I'm reading a book I just discovered - it's called The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom, by David Kupelian (Amazon link here). It's fascinating. A link to the entire first chapter is available here. The most interesting part so far in Chapter 1 is all the quotes from two different books:
- After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90's (Amazon link here) by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen - 2 Harvard-trained gay activist experts in psychiatry and marketing. Just look at the Amazon description and some of the comments - it's unabashed in it's effort to use propaganda and advanced marketing techniques to shape the thoughts of Americans
- Selling Homosexuality to America, by Paul Rondeau. (can't find it on Amazon, but here's a link that you can follow if you want to see source info)
It's fascinating and SHOCKING to see what levels these people have gone to in order to promote their agenda. If you have time to read the entire first chapter of After the Ball, it's WELL worth your time!
Folks like Doug Phillips, I believe, have figured this out. They haven't mindlessly swallowed everything that's been handed to them. That's probably in part why he's launched such a massive campaign to encourage media excellence in young people. He understands the culture war, the rules of the game, and how to make a difference. May we all become wise in these things and gainfully employ ourselves in useful activity to ensure a more promising future for our children and our countrymen.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Doug Phillips - As Hollywood Fails, A Christian Film Movement Prevails
FROM: http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/2009/02/4920.aspx
Monday, February 23, 2009
As Hollywood Fails, A Christian Film Movement Prevails
“But most of all, if Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he’d want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are less than by their churches, by the government or by their families, that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value and that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you and that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally, across this great nation of ours. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk.” Homosexual Activist Dustin Lance Black Accepting the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Milk
The distinction between Hollywood’s toxic culture of death and the burgeoning Christian film movement of life was highlighted in bold this weekend.
Millions of viewers tuned into the 81st Academy Awards where they watched Sean Penn receive the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of homosexual activist Harvey Milk, and Kate Winslet receive the Best Female Actor Oscar for her performance in The Reader, a pornographic story about a female Nazi war criminal seducing a 15-year-old boy. They also watched award-winners use their platform to push homosexual political activism and to encourage teenagers to pursue a homosexual lifestyle.
But just over twenty-four hours earlier, National Public Radio broadcast a seven-minute feature on a very different type of film movement and awards ceremony to a listening audience of more than six million.
“As Hollywood crowns its favorite movies and actors at the Oscars on Sunday, another group is trying to create a rival movie industry. Fed up with sex and violence in mainstream entertainment, conservative Christians are turning out their own films. And they’ve made surprising inroads.”
NPR Religion correspondent Barbara Bradley Hagerty reported on the 2009 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival in her feature report “Christian Filmmakers Creating an Industry of Faith.” She began her story with this telling question:
“What was the biggest grossing independent film in 2008? No, not Slumdog Millionaire. Not Milk. It was a movie you’ve probably never heard of...” Click here to listen to the report which includes interviews with Kirk Cameron, Steven Kendrick, and some of the more than 2,400 people in attendance at the event.
I'm SO thankful for what Doug Phillips and the many people who support, collaborate, and participate with him do. While most of us sit around talking about what's going on, Doug has correctly diagnosed that control of our culture rests with the media - and he's devoted great energy and resources to doing something about it!
I went to NPR's page to listen to the story - it was really good. What's funny is the responses of some of the people in the comments. So here is my own comment directed at those who are freaking out that NPR would cover a Christian story...and any of a million other rabbit trails related to Christianity that people posted.
NPR did a great job telling a story - that's what their job is! The venom and vitriolic speech of some who responded to this is ridiculous. Story: some Christians made some movies (I don't know of anyone who has been forced to see them, or forced to listen to NPR for that matter, so ease up a little) based on their values. Hollywood does the same thing - they just have different values and goals. Isn't this America - land of opportunity and freedom?Good for NPR for covering a significant story in a positive way. If you feel threatened by a couple thousand people celebrating an event designed to encourage talented filmmakers to make films that represent their values, that's too bad. Hollywood is certainly about pushing their values. Let's be grateful there are people in the world who devote themselves to what's helpful and beneficial for human kind! Huge kudos to NPR for covering this significant story on the weekend of the Oscars. The rest of you should probably ease up a little bit and consider what makes you feel so creepy about NPR telling a story about a few good folks making some nice movies and giving out prizes for it!
The Road to Socialism..."surprise!"
