What’s the main problem in third world countries today? Breathing! That’s the main problem. And, being the third world, hygiene is not up to western standards either. There are not Certs aplenty in places where basic food staples are in life-threatening, short supply.

All that third world halitosis has recently been on the minds of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Why you ask? Well, here’s a hint: In goes the Oxygen and out comes the Carbon Dioxide.

Yep, it’s about climate change . . . the new and hip religion of the jet set and Hollywood movers and shakers.

In a report recently released by the UNFPA, they suggested that climate change can be averted if more condoms were provided in developing areas of the world. The UNFPA, always sensitive to the plight of the poor, also stated that the condoms should be provided at no charge (how thoughtful!). The UNFPA report was strategically released prior to the upcoming climate change conference in Copenhagen.

Once again the culture of death crosses paths with the new climate change religion (watch out Scientology! There’s a new kid in town capturing the imaginations of Hollywood elite). “Earth good, man bad” . . . that’s the basic mantra. And, if man’s bad, then what’s a corrupt and sniveling organization like the UNFPA to do except try to diminish the bad? Hence, the condom drive.

But, why focus on the third world? Why not start in industrialized nations? Oh yea, that’s right, we’re already doing a good job of decimating our own populations. There are Europe’s suicidal replacement rates, all but assuring their extinction. There’s China’s one child policy, assuring a whole lot of grooms in search of a few fabled brides. There’s radical feminism’s war on motherhood (and therefore children) and other “achievements” like abortion galore (47 million in the US alone since Roe), the dismantling of traditional marriage, etc.

Yep, industrialized nations . . . especially in the west . . . are doing a fine job of it without any assistance from the climate change religionists at UNFPA.

But the third world? Without video games and Dancing with the Stars, you’ve got some time on your hands, some of which has apparently been spent being fruitful. That has not escaped notice at the UNFPA (nothing gets by those guys!).

Of course, the UNFPA are doing it for the children. You see, according to them, it’s the poor in third world nations who will be most affected by Climate Change. So, I guess the rational is that if there are less of them, then less will be affected . . . how positively Utilitarian of them!

Finally, the UNFPA also managed to express their contempt for science (and I thought only we Christians were supposed to be guilty of that?). In their report, the UNFPA fully admitted that there is not a scientifically proven connection between population and climate change, but then they go on to justify their condom program by bravely rising above science and concluding that there is no doubt that “people cause climate change” by belching out all that CO2. Science-Schmience, who needs it? Right?!

The UNFPA would prefer if less people lived in the third world. They are championing the opposite of “live”, which happens to ironically (and appropriately) spell “evil.” That shoe fits the UNFPA better than the glass slipper fitted upon Cinderella’s foot.

News Source: Lifesitenews

In 2004, according to the US Labor Department, there were approximately 884,974 doctors in the United States (Source). At that time, the 884,974 figure represented 0.29% of the overall population (i.e. less than 1% of the population).

According to the National Right to Life, from 1973 to 2006, there were an estimated 49,551,703 abortions performed in the United States.

So then, how many of those aborted babies could have grown up to be physicians? If you take the 2004 Labor Department figure of 0.29% and apply it to the total number of abortions (49.5 million), you get: 143,700. Is that the number of physicians that could have arisen out of the population of aborted children? Are we short that many doctors because of a pervasive culture of death . . . a culture that is so well embraced and championed by one of the major political parties (the Democrats) and their current standard bearer, fourth term abortion advocate, President Barack Obama?

Obviously, the answer is not so clean and neat. Many factors would have to go into an estimate of how many aborted babies could have potentially become physicians. There’s the racial, socio-economic, and gender distribution among doctors (for example, there are more White doctors than African American doctors) and the racial, socio-economic, and gender distribution among aborted babies (for example, the disproportionate rate of African American abortions compared to their makeup in the general population). So, suffice it to say that the number of potential physicians among the population of aborted children would probably not be as high as 143,700. But, at the same time, the figure isn’t zero either. The point here, using physicians as the specific example, is that abortion snuffs out human capital and therefore, to some real extent, human innovation and advancement.

What if then, after going through all the research and the math, we found that abortion prevented the contributions of only 100 potential doctors? Ask any individual physician and he will likely be able to cite several cases where he saved a life by catching something early (like a skin cancer) . . . that’s commonplace to the occupation. However, some physicians are also scientists whose life work is to discover new, life saving, life preserving medical innovations. There could have been one of those too in that low-ball estimate of 100 snuffed out future doctors! What have we lost thanks to our culture’s shortsighted selfishness? Truly, only God can answer that question, and only God can see which lives were negatively impacted because aborted baby Johnny never grew up to become Dr. John.

But doesn’t abortion prevent “unwanted” children?! How about all that suffering that could have happened if those aborted, unwanted children were born? How many neglected kids would have sat around in run down, inner city apartments eating chipping lead paint? What kind of trouble would a lead poisoned kid impose on society . . . welfare . . . prison . . . madness? Maybe even . . . music!

Argonne researchers recently discovered that the probable cause of Ludwig von Beethoven’s serious lifelong maladies was lead poisoning. Beethoven suffered terribly from poor digestion, abdominal pain, and depression; all of which are indicative of lead poisoning. Then, there was his deafness, which added insult to injury. Beethoven’s physical suffering was so great that he specifically mentioned in letters to his physicians that his remains were to be used to determine the cause of his illness, so that others may be spared the suffering which he endured throughout his adult life.

Yet, there was his music which brings joy to the world even to this day. Suffering and great contributions are often intertwined. Ludwig would be the first to tell you that.

In 49,551,703 abortions, what have we potentially lost? Only heaven truly knows the specifics, but the rest of us still slogging in the journey of life may safely assume that the deficit is both stunning and profound. The culture of death has, in effect, bitten off its nose to spite its face . . . a fitting visage for such a macabre fellow.

Imagine a fellow sitting alone in his one room efficiency apartment. In his hand, he sports a flyswatter, and in his apartment, there is indeed a fly on the loose. The man is singularly preoccupied with killing that bug. He sits on a chair in the center of the room vigilantly keeping watch for any movement of his prey. As he waits, he conjures up all the dire consequences that could happen if the fly was to simply go about its business uncontested. That insect, he thinks to himself, is probably a germy little beast and if it was to land on my toast, I just might catch whatever it’s carrying! The mental list of what that fly could do goes on and on, and a molehill becomes a mountain.

At the perimeter of the man’s awareness is the presence of something else in his one room efficiency besides the fly. Although the man kinda-sorta knows something else is in the room, he nonetheless relegates it to the back of his mind. Right now, he’s got to deal with that little buzzing nemesis. Unfortunately for the fly-preoccupied man, the something else in his room is a serpent of the poisonous variety. Although the man may be selectively ignoring the serpent, the reverse is certainly not true. The serpent is keenly aware of the man and regards him as an existential threat. The poor, hapless, obsessed man is in mortal danger and he’s barely even aware of it . . . thanks to that fly.

The small story above is a pretty fair analogy of what the World Council of Churches (WCC) is planning to do. The WCC is calling for all member churches to ring their bells 350 times on December 13, 2009. The number of rings (350) is meant to remind people of the upper limit of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that many scientist have declared as safe; it’s been set by these scientists at 350 parts per million. And the December 13th date? Well, that’s meant to coincide with the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit.

The WCC (made up of 348 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican churches in 110 countries) is also encouraging all other faiths to join in and ring whatever it is they may have on hand, such as a gong. Even the Catholic Bishops in Europe (The Council of European Bishops Conferences) have signed on.

This bell ringing exercise is no different than the fly-preoccupied man in the story above. While the WCC, and all else who jump on their bandwagon, chase an essentially harmless fly (i.e. the farce of global warming/climate change/Gaia worship), a real serpent inches closer to its victim waiting for the perfect moment to strike a decisive death blow. While the WCC and company dilly dally about global climate change and elevate it to the equivalent of a sin to deny it, the serpent goes about its work in the forms of abortion, plummeting birth rates, the withering of the traditional family, the destruction of the institution of marriage, etc.

Chasing flies and ringing bells . . . it’s the kind of wicked irrationality that makes one think of the devious planning between Uncle Screwtape and Wormwood in C.S. Lewis’ “The Screwtape Letters.” I can just imagine Uncle Screwtape writing, “Let’s give those humans an obsession that’s no more than an emanation from a penumbra of a new and false religion derived from science, politics, and nature worship. They will love the faux righteous feel of it and not notice a single thing as we go about the devilish work of tearing apart all that is true, good, and beautiful.”

