Veritas Rex

A Biblical Understanding of Poverty

Poverty is an issue I have been thinking about lately.  I am currently reading “The Irresistible Revolution,” by Shane Claiborne.  Shane obviously has a remarkable passion for Jesus.  In my book, that ranks above all else.  However, sometimes his application of biblical principles is flawed, in my opinion, on the issue of poverty.  I am finding him a very interesting case study on the “social justice” wing of modern Christendom.

For example, in discussion of the church (writ large) he dreams of, he comments:

We dreamed ancient visions of a church like the one in Acts, in which “there were no needy persons among them” because everyone shared their possessions, not claiming anything as their own but “sharing everything they had.”  We knew we could end poverty. (emphasis mine) 

I love his passion, but wonder if his faulty presupposition will hamper his effectiveness or even cause more harm than good in certain circumstances. 

The faulty presupposition is this:  It is possible in this life to end poverty. 

It is no more possible for mankind to end poverty than it is for us to prevent all war or cure all disease or remove the sinful nature of mankind, as the words of Christ demonstrate:

Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.   
So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.
Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said,
"Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?"
Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
Therefore Jesus said, "Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.
"For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me." (emphasis mine)

                                                           - John 12: 1-8

I wish this were not so.  We can and should (as followers of Christ we are mandated to do so) help the poor.  The New Testament is replete with examples of Christ ordering us to help the poor.  However, we will always have the poor with us. 

Economic utopia is not possible in this lifetime.  Because mankind is not perfect, there will always be social problems…in this case, poverty.  There can be no man-made total eradication of poverty.  However, there are strategies and policies that have proven to minimize it.  Shane may not want to admit it, but the capitolistic, market economy of the U.S. has actually minimized poverty to an amazing extent when compared with other countries and economic systems. Many of the "poor" in the U.S. are not poor at all when compared to others around the world.

Murder is Murder

As has been reported by WIBC and Taking Down Words, State Representative Mike Murphy and Senator Jim Merritt plan to introduce a bill in the 2009 legislative session to eliminate the viability standard from the state statute, elevating the murder of an unborn child to the crime of murder. The push for such legislation comes as a result of the shooting of Huntington Bank teller Katherin Shuffield. She was wounded during a bank robbery and later lost her five month old twins.

Here is what Taking Down Words (blog closely tied to the State Democratic Party) has to say:

Did Eric Miller take a vaycay? It certainly seems like this would have prompted him to crawl out of the woodwork. For those of you living under a rock, mom-to-be Katherin Shuffield was shot in the stomach while she was simply doing her job as a bank teller on April 22. Days later, her twins died at five months gestation, two months shy of the point required by Indiana law to bring forth a murder charge.

Where's the love??  Come on Taking Down Words, you must not have attended many committee hearings on pro-life bills lately.  I'm always there.  What am I, chopped liver?  :)

Taking Down Words goes on to say:

So, how many legislators do you think will file similar bills criminalizing the murder of an unborn fetus in any circumstance?

It's interesting to me that they admit that killing an unborn "fetus" is murder, yet they are still supportive of it as long as a doctor does the dirty work with a scalpel rather than a gun. 

Voter ID law is good for families

Last week I had the opportunity to interview Indiana Secretary of State, Todd Rokita about the recent Supreme Court decision upholding Indiana's voter ID law and what that might mean for Indiana families.  We had a frank and open discussion that merits mentioning.

When I asked Secretary of State Rokita what he had to say to families who may have had their votes offset by others voting illegally in past elections, he told me that the "Photo ID law protects the family from being disenfranchised."  He went on to say that thanks to the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the voter ID law, "Their vote won't be stolen by someone who cheats the system."

Common sense.  Show your ID to vote.  If you are doing things the right way you have nothing to fear.

Secretary of State Rokita called voting the "most sacred civil transaction."  He also went on to say that those who claim racism on this issue may be showing some racist tendencies of their own.  Some of the critics of the voter ID law are inferring that minority groups do not have the ability to participate in mainstream, modern society.  Secretary of State Rokita rejects this notion and showed faith in the minority community's ability to obtain an ID and bring it to vote with them.  These sorts of opponents of voter ID remind me of a George W. Bush line, with their "sutle bigotry of lowered expectations."

Test of Faith: Spiritual Mentor v. Ambition

Coverage has abounded on the reckless statements of B. Hussein Obama's pastor Jeremiah Wright.  However, what I have been waiting for is a conversation about how you throw your pastor of 20 years under the bus the way B. Hussein Obama has done.  Dinesh D'Zousa does a great job in his most recent article of addressing this very issue (give it a read).  Shouldn't the pastor-congregant relationship be one of the most imporant relationships in one's life?  I know it is for me. The argument that B. Hussein Obama did not know the radical views of his pastor is not a plausible argument in my mind.  So, the real option for Obama was:

A.  Remain loyal to my pastor and spiritual mentor and face the consequences.

B.  Throw my pastor and spiritual mentor under the bus in the name of political expediency. 

Obama was faced with a lose/lose situation, but he may have chosen the worse option.  What does it say about a person when they sell out those closest to them in order to pursue their ambition?  Nothing good.  Is D'Zousa right?  Is Wright really the consistent one, while Obama hides in the shadows?  You can dedide for yourself.  Here is an expert from the D'Zousa article:

Now Obama would have us believe that, as far as Wright is concerned, he's had just about enough. But why? What has Wright said that has finally caused his disciple to end their relationship? While Wright has been pontificating a lot lately, he has not given us any new bombshells. But he did suggest that, in his beliefs like the one about the U.S. government and AIDS, Obama agrees with him.

