, Demark, Sweden and England in just the last year. Look at what happened in Davao City in the Philippines just last week. The Muslim terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf, has declared war on the Philippines. And because of a poorly thought out overall strategy during the Bush administration, and an inept lack of leadership over the last eight years this war has drawn out for fifteen years with no real end in sight. The world is drowning in fear and the prophetic words of Jeremiah in chapter 6:14 have never been more true. People are crying out saying “Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”
The history of the world is mainly the story of monarchs, kings and empires, and power mad tyrants. There have been attempts at republicanism and democracy since Plato and the ancient Greeks in Greece, Rome and various western nations, but in the last 2300 years the average democratic government has only lasted less than 200 years.
Think about it. The French Revolution that was supposedly an attempt at democracy was a power mad disaster that lasted seven years and led to the rise of Napoleon. In the Philippines, the Second Republic, established in 1946, lasted forty years, the last twenty ruled by Ferdinand Marcos who became a dictator and was overthrown by the People’s Power Revolution in 1986. The resulting Third Republic has already been marred by a second People’s Power movement that ignored the constitution and overthrew another president.
The United States of America holds the distinction of being the longest surviving republican or democratic government in history at 240 years. The question is, how much longer will it last?
Former congresswoman, Michelle, Bachman, recently said that if hillary is elected it will be the last free election in American history. In other words, it will be the end of America as we have known it. Not that I’m a prophet, but I actually predicted six or more years ago that if obama were to win a second term he would manufacture a crisis to prevent this coming election and stay in office. I think, however, that enough Americans are waking up to the corruption of the obama administration, and Trump has so much support that obama would not be able to pull that off. But if hillary wins it will change everything. Many are predicting the judgment of God and the total destruction of our once great Christian nation.
Is there still hope for America? Could a Trump victory hold back the hand of God’s judgment and open the door for a new religious awakening in America, or is it already too late for that? The never Trump crowd believes he would bring God’s judgment. Are any of them right? Is God’s judgment about to fall on America?
In Jeremiah 11:11, the prophet writes: “Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”
Now I’m not one to take prophetic utterances out of the Old Testament that were specifically written to a specific people at a particular time and try to make them apply to America. That’s bad hermeneutics. But there are principles involved that even in this Age of Grace could apply to us today.
Jeremiah 11:9-10 indicts the Jews for turning to the iniquities of their fathers and worshiping false gods. These were God’s people chosen by covenant, which they had broken and because of that He brought disaster upon them, which they could not escape. Neither would He hear their prayers. Can we make this application to America?
The United States of America is the first government in the history of the world to be built on the principle of government by the people whereby the people are free and they control the government. The idea of representative government, of personal ownership of land and free market enterprise all came from the Scripture and were incorporated into our government by godly, honest men who were devoutly Christian. America’s founders created for us a Christian nation that has been blessed by God like no other nation since Israel in the days of David and Solomon.
What happened? In 1962 the U.S. Supreme Court banned the Bible in public schools and in 1963 prohibited prayer, thus kicking God out of public education. Those rulings have since been expanded to include the entire public arena and in the last fifty years America has sunk to the lowest possible moral degeneracy. We have turned from the worship of the Creator to the worship of the creature (Romans 1:24). The human body has become the false humanist god of our generation and nakedness the form of worship.
So is God’s judgment about to fall and grind us to powder?
It is often said that people get the kind of leaders they deserve. Since we are a government of the people and elect our own leaders this is especially true. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787 when the delegates reached a impasse, Benjamin Franklin rose to suggest that a great nation could not rise without God’s aid. The convention adjourned and met in a church for three days listening to preaching and then calling out to God for His divine assistance. The result was the building of the greatest nation on earth.
After a decade and a half without God in the public square and the late 1960s cultural revolution that threw godliness and decency to the wind in favor of free love and open immorality, a counter movement led by Jerry Falwell called the Moral Majority helped sweep Ronald Reagan into the presidency and a brief period of restoring America’s greatness and returning to godly Christian values. By 1991 the Cold War had ended. America was on top of the world as the only major super power left.
The problem was it was a hollow victory. Prison evangelist Charles Colson once said that the Moral Majority won the elections but failed to win people’s hearts. Under Ronald Reagan America became affluent and comfortable, but without his leadership Americans became lax and their comfort led to moral apathy. The result was eight years of a lying, philandering, depraved sex offender in the White House with the liberal news media bowing at his feet.
Clinton should have been a portend of what would follow if the country continued in his footsteps. It was only the wisdom of the founders in creating the Electoral College that brought George W. Bush into the White House in 2000 that held back the slide into depravity. But Bush and the Republican Party lost their way, and unable to uphold or even define traditional values lost the conservative vote and gave us eight years of a man who was not qualified for anything, much less a top secret security clearance as president of the United States.
In eight years obama has decimated our military, brought open disdain from foreign leaders, nearly destroyed our economy, and led the country to a moral debauchery not seen since Sodom and Gomorrah. If hillary is elected she will complete the destruction obama has begun and open the door for the Antichrist. God won’t have to do a thing. We may call it God’s judgment, but all God will have to do is sit back and watch as we destroy ourselves.
Is there a chance that we could have another Great Awakening and bring America, as well as the world, back from the brink? We are told in 2 Chronicle 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin, heal their land.” Yes this was a message to the Jews, but might the same principle apply to us? If we confess our sins to God and beg for His mercy for our country will He still hear and heal our sin sick land? We won’t know unless we all get on our knees and earnestly cry out to God.
History is filled with defining moments that influenced the course of nations and world events. These defining events have often produced battle cries that have inspired patriots to action. “Remember” has become a common battle cry in American history. Remember the Alamo, remember the Maine, remember Pearl Harbor, remember 9/11. It’s sad how in only fifteen years so many American’s have forgotten the significance of 9/11. But these remember moments lead to the inevitable question, “Where were you when?” Key events are so important in our lives that people tend to remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they happened.
