Friday, February 17, 2012
The Audacity of Power
Political Agenda V. Truth
"A truth is a truth, even if no one believes it. An err is an err, even if everyone believes it." ~Fulton J. Sheen~
At the National Prayer Breakfast on February 2nd, President Obama was asked to attend and speak. The full text of his speech can be found online but a few key points stuck out to me, as his words clearly are not matching his actions. Our president said that morning, "At a time when it’s easy to lose ourselves in the rush and clamor of our own lives, or get caught up in the noise and rancor that too often passes as politics today, these moments of prayer slow us down. They humble us...We can all benefit from turning to our Creator, listening to Him. Avoiding phony religiosity, listening to Him." and " in my moments of prayer, I’m reminded that faith and values play an enormous role in motivating us to solve some of our most urgent problems, in keeping us going when we suffer setbacks, and opening our minds and our hearts to the needs of others. We can’t leave our values at the door. If we leave our values at the door, we abandon much of the moral glue that has held our nation together for centuries, and allowed us to become somewhat more perfect a union" and "But for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that “for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.” It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who’ve been blessed have an obligation to use those blessings to help others, or the Jewish doctrine of moderation and consideration for others...But part of that belief comes from my faith in the idea that I am my brother’s keeper and I am my sister’s keeper; that as a country, we rise and fall together." but most interestingly he references "To answer the responsibility we’re given in Proverbs to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” And for others, it may reflect the Jewish belief that the highest form of charity is to do our part to help others stand on their own." Now I don't know much about being president of the United States but I do know something about being a Christian and the struggle it can bring with walking the talk, truly standing up for what I believe, having my actions mirror my words. What he says sounds great! I love how he points out that we need to take time with the Lord each day, to have his Word guide our actions, to listen to Him. And I would never criticize him for stating that it is our duty as Christians, as Americans, as humans, to open our minds and hearts to the needs of others, to be our Brother's keeper! And my favorite part is that he quotes Proverbs, that we must "answer the responsibility" to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. President Obama is saying all the right things a Christian should preach, but he is not acting a Christian president of a country founded on Christian principles. He is acting as the president of the culture of death! And there is no other place that shows through more than the HHS mandate he is proposing to our nation.
The new Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate which the current administration proposes encompasses many facets of the national health section, but the most outrageous proposal has to do with a blatent violation of every American's First Amendment rights. Here is some background in case you haven't heard. On January 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed a rule that virtually all private health care plans must cover sterilization, abortifacients, and contraception. The exemption provided for "religious employers" was so narrow that it failed to cover the vast majority of faith-based organizations—including Catholic hospitals, universities, and charities—that help millions every year. Ironically, not even Jesus and his disciples would have qualified for the exemption, because it excludes those who mainly serve people of another faith.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan in NY has lead the charge against the mandate and has a great quote saying, "Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their consciencous. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights." Yes, this is a bold faced attack against the one Christian denomination which still teaches contraceptives are wrong (all christian faiths believed this until the 1930s when the Anglican church was the first to say, "hmmm I guess they aren't so bad" and all other denominations followed suit. Why? Maybe because it attracts more people when you don't call followers to a higher moral standard or maybe because its easier to take a seat than take a stand.) by an administration who feels Catholics will roll over and do whatever they are told, that Catholics don't vote Catholic so why worry about what they will think. Well this mandate doesn't just effect Catholics, it effects anyone who practices their beliefs - Jews, Muslims, Christians - everyone!
Our Cardinals and Bishops have spoke up, many of them have issued statements against the mandate be read at all masses in the diocese. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a new statement to be printed in bulletin's this week. They have also given 12 things that all Catholics, ney all Americans, should know about this mandate on their blog - here and then again here. Our spiritual leaders have stepped up to speak out against this but now it is our time. We are the voice of this country and its about time we have to courage to stand and speak our thoughts, speak our faith, yell the truth if we have to! The culture of life is in an uphill battle, yes. It is not a battle fought, it is a battle being fought. We can still join the fight to, unlike our political leader who has taken the path of hypocracy, answer the responsibility to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. The founders of the country came here and fought for their religious liberty, to practice what they believe without persecution. Why after 200 years are we going to let that right crumble?
