Non believers will often say that they don’t see how a good God can send someone to Hell. Others will say that they don’t believe Hell exists at all, while others still have said that they would prefer to party in Hell with their friends rather than to be in Heaven without them. These positions each lack understanding of exactly what Hell is, and why people end up there.

For starters the first group mentioned is somewhat correct. God does not send people to Hell. People choose to be there themselves. It is not God’s desire that anyone should end up in Hell. That is not God’s choice for anyone. God created each of us for relationship with Him. A good God sent His Son, Jesus to suffer and die in our place. Jesus paid the penalty for the sinful things we do, so we can be reconciled to the good God Who created us. God loves every human being. He created them and throughout their lives reaches out to them with the reality of Himself and the way to be with Him forever. However, forced love is not love at all, so God also created each one of us with freewill.  For those who choose to love God in return and accept His gift of an eternity with Him, that is exactly where they will be.

Those who spend their entire life rejecting God and His offer of reconciliation through Jesus, will also have their choice honored. If the people who spend their entire life not wanting anything to do with God’s will or His Son, then why would they want anything to do with God in eternity? Although it breaks God’s heart, He honors their wish and lets them spend eternity apart from Him and His influence. Those who refuse to say to God, “Your will be done,” will get to hear God say, “fine, your will be done.”

That begs the question, why would a good God create such an awful place? Hell is an eternal place that is completely devoid of God, His goodness, His rules, and His blessing. It is a place that is filled with beings who have disgust for God, rejected His rules and way of life. Add to that those who inhabit Hell are completely absorbed with their own will, how can this place be any good at all?  There are those who believe that a place completely devoid of God would be a blessing in itself, until they get to live there…forever. Then it will be too late.

Much of the torment will come from inside them as they constantly replay all the opportunities they had throughout their lives to respond to His offer of complete forgiveness and reconciliation, and yet snubbed Him and those who cared enough about them to let them know. There will not be one being in Hell that has a single care or shred of compassion for another.  Add to that the fact that Hell will also be populated by Satan and all his demon followers. Any such place completely devoid of God would have to be completely evil.

There are those that believe that there is such a thing as Hell on Earth. They believe that this world is Hell. While this world has its problems and people who do evil things, it is a far cry from a place where God is completely absent. Imagine the worst atrocities and evil this planet has seen. That is a glimpse of what Hell is all the time.

With Hell being such a place, there is no doubt there will be no partying with one’s friends. To say so, or to look forward to such a thing is to be completely blinded as to the harsh reality of Hell. However, once there, none will be able to complain that they somehow got the short-end of the stick. No one enters Hell blindfolded. As stated above, it was their heartfelt wish to spend eternity separated from God who pursued them their entire life.

No one deserves Heaven. Every person throughout history has sinned and fallen short of the perfection they would have to attain on their own if they were to “earn” their way into Heaven. God laid out His commandments so that we can use them as a form of measurement. If anyone thinks they are a “good person” all they have to do is look to the Ten Commandments. People say it is impossible to keep those all the time. For us, yes it is. God intended for those to be a reminder to us all that we are not so good on our own after all. The commandments are like a straight edge that you can hold up to a line. Holding it there doesn’t make the line straight, it simply reveals how crooked the line is. The entire purpose of the law is to show us our need for help.

“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus”. ~Romans 3:19-26

The only reason anyone gets in is because God sent His Son, Jesus to come in human form, live without sin, and then take on the punishment we all deserve. If you want that forgiveness, all you have to do is respond to that offer and accept His gift. However, it requires that you make an admission. You have to admit that you have sinned and need help. The only thing that keeps people from accepting is pride. They refuse to accept that they don’t deserve the best. However, in the quiet moments of life, everyone has the thoughts of things they did wrong. Everyone has, at one time or another, had remorse, guilt, and feelings of something they shouldn’t have said, or wished they could take back something they did. Anyone who denies that has just sinned because they are lying, or they are just plain crazy! Those are the moments they can hear God whisper in love to them. Calling them to Him.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.’  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’” ~Romans 10: 9-13

Many people believe that all religions are about the same, that they are just variations on a theme. Nothing could be further from the truth. Religion is man trying to get to God through works, deeds, sacrifices or some other man made ritual. The one True God is not about religion. He is about relationship. Instead of us sacrificing and working to get to Him, He already knows we are broken and imperfect. Instead, God reaches out to us in love and sacrificed Himself for all of us. Any parent who loves their children knows that this is not some foreign concept.  Once someone accepts that gift and places their faith in Jesus, God begins a work in that person of changing them from the inside out. The Bible tells us that at that moment we are a “new creation.” ~2 Corinthians 5:17  This is what Jesus meant when He said we must be “born again.”

Reach out and respond to the God who loves you with every part of His being. Get to know Him. Jesus said,

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” ~Revelation 3:20-21

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Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT.) & Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA.)… (J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press)

A new bill being debated in the Senate threatens states’ sovereignty and religious freedom. Introduced by Senator Diane Feinstein and co-sponsored by Senator Patrick J. Leahy, the “Respect for Marriage Act” seeks to repeal the existing Defense of Marriage Act which defines marriage as between one man and one woman. It would also force states that have defined that issue for themselves to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. Hearings have begun this last week in the Senate to hear arguments from both sides.

In addition, the “Respect for Marriage Act” marks a significant point of hypocrisy for Senator Feinstein as well as Senator Leahy.  There was a Senate Judiciary Hearing in 2004 on a proposed Amendment to the Constitution stating that marriage is to be recognized only as between one man and one woman. While serving as Democratic Ranking Member of the hearing, Senator Feinstein penned a prepared statement saying,

“the issue of marriage and domestic law has always been one under the purview of the states – not of the federal government.  And throughout this nation’s history, the states have proven entirely capable of dealing with this issue… 

Marriage has always been, and should continue to be, an issue that is considered, debated and controlled by states, localities, and religious leaders.  The federal government spoke once on this issue, in 1996, with the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’.   

