Monthly Archives: June 2012

Roundup

Roundup

10 Comments

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Sadly, pro-choicers think it is a good thing that we’ve reduced the cases of Down Syndrome outside the womb by killing 90% of those who have it when they are inside the womb.  And yet they think pro-lifers are the extremists.

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For you Reformed folks, please consider switching from TULIP to BACON.  Tulips are beautiful but bacon is tastier and more manly-sounding.

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Good, simple flowchart in responding to same-sex marriage arguments (click the link to embiggen and get the jpeg):

Marriage-Flow-Final-2.png (1024×563)

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Mainstreaming Bisexuality: ‘Captain Bisexual’ Marches in Chicago Pride Parade as Young Children Watch — the title says it all.

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Aussie Communists: ‘Strike blows’ against the Church and capitalism with same-sex ‘marriage’ — Hey, kudos to them for being honest about their agenda.  At least they didn’t peddle the lies about it being for “love,” which countless unthinking people reflexively repeat (as if not changing the definition of a timeless word would prevent people from loving each other).

Uncategorized

CARM on Joyce Meyer

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CARM is a terrific ministry with an amazing web site.  Here is a good overview of Joyce Meyer and why you should avoid her.

Via Joyce Meyer | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.

Joyce Meyer said she is not a sinner:  “I am not poor. I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I were and if I still was then Jesus died in vain. I’m going to tell you something folks. I didn’t stop sinning until I finally got it through my thick head I wasn’t a sinner anymore. And the religious world thinks that’s heresy and they want to hang you for it. But the Bible says that I am righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dmHJdM63hk)

Response:  Mrs. Meyer needs a lesson in basic Bible.  1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  Notice that John the apostle says “we.”  He is including himself with sinners.  Also, Paul said in Rom. 7:19-20,24, “For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me…24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”  Is Joyce Meyer better in Christian character than John and Paul?  I think not.  Mrs. Meyer fails to recognize her own sinfulness, and so mistakenly denies her own sinfulness.  I can only conclude that this false teaching comes from pride because it certainly isn’t biblical.

The host of hell were literally on Jesus and were laughing:  “They were having the biggest party that had ever been had. They had my Jesus in the floor and they were standing on his back jumping up and down laughing. And he had become sin. Don’t you think that God was pacing, wanting to put a stop to what was going on? All the host of hell were upon him. Upon him. Up on him. The angels were in agony.  All the creation is groaning. All the host of hell was upon him. Up on him. They got on him. They got him down in the floor and got on him and they were laughing and mocking. Ha ha ha ha. You trusted God and look where you ended up. You thought he’d save you and get you off that cross. He didn’t, ha ha ha.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNfOaxIcOMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNfOaxIcOM)

Response:  Where did she get this – in the sacred Book of Joycemeyeronomy?  It is certainly not in the Bible, and yet she has no problem teaching it as an authoritative truth.  Does she not know that the Bible says not to exceed what is written (1 Cor. 4:6)?  Yet, she has done exactly this.  She is in grave error and has violated God’s word that says that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and finished the atonement on the cross (John 19:30) – not in hell at the hands of demons!  There is no way demons were literally standing ‘on’ Jesus.  Meyer is in gross error!

Joyce Meyer gets revelation knowledge:  “The Bible can’t even find any way to explain this. Not really that is why you have got to get it by revelation. There are no words to explain what I am telling you. I have got to just trust God that he is putting it into your spirit like he put it into mine.” (http://storage.carm.org/joycemeyer/joyce-meyer-revelation-knowledge.mp3)

Response:  Revelation knowledge?  Is she on par with the apostles who received revelation knowledge from God himself?  Or how about the Old Testament prophets?  Does she, like them, also receive revelation knowledge from God?  If so, how would we know if it were true or not? The answer is simple:  we test what she says against Scripture, and it is obvious that she is getting a lot of things from somewhere else that contradict the word of God.

Economics, Politics

The real outsourcing

Barack Obama is trying to appeal to people’s concerns about job outsourcing by making distorted attacks against Mitt Romney’s business record.  But I hope this backfires on him as his other attacks have thus far.  Consider these facts.

1. GE, one of Obama’s non-tax-paying cronies, is moving its x-ray division headquarters from Wisconsin to China. That’s one of many examples.