That brings us to the Susan G. Komen (Komen) foundation. A couple of weeks ago they announced they would no longer fund Planned Parenthood (PP) based on the federal investigation into PP financial records and spending. At the sound of that my mind immediately thought, perhaps now I will support Komen. (Sidenote: I had seen a list a couple of years ago of all the companies and organizations that supported and funded PP. Sadly, the list was too long (that is, one is even too long) but most interestingly on that list was Komen, who claims to "help" women and Johnson & Johnson, who's main consumer and client is children. The very person they are supporting to kill! Doesn't that seem like a poor business model on their part?) Unfortunately the leaders of Komen lacked the moral courage to stand by their decisions, to stand by the truth. The culture of death got word that funding would be cut and jumped on the back of Komen. The whispers of lies began to pass the ears of Komen until the whispers turned to crys, shouts and roars of dissatisfaction with an organization attempting to stand up and donate with a conscience. These crys came from all ends of the country, from those who know the manipulative games of PP and those who are blissfully ignorant of them. So I don't think it is the Susan G Komen foundation with whom we should take our aim, not yet at least. For how many of us would have the moral courage to stand up when such a heavy demon is weighing on our back screaming lies? The demons were so heavy that the leaders of the organization resigned. No, we need not to chastise and ridicule them but rather pray for them. Pray for their moral courage. Pray that the new leaders of the foundation will see that Planned Parenthood does the exact opposite of help women and in fact lie, deceive and hurt women, both emotionally and physically.
Our country and our culture is in danger of declining further and further into a recession. Not an economic recession but rather a moral recession: where life is no longer valued, freedoms are ignored, rationalism is the only compass we follow and truth is suppressed in the name of political agendas. We must pray for the courage to speak the truth, the courage to stand for absolute truth, the courage to fight for the self-evident truths on which this country was founded. So I ask you. Will you have the courage?
At the National Prayer Breakfast on February 2nd, President Obama was asked to attend and speak. The full text of his speech can be found online but a few key points stuck out to me, as his words clearly are not matching his actions. Our president said that morning, "At a time when it’s easy to lose ourselves in the rush and clamor of our own lives, or get caught up in the noise and rancor that too often passes as politics today, these moments of prayer slow us down. They humble us...We can all benefit from turning to our Creator, listening to Him. Avoiding phony religiosity, listening to Him." and " in my moments of prayer, I’m reminded that faith and values play an enormous role in motivating us to solve some of our most urgent problems, in keeping us going when we suffer setbacks, and opening our minds and our hearts to the needs of others. We can’t leave our values at the door. If we leave our values at the door, we abandon much of the moral glue that has held our nation together for centuries, and allowed us to become somewhat more perfect a union" and "But for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that “for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.” It mirrors the Islamic belief that those who’ve been blessed have an obligation to use those blessings to help others, or the Jewish doctrine of moderation and consideration for others...But part of that belief comes from my faith in the idea that I am my brother’s keeper and I am my sister’s keeper; that as a country, we rise and fall together." but most interestingly he references "To answer the responsibility we’re given in Proverbs to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” And for others, it may reflect the Jewish belief that the highest form of charity is to do our part to help others stand on their own." Now I don't know much about being president of the United States but I do know something about being a Christian and the struggle it can bring with walking the talk, truly standing up for what I believe, having my actions mirror my words. What he says sounds great! I love how he points out that we need to take time with the Lord each day, to have his Word guide our actions, to listen to Him. And I would never criticize him for stating that it is our duty as Christians, as Americans, as humans, to open our minds and hearts to the needs of others, to be our Brother's keeper! And my favorite part is that he quotes Proverbs, that we must "answer the responsibility" to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. President Obama is saying all the right things a Christian should preach, but he is not acting a Christian president of a country founded on Christian principles. He is acting as the president of the culture of death! And there is no other place that shows through more than the HHS mandate he is proposing to our nation.
The new Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate which the current administration proposes encompasses many facets of the national health section, but the most outrageous proposal has to do with a blatent violation of every American's First Amendment rights. Here is some background in case you haven't heard. On January 20, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reaffirmed a rule that virtually all private health care plans must cover sterilization, abortifacients, and contraception. The exemption provided for "religious employers" was so narrow that it failed to cover the vast majority of faith-based organizations—including Catholic hospitals, universities, and charities—that help millions every year. Ironically, not even Jesus and his disciples would have qualified for the exemption, because it excludes those who mainly serve people of another faith.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan in NY has lead the charge against the mandate and has a great quote saying, "Never before has the federal government forced individuals and organizations to go out into the marketplace and buy a product that violates their consciencous. This shouldn't happen in a land where free exercise of religion ranks first in the Bill of Rights." Yes, this is a bold faced attack against the one Christian denomination which still teaches contraceptives are wrong (all christian faiths believed this until the 1930s when the Anglican church was the first to say, "hmmm I guess they aren't so bad" and all other denominations followed suit. Why? Maybe because it attracts more people when you don't call followers to a higher moral standard or maybe because its easier to take a seat than take a stand.) by an administration who feels Catholics will roll over and do whatever they are told, that Catholics don't vote Catholic so why worry about what they will think. Well this mandate doesn't just effect Catholics, it effects anyone who practices their beliefs - Jews, Muslims, Christians - everyone!