Wright noted that of course Obama is now saying something different; that's because Obama is now running for president. So he has to say something different! Translation: what we see with Obama is not what we get. And Wright is in a position to know. He's nursed Obama intellectually and spiritually over the years. It is Obama himself who has given us this man, and assured us of his integrity and reliability.

The more I examine the two, the more I think that it is Wright who is being consistent and calling it the way he sees it, and Obama who is hiding the part of himself that once embraced this man and maybe still agrees with many of his beliefs but now finds him a political liability. While Obama continues to portray himself as Mr. Straight Talk, at this point he is a candidate enveloped in shadows

Brain Banishment

When it comes to cultural issues, it's always a little scary to look at Canada and Europe because all-to-often the U.S. follows suit, eventually.  Here is an example of a Christian non-profit group who was ordered by the Canadian government to cease using an employment contract which has staff promise that they will not engage in "homosexual relationships," among other activities contrary to Christian principles.  Moreover, the ruling demands that the organization pay $23,000, plus two years wages and benefits to a woman who signed onto the contract and then entered a homosexual relationship and was subsequently dismissed.  This story is striking in the blatant disregard for justice the "Human Rights Tribunal of Canada" shows in that the employee signed a contract vowing to stick within the moral guidelines of the organization (which she admitted to breaking), the law in question has a religious exemption that should have covered this organization (but didn't) and how this organization's ability to serve vulnerable populations according to it's faith-based mission has been compromised.

As I see different cases like these around the world, there seems to be a set pattern of homosexual activists pushing for "anti-discrimination" ordinances, eventually getting them passed through convincing elected officials that Christian organizations are covered under a religous exemption provision and then eventually attempting to target and gut Christian organizations with these ordinances by forcing them to recognize anti-Christian beliefs.  Indianapolis and several other cities already have similar ordinances.  I wonder how long it will take for homosexual activists in Indy to start attempting to stamp out those Christian organizations who disagree with them.  Politicos talk about Indiana's brain drain all the time.  It's more like brain banishment in places where homosexual activists dictate public policy.  Read the full story and the actual decision.  It's quite stunning.

Vote!

Today is primary election day!  Get out and vote!

For helpful information on the 2008 Indiana primary election you can visit the Secretary of State's website.  Speaking of Todd Rokita, I had a very interesting conversation with him last week.  Stay tuned for a post on the newly upheld voter ID law and what it will mean for Indiana families.

Conservatism meets Hollywood

I was really surprised when I came across this video by rapper Nick Cannon.  A conservative, pro-life....rap video....what?  This is yet another indication that the pro-life message resonates with the current generation of young people.

Hearing Crickets

If the following story had been about a self-identified homosexual man being abducted and beaten by a heterosexual man, the cry from the media and homosexual activists would have been deafening.  However, you insert a young Amish man as the victim being sexually assaulted by a male sexual deviant and you can hear crickets (except for the small blurb in the South Bend Tribune below).  Granted, all violent crimes should be highlighted and addressed, but why should we care less about justice for victims when the victim is a religious heterosexual?

From the South Bent Tribune: 

An Amish man riding a bicycle on a LaGrange County road was abducted and sexually assaulted late Saturday, authorities said.

The 29-year-old from near Wolcottville was traveling on C.R. 600 South, near C.R. 675 West in the Topeka area, when a man driving a dark-colored vehicle forced him into a car at knifepoint, the LaGrange County Sheriff's Department said.

After he was wrestled into the car, the man was driven to a remote area and sexually assaulted. Police said he was then driven to another location and released.

The suspect is a white, middle-aged male of average build, possibly driving a dark-colored car.

National Day of Prayer observed in Statehouse today at noon

Here is some information put out by Ray Martin and the National Day of Prayer folks on Indiana's observance of the National Day of Prayer.  Please attend if you can.

President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a National Fast Day in 1863.  In 1952, a joint resolution by Congress declared an annual national day of prayer.  In 1988, the Congress and President Reagan set the first Thursday of every May as national day of prayer.  And now, on Thursday, May 1, 2008, Americans from central Indiana will gather in the North Atrium of the Indiana State House at 200 W. Washington Street, Indianapolis,Indiana, to pray for their nation from noon until one o'clock p.m.   

Those leading in prayer will include Susan Blandford, Roy Blackwood, Woody Burton, Brian Bosma, James Beers, Richard Johnston, Matthew Barnes, Andy Hunt, Richard Amick, Larry Wilson and David Todd.  Additionally, the Herron High School Concert Choir will sing.  Please join with us in praying for our nation.

Congressman Burton gets conservative accolades

Congratulations to Indiana Congressman Dan Burton, who is also a congressional sponsor of IFI's Hoosier Congressional Policy Leadership Series.  Dan was the only U.S. Rep. to get a 100% rating with FRC Action http://www.frcaction.org/downloads/EF06J02.pdf.  Given the conservative nature of Indiana and our federal delegation, this is quite impressive.  U.S. Rep. Mike Pence and Mark Souder get an honorable mention with a 93% score and are also congressional sponsors of HCPLS. 

Why shouldn’t the Gipper be conservatives' reference point?

First, let’s be honest, Governor Daniels has done a great deal to promote conservative principles in Indiana.  You need only look at the people who are in positions of leadership within state government compared to four years ago to recognize this fact.  The governor’s agenda has promoted pro-life, pro-faith, pro-free market and pro-limited government policies and should be given credit by conservatives for the myriad of his “crew’s” accomplishments.