 The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA as it is called, defines ‘marriage’ as a union between a man and a woman, and it explicitly allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.  As a result, DOMA is considered even by its principal architect, former Republican Congressman Bob Barr, to go ‘as far as is necessary in codifying the federal legal status and parameters of marriage.”

At the same hearing Senator Leahy voiced his opposition to the Amendment. He also cited that he believed it infringed upon state’s rights to decide the issue for themselves. During the hearing Leahy said,

“I oppose the Federal Marriage Amendment because it interferes in a fundamental State matter…I do not understand how anyone could support this amendment if they believe in the rights of States, the integrity of the Constitution or in fundamental fairness.

We can tolerate differences among our States on this issue. Two centuries of law and DOMA protect the right of each State to decide for itself. Some States may allow civil unions or even civil marriage for same-sex couples. Yet others will choose to maintain the status quo. We leave the definition of marriage to religious interpretation and implementation by our great and multiple religious traditions. Americans are free to choose whatever religion they wish. Likewise, our national government has tolerated differences among the States for our entire history.”

That being the case, why then would they now support a bill that clearly runs roughshod over the states rights to decide the matter for themselves? I guess their “beliefs” change depending from which side of the debate the request comes. In other words, they are hypocrites. It should be noted that Senator Leahy voted for DOMA before being signed into law by President Clinton.

By the Senators’ own admissions, The Defense of Marriage Act does not infringe upon states’ rights by respecting states that do not wish to recognize gay marriages performed in other states. Nor does DOMA force states that have found in favor of gay marriage to repeal their position, as evidenced by the fact that there are currently over six states that do so.  Feinstein also stated above that DOMA “is considered to go as far as necessary in codifying the federal legal status and parameters of marriage.”

On the other hand, the so called “Respect for Marriage” Act bulldozes over states rights by forcing them to make that recognition and accommodation. Her own words above provide the best argument against her now proposed “Respect of Marriage Act.”

Of course any legislation in favor of gay marriage would have to use force. In every state in which the issue has gone to a direct vote of the people, gay marriage has been defeated at every turn, even in the most liberal of liberal states including Feinstein’s state of California!  The states that currently support and allow for gay marriage had those laws implemented by state lawmakers or activist judges without the will of the people being heard. So much for the democratic process.

All of this magnifies just how out of touch the politicians are, as well as underscores just how little they think of the American people they are supposed to represent.  Either Diane Feinstein suffers from a serious case of mental instability, or she does not think her complete flip flop on the validity of Federal involvement on the issue would have been caught by the American people. It makes one wonder exactly what she believes, as she is obviously going against her own well prepared words of only a few short years ago. A request has been sent to Senator Feinstein to clarify why the apparent inconsistency. If and when a response is received, it will be posted here.

This is just one small example of why our current leaders garner the seething mistrust of most Americans. They apparently can speak with conviction on an issue while actually talking out of both sides of their mouth. Depending to whom they are responding, they can hold two separate and completely incompatible beliefs. Either they believe the issue is best handled by the states, or it is not. The answer can not change depending on whom is making the request. Someone needs to teach our politicians the old adage that says, “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” You can’t have it both ways.

The Respect of Marriage Act is the latest attempt by liberals and activists to do an end-run around the will of the American people. As stated above the only states that currently support gay marriage have done so by either judicial activism or by state legislatures. In each case where the issue has gone to a vote, the people have overwhelmingly voted down gay marriage. This has been the case in 31 states where the people have voted on various state ballot measures, referendums, and proposals.

An Alliance Defense Fund/ Public Opinion Strategies poll also found that 62 percent of Americans still believe that marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman.

“Americans understand marriage,” ADF Senior Legal Counsel Austin R. Nimocks testified at a hearing on the issue this week. “Since 1968 over 32 jurisdictions have voted on marriage it’s passed by an average of 63 percent. They don’t need a legislature to define it for them,” Nimoks said.

The idea, terminology, and parameters for marriage make their very first appearance in human history in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. As such, it is clear that God is the author and designer of the institution of marriage and as such retains the sole right to define it.  This is not an issue of treating someone else unequally. Rather it is all about infringing upon the rights and religious liberties of those who do not wish to condone something to which God has said no.

With so many opinions on the issue, all of humanity must have one authoritative source to which to look to settle the issue. Where better than the Creator of everything, including marriage?  None of us are perfect. There are many things that are convicting to all of us in the Bible. However, God’s instruction is not a buffet table from which we get to choose a la carte.

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Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

On Sunday June 26, 2011 several churches across the country signed up to be part of an event called “Faith Shared, Uniting in Prayer and Understanding.” The event is designed to show Muslims around the world that Americais not against them. In their words they want to demonstrate that Americais defined by, a “longstanding tradition of religious freedom, tolerance and pluralism.”  Sounds nice enough right? However these words spewed from the post-modern pez dispenser, are hiding a dangerous agenda, as they always do.  To sign up for this event, the churches involved, some 65 of them across the nation, read passages to their Sunday congregations from the Koran, and invited Islamic Imams in to speak to their congregations!

While it is good as Christians to reach out to the world, the Bible instructs us to speak the truth in love, not invite false teaching into God’s house.  As many liberal, post-modern forces in the world beat up the churches with the typical words such as “tolerance” many churches have watered down the message and now apparently sunk to new lows by inviting others to share the space that belongs only to God and His message of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.

Yes, Jesus commanded Christians to “love your enemies and to pray for those who curse you,” however, that does not mean that Jesus said to condone false teaching or sinful behavior. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” He did not say, “Blessed are the peacekeepers.” There is a difference. Too often people in the church today mistake one for the other, rendering themselves impotent, and useless for the kingdom.  A peacekeeper says while wringing their hands in distress, “I just don’t want to make waves, so I’m going to sit here and accommodate everyone.” They allow themselves to be pushed and bullied by everyone in this age that uses words such as “intolerant” and “fundamentalist,” as if that were bad.