2. Tax rates are often bigger drivers than wage rates.  When Compaq shipped tons of jobs to Singapore in the 90’s it was because of Singapore’s tax rates.  I know, because I did many of the financial analyses.  Democrats have done nothing to make our tax rates more competitive.

3. The real problem with outsourcing isn’t that the jobs shift geographies but that they shift from citizens/taxpayers to non-citizens/non-taxpayers.  Therefore, illegal immigration is the ultimate catalyst for losing jobs.  Yet Obama has done everything he can to buy more votes by losing more jobs for his citizens.

4. Unions make U.S. businesses less competitive and foreign goods more attractive.

5. The anti-drilling Democrats send countless high paying jobs overseas, and most “Green” jobs have gone to other countries.

6. Oppressive and unworkable regulations like the Dodd-Frank bill and Obamacare make it more enticing for companies to move jobs.

Vote Republican to keep more jobs here.  More jobs here = less unemployment = more taxpayers = less people receiving benefits.

Uncategorized

Brought to you by fake Christians: “Mainstreaming Bisexuality: ‘Captain Bisexual’ Marches in Chicago Pride Parade as Young Children Watch”

Via Mainstreaming Bisexuality: ‘Captain Bisexual’ Marches in Chicago Pride Parade as Young Children Watch » Americans for Truth — this kind of thing wouldn’t happen if Christian denominations purged their rolls of false teachers like Chuck “Jesus is not the only way” Currie.  He “proudly” takes his own daughters to gay pride parades where things like this deliberately happen.  Sadly, the apostate UCC and other denominations not only don’t object to these parades but they march in them.

Studies find male bisexuals conduits of HIV to heterosexual women

By Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH Exclusive

“MSMW [men who have sex with men and women] may serve as a conduit for HIV transmission between MSM [men who have sex with men] and heterosexuals.”

“Consistent with previous studies, compared with MSW [men who have sex with women], MSMW reported significantly higher numbers of sex partners and were significantly more likely to engage in anal intercourse with their female partners.” – Journal of Urban Health, July 2009, “Behaviorally Bisexual Men and their Risk Behaviors with Men and Women”

CHICAGO–Talk about marketing perversion and unhealthy behavior to kids: take a look at these photos of “Captain Bisexual” marching in Sunday’s Chicago homosexual “pride” parade. He is the ostensibly child-friendly face of a group called Bisexual Queer Alliance Chicago. Click on the photos to enlarge them and notice the youth in the background. Even though it appeared that organizers had dialed down the more raunchy floats compared to past “Chicago Pride” parades (I’ve observed three or four Chicago parades), there were still some X-rated contingents and spectacles like this that were utterly inappropriate for children. And yet, as you can see, many children looked on from the sidelines.

 

Christian worldview

Pastor Ed Young’s rant against Reformed theology

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Note: This isn’t about the pros and cons of Reformed theology, so save those comments.  This is about using proper arguments.

Ed Young, a mega-church pastor, gave a rant against Reformed theology in this clip. This is a classic example of straw-man (putting words in the mouth of your opponents) and ad hominem (attacking the person instead of the argument) fallacies.

This was bad on many levels.  There wasn’t one biblical argument made and no examples of refuting anything Reformed people actually claim.

The “You’re putting God in a box” line could by used by both sides, which means it proves nothing.  He pretends that people actually say they have “God in a box.”  He makes plenty of claims about God, so it seems hypocritical of him to make this claim.  And God has revealed at least part of himself in scripture.  If he thinks we’ve misinterpreted it, then he should explain why.  But by Young’s definition, anyone claiming to know anything about God would be guilty of “putting him in a box.”

Young’s practices are so bad that he regularly shows up on anti-heresy sights.  I’ve seen clips of him using creepy high-pressure giving tactics.  He promoted his sex book by being on a bed on the roof of his church with his wife (does he even know the rooftop story about David’s son Absolam?).

He says Reformed people are mean-spirited?!  Has he listened to his own message?

He makes nonsensical statements about the Reformed people being focused on fashion when he is the one who put on a fashion show.

He says the Reformed folks are pushing the social gospel?!  In my experience, I haven’t come across one Reformed person guilty of that.  They are usually the first to criticize it.