February 23, 2009 3:30 PM
The Road to Socialismby -->
By Glenn BeckHost, “Glenn Beck“
It’s official–I may have spent too much time in New York City these past few years, because I’m actually beginning to think about things like a New Yorker. For instance, life with our new President Barack Obama is beginning to feel a lot like being in a taxi, stuck in rush hour traffic: You’re not crazy about the guy behind the wheel, not only do you not like where you’re going (you are trapped in Manhattan after all), but you can’t understand the route he’s taking to get you there, and the whole thing is costing you a small fortune. Yes, a cab ride in the big city is like being on The Road to Socialism.
There are lots of concrete, real world and immediate dangers to what’s happening in Washington right now. But what also worries me is how this “philosophy” being encouraged by Washington will affect our future –our children.
When the government starts taking control of private industry, where else can this road lead? I don’t like it any more than you do, but that doesn’t mean either of us can close our eyes and pretend it’s not happening.
And it’s not just any industries I’m talking about here. If Obama wanted to rush in to “save” the ice cream cone industry, I could probably learn to live with that. As much as I’d hate to have the low quality government cones, I think we’d all live happy, normal and productive lives if we were forced to eat our ice cream with spoons out of little bowls.
But when the government has its dirty little fingers on vital elements of our economy, it has its hands around the throat of capitalism itself…and it’s squeezing hard.
Think of the housing bailout. A part of that plan (the TV show “Lost” is more rooted in reality) is President Obama giving homeowners an “incentive payment” of $1,500 if they remain current through their loan modification (translation: a handout just for doing what you’ve previously agreed to do). They also qualify for a bonus of $1,000 a year for five years if they keep up with payments. That’s a $6,500 perk for people to stay in homes they already can’t afford! And by the way–do you have a five-year mortgage? Me neither. Most of us have 30 year mortgages, so this is an awfully expensive band-aid on a problem that we’ll only have to rip off in five years –and you know how painful that can be. Plus, for good measure we’ve allowed people to remain under the delusion that they can and deserve to stay in homes they never should have been able to buy in the first place. It’s so insane, I’d actually laugh if I wasn’t so busy crying.
There are lots of concrete, real world and immediate dangers to what’s happening in Washington right now. But what also worries me is how this “philosophy” being encouraged by Washington will affect our future –our children. The message they’re sending will have long-term ramifications, some of which are already being felt. Some communities are considering offering “incentives” to families like a payment of $50 to get their kids a library card. And a recent study shows that nearly one third of all students believe they deserve a B just for showing up to class and if they do the work–regardless of the quality or its correctness–they deserve an A! Whether President Obama likes it or not, it’s a cruel world out there and there are still places (though not in Washington or Wall Street) where performance and results matter.
Kids who read, perform better. There’s the “incentive” for getting them a library card. And success in school requires more than just showing up-in real life, there are no As for effort. We do no one a favor–neither our children nor our own future–by believing anything else.
Yup, we’re on The Road to Socialism, and while we may have not yet reached our final destination, we’re well on our way. And just like that New York City taxi, the meter’s running. I wonder how high will we let it get before we tell this driver to pull over?
The Road to Socialismby -->
By Glenn BeckHost, “Glenn Beck“
It’s official–I may have spent too much time in New York City these past few years, because I’m actually beginning to think about things like a New Yorker. For instance, life with our new President Barack Obama is beginning to feel a lot like being in a taxi, stuck in rush hour traffic: You’re not crazy about the guy behind the wheel, not only do you not like where you’re going (you are trapped in Manhattan after all), but you can’t understand the route he’s taking to get you there, and the whole thing is costing you a small fortune. Yes, a cab ride in the big city is like being on The Road to Socialism.
There are lots of concrete, real world and immediate dangers to what’s happening in Washington right now. But what also worries me is how this “philosophy” being encouraged by Washington will affect our future –our children.
When the government starts taking control of private industry, where else can this road lead? I don’t like it any more than you do, but that doesn’t mean either of us can close our eyes and pretend it’s not happening.
And it’s not just any industries I’m talking about here. If Obama wanted to rush in to “save” the ice cream cone industry, I could probably learn to live with that. As much as I’d hate to have the low quality government cones, I think we’d all live happy, normal and productive lives if we were forced to eat our ice cream with spoons out of little bowls.
But when the government has its dirty little fingers on vital elements of our economy, it has its hands around the throat of capitalism itself…and it’s squeezing hard.
