There are few politicians I hold in greater disdain than I do Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter. This RINO Republican (Republican in name only) constantly comes off as a smarmy, smug arrogant political hack. (And yes, I've met him personally.) He is one of the leading Republican proponents for abortion on demand and the fact that he's the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is a tribute to the spinelessness that has made the Republican Party in Washington the ineffective failure it has largely been during the last decade.
A self-avowed "centrist", what he really possesses is a unique ability to get re-elected in spite of the fact that he has no fundamental core principles by which he governs his philosophy or politics.
In just the latest example, he has now come out publicly criticizing the Philadelphia Eagles for their treatment of NFL ingrate Terrell Owens while at the same time, criticizing Owens' conduct and behavior. Not only that, he's threatening to haul the leadership of the NFL franchise before a Capitol Hill Committee that oversees anti-trust violations contending that the Eagles refusal to allow Owens to leave the team this year and play for an opponent somehow violated federal monopoly laws. And oh yeah, he can't stand Owens personally and thinks he should be paid.
Not since (former)New York Governor Cuomo's pussy-footing stance of "I am personally opposed to abortion but I support a woman's right to choose abortion" have we seen a bigger example of cowardly wishy-washiness. Quite frankly I have more respect for true-blue liberals of the Kennedy and Wellstone ilk who don't try to play it both ways than I do for these duplicitious Republicans who wear a so-called conservative party's label and try to make nice with the liberals.
Too bad the citizens of PA didn't have the good sense to vote him out of office when they had the chance last year.
But, hey....that's just MY opinion.
Rant over. (Aren't you glad?)|W|P|113330168230871122|W|P|A "Specter" of Duplicity|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
As I mentioned in an earlier blog article, one of our NCA graduates and church members, 1st Lt. John Zaal was injured in Iraq a little less than 2 weeks ago. His dad keeps me posted on his recovery and hopefully he and Janet will be able to go visit John in Germany shortly. Keep him in your prayers as well as the other brave men and women who wear the American uniforms.
Here's a picture of John and a link to a website that gives more information on John's heroic actions as he was wounded.|W|P|113328891974985420|W|P|More Information on John Zaal|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
I've always been a kind of "Eat the Meat and Spit Out the Bones" kind of guy. It's not a position that I think everyone should take. Without trying to be arrogant, I believe that I largely possess a grasp of orthodox and fundamental Christianity and its corresponding worldview that allows me to read a wide variety of authors ranging from Evangelicals to Infidels and to be able to sort through their various ideas and perspectives without "buying into" that which is unBiblical. I often use the "...eating the meat..." analogy to defend my broad stable of authors and leaders after whom I follow.
One such example of an Evangelical Leader I've enjoyed reading after and following his ministry has been Rick Warren. 
There's plenty of meat in his book entitled "The Purpose-Driven Church." It's a stimulating read and I foundit helpful on multiple levels. I don't believe in blindly closing my eyes to what the Lord is blessing in other cities simply because I wouldn't use the exact same methodology in my own setting. I need to be prodded -- even provoked, at times, to avoid falling into the traps of traditionalism, apathy or lethargy that is causing a lot of churches to fight over inconsequentials and whither in their own vineyards. In the interest of full-disclosure, you should know that we use some of the principles of "The Purpose-Driven Church" at our church, I've visited his church on two occasions and I've read several of his works. I just don't switch off my brain when I'm reading someone.
For me, I was significantly less impressed with his blockbuster book, "The Purpose-Driven Life." 
Yes...I know lots of people whom the Lord touched through reading this book. I don't doubt their sincerity or the validity of the salvation. God calls whom He will using whatever means He chooses and I'm not going to engage in a debate on the genuineness of salvation experiences apart from Doctrinal Issues. Though speaking of Doctrinal Issues, I must note that my largest objection with "The Purpose-Life" was the absence of any significant discussion of what it means to "take up one's cross and follow Jesus". Short shriff was given to the non-seeker-friendly doctrine of Repentance in my opinion. There was a substantial whiff of Finneyesque "Decisionism" which promotes "making a decision" as opposed to a genuine "conversion" and which, once again in my opinion, promotes a false sense of security. So, I would say it is "light" on at least this key principle, but I would not categorize it as dangerous and heretical, as some have.
(As for giving someone a book that introduces them to the gospel, I far and away prefer Andy Stanley's excellent little book, "How Good is Good Enough?".)
But I will state here, that I have seen a marked change in the demeanor of Rick Warren since he became [arguably] "the world's most influential Protestant pastor" and due largely, to his media-driven cash cows surrounding the "Purpose-Driven Life" campaigns. He certainly is now coming across as a man with an emerging "Messiah Complex" and we need to listen to his words carefully.
No longer satisfied with building a network of "Purpose-Driven" Churches, Warren now wants to end AIDS in Africa, erradicate poverty around the world and apparently unite all churches who "love Jesus" into a joint exercise in ecumenical group hugging.
For me, a major bone that caught in my throat was the press reports that he had written a substantial check to the rank liberal Baptist World Alliance which embraces a theological mushiness and liberalness that caused the Southern Baptist Convention to withdraw their affiliation and funding. Warren denounced the SBC pull-out, spoke kinds word about the BWA without caveat and announced that he and his wife had written a generous check to the BWA.
Now, there's an even more ominous statement being attributed to Warren in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette article I linked to earlier in this article. (In case you missed it -- click here.)
Let me quote some of his statements... (You can go read the whole article for the complete context.)
"It really doesn't matter what your label is. If you love Jesus, we're on the same team," he said.
"Now I don't agree with everything in everybody's denomination, including my own. I don't agree with everything that Catholics do or Pentecostals do, but what binds us together is so much stronger than what divides us," he said.
"I really do feel that these people are brothers and sisters in God's family. I am looking to build bridges with the Orthodox Church, looking to build bridges with the Catholic Church, with the Anglican church, and say 'What can we do together that we have been unable to do by ourselves?' "
Stop the buffet line, I'm harking on a major-league bone here.
If "loving Jesus" is all that is required to put someone on Rick's "team", then he needs to look around him before leading in Kumbayah. He's going to be holding hands with Muslims (remember -- in their book, Jesus was a Prophet and they "love" prophets), with liberal Protestants (folks like UMC and PCUSA and others still "love" Jesus while they try to earn their way to heaven on works), with cultists like the Jehovah Witnesses, Worldwide Church of God, Mormons and let's throw in some White Separatists folks -- they all "love" Jesus.
What should "bind us together" is not a shared goal, similar origins or some sort of mushy admittance that "Jesus" was a good guy -- it should be TRUTH. Nothing less.
Why would Warren be interested in "building bridges" of cooperation with people who deny fundamental doctrines such as sola scriptura, sola gracia, sola Christos, sola fide, the Diety of Christ, the Doctrine of the Trinity and other key lines of orthodoxy?