I was on the playground at Asbury Elementary School at noon time when one of my classmates came back from lunch at home and said with a big grin on his face, “The president’s been shot.” He was kind of an ornery kid and nobody believed him until the bell rang and we went back to class. Our teacher, Miss Mundy, who was an exchange teacher from England, was almost in tears at her desk and very softly told us what happened and that we all needed to go home.
I was at my grandmother’s watching on TV when Neil Armstrong said the immortal words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I was in college working at Wendy’s when we heard that Reagan had been shot and my heart sank. All afternoon we asked for updates from people ordering at the drive through window.
And then there is 9/11. I was in Kenya at a village called New Wood putting up a church building with another missionary, Ole Konnerup. Late in the afternoon one of our colleagues, Richard Edwards, called on the cell phone to tell us planes had flown into the World Trade Center. I immediately called my wife and told her to turn on the TV.
Many of these defining events have led to wars, the toppling of dictators, and the rescue and freeing of enslaved people, and we might say the restoration of the normal way of life. But on 9/11 the world changed. When the Muslim driven Al Qaeda terrorists flew the planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon the world entered a phase it has never seen before. There have been tyrants and conquering armies since Nimrod 4500 years ago. There have been holy wars and crusades against infidels infused with religious fanaticism. There have been terrorist acts and suicidal maniacs, but on 9/11 a new kind of conflict emerged, the War on Terror, against a new kind of enemy.
This enemy could not be identified by uniforms, flags, marching formations or battlefield tactics. It could not be defined by borders or nationalistic spirit. This enemy is defined by the ideology of Islamic Jihad. In spite of the blind American leadership that has refused to see the obvious, this is a holy war like none other before it. It is Islamic idealism trying to take down the “Great Satan,” the United States, and destroy the Jewish nation of Israel, as only a precursor to conquering the world.
This war through subtlety and infiltration has affected every nation of Christian background, and the west in general. Look what has happened in France, Germany, Demark, Sweden and England in just the last year. Look at what happened in Davao City in the Philippines just last week. The Muslim terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf, has declared war on the Philippines. And because of a poorly thought out overall strategy during the Bush administration, and an inept lack of leadership over the last eight years this war has drawn out for fifteen years with no real end in sight. The world is drowning in fear and the prophetic words of Jeremiah in chapter 6:14 have never been more true. People are crying out saying “Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”
The history of the world is mainly the story of monarchs, kings and empires, and power mad tyrants. There have been attempts at republicanism and democracy since Plato and the ancient Greeks in Greece, Rome and various western nations, but in the last 2300 years the average democratic government has only lasted less than 200 years.
Think about it. The French Revolution that was supposedly an attempt at democracy was a power mad disaster that lasted seven years and led to the rise of Napoleon. In the Philippines, the Second Republic, established in 1946, lasted forty years, the last twenty ruled by Ferdinand Marcos who became a dictator and was overthrown by the People’s Power Revolution in 1986. The resulting Third Republic has already been marred by a second People’s Power movement that ignored the constitution and overthrew another president.
The United States of America holds the distinction of being the longest surviving republican or democratic government in history at 240 years. The question is, how much longer will it last?
Former congresswoman, Michelle, Bachman, recently said that if hillary is elected it will be the last free election in American history. In other words, it will be the end of America as we have known it. Not that I’m a prophet, but I actually predicted six or more years ago that if obama were to win a second term he would manufacture a crisis to prevent this coming election and stay in office. I think, however, that enough Americans are waking up to the corruption of the obama administration, and Trump has so much support that obama would not be able to pull that off. But if hillary wins it will change everything. Many are predicting the judgment of God and the total destruction of our once great Christian nation.
Is there still hope for America? Could a Trump victory hold back the hand of God’s judgment and open the door for a new religious awakening in America, or is it already too late for that? The never Trump crowd believes he would bring God’s judgment. Are any of them right? Is God’s judgment about to fall on America?
In Jeremiah 11:11, the prophet writes: “Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.”
Now I’m not one to take prophetic utterances out of the Old Testament that were specifically written to a specific people at a particular time and try to make them apply to America. That’s bad hermeneutics. But there are principles involved that even in this Age of Grace could apply to us today.
Jeremiah 11:9-10 indicts the Jews for turning to the iniquities of their fathers and worshiping false gods. These were God’s people chosen by covenant, which they had broken and because of that He brought disaster upon them, which they could not escape. Neither would He hear their prayers. Can we make this application to America?
The United States of America is the first government in the history of the world to be built on the principle of government by the people whereby the people are free and they control the government. The idea of representative government, of personal ownership of land and free market enterprise all came from the Scripture and were incorporated into our government by godly, honest men who were devoutly Christian. America’s founders created for us a Christian nation that has been blessed by God like no other nation since Israel in the days of David and Solomon.
What happened? In 1962 the U.S. Supreme Court banned the Bible in public schools and in 1963 prohibited prayer, thus kicking God out of public education. Those rulings have since been expanded to include the entire public arena and in the last fifty years America has sunk to the lowest possible moral degeneracy. We have turned from the worship of the Creator to the worship of the creature (Romans 1:24). The human body has become the false humanist god of our generation and nakedness the form of worship.
So is God’s judgment about to fall and grind us to powder?
It is often said that people get the kind of leaders they deserve. Since we are a government of the people and elect our own leaders this is especially true. At the Constitutional Convention in 1787 when the delegates reached a impasse, Benjamin Franklin rose to suggest that a great nation could not rise without God’s aid. The convention adjourned and met in a church for three days listening to preaching and then calling out to God for His divine assistance. The result was the building of the greatest nation on earth.