The ringing of the bells on December 13, 2009 will not be a call to worship, honor, and the love the Lord your God. It will be a call to worship at the altar of Gaia in honor of the Gospel of radical environmentalism. If anything were to sound like Hell’s Bells, this is probably it.

News Source: Brietbart.com

A married man is at the beach. His wife is at a cabana getting changed into her bathing suit. It’s an awfully hot day and the beach is crowded. He spies a group of 20-somethings dressed in bikinis and playing volleyball. He is impressed for a moment on the beauty of their female form. He then settles in and enjoys watching the competition inherent in their fiercely contested volleyball game.

Has this man already sinned? Has he already committed adultery? Does the condemnation of Christ apply to him when Christ said, “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28)”?

Thus far, the answer is no. In merely reflecting on the beauty of the female form, this fellow showed spontaneous appreciation of the sexual beauty of females. The sexual beauty of females is a deliberately created element of our humanity expressly done by none other than our Creator, God. The same is true for males . . . after all, women are attracted to men sexually for a good reason. In both cases, the creative hand of God is at play.

What if, instead, the man went a bit further than the spontaneous appreciation of female sexual beauty? What if instead, he imagined the 20-somethings without the bikinis? What if he warmly embraced a sexual fantasy about them in the privacy of his own mind, unbeknownst to his wife or the 20-something, bikini-clad volleyball players?

In that case, the man is guilty of adultery according to none other than Jesus Christ . . . “Whoever looks at a woman to lust for her had already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).” Is this too prudish a standard for our era, post the sexual revolution? If you do consider it too prudish, then don’t blame me. The issue you have is with Christ, who sees and knows all, up to and including the not-so-private thoughts of the man in my little day-at-the-beach story.

In my beach scenario, the man moved from spontaneous appreciation (not a sin) to lust the moment he, in thought, objectified the 20-somethings by dreaming of sex with them. That violates their dignity and it also violates the dignity of future spouses and children of that group of 20-something, bikini-clad volleyball players. This kind of sin, fornication (which is what adultery is), is not an isolated incident bottled up in the mind of that one man. It is more akin to a stone thrown into a still pond . . . there is a widening ripple effect that spreads to the rest of the pond. St. Augustine considered fornication to be in violation to love of neighbor (cited by Christ as one of the greatest commandments). Augustine said that it is “contrary to the love of our neighbor because it is opposed to the good of the child to be born.” That’s just another way of saying, “ripple effect.”

Now, how about the bikini-clad 20-somethings? Are they culpable too? Well, it all really depends on their thoughts and intentions. Samuel Smiles, the poet, stated it quite concisely:

Sow a thought, reap an act.

Sow an act, reap a habit.

Sow a habit, reap a character.

Sow a character, reap a destiny.

Did any of the girls sport their bikinis with the express intention of being the object of sexual fantasy? Or, was it simply a choice of fashion, commonly worn on beaches. A woman who stands before a mirror in a bikini and reflects, “Gee, I look pretty good in this,” is a far cry from a woman who fondly hopes that many men will return to their homes from their day at the beach wishing they were having sex with her rather than their spouse. The former case (the “Gee, I look pretty good in this.”) is not lust while the latter one is lust and an active participation in adultery (two are indeed tangoing in this case).

So, is Carrie Prejean guilty of lust when she competes in the swimsuit event of a beauty pageant? Should she instead be wearing a burka or at the very least a burkini? The answer is “No.” Carrie Prejean is competing in a competition that highlights the beauty of the overall female, with events that stress physical beauty, intellectual prowess, poise, and talent. When Carrie Prejean walks out in her bikini during the swimsuit competition, her intentions are not fornication.

On the other hand, when a woman decides to pose in Playboy or Penthouse or any other “skin” magazine, she is indeed engaging in what Jesus Christ condemned. She, in effect, has thrown a fornicating stone into the pond of life. The men who buy the magazines also have a pocket full of stones themselves. This has a real, damaging effect on marriages, families, and children (as St. Augustine would be quick to point out).

Carrie Prejean is right not to wear a burka during her swimsuit competition, and furthermore, if you happen to sense a wrongness about the burka itself, well then you are on the right track there as well. The burka puts the entire onus of the sin of fornication squarely on the backs of women. The male is rendered guiltless by virtue of . . . simply being a male. This too is, in a way, insulting to the creative act of God in making man in His image and likeness. It, in effect, attacks the free will of man (which is part of the Image of God imprinted on every human soul). A man is not doomed to the sin of lust simply because Carrie Prejean is wearing a bikini. He chooses to do so by his free will the moment he covets her sexually . . . the moment he departs from a simple, spontaneous and completely normal appreciation of the beauty of the female form to a rank desire to bed her down.

Carrie Prejean, at personal cost, bravely and rather politely stood up for traditional marriage (something that’s rather near and dear to God). Insisting that she is somehow a harlot for competing in the swimsuit competition of a beauty contest is a gross misapplication of the sin of lust. It is taking lust and spreading it so paper thin that it is meaningless with regard to the genuine sin of lust and achieves the unsavory byproducts of (1) predominantly blaming women for lust and (2) negating the importance of human free will by assuming all men are the equivalent of a bull or quarter horse stud, rather than a being created in the image and likeness of God and destined for eternity.

There is what I would consider hard fascism/socialism/communism, and then there’s the softer variety. Both are oppressive with regard to freedoms and both share multiple traits. They differ though in how they achieve their goals. In the case of hard communism, governments like the old Soviet Union and their satellite eastern bloc countries used the gun as the primary means to enforce and promulgate their ideology.

Fast forward now to modern day Europe and America; the age of Obama is in full swing and Europe is already nothing more than an impotent shadow of its former self. In our day and age, we have a softer variety of socialism to contend with. Instead of guns, the ideology is supported with various opiates like government entitlements and the redistribution of wealth. Bullets have essentially been replaced with a gigantic government wet nurse who insists on keeping her adult charges in diapers.

But, peer a little deeper . . . just beneath the guns or diapers . . . and you will see a commonality between the hard and the soft varieties of fascism/socialism/communism. What you will unearth is sloth. I’m not talking about the animal mind you. I’m speaking instead of sloth with respect to its definition under the seven deadly sins, which unfortunately has become all but lost in our era.

Peter Kreeft in his wonderful and relevant book, “Back to Virtue,” reminds our generation what sloth is and isn’t. It is not, for example, laziness. Americans especially are highly productive. We are, by nature, go-getters. Many of us live at a frenetic pace, balancing the responsibilities of work and family. We are hardly lazy . . . yet, as a nation we are sliding to Gomorrah on the sloth express.

So, what is the old time definition of sloth that is so lost from the common knowledge of our era and thusly so imperils our society? According to St. Augustine it is, “sorrow about spiritual good.” Peter Kreeft gives an updated version of Augustine’s definition by restating it as:

“Joylessness when faced with God as our supreme good” (Back to Virtue. Peter Kreeft, page 153)

Sloth is, as Kreeft explains, the state of being when one has simply lost his appetite for God. This, of course, also happens to be an absolutely necessary prerequisite of both hard and soft fascism/socialism/communism. In the hard variety, churches were simply taken over by the state and converted to other non-religious uses. In countries like China, the practice of non-state sanctioned religion is a punishable offence worthy of an all expense paid trip to a re-education resort (aka, a concentration camp).

On the other hand, the soft variety of socialism encourages sloth by employing the equivalent of cyanide laced Kool Aide. In our current era, a little bit of sugar makes the socialist ideology go down. Religion in soft socialism becomes pigeonholed as an entirely subjective, personal ‘tradition’ that should never, ever intrude into one’s civic life. If you do not behave toward religion in this prescribed manner, then you are guilty of violating soft socialism’s uber-value, tolerance. Of course, in soft socialism’s case, tolerance is used as the primary weapon to dismantle the people’s reliance on God.

An existence where God is mostly irrelevant leaves a vacuum in the human heart. By nature we have a God-sized cavity in our souls. We are de facto God seekers, each and every one of us. Soft socialism, in order to satisfy the hungry human heart, tries to fill that cavity with various forms of quasi-religions, like the purely materialistic view of reality born of evolutionism (as opposed to the biological theory of Evolution). In this quasi-religion, material reality is all there is and science is elevated to a sort of priesthood; faith becomes limited to a belief that through science all of material creation will eventually become subservient to man . . . even death and aging. Is it any wonder then that leftist college professors seem so simpatico with the socialist ideals of Obama and the Democrats?

