This Week at Baptist Press: "There is still hope for America"

I'll be honest (of course I always try my best to be honest at all times, it's just that sometimes I choose not to comment on some items in the news, believing I need to be careful in "picking my battles"). But, here's an honest confession, I like to spotlight "First Person" columns written by Kelly Boggs, columnist for "Baptist Press," because Boggs often cuts bluntly to the bare bone of important issues.

Boggs says things that other people ought to be saying, ought to be screaming, and ought to draw battle lines regarding.

Boggs column this week is such a column. He says things that others know, he says things that many people want to close their ears to and put their hands over their eyes to because, to hear what is going on and to see what is going on in our nation would force us to react, even if that reaction is non-action. Remember, non-action is an act, in itself, when it is the result of realizing there is a wrong that needs a remedy and yet, because we lead busy lives or don't want to alienate our friends, or don't want to be interrupted in our current pastime, we choose to ignore the problem.

This week, Boggs tells America we are a nation of blind people being led by blind leaders. I think more and more people are opening their ears and uncovering their eyes to the fact that our Country is being blindly run into a ditch but, it's still happening. The ditch gets closer and closer and the wheels of our wagon are getting squeakier and squeakier as they get all the more wobbly.

Boggs pointed out several specific cases of the deaf and blind leadership of our nation:

"President Obama is pressuring Congress to pass health care legislation before it recesses in August. Representatives admit that when it comes time to vote they likely will not understand all the bill entails and how much it will cost. And yet they still plan to vote on it....

The House of Representatives passed legislation known as cap and trade which was drafted to address environmental issues and "global warming." The original bill was in the neighborhood of 1,500 pages. However, at 3 a.m. the day of the vote, Democrats added an additional 300 pages. Though representatives had no clue what was in the bill or how much it would cost, they passed it.

...a similar scenario occurred in reference to the so-called stimulus package. The same was also true for the bank bail-out bill passed at the end of 2008. In each case, Congress approved legislation with little or no knowledge of contents or cost."

Boggs also touched on the media, "Rather than asking congressional leaders or the president tough questions concerning the reality of recent legislation, the media -- with rare exception -- has acted like a mere spectator simply repeating the congressional or administrative spin," Boggs wrote. "When they are not accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative of proposed legislation, most media outlets are trumpeting the trivial."

So, today, I've done my part to take action. Since what I do is report and write about things, I feel it is fair to report and write about this "thing" as my form of action.

It is not acceptable that our elected legislators are passing critical legislation before they have even read or studied what the long term effects of the legislation they are passing will be. In some cases, there are rare reports from experts about how far reaching and damaging some of this legislation will be to the future of our country but, those reports fall on deaf ears. Those reports cannot capture the attention of the populace of these United States. We truly are a nation of the blind leading the blind and because no one wants to open their ears and uncover their eyes to do something about it someday, someday not in the so distant future, there is going to be a majority of our American population who will be apologizing to their children, apologizing to their grandchildren, for not doing their due diligence to protect our nation.

These are the sad facts. How will you react?

One of the questions I asked of the Council candidates before the April election this year was, will you read the bills that are presented to you for approval or denial before you vote on them? I asked that question because I recognized the importance of our elected officials reading and understanding (and asking questions about) what is placed before them for approval. An incorrect answer would surely have ruled out any candidate I might be considering. If such reading and understanding of legislation is important in our City, how much more so, in our federal government?

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This Week at Baptist Press: Celebrity Worship; Call to Prayer for Military

The celebrity worship of Michael Jackson alledgedly led to the death of at least 12 Jackson "followers"

Baptist Press (BP) weekly columnist Kelly Boggs got a bit philosophical this week as he took a look at celebrity worship.

With the recent death of Michael Jackson and Boggs' note that 12 Jackson fans, as of July 2, had reportedly committed suicide over the death of a pop music star they likely, never met, Boggs may have a righteous point.

Boggs credited 17th century writer Blaise Pascal to make his case that people are filling a natural void meant to be filled by God with something other than God. Pascal said, "Inside of every man there is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill," wrote Boggs. "...if God is not filling an individual's spiritual vacuum, the individual will seek to fill it with something or someone else," and Boggs believes celebrity worship has reached religious proportions.

"I am of the opinion that entertainment, as a whole, has achieved religion status. And, like the Greek pantheon of old, entertainers are the gods who are worshiped," he wrote.

It is a sad testiment, to be sure.

12 people were so devastated by the death of Jackson that they felt they could not continue in life without him.

12 people reportedly committed suicide over his death.

12 people who, if they had had their faith vested where it belonged in the first place, would have been more inclined to draw strength from the One they worshiped, rather than devastation and loss of hope.

What madness.

Boggs, then, drew parallels between religion and celebrity worship, in the end reminding us all that the God shaped void in our hearts is meant to be filled by Jesus Christ.

We'll always, ALWAYS, be disappointed by people but, if we spend the appropriate time getting to know and love the Savior, Jesus Christ, we will never be disappointed. Remember, "Love never fails," 1 Corinthians 13:8a, and there is no greater love than the love that God has for human kind.