After a decade and a half without God in the public square and the late 1960s cultural revolution that threw godliness and decency to the wind in favor of free love and open immorality, a counter movement led by Jerry Falwell called the Moral Majority helped sweep Ronald Reagan into the presidency and a brief period of restoring America’s greatness and returning to godly Christian values. By 1991 the Cold War had ended. America was on top of the world as the only major super power left.
The problem was it was a hollow victory. Prison evangelist Charles Colson once said that the Moral Majority won the elections but failed to win people’s hearts. Under Ronald Reagan America became affluent and comfortable, but without his leadership Americans became lax and their comfort led to moral apathy. The result was eight years of a lying, philandering, depraved sex offender in the White House with the liberal news media bowing at his feet.
Clinton should have been a portend of what would follow if the country continued in his footsteps. It was only the wisdom of the founders in creating the Electoral College that brought George W. Bush into the White House in 2000 that held back the slide into depravity. But Bush and the Republican Party lost their way, and unable to uphold or even define traditional values lost the conservative vote and gave us eight years of a man who was not qualified for anything, much less a top secret security clearance as president of the United States.
In eight years obama has decimated our military, brought open disdain from foreign leaders, nearly destroyed our economy, and led the country to a moral debauchery not seen since Sodom and Gomorrah. If hillary is elected she will complete the destruction obama has begun and open the door for the Antichrist. God won’t have to do a thing. We may call it God’s judgment, but all God will have to do is sit back and watch as we destroy ourselves.
Is there a chance that we could have another Great Awakening and bring America, as well as the world, back from the brink? We are told in 2 Chronicle 7:14, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin, heal their land.” Yes this was a message to the Jews, but might the same principle apply to us? If we confess our sins to God and beg for His mercy for our country will He still hear and heal our sin sick land? We won’t know unless we all get on our knees and earnestly cry out to God.
Kneeling in Protest
9/20/16
When you kneel in front of someone or something you are either submitting or surrendering to that authority. So in reality these football players who kneel instead of saluting during the National Anthem are symbolically surrendering to the same authority they are disrespecting. They are spineless, ungrateful, unintelligent losers (and that's being kind).
When you kneel in front of someone or something you are either submitting or surrendering to that authority. So in reality these football players who kneel instead of saluting during the National Anthem are symbolically surrendering to the same authority they are disrespecting. They are spineless, ungrateful, unintelligent losers (and that's being kind).
Immigration Meme
9/23/16
I'm tired of seeing this meme. It shows an American Indian with the comment, "Let me get this straight; you're afraid of refugees coming to America, killing you and taking your property?"
It is mocking people who are in favor of enforcing immigration laws and protecting the country from a massive invasion of Syrian refugees covering for terrorists to prevent what is happening in Germany, Sweden and elsewhere across Europe.
When the first colonists, who were not refugees looking for a free ride, came in the 1600s the Indians were a hundred or more mostly nomadic people groups without defined borders, most of whom had been at war with each other for centuries. Treaties were made and land was purchased from the Indians by the colonists. It was the Indians who broke those first treaties and followed the winds to support the French and then the English against the American colonists. What happened to the Indians in the 1800s with broken treaties by the U.S. Government and reservations was a national disgrace, but the situations don't compare.
The Indians have legitimate complaints over the way they've often been treated over the last 180 years, especially the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Today we are at war with ISIS and other Muslim terrorist groups that have openly stated their intent to destroy America. Vetting the Syrian refugees to root out potential terrorists from coming into the country is common sense for our own protection. We are not breaking treaties with them, persecuting them, threatening or endangering them, wiping out their villages or killing them.
That's why this meme is an insult to the native Americans and an affront to all Americans who believe in the rule of law, including immigration laws. The Indians have legitimate complaints, the Syrian refugees have none. This meme exploits the just cause of Native Americans, many of whom have suffered because of inept government policies, by comparing it with the unjust cause of non-Americans who have never suffered due to any policy of the United States.
I'm tired of seeing this meme. It shows an American Indian with the comment, "Let me get this straight; you're afraid of refugees coming to America, killing you and taking your property?"
It is mocking people who are in favor of enforcing immigration laws and protecting the country from a massive invasion of Syrian refugees covering for terrorists to prevent what is happening in Germany, Sweden and elsewhere across Europe.
When the first colonists, who were not refugees looking for a free ride, came in the 1600s the Indians were a hundred or more mostly nomadic people groups without defined borders, most of whom had been at war with each other for centuries. Treaties were made and land was purchased from the Indians by the colonists. It was the Indians who broke those first treaties and followed the winds to support the French and then the English against the American colonists. What happened to the Indians in the 1800s with broken treaties by the U.S. Government and reservations was a national disgrace, but the situations don't compare.
The Indians have legitimate complaints over the way they've often been treated over the last 180 years, especially the Cherokee Trail of Tears. Today we are at war with ISIS and other Muslim terrorist groups that have openly stated their intent to destroy America. Vetting the Syrian refugees to root out potential terrorists from coming into the country is common sense for our own protection. We are not breaking treaties with them, persecuting them, threatening or endangering them, wiping out their villages or killing them.
That's why this meme is an insult to the native Americans and an affront to all Americans who believe in the rule of law, including immigration laws. The Indians have legitimate complaints, the Syrian refugees have none. This meme exploits the just cause of Native Americans, many of whom have suffered because of inept government policies, by comparing it with the unjust cause of non-Americans who have never suffered due to any policy of the United States.
Pence vs. Kaine VP Debate
10/5/16
The debate: Kaine was the typical fast blabbing liberal with nothing more than Democrat talking points and no substance. Continuous, obnoxious interruptions bringing up Trump's taxes so that Pence couldn't get a word in seems to have been his debate plan.
