The Census Bureau - Too Personal - No Authority?

I find it very interesting that the Census takers are coming into our homes and taking all kinds of incredibly personal information... and yet the Media Relations of the Census Bureau wouldn't answer questions about what authority they are acting on. Hmmm... take a listen and let me know what YOU think.

If you don't see the video above - click here.

Election Potentials

The ramifications of yesterday's election will not be seen for quite some time. I, for one, am glad that the whole thing is over. Now we can get to the business of supporting our leaders and praying for them and this great country.

McCain's speech was gracious and supportive. The kind of speech I would expect from such an A-1 kind of guy. Obama's acceptance speech was momentous. He was confident and yet humble. I am looking forward to having the 'race-thing' done. The fact that the media keeps talking about it is concerning me that it may still be an issue.

The California propositions were a mixed bag. To think that a teenager cannot obtain an aspirin or vitamin from a school nurse without a parent's permission... yet that same student can be taken to a doctor who performs an abortion (without the parent's consent) is... well... just plain ludicrous at best. At a minimum it is completely illogical. I do not understand California on this one.

PRAISE GOD Prop 8 passed. Marriage, even in liberal California, is defined as being between only a man and a woman. As common sense as this is, it is a GREAT victory for California AND for America. Who knows what the ramifications would have been had this Prop not passed. While I truly am sad for those homosexuals who have lost the status (or potential) of being married... in no way do I think they have lost their 'right' to be married. Marriage, by definition and design, is between a man and a woman. To say that 'right' is for two men or two women is not logical or appropriate. No 'rights' have been taken away - just a status, as painful as that may be for some.

Pray for your president and buckle your seat for the future. It will most certainly be an interesting one.

Abortion... A Big Deal, But...

When it comes to politics, I typically like to bury my head. You may not believe that because of all the recent politically oriented blogs. I just truly feel that it is warranted these days.

Here is my biggest issue with Abortion and how it relates to the current presidency and propositions on the table in California. I truly believe with all my heart that we have ALL been desensitized to the atrocity of abortion.

Hear me out. We've ALL been desensitized about a lot of things. Music, Movies, TV, Radio, Promiscuity, Bathing Suits, Modesty, Language... I get it. We are in an entirely different culture than we were 20 years ago... 50 years ago. And many may be tempted to call it progress. Others might call it a sign of the times. I call it desensitization.

And of all the things we have 'softened' on - in my opinion - it is abortion. Cause listen, life begins at conception. Period. I spoke with a science teacher from a local high school this week regarding DNA. She is not a Christian but has a strong belief in the God of the universe because of her dealings with DNA and the scientific aspects of the human body. Cells begin to replicate (along with DNA) at conception.

And if you have any doubts... and have a strong stomach - just go to Google Images and type in the word 'Abortion.' Again - do NOT do this if you have a weak stomach. It is the most depressing and disturbing thing I've seen in a long time. To see a 'fetus' after it has been extracted in an abortion... and to NOT call that a human? WOW!

Regardless, I dare you to take a look at this informative and provocative article from The Witherspoon Institute on Obama's Abortion Extremism. It will blow your mind... and not in a good way.

Does The Media Favor A Presidential Candidate?

VERY interesting blog from Tim Stevens at www.leadingsmart.com - he is the Executive Pastor at Granger Church. Sad part is... I am not surprised in the slightest. Below is his blog in it's entirety.

Several weeks ago I summarized my view of media bias during this election, both to the right and the left. A new report was released yesterday by a non-partisan group that analyzes the bias of the media covering the presidential campaign during a recent 6-week period. Very interesting. Here is my summary of the report as it relates to negative stories:

Note: I created the above report by pulling numbers from the data table attached to the Pew Research Center's report. See the original tables here.

Based on their negative reporting...

1. Does the media overall favor (or reject) a one of the candidates?
2. Which news outlet seems most fair and balanced?

By the way, remember this is not a political blog. I rarely talk politics, but am doing so exclusively this week leading up to the election. If this is getting on your nerves--just turn me off until next Wednesday when we get back to "normal."

Why Obama Will Be President

I'm not saying that Obama should be president... I'm just asking the question, why? You don't need to answer me on this and I don't want to get into a long debate about the candidates. I'd like to consider the voters. WHY are voters voting the way they are voting?

The great theologian and scholar, Howard Stern (yes, that Howard), provided some of the most insightful interviews of the people of Harlem and why they are voting for Obama.

