Monthly Archives: January 2010
Roundup
Another global warming lie: Climate chief was told of false glacier claims before Copenhagen. But just because these guys have been caught in amazing, fantastically expensive lies that they personally profited from doesn’t mean you can’t trust them, right?
—
Question: Would every Liberal-controlled school system be better if a hurricane hit it? Answer: Probably.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan, one of the Chicagoans brought to Washington for “The Golden Age of Hope and Change” (aka, “The Unmitigated Disaster of Unprecedented Proportions”), said recently that “the best thing to ever happen to the school system in New Orleans was Hurricane Katrina”.
He’s right.
New Orleans public schools were terrible before Katrina. Post-disaster, they were rebuilt from the ground up, along a charter school model that’s already showing great progress.
—
I’m actually glad to see NOW — the National Organization of (un-aborted) Women — protesting Tim Tebow’s Super Bowl Commercial, as it will draw more attention to it.
So, the point is that people who think Roe vs. Wade should be overturned lose their right to free speech? Does this principle apply to all Supreme Court decisions? If so, I guess we’d better get started on the Obama impeachment hearings, after the embarrassing disrespect he showed the Supreme Court during the State of the Union address.
. . .
It’s nostalgic to read a press release from NOW again. The organization was last seen sinking into the bubbling tar of the Clinton impeachment saga, babbling incomprehensibly about how sexual harassment really isn’t such a big deal when pro-abortion Democrat presidents do it.
. . .
The Tebows are not planning to use their Super Bowl minutes for a sermon, or to impose their views on anyone. They only want their chance to testify that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are not an equation that balances out to zero.
—
Homophobia is the “irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against homosexuality or homosexuals.” It applies to a remarkably small number of people, none of whom I have ever met. It is a petty, childish putdown used by those who try to silence others who dare to criticize anything about homosexual behavior. These people can’t argue an issue on its merits so they resort to personal attacks.
Sadly, the attacks are often effective. Immoral and illogical, but effective. What many people do suffer from is the rational fear that they will be called a homophobe. Because of that, they don’t dare to share the truth of God’s word or to oppose things like teaching 5 year olds how “normal” homosexual behavior is.
—
The importance of sound doctrine
A man is not to be judged a heretic for speaking or writing an error – we all fall into this group. A heretic is one who continues in teaching falsehoods that strike at the basics of Christian beliefs. Stuart Brogden
Many people downplay the importance of doctrine, saying such things as, “All the theology I need is that God is love” or “I just want to follow Jesus.” But they have a false idea of what doctrine is. It isn’t boring (at least it isn’t supposed to be). How do you know how to follow Jesus, or why you should follow Jesus, if you don’t have doctrine? Why on earth would you commit your life to someone without understanding Him or what He taught?
And yes, God is love, but that is just one of his attributes and not his complete definition. And what kind of love does this mean – a sentimental, pampering love or the agape kind of love where you have the long term best interests of the other person at heart and would willingly sacrifice for them?
There are countless false teachers in our churches today, and they do great damage to individuals and the church. We must know the truth well so we can spot them. Here is a great article by Charles Spurgeon about false teachers. Please read it.
Listed at the bottom of this post are just some of the verses pointing us to the importance of sound doctrine. Jesus expected the Disciples to understand his teachings. Also, keep in mind that Jesus spent much of his time rebuking the Pharisees for their false teachings, and a major part of the New Testament letters was devoted to corrections of errors in the church. If Jesus warned against false prophets doesn’t that imply that there are true prophets?
If anyone thinks these verses are taken out of context, please let me know. Some of my theologically liberal blogging buddies implied as such, saying I had selected them in a “willy nilly” fashion. However, they provided zero (0) examples. Perhaps they could start with the first passage, which actually contains the phrase “sound doctrine.” If I took something out of context it wouldn’t be the first or last time, but I am quite correctable and rarely make the same mistake twice.
One person mocked me for “actually believing that God cares for something called sound doctrine.” His position is self-refuting and un-Biblical. Sound doctrine is merely accurate theological teaching. Given two choices of God either caring about sound doctrine or not caring, he chose the latter while I chose the former. If God agrees with him, then he has properly taught God’s view. But that would mean that God cares about the proper teaching of not caring about proper teaching, and that he seems to think it is important to convey sound doctrine on the point of sound doctrine not being important. Indeed. It would also mean that God had to communicate his lack of caring about sound doctrine. Did He do that in the Bible (where?) or outside it?
Read the verses – or the whole Bible, for that matter – and decide for yourself if God cares about sound doctrine.