Pence was calm and tried to keep the debate focused, but he missed a number of opportunities to put Kaine on the spot over Benghazi, emails, and although he tried to bring up the Clinton Foundation he could get no traction out of it because of the constant disruptions. You would think the world was the Garden of Eden thanks to Hillary listening to Kaine.
The final comments may have been the most revealing. Kaine claims a strong faith based background, but will not let his Catholic faith which is against abortion direct his politics. In other words, his faith means nothing to him at all.
Pence went into the well where most politicians fear to go and took a strong stand for pro-life, giving his Christian testimony of salvation, and showing that his faith directs his life. Kaine's only claim to victory would be that he prevented Pence from delineating the Trump platform by his constant interruptions, but in the process he made himself look more of a joker than Joe Biden in his debate against Paul Ryan four years ago. Pence, although he missed several opportunities to nail Hillary, wins on substance.
The debate: Kaine was the typical fast blabbing liberal with nothing more than Democrat talking points and no substance. Continuous, obnoxious interruptions bringing up Trump's taxes so that Pence couldn't get a word in seems to have been his debate plan.
Pence was calm and tried to keep the debate focused, but he missed a number of opportunities to put Kaine on the spot over Benghazi, emails, and although he tried to bring up the Clinton Foundation he could get no traction out of it because of the constant disruptions. You would think the world was the Garden of Eden thanks to Hillary listening to Kaine.
The final comments may have been the most revealing. Kaine claims a strong faith based background, but will not let his Catholic faith which is against abortion direct his politics. In other words, his faith means nothing to him at all.
Pence went into the well where most politicians fear to go and took a strong stand for pro-life, giving his Christian testimony of salvation, and showing that his faith directs his life. Kaine's only claim to victory would be that he prevented Pence from delineating the Trump platform by his constant interruptions, but in the process he made himself look more of a joker than Joe Biden in his debate against Paul Ryan four years ago. Pence, although he missed several opportunities to nail Hillary, wins on substance.
Here We Go Again
10/9/16
So here we go again. Trump said something crude about women 11 years ago and conservatives start bailing on him. What about hillary laughing that she got a child rapist off scott free when she knew he was guilty? What about the women that bill clinton actually raped and hillary destroyed their lives protecting him. What about hillary's hero, Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, who called black people weeds that needed to be gotten rid of?
So Trump's not good enough for the far right because he's not perfect, but these same people will be more than happy to see hillary elected so she can continue the same godless policies that conservatives are against. Yeah, it makes real sense.
Trump isn't qualified to be president because he has a trash mouth sometimes, but it's okay for godless, lying hillary, who also has a trash mouth, the one who couldn't be found at 3am when four Americans died in Benghazi, the one who sent over 50,000 classified emails on her private server, then erased 33,000 of them after they were subpoenaed, who is pro abortion, pro open borders, and pro gay marriage and transgender. Yes, indeed, I can see how conservatives could never vote for Trump but could allow hillary to be president just so long as their false piety remains intact.
Yeah, makes real sense.
So here we go again. Trump said something crude about women 11 years ago and conservatives start bailing on him. What about hillary laughing that she got a child rapist off scott free when she knew he was guilty? What about the women that bill clinton actually raped and hillary destroyed their lives protecting him. What about hillary's hero, Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, who called black people weeds that needed to be gotten rid of?
So Trump's not good enough for the far right because he's not perfect, but these same people will be more than happy to see hillary elected so she can continue the same godless policies that conservatives are against. Yeah, it makes real sense.
Trump isn't qualified to be president because he has a trash mouth sometimes, but it's okay for godless, lying hillary, who also has a trash mouth, the one who couldn't be found at 3am when four Americans died in Benghazi, the one who sent over 50,000 classified emails on her private server, then erased 33,000 of them after they were subpoenaed, who is pro abortion, pro open borders, and pro gay marriage and transgender. Yes, indeed, I can see how conservatives could never vote for Trump but could allow hillary to be president just so long as their false piety remains intact.
Yeah, makes real sense.
Phony Outrage
10/11/16
Hey! Enough of this phony outrage by liberals who are shocked that such language as Trump used goes on in a locker room. What shells have they been living under? They aren't offended by rap singers or the gutter antics of Madonna or Miley Cyrus, or the R rated movies they watch, or the four letter words that hillary is known to use frequently in private.
What's worse is the Republican establishment, most of whom have probably said similar things in their lifetimes, is using this as an excuse to desert Trump because he's not one of them. They'll destroy their own party before they'll let an outsider who is not afraid of political correctness win.
What's worse still is conservatives who use it as an excuse to desert him, because he's not pristine. So in order to preserve their precious principles they are willing to give the country away to hillary who is against everything they stand for. Such principles don't mean much. People who should have a better handle on the big picture are as blind and as big of fools as the left that has sold its soul to the devil in obama and hillary.
I was for Ted Cruz at the beginning. Cruz isn't running anymore, but even he has overlooked insults to endorse Trump. Why? Because at this point if we don't unite behind Trump we are looking at the end of our constitutional republic.
The attacks against our First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and speech will accelerate until we lose them altogether under hillary. She has already told Christians we have to adjust our beliefs to align with political correctness. The same will be true of the Second Amendment and likely all of the Bill of Rights under hillary.
Trump's critics say he'll be a dictator. What do you think obama has tried to be and hillary will be even more of? Trump is surrounding himself with conservatives and tapping constitutionalists and outspoken Christians for his cabinet and Supreme Court choices and his VP and likely next Republican candidate is Mike Pence, the outstanding Christian governor of Indiana. Trump won't be a dictator.
