Life / Religion / Philosophy / Science / Polictics

Author: Paul Orman

  • Is The Generation Gap Part Of Satans Plan?

    One of the more amusing concepts to me when speaking with younger individuals is the idea of ‘you don’t know me’. It’s the idea that I can’t possibly understand someone if I haven’t walked a mile in their shoes. Given the definitions that we want to apply to these scenarios within our lives it is a wonder that anyone knows anyone at all. Of equal wonder to me is that the (so called) ‘Generation Gap‘ is a one way street. I never hear parents talking in terms of their children ‘not getting them‘. It is always the younger generation that feels misunderstood, unappreciated, or pressured beyond what anyone has ever faced before in history.

    Some of these scenarios have been greatly discussed within society. The idea that my generation did not go through World War II, and therefore did not experience the hardships and struggles that my parents and grandparents did. Or the idea that we did not live through the Great Depression and thus do not know true hardship in life. We always talk in terms of our own experiences and allow the idea that those that did not walk the path with us are out in the cold and alienated. It is the idea of ‘you don’t know me‘. It is the (once again, so called) ‘Generation Gap‘.

    My biggest problem with the ‘Generation Gap‘ is it invalidates Scripture. The very idea of a ‘Generation Gap‘ is an attack on God’s Holy Word. I would like to ask all the younger generations out there (for me that would be (Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, or Snowflakes – at least according to this chart) a few questions. Especially if you were raised in the Church or have a Judeo Christian background.

    If you are a Gen X, Millennial, Gen Z, Snowflake – Have you ever been driven from the Garden of Eden because of your sin? Have you ever had to spend a night in a lions den? Have you ever spent 40 days and 40 nights drifting on a raging sea? Have you ever faced a giant named Goliath? Have you ever spent 40 years wandering in the desert? Have you ever been thrown into a fiery furnace because you refused to bow down to a golden idol? Have you ever spent 3 days in the belly of a great fish?

    Because if you have not, then I ask you How in the world do you know Adam & Eve? How can you identify with Daniel? How can you possibly know what Noah and his family went through? How can you identify with King David? How do you know what the people of Israel went through? How can you possibly learn a lesson from Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Or what is the significance of Jonah to you? There is a huge ‘Generation Gap‘ between the stories of the Bible and all of us today. Are we to say they have no relevance?

    And I have another question for you – Do you think Adam & Eve, Daniel, Noah, King David, the people of Israel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, or Jonah know you? Do you think that Adam & Eve could possibly understand what your generation is going through or is facing in life today?

    Herein lies Satan’s lie. If I can’t understand you, then you don’t want to listen to me. Why would anyone listen to someone who doesn’t get them. Someone who is alienated from them, or someone who just doesn’t have the understanding of having walked a mile in their shoes? And if you make your generation out to be so unique, so special, so alone in the world, then you actually alienate yourselves from all of the wisdom God has to offer you.

    Here is the other side of the coin to Satan’s ‘Generation Gap‘ lie. Each generation reads the stories in the Bible and they think they have understanding. They hear the stories of World War II and believe they have learned from history, they believe that they understand all that has gone before them, but that all that has gone before them cannot understand them. And in their great wisdom, they don’t even see the irony in that.

    I have friends within younger generations that believe in their hearts that they know God, they know the stories of the Bible, and they know history better than I know it myself (much better in most cases). And it breaks my heart that they are wondering in darkness and and are blinded to the fact that there is no light in their life. It also breaks my heart that they have no understanding of the understanding I have of them.

    My understanding of the world, and thus all the generations that have inhabited the earth, comes from God. My understanding and my wisdom begins with the Lord. And where it does not, it is not understanding or wisdom. I seek to see through God’s eyes. For His eyes see all, and He knows all, even you who think you are not understood.

    And I understand that these Biblical stories are not just stories to inform me of days gone by. They are not for my entertainment or so that I can weave them into a nursery rhymes for those younger than myself. Those stories are life lessons. They are a guide. Not to tell me of the heroics of others, but to show me what Faith, and Strength, and Love, and Hope are made of.

    You see, once you’ve spent a night in the lions den, once you’ve lived 40 days and 40 nights on a raging sea, once you’ve walked into the fiery furnace, once you’ve faced a giant named Goliath … that is when you know that God is Faithful, that is when you know that God is Love, that is when you know that God brings hope into a hopeless world.

    I embrace the lion’s den, and the raging seas, and staring down Goliath in my life. And I pray that God would show me His Glory, not for my sake, but for His Honor. And unless I can pass that on to those that come after me, then how are others to see Christ in me? And that cannot happen with Satan’s lie of the ‘Generation Gap‘. Consider it.

  • Can You Be A Christian And … ?

    My last post, unsurprisingly, generated some questions. Which is great because it exposes me to different world views. But they also alerted me to the fact that perhaps my real point was misinterpreted, particularly by the younger generations. So I’d like to address a couple of questions here that were thrown my way in the hope of being a little clearer and to take the opportunity to expound a little bit on my own world views.

    The first thing people usually take issue with or question is generalities and absolutes. These mostly come from younger generations, but older people sometimes take offense at them as well. As a simple example someone might say “Do you have any proof that all have sinned?”. Or someone might just say “You can’t say all.” But of course I can (and did – and do). Whether you find truth in it or agree with it is up to you, not me. As proof I could simply ask the world the question “Can anyone who has never committed a single sin please speak up?” Because I’d like to have a conversation with you. But I don’t have to generate any proof (really) because God said it (in His word), I believe it, and that’s that. It is an absolute.