That attitude stands in stark contrast to the early church that boldly preached the truth, even in the face of certain torture and death. No one will face that kind of punishment for a lie. Those people, lived, ate, slept, and witnessed Jesus’ ministry, miracles, and resurrection. While many will die for what they believe is true, the early church died for what they knew was true. If they had not witnessed Jesus’ resurrection from the grave, they would not have been so bold. Those men died for what they knew was true. However, you will not have anyone die for something they know is a lie.  Therein lies huge testimony to the validity of Jesus’ claims and the Christian faith.

Notice in the Faith Shared mission statement that they also believe in pluralism. Pluralism is defined as:

a. a theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle.

b. a theory that reality consists of two or more independent elements.

This is a ridiculous notion that should not be entertained by anyone who is responsible for teaching the faith. The Bible and the Koran can not coexist or be believed simultaneously. They stand in direct opposition to one another. Therefore, both can not be true.

Make no mistake, God is not smiling down on churches that open their doors and hand over their pulpits to other doctrines. While Jesus was going throughout Judea andGalileepreaching and teaching, not once did He ever step aside, and warmly introduce another speaker that had a different point of view, so they can have a group hug afterwards and sit around a campfire singing Kumbaya together.

While delivering His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” ~Matthew 5:13

Many post-modernists, atheists, and other liberal minded people will dismiss this as they regularly say, “There is no absolute truth.” They love that statement and use it regularly whenever they want to dismiss Christian teaching, and have no other means of logical rebuttal. However, that statement in itself is illogical as it contradicts itself.

Examine this statement closely, “There is no absolute truth.” If the statement includes itself, it means not even that statement is true, and if it excludes itself, (that is to say there is no absolute truth, except this statement which is always true) then it is postulating an absolute which the statement itself stands against. Either way the statement collapses under its own weight. Basically, the statement says that there is no universal truth, while attempting to apply itself as truth universally. The statement commits suicide.

Now that it is clear that that statement is nothing more than illogical babble, then it must be recognized that there is in fact absolute truth. Once you come to that realization, it is your responsibility to seek it out, ask the tough questions, and know why you believe what you believe. Your eternal existence and destination depends on it!

We live in a world that is increasingly anxious about events. In the face of severe worldwide economic crisis and a heightened level of natural disasters, people are seeking answers. More and more movies, books, internet sites, and radio shows have been dedicated to the topic of “end of world” scenarios. People have an internal mechanism that realizes these events are leading to an inevitable culmination. They just don’t know what it is. It is the job of Christ’s disciples, the church, to point people in the right direction! The church is not to become watered down and blend quietly with its surroundings, being pushed into someone else’s politically correct box, and thus becoming ineffective. “You are the salt of the earth!”

Do not misunderstand. Christians are to reach out with love and respect to those who are lost. We are not however to allow or condone false teaching, especially in the church itself! These churches could not have possibly signed onto this event without getting the stamp of approval from the elders and senior members of the church. What a shame. In the Book of Titus, the apostle Paul lays out clearly what qualifications an elder must have.  Paul writes the following:

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.” ~Titus 1:5-9

Jesus always reached out to non believers with compassion, knowing that they just didn’t know better. However, He never condoned their sinful actions, or let them believe what is false. The result was many of those people were drawn all the more to Him!

On the other hand, His harshest, most stinging rebukes were saved for the religious who DID know better! They were in charge of leading the people and to teach them in all the ways of God, and they were not doing it. Don’t be that believer! Do not be that church! The scribes and Pharisees knew the law and what was written, yet when confronted with Jesus, did not accept rebuke and correction and only became more stubborn, bitter and prideful.

Pray for these churches. A complete list is below. Pray they will see how harmful their actions are. If you are one of these churches, get your act together and stop being conformed by the world! Repent and seek God’s forgiveness. The Book of Revelation records a message to a church that became lukewarm and blended with her environment. Jesus said to that church:

“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’” ~Revelation 3:14-22

Have you ever had lukewarm milk? Cold milk is refreshing. Milk that has been heated is relaxing. However a glass of milk that has sat out too long and has become room temperature, taking on the properties of the environment around it is absolutely disgusting! It evokes a gag reflex. So it is with Jesus. He will vomit out of His mouth a church that has become like the world. Again, if you are one of these churches, change your ways. If you attend one of these churches and they do not change their ways, leave! Leave while you can.

A church that claims to be a Christian church, that claims to stand for Jesus, is the wrong place and venue to open and teach false doctrines, and invite false teachers. Change before Christ takes your lamp stand.

Listed below are all the churches signed up for this event. Notice that while the event is billed as cross-faith understanding and cooperation, not one of the churches listed is an Islamic mosque. So much for cooperation and the “mutual,” in mutual understanding. It all looks one-sided to me.  I don’t see any Imams that are inviting in Christian pastors to crack open the Bible.

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On June 8 The Senate voted to let the Federal Reserve slash the fees that retailers would have to pay banks each time consumers swipe their debit cards. The charge to reduce these fees was led by Democrat Dick Durbin (D-Ill), and was part of larger financial industry rules passed last year initiated by Barney Frank (D-MA) and Chriss Dodd (D-CT). Supporters of the cuts say it is a victory for small business and consumers, the facts say otherwise.

Proponents of slashing the fees banks charge, painted the issue as between large commercial banks who make billions vs. small mom and pop retailers who are barely scraping by. However, that is not entirely truthful. Not all retailers are small mom and pop stores, and not all banks are large commercial banks. Many banks are local community banks and credit unions, while many retailers are giants, such as Home Depot, Wal Mart, Neiman Marcus, etc.

Durbin mentioned the $700 billion bailout passed in late 2008 as the financial industry teetered on the brink of catastrophe, as the debate got under way on Tuesday. Durbin asked, “Are we going to be shaken down a second time?” “That’s what this debate is all about,” he said.  Durbin was pandering to nothing but public fear with no substance, as the fees in question have nothing to do with a government bailout.