However, “My Man Mitch” needs a smack on the hand for his comments on the Gipper.  Here is the full quote courtesy of the Indy Star:

Daniels on Reagan

Here are excerpts from Gov. Mitch Daniels’ comments about Ronald Reagan, made to a conservative crowd in Washington, D.C., on April 17. The governor’s office provided the remarks Thursday to The Associated Press.

“I hope very much not to be misunderstood. I think it is time to let Ronald Reagan go. Not from our reverent memory, of course. Not ever, but as our touchstone, as our icon, as our hallmark and our reference point. Let me please explain what I mean.

“It used to strike me so odd that the Democrats of that day, or other public figures of that viewpoint, couldn’t quit obsessing about FDR. And what it told me as a young person at that time was they were looking backward. They had nothing new to offer, nothing new to say. Nothing to say to me. It was a dead giveaway that they were living in the past.

“Ralph Emerson once wrote that ’In any place, any political system ultimately divides between the party of hope and the party of memory.’ And hope is always, of course, about the future and the next generation. ... People come and go. The greatest of leaders come and go, but ideas and ideals and principles endure.

“I don’t think anyone understood that better than Ronald Reagan, who was always fixed on the future, who always spoke to the next generation, who always believed that somehow, someway, against the apparent odds of the present America, the things that we stand for would advance, and progress and prevail.”

I agree that we should not worship past leaders.  Ronald Reagan was an imperfect person, just like every other mere mortal who has ever lived.  However, I disagree that the Gipper should cease to be an icon and a reference point for conservatives.  Ronald Reagan gave conservatives a great blueprint for what it means to be a conservative and how to ultimately have conservative principles succeed.  I also agree that “leaders come and go, but ideas and ideals and principles endure.”  However, I don’t see how removing Reagan as our reference point for these principles will help them endure.  In fact, I believe the more we move away from referencing Reagan, the more conservative principles will be watered down and moderated.   

"Day of Silence" should be Day of Sadness

It is with great sadness that I highlight the reality of several public high schools around the state recognizing the “Day of Silence” today, which was and is created and promoted by GLSEN (a particularly tricky gay rights group that I commented on earlier this week).  We discuss the cultural and public policy implications of these sorts of efforts by gay rights groups all the time.  However, what saddens me the most is the ultimate consequences of the GLSEN worldview on the hearts, minds and souls of individual high school students. 

What I see are vulnerable youth reaching out for answers.  Some have been sexually, emotionally or physically abused.  Some are merely confused about the role sexuality should play in their lives.  The reasons for their vulnerability and confusion abound.  Of course the gay activists would say the ultimate reason is a society that does not embrace them for who they are (“gay”, “lesbian”, “bisexual”, etc.).

However, what is really happening is that these youth who are often confused, vulnerable and looking for answers are given the wrong answers by groups like GLSEN.  What these young people need are friends, family and others who will help them address the true root causes behind their confusion and vulnerability and help them work towards healing.  Many times a good Christian counselor could help the young person explore and work through some of these issues.  Instead GLSEN and other enablers help youth mask the true roots of their confusion by giving them a simple explanation… “You were born gay.  You cannot change.  If you embrace this reality and help others embrace it you can be happy.” 

How tragic. Even if you don’t agree with my values and lens through which I look at the world, is it ever healthy to let your romantic and sexual feelings define you (regardless of who those feelings are directed towards)?  Take a look at GLSEN’s website (or any gay rights website for that matter).  It is undeniable that they want a person’s sexuality to be the center of who they are.  You don’t have to agree with my values to understand that that is not healthy.

Global Warming fanatics are hurting families

I found an interesting video on global warming that I have embedded below.  I'm posting a couple of highlights below.  I'm all for good stewardship of the earth, mainly because in so doing we help our fellow man.  Littering or dumping toxins in rivers and streams are harmful to the public good.  However, the environmental wacko's who care more about worshiping the earth than showing good stewarship over it hurt families by making life more expensive and difficult.  Increasing government regulation to prevent "man-made global warming" unneccessarily burdens families financially through the increased cost of goods and services, while doing little to nothing to decrease global warming (which is itself a natural phenomenon...the science shows that the earth goes through cycles of warming and cooling).  Enjoy:

Fully 95% of the carbon dioxide, now identified by worldwide environmentalists as a form of pollution, is produced by natural sources.  Each year, of the 157 billion metric tons released in the atmosphere, barely 457.2 tons comes from cars and trucks. 

"Eliminating all U.S. gasoline powered vehicles would reduce worldwide carbon dioxide emissions by less than one half of one half of one percent.”
                                         - James Johnson
                                           American Enterprise Institute

Al Gore, in his book “Earth in the Balance,” advocates “eliminating the internal combustion engine: by the year 2018. 

“The answer to global warming is in the abolition of private property and production for human need.  A sociality world would place an enormous priority on alternative energy sources.  This is what ecologically-minded socialists have been exploring for quite some time now. “
                                           - Louis Proyect
                                              Columbia University

Update:

Here is an excellent article on the danger of the radical left's environmental policies.