Fourth of July fireworks can set off memories of war; Call to prayer for our military

Iraq Military Commander Chris Plekenpol lamented, "Fireworks remind me of an arcing transformer sending electric ash to the ground. The next thought is that of an Iraqi male about 40 years old running and screaming in Arabic, carrying a little girl who is bleeding profusely." ...Read more

And, as is always appropriate, Sara Horn, the wife of a Navy reservist and founder of Wives of Faith, a faith-based military wives support organization, called for us to pray for the military this summer.

Horn reported on a conversation she had with Army Chaplain Jim Murphy who was stationed just south of Baghdad.

"We could tell a difference when the people back home were praying for us and when they weren't," Chaplain Murphy told us. "It was like night and day."Besides the scorching temperatures, summer also brought many reports of death, when conditions were the worst and morale was the lowest. But, Chaplain Murphy said, "When people started praying for us again toward the end of August, that's when things started turning around."

Horn asked that people visit opmbrace.org to purchase a bracelet with a service member's name on it or to register a name for prayer. The Web site is a ministry of Del Rio, Texas' Northside Baptist Church.

Operation M'Brace's mission "is to bring every member of the United States Military under the intercessory prayer of concerned Christians."

To read Horn's column, recommended, click here.

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This Week at Baptist Press: Southern Baptists Continue to Buck Political Correctness on Hot Button Issues; Focus on Evangelism Draws Most Attention

Church messengers overwhelmingly supported the formation of the "Great Commission Task Force" at the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), authorizing SBC President Johnny Hunt to appoint the members but, the somewhat controversial "Great Commission Resurgence Declaration" was neither discussed nor voted upon.

"Baptist Press" (BP) covered the Southern Baptist Convention, held June 23 - 24, in Louisville, Kentucky. The meeting was held at the Kentucky Exhibition Center as a way to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the founding of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the report said.

BP noted several issues which were discussed at the 2009 Convention, but stated the "Great Commission Task Force" drew the most discussion and interest.

"...the Great Commission Task Force was the leading issue, not only in the minds of messengers but also for several of the meeting's preachers. Evangelist Billy Graham, 90 years old, even sent a personal greeting to messengers in which he said he had read about the "call to a Great Commission resurgence" with much interest," the BP report said.

According to BP, the Convention's messengers also got an update about the "God's Plan for Sharing" evangelism initiative; passed a resolution encouraging Southern Baptists to pray about considering fostering or adopting orphaned children; "approved an Executive Committee recommendation to cease the "cooperative relationship" with Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, over the issue of homosexuality;" re-elected Johnny Hunt to his second term as president and; "passed a resolution that calls the election of President Obama a step toward nationwide racial reconciliation but that heavily criticizes him for some of his policies."

International Mission Board President Jerry Rankin asked church messengers an interesting question pertaining to the number of missionaries the SBC members support:

"Are we saying that 5,000 missionaries are enough ... to evangelize the rest of the world while we support over 100,000 pastors, church staff and denominational workers in our own country?" he asked."

In regards to the resolution concerning President Obama, BP reported the messengers share "our nation's pride in our continuing progress toward racial reconciliation signaled" by the president's election. But the resolution says messengers "decry" Obama's assistance to "pro-abortion" groups. It also expresses "strong opposition" to Obama declaring June as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride Month." The resolution also calls on Southern Baptists to pray for President Obama, and according to BP, Hunt led them in a prayer for the President immediately after passage of the resolution.

In another action sure to be controversial in some circles, Southern Baptists ceased their association with a Fort Worth, Texas church over the issue of homosexuality. BP's report said Broadway Baptist Church has at least two gay couples in their membership, and the church has allowed some of the openly gay members to serve on church committees. "Supporters of the Executive Committee recommendation (to cease Southern Baptists' cooperative relationship with the church) said that while the convention fully supports ministering to the homosexual community, the church -- by its actions -- was in violation of Article III of the SBC Constitution, which states that churches "which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior" are not in friendly cooperation," BP reported.

Click here to read more about the resolutions passed at the Southern Baptist Convention and other Convention news.

Related: Story Collection on the 2009 Great Commission Resurgence, Source: "Baptist Press"

"SBC president releases ‘Great Commission Resurgence’ declaration," Source: "Florida Baptist Witness"

"Hunt: Unhealthy SBC needed ‘shock’ of Great Commission Resurgence declaration," Source: "Baptist Courier"

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This Week at Baptist Press: Yes, Virginia (and Tennesee) Democrats can be Christians too

Oh, sure, I know that might seem like a "no brainer" to me and a "no brainer" to you, Jack but, it isn't a "no brainer to everyone. That's why this week's "Baptist Press" blogumn is featuring this article:

Lincoln Davis wants life, not politics, to speak for itself

""[W]hen I meet people who tell me, 'You can't be a Christian if you're a Democrat,' I've got to start reading and quoting Scripture and explain to them, 'You need to seek forgiveness. You need to understand the plan of salvation. You need to understand how you become a Christian,'" the Democratic congressman from Tennessee said...."

There's plenty of food for thought in this week's Baptist Press feature.

"Of the "many different scriptures in the Bible that test me from time to time, and they all do, … the part that really burdens me probably as much as any is Matthew 25, 31 through 46, when Christ is saying there will come a time when we'll be judged based upon how you addressed the needs of the lesser amongst us, and He mentions the sick and the hungry, the naked and thirsty, the imprisoned unjustly, and the homeless, the stranger," Davis said.