While we are on the topic, many banks who received the bailout didn’t need or want it, but were forced to take it by the government. The government forced all banks, even healthy banks, to take billions because they say they didn’t want to start a consumer panic by making it obvious which banks were in trouble. So banks that didn’t need to take a bailout, and didn’t want to take a bailout are now being falsely criticized by Dick Durbin for taking the bailout (and have long since paid it back by the way).

It was pointed out that banks make on average 44 cents per transaction in fees. The new law says that banks are capped at making no more than 12 cents per transaction.  This removes $16.5 billion a year from the banking industry. While many liberals have painted visions of banks lighting cigars with $100 bills in ivory towers on Wall Street, the truth is that banks use those revenues to offset costs of debit card fraud.

Thousands of times a day across this country, banks receive complaints from customers that debit card fraud has occurred on their accounts. Debit card fraud is an ever increasing problem for financial institutions and consumers. Except in rare cases, the banks refund those losses to consumers, without ever, recovering the losses from the perpetrators of the crime. In short, when customers brings the losses to the attention of the banks, the banks just pay them back out of their own pockets. Most of the time the fraudsters are never caught. Individual customer losses can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand. To offset these losses, banks charge card transaction fees to retailers as a convenience of selecting that method of guaranteed payment. This has saved retailers from accepting bad checks for their sales and being stuck with the bill and loss of merchandise.

On the other hand, retailers claim that these fees have seriously gouged their bottom line and their removal will result in their ability to lower prices to customers. First of all, if anyone believes retailers will be slashing their prices to consumers anytime soon, email me because I have a bridge to sell you. Secondly, no one forces retailers to accept credit and debit cards as a method of payment. For those that do, they are able to write off each penny as a business expense on their taxes.

Banks must find ways of offsetting those losses resulting in card fraud risk. They have to. Fraud losses are just too big. According to a 2010 report by Oracle, the banking industry lost $8 billion in 2008 to card fraud. When combined with all bank card charge offs, that number jumped to a whopping $48 billion! Card fraud creates many costs in addition to the loss itself, such as card reissuance costs, increased investment in fraud detection and mitigation technologies, compliance and monitoring with fraud prevention frameworks such as the Payments Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), and education of consumers.

Until now these fees have not hit consumers’ pockets. This was not a fee banks charged to their customers. However, since banks must offset such huge losses, the lost revenue will be passed along to them. Many banks have already started to make adjustments to recover a portion of those fees.

The days of the free checking account are gone. While their still remains various ways to keep your account from receiving a service charge, in many cases the requirements one must meet to do so have become steep. When JP Morgan Chase took control of Washington Mutual accounts, they promised existing customers that the accounts would remain free. That was true until February of this year when they announced a change of plans due to the impending change this legislation brings. Now for that same account to remain free, consumers must maintain a daily balance of $1500 (a level previously reserved for their next tier account) or have a direct deposit of $500 or more each month. That is not an aggregate amount. The $500 must be per direct deposit. If you don’t meet these criteria, sorry, you will be paying $12 a month .

According to CNN Money, Chase contemplated reducing their risk on debit card transactions by limiting those transactions to no more than $100. Have you tried to purchase a round-trip airline ticket for less than $100 recently? Not going to happen. By the time you add in taxes and other fees airlines charge, those kinds of deals are rare. Whether you attempt that transaction on the phone or via the internet, you must use plastic. Tried to rent a car with a debit card? Almost all rental companies require debit card holders to pay a security deposit of $200 or more. This would force all consumers to have a credit card. What about those who don’t qualify for a credit card or don’t believe in them? I guess you are just out of luck.

Am Trust Bank, a smaller bank, started charging their customers $1.50 per debit card transaction! For the average consumer, this can become very costly. Other, small regional banks have also started resorting to such desperate measures.  A fill up on gas, a stop at the grocery store, and a sandwich at Subway and you just got charged $4.50 by your bank!

Other banks have contemplated charging a monthly fee to their customers just to have a debit card, while others have raised their ATM transaction fees for non-customer use.

In the end it will be the consumers that shoulder the burden of this new law whose proponents say is “in the consumers’ interest.” Either customers will be forced to pay monthly fees, or transactional fees at a time when many are out of work and struggling to make ends meet in our sputtering economy. For those whose banks are charging per-transaction charges I guess it means consumers will limit how much buying they do, which will just prolong any economic recovery.

At best this legislation is amazingly short-sighted, and at worst insanely diabolical.

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On May 19, 2011 Barack Obama delivered a speech at the State Department on his grand Middle East Peace plan. While many saw this as inspiring, others saw it as insulting. One thing is for sure; it lacked any historical accuracy and can only spell trouble for the United States.

In his speech, Obama said of the people calling themselves Palestinians, “For Palestinians, it has meant suffering the humiliation of occupation, and never living in a nation of their own.” The only accurate part of that statement is “never living in a nation of their own.” That is because Palestine was never its own nation at any time throughout history.

Many Americans, and many others around the world for that matter, are under the mistaken notion that the world got together after World War II and ripped land away from a peaceful Arab people called Palestinians, and just gave it to Jewish people to create a state called Israel. Wrong.

Long before the Roman Empire controlled the area, the Jewish people lived there. The Bible records God giving the land to the Jewish people after their exodus from Egyptian slavery 40 years before. Even if you choose to discount the Bible, which would be a mistake for many reasons, you can easily find many secular sources for, and evidence of the area being a Jewish nation from ancient times, dating as far back as the 13^th century B.C. No reputable scholar questions that the Jews lived, thrived, and controlled the land they called Israel.

It was the Romans in 70 A.D. that named the land Palestine, after they destroyed the Jewish Temple and scattered the Jews all over the empire. The name “Palestine” was meant to be an insult to the Jews by referring to their ancient enemies of the Old Testament, the Philistines. By the way, the Philistines were not of Arab decent, but rather from Crete. They were Greeks before Greece existed who conquered areas of Canaan. Philistine literally means “invader.”

