Obama’s Terrorism Blind Spot

254EF51800000578-0-image-m-24_1423520104864The Islamic State burned a man alive in a cage, then at the National Day of Prayer, President Obama told American Christians to get off their high horses.  Said Obama, “People committed terrible deeds in the name of Christ.”

Muhammadans murdered people at a kosher deli in Paris.  In response, President Obama called it random violence.

The Islamic State kidnapped 21 Christians, took them in another country, and beheaded them along the Mediterranean Sea.  In the same video, they also threatened to spill the blood of every single Christian in the world.

What should our response be?  Should we get off our high horse, and not judge?  Are all Americans and Christians just a bunch of hypocrites because of the Spanish Inquisition?

Thanks for the history lesson, but no thanks, Mr. President.  Christians, especially, know that we are not perfect.  Our own sin and the universality of sin is an integral part of our theology.  But we strive against our sin, we strive to do better, and we strive against evil in this world.

However, how can we strive against evil until after we have identified what is evil?  And how can we defeat evil if we do not know what is causing it?  What is motivating the terrorists?  What is causing this world wide convulsion of evil?  Obama seems to think this is just unmotivated random violence, in other words, it is just violence for its own sake.  He says, Islam is not the motivation.

But the terrorists disagree.  They say they are justified by the teaching of Islam.  And they are often very specific about just what teachings of Islam justify their behavior.  Should they be believed?  I do not know, but the fact is that their arguments are convincing Muhammadans around the world.

Therefore, we need to have a real discussion about Islam.  These boilerplate bromides from our leaders about how all religions are peaceful is not a debate or even a discussion.  Such bromides are just stupid.  The Aztecs sacrificed hundreds-of-thousands of people to their gods by cutting out their still beating hearts, and then rolling the bloody human bodies down their pyramids.  Is that a religion of peace?  By the way, that religious violence no longer takes place because Christians got on their literal high horses, and put an end to it.

How about the worship of Kali?  Was or is that a religion of peace?  (The Guardian).

These terrorists are trying to start a world war, and every day their movement gets bigger and more violent.  Why is this happening?

Obama’s blind spot is that he does not understand what motivates the terrorists.  But if he wants to effectively lead against this evil, he first needs to know what is causing it.  What are we striving against?  What is the threat we are facing?  Is it world war and global jihad?  Or is it just some unmotivated random violence?

Further Valuable Reading:

Obamacare Individual Mandate Upheld as a Tax

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court declared constitutional Obamacare’s mandate that individuals purchase health insurance because the mandate is within the scope of Congress’ taxing authority.  (Click here to read the opinion).

Chief Justice Roberts wrote that the individual mandate exceeded Congress’ power under the commerce clause, but that the penalty for failure to obey could be called a “tax,” and therefore did not exceed Congress’ taxing authority.

However, the purpose of Obamacare is not to raise revenue, it is to modify behavior.  Its purpose is to make us do something.  If the taxing authority can be twisted to tax us for not doing something, then the government can force us to do anything.  Quoting Chief Justice Roberts: “Every day individuals do not do an infinite number of things.”  (Page 20).  Shall we be taxed for all those things we fail to do?  Where will it end?

Did not buy a house or go to college?  Pay a “tax.”  Did not purchase health insurance?  Pay a “tax.”  Did not join a health club?  Pay a “tax.”  Did not lose excess weight?  Pay a “tax.”  Did not eat enough vegetables?  Pay a “tax.”  Did not buy a General Motors car?  Pay a “tax.”  Did not pay for your neighbor’s abortion?  Pay a “tax.”  This “logic” moves us from a government of limited powers to a government of unlimited power.

The income taxing authority of Congress is not the authority to order our lives.  If this continues, someday we will be taxed at 100%, and we will get some of our money back only when we prove that we did as we were told.

Please Comment on Funding of Stem Cell Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is requesting public comment on draft guidelines entitled “National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research” (Guidelines).  The purpose of these draft Guidelines is to implement Executive Order 13505, issued on March 9, 2009, as it pertains to extramural NIH-funded research …

These draft Guidelines would allow funding for research using human embryonic stem cells that were derived from embryos created by in vitro fertilization (IVF) for reproductive purposes and were no longer needed for that purpose…

DATES: Written comments must be received by NIH on or before May 26, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The NIH welcomes public comment on the draft Guidelines …  Comments may be entered at: http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm.