Hat tip:  Craig Ladwig

Group behind homosexual "day of silence" could expose schools to legal trouble

I made mention of the group GLSEN in my last post (which I jokingly referred to as the Gay Lesbian and Straight MisEducation Network).  With their annual "day of silence" coming up this Friday, today seems like a good day to expose GLSEN's true intentions for Indiana's vulnerable youth.  The Citizens for Community Values (IFI's counterpart in Ohio) has put together an excellent document which highlights the dangerous agenda of GLSEN and the legal liability issues that GLSEN's miseducation campaign could have on schools.  I am posting an excerpt below, but I highly encourage anyone who works in the field of education or has school age children to read the entire document. 

As I studied GLSEN's website and the different materials they offer to students, I was particularly interested in the document explaining how students can develop, "youth-adult partnerships."  This document seems to make a concerted effort to help confuse students as to the distinctions between being a "youth" or an "adult."  They claim that GLSEN considers a youth to be a k-12 student, yet they proceed to call attention to other "cultures, traditions and situations" in which youth as young as 13 are considered to be adults.  This seems to fall right in line with the liability issues CCV highlights below:

Schools Exposed to Civil Liability

Implied approval of child-adult sexual relationships is a frequent and usually positive theme in resources recommended by GLSEN and PFLAG. Beyond the fact that these liaisons often constitute criminal activity for which the adults could be prosecuted, the civil lawsuits schools could face are daunting.

One has only to look to the numerous claims recently made against the Catholic Church for its various roles in sexual abuse scandals involving priests to see the liability schools could face in similar situations. Out-of-court settlements paid for past offenses have totaled in the multiple millions of dollars thus far. It should be noted that a major component of this litigation has focused on the negligent failure of the church hierarchy to protect children from known risks.

It is difficult, if not impossible, for school officials to know whether the adults who want access to the children on their campuses have criminal intentions. But if those adults state their intentions in writing up front – in books and brochures approving of child-adult sex – school officials have a responsibility to keep them at a distance. Failure to do so when the school is aware of the potential danger will very likely result in culpability.

Based on the critical review of the resources provided to young people by groups like GLSEN and PFLAG, Harvey states,

School officials should be aware that many homosexual support groups for teens and their parents believe that sex between a young person and an adult is just an expected part of the growing up process. Numerous stories and episodes of adult-teen homosexual sex are found within the resources of these groups. Incidents are treated at times in a neutral fashion, or too often, in a positive light, as if such abusive relationships are natural, normal, and even an advantageous ‘coming of age’ step in the lives of ‘gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered’ youth.

Hat tip:  Patrick Mangan

in·san·i·ty

in·san·i·ty [in-san-i-tee]- public schools ban coaches from praying with their teams, but allow GLSEN (Gay Lesbian and Straight MisEducation Network) to promote homosexuality and silence opposition. 

Thou shalt punish the rich?

I don't share the populist sentiment, that I believe a majority of the American people buy into, that government should redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor.  It is not only economically foolish, but morally unjust.  The Federal government should not be a modern day Robin Hood, stealing from the rich to giving to the poor.  This sort of class warfare can be tempting, even to social conservatives, as big business grows increasingly hostile to our positions on the homosexual agenda, religious liberty, etc. 

However, as Christians, we must not confuse charity (giving of your own time, talent and treasure to help our fellow man) with socialism (government redistribution of wealth...in this case, from the rich to the poor).  We are responsible before God to help our fellow man.  However, forcing wealth redistribution through forced taxation does not achieve the goals of Biblical charity.  It merely grows government, grows the dependence of the poor on government, and trades the true message of charity (the love of God for mankind through His servants) for the message of socialism (the love of government by those who are dependant upon her).

A graduated income tax is but one example of this form of modern day socialism that we continue to adopt.  The chart below shows that the top 50% of wage earners pay 97% of the income tax!  Yet I would hazard a guess that the bottom 50% of wage earners use more than their fair share of government services.

In the words of Paul, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." 

WHO PAYS THE FEDERAL INCOME TAX? (2005 IRS Report)
Percentiles Ranked by Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)	Group’s Share of Total AGI (%)	Group’s Share of Income Taxes (%)
Top 1%	21	39
Top 5%	36	60
Top 50%	87	97
Bottom 50%	12	3

The Letter "A," Spitzer, and the Misrepresentation of Puritanism

I thought this was a very interesting article in response to the "sexual freedom should know no bounds" crowd.  I urge you to read the full article...I'm just posting a snippet below.  Additionally, for those interested in a real history of the Puritans, rather than the liberal demagoguery we usually get from the media, "Puritan Christianity in America: Religion and Life in Seventeenth-Century Massachusetts" by Allen Carden is a good resource.

The Letter “A,” Spitzer, and the Misrepresentation of Puritanism
By Mary Grabar
Sunday, March 30, 2008

As predictable as a college freshman telling me that the “A” sewn on Hester Prynne’s dress symbolizes Puritanical hypocrisy were the commentaries about the Puritanical hypocrisy of the prosecution of men (like Eliot Spitzer) for engaging the services of a prostitute. 

The charges of “Puritanism” echo those made during the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky affair, and feature such notables as Huffington Post’s Chris Weignet asking us to “get beyond our Puritanical roots” in a commentary titled “In Defense of Hookers.”  The Economist saw the Spitzer affair as the latest example in American history of “Puritanism deranging the law.”  Legal and ethical scholar Martha Nussbaum, whose feminist “caring” ethic fills college anthologies, begins an Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial, “Eliot Spitzer, one of the nation’s most gifted and dedicated politicians, was hounded into resignation by a Puritanism and mean-spiritedness that are quintessentially American.”  She then expresses her “caring” for “sex workers”—the latest group of the oppressed in the Marxist universe of the American university.  Our more prestigious campuses now host an annual sex workers show.  “Sex workers,” unlike us “word workers” who toil at grading papers, were paid good money for their performances. 