2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Acts 20:28-31 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Matthew 7:15-20 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 24:4-12 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ, ’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
Matthew 24:24-27 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time. “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Romans 1:20-22 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
2 Corinthians 11:12-15 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Galatians 1:6-10 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11-14 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
Ephesians 5:6-11 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
Colossians 2:4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
Colossians 2:8-12 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
Colossians 2:18-19 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
1 Timothy 6:20-21 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.
2 Timothy 3:1-7 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth.
2 Timothy 3:12-14 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,
2 Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2 Peter 1:20-2:3 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
1 John 4:1-3 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
1 Corinthians 1:18-25 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.
1 Thessalonians 5:6-11 So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Jude 3-4 Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. [Read all of Jude – it is only 25 verses and says a lot about false teachers.]
2 Timothy 2:23-25 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
Titus 1:9-2:1 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. . . . Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.
Deuteronomy 13:1-5 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he preached rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
Jeremiah 5:31 The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?
1 John 4:1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Jeremiah 14:14 Then the Lord said to me, “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds.
2 John 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
Romans 16:17-18 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
John 8:44-45 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!
2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Also see Jesus’ messages to the churches in Revelation 2-3 and all the passages where Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their false teachings.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
How to spot false teachers
False teachers will mock and discount the Bible as the word of God, even as they attend “Christian” seminaries and stand in pulpits of “Christian” churches. That is a clear sign that they are fakes. If they were true believers they would accept the word of God as the Thessalonians did. Read this carefully:
1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
If you aren’t sure if you are encountering a false teacher, just ask them if they think 1 Thessalonians 2:13 is the word of God. Then you’ll know.
The Bible teaches over and over just how important sound doctrine is. When people mock that importance and say that the Bible is not the word of God then they are doing you a big favor. They are shouting out that they are inauthentic. Don’t follow them.
The Great De-Commission
One of the most convicting things about pluralistic Christians is how radically their actions differ from their professed beliefs. Oh, we are all hypocrites at times, but their hypocrisy is foundational.
A pluralist is one who believes that all religions (or at least most of them) lead to God, and that Jesus is not the only way to salvation.
Now anyone who has actually read the Bible should realize that you can’t take it seriously and conclude that Christianity teaches that all paths lead to God. The Old Testament has countless warnings and consequences about following other gods, and the New Testament teaches 100 times directly or indirectly that Jesus is the only way to salvation. Just open the book anywhere any see what I mean. Pluralism just doesn’t make sense in light of the Bible.
To paraphrase something Edgar recently mentioned, try to imagine this conversation:
Pharaoh: We both worship the same God, so what’s the big deal?
Moses: Oh, good point. Never mind about that Exodus thingy.
But here is where their hypocrisy is most evident. If they really believed what they taught, then they would sent out reverse missionaries on a “Great De-Commision” to tell Christians (and other religions, for that matter) to worship whatever god the local culture follows.
After all, if all these paths lead to the real God, then repenting and trusting in Christ is just a preference, not a requirement. Why should anyone endure suffering for the name of Christ if religions such as Hinduism and Islam are merely different roads to the same place?
But these people never send out reverse missionaries. They just sit in their churches either not really believing in Jesus or being too afraid to preach the truth. They don’t obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.), but they also don’t implement the Great De-Commission, which would be the logical conclusion of their worldview. They don’t tell go through the world telling people that all religions are equally valid paths to God and that you should just follow the practices of your local culture.
“Pluralistic Christian” is an oxymoron. It mocks the cross. If these other paths are adequate, why did Jesus have to suffer and die as He did? It mocks the martyrs and the persecuted church. If Hinduism, Islam, etc. are just as valid and we have as much to learn from them as they do from us, as some Liberal Theologians have been known to say, then why are these “fools” suffering for Christ around the world today and why have so many risked or given up their freedom, health and lives throughout history?
If you have supported “pluralistic Christianity” in the past, then I urge you to repent and speak the truth from now on. If you can’t stand up and say that Jesus is the only way, then Christianity may not be for you.
“Christian pluralism” – self-refuting, oxymoronic and arrogant
I was searching for the quote at the bottom about Islam and came across this post. I decided that since I’d been analyzing the many problems with false teachers in the church that this would be good to re-post with a brief update. This is more subtle than usual for me (heh) but I think it is still meaningful.
Be sure to read the comment thread if you have time. It is a classic. Though you may want to take your Dramamine first as you watch the theological Liberals spin around.
—–
There is good pluralism (“Numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups are present and tolerated within a society”) and bad pluralism (“All religions are true and equally valid paths to God”). I have already written on the bad kind in Religious pluralism is intellectually bankrupt.
