Disappointment

I'll admit, I'm disappointed. The passage of the landmark health care bill by the House of Representatives is a setback for the sanctity of life in this country. I haven't spoken much about the issue of health care itself because I believe that much of the issue is political rather than biblical. As for whether or not the founding fathers would have wanted the federal government to have such authority over our lives is not a topic addressed in any book, chapter or verse of the Bible. When it comes to the issue of the sanctity of life, however, that is another matter.

I am particularly disappointed by Bart Stupak, the congressman from Michigan who initially led the pro-life democratic opposition. Stupak cited specific sections of the senate bill that did, in fact, provide federal funding for abortions, contrary to what the president and others said. Yet, after carefully and effectively articulating his point, he then walked away from it, voting for the bill anyway. He claims that he is accepting the president's promise that he will issue an executive order barring federal funds for abortion. It sounds good, but the problem is that the law passed by congress supersedes an executive order. The president does not have the constitutional authority to wish away a bill that was passed and signed into law. Furthermore, even if the president could do such a thing, all it would take is a swipe of his pen, or another president's pen later, to undo it.

Some will point out that the amount of money provided by the government to cover abortions is small. That is true. Others will point out that under the new law, an individual must pay for their own rider to receive coverage for abortions. This also is true. The threshold, however, has now been crossed. The principle that government funds do not pay for the destruction of preborn human life has ended. And once you cross that line, it is easy to adjust the numbers. The hard part is getting the first dollar.

We now have all the more reason to pray for revival in America and to fear the judgment that God may bring upon us.

Pray for the Brethren in India

It is reported that there have been 1,000 attacks on Christians or churches in the last 500 days in India. We need to keep our brothers and sisters over there bathed in prayer.

Already Taken

Imagine that I invented a new sport. This sport involves throwing darts at balloons. I'm very excited about this sport. I want to market it and make it a mainstream hobby in America. I hope that one day it will even become an Olympic sport. But first, I need to give my dart-throwing sport a name. Would I call it "Bowling?" Of course not. Why not? There is already a sport called bowling and it is nothing like the one I have invented. "Bowling" involves rolling a ball down a lane to knock down pins. Whatever I call my new sport, it can't be bowling. Bowling is already taken.

Likewise, there is an institution called marriage. The defining quality of marriage is fidelity. However, this is not so with so called "gay marriage." There's an editorial in today's Baptist Press about the nature of "gay marriage" that does a marvelous job of demonstrating just how different the traditional understanding of marriage is from what is being advocated by those who attack it. You can read the article HERE.

Here's Proof

My favorite movie is Casablanca. In it, there is a scene where Captain Renault says he is "shocked" to discover that there is gambling in Rick's saloon...just as someone hands him his winnings. Likewise, I am "shocked" by a quote today from a member of the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ginsburg argued that the second amendment's right to bear arms is really not a fundamental right that should be honored and protected. To support her conclusion she said, "If the notion is that these are principles that any free society would adopt, well, a lot of free societies have rejected the right to keep and bear arms."

There you have it. Two things I bet you didn't know. First, because other societies oppress this right, it's not really oppression if we do as well. Secondly, international precedent can trump the constitution. Isn't that nice to know?

I'm shocked, but should I be? Here's what doesn't shock me...Ginsburg's quote is proof that you don't have to be a genius to serve on the Supreme Court.

My Two Cents

The arrest and detainment of ten Baptist missionaries in Haiti for attempting to transport thirty-three Haitian children to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic is generating a lot of waves in the media this week. I want to make a few observations...

* Their actions were rash and somewhat careless. There are disputing reports regarding whether or not they had paperwork which authorized, at least in their minds, the transfer of these children. Nevertheless, you cannot leave any stone left unturned when the guardianship of children is at stake. They were caught with children and did not have their legal "ducks in order." I read where the family members of one detainee are claiming that they did have paperwork, simply not enough. Since the earthquake, the Prime Minister's signature is now required for international adoptions, so they may have been unaware that the paperwork they possessed was obsolete.

* These are Southern Baptists who were attempting to save lives. Even the fiercest critics of these missionaries, those wanting them locked away for years, dare not deny that some of these thirty-three children would have starved had it not been for the intervention of this group. I can't help but wonder, if these very children had died of starvation, would the critics have been just as angry? Of course not.

* I wonder how many of those criticizing the missionaries have donated one red cent to help Haiti? Many are asking why they did not help orphans here instead of travelling to Haiti? While there is poverty in the United States and many children do without, to insinuate that the misery here can be compared with that of post-earthquake Haiti is completely disingenuous. We should be concerned with international needs, not just domestic ones. We should pity those who have so small a moral compass that they would even make such a criticism.

* The leader of this group, Laura Silsby, has no real legal representation. I say no "real" representation because her state appointed attorney has basically thrown her under the bus. What kind of chance do you have when your own lawyer is criticizing you in front of the international media? Every person deserves a defense. I believe that is a human right. It is time for Hillary Clinton to speak out on this point. She can do so without endorsing the actions of the missionaries.

* According to a friend of mine who just returned from Haiti last night, this has captured the attention of the Haitian people as well. The man on the street, according to my source, is very angry because they haven't even restored ambulance service yet and the government is devoting time and energy to prosecuting these missionaries. Meanwhile, Haitians are needlessly dying. The Haitian Prime Minister is more concerned about scoring political points (and probably a bribe from the United States government) than he is the welfare of his own people. This is the absolute height of corruption.

* It is clear that laws were broken and I would not suggest for one moment that any sovereign nation should suspend its laws just because the transgressors are Americans. But if the Haitian government even thinks about handing down the kind of sentences that are being proposed, they are going to regret it. For one, many will (unfortunately) use this as an excuse to withhold much needed support. (If you're think about that, please don't.) Second, God, the Righteous Judge, will ensure that everyone involved reaps what they have sown.

I Couldn't Have Said It Better

A report has been in the news this week indicating an increase in teen pregnancies for the first time in a decade. This, of course, is being used by many in the media to discredit the use of abstinence education programs funded previously under the Bush administration. Once again, the source of this research is the Guttmacher Institution, which was founded by a former president of Planned Parenthood, making its findings automatically suspect, at best. Is the slight increase the result of an overemphasis on abstinence education as we're being told?

I like what Richard Ross said. He is the cofounder of True Love Waits. "Should we expect the Guttmacher Institute, the research arm for Planned Parenthood, to support abstinence messages?...Here is a similar question: Should we expect General Motors to work hard convincing the public to abandon cars for mass transit? Abstinent teenagers don't get pregnant and thus they don't contribute millions of dollars to the abortion industry. If you want to understand new directions in Washington related to abstinence, follow the money."

Amen!

$20

John Sullivan has been negotiating a deal to ship rice to Haiti in the wake of the recent earthquake. So here's the result: $20 will purchase a 100 pound bag. That will feed a family of four for a good while. So now the question becomes: How many bags will we send? I can't wait to see how many pounds our church can send. Let's do this!