Click Here to Continue Reading

Hat tip: Townhall.com

Tony Perkins in Crown Point on Saturday

If any of you live up in the northwest part of the state or feel like making the drive on Saturday, this event should be a good one.  Tony Perkins will be at Living Stones Church in Crown Point.  One of IFI's favorite pastors, Ron Johnson Jr., put this event together.  Pastor Johnson and Living Stones understand the value of thinking like Jesus on matters of public policy.  You will not regret attending this event.  Say "Hi" to IFI President Curt Smith if you go, as he will be participating in the conference as well. 

Shocking news...Bil Browning joins Veritas Rex

In shocking news Bil Browning, gay activist and founder of the Bilerico Project, has become a social conservative.  Following an intense lunch at the Elbow Room in downtown Indianapolis (pictured below) Bil realized that I am, in fact, right about all social issues.  Given this epiphany, he decided to jump ship from gay activism.  Bil will now be leading the charge against the homosexual agenda in the Indiana Statehouse and elsewhere across the Hoosier state. 

Bil had this to say:

"I am honored to join the ranks of Ryan McCann and the Indiana Family Institute.  Ryan is right...a social conservative perspective on life really does make more sense." 

Welcome to the religious right, Bil!

APRIL FOOLS!

Richard Dawkins spoof

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  Hilarious. 

Future lawyers of tomorrow

What is Lambda Law Society?  Here is their group description on the IU Indy law school website:

The IU School of Law-Indianapolis chapter of the Lambda Law Society is an organization for law students who share a vision of equality in all endeavors, regardless of sexual orientation. The society's goals include developing a social structure where gay, lesbian, and bisexual students feel comfortable being themselves; offering education opportunities at the law school on gay, lesbian, and bisexual interests; providing service to the legal community in areas of interest to the homosexual community; and offering charitable assistance to the Indiana community in areas of gay, lesbian, and bisexual concerns.

I'm not sure whether promoting cross-dressing fits under the "offering education opportunities" umbrella or "providing service to the legal community."  However, I'm sure Veritas Rex nation will help me make that distinction.  Here is an invitation to participate in an upcoming "drag show" that the IU Indy law students received:

Hello Student Body,

The Lambda Law Society would like to offer an opportunity for anyone interested in participating in our upcoming drag show.  This is our main fund-raising event and all proceeds will go to The Indiana Youth Group -- an organization dedicated to supporting local youth [Ryan cutting in - In actuality, the Indiana Youth Group is a gay activist organization that promotes homosexuality and bisexuality among Indiana's youth].  This is a very important organization as it helps youth face the everyday challenges of parental relationships, school, individuality, and social awareness.  We would really appreciate your support.

This show will be a light hearted, tongue-in-cheek, drag show. 
Participants will be competing for the prestigious title of Ms. IndyLaw
2008 (complete with crown and sash).  The winner will also receive a large prize package that consists of $50 cash prize and gift certificates from various restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and salons.

Your very own law professors will be asked to judge; however, just like in American Idol, their opinions are just gudance and the audience members will be casting their own votes to select the winner.

Also performing will be the locally famous Bag Ladies -- a group of men who do drag shows to raise money for charity; a real drag queen -- Ms.
Annastacia DeMoore (emphasis mine), a drag queen MC, and IYG.  The professional participants are happy to help with hair/wigs, makeup, costume, and performance tips.

This event will be held Thursday, April 10th in the Atrium at 8 pm.

When searching for the details of the Lambda Law Society I came across the Washington College of Law's chapter of Lambda Law Society and had to add it here because it made me laugh.  Here are the examples they use for social events that they host:

"Activities Include: ...Social events, such as Happy Hours, pot-luck dinners, and Bingo."

Wow...if you didn't know any better you would think that the Lambda Law Society was a church group of elderly ladies, not a den for drag queens!

In the Name of the Almighty $

Apparently some young, crafty pro-lifers decided to call up Planned Parenthood and see how far they would go towards funding the murder of the unborn.  Here is the horrifying result.  Be careful...this will make your blood boil. 

Why We Celebrate

On this Good Friday my thoughts rest on the reason for Easter - the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.  I came across this email by Gary Bauer today and thought I could do no better in discussing Easter.  Enjoy:

Why We Celebrate

As a child, when I read the Easter story, there was a part of me that wanted a different ending.  If only He had come down from the Cross and destroyed His enemies - that would have demonstrated His power.  That is what I thought then. 

Of course, now I know how wrong that thought was.  Here is how William Barclay, the world-renowned Scottish New Testament interpreter, explains
it:

"If He had refused the cross or, if in the end, He had come down from the cross, it would have meant there was a limit to God’s love, that there was something which that love was not prepared to suffer for men, that there was a line beyond which it would not go.  But, Jesus went the whole way and died on the cross and this means that there is literally no limit to God’s love, that there is nothing in all the universe which that love is not prepared to suffer for men, that there is nothing, not even death on a cross, which it will refuse to bear for men."

Daily we receive news of human baseness and depravity.  News reports remind us of the malice of those who constantly threaten us with terror.  We are witness to the mediocrity of those in the halls of government who shirk their duties to defend the defenseless.  And throughout society we see
corruption of all kinds.   

But over the din of human frailty the voice of God rings clear: “This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life.”