Unlike some evangelical Christians in the Republican Party, Davis applies such passages to the government providing for the needy through Medicare, Medicaid, food stamps and other programs."

The above excerpt got me to thinking about something I hadn't really thought about before. Perhaps, as the constituent of a Congressman or Senator (or even President), conservatives can find a reason to rail against the government doing jobs of charity for the needy through Medicare, Medicaid, ebt cards, and other programs but, what if you were a Congressman or Senator? Would it be your calling as a Christian trying to live by Biblical principles to try to help them through policy and legislation? It's something to think about, from an angle that had never really connected and clicked in my mind before.

As an independent conservative, I've certainly railed against the government taking too active a role in the business of charity, mainly because the government doesn't make money, they take money from you and they take money from me. Shouldn't it be my decision what charitable causes I wish to support, and shouldn't it be my duty as a Christian to meet those needs through personal charitable giving, and through my own church? I still agree with that philosophy, don't get me wrong but, I'm not a Congressman or Senator (or even President), if I was a legislator, maybe my view on that could change a bit.

What do you think?

For Lincoln Davis, being a Christian, being a Democrat and being a Congressman means "he will cast what are considered conservative votes on such issues as abortion, it also means for him that he will support social programs championed by Democrats," BP reported. "His advocacy of such programs is based on his understanding of the Bible, Davis said."

Look at the title of the BP article again, "Lincoln Davis wants life, not politics, to speak for itself."

As a Christian, whether a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Constitutionalist, Independent or any other party member, our passion should be living our life based upon our understanding of the Bible and its direction. That's the best any of us can hope to accomplish.

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This Week at Baptist Press: "Are evangelicals fractured & losing influence in the public square?"

And churches in Maine are gettin' all activist

"Baptist Press," (BP) reported this week that the "religious right" is not as fractured as some affiliates of the political left are reporting them to be, "...as the oft-attributed-to-Mark Twain saying goes, "Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated," BP Executive Editor Will Hall quipped.

Then, he explained what the numbers really say.

Although Obama received a 3 percent bump among evangelical Christians when compared to John Kerry in 2004, BP reports that Obama actually represented a loss of 2 points against what had been won by Bill Clinton in 1996, and a 5 percent loss when compared to the race in 1992.

But, he didn't stop there, according to Hall, "This actually is a 17 percent decline (5 percentage points Obama lost divided by Clinton's 29 percentage point base), which by any objective basis is a political calamity."

Maine churches gather petition signatures to reverse gay marriage law

Several churches in Maine have launched a petition drive to veto the approval of gay marriage legislation.

Even though, as BP pointed out, IRS law is clear that churches may involve themselves in issues of legislation, a gay "civil rights" organization filed a complaint with the IRS in May, "...claiming that the Catholic Diocese of Portland violated IRS law by publicly backing the proposed People's Veto," BP credited the Maine Public Broadcasting Network as reporting.

Under Maine's "People's Veto Law," 55,000 petition signatures will be required to overturn the recently approved gay marriage law. It was approved by what BP reported as a Democratic-controlled legislature and Democratic governor but, has not yet gone into effect.

"The "gay marriage" law has yet to go into effect and won't do so until the signature effort fails or citizens OK such unions," BP reported.

Those opposed to the law have 90 days to collect the signatures after the legislature adjourns but, the churches active in gathering petitions want to gather enough signatures by the end of July so that the veto can make it to the ballot in November. Otherwise, it would not go on the ballot until next summer.

Hosanna Church Pastor Dallas E. Henry told BP people are excited about exercising their right to veto the legislation. He said a significant number of signatures has already been gathered. "They are sickened by the fact that ... the legislature keeps voting for these laws that the people of Maine do not want. They are frustrated, very frustrated."

BP indicated there has not been much polling done to track Maine citizens' sentiments regarding the issue of gay marriage but, "...a Pan Atlantic SMS Group poll of 400 Maine adults in April found that given three options, 39 percent supported "gay marriage," 34.5 percent same-sex civil unions and 23 percent opposed all legal recognition for homosexual couple(s)," BP reported. Read more about this issue.....

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This Week at Baptist Press: Boggs Claims Qualities Obama Values on Supreme Court Differ from ADA Guidelines

and home Bible studies no longer threatened in San Diego

In its editorial feature this week, BP editorial columnist Kelly Boggs laid out what he believes are disparities between the American Bar Association's [ABA] "Black Letter Guidelines for the Evaluation of Judicial Performance" and the criteria President Obama seems to value in Supreme Court Justices. The ABA guidelines, Boggs reported, originated in 1985 and were updated in 2005.

"The "Black Letter Guidelines" make no mention of an effective jurist needing to possess any specific emotive qualities," Boggs wrote. "And while the ABA's guidelines do not mention traits like empathy, caring or understanding, President Obama has made it clear these qualities will be paramount in his selection of jurists for the federal bench."

And, Boggs has a theory as to why Obama values the qualities of empathy, caring and understanding in his Supreme Court nominees:

"If the ABA doesn't bother to mention the emotive qualities of empathy and understanding in its "Black Letter Guidelines," why does President Obama deem them as so sacrosanct? Because he wants Supreme Court justices able to discover "penumbras formed by emanations" in the U.S. Constitution in order to impose a liberal social agenda on Americans."-"Baptist Press - FIRST-PERSON: Penumbras and emanations"

[For an interesting "TIME" article about "Emanations from a Penumbra," go here, Jack.]

