Good Men or good laws?

During the Clinton years we heard so much about the separation of private lives vs. job performance. What should we care  what Bill and Monica did in the office where the most important men made the most crucial decisions, where the orders to send thousands and thousands of American troops into harms way was made, where Ronald Reagan would not remove his jacket out of respect? The argument that a man’s personal life is separate from his ability to govern is ridiculous at best, sinister at worst. Seldom if ever in human history have the personal morality and ethical beliefs of a leader not influenced profoundly his ability to govern. It was so in the days of scripture, remember how King David’s discreet little dalliance with Bathsheba nearly wrecked the kingdom, and so it is today. Bill Clinton may not have brought the nation to its knees but we have yet to really learn all the damage done to our national security by the Johnny Chung scandal among others. Character counts.

So as we begin to look into the Presidential candidates for 2012 we should begin by looking at the character of the candidates themselves.  First of all lets be honest, no man is without sin, all have fallen short of the glory of God, so perhaps we should define integrity for the sake of our discussion as a pattern of behavior especially as it relates to matters of honesty and fidelity. If there are any scandals in the past of a Rick Parry or Michelle Bachmann the media will expose those as surely as they will gloss over any of Pres Obama’s questionable associations. Therefore given the fact that the way to destroy an effective conservative is to pile up as many false and exaggerated ethics charges as possible and hope it sticks, we have to be extremely discerning when it comes to media accounts about our candidates. We can see the effectiveness of this strategy which drove Sarah Palin to leave office in Alaska, and bogged down the effectiveness of the Bush administration especially in the second term. This works because we as conservatives do care about integrity and honor; it is amazingly disingenuous of the same media that pooh-poohed the serious scandals of the Clintons yet rail against Sara Palin’s wardrobe purchases

 

As we look into the candidate’s character what are some of the things we should consider? Certainly faith is first, a man’s faith will dictate his views and actions. A great deal of discussion has been given to Mitt Romney’s faith. This is challenging, as a Christian I have deep irreconcilable differences with the Mormon faith, primarily the escalation of the book of Mormon to equality with the scriptures. Likewise did not many of the founders find discomfort in the religious views of Jefferson, a man who doubted the divinity of Christ? Romney like Jefferson is in a broad sense identified with Christianity but should these theological deviations prevent our supporting them? I suppose each of us must decide the final answers on their own. If Gov. Romney’s faith lead him to open immorality or if it lead him to oppose Israel’s statehood I would dismiss him out of hand but that doesn’t seem to be the case, in fact Romney seems to be a moral man and Mormon’s in general are pro Israel.” Romney requested the Arab states to stop providing weapons and financial support to Hezbollah and Hamas and instead to put pressure on the Palestinians to "drop terrorism and recognize Israel's right to exist." According to http://2012.presidential-candidates.org/  there fore on faith I cannot dismiss Romney though I would not prefer a candidate who does not share my fundamental views of Christ and the Bible.

 

Other candidates take a more traditional view on faith. A fabulous article about Michelle Bachmann’s views on Christ and the role of faith in her life can be found at http://www.christianpost.com/news/interview-michele-bachmann-opens-up-on-her-faith-and-family-51009/   I personally like how Rep. Bachmann makes no apologies for her faith and is very real and practical about it. I was disturbed that her simple statement about being submissive to her husband became a controversy. My Bible says it too, how far we have fallen to need to be retaught the basic roles of husbands and wives during a presidential campaign. Having a traditional view of marriage is hardly a deterrent to a woman’s ability to achieve all that the Lord intends for her, just as Deborah successfully judged Israel while adhering to God’s law.

 

Rick Perry also had a recent faith based controversy as he held a exclusively Christian prayer vigil as Texas governor. Perry is extremely open about his own faith openly crediting it with his views on many issues. He believes evolution is a hoax (thank God for a politician willing to say so) and recognizes a religious component in the global warming  hoax. In truth Gov Perry sounds a lot like the founders when it comes to his open allegiance with the gospel and its role in his own views.

 

Rick Santorum also credits faith in God and a belief in moral absolutes with many of his views. Santorum has a good record of voting in line with his beliefs.  

Their seems not to be any other controversies directly related to the faith of the other candidates. Herman Cain who frequently speaks with the cadence of a black minister was active in his church long before he considered a run for the presidency and has even cut a gospel album. A quote from him: “The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him.”

