Veritas Rex

Government is God's Idea - Day Seven

From On Christian Citizenship, by Curt Smith

Government is God's Idea

DAY SEVEN

In each case, the ideas or images inherent to each of the three created institutions of God’s Divine order (family, church and government) are used by God to describe Himself. For example, He uses family images and words, for example, to tell us He is our Father and that Christ is our brother. Moreover, our relationship as believers with one another is described in family words like sisters and brothers.  In describing salvation, Paul writes we have been adopted by God and as such are co-heirs with Christ of eternal life.

Similarly, we understand that Christ’s Body is the church and that, as the Body of Christ, we are made up of different parts that must all work together (hands, feet, mind, etc.). In what Peter Drucker called the greatest business management teaching in history, 1 Cor. 12:14 uses the analogy of the body to describe the church and thereby explain her mysterious but beautiful workings.

So, too, God’s descriptions of Himself and His reign—both today and in the future—are filled with notions and images of government.

Consider that God is described as “a King,” and that Christ came and will return to advance “His Kingdom.”  The Isiaiah 9:7 verse in the introduction comes to mind again as the prophet tells us, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace....”  Again, government is the image, and peace or order is the by product.

The Book of Revelation is especially focused on describing heaven and God’s eternal city-state as a perfect government.  Read Revelation 21 as it describes this eternal place that will be called the New Jerusalem.  How ironic that many devout, pious religious conservatives who eschew earthly government yearn for the heaven that God describes as a state or city.  Of course, it will have no sin or imperfections, and thus will be unlike any worldly realm.  In that sense we all eschew earthly government and yearn for the perfect government to come.

But God calls us to seek the welfare of the city in the here and now even as He leads us toward the eternal city where we will worship and praise Him forever.

Real Healthcare Reform: Get Government Out of the Way

Democrats in the U.S. House voted "Obamacare," the beginning of the government takeover of our health care system, through to the U.S. Senate on Saturday.  What's ironic about that is that government intervention got us into this mess (explained below).  I don't think more government intervention will get us out.     

Here's the breakdown of the controversial vote in the House:

The overall House vote broke mostly along political party lines.  It consisted of 219 Democrats, and one new Louisiana Republican in a heavily Democrat district in New Orleans voting for the Pelosi measure.  Those voting against the massive bill consisted of 176 Republicans and 39 Democrats.  

Indiana US House Members Voting “Yes” to health care socialism – Andre Carson, Joe Donnelly, Brad Ellsworth, Baron Hill, Peter Visclosky;

Indiana US House Members Voting “No” to health care socialism - Dan Burton, Steve Buyer, Mike Pence, Mark Souder.

Entire US House Roll Call Vote by State:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/11/08/us/politics/AP-US-House-RollCall-Health-Care.html

Here is a great explanation how government intervention got us into this mess:

"....In the past few years, The New York Times has indignantly reported that doctors' appointments for Botox can be obtained much faster than appointments to check on possibly cancerous moles. The paper's entire editorial staff was enraged by this preferential treatment for Botox patients, with the exception of a strangely silent Maureen Dowd.

As the Times reported: "In some dermatologists' offices, freer-spending cosmetic patients are given appointments more quickly than medical patients for whom health insurance pays fixed reimbursement fees."

As the kids say: Duh.

This is the problem with all third-party payor systems -- which is already the main problem with health care in America and will become inescapable under universal health care.

Not only do the free-market segments of medicine produce faster appointments and shorter waiting lines, but they also produce more innovation and price drops. Blindly pursuing profits, other companies are working overtime to produce cheaper, better alternatives to Botox. The war on wrinkles is proceeding faster than the war on cancer, declared by President Nixon in 1971.

In 1960, 50 percent of all health care spending was paid out of pocket directly by the consumer. By 1999, only 15 percent of health care spending was paid for by the consumer. The government's share had gone from 24 percent to 46 percent. At the same time, IRS regulations made it a nightmare to obtain private health insurance.

The reason you can't buy health insurance as easily and cheaply as you can buy car insurance -- or a million other products and services available on the free market -- is that during World War II, FDR imposed wage and price controls. Employers couldn't bid for employees with higher wages, so they bid for them by adding health insurance to the overall compensation package.

Move Over, KKK

by Peter Heck

Back in February, Eric Holder - the country's first black Attorney General - announced that we were a nation of cowards because, "we, as average Americans, simply do not talk enough to each other about race."  Holder is right.

 

That there are still organizations operating in this country that demonize, target, and victimize innocent people simply because of the color of their skin is unconscionable.  That there are still hate groups in our midst whose very foundation is rooted in a malevolent contempt for minorities is disgusting.   That, while we stand quietly, there are those working daily inside this country to commit genocide against blacks is an abomination.  And worse, still others go beyond complicit silence and actually attempt to give legitimacy and offer defense for such institutions perpetrating these atrocities. 