—  Draft National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Human Stem Cell Research.

If you click on the first link above, you can leave a public comment about the proposed new guidelines.  These proposed guidelines are intended to implement Barack Obama’s executive order allowing taxpayer funding of the destruction of human lives for scientific research.  When considering a change to the Federal Register, all government agencies must have an open comment period.  Most of the time, only lobbyists comment; but here is your chance to make a difference.  All comments must be considered by the agency, and will become a matter of the government’s public record.  The Federal Register is probably a mystery to most Americans, but it is where most “laws” are actually made, and a well thought comment will make a difference.

Also, the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment has a web page where you can simply fill in your name and address, and they will send a form letter on your behalf to your State Senators and Representative opposing embryonic stem cell research and supporting adult stem cell research.

Please use these opportunities to make a difference.  All comments in the first link above to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must be received by 11 pm EST on May 26, 2009 A.D.

Update:

The comment period to the NIH has expired; however, you can still write to your representatives in Congress by using the National Committee for a Human Life Amendment web page.  That web page can be accessed by clicking here.

Please stand up for the rights of your fellow citizens no matter how tiny they may be.

Life: Imagine the Potential

The above video is from Catholic Vote.com.  NBC is refusing to run this ad during the Super Bowl on Sunday, stating that “NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving ‘political advocacy or issues.'”  The President of Catholic Vote.com reacted:

There is nothing objectionable in this positive, life-affirming advertisement.  We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC’s parent company GE has done for years.  We congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the first African-American President.  And we simply ask people to imagine the potential of every human life.  [US. Newswire].

Life.  Imagine the potential.

Truth.  Imagine if we weren’t afraid of it.

The US Supreme Ct & the 2008 Election

The future of federal jurisprudence is at stake in the 2008 election.

Without good reason, Obama repeatedly opposed legislation that would have recognized the human rights of babies born alive after a botched abortion.  Then in August 2008, he was asked when a baby gets human rights, and he responded by saying that answering that question was above his pay grade.  How much does Obama need to get paid to recognize the rights of human babies?  How much must he get paid to actually do his job?

Obama will be sure to appoint judges to the U.S. Supreme Court who will show no respect for the human rights of babies nor for the law of the land.

The above player plays a 12 minute interview on this topic with former Attorney General Edwin Meese on the popular radio program Issues, Etc.

Please support and vote for the McCain-Palin ticket.

Saddleback Civil Forum on the Presidency

On Saturday, August 16, 2008, Saddleback Church hosted a Civil Forum on the Presidency with Senators John McCain and Barack Obama.  The format was back to back interviews with identical questions.

For the first time, the Presidential candidates answered questions that are important to a wide segment of American society.  In the debates, the candidates usually face questions important only to the big media corporations and their “reporter” employees.  Here are some highlights:

Q.  At what point does a baby get human rights?

Obama:  “Answering that question with specificity is above my pay grade.”

McCain:  “At the moment of conception.”

Q.  What is your greatest moral failure?

Obama:  My adolescent drug use and selfishness.

McCain:  The failure of my first marriage.

Q.  What is America’s greatest moral failure?

I think America’s greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been . . . not thinking about providing ladders of opportunity for people to get into the middle class.  There’s a pervasive sense, I think, that this country, as wealthy and powerful as we are, still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of us.

– Barack Obama

America’s greatest moral failure has been. Throughout our existence, perhaps we have not devoted ourselves to causes greater than our self-interest, although we’ve been the best at it of everybody in the world.

I think after 9/11, my friends, instead of telling people to go shopping or take a trip, we should have told Americans to join the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, the military, expand our volunteers, . . . expand the current missions that you are doing, that you are carrying out here in America and throughout the world . . .

– John McCain

Q.  Which existing Supreme Court Justice would you not have nominated?

Obama:  Thomas, Scalia, and Roberts.

McCain:  Ginsberg, Stevens, Breyer and Souter.

Many Christians disagree with Pastor Warren’s doctrine and his “purpose driven” methods, but do appreciate the opportunity to hear the Presidential candidates address these issues.  The questions were well framed, and the forum is worth watching:

Media Coverage of the Civil Forum

  • Here is a clip of Issues, Etc.’s coverage of the forum: August 21 with Colleen Carroll Campbell: