Obama Prayers

The Great Reneger

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sat, 01 May 2010 06:55:00 +0000

Instead of being a reneger - going back on promises and commitments - Mr. President, I pray that your yes will be yes and you no be no. Matthew 5:37

Mr. President, I pray that you will walk in the way of good men and will keep to the paths of the righteous. Proverbs 2:20

Mr. President, I pray that wisdom will enter your heart and that the knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Proverbs 2:10

Mr. President, I pray that in your decisions, you will have the ability to detect right from wrong and that this knowledge will protect you. Proverbs 2:11

Lastly, Mr. President, I pray that you will pursue wisdom and understanding, that you will know God’s words and will not turn from them. Proverbs 4:5

May this video which appears to show truth now be a thing of your past:

"The Great Reneger"
(Michael Fischer ©2009)
www.thefischers.net

Hey have you heard he's gone back on his word
On the internet there's a big long list
Of promises broken so eloquently spoken
And you wonder why so many millions are pissed?!

(Chorus)
Cause he's the Great Reneger - a politician at heart
A politician practicing his art
He's the Great Reneger, neither black or white
He's many shades of gray, far left from what's right

He'll tell you anything to get you on his side
Like Change You Can Believe In, Trust me would I lie?
We'll have transparency, CSPAN, post all bills on the net
There'll be no lobbyists, no pork, Have we seen it? Not Yet! (chorus)

Bridge 1
They've had votes in the night behind closed doors
Senators bribed no better than whores
Pushing their program refusing to hear
When the voice of the people is perfectly clear (chorus)

His skin so thin and when scratched you can see
The horrible sight that lies just beneath
An unseasoned novice lifted up in pride
But there's a fall comein' soon and there'll be no place to hide! (Chorus)

Bridge 2
Teleprompter in place, he can really talk that talk
Blowin' smoke is cheap but he don't walk the walk
And what politician hates is when you turn on the light
He'll run like a roach for the darkness of night.

There's A Communist Living In The White House

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:57:00 +0000

You Could Be Our Greatest President...

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:04:00 +0000

Last year, another open letter to President Obama began circulating. Considering it's from a World War II vet, it deserves your time and attention:

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.
I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

"We're no longer a Christian nation"

"America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world, "America is mean-spirited." Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you but I don't think you like America nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said, "America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean?

1. Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British ?

2. Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War?

3. I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellahs I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around because we stand for freedom.

4. I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes

Mr. Estes is indeed the real deal as Snopes determined and his open letter to President Obama has circulated far and wide.

Very few of our WWII vets are alive today. For those that remain, how their hearts must ache. How their spirits must be crushed at seeing the freedoms they bled and died for being so twisted, misused, and unappreciated today! America, we haven't fallen so far as to have forgotten the sacrifices of these men and women. If we forget the teachings of the past, we are doomed to repeat previous mistakes.

I pray we don't forget the values, morals, and faith that made this country great. I pray we stop trying to replace those things with political correctness, verbally berating people who differ in opinions, and valuing what's on the outside of a person. Character and integrity were traits oozing from our WWII vets. It's something our current military men and women ooze on a daily basis.

We all can demonstrate character and integrity. We just need to stop worrying about being correct all the time and placing our faith in God...not man, his plans, or government. Amen.

Death Threat In Psalm 109:8?

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:09:00 +0000

"May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership."

Again, a few words have sparked a firestorm of reactions. The power of words and, in the case, the power of Scripture. Psalms - always known for having short nuggets of wisdom from King David and others - is the focus of media attention because the scripture verse Psalms 109:8 is appearing on shirts and stickers as a prayer for President Obama and considered a veiled death threat.

Undoubtedly, this "campaign" will be used to brand Christians as terrorists, extremists, and right-wing nuts. Some may even claim Christians are no better than suicide bombers and perhaps consider Christians cowards because they hide behind a scripture verse while suicide bombers follow through on actions.

Believe it. Someone on MSNBC will likely go that far.

So, instead of foaming at the mouth like a bunch of rabid dogs, let's step back a second. Allow me to offer a Scripture, "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger." (James 1:9)

Or listen and shut your face.

To take the verse in context, Psalm 109 is an imprecatory psalm which means it asks for judgment on the wicked. Imprecatory psalms are written to invoke judgment or curses on one's enemies, demonstrate God's just and righteous judgment toward the wicked, show the authority of God over the wicked, to lead the wicked to seek the Lord, and to cause the righteous to praise God.

David speaks against his enemies in the first five verses, prays against them in verses 6-15, justifies his reasons in verses 16-20, and prays for his own safety in verses 21-31.

We cannot speak ill of David for his prayers. For if we do, we must realize we are speaking ill of ourselves. God said David was a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22) and yet David lusted after another man's wife, slept with her, got her pregnant, had the woman's husband killed, and these actions led to the death of the baby. The key here is that David realized that what was good in him was his obedience and fellowship with God. Thus his relentless pursuit of faith and knowing God deeper - even when he stumbled and sin - made him genuine in his love of God.

Thus, we are no better than David. We are all sinners. Just because you have not committed adultery or murder, don't think you're better than David. For sin is sin is sin. God views all sin the same. And just like King David, we make mistakes. Yes, Christians are people and all people make mistakes.

So, is this a campaign of hate? Is it a campaign to call down God's wrath on President Obama? I cannot speak for the originator of the campaign, but I can speak for myself and other Christians who nodded in agreement with the Scripture.

I, like many others, would like President Obama out of office and soon. Why? Because of his agendas which seem reckless: abortion, homosexuality, excessive spending, big government, idolatry, and embracing of multiple faiths.

If you disagree with someone in a political office, you likely will reach a point of wanting them out of office. This is likely the intent behind offering this as a "Prayer for Obama" - that if it is God's Will, Obama will soon be removed from office.

So, while I agree with the intent, this is still a bandwagon Christians should never have jumped on board, because it's a classic example of taking Scripture out of context and causing non-Believers to see mixed-messages. While the Psalm 109:8 verse may never have been intended as a death threat, the surrounding verses and the purpose of David's writing imply the desire to have God spite the President.

There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with President Obama and his Administration. Nothing wrong with praying that they receive wisdom and discernment from God. Nothing wrong with praying that God remove him from office - if it's God's Will - but that request should be way down on the list. More important is to pray for the President's protection, wisdom, discernment, as well as our own heart being sensitive to the Holy Spirit's guidance.

Remember what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount: “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you (Luke 6: 27-31).”

Paul in Romans 12:3 says, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.”

Proverbs 12:16 says “A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.”

Love God, people, and seek guidance from the Bible for your life.

Also read: An Open Letter To President Obama

An Open Letter To President Obama

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:18:00 +0000

Mr. President,

Congratulations on being in the White House! Few of us can even begin to fathom the emotions, thoughts, and demands the President of the United States experiences on a daily basis. Your time in the White House is even more accomplished by being the first African-American to hold the office after serving eight years as an Illinois state senator and four years as a U.S. senator.

Congratulations, sir, on making history and for inspiring many young people to realize their dreams are possible!

However, Mr. President, I must express my sadness regarding your polices and Administration. It appears to me that you are dumbfounded as to why so many citizens - and yes, sir, there are millions - disagree with you. I share many of their concerns.

Songs of Praise - While it may seem cute, creative, or remarkable for school children to sing songs about you, I find it offensive especially when those songs are to the tunes of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "Jesus Loves The Little Children." When schoolchildren cannot sing carols because they contain the word "Christmas" or recite prayers in the name of Jesus but are allowed to twist patriotic or praise songs to glorify you, sir, something is wrong.

Many may defend how wonderful it is for children to honor their President in song. I say honor God or honor America but do not praise a man. The fact that you have never humbly denounced these songs conveys to me your approval of them.

False Idol - The overall reaction to your being a world celebrity is a sharp contrast to the last eight years at the White House. George W. Bush even at his most popular did not generate the "shock and awe" you, sir, have commanded. In fact, I'm not certain if any President has accomplished this.

While your personality and charm may indeed bring a new shine to America's image in the world, you are not a god or savior, sir. Yet, many including the media have portrayed you as capable of doing no wrong.

The marketing of "Yes We Can," "Change We Can Believe In," and your "O" symbol have been effective trademarks, however, they have promoted a form of idol worship that is inappropriate. I have seen no efforts on your part to dismiss this worship and you seem to welcome the praise, sir.

Sadly, many celebrities have bought into this. Sting believes you might be "a divine answer to the world's problems" and that your opponents are "aggressive and violent and full of fear." I'd consider myself aggressive but violent? Nope. Full of fear? Nada. Full of disappointment in what you and other liberals are trying to do to this country? Absolutely.

Why not redirect praise to God or at least towards America? This country is great because of all of us and not who is leading or has led us.

Arrogance - Ultimately, sir, I doubt you will offer any dismissive remarks on songs and other godlike praise because of your self-adoration. Asserting that Fox News isn't a news channel and attempting to shut them out of a Pay Czar interview, dismissing Republicans repeatedly with a "we won" attitude, giving up on bipartisanship in various instances, dismissing health care opponents as terrorists or extremists, mocking T.E.A. Party attendees, and threatening to call out anyone (Senators and other Congressional members included) who oppose your ideas all ring, sir, as tactics of a dictator or at least a thug and not the behavior becoming to the President of the United States.

