A Section of My Thouhgts on Abotion

In an attempt to bolster our "global appeal", President Obama has followed former President Clinton's lead and has signed off on the papers that will send OUR money to fund abortions overseas via the UNFPA or The United Nations Population Fund. While this is deplorable on many levels, I want to focus on the abortion aspect.

My first thought is that I remember Obama telling a group of people at the Saddleback Civil Forum that he would be in favor of policies that helped put an end to abortions in the United States. Of course that was then and this is now, after the election. And now he has decided that not only can he help raise the number of abortions nationally, he can now help raise the murder rate of unborn children across the globe.

The UNFPA, also called The Mexico Act, leads to much unscrupulous activity worldwide. The funds we send via the UN now helps fund China's involuntary sterilization programs, and whats worse, coercive abortions; in many countries. And I wonder how this is a policy that reduces the number of abortions.

What I do not wonder about is my view on abortion. It is not above my pay grade to say that life begins at inception. There is no other way to look at it. Regardless of the intellectual view, life must be treated as life at the moment of inception. Otherwise we are trying to walk across a very slippery slope. If we allow the intellectual opinion to be prevalent in the decision of when life begins, there will be no end to who can then be deemed "alive". One of the arguments is that a fetus cannot live outside of it's mother; or it is not life until it can sustain life in itself. That may be one of the most asinine points of the abortion debate. If we measure life by that "intellectual" standard, then my 21 month old little girl would be a candidate for abortion. She cannot sustain life on her own. Neither can many elderly people. People with various handicaps and issues cannot sustain life in their selves. And if we try to listen to the intellectual approach as to when life begins, we ignore all of the intrinsic values of human life. If we continue down this slippery slope, soon "abortion" can be deemed acceptable not only in the third trimester, but outside of the mother's womb. And that is not a thought has occurred to me because I watch too many sci-fi flicks or read too many books about future shock. That is simply following the path of reason that says that life is not life unless it can sustain life in itself. And while many people think that this is just another excited, conservative blogger preaching doomsday, I honestly feel that we should get off of this slippery slope and nip this in the bud; and say that life begins at inception. Case closed.

But the pseudo-intellects and their wannabe proteges will not let this case be closed. I will spare you my opinion on many intellectual programs and their advancement, but read about intellects and their movements in the past. Start with Rousseau. Read about Marx and what was necessary for the advancement of his cause. Look at almost any other "intellectual" since and up to the present time and examine their lives as well as their philosophies. Read how many people and cultures were deemed dispensable for the greater advancement of a cause. Study the exploitation of peoples and the divisions necessary to gain a platform for which to manipulate the masses of ignorant people. Let what you read help you make your decision, not my 2 cent blog.

And I realize that I am taking an unpopular stance and risk sounding like a nut-case. But I view the abortion movement as another intellectual agenda, for lack of a better word, that ignores the intrinsic values of human life but accepts only the realities that considers it's opinion as fact in order to further advance it's own policy, or cause. Regardless of the real harm to any person or people. The view that abortion is not harmful is negligent.

I also think that as long as life is peddled as potentially not existing until a certain stage of development is harmful. That school of thought may ease the guilt of the person who holds that view, but it is not logical, much less ethical. But ethics are a slippery slope in their self. But considering that life only begins at a certain stage is not logical. If life begins only at a certain stage, then what is life doing prior to that stage? And if life is doing nothing prior to that stage, how does life develop? And if we deem that life is doing nothing prior to a stage of sustaining life in itself, don't we ignore the same logical rules by which we present our argument of when life begins? And how does anything develop or adapt if life occurs only at a certain stage and is not life in a prior stage? If that were accurate, wouldn't our growth and development be stagnant?

Life begins at inception. And not because someone in church can quote some random verses from the Bible or because it is a conservative platform that one must follow to be considered to be in the mold of a true conservative. My opinion was not the product of a sermon or a political demographic. So please do not treat it as such.

So I believe that life begins at inception. And I believe that it is wrong, for lack of a better word, to shed Innocent blood. And abortion at any stage is murder. You are taking a life of an innocent person. I also hold the unpopular opinion that when someone says it is a woman's choice to decide what to with their body, in this case, is another illogical fallacy. Who is considering how a woman can treat her body by protecting the life of an innocent child? Eat as much as want and get as many tattoos as you desire. Go to the gym or sit on the couch; do whatever you desire to your own body. But abortion is the ending of a life, not a method of birth control or a dictation of how to treat your body. Birth control by definition prevents eggs and sperm form developing into life; basically a lifeless car wreck inside of a woman's uterus. Life is not terminated by birth control. It is prevented. Abstinence prevents conception. IUDs prevent conception. Pills prevent conception. The rhythm method tries to prevent conception. But an abortion is killing an innocent life that is already alive, not preventing a life from being conceived. So when someone says that it is dictating a woman's right to her choice of birth control, they are using the wrong terminology. The terms must be on the same playing field to be discussed properly, and birth control and abortion are not the same term.

And if someone ignores the logic, and still clings to the idea of birth control being the same terminology as abortion of a life, then what they are actually saying is that only a woman can decide who lives and who dies since women are the the only ones who can give life. Even though they cannot give life without the males sperm. But that opens another can. But the latest argument of my post is that women should be allowed to decide on who lives and dies because they are a woman. And I'm not trying to make this sound preposterous, I am using the logic in which I hear the argument presented. That is what I hear when someone uses that aspect of a woman's right argument.