    The real tragedy here is that we’ve taught people you can no longer speak in absolutes. Of course you can. The Bible speaks in absolutes all the time. And it starts in Genesis Chapter 1. For the sake of brevity I’ll need to break this into a couple of posts, but allow me to point out one Biblical absolute in great controversy within our discussions today.

    Genesis 1:27 says “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” KJV

    That is an absolute. God created male and female. Not males that were cheated and belonged in a female body or females that were cheated and feel like they belong in a male body. You were created (made) a male or a female. You may feel like you are something else, but that is your choice. And your choice does not negate God’s creation or how he made you. And it doesn’t matter how many surgeries you have or hormone treatments you’ve had or whatever else you’ve done. You were either born a male or a female. That is God’s design. Even in cases of genetic mutations which are simply a result of sin in the world. Sin does have consequences in the world but God’s plan is still absolute.

    So the Bible talks in absolutes and so can we. We may not like absolutes because it seems to exclude those that don’t want to be included in the absolute, however it does not change the fact of the absolute. The only thing that changes is our position relative to the absolute. My position is to accept the absolute.

    And yes, sometimes I extrapolate those absolutes. Because there are divisions in the world. I acknowledge the grey areas, but encourage people to not be lukewarm. Pick a side and stand by it.

    Which brings me to the second question people ask “Can’t Christians be Democrats?” Well obviously they can. Can a Christian be a murder? Sure they can. But is that in violation of God’s law? I believe it is. Is that a problem? We all know it is. But a Christian should be on a journey to placing Christ foremost in their life. And that does not mean perfection. It means walking closer and closer to Jesus each and every day. It means acknowledging His preeminence and not your own. And I would argue that it means not calling out all the sins of others in the world but being a little more concerned with your own. I’m not here to condemn the murders in the world. I’m simply echoing God’s word which says murder is sin. And your sin is between yourself and God. I’m right there with you as my own sins are great and I am the least of God’s servants. And neither does this mean that there are not consequences to sin. There are. And I have to deal with mine, and I’ll let you deal with yours.

    So can a Christian be a member of the Democrat Party in the USA? Well of course they can. But I choose the Republican platform because it most closely aligns with what I find to be important in light of what aligns with my world view and Biblical understanding. Is it perfect? No. Of course not. But it is the best choice I can make. The weight of the evidence for me is who protects human life and who does not. The Democrat Party Platform does not protect human life. It seeks to murder unborn innocent children:

    Securing Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice

    Democrats are committed to protecting and advancing reproductive health, rights, and justice. We believe unequivocally, like the majority of Americans, that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. We will repeal the Title X domestic gag rule and restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides vital preventive and reproductive health care for millions of people, especially low-income people, and people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, including in underserved areas.

    You may argue about all the other things the Democrat Party has planned, but will it really matter killing our children at the alarming rates we do? And are you willing to compromise a stance on murder for all of your other beliefs and ideals? Because by aligning yourself with the Democrat Party that is exactly what you are doing. You are providing them numbers, credence , an a louder voice.

    I wasn’t saying that you cannot be a Christian and belong to the Democrat Party in my last post. I was saying if your are a Christian I’m sure you value life as the very gift from God, and that is greatly at odds with the Democrat Party Platform. And I just asked that you think about that.

  • Did Joe Biden Fail On Day One?

    MediaIte reports that Georgia voters are rather miffed at Joe Biden after ensuring he had the votes to carry the state. Their problem with Liberal Joe? Well they feel cheated on the next round of COVID-19 stimulus checks (story here). Seems that some Georgia voters were expecting a full $2,000.00 USD and not the $1,400.00 now being discussed.

    In all fairness, as is pointed out in numerous comments to the article, Joe probably just meant that an extra stimulus was coming in addition to the already $600.00 USD checks passed out to add up to a full $2,000.00. But that is the problem with Liberal Joe, you can never be quite sure because he never says what he means and he never means what he says. As with all Liberals, the Truth is somewhat relative.

    We will have to wait and see however if Georgia voters receive any extra stimulus money at all. Newsweek reports Republican resistance to the bill in an article here, while CNBC reports the challenges faced in an article here. If you don’t believe that elections have consequences, consider that the previous Presidential Administration kept their promises while the current Administration may have made promises they can’t keep And if you don’t think the Georgia voters have grounds to be just a little bit upset, consider this article from COMPLEX that quotes Liberal Joe as saying: “If you send Jon and the Reverend to Washington, those $2,000 checks will go out the door, restoring hope and decency and honor for so many people who are struggling right now,” Biden told the crowd outside Georgia State University. “And if you send (Perdue and Loeffler back to Washington, those checks will never get there. It’s just that simple. The power is literally in your hands.” before the election. Hmmmm, “those $2,000 checks will go out the door“, I believe I can see where Georgia voters feel like a little bait-and-switch is going on.

    But did Joe Biden fail on day one? Regardless of whether or not Georgia voters were betrayed or not (or even end up being betrayed, there is still plenty of time for Congress to change those $1,400.00 USD checks to $2,000.00 USD checks) there are many different ways you can measure success or failure of the new Administration’s first day in office,

    Even if he didn’t fail on day one, I can assure you there are huge fails to come. And one of the biggest, if not the biggest, is going to be his stance on Abortion as found in this article from National Review. The article also mentions changes to the countries immigration policies. Which I can understand. Liberals are driven by their desire to control others lives. To be in charge. To wield power and authority over everyone else around them. And their lust for this power is insatiable. Therefore winning (or stealing, as the case may be) an election is nowhere near enough for them. They need more. And so opening up the borders is a natural step to them. Liberals hold no regard for the fact this act is treasonous in and of itself. Neither do they appreciate the irony in the action of giving a free pass to our adversaries to simply walk into our country and conquer us from within. So the open border policy is understandable to me. It is simply Liberal Joe growing the Liberal base of the country.

    A little harder one for me is the abortion issue. I guess I just fail to comprehend a culture that much in love with death. So in love with it as a matter of fact, they are willing to spend our money in other countries in order to propagate it. Democrats are completely consumed by killing and death. They just can’t seem to get enough of it. So much so that they won’t even acknowledge that a third trimester abortion is reprehensible. They argue for and protect the killing of innocent unborn children up until the very moment of birth (and they are fighting hard to go beyond that).

    Nazi Germany was into killing a class of people during World War II. The Jewish people. They attacked and murdered them with a vengeance. And we were (and are) horrified by those actions. But that culture of death lives on in the Democrat Party today. You might say they’ve advanced. By switching tactics and killing unborn children in the mother’s womb, they’ve managed to become equal opportunity murders targeting all people equally. They’ve done particularly well with the Black/African American community. Abortion statistics place African American abortions at 61% of all abortions in America. My question to all my fellow African American citizens is: Why do you not realize you are enslaved to the Democrats? Their policies are not designed to make you free.

    I’m not sure if Joe Biden realizes it or not (my guess is not), but one day he will stand before the Creator of the Universe, the Great I AM, Jehovah God. And on that day there will be a reckoning of Liberal Joe’s life. And I hope I’m close enough to hear his answer to the question “Why did you murder millions upon millions of My unborn creation?” And I can definitely believe that God will ask that question. Liberal Joe has done nothing in his unremarkable life to protect the unborn. In fact he has done everything in his power to enable the killing of more and more unborn children all over the world. Just as Nazi Germany did everything in their power to kill innocent Jews, the Democrats do everything in their power to kill innocent unborn children. And Adolph Hitler did not need to turn the valves to the gas chambers in order to have the blood of millions of Jews on his hands, likewise Joe Biden need not apply the suction to pregnant mothers ripping their unborn child from them in order to have their blood on his hands.

    If you are a registered Democrat, I sincerely hope you will consider the fact that you are facilitating the Party of Death. Joe Biden’s biggest fail? Failing to protect God’s innocent creation the unborn children.

    LRPSP is still looking for a person of Artistic Talent to create and share caricatures and cartoons with the world through illustrations of articles here on this site. If you are an artist who can draw/create cartoon illustrations and caricatures, and would like to be involved with this site, please Email me at: peorman@lrpsp.com.

  • Is America At War?

    Why was Jesus Christ crucified on the cross? And yes, I know, because He is the Son of God and He gave up His life at the will of the Father in order to pay for the sins of the world that you and I might be saved. But what reason was put forth at His sham of a trial? And yes, He threatened the power base of the religious rulers of the day. But what was the crime he was charged with? Essentially it was heresy, was it not? His claim before the religious rulers of the day to be the Son of God and the fulfillment of the prophecies of the magi that came before Herod seeking “he that is born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:1-3). Notice that all of Jerusalem was troubled along with Herod. It was troubling times. And this is born out in the written charge that was placed over his head on the cross:

    37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews. (Matthew 27:37)

    So essentially Jesus was crucified for his speech. His teachings. What he claimed. You might even come to believe he was charged with civil unrest and inciting riots if you study hard enough. He wasn’t charged with performing miracles. That would not have been looked upon very favorably by the masses. What He was charged with was performing those miracles on the sabbath. Heresy. And then His answers to the religious rulers when questioned about it. If you boil it all down, Jesus was charged with walking around the country and talking to people.

    And I want us to ponder that. Consider the fact that Jesus was doing nothing but exercising free speech. He was talking about ideas. Ideas we know some of the people scoffed at and ridiculed while others embraced and sought to learn more. But Jesus never forced anyone to accept His ideas. Or even to listen. He just exercised free speech. It was the religious rulers that practiced censorship. It was the religious rulers that demanded their ideas be listened to above all else.

    And why is that? Well I have a theory about that. We know that the word of God produces results and will not return unto Him void (Isaiah 55:11). And if you consider that Satan is also aware of that fact, then it is not that big a leap to believe that Satan will do everything in his power to diminish free speech. In other words, Satan desires to control all speech. He doesn’t want the Word of the Lord to be spoken. He knows that would produce fruit for God. So he does everything in his power to censor, to quell, and to control speech. Satan wants his message to be on the tongues of men, not God’s message.

    And it is not like we have not seen free speech controlled throughout the world and throughout all of history. It is always a battle for the message and the control of ideas. It is always a fight over free speech. Who can put forth an idea and who cannot. Countries like China and Iran go to great lengths, even putting people to death, to control speech. But here in the United States of America, we cherish the First Amendment to our Constitution. Prohibiting Government from interfering in our right and ability to free speech in any way, shape or form. But what happens when we do it to ourselves? What happens when we the people begin to limit and control the free speech of others? When I try and control your speech and you try and control mine, then we are at odds. Because I no longer agree to hear your ideas and you no longer agree to hear mine. And that is when the Nation dies. It can no longer thrive and flourish because it is under the control of tyranny and oppression.

    And that is happening within the United States of America today. Those in control, and those in power, are using their positions of power and control to censor and direct the message of free speech. Just like the religious rulers did with Jesus. And trust me, they are out to crucify.