Blame Bush - This is a sign of weakness and cowardice, sir. Stop blaming your predecessor. Presidents inherit issues from two or three previous administrations. You've been elected for a year. Issues are yours to clean up or ignore. Stop making excuses, sir.

Czars - While a President should surround themselves with wise and strategic resources, you seem to have picked the most radically liberal group of personalities, sir. Plus, these all appear to be new positions and thus adding more layers of government. This video sums it up nicely:

Evasive - Equally dismissed, more so from your Administration staff than yourself, are the questions about your birth certificate and other records. Again, it's not racist of me or anyone to want to know if you "fit the bill" for being President as outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Ultimately, either you have a copy of your "long-form" birth certificate or you do not. The "short form" which has been readily distributed is an easily-produced electronic document. It's not the original from 1961. Why not show it? Also, why seal your college records, sir, and yet tell the world your daughter made a D on a test?

Big Government - Bail outs, stimulus packages, corporate take-overs, health care reform, higher taxes...frankly, sir, I think you're trying to see how far you and your Administration can push things. Change isn't easy. Most don't like it. But no one likes having big changes shoved down their throats. Sugar-coat and spin all of this anyway you wish, sir, but more government is not the answer to solving problems. Throwing money at problems - money we don't have - is not the answer to solving problems. These are major reasons why many do not trust your motives.

Apologizing for America - Just stop it, sir. Stop getting before leaders of other countries and apologizing for "America's behavior" on how we've done things in the past. Apologies should be given once and only when wrongs have been done specific to someone. Apologizing because we may have offended a group of people or disagreed with their methods is not a sign of peace...it's a sign of weakness.

Abortion - You've said that abortion is "one of the most fundamental freedoms we have in this country." Abortion, sir, is murder. Nothing less, nothing more. While a woman may be entitled to the freedom to abort her baby, it's nothing we as a society should support and thus approve. Tax payer dollars, for example, should absolutely not be used to support this practice.

Homosexual agenda / redefining marriage - While you've stated you believe marriage is between one man and one woman, you wish to throw government support behind redefining marriage so homosexuals can marry? You also claimed you "don't promote same same-sex marriage" but was that when you were a candidate as you are in the video below and now that you're President things have changed? Am I missing something?

Gays should have the freedom and rights to live their lives, however, drawing a line is perfectly sound and reasonable in the definition of marriage. The Bible isn't the only source that disagrees with the concept of gay marriage.

Christian nation - We no longer act as Christian nation but we were founded on Christian principles. The Declaration of Independence acknowledged that all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights..." and noted that our Founding Fathers were relying "on the protection of Divine Providence" in helping to create this country. Since 1956, "In God We Trust" has been our national motto printed on money and buildings.

We certainly don't act as a Christian nation, yet we're tolerant of a multitude of faiths. Congressman Forbes reminded us that President Dwight Eisenhower said, "Without God, there would be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first—the most basic—expression of Americanism. Thus the Founding Fathers saw it, and thus, with God's help, it will continue to be."

President Obama, I could continue with other examples but these are the ones that concern me most. Again, these concerns don't make me a terrorist, racist, right-wing fanatic, or extremist. I am a concerned American citizen, and as Lou Pritchett's open letter to you articulates - you scare me, sir. You scare me not because you want to change things but because your changes are so liberal, radical, and in some cases are fixing things that aren't broken.

But with all these concerns, I still pray for you and your family. I pray that you seek God's wisdom and discernment in all things that you do - as President, husband, and father. I pray that angels protect you and your family in all your journeys. I pray that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and know that He is the way, the truth, and the life. I also pray that you hear the concerns of the millions of other conservative voices like mine, that you will consider and not dismiss our concerns and that if we agree to disagree we do so as Christian Americans. I pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

You Lie!

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:24:00 +0000

Sometimes words can remind us of their power.

"You lie!"

Two little words shouted as an emotional outburst from a Republican congressman would never have gained attention if they hadn't been shouted loud enough to hear during a Presidential address to Congress.

Congressman Joe Williams contacted the White House shortly after and expressed his regret for the statement. President Obama told reporters the next morning he accepted the apology and indicated, "We all make mistakes."

It's here anyone still having issues with Congressman Joe should get over it. If you feel it was disrespectful, the man apologized to whom the statement was directed and the apology was accepted. Done. Finished.

If you feel he needs to be made an example, remember, the President said you make mistakes, too. Joe's not racist just because he's white and the President is black. Stop playing the race card.

Does he need to apologize to the House? Absolutely not. If the House wants an apology from him, then I expect every single person in the video below who verbally disagreed during this State of the Union speech and sat on their laurels to apologize. Why? Because guess what...you disrespected that President.

Unable or unwilling to let it go, the House formally rebuked Joe Wilson nearly a week later. The final tally: was 240-179...233 Democrats and seven Republicans voting to chastise Wilson, 167 Republicans and 12 Democrats opposing the measure and five Democrats merely voting "present."

So, was Obama lying? Let's have some fact-checking:

------

OBAMA: "I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits either now or in the future. Period."

THE FACTS: Though there's no final plan yet, the White House and congressional Democrats already have shown they're ready to skirt the no-new-deficits pledge.

House Democrats offered a bill that the Congressional Budget Office said would add $220 billion to the deficit over 10 years. But Democrats and Obama administration officials claimed the bill actually was deficit-neutral. They said they simply didn't have to count $245 billion of it -- the cost of adjusting Medicare reimbursement rates so physicians don't face big annual pay cuts.

Their reasoning was that they already had decided to exempt this "doc fix" from congressional rules that require new programs to be paid for. In other words, it doesn't have to be paid for because they decided it doesn't have to be paid for.

The administration also said that since Obama already had included the doctor payment in his 10-year budget proposal, it didn't have to be counted again.

That aside, the long-term prognosis for costs of the health care legislation has not been good.

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf had this to say in July: "We do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount."

CBO finds H.R. 3200 would increase the budget deficit by $239 billion over ten years—and "would probably generate substantial increases in federal budget deficits" thereafter. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation released a study which found that in its second decade, H.R. 3200 would increase federal deficits by more than $1 trillion.

------

OBAMA: "Nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have."

THE FACTS: That's correct, as far as it goes. But neither can the plan guarantee that people can keep their current coverage. Employers sponsor coverage for most families, and they'd be free to change their health plans in ways that workers may not like, or drop insurance altogether. The Congressional Budget Office analyzed the health care bill written by House Democrats and said that by 2016 some 3 million people who now have employer-based care would lose it because their employers would decide to stop offering it.

In the past Obama repeatedly said, "If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan, period." Now he's stopping short of that unconditional guarantee by saying nothing in the plan "requires" any change.

------

OBAMA: "Let me repeat this: nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have."

THE FACTS: You won’t have to change your policy, but what you have will change or go away.

------

OBAMA: "The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally." One congressman, South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson, shouted "You lie!" from his seat in the House chamber when Obama made this assertion. Wilson later apologized.

THE FACTS: The facts back up Obama. The House version of the health care bill explicitly prohibits spending any federal money to help illegal immigrants get health care coverage. Illegal immigrants could buy private health insurance, as many do now, but wouldn't get tax subsidies to help them. Still, Republicans say there are not sufficient citizenship verification requirements to ensure illegal immigrants are excluded from benefits they are not due.

A CNS News report says: It is true that both the House and Senate health care bills as they are now drafted would make illegal aliens ineligible for federally funded health care. But President Obama has stated as recently as last month at a press conference in Mexico that he will seek “comprehensive immigration reform” legislation that will put illegal aliens on a “pathway to citizenship.”

Viewed in combination, the president’s health care and immigration reform plans would in fact let people who are illegal immigrants in the United States today receive federally funded health care benefits when the plan comes on line. In his speech last night, the president said that the health insurance exchanges where people would buy federally subsidized insurance would not begin operating until four years from now. If Obama follows through on his agenda as planned, immigration reform will be enacted in the intervening time.

Section 246 of the health care reform bill that has been approved by three House committees is titled, “No Federal Payment for Undocumented Aliens.” It says, “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”

The bill passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, defines an “eligible individual” under the bill as “a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence or an alien lawfully present in the United States.”

At an August 10 press conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, President Obama was asked this question: “I wonder if you can tell us what you think the prospects are for immigration reform, for comprehensive immigration reform, which you've said is your goal; and whether you think that the blows you're taking now on health care and that the Democrats are likely to take around the midterm elections will make it hard, if not impossible, to achieve comprehensive immigration reform in this term.”

Obama responded that he was “confident” he would get immigration reform that created a “pathway to citizenship” for illegal aliens.

“Now, am I going to be able to snap my fingers and get this done? No,” said Obama. “This is going to be difficult; it's going to require bipartisan cooperation. There are going to be demagogues out there who try to suggest that any form of pathway for legalization for those who are already in the United States is unacceptable. And those are fights that I'd have to have if my poll numbers are at 70 or if my poll numbers are at 40. That's just the nature of the U.S. immigration debate.

“But ultimately, I think the American people want fairness,” Obama continued. “And we can create a system in which you have strong border security, we have an orderly process for people to come in, but we're also giving an opportunity for those who are already in the United States to be able to achieve a pathway to citizenship so that they don't have to live in the shadows, and their children and their grandchildren can have a full participation in the United States. So I'm confident we can get it done.”