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the land was ruled by the Byzantine Empire from 313 A.D. to 636 A.D. From 636 to 1099 the region was controlled by Arabs, during which time they built the Dome of the Rock on top of the Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans. It then passed through various hands including the Ottoman Empire, before the entire region came under British Control by 1917. While there were still Jews in the land throughout these periods, the first of many migrations of Jews to Israel began at this point, mainly from Russia and Poland. The British ruled the land until they handed control of it back to the Jewish people in 1948 after World War II. At this point in history even the territories that are now the nations of Jordan and Syria were under British control.

Their never was a Palestine that flew its own flag. There was never a Palestinian people. The term is completely a political construct created for political purposes. The people that call themselves Palestinians are migrated Arabs from other surrounding nations.

God is clear in His Word. He said to Abraham of his descendants that were to become Israel, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” ~Genesis 12:3-4

God will deal harshly with nations that deal harshly with Israel. However, God promises to bless the nations that deal favorable with Israel.

What does this have to do with the United States? Days after Obama demanded Israel return to its 1967 borders we saw a highly unusual outbreak of super storms across the country that killed over 200 people. The hardest hit was Joplin. If that was the only instance it could easily be brushed off as coincidence, but it is not. We saw it before when President Bush demanded Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Just after, Katrina hit with devastating effects.

In his book, “Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel,” Bill Koenig points out that 9 of the 10 costliest insurance events followed dramatic calls by United States officials for Israel to make land concessions. He points out with detail how 6 of 7 costliest hurricanes in our history followed such calls. He also documents the same for 3 of the 4 deadliest tornado outbreaks in our history.

Earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, even terrorist attacks have hit America often within 24 hours of calls by U.S. officials for Israel to withdraw from Jewish land. Everyone from Israeli rabbis to U.S. senators have noted, it seems to happen every single time the U.S. pressures Israel to divide the land.

There are those that will mock this analysis and brush it off, however I will side with a 4,000 year track record. God’s promise to Abraham was over 4,000 years ago. Every nation and empire that has ever dealt harshly with Israel has been judged and wiped out, yet the tiny nation of Israel remains. In fact no nation in the history of the world has lasted 4,000 years. In that time frame the Egyptians, the Babylonians, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, Byzantines, Ottoman Empire, British Empire, and countless others have come and gone. Many rose to extreme levels of power and strength. Many have subjugated Israel. All have passed away into the pages of history. Yet to this day, the nation of Israel is still here.

Only a handful of the most powerful of those world empires have lasted 1,000 years. None have lasted 4,000 years and are still going in the 21^st century, except one; Israel. Of all the peoples, governments, nations and conquerors that have come and gone, none have lasted except Israel.  Israel has been with us since the beginning of recorded world history and is still thriving today.  That goes against all statistical probability! Mock if you want to, but I will choose the Word of God and a track record of thousands of years.

Lastly, it is not Israel’s fault there is no peace. They have offered peace plans that included their recognition of a Palestinian nation. None of them were agreed to by Palestinian leaders (or rather, terrorists) for one simple reason; the condition that any peace agreement also include Palestinian recognition of Israel.  Every time the so called Palestinians have flat out refused to do so. So who is to blame for no peace in the middle east? Not Israel. The takeaway here is not to come down on the wrong side of history and God’s word. To do so would seal our nation’s fate and see the United States of America pass away into the pages of history. Then again, I believe that there are those in this nation that have that political goal in mind. Their actions leave no other conclusion… but that is another blog.

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With so much debate in the political realm about entitlements, healthcare, fiscal responsibility and the economic crisis, what should be the proper American response? In an arena that is supercharged with opinion and emotion, where should we look for guidance as we formulate answers and plan our actions?

As Americans we should be guided by the wisdom of the founders as they wrote the laws and documents upon which our nation was founded, and has thrived since inception. The other place we need to look is the same place the founders went for guidance and wisdom, the Holy Scriptures.

First, we’ll look at the documents meant to run our nation. I realize that many in America today want to look to Europe to formulate new policies, as if they have achieved some superior level of governance. In fact, the opposite is true. While we have been guided for the past 235 years by the same system of government, France has had fifteen different governments. Brazil has had seven since 1822; Poland, seven since 1921; Afghanistan, five since 1923; Russia, four since 1918; and the story is similar for other nations throughout Europe, Africa, South America, and the rest of the world.

In 1831 the term “American Exceptionalism” was coined to express this phenomenon by Alexis de Tocqueville, a famous French visitor to America.  He wrote, “The position of the Americans is quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one.”

This is not to say Americans are somehow superior to other people, just that the wise system of government has been one that has needed no revision. We are not to be boastful, but rather thankful to God, as stated by John Adams who wrote, “It must be felt that there is no national security but in the nation’s humble acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence.”

However, this nation has moved further and further away from any acknowledged dependence on God and His providence, and many in the mainstream only want to take us even further away. This nation has become arrogant and even flippant about God.  Instead of looking to God and depending on Him to be our provider, we have increasingly turned to the government.

In ignorance, many have either decided to give freedoms away, or had them taken without knowledge, in return for their allotment of provisions from the government. Too many people cry out for the government to run healthcare, or give them money, food-stamps, social security and the like. Our government has gotten so used to handing out hundreds of billions of dollars of entitlements, it doesn’t even bother to police if people are obtaining them legally, nor does it seem to care that it hands them out to people here illegally.  Repeatedly we are told from the left that people have a right to these things and so we must provide them. Just pay your “fair share” and shut up!

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with a temporary hand up in times of trouble, but it has gotten out of control.

The problem with this system we are creating is that it flies in the face of what the founders had laid out, and it is doomed to failure. In the end, we will be left with a nation that is unrecognizable.  The danger is, if the government becomes the benevolent grantor and giver of our rights, it can just as easily take them away! By handing this kind of control over to the government, we will end up enslaving ourselves to them, instead of it being the other way around. Government was designed to answer to the people in this nation. We are the government. The politicians are just those we elect to represent our interests while they serve.