The government cannot precisely control all the ways that man may try to fill the God-sized cavity in his soul. Man, in trying to replace the only ultimate and lasting joy (i.e. God), will resort to other transient forms of pleasure (as opposed to joy). Modern mans’ descent into sloth well explains the explosion in pornography that is so widely and easily available on the Internet. It also explains renewed and growing interest in New Age Occultism (for example, this article on Foxnews highlights the growing interest in Occultism subsequent the downturn in the economy).

A Godless and therefore, Anti-God form of government like soft socialism also cannot control the destructive effects of sloth on the human psyche. I believe, from a Christian perspective, that sloth (i.e. losing one’s appetite for God, the only ultimate and lasting joy) probably underlies the growth of depression in western nations. When one tries to fill an infinite space in one’s soul (that God-sized cavity) with fleeting pleasures, what else can one expect except continuous disappointment, longing, and despair . . . in other words, depression?

Overall, it is the goal of both hard and soft forms of socialism to stamp out religion. In effect, it becomes a socialist government’s policy to institute old-time sloth (of the seven deadly sins variety) in its population. Socialism wishes very much to replace an appetite for God, with an appetite for some fictional, impossible human utopia brought about by itself.

Simply put, Sloth is losing your appetite for God. And as sloth grows in a people as a whole, the lid of Pandora’s Box is slowly opened to greater and greater extents. Societal ills will therefore flow from this in greater and greater torrents. For there is no joy that can replace God.

I will close this post with a challenge for any atheists or agnostics out there . . . the challenge comes courtesy of a video by Andrew Klavan of PJTV.com. He calls it, “Prepare to Meet Your Maker: Find God in 60 Days.” Klavan offers a humorous infomercial approach to the idea of giving God a try by setting aside 10 minutes a day for 60 days to pray to God, even if you don’t believe He exists. It’s a good and fool-proof idea, because with God anything is possible. If you combine God with a receptive human heart, then the God-sized cavity in the human soul will begin to fill up with what it was intended for, God. And, when that happens, the Sauls of the world become the Pauls of the world.

If you are one of those atheists or agnostics who want to give Klavan’s challenge a try, then please do persist for the 60 days, but also beware of something else. Persons who have been mired in sloth and are just starting in prayer are a lot like a man approaching a benevolent king with both hands open. The king very much wants to bestow truth, goodness, and beauty into your awaiting hands, but there’s precious little free space there. For those who are just now rekindling their appetite for God, their hands are not open and empty. Their hands are open (because of prayer), but filled with much garbage put there in consequence to sloth. The solution? Pray that God not only shows you Himself in all his glory, but also helps you to remove the garbage that prevents Him from abundantly filling your hands with the Gifts of heaven. If you should try this little experiment for the next 60 days, then Godspeed and you’ll be in my prayers as well.

My political activism began one full year ago to this day. It’s easy to remember this particular anniversary because it’s the day I registered on RedState.com. All I have to do to remember how long I’ve been at it is to take a quick peek at my RedState profile. I do not blog anywhere else on the Internet . . .  so, RedState really is the alpha of my blogging adventures.

The election of Barack Obama was the event that pushed me over the precipice from the land of observer to the uncharted territory of activist. Prior to Obama’s election, I was a mostly passive conservative. I voted Republican. My family gave to pro-life groups. We subscribed to the National Review. I even engaged in the occasional political debate with family and friends. But, for the most part, it was a back seat approach.

RedState was the gateway that enabled me to get my feet wet in the arena of conservative activism. And, even more importantly, RedState has been a school in the disciplines of politics and culture. The writers here are quite simply a very smart bunch. I’ve learned a lot by reading others’ diaries and comments. And, if being schooled isn’t enough reason to be grateful, I’ve also become acquainted with many in the RedState community and I am honored to call them friends.

Since I’m on a good little rant here, I also want to extend a special thanks to the site’s directors and moderators for creating a welcoming environment for the free expression of conservative thought and debate. I am probably more of culture blogger than a strictly political one and many of my diaries’ topics touch upon religious issues. The fact that no one has ever told me to stop that or else take a hike makes a socially conservative, Christian driven blogger like myself feel very welcome indeed.

Finally, If I had to pick a high point? I suppose it’s when you hit a nerve on the liberal side and merit some criticism. I couldn’t really help but smile a bit when I learned I was mentioned in a Media Matters Research brief released on September 30, 2009. The topic was titled, “Beck, Limbaugh, RedState.com attack Obama’s school proposal as a time grab for ‘indoctrination’.” The research brief cites Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and then RedState contributor “mailloux”. It’s, of course, a great honor to be lumped in with Beck and Limbaugh. Thanks Media Matters! You made my whole blogging year!

And, thanks to all in the RedState community for a great year and to my family who has been nothing but supportive of my forays into local politics, which of course is the kind of activity that makes good friends and good enemies as well.

The Story of the Wretched Dog

There was once a farmer living in a pretty rural area. His farm was expansive and surrounded not by neighboring farms, but by untamed wilderness. The farm itself, though, was a happy place, for the farmer was a just and kindly man who cared for the farm’s occupants in a passionate way. The welfare of all who called the farm home was always tantamount on his mind.

There was a dog that lived for a time on the farm as well. It was a miserable beast. You could even call it a wretch. No matter how gentle the approach of the farmer . . . no matter how much good the farmer showered on the mangy beast, it was always returned with growling, snapping ferocity. A delicious meal, fit for any nobleman, was greedily devoured and no thanks, other than bared teeth and raised hackles, was ever offered.

The wretch of a dog was disruptive to the natural harmony and tranquility of the farm. Its rebellious behavior was in juxtaposition to everything else on the farm. Something had to give. The farmer loved all those in his charge and didn’t have the heart to put the dog down. Instead, he decided to free it into the wilderness. The beast would get its wish . . . to be a beast.

Yet, the farmer never lost hope for his dog. He kept a watch for its return, always ready to swing wide the gate and welcome it back.

This little story is an analogy to the relationship between God and man . . . and is particularly applicable to modern day America. Like any analogy, the fit isn’t perfect and it doesn’t describe the full breadth and depth of the principle, issue, or relationship covered in the analogy. It’s merely a simplification meant to drive home a truth or two. The truth here is that man’s response to the blessings of God has been essentially similar to the wretched dog’s response to the benevolence of the farmer; ungratefully grabbing the goodies and then snarling in rebellion and distrust. Like the wretched dog, humanity apparently prefers to cultivate the beast and longs for the wilderness (a Godless existence).

Modern day America’s rejection of God is apparent throughout our culture. The evidence substantiating this assertion is legion. Atheistic screeds by the likes of Richard Dawkins are NY Times best sellers. The progressives’ drumbeat of “separation of church and state” is ever present and gaining ground . . . its practical interpretation has largely remained unchanged: God is for one hour on Sunday only . . . for the rest of the week, any mention of God in the public sphere is out-of-bounds.  And, now we have Larry David, the comedian and creator/writer/producer of the Seinfeld Show, attempting to poke fun at religion by urinating on a painting of Christ on his current show, HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm.

On the most recent episode (it aired on HBO on Sunday, October 25, 2009), we are treated to seeing Larry David use the bathroom. While doing his business, he accidentally splashes urine on a painting of Christ which happens to be adorning this particular bathroom. He leaves the urine on the picture of Christ. Moments later, it’s discovered by a woman residing in the house. She makes haste to find her mother and declares it a miracle . . . Christ is weeping. Both women fall to their knees before the urine splashed portrait and begin to pray.

Funny, huh?

Instead of the snarl and the bared teeth of the wretched dog, we have the supposed chuckle of Larry David. The message, though, is precisely the same. You can just consider the chuckle of Larry David to be a sanitized and more refined version of the snarl and thus more appropriate to modern palates.

What’s the message to and about God contained in both the dog’s snarl and Larry David’s chuckle? It’s ingratitude for life’s blessings and an outright rejection of the Lordship of God; the first of the 10 Commandments is violated in more profane and creative ways and then packaged in entertainment for mass consumption.

The consequences of the message are exactly the same as well . . . existence in a wilderness of our own making where God is simply not welcome and an indulgence in the lower, bestial elements of our nature.

We live in a time where this kind of “comedy” is acceptable and marketable fare. After all, it’s on TV, precisely because there’s an audience for it. Larry David’s thumb in the eye of God is not a solitary digit. There are millions of thumbs in total solidarity with Larry David.

