Christian Values VS Political Parties

Reconciling your Christian beliefs with any of the political parties of today can be an extremely difficult journey; and for me, has become an emotional one.

The current GOP candidates are essentially a cruel joke on the hard working American voters. Those who campaign using religion to gain wealth and power are becoming more transparent.  Their true nature is beginning to show through as their true motives are exposed. The other candidates are, either believers in Ayn Rand, or some other crazy philosophy that would destroy everything that the average working American has worked and strived for. 

We all deserve better for our children and grandchildren.

While researching and trying to make sense of the many different political and religious views being discussed and misused, I came across others who apparently share my thoughts and some of my opinions.

The following blog links by Tim Suttle offers some thoughtful insight on the Christian Voters Dilemma:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-suttle/the-irony-of-the-tea-party_b_981906.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-suttle/is-the-gop-losing-faith_b_1157950.html

My goal is to continue researching all parties and candidates to determine who will represent middleclass American's and who will also protect the rights of the poor, disabled, and our brave veterans and seniors.

So far my findings are overwhelmingly in favor of Barack Obama for 2012.

To be continued .............

Voice Your Opinion

Here's the 12 members of the "Super Committee" who'll be deciding on what to cut

to reach their goals for reducing the debt by one and a half trillion in 10 years. The

top six are Democrats, and the six below in red are Republicans.

They are meeting in secret and among the things they are considering for cuts

are Veterans Benefits, Social Security, and Medicare.

Eliminating benefits or reducing health care for Veterans should not even be on the table.

Social security and medicare are also critical for seniors and should not be considered.

Veterans, the disabled, and Seniors are the least able to survive if their income or benefits are cut.

There are many ways to resolve the debt problem without hurting the most vulnerable.

Reducing foreign aid, defense spending, and taxing the rich are just a few solutions that should be considered.

These 12 people are making decisions for us that will effect our lives from now on.

We need to follow their progress carefully and speak up when they put cuts on the table

for review and discussion that will effect our healthcare or income.

We can always make our voice heard with phone calls, emails, or tweets.

The link to all of our government contacts is below:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

A CNN Article from August 11, 2011 pretty well sums up who and what the Super Congress is:

Super committee: Who are these guys?

By Charles Riley @CNNMoney August 11, 2011: 1:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- They are the "super committee" -- and they have a lot of work to do.

Almost all men -- they are the 12-member panel charged with finding an additional $1.5 trillion in debt savings over a ten-year period.

It will be tough work and will likely require political sacrifice on issues like taxes and entitlements if meaningful progress is to be made toward stabilizing the national debt.

On Thursday, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi weighed in with her three Democratic picks: James Clyburn, Xavier Becerra and Chris Van Hollen.

The panel's six Republicans were named Wednesday to the body, joining three Senate Democrats.

The members have a range of political experience -- from novice to veteran. They are experts in taxes and the budget process. They hail from states as disparate as Texas, Michigan and Arizona.

In a sign that these appointees might not be the most willing to compromise, four of the members -- two Republicans and two Democrats -- served on the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction panel but voted against the plan.

Norman Ornstein, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said that if the goal is a grand compromise, the appointments "could have been a lot worse," but that this group "is not going to leave me dancing on a cloud."
The committee will have until Nov. 23 to propose ways to reduce deficits. Those proposals must be voted on by Dec. 23.

If the committee process fails to produce a debt reduction plan, as much as $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts would kick in -- evenly divided between defense and non-defense spending.