    Companies (monopolies I might say) like Apple, Google, Twitter, and Amazon (along with others like Simon & Schuster, and FaceBook) are using their positions of power and control to ensure that only their versions of truth are presented and all others are heresy. Where is this happening you ask? Well for one example they are using it to control the narrative of Parler, a company dependent upon their infrastructure for business. In other instances they are blocking posts, tweets, and blogs of those they do not agree with. The war against Parler may be found in numerous news articles here.

    And meanwhile our Government leaders, such as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, are engaged in an all out war, essentially over free speech and the exchange of ideas. Ms. Pelosi is even seeking a second impeachment of President Donald Trump (story here). Why? Because she doesn’t like a few tweets. Nancy Pelosi is the most vile, heartless, vengeful, hateful, and controlling Speaker of the House to ever sit in the chair. And I am careful with my words. Any reasonable person would realize that Donald Trump has barely 10 days left in office and would turn their attention to the affairs of the next administration. But Nancy Pelosi does not have the grace for that. She is driven to put the final stake through Donald Trump’s heart because of her sheer hatred and her vengeful drives. And that is both heartless and vile.

    So is the United States of America at War? I believe so. We are not engaged in a physical civil war with guns and bullets and swords, but we are engaged in a war over free speech, the arena of ideas, and who is to control the thoughts of others. And that is because of the age old war of Satan trying to control the Word of God. Think about it.

  • LRPSP Changes For The New Year

    I’ve been impressed to make a few changes to my blog site for the new year. If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog you’ve been used to controlled content, by me. That is going to change somewhat. Hopefully for the better.

    The first change which is effective right now is I’ve relaxed the rules for commenting on posts. All new subscribers to the site are now able to comment immediately. And all previous subscribers have had their user permissions adjusted so they may comment to any post now.

    Hopefully this change will not drive readers away. As with any other blog site you may choose to view and read the comments or not. The intent is to actually drive up readership by allowing people to interact more freely.

    Rest assured there are still rules. My hard earned dollars still pay to keep this site up and I still have some boundaries, not many, but some. So if you can’t say something without invoking one (or more) of George Carlin’s seven words you can’t say on TV (7 dirty words) and maybe a few variants of my own, then your comments will be censored. So if you want to be heard (or I guess read is more appropriate here) then please refrain from what most of us consider unnecessary language. You may post a link in your comments to other sites. But once again, there are rules. Hopefully the guidelines are clear, this is a Family Friendly site and it will remain that way. One of my goals here has always been to reach young people and will not tolerate content that might jeopardize that.

    The second change for the new year is I am considering posting a lot more political satire. This is not too much of a deviation from my posts the last 6 years or so. Politics has always been one of the areas I’ve been concerned with. If you don’t think Jesus dealt with the politics of the times, go back and reread the Gospels. The political thinking in the world is important to our freedoms and our ability to influence others. And given some of the political shifts in the United States, especially in younger generations, I have a greater interest in these areas. What is different here is I’d like to get into political satire in order to illustrate points. So that is the real change I am making.

    And with this change comes an opportunity. I am looking for someone with artistic talents that can draw sketches and caricatures. So if you’ve ever dreamed of being a cartoonist, especially a political cartoonist, then here’s your opportunity.

    And it’s a great deal as well. It pays absolutely nothing (at least for now). I may add advertisements to the site at some point in the future, but for now it is what I can afford. Which is my thanks. Your work will be licensed to the site (LRPSP) which means it will only be published by me here and nowhere else. You may choose to be anonymous if you wish, otherwise you will receive full credit for your work. I am looking for someone to make somewhat of a commitment though. I usually target a couple of posts a month. Not of all of those will contain artwork, but a fair number of them will. So please be prepared to submit your illustrations about 12 times a year.

    If you think you might be interested in becoming the official illustrator of LRPSP please Email me at: peorman@lrpsp.com and we’ll work out the details.

    As always I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules to read my blog. Hopefully we together can make a difference in the world today. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Thanks for reading.

    NOTE: My BLOG site was having some Email issues that may have prevented the given address <peorman@lrpsp.com> from working. These issues are believed to be resolved and the Email should be working again shortly. If you tried to contact me and received an error, please try again. Thank you.

  • Do You Feel Threatened?

    Did you see this? A member of the Michigan House of Representatives, Cynthia A. Johnson, made some remarks last week that included a warning to all “Trumpers”, by which one may only assume she means those who supported President Donald J. Trump during the recent US Presidential Election, that many are considering a threat from a Government official to the citizens of the country.

    I’m not sure how you feel about this, but I have a few thoughts of my own I’d like to share with Ms. Johnson if I may.

    Ms. Johnson, I am not sure if your tone or words are exactly the best choice to use to get your message across. But I am certainly empathetic. Numerous times in my life I have been counseled about my tone and my words to others. We all struggle with this and I assure you, you will find no condemnation here. At least not from this Trumper (President Trump Supporter).

    Instead, let me just say I am confused by your apparent life choices. When it comes to hateful or condemning rhetoric, it has been my observation that the Democrat Party has been a clear leader in ensuring they have the loudest voice. I’d invite you to consider a kinder, gentler tone generally espoused by the Republican Party.

    But in order for you to actually make that leap and move over to our side of the house, you will need to shake loose the shackles the Democrat Party imposes and you (apparently) willingly subjugate yourself to. Remember this totally racist statement by Joe Biden?