A country that turns its back on God cannot hope to remain great. By way of another analogy, imagine that individually and collectively as a society we are similar to a rechargeable flashlight. While plugged into a power source such as an outlet, it will remain bright and be able to maximally pierce the darkness. If however, you remove the flashlight from its wall socket mount, it will start off bright as ever, but over time it will become less so. Its brightness will dim the longer it’s away from its source. Eventually, the darkness will close in around it and victoriously overcome it. The more we not only reject God, but mock Him, the more we are like that rechargeable flashlight that’s not mere inches away from the replenishing wall socket, but miles from it.

No amount of policies and politics can overcome a wholesale rejection of God. A Godless human utopia is a fallacy. Larry David’s successful show along with its many fans is an indulgence in that fallacy. When this sort of a show is met with a collective shrug of the shoulders, we are deep indeed in the wilderness.

News source

Simply put, Reality TV is a boot camp, training ground for the vices. It is not only unbecoming of the dignity of man, but it will also contribute greatly to his undoing as well. Reality TV truly is the equivalent of a spiritual poison and individuals will be the lesser for consuming it. And, since society is made up of individuals, it too will suffer as a result of the soul-icide concoction of Reality TV.

The recent Balloon Boy spectacle is but the tip of a very large iceberg. Here we witnessed the exploitation of a child, the media, and the public in an effort to sensationalize a family enough to warrant some network granting this family a reality show of their very own. Yes, the behavior of the family is shocking, but it’s no less shocking than the public’s appetite for these kinds of television shows. As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango and the deadly vices are very much a collaboration of efforts. It’s like Dancing with the Stars, but in this case the stars are the fallen angels . . . your tango partner is none other than Wormwood, co-star of the Screwtape Letters.

So, what’s the main toxin in Reality TV? It’s the age old vice of envy, which these days is either largely misunderstood or watered down so much as to be almost unrecognizable. The loss of the genuine meaning of envy greases the wheels of Reality TV; people in general are that much more susceptible because of it.

We are prone to misusing the word “envy” in everyday speech. For example, to say that we envy someone often indicates admiration or some form of innocuous, congenial longing for someone else’s condition or good fortune. “I envy your plumb job!” and “What a nice car . . . I’m envious!” are just a couple of pretty common utterances. That’s too bad, because it takes the punch out of the word “envy” and therefore makes us more prone to real, genuine envy of the deadly vice variety.

Envy is the state of being where I not only covet the good either possessed or inherent in another, but I also seek or wish its destruction because I don’t have it. It is the natural consequences of radical egalitarianism. It is basically the longing that everyone else be beneath me or, at the very least, precisely at my level . . . up to and including God. Like most vices, envy is also a false promise. It is Captain Ahab’s white whale; it’s the alchemist’s potential gold in a lump of dull lead. The envious will never fully achieve their desires. It is contrary to the way the world really works.

Although Reality TV may not be the big jackpot of envy, it serves up a quick fix of envy and keeps its unwitting customers coming back for more. The entertainment value in watching others belittle themselves or in watching others’ misfortunes lies in envy’s wish to place all others beneath oneself. After all, how long would a show about a functional and loving family really last? If love, goodness, and truth were to triumph in each and every episode of a Reality TV program, that would be anathema to envy which hates and wills for the destruction of good in others for no other reason than the envious do not have it.

So, what does this have to do with politics? Envy lies at the very root of socialism, which threatens our country in the age of Obama. I’ll wager good money that the infamous Obama rally lady who notoriously stated that Obama will pay her mortgage and buy her gas is a rank lover of Reality TV. I’ll bet that those who hate vouchers and love only public education are big fans of reality TV. I speculate that those who support government control over the salaries of banking officials or auto execs never missed an episode of Jon and Kate Plus 8. Reality TV is one of the opiates (if I can borrow the term) that primes the public mindset for an expansion of government courtesy of us vs. them . . . where “us” stands for the capitalist or the Christian or conservatives in general.

If you happen to absolutely love Reality TV, then you’ll probably find this post disagreeable to say the least.  Who, after all, wants to be told they are engaging in a deadly sin when that sin seems so innocuous and so gosh darn entertaining. After reading this post, you may even regard me as full of it . . . perhaps sanctimonious . . . maybe even unrealistic. Heck, it’s just a show, right? Well, I’ll just leave you with a quote from St. Paul . . . for I could never improve on what he said:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

Modern translation? Change the channel.

Fresh off the press and just in time for the health care debate, we have the Age of Obama New Testament. Here are a couple of excerpts that should wet your whistle for some peace and justice!

Matthew 25: 31 - 41

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nation will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the goats from the sheep and the donkeys. He will put the sheep and the donkeys on his left and the goats on his right.

Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the earthly utopia prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was in need and you lobbied well for government entitlements, I wanted to see a doctor and you pushed for a government option.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you in need or requiring health care and come to your aid?’

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whenever you voted progressive, you did it for me.’

Then he will say to those on the right, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’

Matthew 22: 15 - 22

Then the Republicans went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. They sent their disciples to him along with the Limbaughdians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are. Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’

 

But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’

‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.

Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to Caesar what is God’s and let Caesar redistribute it in justice and charity.’

When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.

Of course, the fake excerpts you’ve just read are a satirical treatment of what’s really going on in many Christian congregations in the United States. A “peace and justice”, social gospel is being foisted upon many of the faithful. They walk away from sermons and editorials by leftist ministers and priests with the impression that it is their Christian duty to support the expansion of government to deal with every social ill and inequality. Government should feed the hungry. Government should cloth the naked. Government should visit (i.e. care for) the sick. As long as I vote progressive and support the Democrats, I have done my Christian duty . . . and therefore may be counted among the sheep and donkeys spoken of in the fake Matthew Chapter 25 excerpt.

Wrong! Government is not a proxy for charity. In Christianity, you personally are accountable. Supporting mass redistribution simply does not qualify as fulfilling your call to charity (i.e. to rise to the level of selfless love).

The Christianization of the human soul is first and foremost an interior change. The outward fruits of that interior change are the natural effects of an entirely spiritual cause (i.e. the transformative grace of God). A man who fully recognizes the Lordship of God and his complete dependency on God conforms his will to God’s Will in uncompromised entirety. Then, the effects, those fruits of God, will burst forth in that man in myriad and diverse ways . . . some will evangelize, some will dedicate their lives to the poor, some will learn to really cherish their children, some will care selflessly for a sick and elderly parent, some will give of their need to charities (like Food for the Poor at this link), and some will simply serve in entirely unnoticed ways (except for God, Who sees all).

Qualifying the support of a socialistic expansion of entitlements as charity is the equivalent of saying that a fast food cheeseburger is no different than a gourmet piece of Kobe beef . . . or a beat up Ford Aspire is no different than a precision, high performance Lexus . . . or a Timex digital watch is no different than a Rolex. The real McCoy’s are qualitatively different than the knock offs and wannabes. The same is exactly true of Christianity’s call to love one another. Socialistic government entitlements are not a fulfillment of a Christian’s duty to charity. It’s just a cheap imitation of the genuine article.

So, to all the social justice crazed ministers and priests out there, I say stop misleading your congregants! Stop feeding them a syrupy mush of generalized ethics. Stop trying to portray our Lord as nothing more than an ethical man and a first century social worker/community organizer. You are using your position of power over the spiritual lives of your congregants to push a political system at the expense of the salvation of souls.

At some point in Barack Obama’s momentous life, he must have watched a football game (and for you liberals out there, I’m not talking about soccer). He may have even hosted a football themed party for some of his Chicago buds at his crib. Maybe William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, and Tony Rezko all got together with Barry and tipped a few back whilst talking all things pigskin and watching a game on ESPN.

Heavens to Murgatroyd, the man knows football! Furthermore, he has the enormous potential to return to college and play great college football. Together with the fact that he’s Barack Obama, this should therefore be more than enough to qualify him, unapologetically, for the Heisman Trophy. If you don’t believe me, then just ask Andrew Sullivan.

The Heisman trophy is normally determined by 924 electors (folks from the world of sports writers and broadcasters). But this year, the official sponsor of the Heisman Trophy, Nissan, is also allowed one vote and Nissan is giving their vote to the people! And to make it really democratic, you are allowed to write in a name!

David Freddoso of the Washington Examiner is encouraging citizens to visit the Nissan website and write in a vote for Barack Obama. After all, if Barack deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, then why not the Heisman trophy too?

You can access the Nissan website here. You should make this a daily habit until the awarding of the Heisman in December; you are allowed to vote once a day. Help put another well deserved trophy/award on Barack Obama’s shelf! And, make sure to spread the word and get your family and friends to vote Obama in the Heisman.

