Random Thoughts

We Are Americans

2008-02-13T10:31:00.000-06:00

...what really happened in Haditha

2008-02-13T09:51:00.002-06:00

"Lord, let me go in your power...

2008-02-10T22:41:00.000-06:00

...and strength and grace. Let everything I say and everything I do be in your compassion and understanding and love."

That (or a very close version of that) was my prayer last night as I went to talk to my grandmother. My grandmother needs to be in assisted living, but absolutely refuses to leave her house. My aunt has convinced her that my wife and I are trying to force her to sell the house. That is the situation I was faced with last night when going to my grandmother's house (which my aunt is currently staying at).

My gold-digging father (who has had nothing to do with her for 6 months) is now in on the act. He smells his chance to get back into her good graces (and the will). I feel like my enemies are camped around me waiting to strike, and the enemies are my own family!

For the whole 5 of you who may have ever read this blog, if you are reading it now, please stop and say a prayer for my family. Thanks.

That would be cool...

2008-02-09T10:38:00.000-06:00

I just recently filed my 2006 taxes. (I know, I know.) I am planning on purchasing a Palm T|X with my return, and was thinking about ways I would use it when I came up with an idea.

Remember those handheld optical scanners they used to sell at Wal-Mart that you moved it down a pages to capture it into Word (or other document writing software)? Well, a small version of those would be a cool accessory to a handheld device. While a portable keyboard can certainly be useful, and Graffiti is good for notes, the ability to scan an entire document (or documents) into my Palm would definately be worth the investment.

“Be nice. Be polite. Have a plan to kill everyone you see.”

2008-02-07T09:17:00.000-06:00

Read Bob Owens' hilarious article, 'Gunning For a Concealed Carry Permit', about taking a concealed carry class.

Yes, I voted for Huckabee

2008-02-05T23:27:00.001-06:00

My vote was more a vote against McCain than it was a vote for Huckabee. It also had nothing to do with the fact the he is from Arkansas or this endorsement...

USS Enterprise Numa Numa

2008-02-05T22:05:00.000-06:00

Just b/c I've never blogged it...

New Year, New Hosting

2008-02-05T20:17:00.000-06:00

I've changed my hosting from ImHosted to Lunarpages. It wasn't because of any problems with my previous host, but Lunarpages allows streaming content.

Eep op ork ah ah

2007-10-04T10:04:00.001-05:00

America's Christian Heritage Rewritten

2007-03-15T12:10:00.000-05:00

Tour guides at Jamestown, VA are prohibited from discussing the religious motivations of the original Jamestown settlers, and can only refer to documents such as the 'Ten Commandments' and the 'Lord's Prayer' as "religious" in nature. This is not the first time that California pastor and researcher Todd DuBord has uncovered such revisionist history relating to Christianity. Read the full article here.

Homosexual Indoctrination Outed in Ilinois High School

2007-03-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

Deerfield High School in Chicago has ired Concerned Women for America with their mandatory "Freshman Advisory" class. The class, designed to help ninth-graders transition to high-school life, features a discussion panel in which homosexual and transgender upperclassmen tell of their experiences. The Chicago Tribune published an article on the story March 7, which was (in my opinion) fairly neutral, although they left out the fact that this year, students were required to sign a confidentiality agreement saying they would not tell anyone about the discussions, including their parents.

Chicago Tribune article

OneNewsNow article

2006-2007 Top Ten Conservative Colleges

2007-03-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

As rated by the Young America's Foundation.

Christendom College - Front Royal, VA
College of the Ozarks - Point Lookout, MO
Franciscan University of Steubenville - Steubenville, OH
Grove City College - Grove City, PA
Harding University - Searcy, AR
Hillsdale College - Hillsdale, MI
Indiana Wesleyan University - Marion, IN
Liberty University - Lynchburg, VA
St. Vincent College - Latrobe, PA
Thomas Aquinas College - Santa Paula, CA

Honorable mentions include:

Newt Gingrich on Meet The Press

2007-02-27T13:04:00.000-06:00

Here's some '08 election coverage:

Right Faith

2007-02-27T11:44:00.000-06:00

Some really good stuff over on the RightFaith blog recently (Feb, 2007). Go check it out.

Dems Don't Know What They Want

2007-02-27T09:19:00.000-06:00

The Democrats reclaimed the House and Senate majorities on an election platform of hating Bush. Now that they're in power, they don't know what to do, because they never really had a plan other than "hate Bush." Here's the story.

Awesome!

2007-02-14T23:56:00.000-06:00

My new favorite pic:

Is everyone mad?