What is it about high-profile evangelical leaders that entices them to sell out their beliefs to maintain their viability in the world politic? I sat, less than a year ago, and listened personally and in his presence, Billy Graham espouse the virtues of the head of the Roman Catholic Church as if he was an evangelical orthodox Born-again Believer. Even a first-year seminarian at any real evangelical or fundamental school will tell you that the gospel as preached by Rome is far removed from the Gospel taught by Bible-believing Baptist, Protestant and evangelical churches.
When men of the stature of Graham and Warren start making these kind of high-minded and unsound declarations in front of their adoring masses and sycophants, someone needs to speak up and demand clarification and/or correction.
I can turn my nose up at some of the pragmatic philosophies that drive much of the modern church movement today. I can choose to ignore some of the positional compromises that are taking place in regards to philosophy and methodology as I choose what I believe is a sounder, more Biblical strategy in my own ministry. I can dismiss some of the "trendiness" we see in today's "Church Growth" empire as just one more fad that will flare up and die away in the face of Eternal Truth.
But when we start serving "bones" disguised as "meat", someone needs to fire the chefs. The corruption being introduced into orthodox, fundamental Christianity by the likes of the "Emergent" folks, the "Open Theists", the philosophically ignorant and the theologically pragmatic needs to be clearly identified and warned against.
While there is much to appreciate by many of today's Evangelical "superstars" -- when their notoriety and fame stir them to statements that are at least intemperate and poorly constructed and at worst, dangerous and heretical, good leaders need to stand up and speak out.
The road to heaven is narrow, the gate is small, the cost is high -- and there is but one way to gain entrance -- through Christ alone.
We must never water down the real message of the Gospel. Not for fame, not for fortune, not for opportunity, not for access, not for good and noble ends, not for anything. The Gospel stands quite well on its own. Spiritual leaders need to lift it high.|W|P|113321575525996646|W|P|This Bone I'm Really Choking On|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Thomas Pryde|W|P|This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. Thomas Pryde|W|P|Great thoughts! It amazes me how many Evangelicals, who otherwise seem to be sound, are taken by his teachings... CLC|W|P|Sound thinking. Although I have not read any of Warren's books (mainly because everybody else has, and I am enough of a nonconformist ...maybe a rebel... not to do what everybody else is doing just because they are doing it), I believe you have analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of his work without "throwing the baby out with the bathwater." We need more such sound analyses. To paraphrase a worn cliché "All we need for heresy to triumph is for speakers of truth (in love) to remain silent. May the Lord bless all such speaking . . .
I hope everyone had a good Thanks-giving. My gang and I are taking a prolonged holiday break at our house in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This was our first Thanksgiving here and it was very nice. We actually ate with the french doors open and a warm fall sun shining on parts of our table. We nearly an hour away from any significant mall, so Julie is shopping on-line instead of doing the whole Friday-After-Shopping thing. I have some work I have to get done today and the kids are playing games and having a generally good time. So please forgive me if I haven't posted anything really substantive for a few days.
Several of you have written asking about my harddrive and whether or not I have received any word from the data retrieval folks. The answer to that would be "no". I don't know if that means "no news is good news" or "they just didn't want to spoil my Thanksgiving" -- but either way, I'm still functioning without three years of my life. Thanks for asking....
We had a tremendous week at church last week. Sunday was our Chest of Joash offering. I had set an optimistic goal of $100,000 above our regular $45,000 budget offering. We have several projects and initiatives (like starting a new daughter church) that we really want to get underway and this offering was to fund that. When the offering was counted on Monday, we had received $80,000 and some change. That's nothing to snort at and I was pleased, but still wondered what projects would be left behind.
Tuesday night, we had planned (sort of on the spur of the moment) a "Family Thanksgiving Meal" as part of our traditional Thanksgiving Praise Service which we hold each year on Tuesday to replace our Wednesday WOW service. The service is usually small with maybe 200 people coming as many are busy traveling, etc... We asked people to pick up free tickets for this event so we'd know how many tickets to print. When it was all said and done, we ended up with 650 people joining us! It was a tremendous time of fellowship and rejoicing for our church family. I can't wait until the next one. We actually had to move it into our gym so that we could hold everyone in one room.
But the story isn't over. I asked our church leadership team to serve the turkey and fixings to our folks as they came through the buffet lines. One gentleman, who is a dear saint of the Lord and a prayer partner of mine, asked if he could whisper something in my ear. I was busy, but this man is just a dear friend. He pulled me aside and said, "I really think the Lord wants us to hit that $100,000 goal and I think He wants me to make it happen. So, next week, I'll bring a check by for $20,000 to make sure we hit the goal." Isn't that incredible! I could hardly serve the turkey without blubbering in the gravy!
So, this year, even my leftovers have been blessings. God has been so good to me in the last few weeks that a lost harddrive seems pretty inconsequential in comparison.
Next Wednesday night, I'm sharing with our church a plan whereby we can complete our HUGE parking lot project and traffic flow and road improvement project in the next year as well. This is a major opportunity for our church and I hope they will be as excited as I am when they see how the Lord has orchestrated a way for us to see these long-needed projects addressed. We have acres and acres of pavement that desperately need replacement and if we vote to follow through on this plan, our entire campus will look completely different and fresh.
That's some of what's going on in my life, post-Thanks-giving. But the spirit of Thanks-giving can keep right on flowing if we'll just look around and see what God is already doing!|W|P|113293256786026517|W|P|Thanksgiving Leftovers|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Tomorrow, I will sit at a Thanksgiving table with my wife and four children. It will be loaded with the Burrell family traditions – turkey, Julie’s incredible sweet potato casserole, my hand-made/home-made country noodles, green bean casserole and topped off with home-made pumpkin pie and blackberry cobbler (from blackberries we personally picked.) At some point in the conversation, we will discuss things for which each of us are thankful. At out table tomorrow, it will be “whine” free. We will be “tee-totalers” when it comes to griping tomorrow (and when it comes to beverages of the alcoholic kind as well).
I will confess that I’m not always a “half-full” kind of guy. My nature is just a tad too perfectionistic, my spirit many times to critical, my desire for excellence often clouds my pleasure in things that aren’t pretty good otherwise. So for me, I often tend to look at the glass as half empty. I purposefully have to “reset” my own calibration of things that make me gripe from time to time and sometimes those closest to me need to remind me it’s time for an attitude adjustment when I’m just being to negative, grumpy or dissatisfied.
It might just be that our whole culture is that way. I read several surveys recently on the internet and elsewhere that noted that today’s Americans are gloomy, discouraged and pessimistic. But do we really have cause to be so “whiny” right now.
Stop and think about it….
In spite of hurricanes, wars and ridiculous fuel prices, our unemployment rate is way below most other national economies. There’s LOT’S of work out there for people who are willing to work.
Nationally, we’ve had a warm fall and summer wasn’t a scorcher either. Utility bills have been moderate and we’ve enjoyed mild weather that has allowed us to be outside and enjoying life.
Our military and government has done an incredible job of keeping the bad guys away from us. Remember the threats of imminent attack by Al Quaida and other terrorist organizations right after 9/11? Yet, we’ve remained attack free. I’m not sure how they’ve managed to stop the various plots and plans (and perhaps I don’t want to know) but no one thought we’d go this long without another attack.