I want to begin to wrap this up by saying that I am not trying to be judgemental of anyone or determine who is "moral" or "immoral". I am trying to logically present my view on the abortion issue. It is not my place to judge ayone's intention or heart. But I do not find fault with judging actions and words. I do not apologize for my view. I am not ashamed of how I view this issue and I am not ashamed of how I come to my conclusion.

I am also not merely thinking of aspects of this argument logically. The logic is just a method of presenting my argument so those who are following the lead of the intellectual movement can discuss and consider this issue on an even playing field. And while I have tried to leave my emotions out of this today, I cannot ignore them or hide them from my readers either. While my mind's eye has been presented here, my heart's voice has been hushed. I don't intend to go into a personal diatribe about how I feel about abortion. And I do not want to be preachy on the issue either, but I cannot neglect stating my thoughts in this area either. I have no specific Bible verse or anything that supports my view of abortion. And to be honest, I get very frustrated with people who think abortion is wrong because their pastor says so. I hate to hear people quote a verse from the Bible out of context and then hide behind it like they have won a moral victory of some sort. If a person feels God supports a certain position, then they need to have a real-life, personal relationship with Him before they appoint themselves as His bodyguard and spokesperson.

But I do feel that God is against abortion. And while that is enough for me, it may not be enough for you. Look at the logic. Study some of the things that I have mentioned. Draw your own conclusions. Let the truth be the truth. But never forget that God loves all of us and that Jesus died for all of us and that the Holy Spirit will counsel all of us. God loves the "unborn" life just as He loves the born. He does not wait for a certain stage of development to occur before He loves. He doesn't wait until the issue is even to His pay grade to love. He understands the terms and the logic. And He loves the handicapped as much as He loves the physically gifted. He loves the degenerate as much as the intellectual as much as the missionary. God loves the elderly and the criminal and the preacher and the murderer and the blogger all equally. And I have no certain verse of the Bible to support that, but the ENTIRE Bible to support that.

So I encourage all of us to pray about the direction our country needs to go on this abortion issue. And I do not mean to say that I hope everyone comes to my way of thinking. If that is how we pray, we should just save our breath. I will pray for the truth to be the truth and that if I am wrong to please let me see it. I pray this way on all issues in my life. I encourage all of us to see life as God does, not to reduce life to a decision of a logical lesser of evils. I encourage all of us to consider all of the intrinsic values of every individual and not to listen to who is valued by an intellectual code. I hope that we can be respectful of each other as we move forward on this issue.

Random Friday Bombast

Here are some random thoughts for Friday:

A friend of mine sent me an article on a man in Alaska who made an ice sculpture of Al Gore in an effort to have the maven of global warming come to Alaska to explain his thoughts on global warming. I got a real kick out of the entire concept! But it made me think that someone should make an iron sculpture of the man sculpting an ice sculpture of Al Gore. Then I went on to think that maybe a statue, or idol in this case, be made of Barak Obama using cubic zirconium; because many claim he is the real thing but no one can really tell. And I can't think of Obama without thinking of Carter, so I decided that someone should make a statue of Carter using lint from the dryer; because there is little in this world that is more useless. I went on to imagine Bush Jr. made of brass, Bill Clinton made of chalcopyrite, Nancy Pelosi made of, well I can't print that, and even a rubber Harry Reid. Reagan made of steel. Ted Kennedy made of olives from martinis. So on and so forth...sometimes I really amuse myself!

I read that Mark McGwire's brother, Jay McGwire, is writing a book and telling that he personally injected Mark with steroids. No there is not a lot of love lost on Mark McGwire from my standpoint, but is there no honor left in the world? The man's own brother? What a lousy bum this Jay fellow is...and can anyone get a book deal now? And how good can Jay McGwire's book be? Can you imagine an excerpt: "It was a dark and stormy night. Mark came in from a long day of baseball. The lightning flashing was the only light available to guide my shaking hand to pick up the syringe of injustice and slowly jab the needle of shame into my demanding brother's gluteous maximus. Forgive me for my role in this sham, although I have been forced to be an unwilling participant. Why does my brother have such a hold on me? Will I ever regain my innocence?"...Give me a break...

And speaking of bums, how about John Thain, the former Chief Executive Officer of Merrill Lynch? They now have documents showing that he spent $1.22 million to refurbish his office at the dying securities firm. $1.22 million on office furniture ? $87,000 on an area rug when you had to lay of thousands of people? $15,000 on a sofa as your company bleeds to death? $8000,000 to a celebrity designer as you cost many investors to lose portions of their much needed income? $35,000 for a "commode on legs" whatever that is. $11,000 on fabric for a roman shade? This man has the nerve to buy a $1400 trashcan, but does nothing for his struggling company and it's workers? And it would be different if his were his own money and his own home. As difficult as it would be to rationalize, his personal business is his personal business. I still believe that a man in this country can spend his money anyway he chooses; but it should be his money. He could at least been patriotic and had the company money redistributed, or is that just a private issue? Either way, $1.22 million of company money on office decorations while the company dwindles is just wrong...and bring on the bailout now!