Don't tell me he's a charlatan. There have been plenty of former Democrats who became Republicans when they saw how the Dems are destroying the country. Since this campaign began Trump has evolved, both in positions and demeanor. Even if he's not a Christian, he's solidifying his positions by consulting Christian leaders.
There is hope for the future if Trump wins, not because anybody is worshipping him or calling him a savior like they used to call obama, but because he will provide common sense leadership influenced strongly by evangelicals and conservatives. He will put in place conservative economic policies that will give us a true recovery and start to pay down the debt. Even if his motive is to save his financial empire what's wrong with that? He provides tens of thousands of jobs for people, and who in his right mind wouldn't want a better economy than the meager one percent growth and 95 million people out of work that we have now?
He will protect the Bill of Rights rather than attack it. He has said publicly that the attacks against Christians and freedom of religion must stop. He's the only candidate who has said that. That doesn't make him born again or a role model for young men, but a Trump presidency gives the country a chance to move back toward the Christian principles we were founded on and prepare the way for a born again Christian who is a role model for young men.
The alternative is a woman who is so debase that she will lead us into a complete LGBT moral abyss, and the country straight to hell with unlimited abortions. Any Christian who can stand by and let hillary win in order to protect some undefined biblical principle about not voting for Trump,doesn't understand biblical morality or the Christian's responsibility to government, has no real concept of the bigger picture, or a plan for the future. Anybody who thinks if we can't win it all in one election there is no point in trying doesn't understand our political system. Barring a third Great Awakening in our country the way back to our founding Christian principles is going to be a step by step process, which means at this point we need to accept Trump in order to get to Pence.
Wake up. The end of the world will come when God is ready. In the mean time we are to occupy till He comes. Allowing the enemies of God to win is not occupying. It's surrender.
Hey! Enough of this phony outrage by liberals who are shocked that such language as Trump used goes on in a locker room. What shells have they been living under? They aren't offended by rap singers or the gutter antics of Madonna or Miley Cyrus, or the R rated movies they watch, or the four letter words that hillary is known to use frequently in private.
What's worse is the Republican establishment, most of whom have probably said similar things in their lifetimes, is using this as an excuse to desert Trump because he's not one of them. They'll destroy their own party before they'll let an outsider who is not afraid of political correctness win.
What's worse still is conservatives who use it as an excuse to desert him, because he's not pristine. So in order to preserve their precious principles they are willing to give the country away to hillary who is against everything they stand for. Such principles don't mean much. People who should have a better handle on the big picture are as blind and as big of fools as the left that has sold its soul to the devil in obama and hillary.
I was for Ted Cruz at the beginning. Cruz isn't running anymore, but even he has overlooked insults to endorse Trump. Why? Because at this point if we don't unite behind Trump we are looking at the end of our constitutional republic.
The attacks against our First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and speech will accelerate until we lose them altogether under hillary. She has already told Christians we have to adjust our beliefs to align with political correctness. The same will be true of the Second Amendment and likely all of the Bill of Rights under hillary.
Trump's critics say he'll be a dictator. What do you think obama has tried to be and hillary will be even more of? Trump is surrounding himself with conservatives and tapping constitutionalists and outspoken Christians for his cabinet and Supreme Court choices and his VP and likely next Republican candidate is Mike Pence, the outstanding Christian governor of Indiana. Trump won't be a dictator.
Don't tell me he's a charlatan. There have been plenty of former Democrats who became Republicans when they saw how the Dems are destroying the country. Since this campaign began Trump has evolved, both in positions and demeanor. Even if he's not a Christian, he's solidifying his positions by consulting Christian leaders.
There is hope for the future if Trump wins, not because anybody is worshipping him or calling him a savior like they used to call obama, but because he will provide common sense leadership influenced strongly by evangelicals and conservatives. He will put in place conservative economic policies that will give us a true recovery and start to pay down the debt. Even if his motive is to save his financial empire what's wrong with that? He provides tens of thousands of jobs for people, and who in his right mind wouldn't want a better economy than the meager one percent growth and 95 million people out of work that we have now?
He will protect the Bill of Rights rather than attack it. He has said publicly that the attacks against Christians and freedom of religion must stop. He's the only candidate who has said that. That doesn't make him born again or a role model for young men, but a Trump presidency gives the country a chance to move back toward the Christian principles we were founded on and prepare the way for a born again Christian who is a role model for young men.
The alternative is a woman who is so debase that she will lead us into a complete LGBT moral abyss, and the country straight to hell with unlimited abortions. Any Christian who can stand by and let hillary win in order to protect some undefined biblical principle about not voting for Trump,doesn't understand biblical morality or the Christian's responsibility to government, has no real concept of the bigger picture, or a plan for the future. Anybody who thinks if we can't win it all in one election there is no point in trying doesn't understand our political system. Barring a third Great Awakening in our country the way back to our founding Christian principles is going to be a step by step process, which means at this point we need to accept Trump in order to get to Pence.
Wake up. The end of the world will come when God is ready. In the mean time we are to occupy till He comes. Allowing the enemies of God to win is not occupying. It's surrender.
The Maturing President and the Crybaby Opposition
President Trump's first address to Congress was revealing in more ways than just his performance. The speech itself was great, covering what Trump needed to cover, and without the attacks on the media or negative personal references to Obama or the obstructionist Democrats in the Senate it was very much presidential and revealed how quickly he is maturing in the number one job in the world.
What was even more significant was the self exposure of the lack of maturity of the children on the left. As the President entered down the Democrat isle many refused to shake his hand, an entire contingent of women dressed in white refused to stand, and as soon as his address was completed they beat feet for the door instead of waiting respectfully for Trump to depart the chamber. At least some of them joined in the extended applause for the widow of slain Navy Seal Ryan Owens, but showed how disloyal and anti-American they really are by refusing to respond to the President's declaration to put America first instead of all the other nations in the world.