As far as Boggs is concerned, "Feelings of empathy and understanding belong in love songs and romance novels, not in a court of law and certainly not in the Supreme Court."

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I remembered some details of this story, or at least its existance, when I read this at "Baptist Press." I don't know if I featured it in the past or not.

Officials in San Diego had issued a cease-and-desist order on a pastor and his wife while attempting to seek their compliance in applying for a permit which might have cost them thousands of dollars. What was interesting about it was, the order was issued because of a home Bible study the couple were hosting in their home. They were ordered to stop hosting the Bible study unless they applied for a permit.

June 5, BP reported San Diego officials have now apologized and rescinded the order:

"In a letter to the Joneses [the pastor and his wife] and Broyles [their attorney] June 3, the county's chief administrative officer said the order was wrongfully issued and the county would conduct a review of its code enforcement officer training."

According to the BP report, the issue was originally raised by a San Diego county official who, apparently, over-zealously sought to categorize the home Bible study as a "religious assembly."

"On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly and in violation of the code in the county," David Jones, pastor of South Bay Community Church in National City, told Fox News." -"Baptist Press - Apology issued for S.D. Bible study threat"

You can read both of these "JackeHammer" featured articles at Baptist Press, and much more.

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This Week at Baptist Press: NH Gay Marriage bill; Boggs on Abortion

Following up on last week's "Baptist Press" (BP) posting, there is more news developing in New Hampshire as relates to gay marriage legislation. Read "NH 'gay marriage' bill heads back to legis," written by assistant BP editor Michael Foust, to follow the issue.

Then, "Baptist Press" editorial columnist Kelly Boggs continues to pull no punches when it comes to where he stands on the topics of the most heated debates of the day.

In this article Boggs wrote:

"...Research indicates that 90 or more percent plus of all abortions in America are motivated by convenience and that 90 percent of U.S. babies identified as having Down syndrome are aborted. If a baby is conceived at the wrong time in a woman's life or is found to be less than perfect, then, society says, its life can be exterminated on a whim.

"A developing fetus is biologically alive. It grows and changes rapidly, but these characteristics do not make it alive as a person," wrote Steven Maynard-Moody in the book "The Dilemma of the Fetus: Fetal Research, Medical Progress and Moral Policies." To abortion advocates, babies in the womb are alive alright; they are just not persons....

...The Nazi's had a term they used to justify the killing of innocent life. It was "lebensunwertes Leben" which means "life unworthy of life." Anyone the Nazi's deemed were "not persons," like the disabled or Jews, were simply killed and disposed of like garbage. Sound familiar? It should, as it is the same calloused, hard-hearted position that supporters of abortion in America take right now."

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This Week at Baptist Press: Religious Freedom Under Attack?

Are religious freedoms threatened by same-sex marriage laws? Do Christians have the same rights as other Americans?

This "Baptist Press" (BP) article identifies some areas where such questions might be seriously pondered.

Then, while you are still pondering whether same-sex marriage laws might be worth serious thought in terms of their consequences related to other religious freedoms, ponder the other article I have chosen to feature.

In a Frisco, Texas, public school, Gideons applied to place Bibles in a display area where other non-school related items are permitted to be placed, items such as boy scout literature, summer camp program information, and other literature which might be of interest to school children and their parents. The BP article noted:

"The district has what it calls a "viewpoint neutral" policy on such material, provided it meets strict guidelines for decency and civility."

The Gideon's request was approved based on the school district's specific criteria for approval or denial of such material.

What is interesting, to me, is that both articles deal with religious freedom but, from slightly different angles. One group seeks to create state or federal law, forcing a secular (or gay) agenda to be respected in the spiritual institution, the other group seeks permission to make religious material available (not distributed by mandate), under an existing and already implemented policy of a public institution.

The first article linked is fairly exhaustive in citing instances where special "rights" granted to same-sex couples could effect religious freedoms in many ways. There is no mention of any special "rights" being sought on the part of spiritual institutions which would effect secular freedoms or other religious institutions' freedoms. Perhaps there are no spiritual institutions seeking any special "rights?"

In the second article linked, we find that some parents are protesting the simple placement of Bibles next to other non-school related literature in a public school. Those parents, who protest, claim there is no place for the Bible in public school. There is no mention that these same parents had any objection to any other non-school related material being allowed in the display area. Perhaps there are no parents who object to other non-school related material being allowed in the display area?

The secular (or gay) "rights" seekers have little legal precedent for limiting the religious freedom of those within spiritual institutions, beyond the IRS' federal taxing authority requirements on those institutions, which limit their endorsement of specific candidates for office by a promised loss of tax-exempt status should they do so.

The Frisco Independent School District has a valid, legal argument for their policy decision:

"Those opposing the recent distribution of the Bibles must understand that if the District prohibits the Bibles from being placed in the distribution area, it must also prohibit all groups such as those identified above, from utilizing the distribution area as well. The law requires the District to permit all or none, there is no middle ground."