Speaking of bailout money makes me think about the new stimulus bill being proposed by president Obama. The initial reports that I read show that the pork is already being added to the bill. Now is the chance for Obama to be a man of his words and stop the pork. Otherwise all of this change and quitting the "business as usual" stuff is just smoke. And the stimulus package looks like long term spending on short term planning to me. As we learned from King Roosevelt, we may pay for "temporary programs" for an eternity. And we will only enable generations to become reliant upon the government and less reliant on American reilience and ingenuity. And the money will run out; and someone will have to pick up the tab. I'm all for creating jobs and infrastructure, but most of the money in this proposed package won't kick in for several years and much of the infrastructure work won't begin for years either. But it will at least look good now. Pass on the mess to the next guy, I did my part. Where is Truman's buck stopping here philosophy?

For my last random complaint, The closing of Guantanomo Bay is a mistake if they don't speed up the trials of the accused first. President Carter, dang! I gotta stop that. I mean President Obama seems to be more concerned with "global opinion" and the concerns of intellects rather than with the concerns of our national security. And I realize that I will catch a lot of flak from that statement, but I stand by it. The people in Gitmo need to be questioned and tried adequately. It needs to be expedient and fair, but it has to be done adequately. Regardless of global opinion, whatever that is. I know that one of the major knocks on W. was that he had little concern for global opinion. And why this is a complaint, I do not know. But when the "global opinion" has their country bombed and their people killed by evil cowards, then we should be concerned about what they think; whoever "they" is. And how quick we forget how we felt on 9-12. Bush was a hero for not taking crap. W. showed the strength of a leader in the face of a disastrous ordeal. We all talked about prayer. 90something percent of Americans and even a higher percent of congress people and senators agreed that U.S.A. should strike back. Almost every man woman and child had little care for "global opinion" and more concern for Americans. Now you would be hard pressed to find three individuals who stand by their former words or their former stance on the war against terror. Global Opinion sure has a lot of peer pressure for a non-existent entity. I just hope that as Obama emulates past leaders, that he will remember that tough decisions aren't always popular or good for your ego. And if we want to remain The United States of America that we need to make decisions that are best for us, not "global opinion". Otherwise we can go ahead and be the United States of Global Opinion. I guess we would at least be popular.

And that is it for today. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Inaugural Rant

I guess most people have the inauguration of our new president, Barak Hussein Obama on their minds. And if you don't, then you found a more peaceful place than most over the last few days. I have never seen such hype in my life!

I have to admit, the only part of the inauguration that I witnessed was what little bit I saw while I was at the gym. And before you call me a sore loser or a racist or an anti social or unpatriotic or whatever, know this; I never watch the inauguration stuff. I like politics but could care less about all of the "pomp and circumstance" junk. Call me practical to the point of boredom, but I just can rationalize all of the time, effort, and money spent on all of that stuff while there are so many other needs of so many real people. That and the fact that I just don't care for a lot of ceremony. I like tradition, but the inauguration stuff is not really tradition to me, just an asinine ritual.

I do have some thoughts on the whole ordeal though. And for starters, Obama is still more of a celebrity than a serious leader at this point. I realize that he hasn't has time to do any real work, but all of the chanting and crying and melodrama reminded me of the footage of teenage girls crying at a Beatles concert. It was like Elvis being on the Ed Sullivan show. I kept expecting someone to yell "Freebird", hold their lighters high in the air, and start throwing undergarments onto the stage... Unbelievable.

And it seems that the people who were up in arms about Rick Warren's prayer could rest easier last night, since he didn't do much praying. I managed to see a little of that spectacle between sit-ups and leg presses. What a shame that was. I hope praying is not getting in front of a bunch of people and reading some political/social stuff off of an index card. If it is, then I am in trouble. The part of the "prayer" that I saw mentioned God and everything, but it still came across as an interview for Billy Graham's old job. I have mentioned before that I am no big fan of Rick Warren. I don't think that he is a bad man and only he and God know his heart. But I have always had an odd feeling about him. Not in the sense of corruption, but none the less, a negative gut feeling...but what do I know? And he has done a lot of good things for a lot of people. But still...

I do think that the phrase, "swearing in" was appropriate because I am certain that there was a lot of swearing going on yesterday. I also imagine the stock in Pepto Bismal rose.

Speaking of Pepto, what is with the celebrities? Now it is o.k. to be patriotic and concerned for he country. Now it is fashionable to support the president. All of a sudden it is in vogue to speak of forgiveness and moving forward. Wow! Of course no one really listens to them anyway, except schoolgirls and children. And if they were very good at their trade they would have probably been at at work yesterday...

And what does "new beginning" mean? How can a beginning be anything but a beginning? And aren't all beginnings new, logically? Nothing is a priori to the beginning or it would be in the middle and not a beginning. Unless it is the end. And why are we all of a sudden having this renaissance of, and in, chronology? It sounds like more rhetoric to me, and not very sound rhetoric at that. Rhetoric or Hollywood nonsense; like a made for t.v. movie. Maybe that's what we should call this era, "The After School Special, Era of Presidency", where all of your problems are solved in fifty minutes and no one remembers anything bad...I think A New Beginning has been used many times before. And it never makes sense to me. But what do I know?

I do have to say, much to the chagrin of my conservative readers, that I am ready for Bush to leave office. I am ready to have all of the blame of the world taken away by his leaving office. I do not know who will be the scapegoat now. Actually, I do... It will be George W. Bush.