The deplorable attitude of the Democrat side was capped off by the response of the former Democratic governor of Kentucky. It was nothing more than a regurgitation of Democrat anti-Trump talking points. He addressed not one specific thing that the President said and essentially made it clear that the left is not willing to work together with the President or the Republicans for the good of the country.
The biggest take out of the address tonight, other than the President's agenda, is that President Trump made an appeal to the Democrats for unity, and they refused. There was a sci-fi movie once called The Children of the Corn. Maybe we could call the Democrats tonight The Children of the Scorn since they live in such an unrealistic sci-fi world anyway. Or maybe just crybabies will do.
What was even more significant was the self exposure of the lack of maturity of the children on the left. As the President entered down the Democrat isle many refused to shake his hand, an entire contingent of women dressed in white refused to stand, and as soon as his address was completed they beat feet for the door instead of waiting respectfully for Trump to depart the chamber. At least some of them joined in the extended applause for the widow of slain Navy Seal Ryan Owens, but showed how disloyal and anti-American they really are by refusing to respond to the President's declaration to put America first instead of all the other nations in the world.
The deplorable attitude of the Democrat side was capped off by the response of the former Democratic governor of Kentucky. It was nothing more than a regurgitation of Democrat anti-Trump talking points. He addressed not one specific thing that the President said and essentially made it clear that the left is not willing to work together with the President or the Republicans for the good of the country.
The biggest take out of the address tonight, other than the President's agenda, is that President Trump made an appeal to the Democrats for unity, and they refused. There was a sci-fi movie once called The Children of the Corn. Maybe we could call the Democrats tonight The Children of the Scorn since they live in such an unrealistic sci-fi world anyway. Or maybe just crybabies will do.
Lori Heimer
1/22/17
Don't you realize that the harder God works the harder the other side works too? Don't let him win with doubts and fears. Keep your faith looking towards heaven one step at a time. -Lori Heimer
Lori was a friend of ours who was murdered near Salina, Kansas last June 25. The murderer has not been found. Lori had sent this advice to a friend of hers who was going through difficult times years ago, and the friend recently sent it back to Lori's daughters.
I don't normally use any text other than scripture to preach from, but Lori's advice is scripturally sound. Today I memorialized Lori here in our service and built a message around her comment and used it to try and explain Romans 8:28.
"For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
It's not easy. There are things that only God knows or understands. Please continue to pray for Lori's family.
Don't you realize that the harder God works the harder the other side works too? Don't let him win with doubts and fears. Keep your faith looking towards heaven one step at a time. -Lori Heimer
Lori was a friend of ours who was murdered near Salina, Kansas last June 25. The murderer has not been found. Lori had sent this advice to a friend of hers who was going through difficult times years ago, and the friend recently sent it back to Lori's daughters.
I don't normally use any text other than scripture to preach from, but Lori's advice is scripturally sound. Today I memorialized Lori here in our service and built a message around her comment and used it to try and explain Romans 8:28.
"For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."
It's not easy. There are things that only God knows or understands. Please continue to pray for Lori's family.
The End of the World or a New Beginning?
1/20/17
In 2006 in Kenya we watched an interview of Al Gore on a BBC talk show program. Gore predicted that the earth had about ten years until global warming would destroy the planet. Well now we know Gore was a false prophet. The earth is no nearer to destruction from climate change than it was at the end of the great ice age. Nobody with half a brain should have taken Gore seriously, but life is what it is.
The greater danger to America in the last decade has been the eight year obama administration, which in a few hours will thankfully come to an end. When Ronald Reagan revealed his Alzheimer's in a 1994 letter in which he withdrew from public life, he closed by saying that he knew that for America there would always be a brighter day ahead.
There have been times in the years since, especially in the last eight years, that I have wondered if there would ever be a brighter day for America again. I believe we are going to see in the days and weeks ahead that Reagan was the true prophet, or perhaps a better word is just patriot. Franklin Graham is right. This all came about because God intervened, and God intervened in answer to the prayers of millions of Christians.
It is once again morning in America. The sun is rising and there is hope for the challenges ahead. But that hope will only come to fruition if millions of Christians continue to lift Donald Trump up before the Lord. Trump may be the instrument to make America great again, but greatness will only be possible with God's blessing.
Please Dear God, bless America again.
In 2006 in Kenya we watched an interview of Al Gore on a BBC talk show program. Gore predicted that the earth had about ten years until global warming would destroy the planet. Well now we know Gore was a false prophet. The earth is no nearer to destruction from climate change than it was at the end of the great ice age. Nobody with half a brain should have taken Gore seriously, but life is what it is.
The greater danger to America in the last decade has been the eight year obama administration, which in a few hours will thankfully come to an end. When Ronald Reagan revealed his Alzheimer's in a 1994 letter in which he withdrew from public life, he closed by saying that he knew that for America there would always be a brighter day ahead.
There have been times in the years since, especially in the last eight years, that I have wondered if there would ever be a brighter day for America again. I believe we are going to see in the days and weeks ahead that Reagan was the true prophet, or perhaps a better word is just patriot. Franklin Graham is right. This all came about because God intervened, and God intervened in answer to the prayers of millions of Christians.
It is once again morning in America. The sun is rising and there is hope for the challenges ahead. But that hope will only come to fruition if millions of Christians continue to lift Donald Trump up before the Lord. Trump may be the instrument to make America great again, but greatness will only be possible with God's blessing.
Please Dear God, bless America again.
Obama's Departure
1/12/17
So Obama very graciously made one last messianic appearance to his fawning worshippers to give them his last tidbits of wisdom before ascending into the realm of former presidents. You would think we had just lived through the millennial kingdom.
