The Next President Bush?

So, everyone is frantically searching for the best candidate for President to carry the GOP banner in the next national election? Sorry, but the best Republican candidate is not running. At least, that's what he says for now. To the detriment of the early field of candidates, this presidential non-factor is easily acting the part of the consumate conservative leader of a directionless party.

Don't believe me? When was the last time you heard of any current GOP presidential candidate preaching the dogmatism of conservatism while receiving multiple standing ovations? The other candidates had better take note, because Jeb Bush is giving political lessons, as this article from the Washington Post reveals. For now they are free. The other candidates can only hope that they don't have to pay in the future. The price will be high indeed!

Until then, they can only take Mr Bush at his word. I will not believe it until the Iowa ballots exclude his name.

Hillary Clinton - Emerging for President

In her bid to become the first Female President of the United States, Hillary Clinton is reflecting the Religious Left movement called Emerging by "beginning a conversation."

Ekklesia Emerging & The Quagmire of Doubt

While I can't profess to thoroughly know the Emerging Movement, what little I have experienced in my online conversations with adherents to this rather theologically nebulous community reveals a surprising condition. Attempting to Forge an identity for Conversation and Community, their true hallmark seems to be doubt. That's right! As in "doubt and unbelief." The opposite of "faith." Here is the latest exchange of "Faith and Doubt" on JesusCreed.

Ekklesia Emerging & The Quest For Knowledge

While the religious landscape of America is increasingly in turmoil through denominational divisions and separations, there is a movement gaining momentum known as Emerging or The Emerging Church or Emergent.

While there are many identifying characteristics of this movement which will be dicussed on this blog at a later time, one of them seems to be a quest for religious knowledge. While seeming to be a rather normal pursuit of traditional religious themes on the surface, oddities lie beneath........and beyond.

Questions, a normal pursuit of any objective Truth, are posed in a conversational style.

Answers? They come in abundance! Everyone has an answer or opinion.

Truthful Answers? AAAhhhh! That's another matter altogether. It seems that Truth becomes completely subjective to the seeker. Whatever feels right, sounds right, makes sense, is peaceful, civil, unifying, relational, community oriented, has purpose, not divisive, inclusive and not dogmatic possesses the possibility of being chosen by the individual as the Truth for that person. Scripture? It may be consulted, but don't count on it carrying enough spiritual weight to determine how the person should believe.

Bloggin with Emerging types can be eventful, to say the least. They seem to have an aversion to fixed positions!

Has this been your experience?

Do you consider yourself Emerging?

Talk to me!! Let's explore the concrete nature of the only sure foundation for life, Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God!

Caesar, God & American Politics

Do you get the feeling that Politics is reaching a level where you are almost compelled to join a church in order to be accepted into the political ranks, whether it be Republican or Democrat, Red or Blue, Conservative or Liberal, Elephant or Donkey, High or Low, Left or Right? Does the attention given to the political realm in the United States, and to a certain extent, the entire World, remind you of the passionate focus seemingly reserved for God Himself? Or does it seem that Politics itself has become God, with many worshipping at the altar of the Political Office offering their sacrifical vote?

Has the sacred and the secular become so blurred that we can't tell the difference between Jesus Christ our Flag and Old Glory? Do we pledge allegiance to any other than the Jesus who died for our sins and rose again? Does our political capital get cast at the feet of anyone other than the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

I can pose the questions to you, but only you can answer them.

Media Violence & Illegal Immigration Have Alot in Common!

Actually they have one thing in common. Can you guess what that is?

I presume that you are already familiar with the immigration issue. The violence in Media issue may be another matter. In this article from OneNewsNow, you might get a clue. Then again, you might not!

The Regulation of Government Churches & Free Speech

Conservative Groups of all stripes are up in arms again! This time it has to do with proposed federal legislation which would mandate that all groups and organizations, including churches and some individuals, register with the government as lobbyists when they encourage their supporters or the public at large to contact their Congressional Representatives or Senators concerning potential legislation or other public policy concerns. Groups such as The American Family Association and Focus on the Family Action have alerted their supporters of H.R. 4682 and S. 1. Public Policy Law Firms, such as the American Center for Law and Justice, headed by Jay Sekulow, are on the forefront of detailing the legalities of these twin bills and their potential effect upon churches and groups to exercise their constitutional rights, in this case the right to free speech, the free exercise of religion and the "right to petition the government for redress of grievances."

My questions are these:

Does it make a difference whether a church is incorporated or not when attempting to exercise any constitutional right? Why?

The Shock of Culture Change

Here is a quote from the above article by Pat Boone:

"If there were an evil genius coordinating the perfect plan to undermine the basis for all morality in America, one who had control of most influential media – movies, television, popular music, newspapers, magazines, radio and even ad agencies; if this genius could infiltrate the churches and many humanitarian organizations and convince them that the "old rules" no longer apply; and if he had the power to intimidate political leaders and judges into abandoning the "old rules" as well … he couldn't change our lives much more radically than they're already being changed."

Do you find yourself agreeing with Pat Boone?

If so, what is the proper response? How do you combat the onslaught of cultural change?

If not, in what way do you disagree with at Boone? And what is your response to the radical changes taking place?

Guardian Angels - Coming Soon!

Just what you've always wanted. Your very own Guardian Angel! And you thought they would never arrive.

Well, your wait is almost over. The details are HERE!

Pizza and Pesos - A Volatile & Profitable Mix!

