nContx

A Collection of Cells

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Michelle Lundberg of Vancouver, WA made the following charge against pro-lifers in the Saturday, August 8, 2009 Columbian:

"Don Leighton's Aug.4 letter, "Electing to abort is a moral wrong", is another attempt at circular reasoning. Anyone who considers a collection of cells an actual human being is, at the very least, misinformed. Nonscientists and pseudoscientists make statements that are unverified, or verified by sources within their own belief circle. Again, religion is rearing its ugly head, trying to make a modern society adopt biblical absurdities."

Mr. Leighton stated that the

"pro-life argument can be distilled into four simple points:
1. The unborn, from the moment of conception, is a full-fledged member of the human community.
2. Intentionally killing an innocent member of the human community is a moral wrong.
3. Elective abortion is the intentional killing of a member of the human community.
4. Therefore, elective abortion is a moral wrong."

There are a number of observations regarding Mr. Leighton's argument:

a) It is a valid syllogism.

b) Premise #1 is a scientific fact. The conception between a human mother and a human father results in a genetic human being that is unique from her mother and her father. Human beings are, by definition, members of the human community.

c) Premise #2 is a philosophical view with which I doubt even Ms. Lundberg would disagree.

d) Premise #3 - The point of elective abortion is that something is alive that needs to be killed. It's alive before the abortion and dead afterwards. Therefore, elective abortion does kill. What does it kill? That which was conceived between the human mother and human father, that is, a human being which, by definition, is a member of the human community. Therfeore, this premise is true.

e) Therefore, since the Premise #1, #2, and #3 are true, the conclusion (see 4) must also be true - "Elective abortion is a moral wrong."

Notice, nowhere does Leighton appeal to religion, deity, or holy writ. Lundberg is unable to refute the pro-life argument so she just ignores it and simply reiterates the assertion that Leighton had already refuted!

Further, Lundberg makes this incredible statement:

"Anyone who considers a collection of cells an actual human being is, at the very least, misinformed."

Really?!?

Does Ms. Lundberg not realize that she, me, and every human being is a "collection of cells"? Does Lundberg consider herself a human being? Is a two-year old "collection of cells", called a toddler, less human than the 16-year old "collection of cells"?

Can we kill either because they are less of a "collection of cells" than an adult?

Eunice Kennedy Shriver 1921 - 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:40:00 +0000

This morning Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away. Shriver founded one of my favorite organizations, the Special Olympics.

Through Shriver's initiative, a forum was provided for those individuals that happen to have mental disabilities. Through their initiative, these individuals demonstrated to themselves and the world.

The mentally disabled have lost a powerful influence and the world has lost a person who saw an injustice and used her famous name and fortune to make a difference. May Mrs. Shriver rest in peace and may the Lord give her family comfort in their time of grief.
For more on the legacy of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, see http://www.eunicekennedyshriver.org/

Stuff Rots

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 03:16:00 +0000

I've spent the better part of the last six weeks working on my beloved grandmother's house trying to prepare it for sale. My grandmother hasn't lived in the house for - well - we don't know how long. Her and my grandfather moved in with their oldest daughter when my grandfather's Alzheimer progressed too far for her to care for him.

Initially, she thought she would go back but then her health made it impractical for her to maneuver the steps into and in the house. So it sat empty.

Well, empty of human beings. All the furnishings were where she left them. She continued paying the power, water, heating, and phone.

She was also something of a pack rat. She collected clothing to donate which hung on a line in her basement. But she also kept everything that might be of use later. I can only guess it was a response to her going through the Depression.

There were empty boxes within empty boxes within empty boxes. Pie tins (both tin and aluminum) existed by the hundreds. Empty yogurt containers, magazines and newspapers from the 1970's, books and books and more books. Bills, marked paid and placed back in their original envelopes, existed back into the '60's. A 1950's-era floor freezer still filled with meat - no longer frozen since the compressor had stopped working.