His obsession with the word "I" was not surprising. He has pathetically praised himself over and over for eight years. The way he announced the killing of bin Laden, for example, you would have thought he had planned and carried out the operation himself.
What is astonishing was his admonition to revere and keep faith in the Constitution, something he hasn't done during his entire administration. He spoke of the state of our democracy, which he still doesn't understand is a republic. What is more galling is his claim that race relations are better now than they have been in thirty years. He's delusional. Things haven't been this bad since the Civil Rights movement began. What gains had been made all went south when he took office. Then in the midst of a litany of lies about his accomplishments he took a moment to praise patriotic Muslims as if they were somehow being persecuted, revealing one final time where his real religious devotion lies.
But his final "great commission" exposes the fraud that he really is. "I'm asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change - but in yours."
Think it through. This was the hope and change president. This was the man who promised a utopia: free cellphones, free education, lower healthcare costs and coverage for 30 million uninsured, no more wars, and on and on. Now that none of it has happened his parting shot is to tell us it's our responsibility to make up for his failure.
I have some advice for this vain, self-aggrandizing, conceited little man.
"Let another praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." Proverbs 27:2.
Anyone who feels the need to tell everybody who will listen how great they are and what great things they have accomplished isn't very great and hasn't accomplished very much of value.
Obama often compared himself to Ronald Reagan, but there is no comparison. When Reagan left the White House he very humbly spoke from the Oval Office. No fanfare, no manipulation of the record, no loud boasting. Just quiet, honest dignity.
It's a shame that Obama didn't have the character to depart in the same way.
So Obama very graciously made one last messianic appearance to his fawning worshippers to give them his last tidbits of wisdom before ascending into the realm of former presidents. You would think we had just lived through the millennial kingdom.
His obsession with the word "I" was not surprising. He has pathetically praised himself over and over for eight years. The way he announced the killing of bin Laden, for example, you would have thought he had planned and carried out the operation himself.
What is astonishing was his admonition to revere and keep faith in the Constitution, something he hasn't done during his entire administration. He spoke of the state of our democracy, which he still doesn't understand is a republic. What is more galling is his claim that race relations are better now than they have been in thirty years. He's delusional. Things haven't been this bad since the Civil Rights movement began. What gains had been made all went south when he took office. Then in the midst of a litany of lies about his accomplishments he took a moment to praise patriotic Muslims as if they were somehow being persecuted, revealing one final time where his real religious devotion lies.
But his final "great commission" exposes the fraud that he really is. "I'm asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change - but in yours."
Think it through. This was the hope and change president. This was the man who promised a utopia: free cellphones, free education, lower healthcare costs and coverage for 30 million uninsured, no more wars, and on and on. Now that none of it has happened his parting shot is to tell us it's our responsibility to make up for his failure.
I have some advice for this vain, self-aggrandizing, conceited little man.
"Let another praise you and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips." Proverbs 27:2.
Anyone who feels the need to tell everybody who will listen how great they are and what great things they have accomplished isn't very great and hasn't accomplished very much of value.
Obama often compared himself to Ronald Reagan, but there is no comparison. When Reagan left the White House he very humbly spoke from the Oval Office. No fanfare, no manipulation of the record, no loud boasting. Just quiet, honest dignity.
It's a shame that Obama didn't have the character to depart in the same way.
Hillary's Concession
11/11/16
People are asking me my opinion about the election.
First, I don't think hillary's concession speech or obama's unity speech have anything to do with uniting the country. After eight years of the most divisive administration in history their only interest is to sweet talk Trump into doing what Republicans have always done, and that is cave to the Democrat agenda.
Second, I don't want to boast, gloat, or condescend. The results stand. Trump does need to unify the country, but he needs to do it by carrying out the Republican platform and proving that a scriptural morality and a free market enterprise will work just like Reagan did.
Third, I've been engaged in this political discussion for a year and a half and I'm tired. I'm going to take a break for awhile, or at least try to. Franklin Graham posted this article below about the election, and I agree with him entirely, so I will let it speak for me. I will add one last thought. My friend, Dave Kistler, who is heavily involved in politics, believes there are ungodly elements who may try to prevent Trump from reaching the White House. We need to pray for his safety as well as the wisdom of God to overshadow him as he takes the reins of government.
Franklin Graham
November 10, 2016 ·
Did God show up? In watching the news after the election, the secular media keep asking “How did this happen?” “What went wrong?” “How did we miss this?” Some are in shock. Political pundits are stunned. Many thought the Trump/Pence ticket didn’t have a chance. None of them understand the God-factor.
Hundreds of thousands of Christians from across the United States have been praying. This year they came out to every state capitol to pray for this election and for the future of America. Prayer groups were started. Families prayed. Churches prayed. Then Christians went to the polls, and God showed up.
While the media scratches their heads and tries to understand how this happened, I believe that God’s hand intervened Tuesday night to stop the godless, atheistic progressive agenda from taking control of our country.
President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence are going to need a lot of help and they will continue to need a lot of prayer. I pray that President-elect Trump will surround himself with godly men and women to help advise and counsel him as he leads the nation. My prayer is that God will bless America again!
People are asking me my opinion about the election.
First, I don't think hillary's concession speech or obama's unity speech have anything to do with uniting the country. After eight years of the most divisive administration in history their only interest is to sweet talk Trump into doing what Republicans have always done, and that is cave to the Democrat agenda.
Second, I don't want to boast, gloat, or condescend. The results stand. Trump does need to unify the country, but he needs to do it by carrying out the Republican platform and proving that a scriptural morality and a free market enterprise will work just like Reagan did.