How can we choose the Lord?  Is it even possible for our corrupt hearts to choose the Perfect Good?  As Christians we believe that Jesus’ death destroyed the barriers between man and God.  We believe that He died so that we may be brought close enough to Him to choose Him.  Others, however, follow a god who demands that they seek their own death and the deaths of
others so that they may receive salvation.  What a contrast!    

Ultimately, it is not the birth of a man born into this world that we celebrate; rather, it is His death and resurrection as the living Son of God.  If Christ had not risen from the grave and ascended into Heaven, he would have been forgotten as a common criminal whose birthday would have no significance. 

Today, on Good Friday, we think about the Cross and the sacrifice paid for our sins; the amazing love that took our place; and the grace we have been given.  That kind of sacrifice is almost impossible to imagine. 

Thank God for the Cross and the empty tomb!  Carol and I and everyone at Campaign for Working Families send our love to you and yours.  This weekend, may each of you find a remembrance of the peace that surpasses all understanding. 

Democrats…rise up

I am so sick and tired of party politics getting in the way of good policy.  My passion lies in successfully implementing ideas that will make Indiana and our nation a better place, not in amassing power for power’s sake.  It turns out that this is not a new phenomenon.  George Washington also had some issues with political parties:

“…the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.”
                                                                            –George Washington’s Farewell Address

In this session of the Indiana General Assembly social conservatives got nothing.  Why?  Because the Democrats won control of the Indiana House of Representative in the last election and elected Pat Bauer as their Speaker.  Is that sad or what?  I know good Christian Democrats that believe the way I do on social issues, but the fact of the matter is, when their party is in power they are treated with distain.

Why is this?  The Republican Party reaches out to social liberals.  Republican elected officials walk in gay pride parades, the Republican Party practically begs gay activists to join up with them anymore.  The “Grand Old Party” has even been known to play nice with pro-choice groups and others on occasions.  Yet the Democrats won’t even throw social conservatives a bone.  Why?  I know there are lots of Reagan Democrats out there who are sick of seeing Christians treated like second class citizens, sick of seeing Hoosier babies being killed before they can take their first breath and sick of seeing the homosexual lifestyle promoted by government.   

Reach out Democrats…you might be surprised what you get.  Let’s try to look past the “mischief” of party politics and work on creating a better Indiana.  However, even if all you care about is achieving political power, wouldn’t it still make sense to reach out?  Rise up, Democrats.  Rise up.

Big Brother liberalism strikes in California…is Indiana next?

For years conservatives (including yours truly...here, here and here) have been sounding the alarm against the significant and growing problem of judicial activism.  Liberalism infested and conquered most law schools many decades ago.  However, until more recently the spawn of this corruption of the legal profession at least attempted to hide their ideological bias behind the tricky “penumbra” they keep magically finding in the Constitution.

However, in more recent history, marriage, property rights, religious liberty and now parental rights (to name only a few) have taken serious frontal assaults from a few black-robed tyrants.  Most recently the California Court of Appeals ruled that parents have no legal right to home-school their children.

For those of you keeping score at home, the liberal ideology dominates much of American culture today including:  the mainstream media (for example: CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, the New York Times, most major newspapers…ring any bells?), the education system (Last time I checked the teachers unions were still a bastion of liberalism and they run much of the public school system.  To make matters much worse, many colleges and universities have crusty Marxists from the 60’s entrenched in power), government bureaucracy (need I explain…really?), the courts, much of corporate America (Bill Gates, Tim Gil, etc.), even the church is threatened (only 50% of pastors have a biblical worldview according to George Barna).

Conservatives still have a fighting chance in some areas of public influence, but our last best hope is in the home.  Conservatives don’t abort their babies and they teach their children the Truth.  That is a threat to liberalism.  Given this reality, is it any surprise that the home and parental rights are targeted?  Will liberals be content with crushing parental rights in California?  Were they content to declare sodomy a constitutional right in only one state?  Were they happy to allow babies to be murdered within their mother’s wombs in only one state?  Be vigilant Indiana.

“Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”  - Thomas Jefferson

Hat tip - One News Now

Illegal immigration supporters stoop to a new low

I have watched the debate surrounding Senator Mike Delph's immigration bill with interest this session.  For decades the combination of non-U.S. citizens entering and remaining in this country illegally, businesses and consumers benefitting from the cheap labor of said illegals, and the federal government's lack of will to enforce our immigration laws has brought us to the illegal immigration problems we currently have in our state and accross the nation.  While lawful immigration of foreign nationals into the melting pot of american society is a prized american tradition, our nation is on its way to rejecting that tradition for a wild-west style immigration policy in which illegal activity is protected while those who abide by the law are punished.

Often-times the debate in Indiana on this issue has been overheated, with opponents of Senator Delph's bill accusing supporters of racist motivations or worse.  The intellectual pursuit towards sound public policy for our state has often been over-shadowed by the emotional rhetoric of some opponents.

Today's article in the Indianapolis Star is a good example of this overheated, emotional rhetoric.  Here is an excerpt:

Indiana lawmakers who support a crackdown on illegal immigration may be risking their own salvation, according to a local minister.

"Heaven has secure borders, too," warned the Rev. Mark Powell, a Disciples of Christ minister whose social justice group wants to kill Sen. Mike Delph's bill that would punish businesses that hire illegal immigrants.