I found a box that housed a coffee mug. Inside was the Hersey Kisses foils, all smoothed out and placed in the box. Not a few. The box was packed with the foils.

All the time the house remained unoccupied she would not sell it. The house, built in the 1920's and beautiful in its day, belonged to her parents and so she couldn't bring herself to part with it. Nor would she rent it. And so it sat. And it deteriorated.

Of course, a home unoccupied tends to invite those who didn't have Grandma's best interest at heart. The house was broken into several times and trashed. They took the glass knobs from the doors and cabinets. In some cases, they took the cabinet doors. They took the beautiful glass chandelier in the living room and many of the light fixtures.

And as thieves do, they threw everything on the floor looking for anything of value.

Then the basement flooded getting everything wet. The furnace quit working allowing everything to remain wet. And that allowed the mold to grow.

The clothing became wet and eventually the laundry line broke plunging the clothes into the water. The wet paper started to digest into a muddy pulp.

While cleaning up, I pulled up a hanger and there was only threads left stringing from the hanger. The article of clothing had rotted away. Only these few threads remained.

We found many old pictures, 80 - 100 years old that had become wet. Parts had rotted away or contained mold. These I will try to save. Others were lost.

My grandmother was devastated by the news and in many cases I didn't even tell her conditions of items she asked about. It hurt too much to see her hurt.

As I contemplate all this, it is a reminder that we should not hold too tightly to the things of this world. There comes a time when we need to let go. The stuff of this world will eventually rot.

It has been a hard lesson for my family and especially my Grandmother who is 93 and very frail.

I just wish I could shield her from the pain.

Polls Don't Reveal Right and Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

A same-sex marriage advocate here in Washington state made the following argument:

Remember 66% of Washington state residents support marriage equality or civil unions per the recent University of Washington poll. You are on the losing side here when it comes to saying the state must ONLY pay attention to your view point.

Notice, this says nothing about whether same-sex marriage is good!

Was slavery moral just because the majority of residents of the South supported it?

Was the Nazi regime right just because they were voted into office?

And since an election is the ultimate, binding poll what are we to make of same-sex marriage advocates after California voters chose marriage to be between one man and one woman? These self-professing tolerant people went on a character assassination rampage against anyone who supported Prop 8. Why?

Suddenly, polls no longer mattered to them.

Polls may monitor where the populace is on any given subject but they tell us zero about the legitimacy of that subject.

Coretta Scott King and Same-sex Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Dr. Martin Luther King's pointed to a transcendent moral standard as the foundation for his fight against segregation. I have long argued that the principles upon which he stood argue against rights for same-sex marriage.

The other day, I was taken to task by someone who provided statements against "homophobia" by Coretta Scott King, who (the critic insisted) would know Dr. King better than anyone else, myself included.

The person provided these quotes from Mrs. King:

Coretta Scott King: “I appeal to everybody who believes in Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbians and gay people.”

Coretta Scott King: “Like Martin, I don’t believe you can stand for freedom for one group of people and deny it to others.”

Coretta Scott King: “Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and personhood.”

First, is this person saying that no one else but Mrs. King can tell us what Dr. King thought especially given all his writings? What do we do now that she has passed on?

Second, could Mrs. King ever be wrong about what her husband believed especially years after his death on a subject that was not predominant during his life? Could she ever read her beliefs into what he might have believed?

Third - and this is key, none of the quotes this person provided from Mrs. King address same-sex marriage! They all address homosexuality. This person was trying to equate homophobia and opposition to same-sex marriage. That two are not the same. If one claims they are the same then is the homosexual who opposes same-sex marriage a homophobe?

Martin Luther King's View on Same-sex Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Dr. Martin Luther King's pointed to a transcendent moral standard as the foundation for his fight against segregation. I have long argued that the principles upon which he stood argue against rights for same-sex marriage.

The other day, I was taken to task by someone who stated that King never spoke against homosexuality.

There are several problems with this line of reasoning.

