Category: Politics

Could God be Attempting to Correct Us?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account- Hebrews 4:13 NIV

Coronavirus is generating tremendous chaos throughout the world. Not since God put the kibosh on the Babel building project have so many individuals been so greatly affected by a singular event (Genesis 11:1-11).

People are anxious and going to pieces in ways rarely seen in our modern age.  Full-grown adults are fighting over toilet paper and tuna fish with no outward indications of shame. People are openly aggressive towards anyone who sniffles in a public place.  An Arizona man died from ingesting fish tank cleaner because he believed it would protect him from Coronavirus. Economists warn of impending doom if economies don’t return to some semblance of normal soon and yet some leaders are advocating quarantine orders be enforced for six months to a year. 

Some of the fear connected to Coronavirus is reasonable and even wise. Coronavirus is dangerous to the elderly and those with underlying health problems, it is also highly contagious. Large groups of people get it all at once and it overwhelms healthcare systems. That being said, some of the fear is clearly out of bounds with the level of danger. There are seven-billion people on earth, 33,841 people have died from Coronavirus. That number is relatively small in comparison to the world population. Please don’t misunderstand, none of the people who died from this awful virus were insignificant or unimportant. They were all real people with stories, each was loved by someone and all were image-bearers of God. The loss of an image bearer is always a tragic event. That said, it could be argued that locking down the whole world indefinitely over the Coronavirus threat is a form of insanity that should be closely examined. 

So, a couple of things: 

Coronavirus could have been contained if the political will had existed when the virus first emerged. With few exceptions world leaders simply ignored the problem. The few who did act to contain the threat were condemned as bigots. Additionally, each of the nations (and regions) hit hardest by the virus displayed a high level of foolishness concerning the virus. Washington state (where I live) is a hub for air travel to China and yet little attention was paid to the virus until it started killing large numbers of people. Italy caved to political correctness and sponsored “hug a Chinese person” events even after it was clear the virus was being spread from Chinese tourists.  New York gave into greed and refused to cancel parades even when it was clear the virus was a looming problem (Isaiah 57:17, Luke 12:15). Iran refused help from other nations even when it was painfully clear they needed it to contain the virus (Proverbs 16:18). 

It is simply a fact that wisdom, common sense and good judgment are indicators God’s Spirit is present in the life of individuals, leaders and nations (Proverbs 9:11-12, Ecclesiastes 2:26, Jeremiah 4:22).  Conversely, willful foolishness is a clear sign a person, leader or nation has no fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7).

 Now that world leaders have finally decided to take this virus seriously, the whole world is in a mad panic to stop it using any method deemed necessary, even if it destroys lives and brings about abject poverty and suffering.  I know Christians aren’t supposed to use the J-word anymore. Nevertheless, I feel compelled by the Spirit to point out that in the Bible confusion, fear and overreaction to circumstances is one method God uses to bring judgment on obstinate people (Jeremiah 51:34). The Israelites were promised that if they persistently rebelled against God they would be afflicted with “madness and confusion of mind” (Deuteronomy 28:20). There are many instances in the Old Testament where God used confusion to defeat Israel’s enemies when they refused to turn from their sin.  (Joshua 10:9-10, Judges 6, 1st Samuel 14:20)  

This virus could very well be a corrective judgment brought on by a lack of human wisdom. Corrective judgments are warnings given in love.  God brings trouble, misery and hardship in an attempt to get people’s attention and bring them to a place of repentance and obedience (Jeremiah 15:19). In a corrective judgment God is always quick to forgive those who are eager to repent (Psalm 103:2-4, Jeremiah 15:19. Considering the state of our world it would be strange to think God is not demanding people everywhere to turn away from the sins of pride, sexual immorality, greed, abortion and unbelief (Psalm 50:4).  

Let me be clear:

I do not believe people who get or die from Coronavirus are under God’s direct judgment. God is not singling out particular people, nations, or people groups. The whole world is being negatively affected by this calamity.  God is always slow to judge partly because the righteous and the wicked all suffer equally under judgment (Ecclesiastes 9:2, Matthew 5:45), this reality breaks the heart of God.  Christians should not despair that life is hard right now. Instead we should rejoice that we know Jesus and have a secure future in Him. Christinas should be leading the way by examining ourselves and repenting of any sins we have in our lives.  We should seek God on behalf of our world and ask Him to show mercy by bringing a spirit of repentance and revival (1st Peter 4:17).  