Think of the housing bailout. A part of that plan (the TV show “Lost” is more rooted in reality) is President Obama giving homeowners an “incentive payment” of $1,500 if they remain current through their loan modification (translation: a handout just for doing what you’ve previously agreed to do). They also qualify for a bonus of $1,000 a year for five years if they keep up with payments. That’s a $6,500 perk for people to stay in homes they already can’t afford! And by the way–do you have a five-year mortgage? Me neither. Most of us have 30 year mortgages, so this is an awfully expensive band-aid on a problem that we’ll only have to rip off in five years –and you know how painful that can be. Plus, for good measure we’ve allowed people to remain under the delusion that they can and deserve to stay in homes they never should have been able to buy in the first place. It’s so insane, I’d actually laugh if I wasn’t so busy crying.
There are lots of concrete, real world and immediate dangers to what’s happening in Washington right now. But what also worries me is how this “philosophy” being encouraged by Washington will affect our future –our children. The message they’re sending will have long-term ramifications, some of which are already being felt. Some communities are considering offering “incentives” to families like a payment of $50 to get their kids a library card. And a recent study shows that nearly one third of all students believe they deserve a B just for showing up to class and if they do the work–regardless of the quality or its correctness–they deserve an A! Whether President Obama likes it or not, it’s a cruel world out there and there are still places (though not in Washington or Wall Street) where performance and results matter.
Kids who read, perform better. There’s the “incentive” for getting them a library card. And success in school requires more than just showing up-in real life, there are no As for effort. We do no one a favor–neither our children nor our own future–by believing anything else.
Yup, we’re on The Road to Socialism, and while we may have not yet reached our final destination, we’re well on our way. And just like that New York City taxi, the meter’s running. I wonder how high will we let it get before we tell this driver to pull over?
Friday, February 20, 2009
FIRED UP about stimulus!
Finally got motivated to act about the stimulus/spending plan tonight.
Here's what I did.
First, I sent this e-mail to a number of conservative radio/TV hosts:
Obama wants real stories of people "made available to the public to show how critical it is to support the economic recovery plan." - they can be submitted at his website: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/kainestories
Of course he's not interested in everyone's story, just those that support his plan. You should read some of them on-air and disembowel them - it's more Julio and Henrietta types asking for free stuff!
Maybe you can start a similar page for people whose story shows stimulus should not be supported. I'm one of them. I'm saving, renting a home, waiting to put 20% down on a 15-year note and still have an emergency fund in place. In Arizona Obama said "By bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everybody.” He should say “for everybody who currently owns a home.” I have acted responsibly and not taken out a home loan yet. So “shoring up housing prices” puts me at a disadvantage. I’m not asking the government to rescue me, but to stop intervening in the market.
How many other people out there have a story like this to tell - of saving responsibly and staying out of debt, who the package won't help one bit? We should counter Obama's pitiful PR attempt with the other side of the story!
Thanks!
B
Here's what I did.
First, I sent this e-mail to a number of conservative radio/TV hosts:
Obama wants real stories of people "made available to the public to show how critical it is to support the economic recovery plan." - they can be submitted at his website: http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/kainestories
Of course he's not interested in everyone's story, just those that support his plan. You should read some of them on-air and disembowel them - it's more Julio and Henrietta types asking for free stuff!
Maybe you can start a similar page for people whose story shows stimulus should not be supported. I'm one of them. I'm saving, renting a home, waiting to put 20% down on a 15-year note and still have an emergency fund in place. In Arizona Obama said "By bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everybody.” He should say “for everybody who currently owns a home.” I have acted responsibly and not taken out a home loan yet. So “shoring up housing prices” puts me at a disadvantage. I’m not asking the government to rescue me, but to stop intervening in the market.
How many other people out there have a story like this to tell - of saving responsibly and staying out of debt, who the package won't help one bit? We should counter Obama's pitiful PR attempt with the other side of the story!
Thanks!
B
FIRED UP - pt 2
Next, I sent this to Obama's story page, referenced above, and called it in:
President Obama said in his speech in Mesa, Arizona, on February 18th that “if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral [in the housing market], then every American will benefit.” This is not true! I will not benefit in any way from this action. I have been renting, saving my money, waiting until I could buy a house on a 15-year note with 20% down and a solid emergency fund in place. Now, with this action, I will have to wait longer to be able to buy a house if the market is propped up. It is false that “every American will benefit.” President Obama is about telling people’s stories – I would be very pleased if my story was also published - while it's not as sad as other stories, I believe it's valid and deserves equal attention. I will have deep respect for the President if he allows my story to be publicized with all the other sad ones where people are asking the government to help with everything from family problems to financial problems, which I don't believe is the government's job. Please don't support the economic intervention, because it will delay my conservative, well-planned, stable, entry into the mortgage market.