...Powell joined a handful of Protestant ministers at a Statehouse news conference Thursday -- sprinkled with biblical quotes and directives from Jesus -- that inserted religion into the debate over a pair of sister immigration bills passed by the House and the Senate. Both bills are still alive and waiting for assignment to a conference committee, where differences can be worked out.

"God today has put the soul of Indiana to the test," Powell said. "Christ is clear in the Gospel: Love your neighbor."

...Powell said he represented more than the Disciples Justice Action Network, a group that advocates for social justice, abortion-rights legislation and gay and lesbian rights.

My question for Mr. Powell is: Which neighbor do we love?  Let's take a realistic look at the situation.  Granted, many illegal immigrants do not continue to break the law once they settle in Indiana, are hard working and, if they had entered the country legally, would be model citizens.  However, we do have a group of individuals who broke the law to get here.  Some continue to break other laws, though many do not.  Many use government funded services that they do not adequately contribute towards, such as: the education system, healthcare, the criminal justice system and welfare to name a few.

Do you force your neighbor who is a legal citizen to live in greater danger because of the minority of illegals who we cannot account for, yet continue to break the laws?  Do you force your neighbor who is a legal citizen to pay for the government services used by the illegal immigrants who don't pay their fair share into the system?  Let's take a sober look at the issue before our bleeding hearts drain all the blood from our brain.

Obama to country: No, really, I love Jesus!

Here in an interesting excerpt from an article found in the New York Post:

March 3, 2008 -- TOLEDO, Ohio - Barack Obama yesterday lashed out at political enemies who are spreading false rumors that he's a closet Muslim as he proclaimed, "I pray to Jesus every night."

"I am a devout Christian," he told voters in this key state.

"I pray to Jesus every night and try to go to church as much as I can."

I really like the fact that Presidential candidates, even really liberal ones, still feel as if they must convince the American people of the sincerity of their Christian faith.  We may have slid a long way from John Adams' famous quote:

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

However, it seems that people still understand that the principles of Christianity are important to both the private and public lives of their leaders.  Otherwise, Obama wouldn't be making such a big deal about it. 

Hat tip:  Drudge Report

God Save Prince Harry...and all others like him

I've had the flu all week so I was looking for some goods news to brighten my day.  I came across this article on Prince Harry put out by the AP.  At first it doesn't seem like a positive article.  After all, the media spilled the beans that Harry was serving in Afghanastan, so it looks like he will have to come home.  However, this article gave me renewed faith in my generation and our British allies.  Here is an excerpt:

Harry was supposed to go to Iraq with the Blues and Royals regiment in May last year but the assignment was canceled because of security fears. Iraqi insurgents made threats on Internet chat rooms, saying he would not make it home alive.

Harry trained at Sandhurst military academy and joined the Blues and Royals as a cornet, the cavalry regiment's equivalent of a second lieutenant. After being held back from his Iraq assignment, the prince threatened to quit the army if he was not given the chance to see combat.

Harry said his older brother, William, who also graduated from Sandhurst and is training as a military pilot, is jealous of his deployment. As Britain's likely future king, Prince William is unlikely ever to see combat.

Helmand province is where most of the 7,800 British soldiers in Afghanistan are based. It has seen some of the country's fiercest combat in recent years, with NATO-led forces fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida militants.

Harry's work in Afghanistan has involved calling in airstrikes on Taliban positions as well as going out on foot patrols. He spent part of his deployment at a base 500 yards from Taliban positions, the military said.

Since Harry's arrival, his battle group has been responsible for around 30 enemy deaths, a Ministry of Defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Video showed the prince in camouflage fatigues walking across arid and dusty terrain, calling in air support, firing a machine gun and patrolling the streets of Garmsir, the southernmost part of the province. He has since left Garmsir, and his current whereabouts are being kept secret.

It gives me a great deal of pride to see men in my generation have the courage to fight on the frontlines for freedom.  In many ways I envy them.  While others deride the war and demonize the soldiers and nations on the side of all that is still good in this world, these brave men fight the evil that our enemies would love to bring to our doorstep.  God bless our heroes who are protecting us overseas.  Not just the ones we all know, like Pince Harry, but the unknown heroes as well.  The father of four from Georgia.  The young soldier who will save the guy on his left or his right today.  Friends from my home town.  God bless and protect them all and give them victory. 

Founding Fathers II

I love this topic, so I had to post once more on the Christian faith of the Founding Fathers.  As I predicted, the secular progressives do not agree with my estimation that most of the Founding Fathers were dedicated Christians.  Of course, this position is important to them because if the Founding Fathers were Christians, and they allowed their faith to help guide many of their public policy decisions, then it is harder to attack me when I do the same.  :)

Question:  If many of the Founding Fathers were not Christians, then why would they waste their time with leadership roles in establishing and guiding numerous religious societies or through serving in active ministry?  Here are but a few examples:

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS: Vice-President of the American Bible Society; member of the Massachusetts Bible Society.

ABRAHAM BALDWIN (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Chaplain in the American Revolution for two years.

JOEL BARLOW (DIPLOMAT UNDER WASHINGTON AND ADAMS): Chaplain in the American Revolution for three years.

JOSEPH BLOOMFIELD (GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY): Member of the New Jersey Bible Society.

ELIAS BOUDINOT (PRESIDENT OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS): Founder and first President of the American Bible Society; President of the New Jersey Bible Society;85 member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions; member of the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

JAMES BOWDOIN (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.

JOHN BROOKS (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS; REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL): President of Middlesex County Bible Society.