Our Government, as flawed as it might be at times, is absolutely unexcelled by any other government or system of governance. We’ve got a President who is sympathetic to Christian values, if not as effective as we’d like him to be. We’ve got competent leaders throughout the administration. And if we don’t like them – 2006 is next year and we can change direction with the pull of a voting machine lever.
We ARE winning in Iraq and Afghanistan. Like the war or not, the American military is an example to every army past and present. They kill and defeat the enemy with machine-like precision. They care about civilians. They are rebuilding nations. All the while, hate-filled, Islamic lunatics are hell-bent on murdering them and anyone in their way with a zeal that is virtually unequalled in all of human history.
Think of all the conveniences we enjoy by simply of the virtue we live today…IPods, high-speed internet, luxury cars, huge houses, supermarkets, cell phones, satellite TV and radio, microwaves and so much more. Are we not spoiled?
Sure health care is expensive…but, wait – no country in the world has made the kind of medical interventions possible that we enjoy in the US. If you’ve ever seen a hospital in the rest of the world, they can’t hold a candle to what we have in the States.
Spiritual freedom – look at the Christian subculture that doesn’t just exist, but flourishes today. Twenty-four hours a day we have access to music, preaching, books, media, support groups, chatrooms and forums, counseling and more that comes from the Christian perspective. While a lot of it is “bones” – there’s plenty of meat to enjoy as well.
Travel is incredible today. I could have flown to my mom’s house for less than $250. Sure gas is $2 a gallon, but that’s done a buck and half from 3 months ago.
I can pick up the phone and talk to my mom and sisters for a nickel a minute. No limits.
I go to the grocery store and I can choose from 10’s of thousands of items. I can have my turkey baked, broiled, broasted, rotisseried or even fried. I don’t have to make anything from scratch that I don’t want to make.
I will go sit in my leather recliner after I hit, use my remote to flip through the football games, relax in a house that is a mansion by world-wide standards and later waddle into the bedroom to take a nap on my king-sized bed.
And I want to whine? Puhleeze….We need to grow up and be grateful.
Good friends, good food, good shelter. And best of all a great and gracious God.
Nope – No “Whine” with my Thanksgiving meal this year!|W|P|113277521972949502|W|P|No "Whine" at my Thanksgiving Table this Year|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Regardless of your position on the war, no one can deny that the American soldiers who are protecting our nation and serving our Commander in Chief are courageous examples of courage and discipline. Few people in our country don't know of at least one family who has sent one of the sons or daughters to Afghanistan or Iraq.
The personal danger and costs of the war have come very close to our church family this week as we received a report of the wounding of 1st Lieutenant John Zaal (Marines) who is a graduate of Northside Christian Academy and a member of Northside Baptist Church. His father, Ron and Ron's wife, Janet, are among the dearest members of our congregation.
1st Lieutenant Zaal was engaged in an exercise in which his platoon came under a grenade attack by Iraqi insurgents. One of the men was killed and several others were wounded -- including John. 1st Lt. Zaal is the Platoon Weapons Commander and has the authority to call in air support. Even while seriously injured and knowing those around him were in the same position, John had the discipline and courage to call in air support. With minutes, an F-15 had arrived and wiped out the renegades.
John has been airlifted to Germany where he was treated for shrapnel wounds in all four of his extremities. He will be medivaqued to the USA when he is able to travel. He has been able to talk to his father and Janet and is in good spirits and concerned about his men.
Please pray for John Zaal and his recovery and for our other brave women and men in uniform. While political debate rages here as to the progress of the war, we must never forget that everyday is a life and death struggle for young people who wear the American flag on their sleeves and who are willing to fight the nastiest of Earth's scum in the name of freedom.|W|P|113262959456440779|W|P|Praying for One of Our Own|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
I try to visit a wide number of blogs on a weekly basis and there are about 20 on my rotation. This week I found two articles in particular that I think are worthy of any thinking fundamentalists time.
The first is written by Dr. Kevin Bauder of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. It is entitled, "Are These Rights? A Response to the Homosexual Agenda". It is a very articulate examination of the issue of Homosexual Rights and the fallacies being used to promote an extreme agenda.
The second article is in regarding to the late Dr. Adrian Rogers, pastor of the Bellview Baptist Church in Memphis. Dr. Rogers passed away earlier this week and was the first president in the resurgence movement of conservatives in the Southern Baptist Convention. The article, written by Ben Wright who goes as "Paleoevangelical" on his blog is entitled, "On Denominations and Militancy: What was Adrian Rogers Supposed to Do?" is a thoughtful and thought-provoking essay on the relationship Independent Baptists, such as I and others, have with Southern Baptists. His dilemma is akin to mine and I appreciated the way that he enunciated the conundrum. I don't know much about Ben Wright, but this blog entry was excellent.
So, while my posting has been light of late, go to these blogs for a meal for your mind.|W|P|113242342499208952|W|P|Two Blog Articles Worth Reading|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Greg Linscott|W|P|Ben is a curriculum editor and author with Positive Action for Christ. Puts out some top-notch material, too!
This time next week, shoppers will be pouring over sales circulars ready to go on a gluttonous spending spree that will propel our economy upward and our personal financial resources downward. But before you go forth to share in this annual ritual of irresponsibility, I'd like to ask a question...
What did you get for Christmas last year?
Unless it was a new puppy or an engagement ring, I'm guessing you can't remember (I can't) or if you do remember, it would only be one or two items.
Let's be honest, Christmas (or if you're Wal-Mart, Target and other politically correct megastores "Holiday") gift-giving has become an orgy of excess. We give stupid presents (like mugs, anything that they promote as belonging on an "executive's desk", fragances and clothes in which many of us wouldn't be caught dead) to people who don't need more stuff, who don't deserve more stuff, or whom we don't even know or like very well. Seriously -- I'm not just being a scrouge here. It's gotten ridiculous.
I've seen parents go into 3 months of debt to give a 1-year old every new toy and stimulation game created when the kid will have NO, ZERO memory of the event by the time they take their afternoon nap. In many cases, products we spend billions of dollars on collectively will be offered for pennies on the dollar at garage sales and on Ebay in the coming months. And for what?
The most frightening aspect of this Christmas spree of absurd indulgence and over-compensation is the financial ruin it will leave in its wake for many families. Credit cards will be maxed, real giving for legitimate needs will be short-changed, stress will be introduced -- and for what? Peace on earth, good will toward men? Hardly.
Let me get real practical in this entry. Let me give you 12 things you can do to reduce Christmas spending and to make the spending you do engage in become more worthwhile.
1. Give gift cards. I know, I know...your 8-year old can't play with gift cards. I'm not saying "only" give gift cards -- just give them where appropriate. As a school teacher years ago, I would have much rather had a $10 gift card to a grocery store than a bottle of cheap cologne or another one of those blasted coffee mugs people are always giving teachers. (I didn't even DRINK coffee!) But on the limited budget that we were on, gas or grocery cards would have been a huge blessing. Gift cards are great for co-workers, the elderly, teachers, newspaper deliverers, pastors, extended family and others who probably already have enough "stuff" at their house. For those who say that giving a gift card is less "thoughtful" than all the trouble in getting a gift and wrapping it and presenting it, I would say -- I personally find it thoughtful when someone remembers me at all and who knows that I probably would like to use a gift card to "splurge" on something at Home Depot or take my wife to dinner than I would enjoy getting something that someone's going to need to dust.