There seems to be little tolerance of religious freedom in America today. Ironically, while intolerance seems to be growing against religious freedom in America, the religious are the ones regularly accused of intolerance.

Are all people in the United States treated equally?

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This Week at Baptist Press: Marijuana and "Gaiety"

New Marijuana Report Released

There's been a lot of discussion about the idea of legalizing marijuana these days. I've even seen polls on "FaceBook" regarding the subject. I don't know how much support there is for legalizing the drug but, "Baptist Press" (BP) published a story on how the potency of marijuana continues to grow.

The federal Office of National Drug Control Policy released a report May 14. The report stated THC levels in marijuana have reached the highest lever ever in the history of scientific analysis on the drug. Scientific analysis, according to the report, first began in the late 1970s. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

BP reported:

The federal agency also noted:

"According to the NIDA [National Institute for Drug Abuse], heavy marijuana use impairs a person's ability to form memories, recall events, and shift attention from one thing to another. THC also disrupts coordination and balance by binding to receptors in the cerebellum and basal ganglia, parts of the brain which regulate balance, posture, coordination of movement, and reaction time. Through its effects on the brain and body, marijuana intoxication can cause accidents. Studies show that approximately 6 to 11 percent of fatal accident victims test positive for THC. In many of these cases, alcohol is detected as well.

"Other recent studies show marijuana use can be a risk factor for the onset of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals, and may be associated with other mental disorders, including depression and anxiety," the Office of National Drug Control Policy stated."

BP also cited a news report from the New York Daily News titled, "Debunking the myths about marijuana: Experts share the facts about today's stronger pot," in which myths about marijuana, such as it not being addictive, are debunked. Read all about the report's findings, including The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws' rebuttal in this BP article.

Harvey Milk Day?

Another BP article outlines concerns about a California house resolution which would create "Harvey Milk Day," a "day of special significance," in public schools, if passed. Parents would not be required to agree to their children's participation in the mandated, commemorative activities meant to recognize Milk's accomplishments and contributions to the state of California. Milk was an "openly homosexual San Francisco alderman whose murder in 1978 made him an icon of the "gay rights" movement," the BP report said.

"Lawmakers are pursuing the legislation despite the fact that a statewide poll conducted in March by Survey USA found 69 percent of Californians opposed establishing a "Harvey Milk Day" and only 19 percent favored the idea, [Pastor of East Clairemont Southern Baptist Church, Chris] Clark pointed out....

"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a virtually identical Harvey Milk Day bill in 2008 because popular opinion was running against creating the holiday, Clark said. He and [President of the SaveCalifornia.com advocacy group, Randy] Thomasson both expressed hope that Schwarzenegger would veto this year's version once it passes the state Assembly." - BP, "'Harvey Milk Day' exposes children in schools to 'gay' activist agenda, critics say"

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Better Late than Never? This Week at Baptist Press: On Pollster Bias and Autism

This week, at "Baptist Press" (BP), Kelly Boggs laid out the reasons liberal bias in the media is now, more or less, an accepted and foregone conclusion but, he didn't stop there. Media bias, wasn't the entire point this week. While he pointed to several journalists' admissions about the liberal bias that taints reporting, Boggs pointed out another area that hasn't been so forthcoming in admitting a similar bias. Polling organizations.

In "Pollsters can spin their data too," Boggs pointed out, "...a recent report on a poll conducted by Gallup organization reveals that poll takers can spin their results with the best public relations firms in the land."

After citing Obama's approval rating after his first 100 days, Boggs noted Obama's rating was not compared to past presidents' approval ratings in the same way George W. Bush's approval rating was compared to past presidents after the same time period in office.

"Gallup was careful to put Bush's first 100 days into "perspective" in an obvious attempt to downplay his positive poll numbers by comparing him to all elected presidents since Eisenhower. In fact, Gallup sought to further qualify Bush's positive poll numbers by saying, "In general, the rating a president receives early in the term are quite favorable, but decline over time." No such comparisons or qualifiers were offered for Obama's poll numbers." -Kelly Boggs, BP

Boggs also looked at the headlines after Obama's first 100 days in office, with a 56 percent approval rating, and after Bush's first 100 days in office with a 62 percent approval rating.

Obama headline:

"In First 100 Days, Obama Meets or Exceeds Expectations"

Bush headline:

"After 100 days, Bush's Job Approval Rating on Par With Previous Presidents'."

Boggs made a very good case for his conclusion. Read his conclusion and the whole article, for yourself, by clicking the story link provided above.

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Then, because I know I have at least one avid reader who has an interest in autism research, check out "God's gift of hope in a struggle with autism," written by Richard Nations. It's a heart warming story about one family's expectations of their son, who was diagnosed with asperger's syndrome, and how they got so much more than they expected.

"God promises "For I know the plans I have for you" -- [this is] the Lord's declaration -- "plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11 HCSB)"

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This Week at Baptist Press: Boggs on "T-E-A Bagging"

It seems appropriate to note that Kelly Boggs of Baptist Press weighed in on the Tea Party tempest this week. Boggs never seems to mind rolling up his sleeves and punching the partisan air. He pulled no punches with Janeane Garofalo this week.