JAMES BROWN (U. S. SENATOR; DIPLOMAT): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

JAMES BURRILL, JR. (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF RHODE ISLAND SUPREME COURT; U. S. SENATOR): President of the Providence Auxiliary Bible Society.

DEWITT CLINTON (GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK; U. S. SENATOR; INTRODUCED THE TWELFTH AMENDMENT): Manager and Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

FRANCIS DANA (MEMBER OF CONTINENTAL CONGRESS; CHIEFJUSTICE OF MASSACHUSETTS SUPREME COURT; U. S. MINISTER TO RUSSIA): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.

JOHN DAVENPORT (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; U. S. CONGRESS): Member of the Missionary Society of Connecticut.

SAMUEL DEXTER (SECRETARY OF WAR UNDER ADAMS; U. S. CONGRESSMAN; U. S. SENATOR): Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.

JONAS GALUSHA (GOVERNOR OF VERMONT): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

WILLIAM GASTON (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF NORTH CAROLINA SUPREME COURT; U. S. REPRESENTATIVE): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

CHARLES GOLDSBOROUGH (GOVERNOR OF MARYLAND; U. S. REPRESENTATIVE): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

WILLIAM GRAY (LT. GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS; U. S. SENATOR): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

FELIX GRUNDY (U. S. ATTORNEY GENERAL; U. S. SENATOR; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Proposed formation of the Christian Constitutional Society to spread Christian government to other nations.

JOHN HAMILTON (MAJOR-GENERAL IN THE REVOLUTION; U. S. CONGRESS): Member of the New Jersey Bible Society.

JOHN JAY (ORIGINAL CHIEF-JUSTICE OF THE U. S. SUPREME COURT): President of the American Bible Society; member of American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

WILLIAM JONES (GOVERNOR OF RHODE ISLAND): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY (ATTORNEY; AUTHOR OF “THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER”): Manager and Vice-President of the American Sunday School Union.

RUFUS KING (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Selected as manager of the American Bible Society.

ANDREW KIRKPATRICK (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT): Vice-President of the New Jersey Bible Society; Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE (REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL): Member of the American Sunday School Union.

JOHN LANGDON (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

BENJAMIN LINCOLN (REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; LT. GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Member of the Society for the Propagating of the Gospel among the Indians and Others.

JOHN LOWELL (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; MEMBER OF THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS): Member of the Society for the Propagating of the Gospel among the Indians and Others.

GEORGE MADISON (GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

JOHN MARSHALL (CHIEF-JUSTICE OF THE U. S. SUPREME COURT; SECRETARY OF STATE; REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; officer in the American Sunday School Union.

JAMES MCHENRY (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): President of the Baltimore Bible Society.

DAVID LAWRENCE MORRIL (GOVERNOR OF NEW HAMPSHIRE; U. S. SENATOR): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; Manager in the American Sunday School Union.

JOSEPH NOURSE (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; U. S. TREASURY): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

ROBERT TREAT PAINE (SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION): Military Chaplain.

ALBION PARRIS (GOVERNOR OF MAINE): Manager of the American Sunday School Union.

WILLIAM PHILLIPS (LT. GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS FOR 11 TERMS): President of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians; President of the Massachusetts Bible Society; member of the American Board of Foreign Missions; Vice-President of the American Bible Society; President of the American Society for Educating Pious Youth for the Gospel Ministry.

CHARLES COTESWORTH PINCKNEY (SIGNER OF THE CONSTITUTION): President of the Charleston Bible Society; Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

THOMAS POSEY (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; GOVERNOR OF INDIANA; U. S. SENATOR): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

RUFUS PUTNAM (REVOLUTIONARY GENERAL; FEDERAL JUDGE): President of the Ohio Bible Society.

BENJAMIN RUSH (SIGNER OF THE DECLARATION): Founder and manager of the Philadelphia Bible Society.

ISAAC SHELBY (REVOLUTIONARY OFFICER; GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

JOHN COTTON SMITH (GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): President of the Litchfield County Foreign Missionary Society; first President of the Connecticut Bible Society; President of the American Bible Society; President of the American Board of Foreign Missions.

CALEB STRONG (CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION; U. S. SENATOR; GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

JAMES SULLIVAN (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.

INCREASE SUMNER (GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS): Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others.

WILLIAM TILGHMAN (FEDERAL JUDGE; CHIEF-JUSTICE OF PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

SMITH THOMPSON (U. S. SUPREME COURT; SECRETARY OF NAVY): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

DANIEL TOMPKINS (GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK; VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE U. S.): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

JOHN TREADWELL (GOVERNOR OF CONNECTICUT; MEMBER OF CONTINENTAL CONGRESS): Member of the Missionary Society of Connecticut.

ROBERT TROUP (FEDERAL JUDGE; SECRETARY OF WAR): Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

PETER VROOM (GOVERNOR OF NEW JERSEY; U. S. CONGRESSMAN): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.

BUSHROD WASHINGTON (U. S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE): Vice-President of the American Bible Society; Vice-President of the American Sunday School Union.

WILLIAM WIRT (U. S. ATTORNEY-GENERAL UNDER TWO PRESIDENTS): Manager of the American Sunday School Union; Vice-President of the American Bible Society.

THOMAS WORTHINGTON (GOVERNOR OF OHIO; U. S. SENATOR): Original Officer of the American Bible Society.

Taken from: 

Barton, David: Original Intent : The Courts, the Constitution & Religion. 1st ed. Aledo, TX : WallBuilder Press, 1996, S. 139