The founders signed the Declaration of Independence which states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…“

Our founders believed that God, and only God is the grantor of our rights. As such only He has the authority to take them away. They saw government only as a protector and enforcer of those rights given by God.  Under that plan, God has blessed this nation beyond compare in all history.  Since this nation went so far upon its foundation to honor God, we have been used to be a light to the rest of the world.

The first book of the Bible, Genesis, has a warning from history. It clearly demonstrates what happens to those who trust and turn to a government to be their provider instead of God.  During a time of hardship Egyptians increasingly turned to Pharaoh, the government, for help and Genesis records the results:

There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace. When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is all gone.”

“Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.” So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and he gave them food in exchange for their horses, their sheep and goats, their cattle and donkeys. And he brought them through that year with food in exchange for all their livestock.

When that year was over, they came to him the following year and said, “We cannot hide from our lord the fact that since our money is gone and our livestock belongs to you, there is nothing left for our lord except our bodies and our land. Why should we perish before your eyes—we and our land as well? Buy us and our land in exchange for food, and we with our land will be in bondage to Pharaoh. Give us seed so that we may live and not die, and that the land may not become desolate.”

So Joseph bought all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh. The Egyptians, one and all, sold their fields, because the famine was too severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s, and Joseph reduced the people to servitude, from one end of Egypt to the other. However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.

Joseph said to the people, “Now that I have bought you and your land today for Pharaoh, here is seed for you so you can plant the ground. But when the crop comes in, give a fifth of it to Pharaoh. The other four-fifths you may keep as seed for the fields and as food for yourselves and your households and your children.”

“You have saved our lives,” they said. “May we find favor in the eyes of our lord; we will be in bondage to Pharaoh.” ~Genesis 47:13-25

In contrast to the Egyptians, the Hebrews also were experiencing the famine, but with different results. Genesis goes on the say:

Now the Israelites settled in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property there and were fruitful and increased greatly in number. ~Genesis 47:27

The Israelites received no allotment from Pharaoh as the priests did, nor did they sell everything they had waiting for their handed out portion from the government in return. How did they thrive? They followed God. They trusted in God’s provision and in God’s law, and in God’s authority. They were living in the same economic hardship that the Egyptians were living through, but with vastly different results. When things got tough, the Egyptians went to the government for security and walked away in bondage. The same government that sustained them did so at a price.

Our founders knew that government’s only role was to pass laws, a framework in which a free enterprise system would have to operate. The government’s job was never to run any industry. Now our government has taken over automotive companies, financial institutions, and healthcare. What happened when GM asked to be bailed out by the government? The government came in and told them they had to cut out entire lines of autos. No more Saturn, no more Pontiac. The government told them what cars to build and how to run everything.

Then they hijacked the healthcare industry in the largest overreach of the enumerated powers in history! This was a big power grab that many applauded because they are ignorant of our founders’ wishes and even the documents themselves.  Our government was never to operate like this, nor were they ever to run an industry.

In case you feel that this is a one sided argument against the left, guess again. During another crisis, the tragedy of September 11^th, our then Republican run government used the crisis to trounce all over privacy guarantees. The Patriot Act flies in the face of the protections and invasion of privacy set forth in the Constitution. It was supposed to be “temporary,” but as you may have guessed it has yet to be rescinded. Very rarely, if ever, are rights and freedoms restored once they are taken away. The abuse of power has to stop on both sides of the isle in Washington, but it requires an educated people who care and want government to move in the right direction.

To do this we must get back to the founding documents and government as it was intended by the founders. A small limited government that is accountable and reverent to the electorate, and a nation that is in turn, reverent to God. The Tea Party movement was the first grass roots movement to get this underway that had directly affected a national election and commanded the attention of every candidate in the nation. Of course they were criticized by the left since what the founders stood for flew in the face of the progressive liberals, but it was a step in the right direction.

If you are a Christian, you can not be in support of big government handout programs. It is in opposition to what we are taught in the Bible. God and only God is to be trusted for our provision. When you look anywhere else, it is idol worship and an apostate system of government. Obamacare must be repealed. You can not love God and that massive government program at the same time, they are incongruent.

Israel was to be used by God as a light, an example to other nations as to how following God’s system will bring about blessing and abundance. However in 1 Samuel 8, they demanded a King to be like other nations. Other nations were to be inspired by Israel, not the other way around! God warned Israel what would happen if they were to have a system of government that honored man instead of God.

But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. And the LORD told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.”

Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.” ~1 Samuel 8:6-18

Israel got their king, as God handed them over to their own desires, and thus began the downfall of Israel. From that day on they have had wars and leaons.

Revisionist historians will have you believe our founders were godless statists. Statism is defined as “the principle or policy of concentrating extensivders who would turn them away from God and lead them in idol worship. Other conquerors would come in and take them away in bondage or lord over them, all because they wanted to be like other natie economic, political, and related controls in the state at the cost of individual liberty.”  They were anything but! Benjamin Franklin said, “a nation that sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.” The founders were Christians who loved God. Ninety five percent of the signers of the Constitution were evangelical Christians. I could go into all their writings, but that has been covered in other posts on this site and others.  Through their honoring of God in our system of government, we have been richly blessed. No other nation in history has had the luxury and abundance we have enjoyed as Americans.

However, now we are running to the government more and more to be the answer to our problems and asking them to dole out our provisions in return for our “fair share,” as Biden put it. The government in turn has increasingly looked to other nations in deciding lawmaking policy and inspiration in penning court decisions! We are a sovereign nation and we are gradually giving it all away piece by piece! America is the nation that has the same governing documents for over 200 years. Why would we want to be like other nations? Increasingly our leaders look to the socialist nations of Europe to formulate answers. Ridiculous! We have gone down the path of thumbing our nose at God too far and for too long.

Christians must stand against the takeover of the healthcare industry by the Obama progressives and other similar big government spending programs.  Our nation must get back to its Godly heritage and our government shrunk back down to its appropriate size and demeanor.

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If you are a Latin American dictator who has made numerous threats to the United States over the years, you might think that would make you an enemy of the President of the United States, but you would be mistaken. Apparently that gets you handshake and a photo op from Barack Obama, even while he listens to you continue your anti-American tirade for the world to hear. Just for good measure he will also accept the book you gave him on how America and Europe have pillaged Latin America.