President Obama said in his speech in Mesa, Arizona, on February 18th that “if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral [in the housing market], then every American will benefit.” This is not true! I will not benefit in any way from this action. I have been renting, saving my money, waiting until I could buy a house on a 15-year note with 20% down and a solid emergency fund in place. Now, with this action, I will have to wait longer to be able to buy a house if the market is propped up. It is false that “every American will benefit.” President Obama is about telling people’s stories – I would be very pleased if my story was also published - while it's not as sad as other stories, I believe it's valid and deserves equal attention. I will have deep respect for the President if he allows my story to be publicized with all the other sad ones where people are asking the government to help with everything from family problems to financial problems, which I don't believe is the government's job. Please don't support the economic intervention, because it will delay my conservative, well-planned, stable, entry into the mortgage market.
FIRED UP - pt 3
Next, I e-mailed this to all my federal and state officials for the state I vote in (Florida) and the state I live in (CO). Focus on the Family Action's Action Center (http://capwiz.com/fof/dbq/officials/) made it easy to send to multiple leaders at once.
SUBJECT: PLEASE stop trying to "save" the economy! Stop bailing people out!
I am overwhelmingly offended by President Obama’s policy called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Please – as a leader of our country – stop interventionist activity since it does not address the roots of the crisis – GREED! The lenders and borrowers who made bad decisions that resulted in this crisis will not be “changed” by being rescued! Even if the rescue plan works in this crisis, you can’t fix the greed and foolishness of borrowers and lenders who made the decisions that got us into this mess! This crisis isn’t ultimately about people who can’t pay their bills because of some unfortunate circumstance (there will always be cases like this in our world, and these cases don’t cause global recessions) – that’s not what got us into this mess.
Bad behavior got us into this mess! And rescuing people who made bad decisions will not reform them.
MAYBE dealing with the consequences of their decisions will. Whether we bail out or not, the responsible taxpayers pay a price – but with a bailout, the cost to the irresponsible is reduced while the responsible taxpayers pay a potentially higher price. So please, do not support any federal activity to end this crisis or bail out anyone. Please do not invest federal dollars (my tax dollars) in areas of the economy that aren’t the direct, ongoing responsibility of the intentionally-limited federal government.
SUBJECT: PLEASE stop trying to "save" the economy! Stop bailing people out!
I am overwhelmingly offended by President Obama’s policy called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Please – as a leader of our country – stop interventionist activity since it does not address the roots of the crisis – GREED! The lenders and borrowers who made bad decisions that resulted in this crisis will not be “changed” by being rescued! Even if the rescue plan works in this crisis, you can’t fix the greed and foolishness of borrowers and lenders who made the decisions that got us into this mess! This crisis isn’t ultimately about people who can’t pay their bills because of some unfortunate circumstance (there will always be cases like this in our world, and these cases don’t cause global recessions) – that’s not what got us into this mess.
Bad behavior got us into this mess! And rescuing people who made bad decisions will not reform them.
MAYBE dealing with the consequences of their decisions will. Whether we bail out or not, the responsible taxpayers pay a price – but with a bailout, the cost to the irresponsible is reduced while the responsible taxpayers pay a potentially higher price. So please, do not support any federal activity to end this crisis or bail out anyone. Please do not invest federal dollars (my tax dollars) in areas of the economy that aren’t the direct, ongoing responsibility of the intentionally-limited federal government.
FIRED UP - pt 4
And finally, the long-version, I posted my responses to some parts of his speech in Arizona unveiling the taxpayer-funded plan to remove the consequences for people who made bad decisions.
President Obama said in his speech in Mesa, Arizona, on February 18th that “if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral [in the housing market], then every American will benefit.” This is not true! I will not benefit in any way from this action. I have been renting, saving my money, waiting until I could buy a house on a 15-year note with 20% down and a solid emergency fund in place. Now, with this action, I will have to wait longer to be able to buy a house if the market is propped up. It is false that “every American will benefit.” President Obama is about telling people’s stories – he should ensure the stories of the responsible folks, while not as tear-jerkingly sad, receive equal attention.