2. Scale it back. Seriously...simply don't spend so much. What does $25 say that $20 doesn't say. Yet, that's a 20% savings over all.
3. Set a limit on the number of gifts. How many gifts does a kid need to open on Christmas morning? Five? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? Set a limit and stick to it. Here's what we do. We say to our kids to expect eight gifts. One "biggie" -- this is something that they'll use all year long. Two "fun" gifts -- these would be toys or CD's or video games or DVD's. Two practical gifts -- Clothes probably. Two educational gifts -- books, magazine subscription, something school related. One "surprise" gift -- this is just an "indulgent" gift that is fun to find. We also buy something for the family and it is usually bigger. One year it was a trampoline. Another time it was a game system. These are usually the best gifts of all and are enjoyed by everyone.
4. Skip the cards and fancy bows. Cards are $3 and up. Who reads them anyway? I'd rather get a letter or a picture or even a newsy family newsletter with a digital photo printed on it. Fancy bows just get squashed and they cost a buck or more each. Buy the big bag of cheap bows and use them. If someone has an issue with cheap bows, consider them self-absorbed and petty and give what you'd spend on them to the Charlotte Rescue Mission and then cross them off your Christmas list.
5. Don't be afraid of "Home-made". Some of the sweetest gifts I've ever gotten we from families I knew were on a tight budget but who wanted to remember their pastor. I've received homemade birdhouses, soup, those jars filled with pre-measured ingredients for cookies or brownies, etc... We once got a "family basket" that they had put together for a "family night" that had a 2-liter of soda, bag of micro-wave popcorn and a used DVD in it. A cute and creative idea. Even a night of baby-sitting or a car wash or something of that sort is a nice expression.
6. Condense. If you've got lots of people in your family, trade names. Instead of buying a gift for each individual in a family, but a gift the whole family can enjoy.
7. Invest. Grandma and Grandpa may want to give their 6 month old new grandbaby one of those battery-powered cars that they can ride in, but seriously, they don't need one. Not this year. Not ever. But put a $100 savings bond in their safety deposit box or set up a college or retirement fund for them and put something in it every Christmas, birthday and special event and you'll be making an investment in them that will serve them for years AND when they can really appreciate it. And sure, you'll want to see them unwrap something for you and squeal, so buy them something cheap for the thrill at the bargain lane at Walmart. Just don't over-do it.
8. Skip it. That's right, skip it. If you know someone is struggling financially, release them from the pressure and guilt that they might feel at Christmas time. Just suggest in a kind way, "Look, this is an expensive time of the year and I'm so blessed just to have you in my life. Would you agree with me that we'll just skip exchanging gifts for this year so we can just remember Christmas for what it is?"
9. Spend Cash Only. That's right. No plastic. None. Withdraw the money you can spend from your savings account and dole it out in advance in envelopes for each individual for which you are going to be buying a gift. Do not give into to the temptation. Put your credit cards in a big bowl of water and put the bowl in the freezer. Cash is harder to spend than credit. You'll love me in January if you'll just do this -- I promise. Remember -- Cash good. Plastic bad.
10. Use a budget. Sit down and make a list of every person you will be giving a gift. Then put a dollar amount by each person. Then total it up. After you get over the shock, go back and reduce and eliminate. Then stick to it.
11. Don't buy gifts out of guilt or obligation. That's just stupid. No one's going to remember in 30 days anyway and if they do, are they REALLY your friend?
12. Shop on-line. (I know this violates my credit card policy, but as you purchase each item, you take the cash out of the envelope and put it in a different envelope for when the credit card bill comes in.) Shopping online reduces "impulse" purchases, gas bills, eating out costs, the "in-the-mood-to-spend" hysteria that malls create and reduces Ibuprofen bills when you get those Christmas shopping headaches.
OK...there you go. Start saving money. Don't buy into the madness. Don't use God's money by stealing the tithe in order to be indulgent to others in honor of HIS birthday. Don't go overboard. Keep it simply. Remember, unless you're giving a once-in-a-lifetime gift, most people won't remember what they got this time next year. But they WILL remember YOU if you are true friend year 'round -- not just in December.
Hey...Did you like this article? Forward it to someone or link your blog to mine!|W|P|113234219077117587|W|P|Saving Money @ Christmas|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com CLC|W|P|I don't want to get maudlin' here, but let me add something . . . I am from a small family. My Mom went to be with the Lord just after Christmas five years ago. I've fought depression related to Christmas shopping ever since. We were never all that extravagant. I've just missed giving to her tangibly and it has seemed superfluous to invest in expensive floral arrangements that would be weather-beaten on the grave. Then this year, the Lord wonderfully provided a solution. My church partnered with a pastor in the West Indies to pack shoe boxes for him to give to children and teenagers in his ministry there. I estimated what I might have spent on my Mother and bought for that project. What a blessed way God provided for me to assuage my grief. Aarron & Cristine Pina|W|P|Dan, One correction, if I may:
#12 does not violate the "no credit card policy". I do 90% of my Christmas shopping online and use my debit card exclusively. Some sites even allow for automatic bank draft.
However, Dave Ramsey would likely recommend you continue to use the envelope system and put the cash in an envelope immediately - when you spend cash it "hurts". Even debit cards are less "painful" than cash since we don't hand anything over to the clerk that we don't get back at the point of purchase. The fast food industry now accepts credit/debit at the drive through, not because they want us to pay 18% on our Big Mac, but because they find we spend 1 to 2 thirds more when we use plastic over cash (debit or credit!).
Good advice, again, sir. Keep up the good work and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Grace and peace,
Aarron
mb|W|P|Wow! How relevant and practical. So much so that I am going to use this for my Sunday School lesson for about 60 people of all ages to hear this Sunday! I will center it around some Proverbs.It was great having lunch with you in FL before you were whisked away.
Thanks! LORD bless!!!
I haven't quit the ministry, quit blogging or quit life. I'm just busy working on several projects and am still coping with the loss of my hard drive from last week. (No, I still haven't received any good news from the data retrieval people.) It's amazing how much stuff I regularly used was on that piece of equipment!
But, I'll be back eventually. Keep checking in. Lots of things to comment on lately, but just no time to blog.
Dan|W|P|113226240162131136|W|P|Just a quick update....|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
I’m not sure whether or not the story is accurate or one of those urban legends that ping around the electronic water coolers of this age, but there is a tale that involves a late night phone call from the Iron Lady Prime Minister of England, Lady Margaret Thatcher during the early 1990’s. Sensing a lack of resolve on the part of then-President George H. W. Bush (the elder) regarding following through on the first Gulf War, the greatest British Prime Minister this side of Churchhill reportedly said, “Don’t go wobbly on us, George.”