Now, I’m off to inquire with my son’s Boy Scout leader about making Barack Obama an Eagle Scout . . . Is there nothing our Dear Leader can’t do?

I know there isn’t any official RedState Peace Prize (and I don’t have the authority to create one), but if there was one, this guy should be in the running.

Sgt. Brett Bennethum is part of the 733rd Transportation Company based in Reading, Pa. He just deployed for Iraq. He will be doing the dangerous, yet humble work of transporting supplies into Iraq. Few war movies are made about the transport of supplies, but these kinds of heroes are as critical to victory as a frontline soldier.

Sgt. Bennethum is a family man. He has a four year old daughter, a 10 month old daughter, and another child on the way; his wife, Abby is pregnant with a deployment baby.

On the day of his deployment to Iraq, Sgt. Bennethum was accompanied by his family. The soldiers were immediately ordered into formation. That’s when 4 year old Paige ran up next to her father and gripped his hand, refusing to let go. The Sergeant’s commanding officer did not have the heart to ask that Paige be led away from the formation; he had the decency and the compassion to allow father and daughter a few more moments of precious time together.

Paige’s mother, Abby, captured the moment in a photograph. She submitted it to her local newspaper and it’s now spreading like wildfire on the Internet. This wildfire, though, is one of compassion, love, and sacrifice. The photo of Paige grasping her father’s hand is heart wrenching. Take a look for yourself. The link is here. No matter how tough and stoic you regard yourself, this photo will surely provide you with a tear.

So, for his sacrifice and that of his family, for his bravery in helping to bring peace and security to a foreign nation, I nominate Sgt. Bennethum for the RedState Peace Prize (were it to exist).

Furthermore, Sgt. Bennethum is far more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than is Barack Obama. But that, of course, is simply a statement of fact.

Obama has done plenty to deserve this honor and to join ranks gloriously stocked with giants of Nobel-ity like Yasir Arafat and Jimmy Carter. The fact that you cannot recognize this is a testament to your rank partisanship, which is obviously fueled by your homophobic racism.

Did not Barack Obama . . . in less than one year as president, mind you . . . bring together a black race-baiting, elitist demagogue and a white police officer for a beer at the White House? Doesn’t anyone here remember the Beer Summit? Joe Biden was even there! I think there were pretzels on hand too. That summit, in my opinion (and the Nobel Committee’s opinion) did more for race relations . . . throughout the whole world . . . than anything Martin Luther King ever accomplished or could have even dreamed! That’s peace, baby . . . that’s peace!

Then, there was that fly incident. Did you see how fast Obama was! All that B-ball paid off. The man’s an Adonis! And, he used his incredible agility to do what? Serve mankind, you dolts! He. Got. Rid. Of. A. PEST! The fewer pests there are, the more peace there is! Get it, geniuses? It’s simple math!

Barack Obama was also in an America-hating church for 20 years . . . “God damn America” . . . that’s what the Nobel committee says too (only in German while wearing lederhosen, so it looks and sounds kinda funny).

Barack Obama, as part of his near incessant peace-making, wisely snubbed the National Christian Day of Prayer. Every Euro-weenie knows that white euro-centric, male-dominated Christianity brings the opposite of peace, which is peace-less-ness. You Americans just need to wise up like us Dhimmis here in Eurabia.

Barack Obama is the first US president to finally, as president (which counts more than waiting to do it as an ex-president!), show some humility . . . and I’m not speaking of the antiquated Christian virtue of humility, but of the groveling, boot-licking variety. You know, the kind that admits that you, dear delusional Americans, are inferior to us! American Exceptionalism brings much peace-less-ness and Barack Obama has begun to turn the tide on that in both word and deed. For example, bowing to the Saudi king was a nice touch.

Then, of course, there are those Tibetan radicals with their incorrigible leader, the Dalai Lama. President Obama’s strategy? Ignore the tyrant’s visit to Washington, D.C. and send a message to sweet, sugar daddy China that Barack likes your totalitarian stylings. Peace through oppression! Tiananmen, Ta-shmen-na-min, that’s old news! And yes, we know the Dalai Lama also received a peace prize, but that was before the age of Obama . . . even the Swiss can make a mistake now and then (not too often, mind you).

Barack Obama also recognizes that socialism is the path to peace . . . After all, he wisely chose communist Van Jones as a czar, and America was just too ignorant and Bible-thumping and RACIST to appreciate the wisdom behind Obama’s wise, sage-like, oracle-esque appointment. Maybe by term 4 or 5, you troglodyte Americans will wake up and smell the double mochachino latte.

Traditional families cause much peace-less-ness too and Barack Obama full well knows this. His backdoor introduction of radical homosexual ideology into the US public school system through safe school czar, Jennings, will serve to liberate Americans from the puritanical confines of the repressive traditional family. When you Free Willy, you usher lotsa peace . . . see the movie if you don’t believe me.

An elementary school’s already been named after him . . . there’s a growing body of Obama gospel music  . . . NEA artists have been inspired by Obama’s greatness . . . Naked Obama riding a unicorn paintings are becoming, thankfully, commonplace. For Obama’s sake people, he’s a community organizer, remember?!

So get with the program, citizens of the world! Barack Obama deserves this prize and you know it too . . . So there! . . . Take that! And, if you don’t agree, then guess what? Too bad and besides, your momma sews socks that smell!

October 7 is a special feast day in the Catholic Church. It’s the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary, which commemorates the power of this special prayer in the naval victory at Lepanto, 1571. Even if you’re not Catholic, you should still probably pause, remember, and appreciate the significance of Lepanto.

In the 16th century, Europe had already experienced the spread of Islam by the sword . . . and the abject brutality of the Moslem armies. Case in point: before Lepanto, the Turks were attacking a Venetian held island. The commander of the Venetians, Marcantonio Bragadino, wanted a truce with the Turks, which at first they were agreeable to. The Turks’ promise of a truce was apparently a false one. Instead of peace, they took Bragadino prisoner along with his troops. Then the peaceful, civilized Moslem army (by the way, often enough we are lead to believe that the Christian Crusaders were exclusively the aggressors and brutes in these conflicts . . . simply not true) proceeded to beat Bragadino. They also cut off his ears and his nose. But, they weren’t through with him yet. They also put him in a collar and paraded him around the Moslem troops. Finally, after putting him on display in a hoisted cage, the peaceful Moslem army flayed him alive. That is, they very slowly and painfully removed his skin until death mercifully, but slowly, came. Not through yet though, the Moslems also stuffed the skin with straw and sent it to Constantinople. And, for good measure, they proceeded to slaughter thousands of other Venetians or enslave them as galley slaves, where they were treated brutally, starved, and rowed themselves to death while sitting in their own excrement.

So worldwide representatives of Islam . . . the king of Saudi Arabia, grand muftis, and assorted ayatollahs . . . where is your modern day apology for the brutalities of your past? Oops! Almost forgot; multiculturalism requires that only western civilization and Christianity be demonized and compelled to offer copious and constant apologies. But, this is a digression . . . back to Lepanto.

Pope St. Pius V recognized the threat to both Europe and Christianity at the time, much the same way Pope Benedict XVI recognizes a current and somewhat similar threat to Europe now. Saint Pius V decided to act. He formed the Holy League, which was a collection of naval forces from various Kingdoms and city states, including Vatican forces. Saint Pius V selected Don John of Austria, the 25-year old son of Emperor Charles V, as commander of a naval expedition against the Moslems.

The Christian Navy set sail for Lepanto to engage what was an existential threat to Europe and Christianity, a Moslem navy led by Ali Pasha, the Turkish Admiral. The Christians relied on their courage, their innovations in naval warfare, and most of all, their faith in God. The Holy League defended themselves with sword and prayer. That prayer was the Rosary. St. Pius encouraged it, and the faithful both on those naval vessels sailing to battle and those anxiously waiting at homes and churches throughout Europe heeded the call. The prayer leading up to and including October 7, 1571 was marathon.

The Christians of the Holy League won that critical naval battle at Lepanto. The formidable Turkish fleet was decimated. Pope Saint Pius V, in commemoration of the victory and in thanks to God, declared that the Rosary would be part of Vatican Masses on every October 7th. A subsequent pope (Pope Gregory XIII) went even further and established an official feast day in 1573. Hundreds of years later, the Catholic Church is still celebrating this feast day highlighting the power of prayer against forces of oppression and brutality.