Despite what he says, we don’t claim to know who the elect are and we certainly don’t ignore the non-elect.  From one of the YouTube comments:

Calvinists never reach people with the Gospel? Tell that to Edwards, Whitefield, Spurgeon, Sproul, Pink, Packer, Carey, Bunyan, Owen, and others like them.

Ed says he baptized lots of people.  So what?  Ed thinks he is reaching people, but how can he be sure he isn’t just making false converts?

He says his critics are pajama-wearing basement bloggers?  Sure.  Then he says he doesn’t have time to call names.

If you have time, listen to James White’s analysis here.  Young is obviously feeling very threatened.  White concedes that perhaps Young was offended by some inexperienced Reformed people who should be “caged” until they mature.  But even then Young’s comments were still fact-free.

People like him make me even more Reformed.

Uncategorized

“Progressive,” counterproductive wolves

“Progressive” Christians love to quote Jesus about the “least of these,” even they are not only pro-legalized abortion but pro-taxpayer funded abortion.  Their hypocrisy doesn’t end there.  They consider it charity when they ask the government to take your money to “give” to others.

I Was Hungry and You … Called your Congressman made some excellent points about the flaws of Progressive philosophies.

The government does crowd out giving, and takes the discernment out of it. If your neighbor breaks his leg, people will help until he is well. But once he is well they’ll stop helping. If he decides he likes everyone doing things for him, people will not help. But the government doesn’t do that. They’ll keep funding him.

Even worse, the government policies discourage marriage and cause more poverty than they cure.

If Progressives want to debate the right level for a safety net that would be fine. But they actually think it is in line with Jesus’ teachings to ask Caesar to take from neighbor A by force to “give” to neighbor B. They consider themselves generous for doing that! Regardless of the effectiveness of their public policy positions, whatever they are doing cannot be called charity on their part.

There is evidence, however, that the growth of government programs crowds out private charitable giving. Thus pruning back some of the 70 or so federal assistance programs would yield more private giving. As taxes increase to cover spending, tax credits for charitable giving decrease, and government money flows to non-profit organizations, private giving shrinks. A Cato Institute report states:

Charitable giving declined dramatically during the 1970s, as the Great Society programs of the 1960s were expanding. The decline in giving leveled out in the 1980s as welfare spending began to level out and the public was deluged with news stories about supposed cutbacks in federal programs. Then, after the passage of welfare reform in 1996, there was a large spike in private giving.

 

Roundup

Roundup

4 Comments

An excellent summary of why you should avoid avoid Joel Osteen — in his own words! Hat tip: Glenn

KING: If you believe you have to believe in Christ? They’re wrong, aren’t they?

OSTEEN: Well, I don’t know if I believe they’re wrong. I believe here’s what the Bible teaches and from the Christian faith this is what I believe. But I just think that only God with judge a person’s heart. I spent a lot of time in India with my father. I don’t know all about their religion. But I know they love God. And I don’t know. I’ve seen their sincerity. So I don’t know. I know for me, and what the Bible teaches, I want to have a relationship with Jesus.

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Skip the “cleanse” diets. They are basically counter-productive starvation diets. Just eat a little less, eat a little healthier and exercise a little more. And ignore what celebrities say.

What you need to know:

The cleanse diets make 2 claims: 1) clean your guts an 2) lose weight fast.

With respect to weight loss, they are right – this is basically a starvation diet. Your body loses mostly fluids at first, then starts to lose muscle and fat in order to keep basic bodily functions running. There is a potential for serious bodily damage for people who maintain calorie deprivation for several weeks. . . .

With respect to detoxification – guess what? That’s what your liver is for. Our body is an amazing machine that knows how to rid itself of toxins without any intervention. Calling these starvation diets “detox” plays off people’s fear that there are poisons lurking in their body that can be magically removed by subjecting oneself to days of a concoction that tastes bad.

Scientifically there is no evidence that cleanse diets do any good. Most people who go on rapid weight loss diets often gain the weight back with a vengeance.

Dear Lucy – lose a little less weight but do it the right way. Keep eating healthy food, exercise, and be patient.

One last note to celebrities – please DON’T share your diet tips and tricks with us mere mortals. The fact that your are gorgeous and can sing and act (at least some of you) does not mean you know anything about nutrition. Our idolizing societal norms mean that you are setting examples for millions of people. That’s too much of a responsibility for you to pass off quack diets to your fans.