Erudite Redneck did a piece on the bad kind of pluralism that led to an interesting comment thread (by “interesting” I mean pointless and bizarre). I think he was quoting some group but it wasn’t clear. Here are selected portions:
While we have accepted the Path of Jesus as our Path, we do not deny the legitimacy of other paths God may provide humanity.
We affirm that the Path of Jesus is found wherever love of God, neighbor, and self are practiced together. Whether or not the path bears the name of Jesus, such paths bear the identity of Christ.
We confess that we have stepped away from Christ’s Path whenever we . . . have claimed Christianity is the only way, even as we claim it to be our way.
I knew these views self-refuting and oxymoronic, but the more I thought about it I realized they were arrogant as well. Here’s why:
Self-refuting: They claim that other paths to God are valid, but they specifically exclude Christians who think Jesus is the only way. But if all these paths are valid, why isn’t orthodox Christianity? And if orthodox Christianity is valid, then these other paths are not. Also, the definitions of “God” in these religions are mutually exclusive.
Pluralists simply don’t understand or apply the logical law of non-contradiction: You can’t have a personal God (Christianity) and an impersonal God (Islam) at the same time, or be saved by faith in Christ alone (Christianity) and by good deeds (everybody else), die once and face judgment (Christianity and Islam) and be reincarnated (Hinduism), Jesus dies on a cross (Christianity) and Jesus does not die on a cross (Islam), etc.
Oxymoronic: The Bible claims at least 100 times that Jesus is the only way to salvation. It only needs to say it once for it to be true, of course, but the theme is so strong that you have to work mighty hard to miss it. Pluralistic Christianity is an oxymoron. Christians originally called themselves The Way (see the Book of Acts), not A Way.
Have these people even read the Bible, and especially the Old Testament? With their reasoning you could cut out a couple Commandments (“You shall have no other gods before me” and “You shall not make for yourself an idol”).
Arrogant: While couched in inclusive language, it is actually a rather prideful position. They say that regardless of whom other religions say they are worshiping (say, Allah) that they are really worshiping Jesus. But do pluralistic Muslims pat us on the head and say, “Go ahead and worship Jesus. That’s OK, because we know you are really following Allah.” Of course not.
Ergun Mehmet Caner, a Christian scholar (and former Muslim) claims it is blasphemy to say Jehovah and Allah are the same God, and also said:
I have never met one intelligent Muslim who ever said that Allah of the Koran and Jehovah of the Bible are the same God.
One commenter thought it was haughty to claim that Jesus was the only way and that it denied others their humanity and religious beliefs. Those claims have it backwards, of course. It isn’t haughty to properly quote the Bible. And I respect people’s religious beliefs even if I disagree with them. And I appreciate their humanity enough to say that we can’t both be right. But the theological Liberals patronize people of other faiths and pretend that they are really worshiping the same God. How completely arrogant.
In addition to being self-refuting, oxymoronic and arrogant, Christian pluralism is also hypocritical. If they really believed what they taught they would send out Reverse Missionaries on the Great De-Commission. If all these religions are equally valid paths to Jesus then missionary efforts should encourage people to avoid persecution and just worship according to local customs (Islam, Hinduism, Baal, etc.).
The pluralists’ inconsistency betrays the fact they probably don’t believe what they are saying. It is just an easy way for them to stay popular with the world and avoid the hard and risky work of evangelism.
What do Obama & Co. want more than healthcare for the uninsured?
More abortions. Seriously.
Meditate on this: If Obama, Pelosi, Reid and the rest hadn’t insisted on taxpayer funded abortions – despite their repeated lies in saying that wasn’t part of their plan – the health care bill would have sailed through Congress long ago. Their desire to increase abortions resulted in them not only missing out on that but in killing socialized healthcare for many years.
If they hadn’t insisted on taxpayer funded abortions they could have have passed the rest of the health care bill and saved hundreds of millions in dollars in bribes to Louisana, Nebraska and other states. But that wouldn’t have increased abortions, so they would rather have no bill at all.
None of the health care amendments would have reduced the current level of abortions. They just sought to ensure that it wouldn’t have provided for taxpayer-funded abortions, which the vast majority of Americans oppose. Even if abortions are legal it doesn’t mean we should be forced to pay poorer people to have their unborn children destroyed.
Fact: These leaders wanted to increase abortions more than they want to help the uninsured. They would rather destroy the potentially poor than help the real poor (as misguided and counterproductive as their plans are).
Isn’t it a bizarre but positive thing that their irrational passion for more abortions not only kept them from gaining that but kept the rest of the health care debacle from being passed?
P.S. Repeat after me — abortion is not health care. Health care is when you help human beings live.