So, the bottom line is this: Obama intends to enact health-care reform legislation that expressly prohibits giving federal health insurance benefits to illegal aliens. He then intends to enact “comprehensive immigration reform” that will make illegal aliens into legal residents of the United States thus making them eligible for the new federal health insurance benefits created by his health-care reform bill.

Illegal immigrants won’t get federal health insurance benefits under Obama’s plan because they won’t be illegal immigrants anymore, they will be legal immigrants.

------

OBAMA: "Don't pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut. ... That will never happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare."

THE FACTS: Obama and congressional Democrats want to pay for their health care plans in part by reducing Medicare payments to providers by more than $500 billion over 10 years. The cuts would largely hit hospitals and Medicare Advantage, the part of the Medicare program operated through private insurance companies.

Although wasteful spending in Medicare is widely acknowledged, many experts believe some seniors almost certainly would see reduced benefits from the cuts. That's particularly true for the 25 percent of Medicare users covered through Medicare Advantage.

Supporters contend that providers could absorb the cuts by improving how they operate and wouldn't have to reduce benefits or pass along costs. But there's certainly no guarantee they wouldn't.

------

OBAMA: Requiring insurance companies to cover preventive care like mammograms and colonoscopies "makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives."

THE FACTS: Studies have shown that much preventive care -- particularly tests like the ones Obama mentions -- actually costs money instead of saving it. That's because detecting acute diseases like breast cancer in their early stages involves testing many people who would never end up developing the disease. The costs of a large number of tests, even if they're relatively cheap, will outweigh the costs of caring for the minority of people who would have ended up getting sick without the testing.

The Congressional Budget Office wrote in August: "The evidence suggests that for most preventive services, expanded utilization leads to higher, not lower, medical spending overall."

That doesn't mean preventive care doesn't make sense or save lives. It just doesn't save money.

------

OBAMA: "If you lose your job or change your job, you will be able to get coverage. If you strike out on your own and start a small business, you will be able to get coverage."

THE FACTS: It's not just a matter of being able to get coverage. Most people would have to get coverage under the law, if his plan is adopted.

In his speech, Obama endorsed mandatory coverage for individuals, an approach he did not embrace as a candidate.

He proposed during the campaign -- as he does now -- that larger businesses be required to offer insurance to workers or else pay into a fund. But he rejected the idea of requiring individuals to obtain insurance. He said people would get insurance without being forced to do so by the law, if coverage were made affordable. And he repeatedly criticized his Democratic primary rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, for proposing to mandate coverage.

"To force people to get health insurance, you've got to have a very harsh penalty," he said in a February 2008 debate.

Now, he says, "individuals will be required to carry basic health insurance -- just as most states require you to carry auto insurance."

He proposes a hardship waiver, exempting from the requirement those who cannot afford coverage despite increased federal aid.

------

OBAMA: "There are now more than 30 million American citizens who cannot get coverage."

THE FACTS: Obama time and again has referred to the number of uninsured as 46 million, a figure based on year-old Census data. The new number is based on an analysis by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, which concluded that about two-thirds of Americans without insurance are poor or near poor. "These individuals are less likely to be offered employer-sponsored coverage or to be able to afford to purchase their own coverage," the report said. By using the new figure, Obama avoids criticism that he is including individuals, particularly healthy young people, who choose not to obtain health insurance.

OBAMA: People without insurance do not get health care.

THE FACTS: We mandate, by law, that people can walk up to a public hospital and receive care if they need it, insured or not. If they can’t walk, an ambulance will come pick them up for a ride. Charitable hospitals routinely write off the cost of caring for people who cannot afford it, and in fact, doing so is their core mission. Cost recovery is already built in to the system.

--------

Even if you wish to debate whether or not President Obama lied or not, what is clearly not in dispute is a need to move on. As a society, we've forgotten to apologize once and expect someone to go on a "Forgiveness Tour" expressing their sorrows over and over.

You only need to apologize once and to the person that matters. In this case, that was President Obama and that apology was accepted. If the President had not accepted his apology, then that would've been the President's problem, not Congressman Joe's problem.

GotQuestions.org examines lying:

The Bible nowhere presents an instance where lying is considered to be the right thing to do. The ninth commandment prohibits bearing false witness (Exodus 20:16). Proverbs 6:16-19 lists “a lying tongue” and “a false witness who pours out lies” as two of the seven abominations to the Lord. Love “rejoices with the truth” (1 Corinthians 13:6). For other Scriptures that speak negatively of lying, see Psalm 119:29, 163; 120:2; Proverbs 12:22; 13:5; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9; and Revelation 21:8. There are many examples of liars in Scripture, from Jacob’s deceit in Genesis 27 to the pretense of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Time after time, we see that falsehood leads to misery, loss, and judgment. Read more

GotQuestions.org also examines forgiveness:

Many people make the mistake of believing that God forgives “little” sins such as lying, anger, and impure thoughts, but does not forgive “big” sins such as murder and adultery. This is not true. There is no sin too big that God cannot forgive it. When Jesus died on the cross, He died to pay the penalty for all of the sins of the entire world (1 John 2:2). When a person places his faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, all of his sins are forgiven. That includes past, present, and future, big or small. Jesus died to pay the penalty for all of our sins, and once they are forgiven, they are all forgiven (Colossians 1:14; Acts 10:43). Read more

Pray that President Obama is open and honest with the American people, that he and his administration seek discernment and wisdom in all things, and that his decisions will be made with the wisdom and peace that passes all understanding.
James 3:16-18 "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

Keep praying...

Why Parents Oppose Obama School Speech

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 15:00:00 +0000

UPDATE: Now that the President has given his speech, what did you think of it? What did you think of the reaction of parents? Share your comments below after reading this article.

President Barack Obama plans to address students of America via a live webcast tomorrow, Tuesday, September 8. The President giving an educational pep talk to children should be a good thing, right? In this case, parents are in an uproar.

Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform (CER), released the following statement:

"Having the President of the United States use the bully pulpit to speak to our schoolchildren isn't new, but it's only a good use of the office if executed with a clear vision. That vision was blurred by overzealous staffers who counseled teachers to use the speech to focus on President Obama himself and not on the nation's education crisis."

The afore mentioned focus is referring to administration-created lesson plans which precede the speech and originally recommended having students "write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president." The White House revised the plans to say students could "write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short-term and long-term education goals."

White House deputy policy director Heather Higginbottom said the original writing assignment was "inartfully worded" and that "we corrected it."

The address will appear live on the White House website and C-SPAN at noon on Tuesday in classrooms across America except for districts in states including Texas, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Virginia and Wisconsin which have decided not to show the speech to students.

Other examples of banning the speech:

The district in Houston is leaving the decision up to individual school principals.
In suburban Houston, the Cypress-Fairbanks district planned to show the address and has had its social studies teachers assemble a curriculum and activities for students.
In the Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas, the 54,000-student school district is not showing the 15- to 20-minute address but will make the video available later.
In Texas, calls and e-mail messages flooded into the offices of many local school officials. “I didn’t get a positive call all day,” said Susan Dacus, a spokeswoman for the Wylie Independent School District outside Dallas.
School officials in Wylie decided to record the speech, review it and then let individual teachers show it, offering students the opportunity to avoid listening if they wished.
In Houston, teachers have been asked to tell parents if they intend to show the speech and the schools will provide an alternative class for those whose parents object, a spokesman for the district, Lee Vela, said.
In Wisconsin, the Green Bay school district decided not to show the speech live and to let teachers decide individually whether to show it later.
The Minnesota Association of School Administrators is recommending against disrupting the first day of school to show the speech, but Minnesota's biggest teachers' union is urging schools to show it.
Quincy, Ill., schools decided Thursday not to show the speech. Superintendent Lonny Lemon said phone calls "hit like a load of bricks" on Wednesday.
Many more districts are considering not showing or allowing parents a method of opting out their child.

So, what's the big deal? After all, it's the President talking to students. Why does that scare some parents? What's to fear?

Many conservative voices say Obama is using the opportunity to promote a political agenda and is overstepping the boundaries of federal involvement in schools.

"As far as I am concerned, this is not civics education — it gives the appearance of creating a cult of personality," said Oklahoma Republican state Sen. Steve Russell. "This is something you'd expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein's Iraq."

Arizona state schools superintendent Tom Horne, a Republican, said lesson plans for teachers created by Obama's Education Department "call for a worshipful rather than critical approach."

Perhaps you feel that's a bit too extreme.

"I think it's really unfortunate that politics has been brought into this," says Higginbottom. "It's simply a plea to students to really take their learning seriously. Find out what they're good at. Set goals. And take the school year seriously."

Higginbottom noted that the first President George Bush, a Republican, made a similar nationally broadcast speech from a Washington high school in 1991. He urged students to study hard, avoid drugs and to ignore peers "who think it’s not cool to be smart." Democrats in Congress claimed $27,000 in taxpayer money was used to produce "paid political advertising."

In November 1988, President Ronald Reagan delivered more politically charged remarks that were made available to students nationwide. Among other things, Reagan called taxes "such a penalty on people that there's no incentive for them to prosper ... because they have to give so much to the government."

The differences between any previous Presidential effort are two-fold. For one, there were no blogs and social networking. Information was spread via broadcast & cable TV along with newspapers and magazines. Secondly, regardless of their political party, previous Presidents were not viewed so radical so quickly as the Obama Administration.