Obama said “The plan I'm announcing focuses on rescuing families who've played by the rules and acted responsibly.” That’s not all true either. There are families like mine who have played by the rules and acted responsibly who will not be helped by the package – but again, I’m not asking for help. I’m asking that the federal government limit its role and let the market respond in its own time. The President should be asking those people who are not in bad positions to contribute to charities and help our neighbors, rather than assuming that role himself!
He also says “And by bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everybody.” He should say “for everybody who currently owns a home.” I have acted responsibly and not taken out a home loan. So “shoring up housing prices” puts me at a disadvantage. I’m not asking the government to rescue me, but to stop intervening in the market.
Obama said “when families with these mortgages seek to modify a loan to avoid this fate, they often find themselves navigating a maze of rules and regulations, but they’re rarely finding answers. Some sub-prime lenders are willing to renegotiate; but many aren't. And your ability to restructure your loan depends on where you live, the company that owns or manages your loan, or even the agent who happens to answer the phone on the day that you call.” Let’s remind the public that that they signed up for those mortgages for the full term with all the risks and caveats! Nobody promised them the “right” to refinance some day. They promised to pay a debt and they shouldn’t be relieved of that obligation because of difficulty! Why do people think it’s the government’s job to ensure perceived “fairness” and the “right” to refinance? What other parts of their lives do they want the government to control? That’s not what America is about.
Obama said this, too: “Under this plan, lenders who participate will be required to reduce those payments to no more than 31 percent of a borrower's income. And this will enable as many as 3 to 4 million homeowners to modify the terms of their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.” Great – so because the homeowners out there didn’t have the common sense to get into mortgages they could afford, the government’s job is to help reduce the principal and interest so they can keep the home they can’t otherwise afford? NO! Avoiding foreclosure is great! But it’s not the government’s job to help people avoid foreclosure! If people didn’t have the good sense to get into mortgage situations they could afford this time, how will bailing them out help them in the future? We all know the school of hard knocks provides valuable instruction – better instruction than a free ride! If we remove the consequences of bad decisions, do we expect people to make better decisions in the future? Or do we expect them to beg the federal government to continue to remove painful consequences of other bad decisions and “bad luck” in the future?
Later, Obama said “Fourth, we will pursue a wide range of reforms designed to help families stay in their homes and avoid foreclosures.” That’s so nice- but remember, when people lose their homes to foreclosures, that doesn’t mean they’re homeless. That might well stimulate the Apartment-sector of our economy, right? The government does not exist to put a roof over your head. It exists to provide a safe country in which to go out and make something of yourself by hard work and determination! Staying in homes and avoiding foreclosure is great – but it’s not the government’s job!
Obama continued: “So taken together, the provisions of this plan will help us end this crisis and preserve for millions of families their stake in the American Dream.” First, there’s no guarantee it will end or shorten the crisis! Economic theorists believe this type of intervention extended the Great Depression! In addition, is it now the government’s job to preserve the American Dream of every American? Is it to end an economic crisis? It is not the government’s job to do these things! The Constitution doesn’t say the government is to ensure our stake in the American Dream! How far-reaching could the implications of this attitude be?
Finally: “And each of us, as individuals, have to take responsibility for their own actions. That means all of us have to learn to live within our means again and not assume assume that housing prices are going to go up 20, 30, 40 percent every year.” So does everyone get a free pass for bad behavior this time, at the expense of taxpayers, even the taxpayers who have saved and made better choices than others? How do you intend to get people to do any better at taking responsibility for their actions when you are attempting to remove the consequences of their lack of responsibility that got us into this mess? Remember, it’s not just unemployment and high medical bills that started this – it’s the bad decisions of lenders and borrowers! So to bail them out is ridiculous. It’s like he’s saying this: “Ok, I know you weren’t responsible before. But since I’m bailing you out (at the expense of our children and grandchildren), I’m going to trust you to do better in the future. Scouts honor. I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson that greed is bad, so go and do better.”
Please, Mr. President – get your fingers out of my pockets and quit trying to “save” people who have been irresponsible. Reform is not effected by charity! Ask Americans to be more generous, to give, to save. Tell them to bail each other out in their own way so you can preserve the rich heritage of our Constitution, while still earnestly trying to help Americans out! Don’t foolishly spend all this money and hope that it will cure the greed that got us into this mess!