 

These devastating realities only prove Holder's assertion to be accurate.  It is inescapable...as long as Planned Parenthood continues to operate in this country, we are a nation of cowards.

 

In her book, "The Pivot of Civilization," Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger wrote that unless something was done to stop them, those living in the slums (blacks, Hispanics, and Jews) would eventually leave the boundaries of their neighborhoods and mix with the better parts of society (whites).  Their inferior genes, she argued, would then infect the rest of us.  Therefore, she suggested we cease all charitable giving to the inner city poor, segregate these "morons, misfits, and maladjusted," sterilize these "genetically inferior races," and begin a process of eliminating such "human weeds."

 

And her organization, Planned Parenthood, has done just that.  In the 1980s, the organization began intentionally targeting black inner-city neighborhoods for their clinics.  Author George Grant pointed out that, "of the more than 100 school-based clinics that have opened nationwide in the [1980s].all have been at black, minority, or ethnic schools."  By 1991, Planned Parenthood was reporting that 43% of all its abortions were performed on minorities - a time when the minorities accounted for only 19% of the total population.  And in a comparative analysis between the 2000 U.S. Census data and the location of Planned Parenthood clinics, Cybercast News Service concluded, "The results appear to bolster the charge that the organization targets black communities."

The Heritage Foundation Links ENDA to Same-Sex Marriage

Before the ink even dries on the Pedophile Protection Act (aka Federal Hate Crimes) self-identified GLBT groups are already pushing for the Employment Non-Disrimination Act (ENDA).  The concept is fairly similar in both bills.  As "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" are now federally protected classes within criminal law (thanks to the new Federal Hate Crimes law), those same groups will receive special protections in federal "anti-discrimination" law.  This public policy idea is similar to that which was defeated in Goshen this year. 

The Heritage Foundation (not usually the leading voice against self-identified GLBT legislation) has an in-depth analysis of ENDA in relation to it's ability to redefine marriage.  Here is an excerpt:

"Proponents often argue that ENDA and similar laws at the state and local levels are focused exclusively on workplace issues, but a large body of evidence suggests that such legislation would also be viewed as, and in many cases expressly intended to be, a significant step toward redefining marriage to include homosexual unions."

Continue...

Planned Parenthood Director Chooses Life

This is pretty amazing stuff.  I welcome Planned Parenthood Directors in Indiana with open arms to the pro-life movement and hope they will follow this brave former P.P. Director's lead, step away from PP, and join us in our efforts to protect the lives of the unborn. 

Government is God's Idea - Day Six

From On Christian Citizenship, by Curt Smith

Government is God's Idea

DAY SIX

1 Timothy 2:2 calls us to pray for those in authority.  It amplifies or underscores that specific act from among several reverential activities specified in the Romans 13 passage, which we just focused upon.  The fact that prayer is underscored is worthy of reflection as we seek to understand our responsibilities as citizens of this realm and the heavenly realm.

In this passage Paul is sharing with his ministry student, Timothy.  Much of his advice is personal and practical.  But he also teaches him about being a pastor, a shepherd of the flock and a teacher of God’s word.  So, as pastors, this admonition is especially directed at us.

Again notice the passage details the benefit of praying for those in authority: “...so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.”  But the instruction occurs in the context of Paul helping his understudy lead worship and order life in the church. This is confirmed by closely following chapters with additional teaching on the role of women and the qualifications of elders.  While the benefit of prayer for those in authority is in a private life of faith made more tranquil and godly, the call is for prayer in the church by its leaders. 

One wonders how the life of the church—as well the attitude of the typical churchgoer toward government—might change if we regularly prayed for those in authority over us. And what if we lifted in prayer the issues before government (the mighty matters like abortion and capital punishment as well as the more mundane matters like traffic studies supporting zoning requests and the operation of the waste water treatment plant)?

But let’s move a step beyond that.  What if the church sent a card, note or an e-mail to a civil authority stating that it had prayed for a particular public servant before a visible vote or a difficult decision?  If there is a consensus, the views of the congregation would be appropriate to express.  But the purpose of the note is to indicate a fulfillment of this Biblical admonition, not to lobby on an issue (though we’ll see later why both are essential).   

As one who regularly interacts with elected officials and their staff, from the White House to the county courthouse, I can confidently report that few folks communicate they are praying for our leaders.  The President, especially in challenging times, will be a prayer focus of many congregations and pastors.

But day in and day out, we fail to lift up all our elected leaders and appointed officials, and so we realize less of the tranquility and godliness available to us through the power of prayer in the church.