The Concerns
Some reasons parents are concerned:

Political content? The speech not been screened for political content.
Not reviewed. The speech not reviewed by State Boards of Education and local school boards, which, under state law, must approve the curriculum.
Unknown content. "Nobody seems to know what he's going to be talking about," Perry said. "Why didn't he spend more time talking to the local districts and superintendents, at least give them a heads-up about it?"
Indoctrination. "It's a form of indoctrination, and I think, really, it's indicative of the culture that the Obama administration is trying to create," Regine Gordon of Tampa, Fla., told FOXNews.com on Thursday. "It's very socialistic."
Direct access to children. The speech "...seemed like a direct channel from the president of the United States into the classroom, to my child," said Brett Curtis, an engineer from Pearland, Tex.
Bypassing parents. PTA council president Cara Mendelsohn said Obama is "cutting out the parent" by speaking to kids during school hours. "Why can't a parent be watching this with their kid in the evening?" Mendelsohn said. "Because that's what makes a powerful statement, when a parent is sitting there saying, 'This is what I dream for you. This is what I want you to achieve.'"

Michelle Moore of St. Louis says, "I have to sign permission slips for my kids to watch R-rated movies in school." She felt parents were being blindsided by the president's address. "It was simply presented, 'Hey, we're going to do this, this is when it's going to air and you're going to show it to your kids.'" Moore suggested that the speech be issued as a DVD to students so they can view it with their parents at home, adding that the first day of classes for many students will be a harried affair.

Beth Milledge of Winterset, Iowa plans to go to school with her 8-year-old son to watch the address with him. Obama speaking directly to children without so much as a permission slip being sent home made her "feel a little funny."

"I want to know how it's being presented," she said. "I'm all for my child having respect for the president, but why wouldn't he show us the speech first and then go from there?"
Other media options available. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible contender for the GOP's 2012 presidential nomination, said Friday the classroom is no place to show a video address from Obama. "At a minimum it's disruptive. Number two, it's uninvited. And number three, if people would like to hear his message they can, on a voluntary basis, go to YouTube or some other source and get it. I don't think he needs to force it upon the nation's school children," he told reporters at the Minnesota State fair.
President is a stranger. "I wouldn’t let my next-door neighbor talk to my kid alone; I’m sure as hell not letting Barack Obama talk to him alone," said Kansas City talk show host Chris Stigall.
President isn't trusted. "Thinking about my kids in school having to listen to that just really upsets me," suburban Colorado mother Shanneen Barron told CNN Denver affiliate KMGH. "I'm an American. They are Americans, and I don't feel that's OK. I feel very scared to be in this country with our leadership right now."
President creating "a cult of personality" according to Mark Steyn, a Canadian author and political commentator.
Taxpayer dollars footing bill to spread President Obama’s socialist ideology, according to Republican Party chairman in Florida, Jim Greer.
Send a message. By boycotting this speech, it's likely many are using this as a means to protest the President.

Charles Saylors, president of the national Parent Teacher Association, said the uproar over Obama's speech is "sad."

"The president of the United States, regardless of political affiliation, should be able to have a presentation and have a pep talk, if you will, to America's students," he told CNN.

As expected, the White House is dismissive of these concerns. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs showed his disconnect with the American people.

"I think we've reached a little bit of the silly season when the president of the United States can't tell kids in school to study hard and stay in school," presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "I think both political parties agree that the dropout rate is something that threatens our long-term economic success."

A White House spokesman said that there was nothing subversive about the upcoming Obama speech.

"The goal of the speech and the lesson plans is to challenge students to work hard in school, to not drop out and to meet short-term goals like behaving in class, doing their homework and goals that parents and teachers alike can agree are noble," spokesman Tommy Vietor told FOXNews.com yesterday. "This isn’t a policy speech. This is a speech designed to encourage kids to stay in school."

The White House released the speech around noon on Monday so parents can read it. Obama will deliver the speech at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.

UPDATE: For a very well written article that articulates concerns superbly, click here.

The Dangers
One harmful attribute of banning a Presidential speech is that such action could send the wrong message to children. Not being allowed to hear out the President of the United States, even if parents dislike his policies, may say that one should not listen to someone with whom they disagree.

However, involved parents make such decisions all the time. How much TV are they watching? What sorts of TV programs are they watching? What movies are they watching? What video games are they playing and for how long? With whom are they speaking and what words/tone/attitude are they using? What and how much food are they consuming? This is called parenting. While some are less or more strict than others, monitoring and controlling a child's input is wise.

Yet, there are those that might say such parenting is ignorant or even racist. True arrogance, ignorance, and racism is spewed from likes of MSNBC's David Schuster who alleges that opposition to this speech may stem from racism.

Then, there's MSNBC's Chris "Thrill-Going-Up-My-Leg" Matthews who cannot help but show his arrogance and bitterness.

This isn't the first time the race card has been played. The immature poster child for of the race-card is Janeane Garofalo who labels anyone disagreeing with the President as "racist rednecks who hate black people." Well, specifically she refers to "teabaggers" (the term is a sexual act) as racist rednecks even though they are peacefully protesting high taxes, massive spending, and endless bailouts. While hundreds of thousands of Americans are protesting, the media mocks them with teabagging jokes on prime time TV because these professionals forgot they were supposed to be journalists.

Whether it's T.E.A. Parties, Town Hall meetings, or "birthers" (who are labeled racist because they want to see the President's long-form birth certificate), one can disagree with another or have a differing opinion without being racist.

How You Can Help
What should you do regarding this speech? Read the text of the speech and use sound discernment. Don't allow the masses to dictate what you should or should not do as a parent. God has blessed you with children, so use careful consideration in how to handle their development. It's your call. It's your business.

Also, pray that the speech is encouraging and inspirational to students but also pray that parents will be more involved with their children. It's not up to schools to shape children and an encouraging speech from the President won't help take bad behavior, guns, and sex out of schools. Involved parents, grandparents, or other guardians can do this.

We should not follow leaders blindly, but “Test everything; hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus offers some critical advice in discerning who is a false prophet: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruits you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you will recognize them.”

It is of utmost importance that Christians are well-grounded in the Scriptures so that they are able to discern which teachers speak from God and which are false in their proclamation. Only then can we reject what is false and “hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

Pray is the answer...and God answers prayers of His children with yes, no, and wait.

Homosexual Agenda Hypnotism

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:38:00 +0000

Setting the Stage: How President Obama is Spooning the Homosexual Agenda

"I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexual around the world," said President Obama, indicating he will sign a U.N. declaration that calls for the decriminalization of homosexuality throughout the world.

"Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans."

Traditional Values reported:

The declaration is non-binding, but would be used as a propaganda weapon by homosexual activists to push for the decriminalization of homosexuality in other nations. The Bush Administration had refused to sign the declaration because it feared it would have committed the federal government to intervention in state and local matters on the issue of homosexuality.

So, hold on. Decriminalize? Is being gay a crime? Yes, it was in India until the New Delhi High Court struck down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Now, consenting adults can have homosexual intercourse without being jailed for 10 years.

The Huffington Post says:

Drafted in 1860, this Colonial-era law was brought into effect by the British, and was in line with similar anti-homosexuality legislation passed in England at the time. In the past decade, gay rights activists and lawyers have strived hard to abrogate Section 377, calling it "inhuman", and as the Naz Foundation, which filed the petition to abolition 377 in 2001 argued, a violation of constitutional rights to privacy and equality.

Gay sex is a crime in some countries but not in the U.S. Thus, one can conclude two reasons why President Bush did not sign the U.N. document: it's not a crime in America to have gay sex and signing such a document conveys support of homosexuality.

President Obama has also made domestic strides to support the homosexual agenda. He proclaimed June 2009 as "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month" and is the first U.S. chief executive to appoint "openly LGBT" candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an administration.

One News Now reports:

Pro-family activist Peter LaBarbera says it is sad, but not surprising, that President Obama has chosen to issue a proclamation celebrating homosexuality. The president of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality says Obama is pandering to homosexual political activists. "Homosexuality is nothing to be proud of -- bottom line," says LaBarbera. "The fact is people have left the lifestyle, people have overcome homosexuality [with God's help] -- I think that's something to be proud of...."

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, says in a One News Now report that the proclamation advocates more than mere tolerance.

"The United States federal government, now by executive order, signed by the President of the United States, is declaring national pride in these lifestyles," he contends. "This is not mere toleration; it's not calling for legalization, an end to criminal sanctions. It's not calling even for something like civil unions...it's calling for pride."

But wait, there's more.

President Obama also has extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Homosexual activists were underwhelmed because the benefits did not include health and retirement plans. The federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, signed by President Clinton in 1996 prohibits the government from extending health and retirement benefits to the partners of homosexual employees.

When the White House had a chance to stand for prayer, President Obama failed to send a representative to the Capitol Hill commemoration of the National Day of Prayer. The White House had previously been represented for nearly the last two decades. Instead, the White House chose to host an event several weeks later commemorating the Stonewall Riots of June 28, 1969, during which hundreds of homosexuals threw bottles and garbage at police and set a gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, on fire.

Citizen Link reports:

Tim Goeglein, Focus on the Family's vice president of external relations and a former special assistant to President George W. Bush, said the White House event is a boon to the gay lobby, which has been becoming impatient with Obama. "The president of the United State has the largest bully pulpit in the country and clearly gets to pick and choose among the issues that he would want to highlight," Goeglein said.