Here's a little about each member of the committee.
Rep. Jeb Hensarling of Texas (Republican and committee co-chair): Hensarling -- chairman of the House Republican Conference -- served on President Obama's debt commission but voted against it. What did he object to exactly? Tax increases.
The debate over taxes is expected to be fierce. If his past positions are any clue, Hensarling is likely to be vocally opposed to any new revenues.
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington (Democrat and committee co-chair): Murray is not just a senator. She also chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and it is her job to recruit candidates who can beat her Republican colleagues.
Her appointment has already drawn criticism from the Republican National Committee, which views her as an overly political figure.
She is a member of the Budget and Appropriations committees.
Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland (Democrat): Van Hollen played a key role in the debt talks led by Vice President Joe Biden earlier this year, and is the ranking Democrat on the Budget Committee.
A Pelosi acolyte, Van Hollen frequently appears on television to represent House Democrats on policy issues.
Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona (Republican): The No. 2 Republican in the Senate behind Mitch McConnell and a staunch advocate for the military, Kyl is a member of the Finance Committee.
Kyl is a reliable conservative vote and is opposed to tax increases. He has said he will not run for re-election and walked out of debt negotiations with Biden earlier this year after an impasse over increasing revenue.
Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts (Democrat): A former presidential candidate, Kerry is best known on Capitol Hill for his foreign policy experience. He will lend his expertise on national security matters to the debate over cuts to military funding.
He is a member of the Finance Committee and has spent 27 years in the Senate so has participated in his share of closed-door negotiations.
Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania (Republican): Elected to the Senate last year, Toomey was a prominent voice in the debate over raising the debt ceiling, arguing that the United States could prioritize its payments in the event of a debt ceiling breach to avoid a true default.
In the end, Toomey voted against the debt ceiling bill that created the super committee. He sits on the Senate Budget and Banking committees, and is the former president of the staunchly anti-tax Club for Growth.
Sen. Max Baucus of Montana (Democrat): Baucus -- chairman of the Senate Finance Committee -- served on Obama's debt commission.
But Baucus voted against the final Simpson-Bowles recommendations because he said they cut too deeply into farm subsidies and would have changed Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in away he found unacceptable.
Those same issues -- changes to those entitlement programs -- are likely to be a central part of any grand bargain to reduce deficits.
Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio (Republican): A former White House budget director in the Bush administration, Portman is a Senate novice and a member of the Budget Committee.
More moderate that some of his colleagues, Portman could be a key player in a compromise.
Rep. Xavier Becerra of California (Democrat): A senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Becerra served on the Bowles-Simpson debt commission.
But he voted against the plan because he said it cut too deeply into discretionary spending and did not raise revenues to a high enough level.
Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan (Republican): Camp -- the House Ways and Means Committee chairman -- served on President Obama's debt commission, but voted against it. He objected to the plan's tax hikes and said it failed to address rising health care costs.
An expert on taxes -- he will bolster GOP credentials on any tax reform that might be discussed.
Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina (Democrat): The third-ranking Democrat in the House and veteran of the Appropriations Committee, Clyburn maintains close ties to Pelosi. He also participated in the Biden debt reduction talks.

Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan (Republican): Upton chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He has taken some moderate positions in the past, including attempts to decrease tax cuts in the George W. Bush administration that remain contentious today. 

Agnosticism in The Church Today

     This is one of the most enlightening books I have read on the dangers of

     Religious groups who veer from the Word of God for their own views

     of self importance and superiority, to the exclusion of all others.

       Link:        http://users.stargate.net/~ejt/gnostic1.htm      

     The link above is the index page which lists the book by chapter and is available

     for reading by clicking on each of the 10 chapters.     

     STRANGE FIRE - THE RISE OF GNOSTICISM IN THE CHURCH     

     By Travers and Jewel van der Merwe

     

           Dedication and Foreword

·         Chapter 1: Strange Fire

·         Chapter 2: Gnosticism

·         Chapter 3: A Gnostic Gospel ?

·         Chapter 4: The Supernatural

·         Chapter 5: The "Elite" Concept

·         Chapter 6: The Mystic "Link"

·         Chapter 7: Spirituality

·         Chapter 8: The Exaltation of Man

·         Chapter 9: False Prophets      

·         Chapter 10: Neo-Gnosticism

Are we to sit by and let these strange teachings develop without a word? Must we just ignore what is happening and smile passively in agreement without a protest?

A popular evangelist will stand before a congregation and ask, "how many here have read my books?" As hands go up, the evangelist will nod his approval and continue. He will give a Scripture text, but does not refer to it again. Instead he will quip out phrases that are met with cheering and clapping from an adoring audience. Before long it sounds like a pep rally with enthusiasts ready to jump on whatever bandwagon is presented with no thought to what has even been said.

Another insight about Strange Fire, as referred to in the bible, is offered by Ray C. Stedman found at http://www.pbc.org/files/messages/3533/0510.html

Within the movement were many children of God who remained true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, there were those that started out well, but along the way were influenced by "strange" fires that have brought the church to accepting so many different teachings today.

Where Did the Right Go Wrong?

Economic and political commentators have noted a pattern between changes in US national debt and US presidential terms since the mid-1970s. Commentators have noted that US national debt (as a percentage of GDP) has increased under Republican Presidents, but has decreased under Democratic Presidents. However, this pattern has only been strongly pronounced in the last three decades, and was not observed earlier, during the Post-World War II period. 

Ronald Reagan, originally a Democrat, embraced the Republican ideology as early as the 50’s and joined the Republican Party in 1962. He was persuaded to seek the California governorship and won that office in the 70’s. He was defeated in his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968 as well as 1976, but then won both the nomination and election, defeating Jimmy Carter in 1980.

As president, Reagan implemented changes both political and economic.  His “Reaganomics” aka “Trickle-down Economics”, along with massive deregulation, set America on a dangerous economic path.  He raised the debt limit 17 times.

In fact, all the way back to Truman, Republican presidents have added the most debt.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/us-national-debt

With little or no regulation, corporations made their own rules and “greed” kicked in. The “Trickle-down Economics” enabled the rich to become richer and the poor struggled.