I am also ready for Bush to go back to Texas because his second term was an absolute fiasco. Especially the bailout and the appointment of Hank Paulson. But the disappearing act that the former president performed the last 3 years is appalling. I do realize the media bias against him was ridiculous, but he did little to help his cause or to help us in our daily lives. Maybe I am being unfair, but he really fizzled out down the stretch in my opinion. I think history will be kinder to him than people think and I think that he had a lot of accomplishments that were ignored. But I am still disappointed at most of his second term.

And I am ready for change. Not in the Obama, fairly tale way. But real change. But I don't see any positive change coming down the pike. And that is not just a jab at Obama. There are no real leaders anymore; or very few at best. And not just in our government, but in our workplaces and our churches as well. But that may be a topic for a different day. But I do hope and pray for change. But not in the form of nationalization or redistribution. And not change based on words of speech writers and spin doctors.

And putting all of my pessimism and sarcasm aside, I always have to remind myself of the same things when I get to this point of frustration in my thoughts: God is in control. And pray for our leaders. And pray for each other. God loves all of us and Jesus died for all of us and the Holy Spirit will guide all of us, is we listen.

I know that it may seem odd to end such a diatribe with words about God and prayer, but it is sincere. And I hope it shows a process that I try to live my life by; when I get full of myself and my own opinions that I need to focus on something bigger and something of purpose.

I realize that my opinions are just my opinions. Thank God I am in a place where I can express them. Thank God for friends that accept me for who I am, even though they disagree and think that I am full of hot air. And thank God for all of the soldiers, past and present, who serve so that I may enjoy these freedoms.

And it is in these things of God, friends, and family that my hope rests. It may not be historical but it is no less important. And there is nothing that needs to be changed about that.

No Blog Today

I have to take a personal day today, so there will be no blog today. I hope everyone has a good day!

Who is John Galt?

Is anyone else glad that it is Friday? That probably is a pretty stupid question, not to mention cliche. But I am glad that it is Friday. I am looking forward to the football games this weekend (Go Cardinals!)

I just have a handful of random thoughts on my mind today and my kids are not cooperating very well today, so this may be rushed. But at any rate, here it is:

How do fiascoes like the Bernie Madoff scandal happen? And who is John Galt?

On other financial news, I read an article this morning that said Citigroup lost $8.29B last quarter. My first thought is that a company that lost that much money and is still operating, must have a butt load of assets! Anyway, the article went on to say that the company will split into two separate groups. Citicorp and Citi Holdings. The split is to separate traditional banking business from riskier ventures in the current economic world. The split also helps to "dismantle the financial supermarket created a decade ago". In other words, the giant financial company is having to get back to the basic principles of banking and make wiser decisions. They will have to be more realistic in their approach to lending and investing. This news caused the company stock to rise 14% in pre-market trading...And my first question is, why weren't they practicing basic, common sense banking in the first place? I know it is not popular or "sexy", whatever that means, to be considered "basic", but you would think that all of the intellectuals and pseudo economists would realize that "basic" is something to build on. Reliability and good decision making should always be in the vogue. But what do I know? I am an objectivist anyway. But you do think that the federal bailout allows people to maintain the status quo and continue bad practices and habits instead of restructuring and "getting back to basics". And social programs do the same thing, restrict ingenuity and drive. Bailout hinders growth and reduces an American asset, strength of will and creative problem solving, to the point of where all people and businesses are the same gray, milquetoast businesses and people. But at least everyone has a chance to get survive; even those who practice bad habits and inept decision making. At least we are "civilized" enough to prevent any type of survival of the fittest where real progress and civility occur; and leeches and remoras of the country are allowed to drag all things to their low level of ethics and practices...and that my friend is redistribution.

I see that a man with atheist beliefs is suing so that the phrase, "so help me ,God" be removed from the swearing in of Barak Obama. Two thoughts, will Obama also have an alternative swearing in by an atheist so he can be all things to all people and no thing of any substance? And secondly, if you don't like the phrase so badly that you feel the need to involve the courts, don't watch the ceremony. I love hockey but hate the Detroit Red Wings, so I don't watch Red Wing games. I'm not entitled to watch only what I want and ignore the desires of others. And so is society the same way. I think we can all do our best to change society, but it will not be through the courts. It will be in our lifestyles and our daily lives. But our philosophy has to change, we can't merely serve ourselves. And aren't we a little more resilient? Can we not get past the political correct garbage of the nineties? And what is the atheist so threatened about? If in his mind there is no God, then just sit back and watch everyone make fools of themselves; and bask in your own self-righteous indignation. Be glad that you are so much smarter than everyone else who has to have God to have a purpose in life.Go ahead and...well you get the point. Why be so threatened? Angry is one thing and stating your point of view is another. But be a man and leave the courts out of this...Do like I do when the Red Wings play, turn the channel.