"There's an enormous amount of pressure (to advocate for pro-gay policies). The president has partially extended health benefits to homosexual partners. The president is of course now doing a commemoration, a very important commemoration. "But I think the larger goals are the ones that he's already committed to doing — overturning the DOMA , which is the protection of marriage in the states, and lifting the ban on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' " which prohibits "out" homosexuals from serving in the armed forces.

But the latest is the most unsurprising kicker. The Obama administration filed court papers claiming DOMA discriminates against gays.

The Associated Press reported:

The law, often called DOMA, denies federal recognition of gay marriage and gives states the right to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

"DOMA reflects a cautiously limited response to society's still-evolving understanding of the institution of marriage," according to the filing by Assistant Attorney General Tony West. The administration also disavowed past arguments made by conservatives that DOMA protects children by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

"The United States does not believe that DOMA is rationally related to any legitimate government interests in procreation and child-rearing and is therefore not relying upon any such interests to defend DOMA's constitutionality," lawyers argued in the filing.

Obama has pledged to work to repeal the law.

Conflicting Views: How President Obama Continues to Send Mixed Messages

When we peel back the surface, Barack Obama seems conflicted on the subject of homosexuality. He told Pastor Rick Warren last year during the Summer 2008 forum at Saddleback Church:

"I believe that marriage is the union between man and woman."

Yet, he says in a letter to the LGBT Democratic Club last summer:

"That is why I support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act..."

In his book, Audacity of Hope, Obama says:

"It is my obligation, not only as an elected official in a pluralistic society but also as a Christian, to remain open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided...and that in years hence I may be seen as someone who was on the wrong side of history."

One could conclude that our President has been struggling with this issue for a while. We all struggle with issues...some in our lives...others in the lives of our family and friends. More often, we complicate that which is so simple. So, let's try to dissect this issue:

Homosexuality: The Crime

Is it a crime to be gay? Not in America but in other countries, yes. In Iraq, the bodies of several gay men were found in Baghdad's main Shiite district of Sadr City earlier this year with the Arabic words for "pervert" and "puppy" -- considered derogatory terms for homosexuals in Iraq -- written on their chests.

This type of violence hasn't been seen or tolerated in the U.S. since the Civil Rights era. Not even after 9/11 were Muslims mistreated on a grand "hate campaign" level similar to the 1960's. However, homosexual activists would have you believe they are being targeted, discriminated, and mistreated on a daily basis.

While Christian missionaries and pastors are being beheaded for their faith in other countries, we are able to live out our beliefs (or non-beliefs) here in freedom. It's insulting to proclaim that anyone is being oppressed in the U.S. when blood is needlessly spilled elsewhere.

Homosexuality: The Lifestyle

So, if there's no law or fear of death in having gay sex, what about living the lifestyle? Again, we're in America and everyone is free to live their life as they please. The trouble comes when some try to impose their lifestyle through laws and legislation on others.

If one says being gay or living the homosexual lifestyle is wrong, that person is labeled intolerant, bigot, racist, or spouting hate. When did having a differing opinion become hate? But let's back up this discussion further. Is one born gay or does one choose to be gay?

Here, we can either apply the Bible or not. If we don't apply it, one would likely argue some are born gay. Many would say, "God created me this way" or "Why would I ever choose a lifestyle that would bring such pain and alienation?"

Why do people eat too much, drink too much alcohol, abuse drugs, marry the wrong spouses, or allow themselves to be physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally abused to the point of hospitalization and even death? We experiment with many things and do many things which aren't healthy or best for us, but they make us feel better. So, the gay lifestyle may make one feel better but is it really what's best? Ultimately, we're after feelings both shallow and deep.

If the Bible is applied, Got Questions explains:

God does not create a person with homosexual desires. The Bible tells us that people become homosexuals because of sin (Romans 1:24-27) and ultimately because of their own choice. A person may be born with a greater susceptibility to homosexuality, just as some people are born with a tendency to violence and other sins. That does not excuse the person’s choosing to sin by giving in to sinful desires. If a person is born with a greater susceptibility to anger/rage, does that make it right for him to give into those desires? Of course not! The same is true with homosexuality.

One could debate "born gay" at great lengths, however, one still makes the choice to love someone of the same sex. Just as one chooses to love someone of the opposite sex or different race, chooses to be single, or has sex with animals and corpses. These are all choices.

What people get hung up on is being told they're "in sin" or "committing sin" and thus are "wrong." No one likes to be told they're wrong. Yet, the two things overlooked here are: the homosexual lifestyle is a choice (such as choosing to be an adulterer or wife-beater) and we can still love people and disagree with their choices. Choices don't define us, yet, we often allow them to do so. With whom we choose to romantically mingle doesn't define us, however, that's what the entire homosexual agenda is based upon.

Now, the President of the United States wants to make that choice a priority.

Homosexuality: The Marriage

So, if there's no law or fear of death in having gay sex, and there's freedom to live the gay lifestyle, what's wrong with redefining marriage?

While the Bible clearly defines marriage as between male and female, Got Questions also explores other reasons marriage is well defined:

The Bible alone, however, does not have to be used to demonstrate this understanding of marriage. The biblical viewpoint of marriage has been the universal understanding of marriage in every human civilization in world history. History argues against gay marriage. Modern secular psychology recognizes that men and women are psychologically and emotionally designed to complement one another. In regard to the family, psychologists contend that a union between a man and woman in which both spouses serve as good gender role models is the best environment in which to raise well-adjusted children. Psychology argues against gay marriage. In nature/physicality, clearly, men and women were designed to “fit” together sexually. With the “natural” purpose of sexual intercourse being procreation, clearly only a sexual relationship between a man and a woman can fulfill this purpose. Nature argues against gay marriage.

Also in One News Now, Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., chairman of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, says that as African-Americans, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder both should know that same-sex marriage is not a civil rights issue, and that opposition to same-sex marriage is not the moral equivalent of racism.

"Evidently the president signaled to us during the Stonewall celebration, when he had all of the gay activists into the White House and made presentations of what he would do for them, that he values this constituency and he is responding to their urging to accelerate the process of redefining marriage," he points out. "So, I think it is very hypocritical on his part. I'm very outraged."

Jackson is joined in indignation by Brian Raum of the Alliance Defense Fund, who is disappointed the Justice Department is challenging the law which was passed in 1996.

"It's really troubling that the federal government has taken a position that federal policy is bad policy," says the attorney. "Federal DOMA was passed overwhelmingly and represents the prevailing view of the people of the United States that marriage is between a man and a woman and that's the optimal environment for raising kids," Raum contends.

Again, when one sees homosexuality as "how I am" and "who I am" anything and everything goes. If conditions are made to allow gay marriage, why not allow marrying one's horse or monkey? Why not being married to a corpse? Sound ludicrous? When the journey begins to accommodate the desires of the few, the slope becomes increasingly slippery into allowing other possibilities.

Homosexuality: The Politics

To make this issue more complicated, homosexual rights are being compared to civil rights and opposition to those rights are compared to racism. African-America columnist Star Parker wonders which side is President Obama on in her One News Now column:

First, we now know that Mr. Obama buys into reasoning equating the homosexual political movement to the black civil rights movement: "...it's not for me to tell you to be patient any more than it was for others to counsel patience to African Americans who were petitioning for equal rights a half century ago." Perhaps Obama can extend some of his famous empathy to a black Christian woman, Crystal Dixon, who lost her University of Toledo job for writing a column in her local paper challenging this premise. Dixon was fired for being uppity enough to write "...I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are 'civil rights victims' ...I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a black woman." Considering our president's priorities, I recall a song popular during the civil rights movement: "Which Side Are You On?"

Also, another political sign is President Obama's appointment of Harry Knox, a leading homosexual activist, to his faith-based council. Knox is on the White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and he believes scientific evidence supports certain people are born homosexuals. "What's clear from our experience and from science is that being gay or lesbian is an immutable, unchangeable gift from God -- one for which I'm very grateful," he said.

Also, appointed to council is Fred Davie, the openly gay president of Public/Private Ventures, to serve on on the policy council of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

In May, the Department of Education announced the appointment of Kevin Jennings to serve as Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools. Jennings, a homosexual, founded the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), served as its Executive Director in 2008, and was the LGBT Finance Co-Chair for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Jennings and the organization he founded have been the leaders in promoting a pro-homosexual agenda in America's schools, beginning in kindergarten.

On the legislative front, the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act raises concerns for many including Dr. Robert A. J. Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

In a Christian Post article, he points out that the explicit mention of "the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment" was removed from the version that was passed by the House in April.

"There is nothing in this bill that explicitly prevents any homosexualist-activist judge, of which there are many, from ruling that calling homosexual acts a grave 'abomination' by appeal to Levitical prohibitions constitutes an inducement to violence," Gagnon states in an article series arguing against the hate crimes legislation.

The Pittsburgh Seminary professor views the bill as "the Trojan horse of an aggressive gay/transgender lobby."

He argues that it offers "to the public the 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' law least likely to meet with massive public resistance." And once the horse is within the city walls, then passing other laws on sexual orientation and gender identity will be relatively easy.

The more laws, bills, and politicians that are introduced on the platform of sexual preference, the more commonplace and accepted this agenda will become. To be clear, a politician or other leader should be qualified for a job based on their skills, abilities, or works and not on their sexual preferences.