Is it Possible to Separate Politics and Religion?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him- Mark 12:17 NIV

 Most of Americans were taught two rules regarding politics and religion growing up. First, we were taught politics and religion are both subjects that inevitably produce disagreement, tension and discord. Therefore, it is in poor taste to discuss either subject in social situations. We were also taught politics and religion are two entirely separate subjects that have no connection whatsoever. Consequently, only ignoramuses combine discussion of the two subjects.

 The ship has more or less sailed on the first rule.

For better or worse, there are precious few topics off-limits for discussion in our goat rodeo of a society. Only weirdos and squares care about tension and discord anymore. Truth-be-told, there are actually people who get paid good money to produce and promote all sorts of tension and discord.

 However.

  The second rule is still very much in force.

This due in part to a near unanimous misunderstanding of the phrase “separation of church and state”. Most believe it is found in the Constitution or some other critical founding document.  It’s not. The only place it was ever used was in a personal letter Thomas Jefferson wrote to a group of Baptists known as the Danbury Baptists.  This group feared there was about to be a state sponsored church in America (as was common in England and other European countries). They feared becoming an unrecognized group. In his letter Mr. Jefferson assured them there is “wall of separation between church and state”. He promised that the American government would never intrude on there’s or anyone’s religious beliefs or activities. Clearly, Mr. Jefferson didn’t own a crystal ball, but, that’s another blogpost for another day. The passing of the Johnson Amendment in 1954 also contributed to the belief that politics and religion should be kept in separate corners. That law allows the government to strip Churches of their tax-exempt status if they endorse or oppose political candidates.

 All that being said.

A stupid law and widespread ignorance of our founding documents are not the only reasons we don’t talk about politics and religion.

 Many Christians sincerely believe politics are dirty and religion is clean. They think that by merging political conversations with faith conversations, we dirty up our religion and run the risk of muddling the message of the gospel. Christians who believe this way tend to think Jesus was discouraging political involvement when he said “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and render unto God what is God’s”.  Most non-Christians and some progressive Christians sincerely believe any mixing of religion and politics will cause our republic to morph into a creepy theocracy reminiscent of The Handmaids Tale.

 Sigh.

 In spite of almost everyone’s desire to keep politics and religion in separate corners, the two have had some ugly run-in’s in recent years. Culture is shifting rapidly and battle lines are being drawn between right wrong. Once a upon a time issues like pedophilia, relaxing or eliminating drug laws, the elimination of restrictions on hardcore pornography, lowering the age of sexual consent, sanctioning late term abortion, legalizing prostitution and allowing infanticide were considered icky fringe issues that no normal people had any interest in whatsoever. Our society has become less Christian and more accepting of just about everything and some have felt emboldened to push these and other issues through the courts in recent years (Psalm 52:3, Isaiah 5:20). Religious people (mostly Christians) have become weary of the societal decline that has resulted from an increase in progressive legislation. 

 Okay, so, a couple of things:

 It is true Christians sometimes send the message that in order to be a Christian one must hold to a certain set of political views. It is also true that if a person is a Christian the Bible will inform their thinking on all issues, including political issues. However, the notion that one has to do anything but believe in Jesus and repent of their sin to become a Christian is tragically wrong. Additionally, patriotism is not godliness. Love of country is a good thing but it must never be confused with fidelity to Jesus.

 Furthermore.

 One of the key reasons Christianity has flourished in America is because our founders wisely avoided forming a theocracy. If America’s founders had instituted a state sponsored Christian church, it is a given that the state would have killed the dynamic and powerful nature of Christianity by insisting that all Christians think and worship exactly the same way.

 Trust me. No one wants a theocracy in America.