First, I have written of the principles King espoused to show that segregation was wrong. I then applied his principles to the issue of same-sex marriage. Your claim that King did not address homosexuality has nothing to do with whether I correctly I applied his principles to the same-sex marriage issue. See The Injustice of Same-sex Marriage.

Second, if King never addressed homosexuality and therefore it is wrong to reference him, then why do same-sex marriage advocates constantly call same-sex marriage a “civil rights” issue and related it to inter-racial marriage? They are clearly and illegitimately trying to bareback on the civil rights movement.

Third, King spoke on the legitimacy of interracial marriage. Why did he not also argue for the legitimacy of same-sex marriage? Could it be because the concept was so far outside the pail as to be rendered inconceivable to him?

Fourth, why has no culture nor any of the greatest thinkers, secular or religious, throughout history never - never - advocated same-sex marriage? Because they could knew it was an absurd concept. Same-sex marriage advocates are saying they know better than any of these individuals or cultures. That, at the very least, is arrogant. Capital A.

The Injustice of Same-sex Marriage

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 01:54:00 +0000

On April 15th, the Washington state Legislature passed the “Everything But Marriage” bill that gives same-sex couples all the rights of marriage. Governor Christine Gregoire has stated she will sign the bill into law.

The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, stated, “This bill is about justice." [1]

A right is a just claim to something. How does one determine whether a claim is just or unjust and thus, by extension, whether the laws based upon that claim are just or unjust?

To explain the foundation upon which he and the civil rights movement opposed segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote:

“A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality (i.e. the dignity and worth of man who is made in the image of God) is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” [2]

"This idea of the dignity and worth of human personality is expressed eloquently and unequivocally in the Declaration of Independence. ‘All men,’ it says, ‘are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ ” [3]

King, as did Abraham Lincoln and the Founders before that, recognized that man’s dignity derives from the Creator’s design. Skin color, in all its varied hues, is part of being human and therefore inconsequential. One’s character, not their skin color, reveals God’s image.

King concluded, “All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the (dignity and worth of man who is made in the image of God)” thereby “relegating persons to the status of things.” [4]

Same-sex marriage advocates claim marriage is a right that justly belongs to two people of the same sex as well as to two people of opposite sexes.

The same voice, which tells us that skin color is inconsequential, tells us the Creator designed sexual organs for the opposite sex. When used otherwise the “eternal and natural law” is violated, debasing God’s image within us.

Advocates claim that sexual orientation is part of a homosexual’s nature; that they are born this way.

A homosexual sexual orientation is a sexual desire toward a member of the same sex.[5] A desire, no matter how strong, is a subjective feeling. Yet, the homosexual’s physical sexual organs are made for the opposite sex. Therefore a homosexual union, by definition, cannot unite the human being’s sexual nature - for the sexual desire they have for the same sex conflicts with the sexual organs they have for the opposite sex.

Marriage between a male and a female unites both parts of a human being’s sexual nature – the physical sexual organs match the sexual desire for the opposite sex. The right of marriage between a man and a woman is rooted in the natural law and therefore is just. Same-sex marriage is unjust.

Homosexuals have always had the exact same rights to marry as all citizens. Everyone can marry a person of the opposite sex thereby entering into a relationship that fulfills, rather than degrades, their dignity and worth as human beings.

Claiming a right based on an inherent contradiction forces upon society “a human law that is not rooted in the eternal law and natural law” thereby rejecting the civil rights movement’s very foundation. It degrades the dignity and worth of the human being and destroys the very notion – “inalienable rights” which are endowed upon us by a Creator – that founded this nation.

References:

[1] Chris Grygiel, “Lawmakers pass extended domestic partner rights: Opponents fear measure will lead to legalized gay marriage”, seattlepi.com, referenced 4/16/2009.

[2] Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963, reprinted in “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, edited by James M. Washington, First HarperCollins, 1986, pp. 293.