What if you are the leader of a dangerous Islamic nation, who financially supports terrorist groups, thumbs your nose at the United States and the rest of the world while you proceed with a contentious nuclear program that threatens to destabilize the entire middle east?  Nope, wrong again. Apparently that earns you a televised invitation to sit and have a dialog with open arms and a chance for a warm and fuzzy reconciliation. Well, maybe if you also repeatedly threaten to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and hold Americans hostage for $500,000 ransom each will that get you barred from entering the United States? No, it gets you invited to New York and a visit to the United Nations.

What if you are a thug in a Mexican drug cartel, who routinely violates our sovereignty by illegally crossing our borders, and on one visit even shot an American citizen dead on his own property? Maybe that would draw harsh actions from the President of the United States. Wrong. Guess again. Instead the President of the United States will stand up for your rights not to be wrongfully profiled, and will sue any state that desperately attempts to safeguard its citizens and its borders according to Federal immigration policy.

However, after almost 2 years as the American President, it has finally been discovered what you have to do to earn the scorn of Barack Obama. Something so heinous end evil that even he will refuse you passage into the United States… for the rest of YOUR LIFE! Apparently you have to be a drunk teenager who makes a childish remark.  Luke Angel, 17, of England had a few drinks and sent the email criticizing Obama, calling him a pr*ck, after seeing a program about 9/11, according to The Sun.

The FBI asked local police in England to tell the college student his remark was “unacceptable.” Joanne Ferreira, of the US Department of Homeland Security, said there are about 60 reasons a person can be barred. ”We are prohibited from discussing specific cases,” she added. Maybe this is why an Islamic terrorist in our own military ranks, with ties to radical clerics, escapes detection and shoots 13 soldiers dead on a United States Army base in the heart of Texas. Who has the time to track them down, when the President of the United States has you chasing drunk kids with big mouths?

In short, if you have a seething hatred for the United States of America, you are okay in Barack Obama’s book. You may even get him to show up in your country to apologize for America. However, if you are critical of Barack himself, you are in serious trouble! Abraham Lincoln said that you can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry. Apparently this only makes Obama look like the petty elitist many suspects he is. What a sad, small, little man. Even George Bush didn’t bring any consequences to the man in Iraq who physically attacked him by throwing a shoe at his head during a press conference.

Barack Obama is so enraged by criticism he would stoop to such tactics for such a simple prank. He won’t stand up for our country, but he takes personal attacks very seriously. Call him a name and he will personally bring down the full force and power of the Federal government on your head. I shudder to think what he would do to 70% of Americans who are critical of his policies, his affiliations, and the methods he employs to pass unpopular legislation, if it were not for our freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution. Perhaps he would deal with citizens the same way Joseph Stalin dealt with his detractors in the Soviet Union.

Some day the 17 year old Luke Angel will grow up and have a family of his own. Some of them may immigrate to America to start their own families. However, Luke will not get to come visit his grandchildren because poor Barry got insulted during his short 4 years as President. Boo hoo. Luke will one day grow up and mature beyond the ill-advised, childish remark he made, but he will never live down the consequences thanks to one petty American President who can’t even live up to his own self proclaimed image of reconciliation, understanding, and open dialog. Apparently that side of Barack Obama is reserved only for dictators, Islamic terrorists, and drug lords who threaten America. Maybe he is just tired after flying all over the country campaigning for bad legislation he already passed, while also promoting the building of a victory mosque at the World Trade Center.

What a sad commentary for a man who holds the highest seat in the free world. Of all the things at which to get angry on our planet, this is what draws the ire and consternation of Barack Hussein Obama – his own vanity. Maybe he will invite the kid’s parents to the White House for a tea summit. Of course poor Luke will have to sit at home and call Obama names from afar. After all, I don’t know if this nation has any more room for yet one more critic of Barack Obama. With a president like this, who needs enemies? I don’t know what is worse; his pettiness or the fact that this nation elected him to represent us as our leader. It doesn’t say much about us or our future.

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One of the biggest stories this week was about the results of a poll taken by the Pew Research Center in which 18% of Americans  said they believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim. Time also ran a poll in which 24% responded the same way. This marks a 10% increase in the number of Americans that responded similarly a year ago. The results of this poll come right on the heels of remarks Obama made in support of the World Trade Center mosque at a dinner he hosted at the White House to celebrate the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.

Immediately the media sprang into action, trying to tamp down this belief. They were in obvious damage control mode as a big election looms in which democrats stand to take big losses. Most articles took the position that these Americans are wrong, mistaken, or just mislead. One article on Time’s website even asked the question, “Are One-Quarter of Americans Freakin’ Morons?”  Here comes the left wing media attack dogs to silence everyone who doesn’t think as they want them to.

All of these articles say that these Americans are ignoring the facts and the evidence. As I read article after article hoping that at least one of these writers would state the evidence, the only thing they kept pointing to were Obama’s own professions of Christianity, both on the campaign trail and now. Well that certainly settles it doesn’t it? Please. The liberal media has offered up everything from bogus You Tube videos, to the perpetuation of viral emails that lie, and Republican brainwashing as explanations of what has misled so many.

Faithful Christians know that your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks. In other words, actions speak louder than words, especially words spoken by a politician. In 2004 the Democrats learned an important lesson; without the faith vote, they are not getting into office. They learned it so well, that in 2008 every Democrat on the campaign trail was out to profess their deep Christian faith. Hillary was out speaking to “faith groups,” and Obama did a sit down question and answer session with Rick Warren. Of course Obama spoke about his Christian faith, he needed to get elected!

It doesn’t take a genius to see why many Americans feel Obama is a Muslim. It has nothing to do with being morons, misinformed, or hypnotized by evil You Tube videos. It has everything to do with not being brainwashed by so many in the media that have gotten in line behind him. The reason Americans feel this way is Obama’s own actions. Americans are watching. Let’s have a look at some of those very public actions that have contributed to this outcome.