    Perhaps you are not familiar with American History, but it was the largely Democrat South that championed and fought for slavery of African Americans . It was the Republican Abraham Lincoln that championed and fought for their freedom. I’m not sure if you see the irony in all of this. Joe Biden represents the Political Party that largely made up the group fighting to keep African Americans in chains while Donald Trump represents the Political Party that mostly made up the group that freed African Americans from chains. If we could go back in time to the 1860’s here in America, we would most likely find Joe Biden still clinging to the Democrat Party and fighting on the side of the Confederate States. The Democrat Party has always been the party of slavery and repression and has voted and championed slavery for decades. Have you not heard of inner city project housing, largely championed by Democrat policies and leadership, referred to as the new plantations? Of course I am not saying that both the Republican Party and the Democrat party (and all other Political Parties) don’t have individuals who support both good and bad causes, but history has clearly shown that the Democrat Party has continuously elected leaders that champion the wrong causes. So Ms. Johnson, I humbly invite you to consider joining the Republican cause of freedom for all people everywhere. Leave behind the chains of the Democrat party and lets set more people free.

    I’d also like to remind you of this horrific racist comment made by Joe Biden:

    I suppose a number of individuals retained their blackness and heeded the mandate proclaimed by the master Joe Biden. But just let me say that for this Trump Supporter (and I believe a large majority of the individuals the make up the Republican Party), I celebrate your heritage, and your culture, and your people group, by your side and along with you. I celebrate you for who you are, not for who you vote for. And I assure you, you retain your cultural and ancestral heritage regardless of who you vote for or support. But I also assure you that if leaders of the Republican Party ever started making such bigoted, hateful, and racially charged statements such as this one made by Joe Biden, I’d immediately become an Independent. Why don’t you consider the party that kindly asks for your vote and support, the Republican Party, instead of the one that demands it and tells you the way things have to be.

    Ms. Johnson, I’d also like you to consider so many other aspects of your life choices. Such as the Democrat Party’s total devotion and unapologetic protection of abortion up until birth of the child. I’d like you to remember Margaret Sanger, who helped found the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the largest provider of abortions in America today. And I’d like you to consider the cost of those abortions to the African American community. These institutions grew out of racism, bigotry, and hate. And they have been specifically used to target the African American communities and other communities of color. I invite you to join the Republican Party cause of protecting life for all. Come over to the Party of love, life, liberty, and freedom for all people. And leave behind the Party of death, bigotry, hatred, and the long history of slavery.

    Ms. Johnson, you said you have a warning to “Trumpers”. But I’d like to remind you that the people you are warning, largely make up the groups that stand between yourself and the policies and practices of communism, dictators, and those who would do you harm. The individuals who you are issuing your warning to are the individuals fighting for your freedoms, working to make your life better, and who gladly make the sacrifices every single day so that you may live your life in peace and comfort. The Republican Party champions our Military, our Police, and the American worker. The Democrat Party has long forgotten that under John F. Kennedy, they had a military budget that dwarfed all other domestic spending. Today the Democrat Party finds it much more important to funnel money to our adversaries, support Green New Deals, and ensure that as many African American babies as possible are aborted every year. Ms. Johnson, I invite you to consider the Political Party that protects your freedoms, seeks to improve your way of life, and offers you peace and prosperity. Why don’t you leave behind the Political Party that seeks to take all of that away from you?

    Finally Ms. Johnson, I’d just like to say that this Donald Trump supporter will not bow down. There were once three men who refused the commandment of the Government over them. You may read their story here: Daniel 3:12-28. Just because you mandate that “Trumpers” should comply, does not mean we should or even could comply. And as long as I have breath I will continue to champion the cause of freedom. So Ms. Johnson, I’d invite you to consider the freedom of religion that this great Nation affords. And I’d invite you to consider the freedom found in becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. Join us. Not in calling for others to bow down, but in securing the freedoms of those forced to bow down. And we secure those freedoms by standing for what is right, and just, and holy. Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did some 4,000 years ago. Think about it.

  • Have You Voted On An ElectroniC Voting Machine?

    Have you ever voted using an electronic machine? Did you vote in the last US Presidential Election using an electronic voting machine?

    If you have, what assurances do you have that your vote was counted as cast?

    Whether Republican or Democrat, Libertarian or Green Party, or even if you just voted with a write in, you should be concerned with the integrity of elections, And if you voted on an electronic machine you should be very concerned as to how that machine is processing your vote.

    In the recent US Presidential Elections at least 28 US States certified and used Dominion Voting Machines. There has been a lot in the news about these machines, their use, and their integrity within the voting system. And I believe a public debate on the subject is worthwhile and especially timely.

    Today I’d like to share some of my thoughts concerning that debate and hopefully further the discussion on what should be expected as we move forward.

    First of all it is my assertion that any voting system should be developed, maintained, and deployed by the country conducting the election. Countries around the world consistently and continually seek to influence the governments of other countries to include their election systems and how they place people in positions of leadership and power. This includes the United States of America and every other developed nation in the world. Countries always look out after their best interests and having like minded allies or world partners willing to work with them toward common goals is always sought after. And this influence extends to countries that choose their leadership via a public voting mechanism. It only stands to reason that at some point countries will try and manipulate the voting mechanism as well if they are given the opportunity. If a voting system is developed outside of the country using that system it is much more suspect and control is lost. Dominion Voting Systems states they are a private US owned entity that started in Canada on their WEB site. They also state their systems are used by several countries. However, in my opinion it would be much more palatable to have a not for profit entity that published its architecture and code.