President Obama said in his speech in Mesa, Arizona, on February 18th that “if we act boldly and swiftly to arrest this downward spiral [in the housing market], then every American will benefit.” This is not true! I will not benefit in any way from this action. I have been renting, saving my money, waiting until I could buy a house on a 15-year note with 20% down and a solid emergency fund in place. Now, with this action, I will have to wait longer to be able to buy a house if the market is propped up. It is false that “every American will benefit.” President Obama is about telling people’s stories – he should ensure the stories of the responsible folks, while not as tear-jerkingly sad, receive equal attention.
Obama said “The plan I'm announcing focuses on rescuing families who've played by the rules and acted responsibly.” That’s not all true either. There are families like mine who have played by the rules and acted responsibly who will not be helped by the package – but again, I’m not asking for help. I’m asking that the federal government limit its role and let the market respond in its own time. The President should be asking those people who are not in bad positions to contribute to charities and help our neighbors, rather than assuming that role himself!
He also says “And by bringing down the foreclosure rate, it will help to shore up housing prices for everybody.” He should say “for everybody who currently owns a home.” I have acted responsibly and not taken out a home loan. So “shoring up housing prices” puts me at a disadvantage. I’m not asking the government to rescue me, but to stop intervening in the market.
Obama said “when families with these mortgages seek to modify a loan to avoid this fate, they often find themselves navigating a maze of rules and regulations, but they’re rarely finding answers. Some sub-prime lenders are willing to renegotiate; but many aren't. And your ability to restructure your loan depends on where you live, the company that owns or manages your loan, or even the agent who happens to answer the phone on the day that you call.” Let’s remind the public that that they signed up for those mortgages for the full term with all the risks and caveats! Nobody promised them the “right” to refinance some day. They promised to pay a debt and they shouldn’t be relieved of that obligation because of difficulty! Why do people think it’s the government’s job to ensure perceived “fairness” and the “right” to refinance? What other parts of their lives do they want the government to control? That’s not what America is about.
Obama said this, too: “Under this plan, lenders who participate will be required to reduce those payments to no more than 31 percent of a borrower's income. And this will enable as many as 3 to 4 million homeowners to modify the terms of their mortgages to avoid foreclosure.” Great – so because the homeowners out there didn’t have the common sense to get into mortgages they could afford, the government’s job is to help reduce the principal and interest so they can keep the home they can’t otherwise afford? NO! Avoiding foreclosure is great! But it’s not the government’s job to help people avoid foreclosure! If people didn’t have the good sense to get into mortgage situations they could afford this time, how will bailing them out help them in the future? We all know the school of hard knocks provides valuable instruction – better instruction than a free ride! If we remove the consequences of bad decisions, do we expect people to make better decisions in the future? Or do we expect them to beg the federal government to continue to remove painful consequences of other bad decisions and “bad luck” in the future?
Later, Obama said “Fourth, we will pursue a wide range of reforms designed to help families stay in their homes and avoid foreclosures.” That’s so nice- but remember, when people lose their homes to foreclosures, that doesn’t mean they’re homeless. That might well stimulate the Apartment-sector of our economy, right? The government does not exist to put a roof over your head. It exists to provide a safe country in which to go out and make something of yourself by hard work and determination! Staying in homes and avoiding foreclosure is great – but it’s not the government’s job!
Obama continued: “So taken together, the provisions of this plan will help us end this crisis and preserve for millions of families their stake in the American Dream.” First, there’s no guarantee it will end or shorten the crisis! Economic theorists believe this type of intervention extended the Great Depression! In addition, is it now the government’s job to preserve the American Dream of every American? Is it to end an economic crisis? It is not the government’s job to do these things! The Constitution doesn’t say the government is to ensure our stake in the American Dream! How far-reaching could the implications of this attitude be?
Finally: “And each of us, as individuals, have to take responsibility for their own actions. That means all of us have to learn to live within our means again and not assume assume that housing prices are going to go up 20, 30, 40 percent every year.” So does everyone get a free pass for bad behavior this time, at the expense of taxpayers, even the taxpayers who have saved and made better choices than others? How do you intend to get people to do any better at taking responsibility for their actions when you are attempting to remove the consequences of their lack of responsibility that got us into this mess? Remember, it’s not just unemployment and high medical bills that started this – it’s the bad decisions of lenders and borrowers! So to bail them out is ridiculous. It’s like he’s saying this: “Ok, I know you weren’t responsible before. But since I’m bailing you out (at the expense of our children and grandchildren), I’m going to trust you to do better in the future. Scouts honor. I’m sure you’ve learned your lesson that greed is bad, so go and do better.”