Boggs took Janeane Garofalo to task for her myopic pronouncement:

"Let's be very honest about what this is about. It's not about bashing Democrats. It's not about taxes. They have no idea what the Boston Tea Party was about," Garofalo opined, "They don't know their history at all. This is about hating a black man in the White House. This is racism straight up...."

"...The protests took issue with the president because it is he that is leading the way of the expansion of government. Racism had nothing to do with it." Boggs wrote, by way of explaining why the TEA party protests were going on across the country. He also explained what the acronym TEA stands for, "...the letters T-E-A were an acronym for Taxed Enough Already. I know Ms. Garofalo might find it hard to believe but we ignorant conservatives actually know what an acronym is."

Read the article here.

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Recommended Reading 8: U.N. Resolution Violates Religious Freedom

"Here in the United States, the resolution stands in complete opposition to the free-exercise clause of the First Amendment."-Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) Vice President Barrett Duke

Read the entire Baptist Press report.

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Baptist Press (BP): Obama Vindicates Bush Iraq Policy; Boy Receives a Cussing for Starting a No Cussing Club

Southern Baptist ethics leader Richard Land disagrees with many of President Obama's policies but, was pleased that Obama's recent Iraq speech had 'vindicated' President Bush's Iraq policy.

The BP article discusses Land's reaction to a Wall Street Journal article which quoted Obama's Iraq speech. Land read the editorial during the broadcast of one of his recent radio programs. The BP article quoted Land from that program:

"'... more important than Mr. Obama's implicit repudiation of his own positions as a candidate (and the implicit vindication of Mr. Bush's position, to say nothing of John McCain's)," the editorial said, "is his decision to maintain a sizeable U.S. military presence in Iraq -- in the range of 35,000 to 50,000 troops -- past the August 2010 'withdrawal' date. That 'transitional force' is roughly the size of the U.S. military presence in South Korea through the Cold War. And its mission, involving training of Iraqi forces, U.S. force protection and 'targeted counterterrorism missions,' largely describes what the U.S. is already doing in Iraq....

"'Good for Mr. Obama," Land said after reading part of the president's speech. "I want to give Mr. Obama credit where credit is due. I appreciate that he has acknowledged what our military has done. I applaud him for acknowledging what the Bush administration has handed off to him in Iraq, and that is an opportunity to help stabilize that region with a democratic ally named Iraq."'

In another BP story, Kelly Boggs, a BP weekly columnist and editor of "The Baptist Message," told a story about a 15 year old boy who started a "No Cussing Club."

What will get you cussed more than starting a no cussing club?

Boggs revealed:

"He (McKay Hatch) has received more than 60,000 pieces of hate mail in the past seven weeks and profanity-laced e-mails daily fill his inbox. Teaming with the torrent of written abuse has been scores of threatening voice messages."

Later, Boggs quoted President George Washington:

"'The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low," said George Washington, "that every person of sense and character detests and despises it."'

Based on the abuse Hatch has received for simply starting a no cussing club, which one chooses to voluntarily join, if one joins, there are a lot of people with no sense and character?

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Baptist Press: Personhood Initiatives Mark National Movement?

A different approach

In November 2008, a Colorado initiative was defeated but, that defeat hasn't stopped seven states from considering bills or initiatives which set personhood at the moment of conception or fertilization, Baptist Press (BP) reported, in what is being considered a possible national movement.

"The bills and initiatives are unique in that none of them reference abortion, even though all of them take aim at the legal reasoning behind the infamous Roe v. Wade ruling." - BP

According to BP, the Colorado Definition of Person Initiative of 2008 was defeated by 73-27 percent. The bill stated:

"...the terms "person" or "persons" shall include any human being from the moment of fertilization."

The definition attacks the very foundation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun's Roe majority opinion.

From the BP report:

"When U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun authored the Roe majority opinion, he acknowledged that if the definition of "personhood is established" to include the unborn, then the case for abortion rights "collapses" because the unborn's "right to life would then be guaranteed" by the Constitution."

Read the full BP report...

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Florida Doctor's Medical License Revoked after Botched Abortion

While we're on the subject of abortion and Baptist Press (BP), I should tell you about another story I read while checking into BP reports from the past week. A very alarming story.

The Thomas More Society has filed a case against abortion doctor Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique, Belkis Gonzalez, a staff member of one clinic, and other staff at two separate abortion clinics, A Woman's Care in north Miami and A Gyn. of Hialeah, where a live birth occurred.

Tom Pennekamp, a Miami attorney, who is also a past president of the Dade County Bar Association, is representing Sycloria Williams, the woman who birthed the child in 2006 at the age of 18, under the umbrella of the Thomas More Society, according to Baptist Press.

Renelique, Gonzalez, clinics and staff are being sued for wrongful death, medical negligence and personal injury. Renelique's medical license has already been revoked by the Florida Board of Medicine.

Alarming details from BP:

"...After waiting about two hours for the doctor to arrive, Williams began feeling nauseated and was placed in a patient waiting room, given a robe and told to lie down. At 2 o'clock that day -- and with Renelique still not at the clinic and no one in the room -- Williams felt an immense pain and delivered a baby girl. The staff began screaming "and pandemonium ensued," and Williams "watched in horror and shock as her baby writhed with her chest rising and falling as she breathed," a civil lawsuit filed in January on Williams' behalf states.With the baby trying to breath, a staff member, Belkis Gonzalez, who has no medical license, came in the room and used orange shears to cut the umbilical cord, the suit states. She then "scooped up the baby," the placenta and afterbirth, placed everything in a red plastic biohazard bag, sealed it and tossed it into a trash can. Renelique later arrived and told her the "hard part was over," the suit states. He gave her an IV and a shot, cleaned her up and sent her home, the suit says....