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Stay classy, LGBT activists — What Happens When You Let Gay Philly Activists Into the White House — They pose for pics giving Ronald Reagan’s portait the finger. That was just the beginning. They are just like the groping blind men of Sodom.

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An excellent point by Haemet related to my Roundup note that Socialized Medicine Euthanizes 130,000 Old People per Year in UK.

To put it another way, if the American medical system killed the same proportion of people as does the NHS, then we would lose approximately 643,000 people a year . . .

While any death from a lack of access to health care (or food, or shelter) is a tragedy, the phrase “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” comes to mind. Equal opportunity early death is not the solution to inconsistent access to health care.

The next time someone says that our health care system “kills” 46,000 per year, be sure to remember that even if that claim was true it should result in victory laps, not a dismantling of our system.

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A good overview of the history of Social Security — My only objection was the perpetuation of the myth of a “trust fund.” The grand total of money saved from prior contributions to fund future obligations is — wait for it — $0.00. Zero. Anyone hinting otherwise is not well informed on this topic. This is a Ponzi scheme waiting to crumble.

Uncategorized

Thanks to the IRD for babysitting the “Wild Goose” conference

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Via “Wild Goose” Gets an Education « Juicy Ecumenism, I’m glad to see the IRD take the time to monitor the “Progressive” (read: Liberal) politics-disguised-as-religion “Christians” at their annual Heresypalooza.

There was an astute observation that they have ignored the topic of abortion, knowing that more and more young people are pro-life.

It was interesting how they reflexively support teachers unions and public schools, even though they have no scriptural basis for their views and ignored how dramatic increases in inflation-adjusted spending haven’t improved test scores.

Uncategorized

False teacher, false dichotomy

False teacher Chuck “Jesus is not the only way” Currie  took a break from taking little girls to gay pride parades to offer a common but fallacious false dichotomy about Health Care vs. Bullets.  He probably uses the same bad logic on education vs. bullets, taxpayer-funded abortion vs. bullets, etc.

GOP leaders in Congress – hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down Obamacare – are looking to reroute funding for health care to military budgets.

Well, duh.  The bill was obviously un-Constitutional.  Anyone who can read knows that.  The only question is whether the judges will have any integrity.

And here’s what is Constitutional: Defending the country — with bullets!  Pacifism is a moral evil.  It is a noble and Christian thing to protect people.  Strong national defense saves lives and prevents wars.  We won the Cold War that way.

It’s a move people of faith must resist.

There’s the predictable “people of faith,” where Chuck dives into being unequally yoked with non-believers (oh, wait, he’s a non-believer himself . . . this gets so complicated!).

Politico reports: If the Supreme Court strikes down the health care reform law, that loss for President Barack Obama could be a win for the Pentagon.

That’s because Congress could find itself flush, thanks to billions of dollars that were allocated to fund “Obamacare” that won’t be spent if parts of the law are knocked down. . . .

Oh, so this is just a hypothetical.  Hey, here’s an idea.  Maybe if we didn’t spend the money at all and just borrowed less for future generations to repay?

The funny thing is that Chuck forgot to pretend that Obamacare saves money.  Oops!  Now, we all knew it would cost hundreds of billions, but Chuck used to spout that talking point that it would save $$ — just another tangled web for him.

For Christians, the responsibility on how to respond is clear.  We need to continue to work towards a health care system that covers every American.  It is our moral obligation.

1. He’s not a Christian.  He denies the essentials.

2. That’s odd for a pro-abortionist who takes little girls to gay pride parades to prattle on about moral obligations.

 Robbing people of their health care to expand military budgets is contrary to the values of our faith.

Eek!  Robbing!  That sounds bad.  Oh, wait, the truth is that no one is robbing anyone of anything.  Chuck, like most Liberals, doesn’t understand positive and negative rights. No one has a “right” to healthcare.  And the military budget angle was pure speculations.

And what “values” are those?  More taxpayer-funded abortions, where you truly rob people of their funds to kill innocent but unwanted human beings?

Remember, no system is perfect.  Even if the lie about our system killing 46,000 people per year was true, we’re still 10 times better than England.

False teacher.  False hypothesis.  False dichotomy.