I find this audio interesting, disturbing, and somewhat telling of some the American population as a whole.  Take a listen by clicking this audio clip from the Howard Stern Show.

I am NOT saying that all Americans would think in such an uninformed fashion... but it is interesting to see the skew happening with the Obama bandwagon. 

We were at Borders Books last night and Obama books were EVERYWHERE!  Seriously.  His books outnumbered McCain related paraphernalia what seemed to be 4 to 1.  My wife asked one of the checkout guys why it was so obviously one-sided toward the Democratic viewpoint.  He said there were McCain books on a little table up front and that McCain's books were flying off the shelf in comparison to Obama's plethora of choices in numerous locations.

Interesting!

Proposition 8 - Oh No You Didn't

The Pacific Justice Institute just released the information below. California is already being infiltrated by an intentional and strategic plan of 'education.' This is not a game kids. If Proposition 8 does not pass, there is no limit to the indoctrination that will take place.

This is NOT about a lack of rights. This is NOT about equality. This is spiritual. This is an erosion of the morality of this great nation. Grace is still in play. Acceptance and tolerance are still in our vocabulary. But Marriage... that is biblical. God came up with the idea. To redefine it to include homosexuals... that is not biblical - and frankly - it's just not right. Don't tell me about rights, insurance, or hospital visits. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Marriage - created by God, approved by God, and blessed by God as a man and a woman becoming one flesh.

(I just found out from the PJI, the principal told their parent that they made a last minute decision to cancel "Coming Out Day"... interesting.)

For Immediate Release
Contact: President Brad Dacus (916) 857-6900

"Coming Out Day" Coming This Week to
California Elementary Schools

Hayward, CA – Parents at a K-8 charter school in Hayward were shocked to learn this week the extent to which their school is promoting gay and lesbian ideals to their daughter in kindergarten.

The parents were shocked to see a poster announcing that "Coming Out Day" will be celebrated at the school this coming Thursday, October 23. The school, Faith Ringgold School of Art and Science, chose not to tell parents ahead of time, but it is in the midst of celebrating "Ally Week," a pro-homosexual push typically aimed at high school students. When one mother asked her daughter earlier this week what she was learning in kindergarten at the school, the 5-year-old replied, "We're learning to be allies." The mother also learned that her daughter's kindergarten classroom is regularly used during lunchtime for meetings of a Gay Straight Alliance club.

Later this week, the school is slated to talk about families. The parents have noticed several posters promoting families, all of which depict only homosexual families. More controversial discussions can be expected through next week, as the elementary school continues to celebrate Gay and Lesbian History Month. On November 20, the school will host TransAction Gender-Bender Read-Aloud, where students will hear adapted tales such as "Jane and the Beanstalk."

These parents are being advised by attorneys from Pacific Justice Institute. Brad Dacus, president of Pacific Justice Institute, commented, "Do we need any further proof that gay activists will target children as early as possible? Opponents of traditional marriage keep telling us that Prop. 8 has nothing to do with education. In reality, they want to push the gay lifestyle on kindergartners, and we can only imagine how much worse it will be if Prop. 8 is defeated. This is not a scenario most Californians want replayed in their elementary schools."

Any other parents whose elementary-age children have been subjected to pro-homosexual propaganda should contact Pacific Justice Institute for counsel and possible representation.

If you are able to support PJI, please click here to contribute now or visit www.pji.org/getinvolved.

Bar Stool Economics & Taxes

Bar Stool Economics (copied from an email that has circulated for quite some time)

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. 'Since you are all such good customers, he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20. Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

'I only got a dollar out of the $20,'declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,' but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.

Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, University of Georgia

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Vote For God As President

I know, I know.  Don't get political.  After all, I'm a pastor, right?  Yes - but voting is not just about the issues or morals... it's about God.  Too often, Christians will ONLY look at the morality of a leader.  In addition, too often we don't look at morals enough in our candidates.

Voting is not just about our rights, it's about our obligation.  Please, get out there and vote - and as best you can, vote for God on your ballots.  Here is a simple 'score card' for the presidency.

Additionally, consider the long-term ramifications of not only your decisions but your accusations as well.  Society is full-on blaming Bush for the economic crisis in lending.  However, they seem to forget that the Clinton administration had a lot to do with the sub-prime market to begin with.  Oh how easily we forget.

Our world will be different by the way we vote.  Certainly, California is an entirely different animal compared to most of the rest of the USA.  And that's not really a compliment.  The liberal agenda is off the hizzle... and it shows.