George H.W. Bush continued on the same path as Reagan until the Clinton years.

Clinton presided over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history The Congressional Budget Office reported a budget surplus between the years 1998 and 2000,

After the Clinton years, the Republican party took on a harsher, further right, ideology.

It was win at all costs and thus, a strong political organization was born.  This political group was closely aligned with the religious right.  A campaign was born and hitched it’s star to the churches of America.  Al Gore didn’t have a chance after the votes were counted, or “not” counted, due to hanging chads in Florida.

George W. Bush rode right into the White House with the support of a political organization steered by Carl Rove, and the conservative christian right. At some point during this period, the churches gradually took on a new identity and would never be the same.  A marriage took place between politics and christianity. This is where the right went “wrong”.

I lament the lack of old time Christian churches where the “Word of God” was preached from the pulpit and  not used as a vehicle to win elections.  

Do you speak Christian?  http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/31/do-you-speak-christian/?hpt=hp_bn8

The American Dream

If you have ever wondered where the national debt originated from this will be enlightening:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infographics/us-national-debt

It’s amazing to me that many Americans are willing to toss away many values they were taught from their youth.  Most learned from their parents that hard work, honesty, caring for others, along with biblical teachings, would be the tools for a better future.  Somehow these teachings have been watered down, twisted, and morphed into an entirely different picture of “The American Dream”.

Today’s American Dream is winning at all costs.  School sports are a fast track to public acceptance and have replaced education as the most attractive aspect of our public school system.  Studying for mandatory testing has replaced a normal curriculum and has become a full-time task for school teachers. Parents are no longer able to discipline their children; however, they assume the blame for problems or issues that arise.

Caring for your neighbor or fellow Americans is now labeled as “weakness”.  In some churches the “prosperity gospel” has taken the place of the word of God.  Another sermon common today is the notion that if you’re ill, you’re not living a good Christian life.  The mega church and your neighborhood church have become social organizations or political platforms for planting seeds of personal fortune and gain.  It’s all too common today to see newspaper or television commercials inviting the public to an investment seminar or to a political rally for a local, state, or federal political candidate. 

I miss the old church congregations and the dedicated preaches and pastors who didn’t have political aspirations.  Every morning would find my pastor visiting patients in the local hospital.  His political involvement was getting on his knees for a close talk with God.  Sure, we had members of the congregation and parishioners who came to church to socialize and maybe, perhaps even share some gossip, but they were the first to bring over a hot dish if someone lost a member of their family or had an illness in the family.

A prosperous America is a good thing; however, the way you arrive at a healthy government and economy isn’t by stacking the deck so that the wealthiest and most powerful can make all the rules.  Our country is supposed to be committed to liberty and justice for “All”.

Once all the political leaders work together for the welfare of all the American people, then maybe God will bless our nation again.

I'm Just Sayin'

This is something I would never have imagined myself doing.  Writing a blog never crossed my mind until the current political climate began to wiggle it’s way into my everyday life.

The impact of the Washington scene playing out in the media has dominated the airways since 9/11.  If you are an American, alive, breathing; regardless of gender, age, religious or political preference, this atmosphere has had an effect on your life.

Since I’m one of those invisible and silent Americans who preferred to not meddle into any one else’s business, my opinions and voice have not been heard until now.  I’m sure there are millions like me who feel alienated, forgotten and ignored.  America has always been my home.  It is still the best country in the world and is filled with mostly good and caring citizens.

 From a young age, I was taught that hard work, honesty, caring for others, and managing my finances wisely would result in a good life for me and my family. Our United States Constitution and The Bill of Rights guarantee freedom of religion, expression, to vote, and many other unalienable rights for American citizens.

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html.

How did America find itself in such a dire predicament?  We are now a nation with opposing political parties that are so polarized that it’s almost impossible to conduct business as usual for the good of the American people who elected these individuals to office.  One party appears to be on a mission to elevate the wealthiest to a position of total power at the cost of the middle class.  Additional parties have been organized and hijacked by radical individuals who are advocating discrimination and violence disguised as, “we’re doing what the people wants”.  Another party is struggling to protect the rights of the working people and middle class; however, many of them are demonized, labeled as Socialists, Communists or worse.  There’s no middle ground; you’re either for one party or another.

The truth, in regards to what the American people actually want; I believe, is so much more substantial and sensible that it should be apparent to all of us.  We want an America with a good economy that will enable everyone to have a chance to exist, raise our families, and have a decent life. 

The answer for America’s economy today won’t be resolved by the uncompromising actions of Congress against raising the debt limit.  America’s economy didn’t deteriorate overnight; in fact, it was a train that was fueled many years ago by greed, headed down the wrong track. 

Congress, the Senate, and the American people need to come together and support the current administration in resolving the issues to repair America’s economy and rebuild for the future.