Sin?

As a pastor, I've been convinced for awhile now that the real problem in presenting Christ to people in American culture is not getting them to believe that God loves them or that he has a plan for their life or that he wants to answer their prayers....

The real problem is speaking the truth in a way that helps people to see that they are sinners in need of God's mercy. Our culture has lost any sense of "sin".

USA Today has a great article on this topic as they reflect on Easter. It's worth a read.

One key thing to keep in mind...while many people may still believe in the idea of "sin" it's still a good idea to ask them what sin is to them. Most people tend to define it by their own standards--not as an offense against a Holy God.

Why does any of this matter?

Simply because you can't really grasp the significance of Easter if you don't understand the depravity of sin. It puts the "amazing" in amazing grace.

Where's All the Heat?

According to NPR, scientists are struggling to find signs that the oceans are actually getting warmer....the more evidence they uncover, the more they realize they really don't know what is going on.

Obama, Politics, and the Real Issue

The recent video of Obama's pastor, Rev. Wright, and his anti-American, racist comments have caused many to rethink their assessment of Obama.

But race isn't my primary concern when it comes to Senator Obama. There is something far worse. His stance on abortion. Obama is one of the most pro-abortion candidates we've seen. For two years in a row, as an Illinois Senator, Obama voted against a law that would have protected a child born alive during the course of an abortion (or other unexpected procedure). He stood up on the floor of the Senate and argued against allowing these children to live. In other words, he argued in support of infanticide--the killing of infants and children.

In his third year as Senator, he didn't have to bother arguing against it. Since he controlled the judiciary committee, he simply prevented the bill from getting to the Senate floor. You can find links to all of this as a matter of official record.

In many ways, it is sadly ironic that Obama, who many see as a champion of social justice and care for the oppressed, should be on the wrong side of the "slavery" issue of our generation.

You see, abortion, like slavery in the late 1800's, is all about who you consider to be a "person". Most everyone agrees that a fetus is human (if it isn't human, then what is it?). An unborn child differs from an infant only in size, level of development, location (outside the womb), and the degree to which it is dependent. None of these have any bearing on personhood (are small people less of a person than big people?). So why are the unborn denied the rights of other human beings?

Because they are considered the "property" of their mothers, in the plainest legal sense. Abortion is a modern-day version of slavery.

Abort73.com has a great article explaining the connections:

In 1857, the United States Supreme Court, through the majority opinion of Roger B. Taney, in the case, Dred Scott v. Sanford ruled that blacks, "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. He was bought and sold and treated as an ordinary article of merchandise and traffic, whenever profit could be made by it." According to the Supreme Court, Dred Scott and the rest of the African-American population were not persons, they were property. It would be eight years before their ruling would be reversed, first through the 13th Amendment that outlawed slavery, and then expanded through the 14th Amendment which gave broad rights of citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.

116 years after Dred Scott, the Supreme Court once again ruled that a specific group of human beings were not persons, but property under the law. Roe v. Wade, argued on much the same lines as Dred Scott, remains with us to this day.

For me, this isn't about one-issue politics or ignoring other issues. It's about the most fundamental things we believe--freedom, liberty, equality...basic human rights. Slavery was a great injustice, but it didn't always end in the death of the individual. Abortion, on the other hand, always kills. It is slavery of the worst kind.

Slavery was rightly opposed by the church, and though it took decades, it was eventually overthrown and black men, women, and children were given full rights as human beings--recognized as more than property and given the status of "personhood." My hope and prayer is that the church of our day will graciously but firmly stand for the rights of children of all racial backgrounds, all sizes, and all levels of development who are being treated as property and killed without a second thought. Opposing abortion is fundamentally about protecting the human rights of children. And we must seek justice for these young ones, through prayer, patience, and perseverance.

That's why you won't find me voting for Obama (or Hilary for that matter). Some issues DO matter more than others.

Beware Glasses at Hotels

You may have seen this news report before, but if not...just know you've been warned! :) Don't drink out of glasses at hotels! Use plastic, one-use cups or bring your own!