Fast forward a decade plus a few years and there is little evidence that she would need to make the same phone call to Bush the Younger. With laser-like focus, he continues to be the leading apologist for this newest Gulf War and few people would claim to have seen even a hint of “wobbliness” from him.
My own views of the Gulf War have shifted somewhat over the last few years. It’s because I’ve been questioned and challenged on the topic so frequently in recent months both publicly and privately, that I have decided to write about my questions and concerns about the conflict in which we are currently engaged.
Perhaps it is because I tend to be a “red-meat” conservative who is so antithetically opposed to most things liberal that I was quick to jump on the whole “Bomb-them-straight-into-Allah’s-hell-scorched-arms” bandwagon. Of course, then, I, like millions of other Americans was convinced that Saddam had huge stockpiles of chemicals, gases, rockets and maybe even the odd nuclear device stored in one of his “palaces”.
Now nearly 3 years later and 2,000 American deaths further down the conflict, we’ve discovered that that the WMD’s were never really verified. Al Chalibi and crew used the CIA and other government intelligence agencies as pawns and he may eventually become President of Iraq for his troubles. Indeed, Saddam was, himself, a weapon of mass destruction, but so was Idi Amin and a dozen other dictorial tyrants of the last thirty years and they didn’t warrant a war with the US. I will concede that Iraq was (and is) a breeding ground for terrorists who would love to wipe out as many Americans and other Westerner as possible, but didn’t the former USSR do the same? What about North Korea, Syria, Iran, Somalia?
So…here are my reasons for being “wobbly” on the Gulf War….
First, it was justified on faulty information. NOTE – I did not say “false” information, but faulty. There are some who are suggesting that the President faked information on WMD’s to justify the war. The evidence to support such an outrageous claim is as thin as Bin Laden’s soul. But few within the administration are arguing that the claims of massive stockpiles of WMD’s had a basis in fact. The failure of the intelligence agencies to provide accurate information is a big deal and someone, somewhere high up in the administration needs to step up, accept responsibility and tells us what is being done to keep it from happening again. Admitting the intelligence was flawed does not mean we should pack up and go home immediately. That would be devastatingly foolish. It does mean that we are honest and that a renewed case for the need for the war should at least be attempted. I’m not sure I would buy the new case, but at least try to make one.
Secondly, spreading democracy as a justification for war doesn’t do it for me. First of all, where is it written that it is the responsibility of the American government to spread democracy around the globe? Secondly, democracy does not work in countries that do not have a basic moral code followed by basically moral people in place. John Adams rightly noted that a “nation rightly governed, must first be rightly self-governed.” Democracies have been most successful in nations that had a Christian foundation. Dictatorships are often born of unruly nations filled will ungovernable and renegade citizens. Even if democracy struggles to life in Iraq in the foreseeable future, the people elected to office by their citizens aren’t going to be pro-American, pro-Western, pro-Christian allies. With Islamic fundamentalism sweeping the Middle-East like mutated bird-flu, it is quite possible for extremists and terrorist-friendly leadership to be voted into office right and left.
Finally, I have issues with the idea that our noble American soldiers should be losing their lives and leaving their homes to free people who hate Israel from their core, who hate the West with a passion and who are following a religious faith that promotes the wholesale massacre of “infidel” Christians. A junkyard dog will appreciate you removing the barbed wire from around his neck, but as soon as he’s free, he’s just as likely as not to go for your jugular. That’s the nature of a junkyard dog. Does anyone believe that, apart from our money and economy, that there is a deep-seated desire on the parts of the Islamic Arabs to sit down and make nice with us? We can’t afford to be that naïve.
I’m not for an immediate withdrawal. I don’t believe Bush had evidence manufactured. I do believe the evil nations of Iran, Syria, Somalia and others in the Middle East and African continent are havens for terrorists that will die dreaming of destroying our nation. I just question whether or not this war will ultimately do a single thing to make us safer or to stamp out the pox of Islamic extremism and hatred.
So when people ask me how I feel about the war in Iraq…I have to say, “I’m wobbly.”|W|P|113199599854647687|W|P|Why I'm Wobbly on the Iraq War|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Aarron & Cristine Pina|W|P|Dan,Weebles wobble, but we don't fall down.
I say, trust in the Lord, ride this one out, and check Snopes.com in another year or two and we'll have all the answers to what were and were not urban legends regarding the war.
Sir, in my eyes, and in the eyes of many who I trust, the war was never about WMDs so much as it was the possibility of WMDs in the face of Sadaam's repeated failures to comply with UN resolutions. The guy was known to have WMDs in the past, known to have used them on his own people, and when my little brother says he doesn't have my CD behind his back, yet refuses to show me his hands, I'm likely to get a bit more forceful. (Bad analogy, since a CD is much less harmful than nucleochemicobiofunkidelic nerve agents... But, make my funk the P-funk anyway!)
He bluffed, we called it, but you're right - we couldn't just pull out because his stuff wasn't lying out in the middle of the town square, we had an obligation to look for it, no? But we HAVE found weapons, just look at some of the reporting that's going ignored by MSM. (1,500 gallons of chemical weapons agents and nearly 2 metric tons of enriched uranium. It's a mess over there.)
As for Islamic bulldogs going for our helpful and merciful jugulars after we liberate them, I agree. It's a tough spot we're in. But, we are called, wouldn't you agree, to pray for our enemies, help those less fortunate - widows, orphans, etc.? We are the light of the world, and Iraq's a pretty dark place, n'est-ce pas?
While I'm not hearing stories of hundreds of Iraqi converts, I do hear great tales of Christian witness - who built your schools? Christians. Who brought electricity to your town? Christians. And I know of dozens of American soldiers that have come to know the Lord because of their time there and the work He is doing through them. Just ask Cpt. Chris Plekenpol who was interviewed on 8/21 at our Sunday services listen to 8/21 at this link..
I'm a bit leery of those who claim to go to war with God's rubber stamp, too. But, it sounds to me like our President was acting on wise counsel and trying to make the wise choice and did not do so lightly. War has a cost.
2,000 deaths are really 2,000 lives lost, affecting 100,000's of lives left behind in their aftermath, yet we were not surpirsed at the German insurgents who lingered three years after Hitler's demise, and Germany's return to vibrant life did not happen on an 18-24 month timetable. We were warned that this would be a hard road wrought with suffering, but that it was a worthy cause. I hope you can sift through the emotional pleas of the many to find the logical facts that play out my hypothesis.
Then, read my post at A Life Unfettered and join in the discussion. As always, it is a pleasure to hear your POV.
Grace and peace,
Aarron
Robert|W|P|I'm curious about your statement that democracy works best in nations with a Christian heritage. That certainly isn't true of Japan, yet the governing system that we imposed on them after WWII has functioned nearly perfectly for fifty years...and that's where I have a huge problem with how we're proceeding. Our desire to appear politically correct and not inflame the "Arab street" has led us to a hands off approach to establishing the new government.It's time we tell them to fish or cut bait. After their elections next month, we need to accelerate the transfer of responsibility and make sure the leaders know that, while we'll continue to help them, they must do the heavy lifting.