    Secondly, what the voting machine itself does is important as to how it should be treated or trusted. By this I mean that there are different stages to a voting process that should not be combined into a single step or handled by a single machine in order to maintain the integrity of the election. Think about how elections are generally conducted. Candidates for an office usually have to file with an Agency that they intend to run in a particular election. Those candidates that meet the criteria for that election then campaign against their opponents in order to sway public opinion and gain their votes. At election time, qualified voters need to be vetted and authorized to vote in the election. This usually occurs through a voter registration system. On Election Day, the voters are then verified against the voter registration as they cast their vote. This system is intended to verify that a voter only casts one vote in the election and that unqualified votes are not cast. The voter then has to vote through some mechanism. Either by marking a paper ballot, punching a card, or even selecting an option on an electronic machine. The cast votes then need to be counted and tabulated. The results then need to be certified and reported. All of these steps are checks and balances within the system and should not be combined. For example, if an electronic machine is used to record the voters intended vote, that same machine should not be the mechanism whereby those votes are counted. And throughout the process you should have total transparency and verification of the actual intent. Meaning that the voter should have every confidence that their vote is treated and counted exactly as they cast it.

    Thirdly, the mechanisms used at each step should be repeatable and produce the exact same set of results each and every time. Think of the process of the voter casting a vote. If paper ballots are used, those paper ballots should have a strict chain of custody and we should be able to count those ballots repeatedly with the exact same results each and every time. The protections within the system should never allow for ballots to be added in or taken away from the set of actual qualified votes that were cast. We should be able to preserve the integrity of the election to the point that even years later, if one were to count the ballots, the same results would be returned as they were on election day.

    Lastly, the machines used at varying stages within the process should not be alterable in any form. By this I mean they should definitely not be programable or accessed by any outside means (such as a network, digital media, or any device meant to enter data into the machine for the purpose of altering its intended behavior). Think of a basic desktop calculator (such as this model). Desktop calculators are generally hardcoded machines. Meaning that you should always be able to enter 2 + 2 and get the answer 4. And the machines are such that no one should be able to access that unit once its been manufactured and alter it in such a manner as to cause a different operation (such as causing 2 + 2 to return the answer 48). Any electronic (or electromechanical) machine used within the voting system should operate in exactly the same manner as the desktop calculator. It should be unalterable at the point of manufacture, and it should produce the exact same results for an operation each and every time, and it should be easily verifiable for correct operation.

    These machines should be open architecture. Meaning there should be no proprietary components or software contained within them. One of the biggest problems with Dominion Voting Systems is their claim that they need to protect company proprietary information. That is all any authority needs to know to immediately disqualify their systems. Any electronic or electromechanical system used within the voting process should have all schematics publicly posted and any code (to include firmware) publicly posted. Any registered voter should have complete access to this information and the machines should be easily verifiable as deployed.

    Dominion Voting Systems violate so many of these rules as to make them totally untrustworthy and they should not be used within the US electoral system. It is my hope that enough of a public outcry will be generated as to force those who oversee the election process in our country to stop using these systems and to secure our election process for future generations.

  • Who DID America Vote For?

    The United States of America Elections are over and Americans believe they know who they voted for and that their vote counted. But do they really?

    I have voted in 10 US Presidential elections. I remember the previous 3 US Presidents prior to my first vote. And while there have certainly been jokes and allegations and even some embarrassing moments concerning US voter fraud in the past, I do not ever recall an election with this level of unanswered allegations or this level of divisiveness.

    To be clear, there have almost always been anomalies. The old joke that ‘dead people can vote in Chicago‘ is not just some comedian being funny. People that have been proven to be deceased have been found to have cast votes on multiple occasions (across multiple election cycles) in Chicago, Illinois. And this Presidential election certainly did not break that cycle. I suspect that some form of this has occurred back to our earliest elections. People are, after all, people. And human beings are prone to sin. And humans will get away with whatever they can get away with. Which reminds me of J.C. Watts, a former Congressman from Oklahoma who said that his grandmother told him that ‘character was doing the right thing when you were alone in the woods‘ (I loosely paraphrase). The point is that people are prone to get away with anything and everything they can, especially when they are unseen, and our election process is not immune from that.

    But while dead people voting does, and has, swayed elections locally, no one has been able to prove that it has made that great an impact on a National scale. Not that I’m in favor of just ignoring dead people voting, I’m not. I believe we should have enforceable laws with very strict penalties to compel States and local jurisdictions to accurately scrub their voting rosters and to rigorously protect voter integrity.

    And this extends to legal voters as well. Non citizens of the United States of America do not get to vote here. Whether here legally or illegally. When I’m allowed to vote or have a significant say in the political process of whatever country people come from, then perhaps the United States could consider having people of those countries vote here. But that does not happen today. So whether you came here seeking asylum, a better way of life, to go to school, or just to be with family that already lives here, apply for citizenship, obtain it, and then you can vote. The same thing applies to underage voting. As far as I’m concerned, if you are old enough to legally be out from under your parents care you are old enough to vote. I believe we’ve established this age as 18 years old in this country. I’m also good with establishing the voter age as the legal drinking (alcohol) age. Which in some jurisdictions is still 21 years of age. But the important thing here is protecting the integrity of the legal voter against all of the voting criteria. Citizenship, age, legal residence, etc. should all be held to the highest level of verification during all National level elections.

    However, unverified voters was only a fraction of the problem during this election. The integrity of a vote cast is also greatly in doubt.