[3] Martin Luther King Jr., “The Ethical Demands of Integration,” Dec 27, 1962, reprinted in “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, edited by James M. Washington, First HarperCollins, 1986, pp. 119.

[4] Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963, reprinted in “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, edited by James M. Washington, First HarperCollins, 1986, pp. 293.

[5] Merriam-Webster Online Medical defines sexual orientation as “the inclination of an individual with respect to heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual behavior”. Inclination is defined as “a deviation from the true vertical or horizontal; especially: the deviation of the long axis of a tooth or of the slope of a cusp from the vertical” .

He's Alive!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0000

He's Alive
by Don Francisco

The gates and doors were barred
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' through
To drag us all away

And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers' feet

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told me where she'd been
She said they might have moved Him in the night
And none of us knows where
The stone's been rolled away
And now His body isn't there

We both ran toward the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they'd taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify him
Then I saw him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I'd promised Him
Just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove the shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With his arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from Him
Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had
Just melted into peace

He's alive yes He's alive
Yes He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes He's alive
Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes He's alive
Hallelujah He's alive
He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive He's alive He's alive
I believe it He's alive
Sweet Jesus

Good Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:00:00 +0000

Good Friday. The Messiah crucified. His disciples scattered and afraid. His movement crushed. His kingdom destroyed.

What good could come of this?

That's what it seemed like to Christ's followers on that day 2000 years ago. But something else occurred that day. I think a modern day hymn written by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend profoundly expresses the reality of The Power of the Cross.

The Power Of The Cross - Kristyn Getty

"The Power of the Cross"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

CHORUS

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

CHORUS

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

CCLI No:4490766.

Honoring A Woman's Right To Choose

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 04:34:00 +0000

The so-called Octo-mom is in the news again. According to the Associated Press, Nadya Suleman used "money from an inheritance and overtime wages ... to pay for her early fertilization procedures." The report states that Suleman did not disclose the financial arrangements for the octuplets.

What struck me about this report was the sentence that Suleman "has been trailed by the paparazzi and endured much public scorn in the weeks since the octuplets were born prematurely on Jan. 26."

Why should Suleman be scorned at all, let alone publicly? For years, advocates of abortion have proclaimed a "woman's right to choose".

Didn't Suleman exercise that choice? Of course, she did. The problem from the pro-"choice" side is that Suleman didn't make the right choice. She chose a large family. She chose life.

Did she make the right choice? If a woman truly has the right to choose; a real right of choice then the answer is Yes, period.

If a woman has the constitutional right of choice to terminate that which resides in her womb for any reason then she MUST also have the choice to fulfill her gestational perogative for any reason.

Anyone who criticizes Suleman should have to declare whether they are pro-life or pro-choice. Those who are pro-choice need to sit down in silence lest their condemnations betray their true philosophy: A woman's right to choose means choosing what the pro-choice advocate would choose.

Which, of course, is no choice at all.

"I've been to the Mountaintop" - April 3, 1968

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:16:00 +0000

Today marks the 41st anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's final speech, "I've been to the Mountaintop".

Hear the Audio and see a brief video clip
Read the PDF Transcript

Less than 24 hours later, Dr. King would be felled by an assassin's bullet.

We have probably all seen photographs from that day. Life magazine has just released some never before published photos of later that evening at the hotel.

For more information on King, his views and his legacy, see Stanford University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute

Happy William Henry Harrison Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:30:00 +0000

Or is this day in honor of Milliard Fillmore day, I mean Franklin Pierce Day.

I think the concept of President's Day is ridiculous. We used to celebrate Lincoln's birthday on Feb 12th and then Washington's birthday on Feb 22nd. These are men who were instrumental in our nation's history.

Yes, Fillmore, Pierce, and Harrison as well as others all obtained the highest office in the land. They may have been upstanding individuals and statesmen but that doesn't mean they did a good job as President. They did not have the impact like a Lincoln or a Washington.