As 2009 draws to a close and 2010 comes upon us, Europe and Christianity (both Protestant and Catholic) face the same existential threat from Islam. The tactics are different, but the threat is the same. Unfortunately, this time around, there isn’t a Holy League unapologetically willing to defend itself with life, limb, and treasure. Instead we have a bunch of socialist, squish Europeans aborting and contracepting themselves out of existence while encouraging the Trojan horse of mass Muslim immigration to Europe. And, to make matters worse, we have a US president who may not be a Muslim, but who bows to Saudi kings like a good Dhimmi should.

Where in the world is the hope of Christianity and western civilization in the year of Our Lord, 2009? In prayer and action. Prayer saved the day (and the future!) at Lepanto. For with God, nothing is impossible. This is a truism we must never forget.

Remembering the Alamo is a good thing, but one should also keep the memory of Lepanto very much alive. So today, Catholic or not, raise a toast to the victory at Lepanto. Feast about it! Celebrate it! And, don’t ever apologize for it!

There is a marvelous viral video making its way around the Internet. It’s a speech given by a 12 year old girl. It’s well written and expertly delivered . . . as a matter of fact, she could probably give Obama a lesson or two on public speaking without the lifeline of a teleprompter. This young lady has obviously memorized her speech. She can be seen occasionally looking to a printed version that she must be holding in her hand to keep track of her progress; it’s an old-fashioned method, but one that takes real discipline, work, and (gasp!) memorization. Therefore, it’s probably not suited to Barack “Why-Can’t I-Just-Eat-My-Waffle” Obama.

But, that’s not the point of why you should take the 5 minutes or so to view this video. In it, this 12 year old speaks volumes in terms of wisdom on the issue of abortion. She is a pro-life tour de force. If I were her teacher, I’d give her a resounding A+ for this speech. Unfortunately, in the many pro-bama public schools throughout our land, where Obama Gospel music is all the rage, she will probably receive a tepid if not downright hostile response.

Youtube is not the friendliest entity for pro-life messages. So, there’s no telling how long the video will be there. Take the time to have a look . . .  it’s time well spent. Here’s the link.

There are those who are unjust, cowardly, foolish, and uncontrolled. These unappealing traits rear their heads in a multitude of combinations; sometimes cowardice may balloon to the forefront and overshadow the rest, but the rest merely wait in the wings for their opportunity to rule the day.

And, where do you find the unjust, the cowardly, the foolish, and/or the uncontrolled? Personally, I look no further than the nearest mirror. These traits are the antitheses to justice, wisdom, courage, and moderation. Every fallen man and woman fails in one way or another, at one time or another, to meet the standards of virtue (which, by the way, literally means, “manly strength”). To err, after all, is human.

Erring, however, can and does occur in several contexts. Some are:

1. Humility: This is the state of knowing that the Cardinal Virtues exist and valuing them as the standard to strive for, while at the same time recognizing the fallen nature of man and therefore, the likelihood of failing to live up to one or all of the virtues. Humility means that although I may stumble, I will try again and again and again and all the harder. This determination to try harder is the salve for hypocrisy (which is the state of being aware of and valuing a standard, but behaving in contrast to it nonetheless).

2. Ignorance: The Cardinal Virtues are the hinges of a just (i.e. harmonious) society. Some, unfortunately, are not even really aware that they exist. By way of analogy, if the Cardinal Virtues really were hinges, it’s as if they were not only rusty from disuse, but totally hidden by a layer of dirt and dust. The ignorant are not even aware that virtues really are there in the first place.

3. Redefining Hypocrisy: This is perhaps the worst context to make your dwelling. Herein is an active effort to redefine virtue or to delegitimize it or to trivialize it. Instead of recognizing failure to meet a standard, the standard is simply changed or watered down to irrelevancy. For example, hypocrisy is redefined out of existence whenever a cheating spouse rationalizes his behavior as an expression of his liberated sexuality from the antiquated confines of traditional marriage. He boldly asserts, “It’s not my fault, because there was never a fault there to begin with.”

Certainly there are other contexts that I’m omitting, but these strike me as The Big 3.

So, what does this have to do with politics?

Everything. The movement (i.e. conservatives vs. progressives) and the party (i.e. Republicans vs. Democrats) that embraces . . . that is, really lives . . . the first context, humility, will be the party that that will eventually both win and be best for society. The virtues are truth. Truth is the foundation of a just society. And, human beings are inherently, deep down, built to both detect truth and to appreciate it. Truth to human beings is like home to a homing pigeon.

Granted, there are plenty of people in the ignorant context, but there is hope there, for they can be made aware. The sleeping can be awakened. Hidden hinges (Cardinal Virtues) can be dusted off and then oiled back into functional use.

The truly dangerous are those that strive mightily to redefine hypocrisy. These are like serpents that lay hidden, in wait, in the tall grass of life. When virtue is conveniently made irrelevant, vice is permitted to flourish in the sense that it becomes a pragmatic means to an end. Here you will find your disciples of Saul Alinsky, your avowed socialists, and much of the progressive ilk. Alarmingly too, you will find Barack Obama.

Am I calling our president un-virtuous? As they say here in the Midwest, “You betcha.” Truth to Barack Obama is a malleable substance which can be reshaped to fit his whims and ambitions. This is as sure a sign as you can get of a person inhabiting context #3 (Redefining Hypocrisy). From changing the reality of his past associations (Ayers, Wright, etc.) to suit his current political ambitions, to dressing up a bunch of doctors in white lab coats for a health plan photo op, Barack Obama embraces the philosophy of “any means is a legitimate path to my desired ends.”

The path to victory is the path of true humility. When conservatives fully embrace the Cardinal Virtues, they become agents . . . albeit imperfect ones . . . of a just society. And, by “fully embrace”, I mean to not only know the virtues, recognize our imperfection, and try to live them, but to go a step further and elevate them to the status of true hinges upon which our ideas and behaviors turn. And, ironically, it is only at this point that one recognizes the need for the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity. In order for the Cardinal Virtues to really take root, grow, and flourish, they need to be planted in the fertile soil of the Theological Virtues.

The Theological Virtues are, of course, a topic unto themselves. In modernity, they are often grossly misunderstood. Faith is not just a personal opinion. Hope is not just a fond wish. And Charity is not just a Hallmark moment, feeling of affection.

The Theological Virtues deserve a post all to their own. Suffice it for this post to make the point that it is time to elevate and invigorate the Cardinal Virtues. It’s time to dust off and oil these hinges of a just society. And at the same time, it is fair game to try to awaken the ignorant and to call out those that try to redefine hypocrisy. The virtues are the hinges of victory for conservatives and the Republican Party.

The news lately has served up plenty of reasons to think about education and public schools, and what it all fits into. We have seen Obama call for increasing the school year or the length of the school day. There was his “stay-in-school-and-study-hard” speech, with its concomitant pro-Obama (i.e. what can you do for the president?) study guide. Then, of course there are the seemingly unending Obama worship songs that come along on a pretty regular basis, some of which are sung by public school children, performing Obama gospel music from public school buildings, and taught to do so by public school teachers.

Most conservatives readily detect the indoctrination elements in all of these events. It serves a practical purpose for Obama and his rabid legions of progressive activists. After all, if you make little leftist progressives out of mentally and intellectually malleable children, you’ll have plenty of progressive foot soldiers by the time they’re voting age. And, with so many parents abdicating their role as the primary educator of their children . . . and I’m not speaking of home schooling or reading, writing, and arithmetic, but instead of teaching your children a philosophy of life rooted in truth, beauty, and goodness . . . the progressives are swooping in like vultures to fill the void. Their weapon of choice is the public school monopoly. So, all in all, the practical reasons are clear.

If we dig a little deeper, however, beneath the obvious practical reasons of indoctrination, I fear we find not more symptoms, but the disease itself. This particular malady isn’t one of the physical body. It’s primarily a disease of the human spirit. Sure, symptoms can appear in the flesh, but most of the destruction happens to the soul. This disease transmits much like a virus. In this case, however, infection is not achieved through the transmission of RNA. It’s achieved through the transmission of malignant “isms.”

The hostile (to the human soul) isms that have taken root in the public school monopoly are philosophies of reasoning (as opposed to Reason) and rank sentimentality (allowing feelings to govern thought, morality, and everything else). Both reasoning and sentimentality are parts of human nature, but as they are used now, they are either a shadow or perversion of something good.