The Israeli conflict is in full force. And it is difficult to write about because it is so vast and goes so far back into history. It began Isaac and Ishmael...but to be current, a couple of the many thoughts on the conflict. For starters, Jimmy Carter is proof that a president should be shot after they leave the presidency. He really needs to stay out of things...And why all of the backlash against Israel? I don't think that they should be forced into a cease-fire. Hamas needs to be put out of business. And a cease-fire just gives Hamas time to get more weapons in and a chance to regroup...and why the protests in Germany? Do they have a dog in this race? Is anyone calling for their extermination or shooting rockets into their country? And why is most of the backlash against Israel? Do people want a redistribution of power and culture in the Middle East? And since Israel is winning, or has the most, I guess that makes them the bad guys. I bet Connolly is laughing it up at all of the "civilized" nations and the pinhead philosophies. But why is Israel the bad guy? Do they practice human shielding? Do they jeopardize their own people for the advancement of a cause dear to only a handful of people? Israel sends text messages and emails telling people in Gaza when and where they will strike; not always, but often enough. Hamas has had a major voice in the Palestinian Authority and a major governmental power for some time. And like all of the other Palestinian groups, they have done nothing to help produce a Palestinian culture or way of life. Nothing has been done to better the Palestinian people. The basic infrastructure of Palestine has been gutted by one corrupt regime after another. But one thing all of the governing bodies in Gaza agree on is that they must peddle hate and violence. They have shown no desire for a homeland or a culture. So they peddle hate and violence and shoot rockets and strap bombs on women and children all in the name of exterminating the nation of Israel. But then Israel is the bad guy. Israel shows no restraint. Israel is harsh and not politically correct. Enough already...and now it looks like Israel needs to keep an eye on Lebanon. I would say Syria, but they are really an extension of Iran; as are most of these warring countries in that region. And my concern is that one day this will not be a "war by proxy" and that many countries will have to get involved. But that is another topic for another day, as I like to say often.

And those are some of my thoughts for Friday. Anyway, who is John Galt? And besides, I am out of time; I have to go and beat a 20 month old monster right now. Have a good weekend and God Bless!

Obama's Religious Problem is Our religious Problem

Before I get started on my two-cents worth today, I would like to direct all of those who are on Facebook to a commentary written yesterday by Bill Ed Huff. He is a high school classmate and a very bright and articulate man. His commentary yesterday dealt with the hypocrisy of Gene Robinson, the openly gay Episcopalian bishop who will lead a prayer, for lack of a better word, at one of the inaugural events for President Elect Obama next week. I originally planned to express some of my thoughts and emotions on this issue and to run parallel to Bill Ed's emotions, but I believe that Bill Ed hits the nail on the head and needs none of my interference. I feel his words represent my thoughts and to incorporate his commentary with my thoughts would only diminish his eloquence on the manner. So if you want to know how I feel, read Mr. Huff's commentary on his Facebook page. It is well worth the time and effort.


And now for my thoughts on all of Obama's religious problems; they are just that, religious problems. The President Elect is not suffering from persecution for or of his beliefs nor are his problems stemming from any exercise of faith on his part. Obama's religious problems are political under the guise and misnomer of problems of faith and belief; making them "religious" problems, using the literal definition of the word religious; and lacking any spiritual connotated meaning.

That is not to say that Barak Obama is not a Christian. For starters, that is not my call and I am not about to judge. At least I refuse to judge someones relationship to Christ. I may be able to "examine the fruit" like people like to say in church, and I have to admit that his relationship deals with a lot of words and contradictory actions. But only he and God know his true heart, not me.

But I do know what has caused Obama so many problems in the area of spirituality. Obama's obvious relationship with Jeremiah Wright and using one of Mr. Wright's catchphrases as a title of his book, did little to establish many Christ-like attributes. Then the backpedaling. Next came the audacity to use Jeremiah Wright's catchphrase as the title and suggested basis of his book, only to go on to say that the Reverend, if we can call him that, had little influence on himself personally. Such a contradiction in words shows a character trait of a person that has little real faith, since faith comes from perseverance. Rarely can we throw someone under the bus when the heat is on us, then move forward in our lives, then develop any amount of faith from that action. But that was political and I want to address the spiritual.

The Jeremiah Wright issues brought about the concerns that Barak Obama is a Muslim. While the President Elect Obama gave a Christian testimony at the Saddleback Civil Forum, I cannot help but wonder if he would admit to being a Muslim if it were pre 9-11 United States. I do not know but can't help but wonder if it would have benefited himself in the polls, that Barak Hussein Obama would not claim to be Muslim. For the record, that may not be fair of me to print, but in trying to be honest in MY thoughts, I really can't help but wonder. But this also is political, not spiritual, and therefore I should get back on track.

But do you see the pattern of political and spiritual being mixed? And isn't that close to secularism or humanism? And aren't those enemies of Faith in God and Christianity in its self? Could this conglomerate be at the root of what is causing Obama so many troubles in the area of religion?

And getting back to Obama's religious problems, Oprah Winfrey gives him no credibility what-so-ever. At least not in the area of Christianity. She doesn't even remotely represent Christ. She does represent spirituality in the humanist form. She is as close to Godly, and I mean Yahweh not the one universal god, as a gypsy reading a crystal ball. And while I don't personally hold Obama accountable for his friends beliefs, there are many others who do. He is not responsible nor has he said that Oprah has had any influence on himself spiritually. But for a man who has been so calculating in his maneuvers, this does little to support the testimony of Christ in his life, not the universal deist theory of god; at least by some people. But again, it is good politics.