2006-05-06T00:51:00.000-05:00

What is it about people today. There is no sense, no logic...only insanity. "A day without an illegal" has come and gone. The only thing closed here were the taco shops. Why would anyone want to reward people for breaking the law? I guess it's like parents who don't dicipline their children. I feel so powerless to do anything. I totally get why some people want to live out their lives as a hermit in isolation. I still think this country is better than any other, but I get more and more disillusioned everyday. All good things...

Crazy Christian Protestors

2006-04-29T00:33:00.000-05:00

If you haven't heard about the independant Baptist group protesting at military funerals, check out this video.

My first reaction was, "This chick's crazy!" My second reaction was, "Man, all the people she is turning away from Christ." Their protest signs and her speech seem to be using selective memory in their Bible thumping. Whatever happened to "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal."--1 Cor 13:1? 1 Corinthians 13 is often called the love chapter.

"4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;
6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away."

Of these characteristics of Godly love, Ms. Roper definately does not embody kindness, not parading itself, not behaving rudely, does not rejoice in iniquity, and rejoicing in truth.

The biggest thing that irked me, though, was when Sean Hannity said, "I'm a Christian. I don't hate God," and she responded with, "You're not a Christian." (Because he's Catholic.) No one besides me and God knows where I stand with Him. As a Christian, I am to make my own judgement based on people's actions as to whether I think they may be a Christian or not, but I have no authority upon which to tell anyone whether they are or are not a Christian. "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."--Luke 6:37

The Microsofopoly (or Monoposoft)

2006-03-05T21:36:00.000-06:00

I had never thought of Microsoft's virtual monopoly in this way before. In the February 23 Linspire Letter, Kevin Carmony compares Microsoft and Henry Ford. Check it out here.

Help Our Disabled War Vets

2006-01-28T00:14:00.000-06:00

Check this out.

Mummified Body Found Watching TV

2006-01-10T23:47:00.000-06:00

The body of a woman who didn't want to be buried was found in a chair in front of her T.V. set 2 1/2 years after she died. Here's the story.

America's Top 10 Conservative Colleges

2006-01-10T18:21:00.000-06:00

The Young America's Foundation list of the top 10 conservative colleges for 2005-2006 includes Harding University in my hometown. Congrats to all!

Hillsdale College--Hillsdale, Michigan
Grove City College--Grove City, Pennsylvania
Franciscan University of Steubenville--Steubenville, Ohio
Indiana Wesleyan University--Marion, Indiana
Thomas Aquinas College--Santa Paula, California
College of the Ozarks--Point Lookout, Missouri
Liberty University--Lynchburg, Virginia
Patrick Henry College--Purcellville, Virginia
Christendom College--Front Royal, Virginia
Harding University--Searcy, Arkansas

It's not really a surprise that most of the list consists of Christian colleges.

Ten Commandments-1, ACLU-0

2006-01-09T22:58:00.000-06:00

On December 20, 2005, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit decided that displaying the Ten Commandments does not imply an endorsement of religion.

The ACLU’s argument contains three fundamental flaws. First, the ACLU makes repeated reference to “the separation of church and state.” This extra-constitutional construct has grown tiresome. The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state. Our Nation’s history is replete with governmental acknowledgment and in some cases, accommodation of religion. “There is an unbroken history of official acknowledgment by all three branches of government of the role of religion in American life from at least 1789.” After all, “[w]e are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being.” Thus, state recognition of religion that falls short of endorsement is constitutionally permissible.
Second, the ACLU focuses on the religiousness of the Ten Commandments. No reasonable person would dispute their sectarian nature, but they also have a secular nature that the ACLU does not address. That they are religious merely begs the question whether this display is religious; it does not answer it. . . . “Simply having religious content or promoting a message consistent with a religious doctrine does not run afoul of the Establishment Clause.” . . . In short, “proving” that the Ten Commandments themselves are religious does not prove an Establishment Clause violation.
Third, the ACLU erroneously–though perhaps intentionally–equates recognition with endorsement. To endorse is necessarily to recognize, but the converse does not follow. Because nothing in the display, its history, or its implementation supports the notion that Mercer County has selectively endorsed the sectarian elements of the first four Commandments, we fail to see why the reasonable person would interpret the presence of the Ten Commandments as part of the larger “Foundations” display as a governmental endorsement of religion.
We will not presume endorsement from the mere display of the Ten Commandments. If the reasonable observer perceived all government references to the Deity as endorsements, then many of our Nation’s cherished traditions would be unconstitutional, including the Declaration of Independence and the national motto. Fortunately, the reasonable person is not a hyper-sensitive plaintiff. Instead, he appreciates the role religion has played in our governmental institutions, and finds it historically appropriate and traditionally acceptable for a state to include religious influences, even in the form of sacred texts, in honoring American legal traditions.