I still think going in was the right thing to do--my problem is with how we're fighting (or not fighting) now.
Kim|W|P|Mission Command, I could not have said it better. I appreciate and respect your view on all this. Dan, I am glad to hear you admit that you were wobbly, because it was driving me crazy! Both your candidness and openness are taken to heart, and your point of view respected, although certainly not embraced by me. Having lived almost twenty years in third-world countries suspended in oppression and Muslim dominance, my perspective on what we did (initiating the war) and what happened as a result of what we did, may seem extremely simplistic in nature. HOw I wish I would have been blogging this past couple of years, because out of experience of watching oppressive people react to yet another kind of oppression (which is exactly how they view this war) is not really hard to call. My gut tells me that our president was forewarned about the ultimate reaction of the baser habitants of Iraq. That's why he's not wobbly now. From birth, Muslim boys are taken to the mosques. From birth, they hear the chats, the false "truth", the ultimatums, the necessities of being born into the Islamic faith. These countries where Islam reigns foremost in the hearts of the people will continue to react just as they are reacting. In my opinion, there is nothing that could have been done differently. Any variation of assertiveness on our part will always call out the same reaction from those whose minds are sealed at birth. Just a thought, though not as rhetorically agile and intelligent as you guys...it's still what I really believe.
The Fine Arts Department of Northside Christian Academy presented their annual fall dramatic production last week and my two oldest had parts in the play. This year's feature was Les Miserables. Nathan (our Senior) was Inspector Javert. Megan (a freshman) had a role as a Factory Worker and Citizen.
I've always felt that Fine Arts is an important part of Christian education. Most schools spend inordinate amounts of money supporting athletic programs which I don't generally oppose. However, when it is done at the expense of training young people in the fine arts, I have issues.
I'm a living, breathing example that twenty years out of high school, athletics are not nearly as important to individuals as they once were. I enjoy watching them, but let me play 15 minutes with my son in the driveway and I'm sore for two weeks. Athletics have a limited shelf life.
However, twenty years down the road, I am still using the skills I developed in the fine arts from music to public speaking to debate. Very few of our Christian school students will grow up and go on to become professional athletes. All of them, however, can still be singing in a choir, teaching Sunday School, working in children's ministry 20-30, even 40 years down the road from graduation. That's why I believe it is important to have a balanced approach which includes BOTH athletics AND the fine arts.
That said, this dad was sure proud to see his kids developing this aspect of their life on stage last week.
|W|P|113193740334218006|W|P|Dad's Gotta' Brag|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Cindy Swanson|W|P|Dan, your fatherly pride is understandable. My own kids participated in drama when they were in high school, and I loved it!Also, "Les Miserables" is one of my favorite stories of all time. The musical has some bawdy moments, but the music is incredible. We have the DVD of the 10th anniversary celebration of the musical, and it's out of this world.
My administrative assistant sometimes calls me "Pigpen". Charlie Brown afficianados know him as the character in the Charles Schultz strip who is constantly surrounded by a cloud of dirt and debris. For some reason, I have a reputation for "collecting" problems, mishaps, odd occurrences and general situations which cause pains in the keister. My wife tells me it is spiritual warfare. My AA calls it "dirt". I call it depressing.
Today, my hard-drive on my computer crashed. It had been acting hinky for a week or so, but being the computer-illiterate idiot than I am, I just hoped it would stop it and heal itself. This morning, it went DOA.
Computer crashes happen. That's life. Everyone who works with computers know that it is a constant gamble. At any second a power surge, a piece of aberrant hardware, a computer virus or some mystery cloud of death can overtake your hard-drive and turn it into a pile of jello. Blank jello.
That's why we back-up our files. There's lots of ways to back up your files. You can use a zip-drive. You can have it automatically backed up at the end of each day. You can burn a CD full of data from time to time. You can have someone manually store a copy on your server.
That's what I thought was being done. A back-up done on our server every few days. I assumed it was automatically done. I never even thought of it. Even as my hard-drive sat lifelessly in my office this morning clicking and humming incoherently at me, my thoughts were, "Oh well, I guess I'll be working at someone else's work station today. Thank goodness, we back everything up on the server."
I was wrong.
The back-ups weren't happening. They hadn't happened since 2002. Our IT director (a good guy and personal friend) says he told me to back it up manually due to security concerns that someone could access my confidential documents on our network. I have zero -- nada -- no -- zilch recollection of that. I do remember him showing my how to do that on my home office computer...but of course, I haven't backed that up recently either. (Though you can bet it'll be done before I go to bed tonight.)
So what does that mean. I have the equivalent of an intellectual coma that has wiped out my brain for the last 3 years. Every article, every sermon, every photograph, every project (past and current), every letter, every commentary, every article, every document, EVERTHING that came out of my brain for the last 3 years now sits on a piece of smoking microchips and plastics. I can only describe it by imagining what it would feel like for an artist to experience a fire in his galary and watch three years worth of his work go up on flames.
Currently, the corpse of my harddrive sits in the office of a data retreival specialist. He says it was a routine failure. That means there is 50/50 chance that SOME of the data might be able to be recovered. That's like telling me that I've had a concussion and there's a 50% chance that I will regain some of my memory from the last 3 years. I don't know if I'll be able to recall the names of my children or simply what I watched on TV 6 months ago, but I might get some of it back -- don't be picky about what it is that is salvageable.
All day I've been going through the cycles of grief. Denial, Anger, Depression, Bargaining, Acceptance, Rinse, Repeat. I add a few stages of my own in. Panic. Venting. A Black Hole of Discouragement. A lecture on the Sovereignty of God.
I know, I know...this is a spiritual teachable moment. I don't want to hear that. I want all my essays on my desktop again. I'd please like to have my Sunday morning sermon back over which I slaved for several weeks. I'd like to have Tuesday night's deacon agenda. I'd like to have those pictures of my family. I want that funny video of sermon bloopers I downloaded off the internet. I want the letter I wrote to my family and church for the day in which I pull out in front of a semi accidentally. I'm tired of being taught spiritual lessons. I don't want to remember that every idiot who owns a computer knows to check and make sure his back-ups are safe.
Three years of intellectual property. Chapters of several book projects. Blog articles which I gradually reprint here. I'm making myself sick and panicky all over again just writing this entry.
So...like I always do when I'm frustrated or confused or depressed or whatever...I write. Only this time, I'm going to make sure I back it up.
Oh...and please, pray that they'll get my stuff off my harddrive.
And, go back up your hard-drive again, just in case.|W|P|113177335218545874|W|P|A Crash...Then a Jolt|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com Terry Lange|W|P|I feel your pain... it happened to me about a month ago. It wasn't my hard drive but my whole laptop. Fortunately, a friend was able to take my hard drive out of the laptop and backed it up to another computer that he had as a spare and then I was able to recover what I wanted.Backing up takes time, but when stuff like this happens, you are glad that you did. CD's and flash drives are great for that stuff..
Hopefully the specialist will be able to recover your data!