I'm sorry but Fillmore isn't the same as Lincoln or Washington.

Yet, President's Day honor's all of them the same.

And that's just plain silly.

Congress and Digital Dysfunction

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Yahoo news reports the "Senate OKs 4-month delay to digital TV changeover". Look up in the sky. It's a bird! It's a plane! No . . . it's Big Nanny!

"The Senate on Monday voted unanimously to postpone the upcoming transition from analog to digital television broadcasting by four months".

Democrats, including the Obama administration,

"have been pushing for a delay amid growing concerns that too many Americans won't be ready for the currently scheduled Feb. 17 changeover."

Too many is defined as an estimated:

"6.5 million U.S. households that rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals".

These households:

"could see their TV sets go dark next month if the transition is not postponed."

Whoa! You can't be serious. Congress has "growing concerns" about this? Why?

Congress, rightly or wrongly, mandated the change to digital in 2005. This has been advertised for how long? Every time I turn on PBS, I hear another public service announcement. Congress even authorized a $40 unconstitutional subsidy to motivate Americans.

If people haven't gotten off their butts by now what makes one think another four months will make a difference. Remember, 6.5 million is just 2.1% of the U.S. population. But as Gene Kimmelman, vice president for federal policy at Consumers Union (which publishes Consumers Report), reminds us that:

"millions of Americans — particularly low-income and elderly viewers — will pay the price because 'the government has failed to deliver the converter boxes these people deserve just to keep watching free, over-the-air broadcast signals.'"(emphasis mine)

There you have it. It is the governments responsibility. These people deserve - it is there right as Americans - to keep watching free TV.

Here's a thought. Since it's the governments responsibility to satisfy everyone's "I want my FreeTV!" tantrum, perhaps Congress should authorize, along with its nearly trillion dollar fraud of taxpayers - I mean stimulus package, a government employee to go into every single household and personally verify that the household does not have the dreaded - Digital Dysfunction (DD).

If a household does have DD, the government can rectify the problem on the spot. That way all those lazy couch potatoes can rest comfortably on their ever expanding backsides while keeping their thumb muscle limber and fit.

Or maybe Congress should mind their Constitutional-mandated business and quit trying to save Americans from stupid little "hardships". My guess is that if 6.5 million people's TV sets go dark on Feb. 17th that they will resolve it if they want.

And if they don't, they may just find out that what they thought they might miss wasn't all that important anyway.

Maybe Digital Dysfunction isn't something to be ashamed of.

Inauguration Day 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:01:00 +0000

Today, Barak Obama will officially become the 44th President of these United States of America. It is a historic occasion. Many will think I am referring to Obama becoming the first black president in our history.

But I am not.

It is, of course, historic in that sense. However, it is much more important for another reason of history.

We do not realize how unique our transfer of power is in human history. The wheels of power goes from one man to another. Not by a coup. Not through a civil war. The transfer of power will occur, not amid bloodshed, but amid peace.

This is a very rare occurrence in human history indeed. We have been blessed in this nation and today's Inauguration is a reminder of that fact.

So I pray for our outgoing president, George W. Bush, for long life and a big thank you for standing firm in the face of severe criticism thereby keeping our nation safe.

And I pray for my new president, Barak Obama. May God give you health and safety and wisdom in abundance.

From Whence Do Rights Come? - Martin Luther King Day 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:01:00 +0000

In our world today, there are a myriad of rights claims: women’s rights, gay rights, animal rights, sex worker’s rights. How does one evaluate such claims to determine their legitimacy?

From whence do rights come?

A right is a just claim to something. How does one determine whether a claim is just or unjust and thus, by extension, whether the laws based upon that claim are just or unjust?

“A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality (i.e. the dignity and worth of man who is made in the image of God) is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.” [1]

"This idea of the dignity and worth of human personality is expressed eloquently and unequivocally in the Declaration of Independence. ‘All men,’ it says, ‘are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ ” [2]

Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote those words to explain the very foundation upon which he and the civil rights movement opposed segregation.