                                                       ~Exodus 15:2 (NKJV)                                                      

"When my father left his family’s small farm at the age of 18 with just the clothes on his back, he had his belief in God, his belief in himself and his belief in the United States of America. With these beliefs he achieved all of his dreams in life.
"Using those same beliefs, I have been able to achieve many blessings in life with the strength, which comes from God. My family and friends, my church, my success and the opportunity to live in the greatest country in the world are all blessings from God.
"There is more to life than getting more. This is why my song unto Him is to use all my talents to serve my fellow man, and make a difference in the future of our Nation.
"In God we trust expressed the faith of our Founding Fathers. In God I trust is my faith."

Newt Gingrich who converted to Catholicism in 2009 does have a history of affairs and divorce prior to this conversion, though no evidence of such misconduct since. It is up to the voter to decide which is most telling.

 

Ron Paul has said We live in times of great uncertainty when men of faith must stand up for our values and our traditions lest they be washed away in a sea of fear and relativism. As you likely know, I am running for President of the United States, and I am asking for your support.

I have never been one who is comfortable talking about my faith in the political arena. In fact, the pandering that typically occurs in the election season I find to be distasteful. But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do. I know, as you do, that our freedoms come not from man, but from God. My record of public service reflects my reverence for the Natural Rights with which we have been endowed by a loving Creator.
In 40 years of medical practice, I never once considered performing an abortion, nor did I ever find abortion necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman. In Congress, I have authored legislation that seeks to define life as beginning at conception, H.R. 1094. I am also the prime sponsor of H.R. 300, which would negate the effect of Roe v Wade by removing the ability of federal courts to interfere with state legislation to protect life. This is a practical, direct approach to ending federal court tyranny which threatens our constitutional republic and has caused the deaths of 45 million of the unborn. I have also authored H.R. 1095, which prevents federal funds to be used for so-called “population control.” Many talk about being pro-life. I have taken and will continue to advocate direct action to restore protection for the unborn.

I have also acted to protect the lives of Americans by my adherence to the doctrine of “just war.” This doctrine, as articulated by Augustine, suggested that war must only be waged as a last resort--- for a discernible moral and public good, with the right intentions, vetted through established legal authorities (a constitutionally required declaration of the Congress), and with a likely probability of success.

I doubt any conservative will take issue with much of Rep Paul’s faith based speech but many of us interpret his “just war” stance differently. Also he has raised many questions with conservatives about his stance on Israel which is anything but diehard. His opposition to hr res34 http://www.ronpaul.com/2009-01-12/ron-paul-on-israel/ implies a dangerous moral equivalence between the Israeli defense forces and the Palestinian terrorists. Pro Israel conservatives should be very wary of supporting Paul even if they agree with him on many other issues.

 

This is a start, I will continue this discussion next time as we will examine rather voting records and political stands echo these statement and how faith effects government philosophy.

Remember good men will make good laws but bad men will not follow a law however good it be.

 

Keep on the firing line

Tell me a story

Years ago when I managed a local Domino’s Pizza the managers were given a book on leadership to read. I don’t at this point recall the title or author but I kept it in the bathroom at the store to read on break. (A manager’s break was when you had to go to the bathroom and it lasted until a phone rang) I read enough to know that I was not tempted to take it home and finish. I suggested that instead let’s read Hornblower and the Hotspur, now that is a book on leadership! I learned by the example of the young Captain Horatio Hornblower about being decisive even when you felt conflicted, of the importance of maintaining discipline without being a tyrant, of having a well trained crew, that you can’t lead and live in fear of stepping on the feelings of those you lead, staying calm in the midst of turmoil, making decisions and excepting the consequence good or bad, and giving of your best and expecting the same of those in your charge. You see Horatio Hornblower was a hero despite his frailty, who held a profound affection for his crew yet maintained an appropriate detachment from them. How’s that for a book on leadership? And that’s just one book in a series of 11 novels and a couple of short stories.

Likewise I have heard sermon after sermon, about the sinful nature of man, many brilliant men have endeavored to set in order an understanding of the carnal nature and man’s propensity to err. All of them combined do not create the profoundly understandable picture that Robert Lewis Stephenson did with the short novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Our nation is at a crossroads and the stakes are high, the next election will likely determine the fate of the country for generations to come. Over the next couple of weeks I want to really examine the candidates and issues that are beginning to come to the fore front as the primaries loom closer. However if we as conservatives are able to redeem our constitution from the hands of the liberals and we effectively limit the oppressive role of government from our lives we will still not have arrived. The country is so much more than its politics, and the cultural war is even more vital than the political one. As we struggle to revive our culture one crucial aspect is found in the power of literature and its natural extension into the realms of the film and stage performing media.