Who would have thought that the Mexican Peso, when used to purchase Pizza in the United States, would cause such an uproar? Such is the tender condition of the illegal immigration debate in this country, as well as Mexico, when a Pizza Chain, Pizza Patron, officially advertises its acceptance of Pesos as payment for its products. Death threats are the result!? Read all about it in this article by Word Net Daily.

Once again, the move toward a United North America marches on with animosities between Anglos and Mexicans subtly being agitated in both the United States and Mexico. Most have no clue about what lies behind the outward problems, their causes or eventual solutions. Of couse, if you know that the solution is the abolition of all effective national identities, the causes tend to appear on their own.

Meanwhile Pizza Patron acts as the local moneychanger for more than just its investors! Viva Pizza!

Dobson Doubletalk - Says No to Pro Gay McCain Candidacy

In a revelation of hypocritical proportions, prolific author, talk show host, Pro family advocate and Psychologist James Dobson has publicly stated that he would not support John McCain for President. Why? Simply because of his stand on issues directly affecting families. Issues such as Traditional Marriage, Gay Marriage and Civil Unions. And where does McCain stand? He is for Gay Marriage and/or Gay civil unions which means that he is against Traditional marriage.

It is interesting that Dobson, pro family advocate that he is, would be so publicly critical of the McCain presidential bid over this issue, yet choose an entirely different route on the same issue when the George Bush re-election campaign was entering its final week before the 2004 election. What was this different route? Silence.......deafening silence!!!!!!

In case you're wondering what this refers to, I turn your attention to this interview of President Bush by approximately one week prior to the 2004 elections. In true inaugural tradition, President Bush foretells exactly how this whole Gay Marriage / Civil Union debate would eventually be settled. Add to that the Pro Gay stance Bush took during his first term, which hardly received a peep from conservative advocates, including Dobson, and you can understand my personal lack of excitement over such a seemingly bold stand by Dobson. At best, I consider it disingenuous. At worst, I consider it an intentional deception.

Of course, I am willing to be persuaded otherwise with credible evidence that Dobson and/or other Pro Family advocates sounded the alarm prior to the 2004 elections. Absent that credible response, James Dobson appears to have been stained by the political filth of those he has allied himself with. As well as their attempts to appear clean!

Are Roman Catholics "A Thorn in the Flesh?"

Since the Red Cross of Constantine compelled the Roman Emporer to act in ways contrary to the Words of Jesus, Roman Catholics have been battling a war of perception, one which has spawned division among groups around the world. While casting themselves as servants of God, their actions, both good and evil, have left doubt in the minds of many.

In true Catholic tradition, along comes the head of Vatican Protocol, Father Leonardo Sapienza, and creates further head scratching among interested observers.

The first thing he does is give official Roman Catholic acceptance of a venerated homosexual personality of the past. In his book, Provocations: Aphorisms for an Anti-conformist Christianity, Father Sapienza includes the rather conflicted musings of English Playwright Oscar Wilde, convicted of Sodomy in 1895 in an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas.

Father Sapienza then states that the reason for this provocative book is the role of Roman Catholics as "a thorn in the flesh" in order to arouse Catholics out of their "indifference" and stimulate radical activity. This is a very interesting revelation, indeed, from the upper echelons of the Vatican, a revelation more or less overshadowed by the controversial nature of Wilde's acceptance.

Are we to relegate such official words to the realm of ignorance? Or mistake? Or do we presume that Father Sapienza speaks with full disclosure to those who are Biblically and historically literate? Who else but those with "ears to hear" would know that "a thorn in the flesh" is a phrase identifying a "messenger of Satan" taken from the words of the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 12:7? Who else would find peace in such a disclosure?

To the Spiritless person, perceptions tend to be muddled by such ambiguity. Head scratching is often the result.

Roman Catholics Embrace Oscar Wilde? A Match Made in...???

The Vatican has officially recognized Oscar Wilde, the notorious English Playwright convicted of Sodomy in 1895 after an affair with Lord Douglas. Wilde, because of his Catholic overtones and implied conversion, has received this official attention in a book written by the Vatican head of protocol, Father Leonardo Sapienza. Provocations: Aphorisms for an Anti-conformist Christianity contains tidbits of Wilde's wisdom such as “I can resist everything except temptation” and “The only way to get rid of a temptation is yield to it.”

Not surprisingly, acceptance of the book has been anything but warm among Catholic faithful, as well as non Catholic moralists.

The most interesting part of the entire scenario may lie in the official casting of the Catholic role in accepting Wilde. Father Sapienza states that Catholics are acting as "a thorn in the flesh" to arouse people out of spiritual "indifference" and into radical action. Of course, Father Sapienza is presumed to be intimately knowledgeable of Scripture and that "a thorn in the flesh" is a phrase which identifies one as a "messenger of Satan." An interesting alliance and operation, indeed!

Immigration and North American Unity

Do you find yourself confused by the immigration debate? Are you angry at the way illegal immigrants are allowed to maintain their criminal activity by US authorities?

The link in the title above provides a clarifying look at the "Why" of this entire scenario and the lack of offical action. It may sound like something out of a conspiracy theorist's nightmare, but the facts are there for you to peruse.

The Culture War - Whose Culture are We Fighting For?

As Christians of all stripes are continually bombarded with the call to join the "Culture war" and "take back America," I always wonder which culture we are to fight for? As Christians, are we called to fight, defend and live for American Culture? Is American Culture the same as the Culture of Christ? If so, where does Scripture say this? And where does the Gospel of Jesus Christ fit into this scenario?