More politics

Nothing is more dangerous in all of human experience than a politician who thinks that those who make war are sent from God.

Not that anybody cares

If I seem to show too little respect for your opinions or thought, be assured I have equal doubts about my own, and I don't mind if you think I'm wrong. I'm sure I am wrong about many things, although I'm not sure exactly which things I'm wrong about. I'm even sure I'm wrong about what I think I'm right about in at least some cases. So wherever you think I'm wrong, you could be right. If, in the process of determining that I'm wrong, you are stimulated to think more deeply and broadly, I hope that I will have somehow served you anyway.

Why I support Barack Obama:

“I am in this race to tell the corporate lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over. I have done more than any other candidate in this race to take on lobbyists — and won. They have not funded my campaign, they will not run my White House, and they will not drown out the voices of the American people when I am president.”
— Barack Obama, Speech in Des Moines, IA, November 10, 2007

I took American Political Economy my junior year with Ken Miller which turned out to be, "What I do (or don't do) in the House of Reps." All I learned that semester was how corrupt government has become, including the Christians. I was disgusted by the way he told us he would basically do whatever the corporate lobbyists told him to do, because they were the ones giving him money. It made me never want to vote again to be honest. Contrarily, Obama's campaign has been funded by the "grass roots," donations of less than $100 from individual Americans make up the majority of his campaign finances. How refreshing!

Unlike other candidates Obama's campaign refuses to accept contributions from Washington lobbyists and political action committees.

Remembering the values of empathy and service that his mother taught him, Barack put law school and corporate life on hold after college and moved to Chicago in 1985, where he became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment.

I don't even need to say anything else about this. That just plain rocks!

He will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world.

Many people complain about the fact that our jobs are being shipped to other countries, and rightly so, but to me the bigger issue is the fact that we are oppressing the people we force to work in the other countries. We pay them unfair wages and make them work unbelievable hours in appalling conditions. This is worse than the fact that there are fewer jobs for Americans. How selfish are we! Obama will fight for fair trade and good standards as well as keeping jobs in America.

Obama will also provide assistance to the domestic auto industry to ensure that new fuel-efficient vehicles are built by American workers

Obama will create a federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that will require 25 percent of American electricity be derived from renewable sources by 2025, which has the potential to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs on its own.

Barack Obama will raise the minimum wage, index it to inflation and increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to make sure that full-time workers earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs.

Obama will establish a five-star rating system so that every consumer knows the risk involved in every credit card. He also will establish a Credit Card Bill of Rights to stop credit card companies from exploiting consumers with unfair practices.

Barack Obama introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.

I don't think that anybody even reads this and if you do you probably don't care who I'm voting for in the presidential election but recently people have been asking me why I support Obama, especially since if you're a southern and a Christian apparently you can't be a democrat. So I thought I'd share just a few of the many reasons I am excited about him becoming the next president of the good ole US of A.

God bless the whole world, no exceptions!

I repent

I repent

I repent of my pursuit of America's dream

I repent

I repent of living like I deserve anything

of my house, my fence, my kids, my wife

in our suburb where we're safe and white

I am wrong and of these things I repent

I repent

I repent of parading my liberty

I repent
I repent of paying for what I get for free

and for the way I believe that I am living right

by trading sins for others that are easier to hide

I am wrong and of these things I repent

I repent judging by a law that even I can't keep

of wearing righteousness like a disguise

to see through the planks in my own eyes

I repent

I repent of trading truth for false unity

I repent

I repent of confusing peace and idolatry

by caring more of what they think

than what I know of what we need

by domesticating you until you look just like me

I am wrong and of these things I repent

The Secret of Life

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely, or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature, and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As long as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.
- Anne Frank

4

Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies?
You can be sure of this:
The LORD set apart the godly for himself.
The LORD will answer when I call to him.

I'm Not Going to Japan

I feel kinda lost and confused right now and I don't like it at all.

Fear

"Don't be afraid of failure, be afraid of succeeding at something that doesn't really matter."

I have always had trouble with the command to "fear" God. I never understood why God would want us to fear him, if he is good. But then I started thinking about how there were times I would have disobeyed my parents if I had not feared the consequences. I was scared to death of what would happen if I disobeyed them sometimes. I don't think God wants us to walk around scared out of our minds of him, but if we fear the reactions of people more than we fear the reaction of our God, we will not be serving him at all. Lambda's theme verse is Galatians 1:10 "Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant." and I've come to a new appreciation of that verse. Our goal should be to please him, not to please the people around us. I'm confessing that I struggle with this a lot. I can't stand conflict, and I can't stand it when people don't like me so I do everything I can to gain their approval. This got Saul in trouble in 1 Samuel too, "Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the LORD's command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded." It has gotten me into trouble too. So as of today I resolve to try a lot harder to please God and not people.