 That being said. Christians must work hard as believers to keep Jesus the main thing in all we do. We are not called to change the world through political legislation or even social reform. We are called to change the world by bringing people to Jesus and then teaching them to think and act like Jesus (Matthew 28:19). At the same time, we must embrace the reality that all of life belongs to God and there is no sphere Christians are not called to influence and redeem for Jesus (Psalm 24:1).  Therefore, Christians must never lose their moral outrage when politicians attempt to legalize behavior that robs human beings of their God-given dignity. We must never be okay with normalizing and/or legalizing evil. Christians must also learn to graciously explain to our unbelieving world that every political choice has a spiritual and personal consequence. Christians should also vote like Jesus is in the booth with us.

Because He is. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Idol of “Nice”-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Dear children, keep yourselves from idols~ 1stJohn 5:21 NIV

“Being nice” is an idol our culture worships with wild abandon. 

Before you tag out to write me a long comment detailing the countless ways people have become rude, vulgar and belligerent, please read on. 

I am not crazy.  

It is true that there are many people in our culture who become aggressively rude, foulmouthed and abusive at the tiniest provocation. However, if you look carefully at the target of their aggression you will see their hostility is nearly always directed at people who they categorize as hateful, rude or disrespectful: anyone deemed “not nice”.

It is never acceptable to be “not nice” to anyone anymore. Unless, of course the person in question has been determined to be “not nice”. Once the judgment of “not nice” has been established, literally anything goes. It is then acceptable to unleash untold hell on anyone judged by anyone to be “not nice”.  

Many Christian leaders blame conservative Christian’s lack of niceness rather than the churches lack of holiness or the average Christian’s reluctance to share the gospel for the decline of Christianity in America.  It does not matter whether or not what a conservative is saying is demonstrably true. If it’s not “nice” it’s not okay to say.

Sigh. 

  Despite laws safeguarding free speech there is an influential and powerful movement determined to shut down any and all speech thought to be “not nice”.  Racist, sexist and homophobic speech has been deemed the least “nice” speech because that sort of speech is categorically awful.  Clever individuals have recognized that the most efficient way to silence speech they don’t like and to be given the go ahead to be “not nice” to the person speaking is to call out their speech as something racist, sexist and/or homophobic (whether it is or not). Universities routinely suppress the speech of students who hold views considered “not nice”. These same schools regularly disinvite speakers students feel are “not nice”. Professors have actually been fired from jobs for openly sharing views decreed “not nice”.

There’s more:

Many cities, especially those on the coasts have prohibited the use of gender specific pronouns in their city codes because it is “not nice” to call someone a pronoun they don’t “identify” with. The powers that be have determined it is categorically “not nice” to offend a trans person or a woman or anyone who might possibly be offended so now a manhole cover will be called a “maintenance hole” and manpower will be termed “human effort” and brothers and sisters will now be called “siblings”. 

Sigh. 

The entire west coast is being overrun over by homeless people. Sections of once beautiful cities are no longer fit to live in. Nothing is being done to correct this problem or help the homeless because it has been determined by leadership in those cities that it is “not nice” to make judgments about the lifestyle choices of others. Medical professionals will admit in their more vulnerable moments they are reluctant to tell patients they are overweight or that their lifestyle choices are going to kill them because they do not want to be perceived as “not nice” or “judgmental”. 

The idol of nice has slipped into the church as well.  For years now, churches, even evangelical churches have systematically softened language around sin. Many churches have stopped addressing topics—no matter how biblical those topics might be— because someone— somewhere might possibly feel those topics are “not nice”. The teachings of Calvinism have made serious inroads in recent years, even in denominations that are not traditionally Calvinistic. I suspect one of the reasons Calvinism has become popular is because Calvinism teaches Christians they never have evangelize unbelievers. Calvinists believe it is the sole responsibility of the Holy Spirit to reach unbelievers and He does not want or need our help. If these strategies were effective I would support them, but they are not. Church attendance has plummeted and authentic conversions have become quite rare. The vast majority of church growth in recent decades has been what experts call “transfer growth” or Christians simply transferring from one church or denomination to another church or denomination. We are seeing these developments partly because the church has chosen to worship at the altar of the idol of “nice”.

Sigh.