Reasoning is a shadow of Hellenism (think Socrates), which is a philosophical search for Truth. Reasoning is only a shadow of the great human faculty of Reason because it limits itself to only the material, natural world. Reasoning is a mere tool of Reason, just as a scalpel is a mere tool of medicine and not medicine itself. By reducing truth as strictly a byproduct of materialistic based reasoning, an entire half of the human person is in effect neglected and left to either wither on the vine or be choked by weeds. The neglected half of humanity is none other than the human soul.

The other philosophy running rampant in education (especially the public school monopoly) is rank sentimentality. “I feel, therefore I am” is a fair summary of this philosophy. Sentimentality in and of itself is not a bad thing. Sentimentality can be a window to beauty, which can lead to truth. It’s one means to truth (certainly not the sole means and shouldn’t be relied on exclusively). The errant philosophy of rank sentimentality has transformed feeling from a mere means into an end. The feeling of awe when viewing a beautiful sunset can inspire an appreciation of God, but relying on the function “I feel, therefore it’s true” is a dangerous perversion of sentimentality.

How does it all tie together? A C.S. Lewis analogy provides an excellent illustration. Imagine we, as a society, are a fleet of ships on the high seas. There are 3 elements that will generally lead to a successful navigation of our fleet.

• Element #1: We must know the rules of how not to crash into each other. This is the realm of basic ethics . . . how to be generally nice to each other, courteous, and how to get along civilly.
• Element #2: Each ship must be responsible for keeping itself ship-shape. The engine rooms must be maintained, decks swabbed, areas painted, barnacles removed, etc. Each vessel must keep itself sea worthy and afloat.
• Element #3: The fleet must have a mission. It must be going somewhere.

The isms running through education are adequate for the purposes of basic social ethics . . . that is, how not to crash into each other. However, the isms coupled with the breakdown of the family as the nucleus of society make us ignorant of elements 2 and 3: keeping each individual ship sea worthy and having a mission (a reason to be on the high seas). By the way, progressives may think they have a mission, which is making more progressives through indoctrination, but since the mission is fully rooted in a materialistic view of reality, it is no mission at all and will only lead to misery and aimless travel. The mission, you see, must involve the whole man, both body and soul.

All in all, beneath the obvious outrage of blatant indoctrination within the public school monopoly, lays a serious malignancy of isms. Training our children to rely, in effect, on only reasoning (again, as opposed to Reason) and rank sentimentality is the societal equivalent of condemning them to aimlessly circumnavigate turbulent seas, with no other point than someday sinking into the abyss. No society can remain great with such an aberrant philosophy, making Obama and his fellow progressives, ironically, a hindrance to genuine human progress.

Speaking recently in Copenhagen, First Lady Michele Obama described her arduous trek to the wilds of Denmark and her upcoming labors there as a “sacrifice” for “the children.” (Source)

Fear not though, citizens, the beloved wife of our dear leader has brought along moral and physical support in the form of her “dear friend” and “chit-chat buddy”, Oprah Winfrey (aside: if my math is correct, 0 + 0 still equals zero). However, even with the support of her chit-chat buddy (and a personal staff), Michele Obama will still be facing steep challenges that will surely test the limits of her endurance and buff biceps.

Warning! Do not read the following graphic material aloud to young children, the frail, or anyone with a weak constitution. So that we may all better appreciate the sacrifice of our lady, Michelle, I will describe some of her upcoming rigors in some detail . . .

On Wednesday evening, Chicago 2016 held a star studded party at the Copenhagen Marriot Hotel. In attendance were several former Olympians. Oprah Winfrey, the chit-chat buddy, attended too and was greeted with wild cheering. Bravely, Ms. Winfrey managed to utter these inspiring words:

“If we get this, the party starts Friday”

Michelle Obama’s home base while in Copenhagen will be the Marriot, a luxury, 5-star hotel where Chicago 2016 is occupying two suites. Michelle “doing-it-for-the-kids” Obama will have to somehow live (if you can call it that) under desperate . . . desperate! . . . conditions. These include:

With its windows on the quaint harbor in Denmark’s capital, the 5 star Copenhagen Marriott hotel offers 401 air-conditioned, spacious accommodations with exquisite water and Copenhagen city views, luxury Marriott bedding with down comforters and rich linens. The Copenhagen Marriott Hotel, Denmark is renowned for its 10 superlative conference venues that accommodates up to 600 delegates with nine breakout conference rooms with the latest business and meeting technology, fine catering and dedicated associates providing attention to detail. During your visit at this Copenhagen, Denmark luxury hotel, you’ll be enticed by superb dining or you’ll enjoy our well-equipped Barrett’s fitness gym featuring sauna, steam bath and massage facilities with professionally trained massage therapists. (from the Copenhagen Marriot website .Visit it if you dare!).

The rooms at the Marriot feature . . . who am I kidding? How can I even have the audacity to use the word, “feature.” Dear citizens, behold for yourself the squalor: 

• 401 spacious accommodations offer luxurious down comforters, custom duvets & cotton-rich linens
• Accommodations at this luxury Copenhagen, Denmark hotel features broadband Internet & voice mail
• Hair dryer, mini-bar, iron/ironing board, safe, cable/satellite TV, in-room movies, room service
• Exquisite suites with water views offer the utmost in luxury at this hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark
• Executive accommodations &Suites offer free minibar, broadband internet, access to executive lounge
• Philips 32′ flat-panel LCD television with 30 watt speaker system and greater channel selection

So, dear citizens, as you can plainly see, Dear Leader’s beloved wife, First Lady Michelle Obama is right now sacrificing so much and doing it for the children.

Parents! Take a little time to hug your child and spend a few moments before your home’s handsomely framed portraits of Dear Leader and First Lady. Give thanks to Obama for their sacrifice and sing with bellows of praise:

(Roughly sung to “Jesus Loves the Little Children”)

Obamas loves all the Chicago land children

And all the children in the world

Black and yellow, red and white

They’re all precious in their sight

Obamas love the children of Illinois

 

Whether she’s in Copenhagen at the Marriot

Or on Oprah’s show, it matters not

I know Michelle’s sacrificing it for

Me, Junior and, of course, Little Sally!

Derrion Albert was a 16 year old honor student in a Chicago public school. The operative words in the latter sentence are: 

• Was,
• Honor Student,
• And Public School

“WAS”

On September 24th, 2009, Derrion was beaten to death by rival gangs as he tried to make his way home. He was said to be an innocent bystander caught up in a violent melee that broke out near the ironically named Agape Community Center in Chicago . . . Agape, by the way is the Greek term for the highest form of love, the love of God. Derrion was beaten with a railroad tie, repeatedly, and his head was stomped as he lay helpless on the ground. Derrion at the age of 16 went from “is” to “was” in terms of this earthly life. A grave evil, committed right outside of a community center named for boundless, unconditional, self-sacrificing, Divine Love.

“HONOR STUDENT”

Derrion was probably referred to as an “Oreo.” It’s a more modern day term for an Uncle Tom. That is, someone who’s black on the outside, but white on the inside. Other cultures too have similar terms. Asians sometimes refer to certain other Asians as “Bananas” . . . yellow on the outside, but white on the inside. They wield this cultural insult when a fellow Asian is “acting” white. However, the contexts between the usage of “Oreo” and “Banana” are drastically different . . . and the difference is drastically telling. Often times, an Asian who is tagged as a “Banana” by a fellow Asian is caught displaying the worst traits of Western Culture whilst ignoring the mores of traditional Asian culture. Perhaps a fellow labeled a “Banana” may have been engaged in rebellious and rude behavior toward his parents.

In the case of the term “Oreo”, the context is entirely different. An “Oreo” is often someone who is caught displaying, not the worst elements of Western, white culture, but the best, most beneficial and ennobling elements. For example, status as an honor student is usually transgression enough to be labeled an “Oreo.” For the hard work, the discipline, and the eager pursuit of knowledge, a black honor student is rewarded with the equivalent of being called a race-traitor.

It’s difficult at this point to say with certainty whether or not Derrion Albert was targeted for his clean cut lifestyle (apparently not a member of a gang, got good grades, was simply on his way home, etc.), but it’s certainly and sadly not outside the realm of very probable possibilities. In Derrion’s short life, he had likely been referred to as an “Oreo”, a Benedict Arnold to his own race. That’s a tough badge to be saddled with, especially for simply and only pursuing what is objectively good.

“PUBLIC SCHOOL”

Barack Obama would greatly like to expand the domain of public schools. He supports expanding the length of the school year or the school day. Obama also opposes vouchers; he allowed the Washington D.C. voucher program to die on his watch (actions speak much, much louder than words).

