Sunday, October 12, 2008

change of topic.......prop 8

A recent conversation I had about my stance on prop. 8 :


I agree marriage is God's institution. I support it. I hope to do it one day. My problem, however, is multifaceted. Homosexual activity is merely one of the perhaps unlimited sexual sins that the Bible refers to as porneia. A single statute in our state's constitution hardly deals with the problem of sexual sin. Everybody lusts and sins in their mind. God's wrath would be poured out on everyone of us because of this. Even if we, or anyone else, obeyed this statute, if doesn't keep anyone from sinning. It can't and won't stop fornication, homosexuality, or any other sin. I also think that our legislation should not be used as a tool to police our nation's morals. I know our laws and our country were founded on the Bible and its principles, but I believe the authors intent of toleration has been lost.

Like John Locke said " That the Church of Christ should persecute others, and force others by fire and sword to embrace her faith and doctrine, I could never yet find in any of the books of the New Testament." In Locke's works (which were used as strong inspiration for our nation's founding and laws) he is very clear that a person's civil enjoyments were not to be prejudiced because of their church or religion, or lack thereof. For this reason I hold that the interests of a church need to be fundamentaly seperated and distinct from that of the state's, and vice versa. Another point is that I believe marriage to be an issue of the church. It is a matter of worship and faith. A worshiper in the church is subject to the church's laws, and also to any law his government makes. We are to obey the laws of land, and of course not do anything that the Bible tells us not to, but this proposition does not require anything of christians except to be tolerant of non-christians. A law of the church is incapable of saving a man's soul. It has even less influence over a soul that is purposefully running from God. Instead of waging a war for temporary political domination, we should be fighting in spirit and truth. Not against a non-believer, but on his side. How can we win him over to Crist with Truth, when we are forcefully trying to oppress him? Of course I am for calling wrong what is wrong, and right what is right. But before you try to instil the law into someone's heart who does not want to hear it, we should ask the Spirit to work, Since it is only He who can change hearts in the first place.

As far as God's wrath, in that passage He states that it was He that gave those vile men over to their wicked hearts and evils passions. And in the next chapter he warns us against judging a person who marries another person of the same sex, when we ourselves are at the same time lustful, because God judges impartially. It is His goodness alone that leads either one of us to repent of sins, not by laws of man or the church.
I hope that clears up my position!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

bailout - revisited

"Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners for the right and left, hoping to secure approval in the House"
RTFA

WHAT?????

What do you do when you want someone to eat something that they do not want to? You add some other flavor that they may like; salt, sugar, honey, cinnamon, etc.
Is that the same thing that has happened with this bill?? If you are trying to pass a bad bill, (kudos to the Repubs who blocked it monday!) and you know its a bad bill...WHY NOT RETHINK YOUR ACTIONS???? Instead the geniuses in our congress decided to mask the bad scent of this horrible bill just to get the votes. Just listen to what Dirty Harry said today : "Inaction is not an option."
How on Earth could these 100 people have ever successfully conducted a campaign, and got any votes??? I just don't get how the 535 smartest (supposedly) people in our county can think this way! What would happen if we did in fact do nothing?? The people who messed up would see consequences, and more than likely Americans would never let that happen again! When will our government understand that they are relatively powerless to change or improve our nation? It is the people who do this! Doing nothing is exactly what our congress needs to do!
I am sorry that I keep ranting about this one thing....but I feel so hopeless thinking about the future of my great country, and how it will most likely be run by more of these types of idiots who think they can always fix any problem, or perceived problem. I foresee a US government growing increasingly socialistic and collectivist, being ruled by a populist ruler always seeking a larger, more powerful state; and that freaks me out!!
I see McCain pushing for this Bush sponsored initiative for the federal take-over of our biggest mortgage companies and it has my head spinning. I guess we can finally say good bye to the GOP as we knew it. Sorry Ol' Gipper.

(epos part III coming soon!)