Mr. Obama's apparent decision to remain absent from any church services since the Jeremiah Wright issues does not help the case for his strong faith or belief in God. This too is unfair territory to judge Obama on. We do not know what direction God may be leading him and his family. But for a man who has been groomed as presidential material for over four years, to remain absent from church is not the best manner to promote much spirituality. Even Carter and Clinton know you that you have to go to church. And that you can't always wait for the polls to reflect popular opinion before deciding to do so. But maybe he is in a season of prayer on this issue and is deciding that his faith is more important than his poll numbers. I sincerely hope that is the case and believes he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

And finally, the decisions to have Rick Warren pray at the inauguration and then having Gene Robinson pray, or at least mutter words, at another event reflects more actions of political motivation rather than a reflection of Obama's personal beliefs. And let me explain why I say that Mr. Robinson will only mutter words; it has nothing to do with his religion. Gene Robinson has acknowledged that he will try to pray as UN-Christian as he can, as not to offend anyone. My question is, who is he praying to? Even an atheist knows that you pray to God. So Mr. Robinson's token words will heal some political wounds that were inflicted by the announcement of Rick Warren praying at the inauguration. But it will do nothing to express any form of true faith or belief in God. For a man to say that he believes that Jesus died for our sins, that that blood is the only manner in which salvation can be reached, and that there is no other way to the Father, to then have a man such a Gene Robinson mutter some empty words, is nothing more than a political wash; a break even, as close to win-win situation as can be achieved by the President Elect. The two prayers cannot co-exist in any arena other than that of the political. Logically or theologically. And personally, the concept of the two prayers is personally appalling!

But what would be more appalling in this situation is for us to sit back and judge Barak Obama. We may question his actions and may recognize his errors, but we should not judge his heart. I realize that this article has come close to sounding judgemental, but that is not the intent; nor is it the intent to sound hypocritical. I am "judging" or examining the President Elects actions and philosophies and his words. But the Bible says to test all things and to examine all things and also warns about false belief and true religion. And personally, I have tested the Bible and have put God to the test. Not because I am in any posititon to do so, but because the Bible says test all things. I wouldn't place my faith or belief in anything less. And neither should anyone else.

But to forgo my personal conviction and reasoning and to continue on to the appalling issue, I have typed all of these words to express this thought: Obama's Religious Problem is Our Problem. Not because he is our president and that we inherit his mistakes. But Obama's problems are our problems because many will judge him and point fingers at him and pretend to be more Christ-like than him. When all of the while, our churches are full of people who have a convenient faith and a social religion. Our churches are full of "cultural christians" who have little sign of a real relationship with God. Many of our churches feed the psychology of man-made religion and neglect the real meaning and teachings of Jesus. Many churches have replaced the Holy Spirit with common sense philosophies and secular motivated purpose. We can blame those who call themselves Christians more than we can blame an individual, such as Barak Obama.

So I say again, Obama's Religious Problems are Our Problems...and what are YOU willing to do about the issue, point a self-righteous finger at someone else or point the finger of self-realization at yourself and ask God how we can pray for our new president and how to pray for His will in our lives and in our country? If we truly pray, as true believers, we can rise above this appalling political mess and real communication with God will be established next week. Our new President and our country will truly benefit from REAL prayers.

The Biggest Loser:Uganda or Somewhere

I was reading an article on obesity in the United States the other day, fresh after watching part of The Biggest Loser on television. I can't remember what all of the statistics were, but I believe the test showed that 80something percent of Americans are overweight and that 70something percent were obese. Anyway, reading the article and watching The Biggest Loser started me thinking...

Sometimes I think of our weight issue in America is not as much of a sign of our laziness, but as a sign of our success. A sign that we have it pretty good here in the States, even though many of us get frustrated and bent out of shape over different issues. We have so much more leisure time due to our progress and our technology, that we gravitate towards becoming soft. There's not as much hard, physical work around these days. And I'm not complaining, it's just a thought and my observation.

Then that train of thought left the station and arrived in the town of, What-Would-Happen-If-Underdeveloped-Countries-Had-Reality-T.V.-Like-The-Biggest-Loser? Then the passengers, I mean thoughts, turned to the contemplating of what American television would be like in the more underdeveloped countries. And here is my version of The Biggest loser, Uganda or somewhere.; but be warned, I only watch bits and pieces of the show and I do not know much about third world prime time or ratings sweeps in Africa or other underdeveloped nations. So this may be a stretch:

The Biggest Loser in the Third World could go something like this:
Host:Welcome to the Biggest Loser, Third world Edition. Tonight we have a weigh-in of our finalists to see who wins the $125 Grand Prize. as our first contestant makes his way to the scales let's ask what he plans to do with the prize money

First Contestant:..I can't even begin to tell you what I would do with all of that money. It would triple my yearly income and probably allow me to live a much better life. Of course, I wouldn't let all of the money change me...I would buy some new dirt for the floor of the hut and probably a new donkey to ride into market.This money could sure change my life...

Host: Well alright! Let's look at the scales...Your beginning weight was a whopping 75 pounds. After weeks of work in the gym, training on the fat farm, and Jenny Craig meals three times a day, let's see how much weight you have worked off....Your weight now is...125 pounds! Wow! It seems like agonizing workouts and a steady diet has caused you to gain weight! I guess you were better off working sun-up to sun-down and eating a partial meal of ground meal every day.

First Contestant: [too shocked to speak, just looks down at his dirty, bare feet]

Host: I'm sorry but you are eliminated. But we do have some nice parting gifts from our sponsor, Rice-a-Roni. And maybe our staff can find you and your family a nice missionary or a decent warlord to help you maintain your "progress' to a healthier life. We are sorry for your exploitation, I mean your disappointment...Now Let's bring out our next contestant...

