An AWESOME Story

Once upon a time there was an 80s Christian rock band called Whiteheart.  During their early years, the band members struggled to find a lead singer.  One guy quit, another just didn’t fit, still another backslid, and so on.  At the end of a tumultuous four years they started giving auditions again. Then one day they found their tour bus driver singing and dancing to one of their songs.  His name was Rick Florian.

(Whiteheart’s most successful albums were produced with Florian as the lead singer. Be sure to take a listen here.)

Why Should We Care About the Declaration of Independence?

The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important founding documents of the United States.  However, in modern days it becomes overlooked–why should we care about the complaints of some colonists over 200 years ago against a king long dead? What I have come to realize is that the Declaration is the heart and soul of the United States; it defines it’s purpose as a whole.

Thomas Jefferson said that the purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to express and justify the position of independence that the colonies were taking against the British government.  It acknowledges the fact that human beings have certain “unalienable rights” simply by being born, from “nature and nature’s God.”  This is the foundation of the Unites States–the idea that the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness [property]” are inherent to the people that can neither be given or taken away by the government.

The best way to look at the Declaration of Independence is in the context put by Abraham Lincoln. He called the principle “Liberty to all”, embodied by the Declaration, the “apple of gold.” He also called the Constitution the “frame of silver.” Lincoln said that the frame of silver (the Constitution) was made to “adorn” and “preserve” the “apple of gold” (the principle “Liberty to all”).  The frame is not to take precedence over the apple, but exists to perpetuate the existence of the apple.

Ultimately, the reason that the Constitution is so easily being dismantled, is because we have forgotten what its purpose is: to protect and preserve the principle “Liberty to all.” The Declaration of Independence is still crucially important to American society because it reminds us of the principles that define the United States and gives us a sense of urgency to uphold its constitution.

The Real Unemployment Rate

So for those of you that either don’t do research, or just don’t care, the unemployment rate that the news gives us is Need Workcalled U3, which consists of those people who are on unemployment.  This does not include those who have run out of unemployment benefits but are still unemployed, or those who are working part time due to the economic downturn.  The U6 version of the unemployment covers ALL of these demographics.  Back when the U3 unemployment was at 9.0, U6 was at 16.2. When U3 was at 8.6, U6 was at 15.6.  Now that the media is telling us that the U3 unemployment rate is 6.7 we must realize that the real unemployment rate is in fact U6 13.1.

While the media will tell you that the drop in unemployment is due to an increase in jobs, this is only a half truth.  Many of the jobs that were once a part of the United States have now been outsourced to other countries (meaning they’re not here anymore).  This decreases the size of the United States’ economy and makes available jobs more scarce.

Finally, let us not forget that a whopping 92 million workers have left the US labor force, a number not seen since 1979 and the days of the miserable Carter administration. While certain politicians and media (including Fox News) would like you to believe that the economy has gotten better, the facts prove that it is actually getting worse.

An Old Testament Look at Homosexuality

Far too frequently do I hear people advocating the atrocity of homosexual marriage. Shockingly, 00384794many of these gay rights activists also claim to be Christians. These are people that we sit next to in church, who claim to read the Bible and are seen doing what would seem to be “Christian” things.

These so called “Christian” gay rights activists seem to interpret God’s love as tolerance for anything that we do. To them this includes tolerance of non-Biblical lifestyles that other so called believers and non-believers may lead.

This belief is diametrically opposite to what the Bible really says concerning homosexuality and any other ungodly lifestyle for that matter. Genesis 13:13 states that, “[…] the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.” Scrolling down to Genesis 19:5-7 we find that among their many sins was homosexuality. “They called to Lot, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.’ Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, ‘No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.'” Verses 24-25 outline Sodom and its sister city Gomorrah’s punishment. “Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land.” Obviously, God is not “tolerant” of sinful lifestyles.

So how should Christians treat gay rights activists? Well how would you treat anyone who is about to burn their hand on a stove? Warn them of what they are doing before it is too late. The best way you can help someone is by telling them the truth.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32