Third, I've been engaged in this political discussion for a year and a half and I'm tired. I'm going to take a break for awhile, or at least try to. Franklin Graham posted this article below about the election, and I agree with him entirely, so I will let it speak for me. I will add one last thought. My friend, Dave Kistler, who is heavily involved in politics, believes there are ungodly elements who may try to prevent Trump from reaching the White House. We need to pray for his safety as well as the wisdom of God to overshadow him as he takes the reins of government.
Franklin Graham
November 10, 2016 ·
Did God show up? In watching the news after the election, the secular media keep asking “How did this happen?” “What went wrong?” “How did we miss this?” Some are in shock. Political pundits are stunned. Many thought the Trump/Pence ticket didn’t have a chance. None of them understand the God-factor.
Hundreds of thousands of Christians from across the United States have been praying. This year they came out to every state capitol to pray for this election and for the future of America. Prayer groups were started. Families prayed. Churches prayed. Then Christians went to the polls, and God showed up.
While the media scratches their heads and tries to understand how this happened, I believe that God’s hand intervened Tuesday night to stop the godless, atheistic progressive agenda from taking control of our country.
President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence are going to need a lot of help and they will continue to need a lot of prayer. I pray that President-elect Trump will surround himself with godly men and women to help advise and counsel him as he leads the nation. My prayer is that God will bless America again!
How Could You Vote for an Adulterer
11/9/16
A number of people have asked me how I could vote for a man who has been married three times and has a vulgar mouth. Maybe this will give some perspective.
My dad was married four times and had God only knows how many affairs. He was profane at times. He had a short fused temper and yelled at my mom until she was in tears, and whipped me with a belt more times than I can remember. I was never particularly close to my dad and I carried a lot of bitterness for many years. In spite of all that I loved him, and I did all I knew how to confirm his salvation before he died.
My dad was not the kind of guy I would hang out with after work. But I've worked with a lot of people like that through the years. There are guys I would not have voted for to be Sunday school teacher, but I would have followed them into battle.
My dad would have fit into that category. I never knew a harder working man in my life. He was full of ideas and the ingenuity to build things out of scrap. He once built his own house from a do-it-yourself kit and a garage from his own design. He helped me build a dune buggy which I could never have done myself. One year he built a houseboat out of second hand materials and took my bothers and me on one of the best vacations of my life to Lake Powell, Utah.
He wasn't around for the everyday problems that kids grow up with and in many ways he was not a good example for a kid to follow. On the other hand he was a gentleman, one of the nicest people you would ever want to know. He was kind and generous. Once when a Highlander boy, an organization like the Boy Scouts, tried to sell him some tickets to some kind of charity circus, he said he wasn't interested but gave him ten dollars anyway for the charity.
He was loyal to his friends and kept his word. He once promised to take me to a baseball game where the players were giving a pre-game clinic at all the positions. He forgot about it and he and his wife were dressed up to go to some dinner party when I called. He immediately canceled his plans, changed, and took me to the game.
My dad was an enigma. There is a spiritual answer of course for the dichotomy in his life, but in spite of the demons that haunted him at home and in his personal life, when called upon he was available, dependable, diligent to meticulous detail, and to many, a decent and valuable friend.
I don't defend Donald Trump's past dalliances. Immorality is the one major sin, if we can classify them that way, that more people, men and women, Christian and non-Christian, including past presidents, have had trouble with than any other. Trump is, as my dad was, a flawed individual, but my dad was reliable and as good as his word in dealing with people. I have no fear that Trump, particularly with the backing of so many evangelical leaders, will not be the same. I've lived with it and I've seen that it is possible. I have voted for Trump.
A number of people have asked me how I could vote for a man who has been married three times and has a vulgar mouth. Maybe this will give some perspective.
My dad was married four times and had God only knows how many affairs. He was profane at times. He had a short fused temper and yelled at my mom until she was in tears, and whipped me with a belt more times than I can remember. I was never particularly close to my dad and I carried a lot of bitterness for many years. In spite of all that I loved him, and I did all I knew how to confirm his salvation before he died.
My dad was not the kind of guy I would hang out with after work. But I've worked with a lot of people like that through the years. There are guys I would not have voted for to be Sunday school teacher, but I would have followed them into battle.
My dad would have fit into that category. I never knew a harder working man in my life. He was full of ideas and the ingenuity to build things out of scrap. He once built his own house from a do-it-yourself kit and a garage from his own design. He helped me build a dune buggy which I could never have done myself. One year he built a houseboat out of second hand materials and took my bothers and me on one of the best vacations of my life to Lake Powell, Utah.
He wasn't around for the everyday problems that kids grow up with and in many ways he was not a good example for a kid to follow. On the other hand he was a gentleman, one of the nicest people you would ever want to know. He was kind and generous. Once when a Highlander boy, an organization like the Boy Scouts, tried to sell him some tickets to some kind of charity circus, he said he wasn't interested but gave him ten dollars anyway for the charity.
He was loyal to his friends and kept his word. He once promised to take me to a baseball game where the players were giving a pre-game clinic at all the positions. He forgot about it and he and his wife were dressed up to go to some dinner party when I called. He immediately canceled his plans, changed, and took me to the game.
My dad was an enigma. There is a spiritual answer of course for the dichotomy in his life, but in spite of the demons that haunted him at home and in his personal life, when called upon he was available, dependable, diligent to meticulous detail, and to many, a decent and valuable friend.
I don't defend Donald Trump's past dalliances. Immorality is the one major sin, if we can classify them that way, that more people, men and women, Christian and non-Christian, including past presidents, have had trouble with than any other. Trump is, as my dad was, a flawed individual, but my dad was reliable and as good as his word in dealing with people. I have no fear that Trump, particularly with the backing of so many evangelical leaders, will not be the same. I've lived with it and I've seen that it is possible. I have voted for Trump.
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