CLC|W|P|I feel your pain, too. A little over a year ago, I procrastinated backing up my hard drive at home. I was in the midst of a move and and let it slide. I lost all the work from that summer session of my doctoral work. Thankfully, I had turned it in and it had been graded. Computers are like church music -- they're either a blessing or a blessed nuisance. Aarron & Cristine Pina|W|P|Dan,Isn't "Vomiting" also a stage of grief?
I wish I could offer something more concrete than prayer, but perhaps my prayers will solidify into something more concrete than concrete. I can say that you might be wise to switch to Google's "gmail", a free, web based eMail account that gives you over 2 GIGS of space so you never have to throw out your old eMails, and can search through past eMails with great ease.
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you, sir.
Aarron
Sometimes I wonder if computers and technology are worth the effort. I worked slavishly last evening for over an hour for a comprehensive and thorough review of about a dozen news headlines for this blog. I was putting in my final link and ready to ad pictures when, without warning or excuse...my ISP program just shut down. I mean, signed off, said "good-bye", disappeared and wouldn't come back. I lost everything I'd been working on. Argh!
So, still wanting to post a few off-the-wall thoughts on the headlines, but not able to spend another hour on the task, I offer these quickie comments on several news items sans links and art and wit.
Kansas Takes a Stand on Evolution -- The Kansas State Board of Education has given an edict that alternatives to Evolution (as in Intelligent Design) theories must be presented to students in High School. What a profound thought -- a WELL-ROUNDED education? An end to the censorship that exclusively promotes their narrow, one possibility only, view of the Origin of Life? Who would have thought it?
Even in our private, parochial school, students learn about the other "theories" to Creationism. (Though admittedly we don't promote them, just inform the students so that they know what they are up against.) Censorship is censorhip whether or not it is supposedly to protect their sacred "Wall of Separation".
Terrell Owens Shows His True Character -- All contrived and coerced apologies aside, T.O. embodies the depths of the character deficit in professional sports today. His arrogant, divisive and ignorant comments and behavior have further tarnished the reputation of professional athletics. Too bad American sports-a-holics keep giving these guys fuel for their super-charged egos as we comply with a lemming-like loyalty to their demands for every higher salaries funded by ever higher ticket prices and lucrative endorsement packages. The list of clueless rejects continues to grow with each new season and no sport is apparently immune from the kind of conduct that should warn every parent to desire that their kids "not grow up to be pro athletes."
(I'm just wondering how mad his business manager and agent must be at him. Ouch!)
Panther's Cheerleaders: Sports Depravity Part Deaux -- The recent news of a sexual tryst between two Carolina Panthers cheerleaders in a Tampa bathroom stall has only punctuated this weeks news of sports gone wild. It has been a real shocker here in genteel Charlotte, the so-called "buckle" of the "Bible belt."
What I find disgusting and irritating is the constant cheering of their conduct by stupidly drooling perverted guys who think its "hot" to think of two women going at it. I think Romans chapter 1 gives a pretty good account of what it says about a culture when lesbianism because a celebrated virtue.
Any dad who aspires that his daughter grow up to be one of these sideline/sideshow strippers for legions of half-tanked, under-exercised and over-stimulated losers to oggle during timeouts is an idiot. Let's call them what they are -- tramps and tarts who tantalize men for minimum wage. (And yes, I KNOW that one of the Panthers cheerleaders -not one of those in the headlines- is an alumni of NCA. I still calls them as I sees them.)
IRS Probe of California Episcopal Church -- The almighty IRS is threatening a liberal California congregation for tacitly endorsing Kerry last election and for opposing the war in Iraq and President Bush. I'm no fan of liberal Episcopalians, but let me be clear -- it is OUTRAGEOUS that the government thinks it has one bit of business monitoring the speech of pastors, priests and pulpiteers. The tax-exempt status afforded religious institutions is a constitutional privilege, not a whip to keep churches in line with what the government finds acceptable. Liberal or conservative -- stay out of the churches. When they start telling me what I can say or we'll lose are tax exempt status, the church will either have to fire me or I will be sending their little 501c3 form back to them in neatly clipped pieces. Then I'm going to the steps of the IRS in Washington and preaching a sermon. But hey, I'm really NOT a radical. ;-)
Alito Should be Picking Out His Chair -- As it stands right now, I can't envision the scenario in which Samuel Alito won't be confirmed to the SCOTUS. He'll make a great edition and it's just fun to see the liberals convulsing in frustration that Bush picked a real conservative this round.
Election Results: What Do They Mean? -- Well, not as much as you'd think. The media and Democrats are quivering in enthusiasm over their wins in NJ and VA and the defeat of Ahnald's California initiatives, but stop and think. NJ and VA were already governed by Democrats and California is the most liberal state in the Union. Why should that be considered a "trend"? However, Republicans would be wise to note the on-going and deeply-seated discontent even among their own rank and file over Republican priorities and performance. They've got fewer than 12 months to turn it around or I predict the loss of at least one of the branches of Congress to the Dems.
Closed Caption for Charlotteans -- Kudos for defeating ALL 4 bond issues -- that's a real victory for taxpayers. And...do you think Lynn Wheeler FINALLY got the message? Other turncoat Republicans should learn from her demise.
France and the Rioters -- If it wasn't so scarey, it would be hilarious. Watching the French respond to marauding gangs of Muslim terrorists burning their neighborhoods at will just reminds the world of why it is a good thing not to be French. For a moment, Chirac looked like he might be ready to grow a spine and show some leadership, but apparently it was simply a moment of indigestion that caused that jaw to look like it had hardened.
Abercrombie and Fitch -- After threats of a "girlcot" against the leading purveyor of near pornographic and often prurient leisure wear for teens due to double-entendre T-Shirts being sold to girls that reduced the wearer to slutty billboards for their tasteless corporate values, they backed off and pledged to pull the offensive shirts. But not until they had received millions in free "advertising" burnishing their image of "badness" to those who don't mind being used as corporate whores. The company is crazy -- like a fox.
Pirates of the Somalian Kind? -- Why is it when two boatloads of Somalian Muslims armed with automatic weapons and RPG's try to overtake a cruise ship loaded with Americans that they are labeled "Pirates" and not "Terrorists" by the ever-sensitive media? I didn't see a single parrot or peg-leg among the bunch. I did, however, see the same evil glare found on the faces of those who think decapitating civilians in the name of Allah is a holy pursuit. So what were the guys who bombed that hotel in Jordon yesterday that killed 50+ people? Unauthorized demolitionists?
So...that's the condensed commentary on the week's headlines. I'm still ticked about losing the original, but I think you'll get my drift in what I've posted.
By the way...my monthly readership continues to climb, but I'd appreciate your help. There are three ways you can be a supporter...
1. Put "Whirled Views" in your Favorites Folder and check here most every week day.
2. Forward "Whirled Views" to your friends and neighbors.
3. Link "Whirled Views" to your website or blog. Let me know if you do and I'll see if I can reciprocate where appropriate.|W|P|113150803810738728|W|P|Views on the News|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
Monday, I flew home and literally drove home, repacked and headed off with the executive leadership team of our church for 2 days at the beautiful Ridgemont Baptist Retreat near Asheville, NC. The leaves were beautiful, the weather warm and the accommodations nothing short of fantastic. This was my first visit to Ridgemont, but it won't be my last!