    First of all, mail-in ballots are about the worst idea anyone could ever possibly come up with. There is no (none, nada, zero) chain-of-custody with a mail-in ballot. If you want to vote in this country, you should be required to show up in person and to physically cast your vote on premise after having duly shown that you are a citizen who meets all the criteria to vote. Mail-in ballots are an easy mark for fraud and have been shown to meet that low bar in this past election. And we need go no further than the tens of thousands of mail-in ballots that were just suddenly found either hours, or in some cases a day or more, after the polls closed. I don’t need to even get to the counting methods of these ballots, whether or not their signatures were verified (by an expert), whether any of them were ‘lost in the mail‘, thrown away, forged, or whether or not the person who signed actually cast the vote. The mere fact that mail-in ballots in the tens of thousands were mishandled, discovered after the fact, or even if they were just delivered late, is unequivocally and undeniably reason for every single American voter to be disenfranchised.

    But secondly, in some cases, even those voters who were legal, who met the criteria, and who showed up in person, cannot ascertain with complete certainty that their vote counted as cast. This is because some jurisdictions used voting machines that were digitally based with loadable software. By that I mean that the machines operate off of some sort of integrated circuits designed to run program instructions that can be updated within the machine. This is a complete recipe for disaster and should tell all of us that we are disenfranchised voters. In my opinion any voting machine should not have loadable or alterable software of any type. And if a voting machine is used that has programmed instructions in it, those machines should have the code published and made available free of charge to the general public and the machine code should be open to examination prior to each and every election by any citizen eligible to vote. But the mere fact that some jurisdictions used voting machines of a highly questionable nature is all we need to know that American voters cannot be assured that their vote counted as cast during this election.

    Lastly we have the news media. And by news media I mean MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, FOX and just about any other outlet out there ‘telling us what is going on‘. Reporting these days almost borders on treason. When we shape elections through early and constant reporting, through ‘calling states‘ for one candidate or another before all due process, voters are disenfranchised. In my opinion, all reporting during an election should be suspended until after the election and the process has run its course. Hyping a candidate into office by crowd manipulation, while possible, is not exactly free and open elections.

    So who won the US Presidential Election? Most likely President Donald J. Trump legally acquired the most actual citizen votes to secure the Electoral College. However when all the dust settles and the air is clear, Joe Biden will most likely be sworn in as the next President of the United States.

    But before you lament the loss of your candidate, or celebrate the victory of your candidate, just remember that while we are certainly allowed to participate in the process, it is God who controls the process: Daniel 2:20-22 states that God removes kings and sets up kings. And he does this from the Throne of the King of Kings. And He is still in control.

  • Who Will America Vote For?

    Whether you are an American citizen or not, who America votes to put into power of the highest offices of our land affects the whole world. American politics reach far and wide and world governments of the entire earth watch our elections very carefully. And elections affect our country in a very substantial way as well.

    As I did four years ago, I’d like to share with you why I and my family are voting for Trump/Pence in just a few days:

    • #BlackLivesMatter – This is one of the most frustrating misconceptions to me out there. The Democrat party is the party of Racial Segregation, Slavery, Jim Crow Laws, and Division. The idea that the Democrat party suddenly became the party of inclusion sometime in the 1960’s is ridiculous. Trump/Pence have done more for African Americans in four years than the the Democrat party has done in its entire history. Trump/Pence is the ticket for African Americans in 2020.
    • #UnbornLivesMatter – The Democrat party relishes in the taking of innocent lives. They champion abortion on demand to include the very controversial 3rd trimester abortions. They even champion the taking of a life after the child has been born if the abortion procedure resulted in an actual birth. Trump/Pence have championed the lives of the unborn and cherish all life here in America and on earth.
    • #PoliceLivesMatter – The attack on Police forces across America has been unprecedented in American history. Police forces keep our neighborhoods safe and maintain the rule of law. Without them we are faced with anarchy and chaos. The Democrat party wants to destroy Police forces across America for one reason: eliminating them opens the door for a National Police force whereby they can take away freedoms and advance their socialist agenda.
    • #FemaleLivesMatter – Trump/Pence have done more for the women of this country than any of the previous Democrat administrations. More women employed. Higher wage growth for women. And greater protections for women dignity and rights. While the Democrat party talks of equality, their policies lead to loss of freedoms and misery for all.
    • #IsraeliLivesMatter – The Trump/Pence administration honored Israel by moving the American embassy to Jerusalem where it rightfully belongs. This one act has created a peace accord in the middle east for the first time in decades. It strengthens our alliance with Israel, our most important ally in the middle east, and makes the world a safer place. The Democrat party despises Israel because out of it Christianity was born and swept the world.
    • #AllLivesMatter – The Trump/Pence administration has expanded freedoms for all. Created the lowest unemployment in decades. Generated true wealth in America. Championed the freedom of all peoples around the word. With the Democrat party all lives do not matter. Socialism creates caste systems that trap entire generations in poverty and despair.
    • #PromisesKept – The Trump/Pence administration has kept more promises than the Democrat party has kept in all of fifty years. The Trump/Pence administration has a proven track record. Unlike the Democrat party that is full of empty promises and unfulfilled hopes. The Trump/Pence administration earned the American peoples trust and respect by being honest and true to their word.
    • #JudicialSecurity – The Trump/Pence administration has been open and honest with their Judicial appointments maintaining the balance of power in the country and refusing to legislate from the bench. They have not attempted to stack the courts or move forth their agenda through legislative actions when blocked through other means. The Democrat party on the other hand has done exactly the opposite. Creating new laws of the land through judicial action and limiting freedoms for all.
    • #SocialismIsBad -The Democrat party wants to practice socialism in America. Limiting religious freedoms. Devaluing human life. Destroying America as we know it by opening our borders and suppressing our freedoms. The Democrat party does not want to take away our 2nd Amendment rights to keep us safe. They want to take it away because it stands in the way of their socialistic agenda. The want to limit free speech. They want to take away life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Trump/Pence administration has fought to keep the American dream alive for all Americans and to spread it to the rest of the world.
    • #MilitaryLivesMatter – The Trump/Pence administration is for a strong America. They have have returned fighting forces home from foreign lands where appropriate. They have supported and used the US Military wisely and with a steady hand. The Democrat party is not for a safe America and have cut military budgets recklessly and without regard for the upheaval it has caused in the world. A strong American military means a safer world and greater peace. The Democrat party cannot have peace because it disrupts their socialist agenda.
    • #ReligiousFreedomMatters – The Democrat party wants to advance their socialistic agenda because our religious freedoms threaten them. They are not about our freedoms. They are about dictatorships and control. They crave power and oppressing others. The Trump/Pence administration has fought for Americans to worship in peace as they see fit and have championed religious freedom for all.
    • #TaxBurdensMatter – A lot of our freedoms are tied to what we can or cannot do with our wealth. The Trump/Pence administration has returned more money through tax cuts in the last four years than ever before. The Democrat party has promised to take that money away the moment they are in office. They promise to limit our freedoms with every stroke of the pen and at every turn. A vote for Trump/Pence means more money in the pockets of Americans everywhere.