Idols must be dealt with decisively and this one is no different (1st John 5:21). it is imperative Christians lead the way and tell people the truth about life, death and eternity. Christians should never be mean, no one has ever been won to team Jesus through cruelty or aggression (Ephesians 4:32) That said, we must balance “niceness” with truthfulness in a culture that is literally dying before our very eyes (Ephesians 4:15, Ephesians 4:25). It is the ultimate in fiddling while Rome burns to worry more about being labeled “not nice” than to worry about the souls of people or the future of our civilization.  

Practical Things all Christians Can Do to Push Back the Darkness-

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed- John 3:20 NIV

I have not been cursed with a ton of vices. 

Drugs, alcohol, and gambling are not enormous temptations for me. Nor am I into video games, binge eating, hoarding, porn or nicotine. I do sometimes use shopping as a stress release. However, I hate credit card debt slightly more than I love shopping so the odds I will morph into a full-blown shopping addict are fairly slim.   

Politics is my vice. 

Much to the chagrin of my far less politically minded husband, I follow political parties the way a gaming addict follows NFL teams and a gambling addict follows the ponies. The Presidential elections are my super bowl and I begin gearing up for them a good two years prior to the actual election. 

 As a history geek I am fascinated by the reality that democracy is a relatively new development in human government, having only existed as we know it for a few hundred years.  In my nerdier moments (there are many) I like to ponder the evolution of politics and government. As a Christian I am intrigued by the fact that in our system the election of a single person often has an enormous impact on the political, economic and moral landscape of our nation, sometimes for decades. 

Unfortunately, this understanding can cause me to fall into the trap of thinking that if the right person or group of people get elected the outcome will magically alter the moral landscape of our country permanently.  Recently, I came heard a quote that threw a truth grenade on the folly of my thinking: 

We are not seeing terrible things in our culture because we vote the wrong way. We are seeing terrible things in our culture because men love darkness more than light-Voddie Baucham

It is a sad fact that people love darkness more than they love light (John 3:19). At the heart of every “hot-button” issue we are dealing with as a culture is a powerful battle between right and wrong, light and darkness, good and evil. If hearts are changed political and moral views will change too. Changing hearts is way above any of our pay grades. That’s God’s job. However, the Bible is clear that individuals do have influence over others and there are things that can be done to push back the darkness.

Beginning with:

Prayer-

No one should talk about prayer or extol the virtues of prayer unless they are taking time out of their day to actually pray (1st Thessalonians 5:17, Matthew 26:41).  Christians should pray because prayer has the power to change things. More importantly prayer changes our attitudes towards people and it makes our hearts soft towards God all critically important things if we want to push back darkness.  

Get some theology- 

The whole notion of holding tightly to beliefs concerning God, the Bible and life has been scoffed at inside and outside the church in recent years. Some well-known pastors have publicly criticized Christians who place a high value on Bible study.  The Apostle Paul’s proclamation that “knowledge puffs up” has been taken out of context so many times that most people do not realize that the apostle was referring to knowledge concerning a specific issue (idols).  Christians have been told repeatedly that all they need to do to effectively live out their Christian faith is love God and people.  Believing that “love” is all Christians need to communicate Christ effectively is a tragically immature understanding of both Christianity and love (1st Peter 3:15). Our post-Christian world does not define the word love by a biblical standard. Therefore it is impossible to know how to love God or love people without theology as our guide. We should get in the habit of asking ourselves what the Bible says about every issue and then study the Bible to know the answers (2nd Peter 1:3-9, Proverbs 18:15). 

Live right-

Holy or righteous living is another tragically misunderstood issue our time. There are actual church-going people who believe it is legalistic to expect Christians to live by the standards laid out for us in the New Testament. It’s not. Holy living is what gives Christians credibility and the right to speak out concerning the issues of our day (1stCorinthians 1:2, Ephesians 5:3, 1st Thessalonians 4:7, Hebrews 12;14).  

Serve–

If we want to push back the darkness it is critical we serve in our local church. Christians should volunteer to do whatever needs to be done at their church and work to make their local church as strong and healthy as possible. It is equally important Christians find creative ways to serve those outside the church. This is done best when we become intentional about getting to know the people in our neighborhoods and workplaces.  

Vote wisely-

I hope I already made it clear I really and truly do not think politics are the answer to our problems. HOWEVER, if Christians vote for leaders who openly embrace darkness we should not be surprised when our world suddenly becomes a darker place. 