King, as did Abraham Lincoln and the Founders before that, recognized that man’s dignity derives from the Creator’s design. Skin color, in all its varied hues, is part of being human and therefore inconsequential. One’s character, not their skin color, reveals God’s image.

King continued, “All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the (dignity and worth of man who is made in the image of God)” thereby “relegating persons to the status of things.” [3]

The same unchanging voice that illuminates the unjustness of segregation, and slavery before that, also lights our way in the ubiquitous right claims of today.

Take, for example, marriage. Same-sex marriage advocates claim marriage is a right that justly belongs, not only to two people of opposite sexes but also, to two people of the same sex.

The same voice, which tells us that skin color is inconsequential, tells us the Creator designed sexual organs for the opposite sex. When used otherwise the “eternal and natural law” is violated, debasing God’s image within us.

Advocates claim that sexual orientation is part of a homosexual’s nature; that they are born this way.

A homosexual sexual orientation is a sexual desire toward a member of the same sex.[4] A desire, no matter how strong, is a subjective feeling. Yet, the homosexual’s physical sexual organs are made for the opposite sex. Therefore a homosexual union, by definition, cannot unite the human being’s sexual nature - for the sexual desire they have for the same sex conflicts with the sexual organs they have for the opposite sex.

Marriage between a male and a female unites both parts of a human being’s sexual nature – the physical sexual organs match the sexual desire for the opposite sex. The right of marriage between a man and a woman is rooted in the natural law and therefore is just. Same-sex marriage is unjust.

Claiming a right based on an inherent contradiction forces upon society “a human law that is not rooted in the eternal law and natural law” thereby rejecting the civil rights movement’s very foundation. It degrades the dignity and worth of the human being and destroys the very notion of “inalienable rights” which are endowed upon us by a Creator which founded this nation.

On this day we honor this man, Martin Luther King, Jr., who reminded our nation of the transcendent foundation upon which true rights stand, that would be unjust.

References:

1] Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963, reprinted in “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, edited by James M. Washington, First HarperCollins, 1986, pp. 293.

[2] Martin Luther King Jr., “The Ethical Demands of Integration,” Dec 27, 1962, reprinted in “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, edited by James M. Washington, First HarperCollins, 1986, pp. 119.

[3] Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” April 16, 1963, reprinted in “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr.”, edited by James M. Washington, First HarperCollins, 1986, pp. 293.

[4] Merriam-Webster Online Medical defines sexual orientation as “the inclination of an individual with respect to heterosexual, homosexual, and bisexual behavior” http://medical.merriam-webster.com/medical/sexual%20orientation.
Inclination is defined as “a deviation from the true vertical or horizontal; especially: the deviation of the long axis of a tooth or of the slope of a cusp from the vertical” http://medical.merriam-webster.com/medical/inclination.

The Prophecy Fulfilled

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 08:01:00 +0000

Matthew 1:18-23

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly.

But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."

Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US."

John 1:14

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Merry Christmas!

From the cradle to the cross:

What the Child has done for those who receive His pardon…

The Prophecy Foretold

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 05:02:00 +0000

Isaiah 9:6-7

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Planned Parenthood's Christmas Special

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Earlier this month, ABC News reported Planned Parenthood Offers Gift Certificates.

"Planned Parenthood provides contraception, pap smears and other routine health services for women, as well as abortions. The gift certificates, ranging in values from $25 to $100, can be redeemed for all clinic services."

So let me get this straight.

During the season when we celebrate the birth of a child, Planned Parenthood (PP) gives a certificate to prevent the birth of a child.
During the season that is about family and relationships, PP gives a certificate to permanently end the relationship with the most innocent and defenseless member of your family.
During the season when we celebrate life, whether through the child that will defeat death or symbols like the Christmas tree representing life (an evergreen that stays green even in the winter season), PP gives the gift of death.