    I don’t know who America will vote for in about 24 days but I pray that God will provide us the leaders that will keep us safe and secure and will protect our freedoms. For me that equates to four more years of a Trump/Pence administration. Freedom is fleeting. It can be taken away in a heartbeat. It must be cherished and guarded very carefully. And one party has shown the strength to guard that freedom while the other party promises to take it away. May God see fit to sit Donald J. Trump and Mike Pence in office again for another four years for all our freedoms and for the peace of the world.

  • Which Side Are You On?

    Yesterday I passed along my thoughts on the two different cultures manifesting themselves in America today. I said that I didn’t have a question, only an observation, but that was not entirely accurate.

    I do have a question. The point of the observations, naturally, was to cause you to consider which culture you fit into and whether it is the right choice or not. In other words Which Side Are You On?

    The second phrase of the opening sentence of Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities (see yesterday’s post) reads:

    it was the age of wisdom,
    it was the age of foolishness,

    A Tale of Two Cities, Chapter I. The Period

    And if that doesn’t describe today’s America, I don’t know what does. One side of the culture screams about the foolish tweets from President Donald Trump and then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi makes the totally nonsensical statement:

    “a wall, in my view, is an immorality” and “the least effective way to protect the border and the most costly.”

    Fox News Story

    A view not exactly shared by the rest of her party.

    But it is crazy, right? One view is shared and the opposing culture hears it as total foolishness but yet the agreeing culture hears it as great wisdom.

    One can certainly understand the pain, anguish, and shear lunacy Charles Dickens was attempting to describe in his book A Tale of Two Cities.

    But what if I were to tell you I believe this division has happened much earlier in history? Consider the words of John:

    37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. 39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?

    John 18:37-39

    Pilate was completely frustrated with the foolishness of the day. On the one hand he could find no fault with Jesus but on the other there were cries from the people for his crucifixion. In his frustration he asks “What is truth?“

    It is this very same struggle for truth that is plaguing all of us today. It is the confusion on one side of the culture when #BlackLivesMatter calls out for the destruction of (so called) racially offensive language, monuments, and the erasure of American history itself. And the other side of the culture is confused because these exact same people align themselves with Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and the mayor of New York City Bill de Balsio. If these people were actually intellectually honest with themselves and us they would be calling for the abolishment of the Democrat party itself rather than aligning themselves with it.

    It was the Democrat party that championed slavery and racism. It was the Republican party that freed them. It was the Democrat party that voted for Jim Crow laws and segregation. It was the Republican party that fought for inclusion and the idea that ALL people are created equal. It is Democrat party members that held positions within the KKK while the Republican party did not. It is the Democrat party that continues to this day to enact laws and policies that disadvantage more people of color while the Republican party has established a record of providing more jobs and opportunity to all of Americans. If #BlackLivesMatter is really so incensed with being reminded of the history of slavery in America, then they should be for the complete abolishment of the Democrat part as well.

    There are so many that have fought to bring the light of truth to this history. Alfonzo Rachel for one. Dinesh D’souza for another. People of color who would certainly have no agenda for furthering “white supremacy“. And there are so many others that continue to educate, inform, and offer alternate points of view. But our culture is divided. And people ask what it is divided over. The answer is quite simple and is very plain. We are divided over the TRUTH.

    This is why I am passionate about the state of our country today. Not only for the very survival of America, but for the souls of so many people who are lost without TRUTH.

    For you see, there is another interesting phrase in Charles Dickens opening to a Tale of Two Cities. As he sums up his setting he notes:

    “… we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way …”

    A Tale of Two Cities – Chapter I. The Period

    And as another champion of American History, Rush Limbaugh, would say – “for those of you in Rio LInda” Charles Dickens reference to those “going direct the other way” means Hell. And that is the real crux of the problem with Which Side Are You On? Because one side leads to Eternal Life and the other side leads to Eternal Damnation.

    As for me, I chose the side of TRUTH. Because there is only one person in all of history that could (and can) credibly claim:

    Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

    John 14:6

    And that is the person of Jesus Christ. And I believe the TRUTH because only He, the creator of all the universe, can establish TRUTH. The only thing that remains (for both the survival of American history and people’s souls) is to determine which “truth“ you will believe. Which side are YOU on?