Don’t be a jerk-

Just don’t. Our world has enough jerks. By all means speak the truth, the world needs it desperately. Just do your level-best to be as non-jerky as you can manage while you do it.

And finally,

Whatever else you do, do not waver in doing good and living righteously (Galatians 6:9). No matter how tempted you might be to do so. Spiritual quitters never accomplish anything good or life-giving, so learn the Bible, set shamelessly high biblical standards for yourself. Live by those standards and beliefs. Speak the truth loudly and proudly and above all else love the lost with everything you’ve got. Do not allow the culture persuade you to do anything else. We were made for times like these.

How A Biden Presidency Will Affect the Abortion Debate-

Lisa M. Price3 Comments

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand~ Mark 3:25 NIV

The Hyde amendment became law on September 30th, 1976. The amendment was named for its chief sponsor, Henry J. Hyde. It forbids the use of federal tax dollars to pay for abortions. In the three years prior to Hyde taxpayers footed the bill for an average of 300,000 abortions per year (Google it). 

Until recently Biden held firmly to the conviction that the Hyde amendment was a necessary tool to ensure fairness for both sides. The passing of Hyde still allowed abortion to take place in every state and in nearly every situation imaginable. It also prevented those opposed to abortion from being forced to pay for it. Mr. Biden has repeatedly stated that while he is personally opposed to abortion he does not feel it’s his place to tell others what they should or shouldn’t believe about such a weighty issue. He also believed until last week that those opposed to abortion should not be forced to pay for abortions. Apparently, presidential campaigns have a way of messing with one’s deeply held convictions. 

Sigh.

I get that there are mammoth partisan rifts concerning this issue. It is fair to say that the vast majority of Democrats are in favor of abortion with few if any restrictions while most Republicans are opposed to abortion or are in favor of placing some limitations on the practice. Forty percent (give or take) of the country is firmly opposed to abortion. Forty percent (give or take) is totally for abortion. Then there are the twenty percent (or so) who fall into the mushy middle where they don’t love abortion but don’t want to see it outlawed either.

I believe life begins at conception. I also believe life is a gift from God. I believe that every human being who draws breath (no matter how messy, frail or damaged they may be) bears within them the indelible image of Almighty God.  Because I believe those things I also believe with every fiber of my being that human life is unique and special and should be cherished and protected at every stage. It should come as no surprise that I am a supporter of the Hyde amendment.  

All that being said, the purpose of this piece is not to argue about when life begins, or even whether or not human life should be protected. Nor, am I interested in debating whether or not it is fair to women to outlaw abortion or even if abortion should be outlawed. 

Those are subjects for another day. 

Today, I simply wish to begin a discussion concerning a few scenarios that might possibly come to pass if Biden is elected and the Hyde amendment is repealed. 

First:

Our nation will become more sharply divided politically-

Sadly, this is a statement of fact rather than a hazy possibility. The Hyde amendment has permitted a country that is sharply divided over a controversial issue to live together in relative harmony. This has been good for everyone. Forcing pro-life people to pay for a procedure they find morally loathsome will do nothing to bridge our ever-growing political divide.  

The federal government might possibly get into the abortion business- 

 There are a lot of folks wringing their hands about “the lack of access” to abortion in small rural towns. It is not a massive leap of logic to conclude that at least a few of those handwringers would really love to get their hands on some federal tax dollars to open clinics in areas they feel are underserved. That would put the federal government solidly in the abortion business. 

The cost of abortion could skyrocket- 

Anytime the federal government begins financing something the cost of that thing tends to rise steeply. College tuition is a classic example. The price of college tuition has increased steadily as the government has underwrote loans for higher education. According to Business Insider, college tuition rose an average of 260% between 1980 and 2014. There is no reason to believe the same thing wouldn’t happen with abortion if the government were to begin underwriting the cost of it. Admittedly, I have mixed feelings concerning this point. On one hand, I really don’t care how much an abortion costs, unless of course I am paying for it with my tax dollars. Then I care a great deal.  