It is wonderful that we have an alternative religious media; I thank God for “Christian literature” even if so much of it has a decidedly feminine slant. Family friendly Christian film such as Fireproof and Facing the Giants are of great value but they simply are not enough. We need Christian fiction, but so much more we need Christians who write main stream fiction. George Lucas never sat out to write Buddhist fiction, but his world view comes out clearly in Star Wars.  Gene Roddenberry had a view that man could evolve into a better being and brought those views to Star Trek. Now don’t get me wrong I love both, especially Star Trek’s original series where courage honor and duty were the most critical recurring themes. In the midst of failing deflector shields and straining warp drives valuable moral lessons were learned without ever having the sense we were being taught a lesson. If anyone doubts the power of story telling in the teaching of morality remember that Jesus used stories to teach.

My pastor is a brilliant man and a fine writer in his own right, who often quotes Oswald Chambers. Now Oswald Chambers was a brilliant man and I would love to have a fraction of the understanding he had, but when I read him my blood doesn’t rush in my veins, he doesn’t move me the way Bethany Hamilton does. That’s why I take so many opportunities to promote Soul Surfer.  That’s why we need a revival of the Judeo-Christian philosophy in the culture today.

So many things have to happen to save this country, and they all begin with prayer and revival, and revival always begins with an acknowledgement of sin. As long as we allow the moral relativism of the entertainment community dictate the popular culture we will always face an uphill battle in this critical revelation of our own sin. As long as cohabitation is presented as an acceptable stage in courtship and alternate lifestyles are glorified it will be ever more difficult to return to a culture of marital monogamy.

It was our idea at one time to do away with the bad by restriction and standards, such as the Hays Code which governed Hollywood between 1930 and 1968 with a certain level of success, (although a couple of the best scenes from my favorite movie King Kong were cut unnecessarily)  but good or bad, right or wrong that genie is out of the bottle and putting it back would be a monumental task. My advice now is for Christians and others with a traditional moral view to blessed with the abilities to write or act should do every thing in our power to get good stories written and published, filmed and distributed with the traditional values intact: For those of us without those talents to support those who do with our viewing time and entertainment dollars.

Until next time, keep on the firing line.

   

soul surfer on dvd

 several months ago a posted a review of  the movie Soul Surfer, I would like to again share these thoughts and encourage everyone to catch this movie on DVD or pay per view. when Hollywood gets it right i like to support them. 

To me a film needs three things to be great; the first is a great story.

Soul Surfer is the story of Bethany Hamilton, and hers is a truly great story. Ms Hamilton is the young surfer who at the age of thirteen lost an arm in a shark attack while training in Hawaii. Her injuries were severe and although she nearly died as a result, they kept her out of the water for only a few weeks. Soon she was surfing again, was able to compete and eventually fulfill her dream of turning pro. (And she is doing well as a pro). Ms Hamilton’s triumph is inspiring on par with the career of “Dummy” Hoy, the deaf baseball star of the early era of the game, Tom Dempsey’s record breaking 63 yard despite having only half of one of his feet, or Jim Abbott’s no hitter despite having just one hand.  While all of these athletes had distinguished achievements, Hoy should be a hall of famer, and all are inspiring what separates Ms Hamilton is the fact she was not born with her “disability” but was presented with the challenge of relearning how to do everything with one arm, not just how to compete at the highest level of a challenging sport. To me the most inspiring aspect of Bethany Hamilton’s story is summed up in the words of Christ in John: 10:10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.  If any one can testify of having something stolen and destroyed it would be Ms Hamilton moreover if any one is a testimony of what the abundant life of Christ really means it is this remarkable young woman! The wonderful peculiarity of Soul Surfer is that this part of the story comes through loud and clear. Hollywood is usually comfortable only with faith as it relates to a vague and unspecified deity, but the Hamilton family is Christian, their faith is in Jesus Christ, and the director and performers in the movie do a wonderful job of showing and modeling this faith. A home schooled girl who never gives her testimony without specifying that she gave her life to Jesus Christ at the age of five, in a family that goes to church and leans on the support of a youth minister who quotes from the Bible, in fact the Dad reads from the Bible (Phil. 4:13 from the NIV I can do everything through him who gives me strength.)  These people are shown as normal folk achieving extraordinary things?  And you thought Brokeback Mountain was revolutionary!