We spent the better part of two days analyzing our church programs and emphases and making plans for next year. We've got several incredibly exciting projects on the planning board for next year and it's killing me not to go ahead and tell our church family about them. (Closed Circuit for Northside Members who read my blog: Don't miss this coming year's "State of the Church" address to be held on January 8th, 2006.)
I was reminded of what a joy it is to serve the Lord with good men who love God's people and want God's best in our church.
I made it home a few hours and go and will immediately shift into high speed mode trying to get caught up from three days out of the office.
So, that's where I've been...it's good to be back home and I've brimming with new ideas and plans!|W|P|113149918401224301|W|P|Checking Back In|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
There is rarely a week that goes by that I don't have to deal with, at some level, the consequences of today's access to and availability of pornography. It is literally everywhere. It is entrapping men and particularly teenaged boys at a rate that is nothing short of stunning. I don't have the research to back it up (yet), but I suspect that in excess of 50% of today's men in typical churches are or have been struggling with it.
It's an emerging problem because of the three "A's" -- It's available, anonymous and affordable. This is because of the internet. To some men, it is every bit as much of a problem of addiction as is alcohol or drugs. In fact, there is some recent medical evidence that it is addictive for some of the same reasons that cause people to get addicted to alcohol or drugs.
I've long been a proponent of two strategies for dealing with pornography in our country.
The first is by establishing "pornography" zones. In libraries, it would require a special card and it must be kept behind locked doors and away from children, teens and registered sex offenders. (For the record, I'm against having ANY pornography in the library - or anywhere else for that matter- but the 1st Amendment is the 1st Amendment and the rulings of judges are the rulings of judges -- therefore, we have to live in the world in which we live.)
In cities, there are often "adult entertainment" zones -- away from schools, churches and neighborhoods, for example. Perhaps we could limit the sale and distribution of pornography to stores not frequented by children or during certain hours or only in certain locations.
On the internet, establish a domain (which could be blocked by an ISP or subscriber) and require all pornographic content to register under that domain. There was a recent "effort" made to bring this about, but in effect it would have permitted pornography purveyors to use BOTH the porno domain and the current domains. Duh....that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?
Now here's another radical idea...
I can’t believe I’m about to write this. I’m still shaking my head in disbelief and re-examining whether or not I really mean it, but yes, I’m actually going to say it. “I have found a tax I would like to recommend be imposed on citizens.” There, I said it and the sky didn’t fall.
I’ve always been a major-league proponent of letting me keep as many of my tax dollars as possible and for keeping as many dollars as possible out of the hands and pockets of politicians. I still am. To my credit, I have also found a way to recommend a new tax and I am pleased to tell you that this new tax will never take a single buck out of my pocket.
My suggestion? I think we should encourage our lawmakers to put a 100% tax on pornography. That’s right. One hundred percent. If you want to rent a pornographic movie, then it would cost you ten bucks, instead of five (assuming that it does cost five bucks to rent a pornographic movie – I am naïve on the subject.) If you want to buy a Hustler or Penthouse, double the price with half of it going to a tax. If you want to buy a drink in an adult bar, have an adult video channel on cable, buy any sort of pornography at an adult bookstore, be prepared to pay the tax.
We tax tobacco at ever-increasing rates with the justification that it increases health care costs and requires regulation because of its negative impact. Some states are trying to tax it high enough that people will get so tired of paying the taxes they’ll quit smoking – not a bad idea if you ask me. We tax alcohol using some of the same rationalizations – as well we should.
What I’m recommending is that we tax the life right out of this nasty, destructive, addictive and scurrilous industry. We should take the tax dollars and apply them to programs that help women who are victims of those inspired by pornography. We could assist children who now live in poverty because mom and dad’s marriage broke up over pornography. We should fund studies on the detrimental effects of pornography. We should help men addicted to pornography to break free from their enslavement. We should work to protect runaway teens who often get sucked into the pornography industry. There are lots of places we could put the tax dollars reaped to good use.
And there would be a lot of tax dollars reaped, for sure. The pornography business ( and I refuse to call it “adult-oriented business” that’s like calling the murder-for-hire business the “life-transition-assistance business”) --- the PORNOGRAPHY business is a big business that reaps billions of dollars annually from weak and irresponsible men and in doing so they exploit thousands of women who are involved in the smut and countless others who are betrayed or abused by men who get involved with the stuff.
If we can tax tobacco, alcohol, gasoline, groceries, airline tickets, phone calls and athletic tickets, we can certainly tax pornography as a special class worthy of additional taxation. In doing so, we single it out for being the destructive force it is in society. There is a direct correlation between the power to tax and the power to rule. Some call it (with tongue-in-cheek) the “golden rule” – “He who has the gold makes the rules.” Government can use its power for our good or for our detriment.
Recently, the state of Missouri has been exploring this as an option. I hope that other states will consider doing the same. Already, the lawyers and the ACLU are rattling their sabers as to how this might be a violation of the First Amendment. Hogwash. Let's see what happens. At the very least, it would put the pornographers on the defensive.
End of rant.|W|P|113094622714405854|W|P|Taxing the Life Out of Pornography|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com
I just got back from the public viewing of a friend in the ministry, Dr. Charles Page of the First Baptist Church of Charlotte. Charles had struggled with recurring bouts of cancer for a decade and he went home to be with the Lord last Saturday evening.
Upon arriving in Charlotte, Dr. Page was one of the first (if not the first) to welcome me. The last time I saw him was at the dedication of the BGEA Headquarters and as sick as he was even then, he took time to chat and be gracious and he always asked how I was doing and the church I pastor. I got an email from him a few weeks ago -- I had hoped to have him come preach at Northside when he officially retired from the First Baptist pulpit scheduled for next month -- again, he was warm and gracious and encouraging. The last time I was in a meeting with him for an extended time, we were with a group of Charlotte pastors and he absolutely energized the meeting and called us to a time of passionate and intense prayer. This was the Charles Page I knew -- not as a church member, but as a ministry peer. He was exceptional.
In the world of pastoral leadership, there are a lot of egos, plenty of pettiness and much personal kingdom building. Charles Page was none of that. He was a servant. He was warm. He was a leader, but with a mentor's heart. He was exceptional.
Over the years, I've been roundly and soundly criticized by some of my fellow Independent Baptist for fraternizing with Southern Baptists. Charles Page is one of the reasons, I ignore my critics. If all Southern Baptists were like Charles Page, then I'd probably be a Southern Baptist. (If all Independent Baptists were like many of my critics, I wouldn't be an Independent Baptist as well.) Charles wasn't just a brother in the ministry, he acted like one also. And for sure, that spirit encouraged me and has challenged me to go and do likewise.
I have multiple friends at First Baptist, Charlotte and we are praying for them as a church. Our city is poorer while heaven is richer tonight.
He'll be missed by his church and by the pastors of Charlotte.|W|P|113088586614623330|W|P|The Passing of a Servant - Charles Page|W|P|jdpettus@gmail.com