Minority populations could be further decimated-

One unintended consequence of abortion has been an insidious form of ethnic cleansing in minority communities. African-American pastor and pro-life activist Clenard Childress Jr. warns that if the abortion rate among black women is not reduced swiftly the black vote will become statistically insignificant by 2038 (that’s less than two decades, for the mathematically challenged). Furthermore, according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (a pro-abortion think tank) a black woman is five timesmore likely to have an abortion than a white woman. A study done by the Working Poor Families Projectrevealed that working poor families are three times as likely to be headed by a minority parent.  It is reasonable to believe that if abortion were free to poor women there could be increased social and economic pressure placed on low-income minority women to abort. This could mean a tragic end to the diversity and beauty that minority populations bring to the U.S. 

The Hyde amendment has saved countless lives. It has also been instrumental in keeping the political peace in this country for more than four decades.  The key to keeping the Hyde amendment law and holding back further pro-abortion legislation is for Christian people to vote biblically in this upcoming election . 

Dumb Lies our Society Believes about Western Civilization-

Lisa M. PriceLeave a comment

Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic~ James 3:15 NIV

 Western civilization has become wildly unpopular. 

 Hardly a day goes by when we do not see some narcissistic politician or a silly celebrity (or a hybrid of the two) waxing eloquent regarding the innumerable “evils” of Western civilization. Most public schools in the West teach entire units detailing how Western civilization has enslaved minorities, devastated the environment, established shady governments, oppressed women and just generally created moral and economic chaos everywhere for everyone. Even many movies and television shows slide subliminal (and not so subliminal) anti-western civilization messages into their storylines.

 It would be silly to argue that Western civilization is somehow faultless. Western civilization is not perfect. Like all civilizations, Western civilization is inhabited by human beings who are by their very nature self-centered, ethically flawed and prone to self-deception (Romans 3:23, Galatians 5:18-20). Like produces like. Therefore, flawed beings are incapable of producing anything that is not also seriously flawed (Genesis 5:3, 1st Corinthians 15:22, Romans 5:12-15) 

 Sigh.    

 That said, I have had it up to my eyeballs with the half-truths and total lies being circulated via the media regarding Western civilization. Most of what’s being reported is not helpful commentary intended to make the culture better. The rhetoric being tossed around is nihilistic in nature. It is intended to tear down the beliefs, people, organizations and structures that built western civilization, and that includes Christianity.

 Attacks on Western civilization all tend to devolve into an attack on Christianity at some point. This is because Christianity was instrumental in shaping Western thought, education, morals, law and government. The notion that all men are created equal and should be equal under the law is categorically not a pagan notion. Equality is a New Testament idea (Colossians 3:10-11, Galatians 3:28) that was central in shaping the ideas of free speech, human rights, property rights and eventually women’s rights.

  Following are five lies being shoved down our throats on a daily basis concerning Western civilization:

 Western Civilization is mean-

 The notion that western civilization is meanspirited and cruel has evolved into a cornerstone of liberal thought. It is typically one of the justifications given for replacing capitalism with socialism. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been incredibly vocal in her belief that capitalism is a dreadful system that leaves people who do not work to die. This may have been true in say Victorian England but is hardly true today. If it were true, the streets of every city in America, Canada and Europe would literally be strewn with decaying bodies. All the poor people would be dead and we would not be able to get them buried fast enough. It is true that in societies untouched by Christian morality people without jobs are sometimes left to die. But, because Christian ideas about the value of human life have infiltrated western societies there are programs that care for the less fortunate. That being said, no society has perfected a system that adequately provides for human needs without humans getting off their butts and doing some work. The notion that anyone can have food, shelter, and cable television without someone doing some sort of work flies in the face of common sense and is extraordinarily moronic (Ephesians 4:28).    

 There is a superior alternative to the economic system (capitalism) that evolved in Western civilization-

 Capitalism is a human system. Therefore, it is far from perfect. However, it is the best economic system in existence because capitalism rewards behaviors that benefit society, such as hard work, skill, and innovation. Capitalism penalizes laziness, shortsightedness and carelessness. Capitalism rewards those who meet human needs, which has led to a more comfortable, inventive and stable society. Capitalism is also the only economic system that permits people the freedom to move from a lower economic class to higher one. Capitalism is no respecter of persons, capitalism rewards hard workers regardless of gender, race or age (1stThessalonians 4:11). The only viable replacements for capitalism are socialism, communism and democratic socialism. Each has been tried and found wanting because those systems enslave rather than free people.   