• June 2007: Barack Obama says to CBS, “Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation.”

• March 2008: While on the campaign trail and answering questions in support of gay marriage, Obama says, “If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans.” Two big things wrong with this statement. First, where in the Sermon on the Mount does Jesus place His stamp of approval on gay marriage? That is ridiculous! Unless you want to distort the Golden Rule beyond all recognition, this statement makes no sense at all. Secondly, since when is the Book of Romans, in any way, obscure? This book of the Bible is often referred to as the Christian Constitution.

• April 2009: While Christians around the world and here in America are celebrating Holy Week, Obama states in a news conference in Turkey, “we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” Later the same day Obama says to the Turkish parliament, “We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has done so much over the centuries to shape the world — including in my own country.” Does anyone remember any Muslims standing next to Patrick Henry when he said “give me liberty or give me death?” How many Muslims rode along side of Paul Revere? Of all the delegates that attended the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitutional Convention, there were a total of zero Muslims.

• April 2009: Barack Obama speaks at Georgetown University, a private Catholic institution founded in 1789. He ordered the cross and references to Jesus covered up so they would not be visible during his speech.  No Christian would ever consider hiding or denying Jesus, ever. “’If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.’” ~Mark 8:38 also repeated in Luke 9:26

• May 2009 (and again in 2010): Barack Obama becomes the first U.S. President to not hold a White House Service in recognition of the National Day of Prayer. The White House issued a statement that the President has opted to observe the day “in private.” Every U.S. President since it was instituted by President Truman has held a service, except Barack Obama

• September 2009: Obama openly welcomes Muslims Washington D.C. and makes it clear he wants to institute official White House recognition of Ramadan. “I want to welcome all the American Muslims from many walks of life who are here. This is just one part of our effort to celebrate Ramadan, and continues a long tradition of hosting iftars here at the White House,” said Barack Obama to all gathered Muslims. This quote is on the White House web site. Check it out for yourself. He can officially recognize this event, but blow off a long standing Christian tradition of the Day of Prayer. Why aren’t we convinced he’s a Christian?

• November 2009: Army Maj. Nidal Hasan opens fire on base at Fort Hood, TX killing 13 and injuring 32 others. Barack Obama refuses to refer to the attack as a terrorist act, even after it was revealed he had ties to a radical Muslim cleric in Yemen, who is also a recruiter for Al Qaeda. Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who is the Homeland Security Committee’s chairman, has since said, “the administration’s reluctance to use terms such as Islamist extremism or Muslim terrorist a “pet peeve of mine.”

• March 2010:  Barack Obama humiliated Netanyahu during a visit to America. On the evening of their meeting, Obama left Netanyahu stranded for over an hour in the White House while he dined without the visiting head of state from Isreal. The two parted after a brief meeting and the White House even denied Netanyahu of the usual photo opportunity.

• June 2010: Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, said President Barack Obama made judgments about Israel on the basis of cold calculation as opposed to predecessors George Bush and Bill Clinton, who were motivated by historical and ideological factors. He suggested that Obama was not likely to be influenced by pro-Israel supporters inside or outside the White House. Oren said, ”This is a one-man show.”

• July 2010: A report issued by the Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) states the Obama administration has spent over $23 million of taxpayer’s money for activities in Kenya to influence voters there to support a new constitution that would allow unlimited abortions, and usher in pro-Sharia law. Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who Obama campaigned for in 2006, signed an agreement with Muslims for their support which states,
  • “Within 6 months re-write the Constitution of Kenya to recognize Shariah as the only true law sanctioned by the Holy Quran for Muslim declared regions.”
  • “Within one year facilitate the establishment of a Shariah court in every Kenyan divisional headquarters.”
  • “Popularize Islam, the only true religion, in the Coast and North Eastern Regions by ordering every primary school in Kenya in the regions to conduct daily Madrassa classes.”

This is far from the activity in which a Christian would engage. For the committed follower of Jesus Christ, our job is to adhere to The Great Commission which states, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” ~Matthew 28:19

• Late July-Early August 2010: The Boy Scouts of America, a Christian organization, celebrate their Jamboree only every four years, and this event was extra special as they also celebrated their 100th anniversary. As President of the United States, Obama is the honorary chairman of the Boy Scouts, and was scheduled to speak at their gathering in Virginia. It is a tradition that the President speaks at the event. However, he canceled to tend to more important things like appear on The View. The Jamboree lasts ten days, and on the last day Obama could have made a quick appearance he opted to play golf with friends instead.

• August 2010: During yet another dinner at the White House for Muslims celebrating Ramadan, Obama says, “As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country, that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.” I don’t know of anyone who opposes the mosque that denies they have the right to build a mosque. What is in question is the lack of sensitivity of building it at the site where Islamic terrorists killed 3000 people. By the way, a Greek Orthodox church was also destroyed in that attack when the south tower collapsed on it. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was the only house of worship destroyed on September 11^th and should be rebuilt. Where is the political support for that house of worship Mr. Obama?

This is by far not an exhaustive list, however it demonstrates exactly why so many Americans believe Obama is a Muslim. Actually, when looking at his actions I am surprised that more Americans don’t think he’s a Muslim. However, the White House and the plethora of liberal media pundits are amazed that Americans won’t believe he is a Christian simply because he says so. To do so would be a kin to a jury finding a murderer not guilty of murder after examining a mound of evidence to the contrary, just because the murderer said he didn’t do it.

Perhaps Obama and the media are themselves deceived because he attended a church for 20 years called Trinity United Church of Christ. I think enough has been exposed about what Obama must have heard taught at that church to know that the hate spewing Jeremiah Wright has nothing to do with the teachings of Christianity. The bottom line is that the proof is in the actions. Obama spends significant time, effort, and American resources supporting Muslims and their cause while ignoring anything Christian. Sorry, but it will take more than him saying he’s a Christian to reverse the trend of ever increasing numbers of Americans that see him as Muslim.

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