The second thing that makes a great movie is believability.

Realism and believability are not necessarily the same thing for example the 1933 version of King Kong is incredibly believable but not all that realistic, Soul Surfer is a true life story so realism does play heavily into the believability. The effects removing Annasophia Robb’s arm are flawless, the surfing, much of which is done by the real Ms Hamilton, is great and to my limited knowledge of the sport, the surfing competition seems realistic. Equally important is the scripting, if this story was told in platitude and cheesy dialogue with a few alligator tears thrown in it would hardly do justice to Ms Hamilton’s amazing story, but the script is tight, conversional, edgy and a little uncomfortable at times. You believe real people would talk this way. Finally you need to believe that the actors are the characters they portray and this movie has a heavy weight cast, in addition to Annasophia Robb as Bethany, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton are played by Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt, certainly pedigreed actors, Kevin Sorbo puts in a good turn as Bethany’s coach Holt Blanchard, and Carrie Underwood does a great job in her acting debut as Bethany’s youth leader Sarah Hill. The supporting roles are also all well done.

Finally a great film makes the audience care, it forms a connection, and does Soul Surfer ever do this.

One thing that impressed me with Soul Surfer was the directing. Going in most of us know that Bethany will be attacked by a shark so Sean McNamara does a fabulous job of setting up the incident so that when it does happen it’s a shock to the viewer. Also Bethany has setbacks and discouragements, though she never looses her faith, we are able to identify with her struggles. A few of the films more touching scenes involve Bethany’s attempts to put others at ease about her injury. As a father I can identify most with Bethany’s parents. All of us with teenagers struggle with the conflict between trying to help our kids and teaching them independence, letting them fall and helping them back up if you will. I can’t imagine if my daughter lost her arm!

 In the end what Bethany Hamilton teaches us and shat Soul Surfer conveys is that God does not know the meaning of the word limit, and that when we are weak His power is perfected in us.

My advice, don’t miss this one!

Keep on the firing line.   

 

A lesson from the left

The US credit rating has been down graded. How could this have happened? We raised our debt ceiling; we agreed to allow the treasury to borrow trillions more now in exchange for phantom cuts in the distant future! How on Earth can anyone doubt our sincere commitment to fiscal responsibility! This is what the line of BS our leaders fed us over  the last few weeks, oh we conservatives tried, we wanted real cuts not just reduction in the rate of growth, we wanted cuts in excess of what was necessary to avoid a credit downgrade, we wanted a balanced budget amendment. WE WERE RIGHT! Cut cap and balance is the way, but even as the house passed this piece of legislation the brilliant Republican leadership was already falling over themselves to come up with the compromise that would a dear them most to the establishment media and the old guard DC crowd, instantly undermining their strong position and busting the knee caps out of our children’s future. Thanks Boehner, McConnell, and the gang of six!

Before we chuck aside the Republican Party completely lets remember one cold hard fact: in current government not all Republicans are true conservatives but all the true conservatives are republicans. Our stunning victory in last November’s midterms was only a start, and we knew it at the time. The temptation now “will be to take our football and go home”, but to paraphrase the liberal hippies who have infected our politics: heck no we won’t go”

We of the tea party are still here; we have learned a thing or two from our liberal adversaries. How many times did we bury healthcare reform in the last hundred years? Long before people like me were paying attention to these things a small group of dedicated folk stopped abortion in state after state time after time, when have we failed to vote down gay marriage on a fair ballet? Yet like zombies in a horror film, they came and they came, and finally they got their way. They don’t fight fair, what they fail to do in accordance to the constitution they do in spite of it. This we cannot match but the tenacity, the determination, the grit, and the unwillingness to compromise these we have in spades. If the constitution has been a formidable obstacle to them, imagine what a weapon it will be for our side when we return the judiciary to constitutional constructionism! We did not get a balanced budget amendment this time but we won the public debate hands down. To quote the legendary Bum Phillips, “First we knocked on the door, then we banged on it, next time we will kick the SOB down!”

Saving this country won’t be easy, and the debt and spending debate is not the most crucial issue except that it goes to the size and scope of Federal power, and that issue is fundamental.

We are fighting a firmly entrenched enemy in the Washington so my advice hit it as hard as we can and if it doesn’t break hit it again! (Constitutionally speaking of course)

Until next time, keep on the firing line!