 White Westerners are historically worse than other people-

 This view came about mostly as a result of the scourge of American slavery. American slavery was inexcusably awful by any standards. However, it is critical we remember that all cultures throughout the checkered history of humanity were all pretty horrible on some level (Daniel 9:5, 1stCorinthians 6:8-10). Until recently every people group in history has taken, held and sold people into slavery. To believe otherwise is willful ignorance and silliness.

 Western Civilization is at the root of all the world’s evils-

 Sin is at the root of all the world’s evils. Sadly, sin is not going anywhere anytime soon. Moreover, our sin problem will not improve so long as humans insist on blaming society for the problems we created out of our own selfish sinfulness.

 Western Civilization is bad for women-

 It is simply a fact that no civilization in history has been all that great to women. However, Western civilization (thanks to Christianity) has done more to right the wrongs done to women through the ages than any other civilization in history. Those who doubt should visit Iraq, India, Malaysia, Saudi Aribia or Egypt. Those nations all have two things in common: a lack of significant Christian influence and the women in those countries are oppressed, subjugated and, in many cases, badly abused.

 Western culture is not perfect, neither is it something to be ashamed of. Believers should fight for the best parts of our culture, not because Christianity is somehow dependent on Western culture. It is not. If Western culture were to vanish from the scene tomorrow Christianity would endure (Matthew 16:18). Western culture is worth defending because it is a vehicle God has used to spread truth and those who hate truth wish to see it destroyed.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saving Truth-

Lisa M. Price2 Comments

Justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey~ Isaiah 59:14-15 NIV

  I am a peeping-tom on Twitter.

 I have a twitter account.

However.

I suspect I might have been shadow-banned after posting some political blogs during the 2016 election cycle. I think I’m down to a grand total of 33 followers. No one ever responds to anything I tweet so I never tweet anything. I never retweet other people’s stuff and I only occasionally comment on other people’s tweets. It’s just too much work. And frankly, I lack the cleverness, persistence and free time necessary to really make a difference on twitter. I also hate wasting what little creativity I have on what is basically just a modern-day freakshow of personal opinions.   

 Nevertheless,

 I do like skulking around the back alleys of twitter (metaphorically speaking). I follow people, watch videos, read tweets and form opinions about what I find. I totally get my behavior is borderline creepy but it allows me to see what’s going in that area of social media without actually getting involved in that area of social media.

 Such was the case this past weekend when I found a video of Diane Feinstein giving a group of sassy school kids a piece her mind after they challenged her on her unwillingness to simply sign on to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal.  Ms. Feinstein put on her stern Grandma face and informed the kids that she has been doing her job for a long time and that she understands the issues and the political landscape better than they ever could.

 I am not, nor will I ever be a supporter of Ms. Feinstein’s politics. She and I could not possibly be further apart on the political spectrum.  That being said, I almost started clapping when I heard her telling those jackbooted little sprogs some hard truths no one else has the wherewithal to tell them.

Here’s the thing.

 Adults are duty-bound to give kids an unpleasant dose of reality from time-to-time (Proverbs 29:15, 1stCorinthians 13:11). When adults abdicate that responsibility, children grow up to believe anything is possible and some things simply aren’t not possible matter how badly we wish they were. I will never play in the NBA. I’m too short, too old and too female. It’s just not going to happen. I can identify as a tall, muscular man all day long, every day but I will never actually be one.

 We do want our kids to grow-up and dream big dreams.

Dreams are good.

That said, wise people also want them firmly grounded in reality. No one accomplishes anything in the real world when they’re living their life in the land of make-believe and dreams.  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez might actually make sense sometimes if she had an adult in her life who was wise enough (and kind enough) to gently challenge some of her more peculiar ideas when she was nine (Proverbs 17:29). 

 But, I digress.