Public schools are a system in crisis. Derrion is the unfortunate student and son of a grieving mother who demonstrates, with a passion of a thousand burning suns, the utter futility of a public school monopoly. If vouchers were the established law of the land, would it be possible that Derrion would be alive today, fearlessly attending the school of his and his mom’s choice, surrounded not by gangs taunting him with the “Oreo” insult, but by supportive people (fellow students included) who praise his initiative and hard work? Dare I say . . . and say so with great confidence . . . that it would not only be possible, but also probable.

Is it not also an indictment of the highest order that the Chicago Public School System bears the horrendous dishonor of losing 34 students in 2008-09 to violent deaths? There were also 290 incidences of shootings recorded in that same academic year. Per capita, it’s safer to dress your kid up as Uncle Sam and send him for a stroll in Bagdad than it is for you to entrust him to the Chicago Public Schools. And, liberals/socialists, like Obama, have the colossal gall to tell you the solution is more investment in the public school monopoly! Yes, up is down, day is night, and black is white in the bizzaro age of Obama.

CONCLUSION

September 24, 2009 was a sad day. We lost Derrion Albert. His mother grieves in an abyss of sorrow. May Derrion Albert be at peace in the Kingdom of Heaven, in the company of the saints and angels, enjoying at this very moment the beatific vision of God. And, may his grieving mother be comforted in the arms of our Savior.

Finally, may our republic step back from the precipice that Obama is driving us toward with gale force winds of socialistic change.

We are all familiar with Obama’s habit of tossing former confidants, advisors, and friends under the bus whenever it suits him. Those times typically being whenever he feels that some association may tarnish his image as secular messiah. It’s gotten pretty crowded under Obama’s bus, but his ‘purges’ are pretty well known, surprisingly well accepted by the public, and hence, old news.

Much more important than what’s happening under the bus is what’s going on in the bus. This is what really matters.

When you begin consider events in the bus, don’t think of that bus as a Greyhound traversing from state to state, and don’t think of it as a city bus taking folks to work, appointments, and shopping. No. Think instead of it as a big yellow school bus with Obama at the wheel. It’s carrying your kids and they aren’t alone in there with Obama either. He’s got the bus fully staffed with monitors and aids. Now, keep that image in your mind as you consider Obama’s recent suggestion to elongate the school day, the school year, or both.

“Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas . . . not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family, and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom.” President Barack Obama

Translation from Obama-speak into everyday English?

Any revolution worth its salt knows its future depends on how well the youth are indoctrinated. And, gosh darn it all, indoctrination takes time! So, instead of strengthening families which will surely draw your children away from me, I would like to lengthen the time I hold them as a captive audience. You know . . . stretch out the school day, shorten the summer, and maybe even make them attend Saturday sessions. Families are overrated anyway. It’s the village that counts. I heard that somewhere . . . oh yeah, and did I mention I’m the village chief!

There will of course be plenty of egg-headed apologists supporting Obama’s idea of expanding public school. They will cite a study here or there that indicates improvements in standardized math test scores in various pilot programs where the school day was lengthened. They will also try to spook you into supporting this initiative by citing how other countries are outpacing us in math and science, which is perfectly true. But, what they won’t tell you is that the American public school day is filled with extraneous crap that doesn’t fall anywhere near the traditional disciplines of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Crap takes time and effort from faculty and students, time and effort that would be better spent on improving the basics: reading, writing, and arithmetic.

Crap, though, is in the eye of the beholder, isn’t it? It may be crap to a conservative like me, but it’s pure gold to leftists like Obama. The extraneous crap that hinders the competiveness of American public school children is the Kool Aide of leftist indoctrination. Examples of this abound and some even make headlines (thanks to Fox News) like the NJ elementary school children recently videotaped singing the accolades of Obama . . .

“Black and white, all are equal in his sight . . . hooray Obama!” “Isn’t he just dreamy kids? By the way children, there is a correct answer to that question!”

Then there’s the transvestite pro-gay video being shown to public grade school children in the San Francisco area.

All in all, a successful socialist revolution requires indoctrination of the youth. But, let’s not call it “indoctrination.” That’s just too severe. Let’s call it “Multi-cultural education” and fuel it under the guise of the uber-value tolerance. That’s the ticket! And, if you don’t like it (and therefore submit your children to it), then you’re a racist, progress-hating, woman oppressing, homophobic, gun clinging, Bible thumping . . . wait for it . . . Republican!

Barack Obama has already gotten away with his more gentile form of purges (as opposed to the more severe Soviet version). He is truly the master of the realm under the bus. Now however, he’s got designs on being the master in the bus too and if your kid or grandchild or niece or nephew or cousin is attending public school, then he’s aboard Obama’s magic school bus.

So what did junior learn in school today? Whatever it is, it’s not likely going to make him competitive against that Chinese student half a world away, but it may just incline him to favor the kind of changes Obama has in mind.

I recently read a National Review (NR) article written by the eminently estimable Wesley J. Smith, writer of the book, “The Culture of Death.” In the NR piece (titled, “A Myth is as Good as a Mile: Why the assisted suicide movement is winning”), Smith went into detail about the insidious mindset of physician assisted suicide. If I had to describe Smith’s theme on a template no bigger than the slip of paper that fits within a fortune cookie, then I’d describe it thusly:

The gentrification of the culture of death

What do I mean by that? Allow me to explain using an image. Akin to the well known cover of Jonah Goldberg’s book, “Liberal Fascism,” which featured a prototypical yellow smiley face with a hastily scribbled Hitler mustache, the gentrification of the culture of death is much like a cleaned up grim reaper. Instead of the legendary image of a faceless or skeletal ghoul shrouded in a black cape and carrying a wickedly sharp sickle, picture instead a dapper gentleman, perhaps middle aged, with tastefully proportioned salt and pepper hair. His clothing is smart and hovers somewhere in the no man’s land between business casual and formal attire. Death has traded in his sickle for a clipboard and the only vestige of his old, standard outfit is his black cape, no longer worn, but simply draped over one shoulder in a debonair manner. The frightening visage of death has been wonderfully transformed into a professorial, doctor-like image befitting a trusted, patriarchal figure on any afternoon soap opera. The image I just described is the gentrification of death.

Smith, in his NR article, uncovers the strategy of the right to die movement (the folks spearheading physician assisted suicide). He shows how fringe groups like the Hemlock Society have been remade . . . gentrified . . . into groups like “Compassion & Choices.” Instead of a public image tainted by the likes of demonic creeps like Jack Kavorkian, the new image is bright, shiny, and full of hope (however ironic that is) and compassion. Better yet, the movement is winning over allies in liberal high society. Debutantes and moneyed gentlemen alike are eagerly jumping on board the cause with both time and cash.

Perhaps the assisted suicide movement has taken a queue from a sister movement closely aligned in spirit? The abortion industry has strived mightily to gentrify itself, despite setbacks every now and then whenever their ‘procedures’ are made more transparent in the public eye due to un-anticipated events like the shooting death of late term abortionist, George Tiller. Here, once again, death has been remade, transforming a grim reaper into a compassionate, feminist advocate whose only concern is for your sexual health and your personal liberation.

Death is a specter who has reared his head throughout the history of man and at that, from the very beginning of man’s history. The Bible tells us that death is a wage of sin . . . man’s sin. And, we have an ancient predilection for just the kind of sin that brings death, whether it is the gentrified version or the old fashioned grim reaper. That sin is pride and it drives us to attempt to elevate ourselves into gods, rather than the creatures we are. The attempt repeats itself in every generation from the time of Adam and the results are always the same: failure and death. If we cannot even will our own hearts to beat, how can we ever believe ourselves gods?

That awful ancient sin . . . pride and its concomitant god complex . . . which has reaped so many dividends of suffering in man, is captured almost cartoonishly in a slogan hollered by a popular former governor of Washington State, Booth Gardner. While campaigning for physician assisted suicide, he would be known to chant, “My life! My Death! My Control!” (Emphasis in italicized bolding is mine). Booth Gardner’s chant is reminiscent of Satan’s promise in the Garden of Eden: “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:5).” It was a lie way back then and it’s still a lie to this very day, this very hour, this very second.

Death is the sum certain byproduct of sinful pride . . . the more prideful god-aspiring we do, the more suffering we bring. Death, gentrified or not, is still and will always be the horrid consequence of our own starry eyed making. Physician assisted suicide groups like “Compassion & Choices” are simply a modern day incarnation of man’s old nemesis, Satan, and although the incarnation is different, the message is precisely the same . . . so too are the consequences.