PP is worthy of such scorn and mocking, that I therefore present:

"The Very Merry Planned Parenthood Christmas Special"

Planned Parenthood Christmas Carols

Away in a Clinic, no room for a bed,

My innocent baby was aborted and shed.

Joy to the World, I killed my baby.
Let All the World Rejoice!

Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright.
Round yon virgin Mother and Corpse,
Holy Infant so abused and now dead,
Tossed in the trash bin, Tossed in the trash bin.

Planned Parenthood Christmas Pageant

The Christmas Pageant, starring Planned Parenthood as the Magi and starring a corpse as Jesus:

We three Abortionists from Planned Parenthood are,

Bearing gift certificates we've traveled so far.

Mary - We present to you: contraceptives, gift certificates, and death.

Oh, yeah. And a website displaying (complete with animation) all

"the ways for you to practice safe sex so that you won't conceive when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and the power of the Most High overshadows you"
- The Holy Gospel of Birth Control, chapter 1, verse 1.

O, Holy Winter Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 12:04:00 +0000

Today, Sun., Dec. 21, 2008 at 7:04 AM est(the time this post is published), marks the Winter Solstice - the beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. See Wikipedia for more information on the Winter Solstice.

This is the "holy"day for which atheists erected a display in the state of Washington's capital building (Olympia, WA). What is entailed in a celebration of the Winter Solstice by these atheists? Their display explains:

"At this season of the winter solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Evidently, the atheist celebration entails attacking those who celebrate this season as a celebration of God breaking into human history (aka the "natural world").

Although I've written previously on the flaws of the atheists' display:
We Wish You A Winter Solstice
Being Grateful For Nothing
The Fallacy of Atheism
Morality - Evidence for God

I personally have no problem if atheists wish to have a display celebrating the Winter Solstice. However, one must wonder why these atheists don't have a positive message regarding their "holy"day.

Perhaps they might accept the intellectually honest position of Bruce Ramsey of the Seattle Times editorial board, a self-described atheist, who writes (the full post is worth reading):

"I don't feel the need for any atheist displays, but if there has to be one, make it on Charles Darwin's birthday, or the anniversary of the publishing of The Origin of Species, or some date like that. Don't make it during Christmas or the Jewish or Muslim festivals. Have it off by itself."

The only fault I have with Ramsey's analysis is that the purpose of this display wasn't to celebrate Atheism or the Winter Solstice. It was to express a hatred for religion. And

Wisdom seldom finds harbor in the hearts of hateful men.

Morality - Evidence for God

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +0000

I have one more thought on the atheist's intolerance display in Olympia (Washington state capital). The display states:

"At this season of the winter solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Notice the claim that "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." (emphasis mine)

This is language that is, by design, negative.

Question. By what standard does the atheist claim that hardening hearts and enslaving minds is bad? The atheist is making a claim that a moral standard exists. But it is a standard that does not just apply to themselves. If so, they would need no display attacking another person's worldview.

No, these atheists believe this moral standard applies to everyone. It is transcendent. But transcendent rules of right and wrong, by definition, only come from a transcendent being.

Otherwise, it is simply the atheists personal moral rule that he is trying to impose upon others, in this case, those who are religious.

Then my question is: Who died and made the atheist God?

The Fallacy of Atheism

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:03:00 +0000

More irony on the Atheist's display at the state of Washington's capital. The display states:

"At this season of the winter solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

The atheists long that "reason may prevail". They then make the claim that "there are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only the natural world."

Question. How do they know that "there are no gods"? Have they looked in every corner of the universe?

This is what strikes me as odd about the claim of atheism: it is a claim that a universal negative is true. But universal negatives cannot be proven. The claim is unreasonable. Thus, the atheist, by definition is rejecting the very reason he claims must prevail.

The intellectually honest position would be agnostism; that gods (or the supernatural) may exist but that we cannot know for sure.