Second Contestant: I'm so nervous...but I think I managed to lose weight. At least some of the baby fat that I haven't been able to work off since my thirteenth child...I sure would like to wear a bathing suit again.

Host: Well let's see if you will be turning heads at the country club pool this summer...your initial weight was a scandalous 53 pounds, or about the equivalent of an American second grader...and now the scales read...84 pounds! 84 pounds! It seems like we have an issue on the Biggest Loser. It seems like all of our contestants are too lazy and indifferent to change their lifestyles, even when enticed with five years worth of income.

Second Contestant: But I did try![now in tears] I wanted so much to be like the Americans. I wanted so very much to follow instructions and win the grand prize! It was a chance for me to do more for my family. I was wanting to buy a new goat. The kids wanted a new pet, since we had to eat the last couple of pets. I was going to buy mosquito netting for the hut. I dreamt of upgrading to a shack...

Host: Well I am sorry...But we do have some consolation prizes for you. And we plan on asking Bono and Bob Geldoff to write a new song for your village. You can't eat it, but it will ease our conscious...And that is all for this season. Stay tuned for our newest series, Televangelist Congo!

And that is that...I'm out of time and opportunity. My 20 month old girl with pica just ate a decent amount of CloseUp toothpaste and is hissing and spitting like a mad cat. But her breath sure smells good! So duty calls me elsewhere...Have a Glorious Monday!

The Joker, the Paper Lord, the King's Court, and You

It seems like everyone, and I mean everyone, is asking for Bail-Out money these days. It is reported that the Pornography Industry is now asking for federal funds to help support their dying art form. Insert your own joke here. Personally, I am more irritated at the Roland Burris show.

And that is exactly what the senate seat appointment of Mr. Burris has become, a show. A show, none the less, that is more harmful to Americans than an entire library of stag films. And while it is not my place to determine if one vice is worse than another, I cannot help but feel we are moving backwards in the cultural wars of America. And all of the actors in the Burris Show may be fully clothed, but they are taking part in raping our society. They are engaging in exploitation to a much darker degree than some dirty old men with a video camera and a bad soundtrack.

Is this comparison a little drastic? Yes, it probably is. But in my outrage, I ask that you give me an ounce of hyperbole, free of charge and comment.

And I am outraged! Even though my kids keep interrupting my diatribe, my dander is up past the normal irritated level that I generally function at. And this entire Show really began as a joke. How did it become so maddening? We have Rod Blagojevich, a known criminal, playing the part of the Governor of Illinois, a state known for corrupt politics. The governor wants to better his bank account by taking bids on the open senate seat created by Barak Obama getting a promotion. The Governor gets caught and loses all of his half ounce of credibility that he had saved for a rainy day. Harry Reid, as well as many other senators in shining armor, come to the rescue. They make a statement that no senate seat appointments will be filled until a new governor of Illinois is able to make a credible appointment, or at least until someone can make a credible appointment. Even King Obama steps in from his usual distanced pose to help Sir Reid stand on principals and chivalry and all of that kind of stuff.

Now enters the court jester, Roland Burris. And he really is a court jester; clumsy, inarticulate, unelectable. The court jester was sent by the paper Lord, Blogojevich, to cause havoc among the high court of kings and princes. The court jester was to throw a wrench in the works and create a smokescreen for lord Blogojevich while he escaped certain doom, and rode off into the sunset while no one was looking. All the while...

Well, you get the point. Even with my bad analogy you can see that the Burris appointment should not have turned into such a fiasco. But it has. And how can such a simpleton as Burris pull this off?

By playing the race card. And that fellow Americans, is the disgraceful, angering issue at hand. By playing the race card, a simple joker beat a full house and several pairs of kings and queens. And now we all have to look forward at a royal flush.

Ok, enough already with the comparisons, but I am outraged at the use of the race card. I am angered that Harry Reid and Obama and many others are now backpedaling on the Burris appointment. It seems that honor and ethics take a back seat to the law, which no one cared to consider before announcing that no appointments would be considered bu Blago. No one except Blago and Burris legal team. They knew that they didn't have to rely on integrity, that technicality, the law, was on their side. So a simple court jester and a paper lord turned the king's court on it's ear.

But knowing that it would take more than words and the realization that a Republican could win a general election for the open seat, Blago, Burris, and a leagal team turned to Julian Bond and the NAACP. And everyone standing on morals and ethics then surrendered and began the backpedaling. The Supreme Court didn't strike fear in anyone's heart, but the NAACP certainly did. And I'm had hoped that Obama's election had placed an end to the exploitation of the NAACP; and placed an end to all of the racial wars that the ACLU and the NAACP help ignite and continue to flame.

These groups need struggles in class and race to survive. And any intellectual movement in history places the larger good of "the cause" above any other good; be it liberty, justice, ethics, morals, or intrinsic values of individuals. That's how these causes exist. They are built upon exploitation of who they are assuming to protect. Corruption of dignity and ethics are necessary to carry out the advancement of issues. Ask Marx. Ask Rousseau. Ask Connelly. I know that I wax philosophical, but it is a relevant truth.

And it is what angers me about the Burris appointment. I expected that Harry Reid would not know the law and would change stances several times on the issues. I knew that Blagojevich would do his best to exploit the weaknesses of the senate. I wasn't even surprised at Roland Burris being nominated. he can't win any office by election and isn't smart enough to call his own shots. Why else would a lawyer need legal team to answer simple questions of ethics? But I really was caught by surprise by the NAACP and the race card. And maybe my being caught off guard is what angered me the most.

