socialists

It seems that if one calls a liberal a socialist, they get really upset. Dennis Prager has a good artilce and included in it is that calling someone a socialist is just defining who they are and that they should accept, not as a dishonor but for what it really is. He also states that the bigger the goverment, the smaller the citizen. Now that is something to think about, especially in light of Europe. He identifies the democrats with the socialists parties of Western Europe, which is where they are taking us (USA).

be careful what you wish for

The health care bill passed Congress. Yippee. Now we will have government people telling us what doctors to see, when to see them, what can and cannot be done. Glenn Beck stirred up things about the social gospel when he told people that that was a code word for socialism and communism. Most Christian responses were fairly balanced noting that God is indeed concerned with justice.

But, one has to wonder about some. Listening to Dennis Prager (and well worth listening to - visit his Prager University site for 5 minute video lessons), he states that the leftist Jew is more concerned for leftism than for Jewish ideas and that the leftist Roman Catholic is more concerned for leftist ideas than for Catholic social teachings on abortion. Back during the Great Depression, churches often provided help. Then came the social ideas of FDR followed by LBJ followed by Obama, and we have more and more government control over "social" issues - most of which lean left.

Be careful what you wish for because the same happened in socialist and communist countries. Stalin started state churches and closed those that did not support the party line. Hitler compromised with the Lutheran church and attempted to destroy the Confessing church that opposed him. China has the official church and persecutes all others. Here in our nation, churches that support Biblical values are often ridiculed. The Mormons were blamed for the support of the marriage amendment in California because the gay agenda opposed it. If one supports big government, socialist agenda, then you will be praised by the elite of the country in the media, government and university. All others are stereotyped as out of date, hateful and angry. Of course, if you notice, those who are often hateful, out of date, and angry are the ones making the accusations. In D.C., the government has stated that adoption agencies must allow homosexuals to adopt and if they don't, they will not be allowed to provide adoption for anyone, thereby eliminating the Catholic organization.

The government sees itself in control, as god, and anyone who opposes them as enemies. Jesus is Lord, not anyone or thing in D.C., or anywhere else for that matter. By the way, it is those mean conservative Bible believing Christians who were already in Haiti that helped with the survivors of the earthquake, and in Indonesia, and New Orleans. When the government failed, who went anyway? And it is American military power that often goes to the rescue with aircraft carriers that have hospitals and helicopters for rescue, and medical personnel who can give aid. Have you notice that most of these people are conservatives and many Christians?

Do we really want to be like Europe where government controls far too many aspects of life? The bigger the government the smaller the person (Prager). Be careful what you wish for.

blizzards and cold waves

In December, according to the media, we were going to have a blizzard. Well I survived the blizzard of 09 (want to get a t-shirt that says that). The snow fell, the winds blew, but we survived here in Houston, TX.

Now we are in a cold wave. Tempts are in the 20s and wind chill in single digits. Some people really do need to understand the concept of wind chill - walking around in short sleeves and shorts is not good. We were told that we would have sleet and bridges would freeze. The city was mobilized and began dealing with the possibility. While the sleet didn't materialize (and I'm glad because people do not realize that one must drive slower in such weather), it has been cold. As a Yankee, I'm enjoying it, and I dress for it as well.

All this must be caused by global warming. Oh, that's right...climate change. Ah, climate changes! The weather people have a difficult enough time getting tomorrow right, what makes some of these alarmist think they will get it right in one hundred years? Take God out of the picture and all they can do is announced doom and gloom.

Weather changes...get use to it.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.

If you get a chance to listen to an acceppla group called Haven, they have an outstanding Christmas album. I here a part of one song on the Hugh Hewitt show, ordered it. This morning I listened to it. The vocals are excellent. They are from southern California. A few years ago, Bill Geist reported on CBS Sunday morning that there are over one thousand acceppella groups thr0ughout the country. This is a very good one.

Happy New Year!

2 types of leaders

I've been thinking about leaders these days. There are two types. One is the cattle driver. Cattle are driven not lead. They do not follow well but scatter when on their own.

The second is a shepherd. Sheep are lead not driven. Sheep will scatter when driven but follow the trustworthy shepherd. In scripture, humans are compared to sheep not cattle.

Consider some of the leaders I have worked with both in secular and sacred work, it is a lesson few realize. The best results come from a leader who leads by example, not one who barks orders.

my favorite time of the year

Went to see Mannheim Steamroller last night. Good performance though Chip Davis was not there. We saw them a few years ago and as the leader, he made the show. They have a 25th edition album out of their best - worth having.

There is an accapella group who did a funny version of the 12 Days of Christmas about 10 years ago. Well some Hollywood guy saw it and they have just released their 2nd Christmas album. They are good whether serious or funny. They are called Straight No Chaser. They started at Indiana U., went their separate ways, and now have reunited. It is worth listening to.

labeling

It is so easy to label someone isn't it? This past week, radio host Rush Limbaugh was labeled a racist because someone read something that someone said that Rush said, yet no source can be found. Of course that never happens in the church, right?

Today, we use the word liberal as someone we do not agree with. The first one to say "liberal" has successfully labeled another person. This poisons the well of discussion because now everything the labeled person says is suspect. It is meant by the labelor to cause this to happen so people will not listen to his point of view. Other words that have become useless by bad use are conservative, legalist, traditionalist, and progressive. With all the baggage found in these words, the only reason people use these labels is to raise questions of those labeled.

A friend and I were talking about this once. He said that he just wanted to be Biblical and go wherever that led. For some this is a good thought; wanting to study the Bible and realize that we might see things differently from our previous understandings and traditions. Others find this frightening for the same reasons.

I doubt that this will change but it is a sad state of affairs that good people now have to live with false labels all for the sake of maintaining control.