Praying for Obama: How to pray about all of this

With all the Obama Administration is doing to promote the homosexual agenda and knowing President Obama says anyone who opposes gay rights on Biblical or traditional grounds are holding to "worn arguments and old attitudes," it might be challenging to pray for the President.

However, we aren't called to pray for who we "like" or who "agrees with us." Matthew 5:44 says "...love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..."

President Obama and his Administration need prayer support. They need to make Godly and wise decisions. They do not need to pander to any one group based on seemingly grand notions that are for the good of everyone.

Pray that President Obama is granted eyes to see Your work and ears to hear Your voice so to not allow the wants of a few to dictate the needs of many.
1 Corinthians 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything. "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food"—but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

Pray that President Obama will honor people's rights and freedoms without forcing a sexual preference agenda upon everyone.
Matthew 19:4–6 "Haven’t you read," he replied, that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one.

John 15:18–19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

Pray that President Obama is open to understanding that telling someone the truth is an act of love and not hate. Telling someone that he/she is in the wrong is not hateful. In reality, refusing to tell someone the truth is what is truly hateful. Declaring the speaking of truth, presented respectfully, to be hate speech, is in fact the ultimate demonstration of hate.
Colossians 4:6 "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Pray that President Obama is focused on things of God and not of this world, and that he is granted discernment of what is of God and what is of the world.
2 Chronicles 7:14 "Then if my people, who are called by my name, are sorry for what they have done, if they pray and obey me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land."

Pray that President Obama is open to understanding that telling someone the truth is an act of love and not hate. Telling someone that he/she is in the wrong is not hateful. In reality, refusing to tell someone the truth is what is truly hateful. Declaring the speaking of truth, presented respectfully, to be hate speech, is in fact the ultimate demonstration of hate.
1 Peter 3:15 "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..."

Keep praying...

Do I have to pray for Obama?

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:00:00 +0000

Prayer is a challenging thing. Here we have God's ear to share our thoughts, concerns, and desires with Him and we often either don't do it enough or completely forget! It's tragic because so much can be gained from a healthy prayer life.

Most of the time, it's easier to pray for someone we care about such as our spouse, family or friends. But what about our leaders? Our boss, pastor, mayor, governor, and the President are some people we should remember in prayer.

1 Timothy 2:1–3 says "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior..."

Kings and all in authority...well, that pretty much covers it. But what if I don't agree with the government?

Romans 13 states, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God...This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

Ok, fine, I'll pray for my leaders...but not Barack Obama. Nope, not gonna do it.

Luke 6: 27-31 says “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

We don't have the luxury of praying only for people we like or only people who think like us. Loving our enemies is praying for them and interceding for them. Perhaps "enemy" is a strong word but it fits the bill on someone you dislike.

So, how can you pray for President Obama? Feel free to choose any of the prayer suggestions below and add them to a calendar or other means of devotional recording.

Pray President Obama will seek God's Will for himself, his family, his administration, and America.

Pray President Obama is open to the Holy Spirit's teaching and guidance.

Pray for ever-increasing knowledge of God.

Pray for President Obama's work to be the best.

Pray President Obama is sensitive to God’s voice, has spiritual ears, and a willing heart.

Pray President Obama stays far from gossip, deceit, or unbelief.

Pray God gives President Obama a spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, strength, and obedient and reverent fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:2).

Pray for keen discernment between God’s wisdom and human wisdom.

Pray for pure motives, purged by God through the Word and President Obama's personal prayer time.

Pray for discernment against impure motives.

Pray God leads and directs President Obama's paths.

Pray for divine health—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

Pray for all effects of tiredness and discouragement to be loosed from President Obama's mind and body.

Pray for fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Pray for total submission to the Lord in every aspect of life.

Pray for a spirit of unity, not competition; humility, not superiority; cooperation, not defensiveness.

Pray President Obama pursues righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

Pray President Obama feeds daily on the Word of God and maintains a faithful prayer life.

Pray God sends angels to guard President Obama, his family, and property, puts a hedge of protection around all that's going in, coming out, the air above, and the ground below.

Pray the angels go before President Obama and do battle in his behalf.

Pray God foils all attacks and traps of the enemy.

Pray against all occult activity—curses, witchcraft divination, sorcery.

Pray the Lord causes President Obama to abound in prosperity—body, soul, and spirit.

Thank God for providing all the needs—personal, family, ministry.

Pray President Obama will be a wise steward of time and be disciplined.

Pray President Obama's relationship with God is the top priority.

Pray for unity and understanding among the family members.

Pray there's no resentment when sacrifice is required.

Pray God meets President Obama's emotional needs.

Pray President Obama spends quality time with his family—both leisure time and spiritual time.

Pray the family discerns each other’s needs—emotional, physical, material, and spiritual.

Pray President Obama overcomes pressures and stress.

Health Care Hubbub

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 03:30:00 +0000

All this talk about health care reform is exhausting. Literally. Everyday, there's a new conservative or liberal report addressing some angle of it. Every other day, I receive an email from the White House attempting to dispel myths and proclaim why we must have reform. Almost as often there's video of the President, Senators, or Representatives reacting to or trying to explain the reform.

Now, the debate has heated up because people are mad as hell and aren't gonna take it anymore! Senators and Representatives across the country are hearing passionate pleas at town hall meetings. There's a lot of emotions at the meetings and it's rather comical how lawmakers have reacted. While they've had their heads in the sand, basking in the new administration's warmth and a Democrat-controlled Congress, the people who elected them to their positions have been fuming.

To worsen matters, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opens her gaping maw to insult grassroots efforts by labeling them "AstroTurf," claims that protesters are "carrying swastikas," and stereotypes those who shout over their Representatives at town halls "un-American." Nancy, please refrain from flapping your gums in public and just be Speaker of the House, because every time you speak elsewhere you are an embarrassment. People are confused and angry and therefore have a right to express themselves. However, shouting over speakers at town hall meetings...tisk, tisk. Be vocal, be direct, and be passionate. But be respectful and show some class! I applaud how Senator Ben Cardin (Dem.- Maryland) handled a recent town hall meeting in Towson, MD, on August 10. The event is summed up in the email below:

Senator Cardin's Town Hall Meeting - Towson - August 10, 2009

Inside the meeting there were 500 people -- the hall was filled to capacity. Outside, I and others estimated there were between 2000 and 3000 (thousand) people. The entire crowd could have been accommodated in the gymnasium across the street, and I believe this would have been better than having so many left outside in the heat.

The "organized" group of anti health care reform bill protesters well outnumbered the supporters. They came disguised as ordinary people. Many made themselves appear old, and many made themselves appear young. They intentionally wore clothing that would make them not seem to be an organized group. Their most ingenious ploy was to carry home-made, rather than professionally made signs.

The "unorganized" pro-Obamacare group, which numbered between 100 and 200, curiously all wore the same shirts, and somehow all managed to accidentally used the same sign shop to have their professionally printed signs made.

Both groups were loud and spirited. I personally witnessed no inappropriate behavior, especially from such a large group of people.

Now for what occurred at the meeting. The first speaker was a young lady who has a young child with medical disorders. While all the attendees respectfully listened to her and her family's plight, it was seen as a ploy by Sen. Cardin to jerk at people's heartstrings and to eat up time before taking questions. The good news about the young lady is that her family's medical problems were fixed -- without health care reform. Mr. Cardin then presented a slide show on the health care bill. For the most part the crowd attempted to pay attention, but as the presentation went on, it seemed clear to the majority that the information was not wholly truthful, and was seen as another attempt to burn up time before the question and answer portion.

While the crowd was spirited and boisterous, their responses were directed not at Mr. Cardin personally, but at the misinformation they believed he was giving. Mr. Cardin constantly talked about things not being in the Senate bill, but my understanding is that there is no official version of a Senate bill at this time. There are at least three House versions, which Mr. Cardin danced around, not having read them, as he admitted.

One question from the audience that got loud applause was "Why not support tort reform [civil lawsuits against doctors] before changing health care as we know it?" Mr. Cardin, a life-long trial lawyer, had absolutely no answer. Is it a coincidence that 80% of the elected officials in Washington are lawyers, including Barack Obama? (I wonder what this bill would look like if 80% of Congress were doctors and nurses.)

Another question was, would Mr. Cardin put in and vote for an amendment requiring Congress to be on the government plan. This yes-or-no question was not answered yes or no. He said, "I'm already on a government plan." But as you and I know, Congress has the best plan anyone could have, but it is available only to Congress and high-ranking government officials.

Mr. Cardin praised Medicaid and Medicare as examples of how efficiently government can run health care programs. He failed to mention that these programs are subsidized by the taxpayers and by those having private insurance, or that the government has done a horrible job of monitoring and prosecuting fraud in those systems. He avoided all questions on specifics in the bill, including questions of death counseling. He said that illegal aliens will not be eligible under this new program, but every attempt to put language in the bill to exclude illegal aliens has been blocked. He said that no additional money will be spent on abortions by the government, whereas sections of the bill clearly state otherwise.