Please, Mr. President – get your fingers out of my pockets and quit trying to “save” people who have been irresponsible. Reform is not effected by charity! Ask Americans to be more generous, to give, to save. Tell them to bail each other out in their own way so you can preserve the rich heritage of our Constitution, while still earnestly trying to help Americans out! Don’t foolishly spend all this money and hope that it will cure the greed that got us into this mess!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
A clip from Voddie Baucham's Blog-
Neiamiah's Nursery
"If you’ve walked into a church service lately with a baby in your arms, chances are you are well aware of the new anti-child atmosphere that dominates much of the modern American church. There are smiling men and women stationed at every door ready to “guide” you to the nursery where your child “will have a very enjoyable experience” and be cared for by the best childcare staff in the history of the universe.
Rebuff these helpful people and their smiles will soon be replaced with determined glares. Things escalate slowly at first, but eventually the truth comes out. These people are not here to help you and your child; they are here to protect the sanctity of the sanitized worship environment. Their job is to see that you –and people like you—don’t ruin the service for everyone else. They’ve been warned about people like you. You just don’t get it. For millennia Christians have been denied the privilege of enjoying worship the way God intended it (sans children); now we’ve finally arrived, and you want to mess it up by bring in your squawking baby! How selfish, inconsiderate, and unspiritual can you be?
Then along come churches like ours that don’t help things a bit. At Grace Family Baptist Church, we don’t have a nursery. Families worship together from the oldest to the youngest. We welcome the cooing of babies and consider the act of taking an unruly child out of the service as an invaluable teaching opportunity for both parent and child. What’s more, we think it is as important for children to learn to ‘endure’ a service, and see worship modeled by their parents as it is for them to have an ‘age appropriate’ lesson. As a result, our church (along with others like it) has been thrust into the middle of many a debate over whether or not the concept of the nursery is “biblical”.....
read the rest of this entry at: http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2009/2/16_Nehemiah%E2%80%99s_Nursery%3A_Part_1.html
So, what do you think? Personally, we agree with Mr. Baucham, yet we've been on both "sides" before, so we don't wish to look down upon parents who rely on the nursery. It certainly is more "work" to keep your kids with you during a service, but we believe our efforts will bear fruit.
We currently don't choose to use the nursery at our church and we are blessed with a church which does support Family Integrated worship. We'll write more on this again real soon.
B & J
"If you’ve walked into a church service lately with a baby in your arms, chances are you are well aware of the new anti-child atmosphere that dominates much of the modern American church. There are smiling men and women stationed at every door ready to “guide” you to the nursery where your child “will have a very enjoyable experience” and be cared for by the best childcare staff in the history of the universe.
Rebuff these helpful people and their smiles will soon be replaced with determined glares. Things escalate slowly at first, but eventually the truth comes out. These people are not here to help you and your child; they are here to protect the sanctity of the sanitized worship environment. Their job is to see that you –and people like you—don’t ruin the service for everyone else. They’ve been warned about people like you. You just don’t get it. For millennia Christians have been denied the privilege of enjoying worship the way God intended it (sans children); now we’ve finally arrived, and you want to mess it up by bring in your squawking baby! How selfish, inconsiderate, and unspiritual can you be?
Then along come churches like ours that don’t help things a bit. At Grace Family Baptist Church, we don’t have a nursery. Families worship together from the oldest to the youngest. We welcome the cooing of babies and consider the act of taking an unruly child out of the service as an invaluable teaching opportunity for both parent and child. What’s more, we think it is as important for children to learn to ‘endure’ a service, and see worship modeled by their parents as it is for them to have an ‘age appropriate’ lesson. As a result, our church (along with others like it) has been thrust into the middle of many a debate over whether or not the concept of the nursery is “biblical”.....
read the rest of this entry at: http://www.voddiebaucham.org/vbm/Blog/Entries/2009/2/16_Nehemiah%E2%80%99s_Nursery%3A_Part_1.html
So, what do you think? Personally, we agree with Mr. Baucham, yet we've been on both "sides" before, so we don't wish to look down upon parents who rely on the nursery. It certainly is more "work" to keep your kids with you during a service, but we believe our efforts will bear fruit.
We currently don't choose to use the nursery at our church and we are blessed with a church which does support Family Integrated worship. We'll write more on this again real soon.
B & J
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