Our Cardinals and Bishops have spoke up, many of them have issued statements against the mandate be read at all masses in the diocese. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a new statement to be printed in bulletin's this week. They have also given 12 things that all Catholics, ney all Americans, should know about this mandate on their blog - here and then again here. Our spiritual leaders have stepped up to speak out against this but now it is our time. We are the voice of this country and its about time we have to courage to stand and speak our thoughts, speak our faith, yell the truth if we have to! The culture of life is in an uphill battle, yes. It is not a battle fought, it is a battle being fought. We can still join the fight to, unlike our political leader who has taken the path of hypocracy, answer the responsibility to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. The founders of the country came here and fought for their religious liberty, to practice what they believe without persecution. Why after 200 years are we going to let that right crumble?
That brings us to the Susan G. Komen (Komen) foundation. A couple of weeks ago they announced they would no longer fund Planned Parenthood (PP) based on the federal investigation into PP financial records and spending. At the sound of that my mind immediately thought, perhaps now I will support Komen. (Sidenote: I had seen a list a couple of years ago of all the companies and organizations that supported and funded PP. Sadly, the list was too long (that is, one is even too long) but most interestingly on that list was Komen, who claims to "help" women and Johnson & Johnson, who's main consumer and client is children. The very person they are supporting to kill! Doesn't that seem like a poor business model on their part?) Unfortunately the leaders of Komen lacked the moral courage to stand by their decisions, to stand by the truth. The culture of death got word that funding would be cut and jumped on the back of Komen. The whispers of lies began to pass the ears of Komen until the whispers turned to crys, shouts and roars of dissatisfaction with an organization attempting to stand up and donate with a conscience. These crys came from all ends of the country, from those who know the manipulative games of PP and those who are blissfully ignorant of them. So I don't think it is the Susan G Komen foundation with whom we should take our aim, not yet at least. For how many of us would have the moral courage to stand up when such a heavy demon is weighing on our back screaming lies? The demons were so heavy that the leaders of the organization resigned. No, we need not to chastise and ridicule them but rather pray for them. Pray for their moral courage. Pray that the new leaders of the foundation will see that Planned Parenthood does the exact opposite of help women and in fact lie, deceive and hurt women, both emotionally and physically.
Our country and our culture is in danger of declining further and further into a recession. Not an economic recession but rather a moral recession: where life is no longer valued, freedoms are ignored, rationalism is the only compass we follow and truth is suppressed in the name of political agendas. We must pray for the courage to speak the truth, the courage to stand for absolute truth, the courage to fight for the self-evident truths on which this country was founded. So I ask you. Will you have the courage?
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Check Out These Tunes!
My best friend since berth (seriously, our mom's were friends growing up so we were high five-ing out of the womb and potty training on the same toliet...those pictures are pretty funny) took another step closer to full on stardom. The Lord has blessed him with a phenomenal gift to be able to play music so beautifully. I've always said that I would love to have half the musical talent Mike has. So back to his steps forward in the music world. Mike had the opportunity to appear on a popular radio station down in Austin, TX. He got to sit and play for several minutes (check out the video).
Every time I hear new music from him I am so proud of him and the quality of music he produces. He has his new music on his site that you can listen and even download some of them. He can play almost any song and plays all types of music: dance, electronic, rock, funk, jazz and, his favorite, country. Listen to it, like I do...over and over and over again. Let him know how much you like it and support him in his music. Also, pray for him as he and his fiance will be getting married this summer, June 16th.
Every time I hear new music from him I am so proud of him and the quality of music he produces. He has his new music on his site that you can listen and even download some of them. He can play almost any song and plays all types of music: dance, electronic, rock, funk, jazz and, his favorite, country. Listen to it, like I do...over and over and over again. Let him know how much you like it and support him in his music. Also, pray for him as he and his fiance will be getting married this summer, June 16th.
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