As one gentleman so eloquently stated, "Mr. Cardin, I have never heard so many mistruths and out-and-out lies being told by an elected official," and he proceeded to explain the provisions in the bill concerning pre-existing conditions. Mr. Cardin then asked the gentleman whether he would hear him out. The gentleman replied, "That would be fine, Senator, if you stop lying." Mr. Cardin finally admitted that the gentleman was much more informed on the issue than he was, and asked if the gentleman would agree to sit down with him and help him understand the issues (the very issues that Cardin was at the meeting to explain!).

All in all, I don't believe that Mr. Cardin swayed anyone to his side. Having spoken to some of his supporters afterwards, they came in supporting the idea of free health care for all, not understanding the overall ramifications of Obamacare. But they left feeling that they needed to not merely support the general concept of health care, but to understand what the bill would do before supporting it.

I must hand it to Mr. Cardin. He stood up to the firing squad, and was always polite and respectful to the audience. The attendees, while very spirited, did not indulge in personal attacks on Sen. Cardin or Pres. Obama, but attacked the policies they proposed. It was a wonderful exercise of free speech.

Link to HR 3200 http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_111/20090714/aahca.pdf

P.S. Also in attendance were Delegates McDonough, Boteler, Frank, Aumann, Lafferty, and Speaker Pro Tem Jones. Delegate Warren Miller was present outside but was unable to get into the meeting room.

Rick Impallaria
Delegate, District 7
rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us

So, this isn't about who can shout the loudest, what's more liberal, what's more conservative, or how quickly a bill can be drafted. Why are citizens in an uproar?

The bill is over 1000 pages

Few lawmakers have read it

People fear change

Too much guesswork is being shared and not enough facts

People don't appreciate their voices and opinions being silenced or ridiculed, especially by those they elected to office

Few officials are willing to say "I don't know" and more often pass blame elsewhere

There's several websites and campaigns touting they have the facts about health care reform. For example, the White House has "8 ways reform provides security and stability to those with or without coverage" and "8 common myths about health insurance reform" and "8 Reasons We Need Health Insurance Reform Now" which I know about courtesy of two emails from the White House.

One of the myths the White House claims to bust:
Reform will stop "rationing" - not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a "government takeover" of health care or lead to "rationing." To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies.

However, John David Lewis breaks it down:

This is what the bill says, pages 284-288, SEC. 1151. REDUCING POTENTIALLY PREVENTABLE HOSPITAL READMISSIONS:

‘(ii) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN READMISSIONS.—For purposes of clause (i), with respect to a hospital, excess readmissions shall not include readmissions for an applicable condition for which there are fewer than a minimum number (as determined by the Secretary) of discharges for such applicable condition for the applicable period and such hospital.

and, under “Definitions”:

‘(A) APPLICABLE CONDITION.—The term ‘applicable condition’ means, subject to subparagraph (B), a condition or procedure selected by the Secretary . . .

and:

‘‘(E) READMISSION.—The term ‘readmission’ means, in the case of an individual who is discharged from an applicable hospital, the admission of the individual to the same or another applicable hospital within a time period specified by the Secretary from the date of such discharge.

and:

‘‘(6) LIMITATIONS ON REVIEW.—There shall be no administrative or judicial review under section 1869, section 1878, or otherwise of— . . .

‘‘(C) the measures of readmissions . . .

EVALUATION OF THE PASSAGES:

This section amends the Social Security Act

The government has the power to determine what constitutes an “applicable [medical] condition.”

The government has the power to determine who is allowed readmission into a hospital.

This determination will be made by statistics: when enough people have been discharged for the same condition, an individual may be readmitted.

This is government rationing, pure, simple, and straight up.

There can be no judicial review of decisions made here. The Secretary is above the courts.

The plan also allows the government to prohibit hospitals from expanding without federal permission: page 317-318.

The Wall Street Journal has this to say:
While claims about euthanasia and "death panels" are over the top, senior fears have exposed a fundamental truth about what Mr. Obama is proposing: Namely, once health care is nationalized, or mostly nationalized, rationing care is inevitable, and those who have lived the longest will find their care the most restricted.

Far from being a scare tactic, this is a logical conclusion based on experience and common-sense. Once health care is a "free good" that government pays for, demand will soar and government costs will soar too. When the public finally reaches its taxing limit, something will have to give on the care and spending side. In a word, care will be rationed by politics.

Another myth the White House claims to bust:
You can keep your own insurance: It’s myth that reform will force you out of your current insurance plan or force you to change doctors. To the contrary, reform will expand your choices, not eliminate them.

Congressman John Sarbanes (3rd District Maryland) echoes this sentiment: "It does not require anyone to enter into a government-run health care plan. If you like your doctor and your current plan, you can absolutely keep them if this proposal becomes law. For those who want to study other plans, it will give you more choices at lower rates than individuals can get in the current market."

The Enlighten Patriot even has it as Lie #2:
Democrats are going to outlaw private insurance and force you into a government plan!!! The truth: With reform, choices will increase, not decrease. Obama's reform plans will create a health insurance exchange, a one-stop shopping marketplace for affordable, high-quality insurance options. Included in the exchange is the public health insurance option—a nationwide plan with a broad network of providers—that will operate alongside private insurance companies, injecting competition into the market to drive quality up and costs down. If you're happy with your coverage and doctors, you can keep them. But the new public plan will expand choices to millions of businesses or individuals who choose to opt into it, including many who simply can't afford health care now.

However CNN Money disagrees on the freedom to keep your existing plan: This is the freedom that the President keeps emphasizing. Yet the bills appear to say otherwise. It's worth diving into the weeds -- the territory where most pundits and politicians don't seem to have ventured.

The legislation divides the insured into two main groups, and those two groups are treated differently with respect to their current plans. The first are employees covered by the Employee Retirement Security Act of 1974. ERISA regulates companies that are self-insured, meaning they pay claims out of their cash flow, and don't have real insurance. Those are the GEs (GE, Fortune 500) and Time Warners (TWX, Fortune 500) and most other big companies.

The House bill states that employees covered by ERISA plans are "grandfathered." Under ERISA, the plans can do pretty much what they want -- they're exempt from standard packages and community rating and can reward employees for healthy lifestyles even in restrictive states.

But read on.

The bill gives ERISA employers a five-year grace period when they can keep offering plans free from the restrictions of the "qualified" policies offered on the exchanges. But after five years, they would have to offer only approved plans, with the myriad rules we've already discussed. So for Americans in large corporations, "keeping your own plan" has a strict deadline. In five years, like it or not, you'll get dumped into the exchange. As we'll see, it could happen a lot earlier.

The outlook is worse for the second group. It encompasses employees who aren't under ERISA but get actual insurance either on their own or through small businesses. After the legislation passes, all insurers that offer a wide range of plans to these employees will be forced to offer only "qualified" plans to new customers, via the exchanges.

The employees who got their coverage before the law goes into effect can keep their plans, but once again, there's a catch. If the plan changes in any way -- by altering co-pays, deductibles, or even switching coverage for this or that drug -- the employee must drop out and shop through the exchange. Since these plans generally change their policies every year, it's likely that millions of employees will lose their plans in 12 months.

Our health care may be flawed but we have freedoms and options that appear to be in jeopardy. For many of us, we don't understand the rush and the urgency because health care doesn't seem broken. I've had health insurance via my employers since 1997. The plans have worked well, my co-payments have been small, and I've always had options. Granted, this reform isn't about me...but it is. If the effort is to reform health care, it would seem - as mentioned at the Cardin town hall meeting - that tort reform is lower hanging fruit. Stop the ridiculous lawsuits. So, many of us shrug, "What gives?" Ah, but for doing that we're labeled ignorant, racist, right-wing, extremist, redneck, and more just for asking questions. Just for disagreeing. No politician deserves the right to have that free of a pass to put anything into place.

Which brings us here: should people of faith oppose or support health care reform?

Before rushing to one side or the other, pray for discernment and be certain your support aligns with Scripture. Also, educated yourself. Don't be spoon-fed from the media or the White House. Read. Read it, again. Ask questions. Make up you own mind. Lastly, Christians (Southern Baptist) should oppose health care reform if it allows for:

Abortion on demand or the absence of language which explicitly excludes abortion coverage

Distribution of contraceptives to minors without parental consent through public schools by the establishment of school-based health clinics

The rationing of health care on the basis of economic decisions rather than the provision of health care on the basis of medical need

The violation of the centuries-old, covenantal relationship between physician and patient

Inadequate conscience clauses which fail to protect religious persons

Institutions, organizations, and medical facilities from participating in a health care system which would condone and support morally objectionable practices

The forced inclusion of Southern Baptist institutions and churches in reform plans which may undermine the missions activities of our denomination.

From this list, the current reform bill is questionable at best. Seek God's wisdom and seek answers.

Pray that President Obama is granted wisdom and insight into how best to handle the nation's healthcare reform.
James 1:5 “But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so he will give you wisdom.”

1 Timothy 2:1-4 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Pray that President Obama seeks Godly counsel and encourages his administration to do the same. 1 Corinthians 3:18-21 "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” So then, no more boasting about men! "

Pray that President Obama will seek strength in the Lord and allow Him to the correct paths.
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Pray that President Obama always speaks the truth to the American people regardless of the consequences. Psalm 120:2 "Save me, O Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues." Pray that President Obama hears all concerns with wisdom and patience and acts upon that information in bold compassion. Colossians 3:9 "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices."