Roundup
Good post by Pastor Timothy on the King James Version-only controversy. I like Greg Koukl’s line about always recommending the KVJ to everyone who is over 350 years old. I have no objections to anyone using the KJV, but it isn’t for me. I like the ESV and the NIV but I’m not a snob about them.
—
This is just sad — he uses a teleprompter for a room this small?!
—
Republicans do have a plan for health care reform. They need to add tort reform to the list. Defensive medicine and malpractice insurance are huge drains on productivity and costs.
—
If Obama and the Democrats really want to “fight” Wall Street greed, they could have just not bailed them out multiple times beginning with the Clinton years. Oh, and they could do something about Freddie and Fannie. There is no way the financial crisis would have happened without the ineptitude and greed of those organizations.
—
Tragic: Single mother of four (five, actually) dies from “safe and legal” abortion — Apparently front alley abortions can be dangerous, too. Oh, and the unborn child is also dead.
—
Oops — Behar Accidentally Outs Gays, Says Monogamy Is ‘Too Much Trouble’ — Is she homophobic? Isn’t that the term we use for anyone who criticizes anything about the gay lobby?
One of my favorite blogs . . .
. . . is Hillbuzz, written by a bunch of gay guys in Chicago. You might be thinking my blog has been hijacked, but never fear. Do I disagree with them on some matters about human sexuality and God? Well, duh. But we have a lot in common and it is good to read different perspectives, and these guys have a lot of important things to say. And they are funny and much more charitable to Christianity than you’d expect. I’d trust them way more than theological Liberals whose religion is just Lefty politics in disguise.
Oh, and they are being viciously attacked and threatened by extremists on the Left because they dare to criticize President Obama. Please pray for their safety, as I do.
Consider this post and a few excerpts below. Very insightful.
We’re just going to answer this question right now: Christians.
Christians will be in Haiti helping rebuild that country, working in deplorable conditions, and, frankly, giving every last bit of themselves to rebuild Port-au-Prince and relieve as much suffering as possible.
George Clooney will take his beard back to Italy, or wherever he goes with it (or her, depending on how you want to define that), on his private jet, probably snacking on roast peacock and baby seal, all the while lambasting the rest of the masses for their carbon footprints and general thoughtlessness.
. . .
Liberals don’t build things. They don’t get their hands dirty. They just attack people, call them RAAACISTS! when they don’t agree with the Liberal talking points, and then get back into their limousines to ride twelve feet to the red carpet.
More and more we think about the difference between the way we are personally treated by the Left and the Right. To be blunt, neither extreme likes gays all that much. Liberals are smart enough to put on a good face about it in public, but behind closed doors they make their jokes, too, and can be far crueler than you could ever imagine. The Right’s foolish because — and we honestly believe this — conservatives are less prejudiced, reactionary, and hateful than Liberals…but they just don’t know how to do good PR. Maybe it’s because conservatives are largely quiet, on the whole, and tend to mind their own business…so the random zealots who condemn people like us to fire and brimstone and eternal suffering (what, like having to watch MSNBC?) get more airplay.
As we’ve said before, about the worst thing a Republican ever did to us was tell us they were going to pray for us “to get better”, so we would suddenly one day wake up and be all about Ann Hathaway, and not focused on how last-season her Oscar dress is.
. . .
Remind us why Liberals are so much better than Republicans again, for gays, or for anything else. While you’re at it, please explain why Christians are so persecuted by the media, and so maligned day in and day out…and yet these people jump into the fray when people need help.
While Liberals wait in the limousine for the best lighting to step out, for their photo op, to tell the cameras how sad they are about things like Haiti.
And how it’s all Bush’s fault.
Wow, gotta love those guys. Uh, in a totally manly, agape way, of course. Seriously, I’m glad they’ve had some positive interactions with authentic Christians. I know the media and the Left are relentless with their pathetic-but-effective “homophobe” pejoratives, but the Christians I know (and I know a couple) interact with GLBT folks in the same way described above.
Galatians 6
Greetings!
Galatians 6 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
It is so easy to compare ourselves with others. This leads to the bad kind of pride, where we compare our strengths to the weaknesses of others, or the bad kind of humility, where we compare our weaknesses to the strengths of others.
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.
Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.
The next passage should be a warning to those who mock God and his Word. Yes, forgiveness is possible (thank God!) but that doesn’t mean we won’t still have to live with the consequences of our sins.
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
It is tiring to do good, but Paul exhorts us to stay the course because we’ll be glad we did later. We can trust that it will all be worthwhile.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Paul had some kind of problem with his eyes.
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
Make no mistake: Paul suffered greatly for the Gospel. Read 2 Corinthians 11:22-33. He was beaten, whipped, jailed and more many times.
Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Reflect on today’s readings and share your comments and questions if you like.
Eternity Matters 