...A series of anonymous calls helped police find the baby's body. One call told them it was hidden on the clinic's roof, but police were unable to find it, the suit states. A follow-up phone call led police to find the body in a cardboard box in a clinic closet."

BP also reported that an autopsy revealed the baby (Shanice) had air in her lungs and was trying to breathe when she died. The president and chief council of the Thomas More Society, Tom Brejcha, said the umbilical cord was not tied, allowing the infant to bleed to death.

Related stories:

> Board revokes license of abortion doctor - Crime & courts- msnbc.com

> Doctor's license revoked over botched '06 abortion in Hialeah - South Florida - MiamiHerald.com

> Florida Doctors License Revoked after Botched Live Abortion TopNews United States

> Doctor loses license in live birth abortion case - CNN.com

> FOXNews.com - Doctor's License Revoked Over Botched Abortion That Led to Live Baby Being Thrown Out - Health News Current H..


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This week at Baptist Press

"Baptist Press (BP)" reported President Obama spoke about honoring the "golden rule," appealing to all faiths that even though they held differing beliefs they could still work together, "to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has broken; (and) to lift up those who have fallen on hard times," at the February 5, National Prayer Breakfast.

BP also quoted Obama as saying, "...no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being."

According to BP, after Obama's comments, the president of the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said in a written statement, "My deepest prayer is that President Obama will move forward in the spirit of the Golden Rule and embrace policies that affirm the dignity of every human being, especially the most vulnerable of all, the unborn."

It seems Ms. Dannenfelser might be asking Obama to practice what he preaches.

BP reported:

"Obama was an advocate of unlimited abortion rights during his careers in the Illinois and U.S. Senates. Since becoming president, he has issued an executive order reversing a pro-life policy that prevented federal family planning funds from going to international organizations that perform or promote abortion."

> Obama's National Prayer Breakfast remarks

> Ms. Dannenfelser's written statement

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Recommended Reading 2: Super Bowl Sunday Reading, from Baptist Press

Kurt Warner a persistent witness despite censors

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Acceptable Religion and this Week's Feature from Baptist Press

As my church's AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) secretary, Christi, and I were talking in the library this morning, she, getting awards ready and, me, not doing very well in getting thoughts together for AWANA Sunday, she told me about a song she loves. One of her sons loaded it on her Ipod for her. As her eyes welled up with tears describing a song that touches her heart, we started talking about getting "real" in our Christianity. I know a lot of people talk about "real" Christianity and they can mean a whole host of things when they say that. The Bible says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," (James 1:27). That's the verse I usually use as a guide when doing a bit of retrospection in my own life.

The Book of James is my favorite book of the Bible because, I find it the most useful in defining how a Christian should be living their lives everyday. One of my favorite verses is James 1:25, "...the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does." We're supposed to take action on our religion, not keep it retained in our houses, hearts and between walls in a building with a steeple placed prominently on top.

Our pastor keeps referring to a song he likes in his messages, "We've Got to Live our Religion Every Day." I tried to find it on YouTube but it's just not there.

Anyway, the discussion reminded me of what I wanted to post about from Baptist Press (BP) this week, SPLASH people with God's love. It's a new 6 week study. One of the co-authors, Jim Hemphill explained the inspiration for the study in this week's BP featured article:

"I was bathing my grandbaby one day and, by the time I finished, I was wetter than she was. I walked away from that event and the Holy Spirit stopped me and said, 'That's what evangelism ought to look like. You get around Christians who love Me, then you get splashed with living water.'"

SPLASH is an acronym for Show People Love And Share Him. It's a 6 week study of Christ's life on earth and how He demonstrated God's love in every day life, setting an example for how we can demonstrate that love in our ordinary daily life and routines too.

According to the BP article, a SPLASH training seminar was recently held in Nixa, Missouri. Jim Wells, director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association in Nixa hosted the author in presenting the training to 64 congregations. The article indicated, "A Sunday night rally this past November drew 360 pastors and church members."

I liked the concept so I thought I'd share it. You can read more about SPLASH at the link to BP.

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Planned Parenthood: Keeping Politics out of the Doctor's Office?

The "Springfield News-Leader" published a "Voice of the Day" letter today offering a slanted view of what a regulation President Bush signed into law will accomplish.

Alison Gee, Southwest Missouri's Planned Parenthood Vice President, described the regulation as "a midnight regulation," though, in an earlier post, I referenced "Baptist Press" (BP) had reported the Health and Human Services Department had been working on the regulation for much of this year and had introduced the proposal in August. After its introduction, a 30 day comment period followed. In fact, the report from BP had stated (or warned) that critics of the measure were charging it was "an eleventh-hour move," so, no surprise Gee erroneously represented it as "a midnight regulation."