Pray President Obama seeks true bi-partisan conversations, denies self and ego in speaking with others with differing opinions, and goes to Scriptures for counsel. Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Obama Says Canadian Health Care Works, But Not a Good Fit for U.S.

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:52:00 +0000

President Barack Obama said Monday that he does not find the Canadian model for health care scary, and said it is wrong for opponents of reform to tout Canada’s single-payer system as a “boogey man” for health care. However, the president said such a system would not work in the United States. In a press conference in Guadalajara, Mexico, with Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a reporter asked about the references to the Canadian health care system in the current U.S. debate over health care reform. Read full story

Pray that President Obama is granted wisdom and insight into how best to handle the nation's healthcare reform.

James 1:5 “But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to all people, so he will give you wisdom.”

White House Denies Collecting Names of Opponents of Health Legislation

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:25:00 +0000

The Obama administration denied it is keeping an enemies list although it has asked citizens to report any “disinformation” about health care they come across to the White House. Last Wednesday, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) sent a letter to the White House expressing concern about why the White House would want information on opponents of its health care plan. Read full story

Pray that President Obama speaks truth and wisdom because he has first sought it from God.

2 Chronicles 7:14 "Then if my people, who are called by my name, are sorry for what they have done, if they pray and obey me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land."

White House 'Reality Check’ Web Site Claims Health Care Reform ‘Would Not Add One Penny to Deficit’ Despite CBO Reports to Contrary

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:16:00 +0000

A new Web site launched Monday by the Obama administration to rebut alleged disinformation about the administration's efforts to reform the health care system claims that reform “would not add one penny to the deficit"--despite the fact that the two health care reform bills that have been analyzed by the Congressional Budget Office are predicted by the CBO to increase the national debt by $239 billion and $1.042 trillion respectively. The administration, meanwhile, has not produced any health-care reform legislation that has been independently determined to be deficit-neutral.Read full story

Pray that President Obama is open and honest with the American people and sets honest expectations with health care reform.

Galatians 5:13-15 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful naturea; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

‘You Are Terrifying Us’

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:30:00 +0000

We have entered uncharted territory in the fight over national health care. There’s a new tone in the debate, and it’s ugly. At the moment the Democrats are looking like something they haven’t looked like in years, and that is: desperate. They must know at this point they should not have pushed a national health-care plan. A Democratic operative the other day called it “Hillary’s revenge.” When Mrs. Clinton started losing to Barack Obama in the primaries 18 months ago, she began to give new and sharper emphasis to her health-care plan. Mr. Obama responded by talking about his health-care vision. He won. Now he would push what he had been forced to highlight: Health care would be a priority initiative. The net result is falling support for his leadership on the issue, falling personal polls, and the angry town-hall meetings that have electrified YouTube. Read full story

Pray that President Obama will lead by example and speak with wisdom so that others in his administration might do the same.

James 3:4-6 "Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:13:00 +0000

It is now evident that an ugly campaign is underway not merely to misrepresent the health insurance reform legislation, but to disrupt public meetings and prevent members of Congress and constituents from conducting a civil dialogue. These tactics have included hanging in effigy one Democratic member of Congress in Maryland and protesters holding a sign displaying a tombstone with the name of another congressman in Texas, where protesters also shouted "Just say no!" drowning out those who wanted to hold a substantive discussion. These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Read full story

Pray that President Obama steers from previous attitudes of "We won" and encourages his administration to be open to feedback on healthcare. Instead of trying to deliver an agenda, be open to simply listening to voters.

More Than 1 Million Have Signed Petition Opposing Obama's Health-Care Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:55:00 +0000

A petition opposing President Barack Obama’s plan for a government-led overhaul of the nation’s health care system has garnered over 1 million signatures since it launched May 25, something its sponsors say is proof that public opposition to Obama’s plan is very real. The petition, available online at www.freeourhealthcarenow.com, was created by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) and is being talked about by talk radio hosts on the Salem Radio Network. It surpassed 1 million signatures on Aug. 4, a week after a similar petition sponsored by the Democratic National Committee achieved the same milestone. Read full story

Pray that President Obama doesn't dismiss negative feedback as foolishness but tempers his reactions based upon the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 4:22"For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light."

Obama Adviser Considers Stimulus Spending Successful

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Even while conceding that job losses are “horrendous” – 9.4 percent unemployment nationwide – a top Obama administration economic adviser said the $787-billion stimulus plan is working. “The program is working,” said Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. “Millions of unemployed workers have seen an extra $25 a week in their unemployment insurance checks [and] 95 percent of American households saw a tax cut in their paychecks starting April 1.” Read full story

Pray that President Obama will guide America down a path chosen by God and sought for in prayer.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

Conservatives 'mad,' speaking out about Obamacare

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:33:00 +0000

The head of a conservative group the White House accused of "manufacturing outrage" at healthcare town hall meetings says the charge is a "delusion." Last week, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs accused the group Conservatives for Patients Rights (CPR) and its leader Rick Scott of "manufacturing anger" at town hall meetings where Democratic lawmakers have been aggressively challenged over their support for a government-run healthcare plan.Read full story

Pray that President Obama considers the inputs of others but listens to gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit above all else.

Proverbs 27:17 "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

National Guard asked to explain 'internment' jobs

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:40:00 +0000

An ad campaign featured on a U.S. Army website seeking those who would be interested in being an "Internment/Resettlement" specialist is raising alarms across the country, generating concerns that there is some truth in those theories about domestic detention camps, a roundup of dissidents and a crackdown on "threatening" conservatives. The campaign follows by only weeks a report from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warning about "right-wing extremists" who could pose a danger to the country – including those who support third-party political candidates, oppose abortion and would prefer to have the U.S. immigration laws already on the books enforced. Read full story

Pray that President Obama is focused on things of God and not of this world, and that he is granted discernment of what is of God and what is of the world.

Bill would force Obama to reveal birth documents

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 19:22:00 +0000

Hawaii state Sen. Will Espero, a Democrat, has confirmed plans to introduce legislation through which the state's lawmakers would force the public disclosure of all President Obama's birth documents held by the Hawaii Department of Health, including President Obama’s long-form original birth certificate. Read full story

Pray that President Obama resolves these questions and concerns as a teachable moment with honesty and education.

Mark 4:22"For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light."

Obama And The Joker Poster, Or Why You’re A Racist

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:23:00 +0000

Sometimes, indeed most of the time, a cigar is just a cigar. So it is with the poster now gracing the walls of various buildings in Los Angeles showing Barack Obama made up to resemble Heath Ledger’s “Joker” in “The Dark Knight” with the tagline: socialist. To a rational person the implications are pretty clear. First, that Obama played the role of The Joker in the 2008 Democrat primary and the general election by fooling a substantial number of Americans into believing he would not do all those things he had supported before starting his presidential run. Second, that Obama’s policies are socialist.Read full story

Pray that President Obama chooses to speak in love and wisdom and seeks discernment in all things.

James 3:5-6 "The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Palin calls Obamacare evil

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:09:00 +0000

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin called President Barack Obama's health plan "downright evil" Friday in her first online comments since leaving office, saying in a Facebook posting that he would create a "death panel" that would deny care to the neediest Americans. "The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care," the former Republican vice presidential candidate wrote. Read full story

Pray that President Obama will seek strength in the Lord and allow Him to direct his path.

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Seeking more than financial freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Why did we come to this country? Rarely do we ever stop for a moment in our busy days at work to wonder why we, or our parents or grandparents, came to this country. But with the U.S. at a crossroad and many of our ancestral homes facing turmoil, perhaps it makes sense to contemplate whether anything besides money drove Hispanics to this country. Here at home, our economy is hurting. Some states, including the biggest (California), have double-digit unemployment. We are living through economic turmoil not seen in decades. In response, our government is writing checks to supposedly "stimulate" our economy, although nobody knows how we're going to pay for it all. And worse, it's not working.Read full story

Pray that President Obama will guide America down a path chosen by God and sought for in prayer.

John Cornyn Takes on Obama’s flag@whitehouse.gov Program, But Wait! There’s More with the NTIA

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:07:00 +0000

The Weekly Standard noted Senator John Cornyn sent a letter to Barack Obama asking him to intervene in the flag@whitehouse.gov matter. There’s more. Imagine, if you would, cross referencing those forwarded emails to the White House with another database the Obama Administration has ordered set up. Congress adopted the Broadband Data Improvement Act in 2008 to compile of map of the nation showing which areas have broadband and which do not. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is getting the information, but the Obama Administration has decided to use the NTIA to get more than the law requires.Read full story

Pray that President Obama seeks for himself and inspires in others integrity and strong character. May he seek truth and wisdom regardless of the personal cost.

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

Obama spies monitoring Jews house-to-house

noreply@blogger.com (Rick Garner) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:54:00 +0000

The Obama administration has set up an apparatus to closely monitor Jewish construction in Jerusalem and the strategic West Bank to the point of watching Israeli moves house-to-house in certain key neighborhoods, WND has learned. Obama has called for a complete halt to what he refers to as settlement activity, meaning Jewish construction in eastern Jerusalem or the West Bank. Obama's edict extends to natural growth, or accommodating for the housing needs of existing local settler population centers. The demand is an apparent abrogation of a deal Israel struck with the Bush administration to allow natural growth. Read full story

Pray that President Obama boldly represents America in the world with courage, wisdom, and discernment.

Ephesians 6:12 "Our fight is not against people on earth but against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness, against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly world."