Mr. Burris would be the only black senator, so his camp is claiming that he is being blocked because of his color. Bulloney! And shouldn't this complaint be taken to the states where the elections are held instead of where the results of said elections meet to conduct business? Or is it too difficult to launch well planned campaigns in several different states to elect black politicians when it is easier to wait for an opportunity like the Burris appointment and play one simple card? This has nothing to do with race, or at least it didn't. Now it does and we can hear the same old tired words and watch these "civil groups', and I use the term in the loosest manner, work up the tired and the exploited into a frenzy over nothing. And "the cause" is not forwarded, but the position of a few elitists are. That is how organizations on the left have always worked. And always will.

That is what is angering. For one it is so easy to see through. Another, you have people telling other people that they care about them, all the while they are stabbing them in their backs and saying that it is with someone Else's knife. And people still fall for the same old line and tactics. I guess it is easier to peddle hate and anger instead of real change and integrity. Justice is quicker when angered and patience is a virtue for fools.

And this is turning out to be quite the diatribe! I would apologize, but I truly am worked up over this. I actually thought that the election of Obama would end the civil rights battle. But as long as anyone can profit from the tactics of the NAACP and the ACLU, then these tactics will be used. With no regard for anyone's best interest or any concern for morality or integrity. I guess that was my hope for change after the election. I had hoped that Obamas election would ease tensions and that people would focus on being neighbors and fiends and fellow Americans, without the concern for skin color.

Racism is ignorance. And blacks can be as racist as whites. As can yellows and browns. I'm not a fool to think that it doesn't exist. I am just a fool that believed that people were tired of being herded together and amassed according to skin color and that the rights of a real individual were as important as the rights of a faceless, angry mob. I was fool enough to think that there would be some logic and common sense in our cultural battles. I was a fool to believe in any hope for real change in racial issues.

I have gone in about five directions in today's blog. This is an issue that is upsetting to me. I hope that we can all glean something from my rant and somehow overcome some of these issues in our small sections of the world.

And when things get this maddening and I get this worked up, i always come back to remembering that God loves us all, Jesus died for us all, and the Holy Spirit empowers us all. Thank God for grace or I may still be ranting and raving...Have a great Weekend!

Wednesday's Random Rantings

I want to thank all of you for your continued support over the last six months. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of getting back into a Monday,Wednesday, and Friday blog. Things have been hectic crazy and there have also been some personal issues that have had to be dealt these last few weeks. Hopefully the road ahead is smooth sailing; at least for the blog.

There is now a Facebook Group, Readers of the Self-Inflicted Blog. Anyone can join and refer their friends to join as well. Hopefully it will turn into a forum where the days issues can be discussed and questions can be answered. I think that we can all learn from each other, and that we all have different ideas, thoughts, and philosophies that can help each other understand things from many different perspectives. I'm not very adept at Facebook applications, but maybe we can all get the group going together.

And now for the random thoughts for the day:

I started to give my two-cents on the Israeli-Hamas conflict, but it was turning out to be very long and involved. And my opinions on this subject are very harsh sounding...I'm just not ready for any hate mail this week...

So I turn my focus to current, U.S. news. And how about the Blogojevich Scandal? There really isn't alot of Earth shattering news there. It's just another crooked, Illinois politician performing illegal acts for self gain and ego. Sadly, this is not a new situation. But I am surprised at how this Burris guy is acting. I don't know if he was the highest bidder for Obama's senatorial seat or not, but he sure acts like he did something badly wrong by behaving like he didn't do anything badly wrong. He says he's concerned about the people of Illinois being properly represented; but remember that Samuel Johnson said that patriotism is the final refuge of a scoundrel. Even if it's state patriotism.

Does anyone else still watch the NHL? Is there any question that Ovechkin is the best player since Messier? Who was the best since Howe? And what should we call the "Great One" since he stinks so badly as a coach and GM? I have some ideas, but they aren't printable.

And how about the Bill Richardson ordeal? If the people on Wikipedia know that Governor Richardson has a trail of inquiries, scandals, and investigations as long as your arm, wouldn't the Obama vetters have access to such knowledge? Maybe the president elect is running out of candidates for cabinet positions, or at least qualified candidates. And you have to admit, it is getting as rare as hen's teeth that we see a decent, ethical politician. And remember what Walt Whitman said, that if one could make two blades of grass grow where only one grew before, they would do a better service to mankind than all of the politicians together. That is paraphrased. And he actually said lawyers, not politicians. I was using "creative journalism"...

On the NFL playoffs: Peyton Manning is still the best regular season quarterback that consistently chokes in the playoffs. How can anyone be so good during the season and so bad in the post season? And the media still gives him MVP after MVP. And Kurt Warner still has what it takes, at least for one more week. Is there any question that Darren Sproles is better than L.T? Will anyone beat the Titans or the Panthers, my personal picks?

And lastly, I'm ready to spend my stimulus check and not ready to get into my thoughts as to why. Or if I should be ready for the stimulus check. Just show me the money! Maybe I am more in tune to the "American Pop Culture Mentality" than I thought that I was. Maybe I am beginning to be a conformist in my old age.

Monday News

No blog today...Hopefully I will get back to a Mon Wed Fri routine beginning this Wed.

Thanks for checking in and I appreciate all of the support!