Church and State

Lately it seems that the concept of separation of church and state works great at keeping the church out of the state's business, but it does a lousy job of keeping the state out of the church's business.  In a climate of an all powerful state, where the state is intent on imposing its will on all aspects of our lives, diminishing the importance of religion in a person's life is job one. Oh, they won't say that. They're too smart to tell people what they are really up to. Just go ahead and formulate extreme policies, then back off a bit to make it look like you are willing to "accommodate" the people, and there you are: one step closer to state run religion, and one step back from personal freedom. How benevolent of you.

Anyhow, today there is a very good article related to this that I would like to recommend for your reading.

Many have argued that the left is fighting for freedom from religion.  No, there will always be religion.  Fundamental change was promised; change from God given rights to state granted rights are being delivered.  When the state eliminates God, the state becomes god.  And the state is a jealous god, especially when it takes guidance from a bookdedicated to Lucifer.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/02/our_father_who_art_in_washington.html#ixzz1mqpOQjTe

Obama and Christmas

I bash Barack Obama quite a bit, mostly because I believe he and his policies deserve it, and because it is so easy. Today's bashing comes from Andrew Schwartz, who comments on Obama's short speech at the "Christmas in Washington" television special. In his speech, Obama says: "This is the season to celebrate the story of how, more than two thousand years ago, a child was born to two faithful travelers who could find rest only in a stable, among cattle and sheep.  He was no ordinary child.  He was the manifestation of God's love.  And every year we celebrate His birth because the story of Jesus Christ changed the world.  For me, and for millions of Americans, His story has filled our hearts and inspired our lives.  It [the story] moves us to love one another; to help and serve those less fortunate; to forgive; to draw close to our families; to be grateful for all that has been given to us; to keep faith; and to hold on to an enduring hope in humanity." --Barack Obama, Dec 11, 2011.

Schwartz comments:
Christians do not believe that it was "the story" of Christ that changed the world. It was the actual presence of Christ -- His birth, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection -- that changed the world. Nor is it "the story" of Christ that fills the Christian heart and inspires his life. It is the actual forgiveness of our sins, and His constant intercession, which allows the absolutely abhorrent to commune with the Supreme and Ultimate Authority of the universe, that inspires worship.

Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/12/obama_misses_the_real_reason_for_the_season.html#ixzz1gQ73Ci6z

Please Read This Interview

I am highly recommending that you take a few moments are read through this interview with David Brog, author of "In Defense of Faith; The Judeo-Christian Idea and the Struggle for Humanity". Brog, a Jew, does a fantastic job in laying out the moral and ethical foundation for not only our country, but for all people. It is a bit long, but a very good read.

Separating God From Our Lives

A compelling article by Cindy Simpson in today's American Thinker. I recommend reading the entire piece. Here is an excerpt:

Many Christians have bought into the dichotomy of faith and reason, both in the personal or professional activity of their daily lives and in their own minds.  G. K Chesterton, in his bookOrthodoxy, makes this brilliant observation:

If it be true (as it certainly is) that a man can feel exquisite happiness in skinning a cat, then the religious philosopher can only draw one of two deductions.  He must either deny the existence of God, as all atheists do; or he must deny the present union between God and man, as all Christians do.  The new theologians seem to think it a highly rationalistic solution to deny the cat.[i]

Substitute Chesterton's cat with the divisive topic of abortion, and it becomes evident how even a supposedly "Christian" society has resolved the dilemma by simply denying the sin.  The act has been renamed over time, evolving from murder to abortion, then to pro-choice, and on to the more positive-sounding idea of women's reproductive rights. When a baby is wanted, available scientific technology helps ensure its survival; when not, it's merely seen as a clump of cells and the same technology is used to destroy it. Not only does this solution of pro-choice deny the cat, it affirms society's imagining that it, and not God, created the life in the first place.

Easter

There are any number of beliefs or issues that various Christians consider to be most important to the faith. Some emphasize social justice as defining the gospel (personally I would run fast from anyone who falls in this group), some believe strongly in rituals, and some place a lot of emphasis on "faith", as though faith was the targeted end, or at least they are hesitant to define who or what is the object of their faith. I believe that the absolute essential tenant of the Christian faith has to be the resurrection of Jesus. If someone claims to be a Christian, but denies or downplays the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus, they are standing on very shaky ground. If people claim that the gospel (or good news) revolves around Jesus' teachings about taking care of those less fortunate or about loving thy neighbor, and they skip over the death and resurrection of Jesus, they are completely missing the gospel.

Scripture and Jesus himself are both very clear in telling us why Jesus came to dwell among us here on earth. First of all, Scripture and Jesus are clear about who Jesus is: God himself. It is difficult to reconcile the concept of Jesus as a great teacher or as a prophet, but not God. How could someone who was so clear about His identity, to the point of being stoned for blasphemy, be given those titles (teacher, prophet) if He was not God? Delusional maybe. A liar perhaps. Or He has to be who he claimed He was. A great teacher would not purposely mislead those he is teaching. A prophet would point people to someone greater. Jesus was clear: I and the Father are One. No one comes to the Father but through me.

The resurrection is significant because it was Jesus dying for our sins, bearing the full weight and payment of penalty for those sins, so that we might have eternal life with God. This is the gospel: that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son . . that whosoever would believe in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). It's all about our separation from God, His desire to be in relationship with us because of His love for us, to the point of allowing His own Son to die on a cross as a full payment for the sin that separated us from God. It is up to us individually to accept this gift. No one else can do it for us, there is nothing we can do to earn it.

This Easter, please consider these words. Consider your own relationship with God. Have you accepted this gift, this salvation, that God is offering to you?

Faith: the word

I've been thinking a lot lately about the word "faith". Like the words "tolerance" and "change", I think people casually throw them around assuming that everyone is in agreement as to what is meant by the word. Most everyone wants change to take place, but not everyone is in agreement as to what that change should look like. So to just toss out that word "change"may sound great, but it doesn't really tell us anything until it is defined in detail so people can either say yes or no to it. Once that is done the consensus call for change becomes much less than consensus as people say "I want change, but I don't want your brand of change". The same is true with faith.

Politicians are great for throwing out the word "faith", especially when it comes to campaigning. People in general talk about how important faith is in their life. But oftentimes the farthest they go in a speech or in their day to day talking is to just say the word "faith" and assume everyone knows what they are talking about. But faith means different things to different people, and the object of their faith may be very different than what you might presume. Faith must have an object. For many people that would be God, for others it might be a person or a group, it could even be an idea or a tree. I just wish people would identify the object of their faith whenever they use that word. In other words for me I would generally speak of my faith in God. I might at times speak of my faith in the American people, but I would never want to confuse my faith in God with my faith in the American people. And so to speak of my "faith" and just my "faith", really doesn't tell anyone anything. They might assume I'm speaking of God when I am speaking of the American people, or of a friend, or of myself.

I hope to spend more time on this blog speaking about faith, specifically faith in God. Please check back.