It's a topsy turvy world when the ten commandments are meekly removed from a government office because it offended one man but a nationwide effort is made to force doctors, pharmacists and pharmacist assistants to deal in abortion and abortion drugs against their own moral consciences. Or, should I say, there is an outcry against any regulation protecting those doctors, pharmacists and assistants from providing services and prescriptions which are in contradiction of their own moral code? In other words, your right to an abortion trumps the doctor's right to decline giving you one?

This morning, I followed the hot link provided by the News-Leader at the online edition of the paper:

"Join us. Visit www.plannedparenthood.org to learn more."

...What I found at the link, originally, was a replacement of the home page with a blatant call for money. Under a snowy, pine tree laden, peaceful blue, starlit banner, Planned Parenthood invited those who landed there to support "Choice on Earth":

"We have this special page up for just a few short days instead of the regular Planned Parenthood homepage because right now, we have a special opportunity: A long-time supporter will match, dollar for dollar, every online gift that we receive through December 31, 2008, up to a total of $300,000."

That is what I found the first time I clicked on the News-Leader's hot link. When I went back to pick up the link for this blog entry the link had been updated to direct the reader to the Planned Parenthood homepage. At the home page is a prominent "Choice on Earth" fund raiser notice.
Directly below the "Choice on Earth" contribution notice, the reader is invited to:

"Learn more about issues and elections at the website of our advocacy and political arm, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund."

Political arm!??? Wait a minute! Didn't Gee promise in her "Voice of the Day" letter today:

"We will fight this and use all of our power to keep politics out of the doctor's office."

???

Yet, they have a political arm? If their intent is to keep politics out of the doctor's office, why the need for a "political arm?"

Apparently, they just want to keep politics out of the doctor's office if it goes against their own political agenda. You see, it's okay to offend the moral conscience of doctors, pharmacists and their assistants through political activism, just don't offend Planned Parenthood by exercising your own right to be politically active in a cause that counters their own political agenda.

Bully, bully.

Gee wrote:

"President Bush is continuing to take his ideology and politics and smother women's ability to make fully informed decisions about their health care."

The regulation isn't about Bush "smothering" a woman's ability to make fully informed decisions about health care. It is about protecting the rights of doctors and pharmacists not to have to provide a procedure or prescribe drugs which cause a moral dilemma for them, individually. But, those very critics of the regulation have already sought the inclusion of funding for abortion in any national health care coverage plan president elect Barack Obama might seek so, it shouldn't come as a surprise these pro-abortion activists care little about the individual rights of people unless it goes along with their own agenda. (See BP's report on that, here.)

In this case, I see Bush trying to protect peoples' rights and Planned Parenthood trying to force others to provide services for an activity the former oppose on spiritual or moral grounds and, not stopping there, Planned Parenthood won't really be happy until they force every American taxpayer whose moral conscience is in opposition to abortion to financially support any woman's choice to abort.

In fact, the regulation does nothing to smother women's ability "to make fully informed decisions about their health care." Planned Parenthood can still inform women and women will still have a choice as to whether they want to abort a baby or choose another option, such as putting the baby up for adoption.

It's really about money, your money and my money. Planned Parenthood wants you to think without more of your willingly donated money, today, and future mandated tax dollars, their ability to "fully inform" women about their health care will be hindered or "smothered." They want to force all doctors and pharmacists to provide abortions and prescription drugs which some doctors are conflicted about providing. They want providing those services and prescription drugs forced upon those doctors and pharmacists to make the choice of abortion more convenient for women who want them and they want all of us to eventually be forced to foot the bill with our tax dollars.

Should women have the right to have a convenient abortion? Women can certainly get one but, poor things, it might not always be as convenient for them as they might like. They might have to make a day trip. What a pity.

I know people who have to travel to Kansas City or St. Louis to get treatment for certain illnesses so, should the taxpayer be forced to provide money (through the government) to every hospital in the nation so that all treatments and procedures are convenient to every single patient who needs those treatments or procedures that might be currently unavailable in their own cities, at their local hospitals and clinics? Is convenient "availability" what should dictate the expenditure of taxpayer dollars, even at the expense of individual moral conflict?

I have a cousin who is often forced to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas to receive the veteran health care benefits she needs. She can get them, but it's less than convenient for her and she often has to make the trip under physical duress, something which isn't often the case for women choosing abortion.

President Bush signed a regulation to affirm "the right of doctors and other health care providers to refuse to participate in abortion and other medical procedures to which they object," not to deny women access; accessibility to abortions was not affected one whit by this regulation. Abortions are as available to women today as they were the day before Bush signed that bill.

Yes, Alison Gee, let's do ensure we keep politics (and money grubbing) out of the doctor's office.

President Bush Signed Bill on Human Trafficking December 23

According to Baptist Press the legislation will:

-- Significantly increase the ability of the State Department's Trafficking in Persons Office to thwart sexual and other forms of trafficking overseas;

-- Strengthen prosecution efforts against trafficking in the United States;

-- Increase punishment for traffickers;

-- Enhance protections for trafficking victims in this country;

-- Empower U.S. attempts to halt the use of children as soldiers in other countries;

-- Require the Justice Department to produce a model law for states to use in investigating and prosecuting trafficking;

-- Clarify federal law cannot be interpreted to consider prostitution as an acceptable mode of employment;

-- Authorize a presidential award for exceptional efforts in the fight against trafficking.

Read all about it here.

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