Therein lies the rub. These individuals aren't really interested in reason or intellectual honesty. They have a hatred for anything religious and they willingly offend those who hold differing views.

The Bill of Rights - December 15, 1791

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:30:00 +0000

On December 15, 1791, the united States of America ratified the Bill of Rights, which is the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, speech, and the press, and the rights of peaceful assembly and petition.

Other amendments guarantee the rights of the people to form a well-regulated militia, to keep and bear arms, the rights to private property, to fair treatment for accused criminals, to protection from unreasonable search and seizure, to freedom from self-incrimination, to a speedy and impartial jury trial, and to representation by counsel.

The Tenth Amendment guarantees the right of the states not to have their power and authority usurped by the federal government except in limited areas as defined by the U.S. Constitution.

The Bill of Rights did not come out of the blue but takes its inspiration and builds on various declaration of rights that came before:

Magna Carta
John Locke's thesis - Two Treatises of Government: excerpts here
Virginia Declaration of Rights
Declaration of Independence

Read more at the Library of Congress Bill of Rights page

Being Grateful for Nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +0000

There are lots of comments to be made about the displayed some angry Atheists have placed in the capital building in Olympia, Washington. Story here. The display reads:

"At this season of the winter solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

My first thought is that the Preamble to the Washington State Constitution states:

We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.

Which means:

in the very building
where legislation is conducted
by people who have sworn an oath to uphold a state constitution (including the preamble)
is a sign that is contradicted by said state constitution

If these atheists are truly serious about their "Freedom from Religion" belief why don't they try to pass a Constitutional amendment eliminating the Supreme bieing phrase from the Preamble.

Of course, this may raise the question as to what the people of the State of Washington are so grateful that we need a constitution (i.e. a framework for government). I offer the following suggestions:

We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to nothing for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.

Or how does this sound:

We, the people of the State of Washington, grateful to myth and superstition for our liberties, do ordain this constitution.

Funny, being "grateful to myth and superstition for our liberties" is the very claim with which they charge Christians.

We Wish You A Winter Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Here in the state of Washington, angry Atheists have decided enough is enough with a Nativity scene in our state capital and have taken matters into their own hands. Story here. The display reads:

"At this season of the winter solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

A colleague has given permission to post her letter to Governor Christine Gregoire:

Governor Gregoire,

I am very disturbed by your willingness to allow the hateful message of a few to be displayed in our state capitol. Yes, I am one of those people who believe that Christmas is about our Lord and Savior, however, this is about more than if Religion is true or not.

This is about Hate. "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." This statement declares that anyone who believes in Christ, or for that matter any religion, HAVE hardened hearts and do not have a mind of their own. It is my belief that discrimination against any specified group of people is wrong and should never be promoted.

While it is true that people have freedom of speech, responsibility comes with that freedom. I have never seen a Christmas message expressed in hate, “put downs” or negativity towards people who do not believe. Christmas should be a time of love and joy, this statement is only negative and discriminatory.

Our government officials also have a responsibility, a responsibility to promote respect of each other and an environment of acceptance. These people have the right to express their opinions, that does not give them the right to have it displayed in our state capitol.

Respectfully,
Sandra Crispien

Veteran's Day 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Rambousek) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Today, marks the official government recognition of those who have sacrificed to protect out country and our liberties.

This year brings an added element to the gratitude we owe these men and women. Yesterday, President-elect Barak Obama traveled to the White House to visit and discuss the transition of power with President Bush.

We may dislike the long campaigns and the negative attacks of politics but once again we are watching a transition of power without violence and bloodshed. We are the greatest country on earth - despite our imperfections - because of the protective sacrifices of our Veterans.

Xerox Corporation also sponsors a site that lets you choose a thank you card and send it to a member of the U.S. Armed Services currently overseas. Go to http://www.letssaythanks.com/.

Let today be a reminder that every day we should have a heart of gratitude for our veterans and current members of the military.

Official White House statement

Thank You for Your Service