Here is a link to the story by the ACLJ. Here is a link to the Court's full opinion. Of course, it was not mentioned at all on the ACLU website.

Biblical Health Insurance?

2006-01-09T10:22:00.000-06:00

In the Business & Personal Finance section of Sunday's San Diego Union-Tribune was an article titled Sharing the burden. In it, they described three "regulation-free religious groups [offering] alternatives to traditional health insurance by banning risky, high-cost behavior." The three "groups" mentioned are Samaritan Ministries, Medi-Share, and the Christian Brotherhood Ministry Newsletter.

I decided to see for myself what these groups were all about, and here's what I found, starting with Samaritan Ministries.

All three groups have a '.org' web address, so I'm assuming they are all non-profit groups, rather than for-profit. That is a good start. Samaritan Ministries seeks to "bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ" as stated in Galatians 6:2, and make it very clear that they are not providing insurance or legally agreeing to reimburse you for medical expenses and therefore are not regulated by any state agencies. They also stay away from insurance-like terms such as 'coverage', 'deductible', etc. The titles 'Samaritan Ministries' and 'Christian Health Care Newsletter' seem to be interchangable, which caused a little confusion at first. The newsletter, I guess, is their way to let subscribers know about needs and acts as the monthly bill, so to speak. Though, rather than sending their contributions to the ministry, members are assigned a specific need and send money directly to that person along with a note of encouragement and prayer. This goes along with their "Send a note--pay your share--always stay alert in prayer" mantra.

They will "publish" up to $100,000 of need per person, per incident with no lifetime or yearly limit. The first $300 of each incident is to be paid by the subscriber (or their church) up to 3 incidents per calendar year. For the fourth and all subsequent incidents per calendar year, the total need amount will be published. Preventative care, cosmetic surgery, and problems from "self-destructive actions" will not be published.

The short-list of membership requirements from the FAQ are as follows:

You must be a born-again Christian--John 3:3
You must attend church regularly (3 out of 4 weeks that your health and the weather are good)--Hebrews 10:25
You must not abuse alcohol--Ephesians 5:18
You must totally abstain from illegal drugs, tobacco use, and sex outside of heterosexual marriage--1 Corinthians 3:16
Since your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, you must practice good health measures--1 Corinthians 6:19, 20
Your pastor must sign a statement confirming you meet these requirements--Hebrews 13:17

Of course, further searching of their website reveals a slightly longer list of requirements, but it is essentially the same with the addition of their statement of faith, which you must "be in agreement with." Also, their website is, of course, decorated with the requisite testimonials throughout.

I have mixed-feelings about the operation, at best. I think the idea is great, and the price is right. As for it being a Christian ministry, I find it, well, lacking. There are many exceptions that are either not published or have strings attached. Many pre-existing conditions are not published until you have been symptom and treatment free (or "cured") for one year. No pre-existing heart conditions, cancer, or diabetes will be published at all. Congenital defects have a $25,000 lifetime maximum per condition...and the list goes on. Oh, yea...hope you're never in a car accident. All of this is to "minimize risk and cost," but does this hold up biblically?

"Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."--Acts 4:34, 35

While cost cutting is never a bad thing, I would hope that as Christians, we would rely on faith rather than rebuffing any needs of our bretheren. I also take issue with the required statement from your pastor. Rather than going with Heb 13:17, I would look one more verse down:

"Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly."--Hebrews 13:18

If God can preserve the message of the Bible through centries, can He not, then watch over something like this?

I'm also not much of a fan of putting a specific number on what constitutes regular church involvement. I don't have a problem with regular attendence being a factor, but if there is any uncertainty as to whether someone meets this requirement, it should be put to a vote of the membership. One of my biggest issues (and maybe even a point of hypocracy) is that Samaritan Ministries claims to want to help you be a good steward of your money, but does not publish preventive care needs. I don't know about you, but I was always taught that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of treatment.

Overall, great idea, bad execution. I don't think I could personally recommend it. Here are some people who do: Memlok, Hephzibah House, and this is a blog entry about Samaritan Ministries with a comment (at the bottom) from SMI's Vice President (at that time).

Tags: christian, health care, bible

My First Comment!

2006-01-06T22:49:00.000-06:00

I got my first comment today! Woo-hoo! Thanx, jr. Check out jr's blog RightFaith.