 The vast majority of those on twitter did not agree with how Ms. Feinstein handled the situation. Most were fuming-mad that an old troll would crush the green dreams of fresh-faced little children who were just trying to save the planet. Some wondered if it was even okay for an old person to tell a young person what to do or think. Lots of folks were bitter that the Senator dared tell innocent youngsters that something they wanted is simply not possible. Some demanded she resign for her treatment of the children. There was even a petition calling for her impeachment (Proverbs 29:18). 

 Insert eye roll here.

 The whole messy muddle is more than just a silly story about a grumpy old lady and a bunch of mouthy kids.

 We are literally watching objective truth die right before our very eyes.

Seriously. It ought to scare the bejeebers out of all of us.

 There was a time in the not-so-distant past when it was thought to be an act of compassion to tell a person the truth about something even when that truth was hard to hear.  That ship has officially sailed.  Public schools routinely tell kids that if they believe they are a particular gender then they are that gender. Biology be damned, science is literally nothing compared to a child’s feelings about a particular subject. Men pretend to be women all the time and it is considered by many to be a hate crime to point out that those men dressed up like women might have some physical advantages over the women they are competing against in an athletic competition.  

 Truth has become an acceptable casualty anytime someone holds a passionate, deeply held belief about a particular subject. If someone thinks somebody else made a racist or sexist comment then they did. Period. There are no longer two sides to any story. The truth is so inconsequential that it is now considered acceptable to lie about whether or not one was attacked if the pretend attacker holds political beliefs the accuser and the majority finds unpleasant or intolerable.

 Sigh.

 It is critical we remember two truths in the midst of this cultural insanity. First, Christians serve a God who values truth to the point that He literally identified Himself as the physical embodiment of truth (John 14:6). Therefore, we represent our God best when we choose to live out truth in every area of our lives. Second, we must never forget it is still and will always be an act of compassion to speak hard truths as long as it is done in a spirit of love and grace (Ephesians 4:15).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Non-political Reasons Christians Really Ought to Care About Fake News

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil~ Hebrews 5:14 NIV

 Okay, so, regular readers of this blog are doubtless clued in to the fact that I have been burdened with an unusually large number of annoyances and pet peeves in this life. If you wish to get a clearer picture of the infinite number of irritants that plague me, simply type the words “peeves” and “rants” into the search bar at the bottom of the page. You will be immediately enlightened and have access to a wealth of really rant-y reading material.

 Seriously. A lot of stuff bugs me.

 Every time I write about a specific peeve I inevitably think that I have finally exhausted all the stuff I could write about that annoys me. Then low and behold I come across a new one. Such was the case this past week.  I was casually scanning Facebook and I stumbled upon a “news” story with dozens of comments from people who were obviously Christians and suddenly a brand-spanking new peeve was born:

 Gullible Christians and fake news.

 Not that fake news is a new development (or gullibility, for that matter). Liberal media outlets and the president act as if fake news is a 21stcentury brainchild. It’s not. Fake news has existed since the dawn of time. I’m convinced that our cave-dwelling ancestors scratched misleading graffiti onto the walls of their caves in a deliberate effort to deceive the other hunter and gathers. Double-dealing and duplicity are central to our character as fallen creatures (John 8:44, Romans 1:25, Colossians 3:9).

 It is not the fakeness of stories that bugs me. It’s the number of people (including many Christians) I see passing on obviously questionable news stories that make me crazy.

 We are smarter than that.

 Case in point: last week I found a story claiming that smallpox was discovered at the Southern border. There were so many logical problems with the story that it really shouldn’t have gotten a single share from anyone (it had a lot of shares). For example, if smallpox (one of the deadliest and most infectious diseases ever) ever made a comeback (it was officially eradicated in 1980) it would be big news and the entire country would be under quarantine. Besides, the picture was clearly (even to someone with zero medical training) a photo of someone with measles. Then there was the story that claimed there was a woman in California who proudly holds the world record for the most abortions ever. There is no such world-record. Furthermore, due to some issues with biology it would be fairly difficult for a thirty-four-year-old woman to have twenty-eight abortions in her lifetime.

 Sigh.

 Fake news is not simply a liberal fevered dream or a delusion the President is suffering from. It is a real problem that Christians ought to care about because when Christian people are not careful about what they share it causes four huge problems for all Christians and one potential problem that ought to terrify everyone:     

 Fake news makes Christians look like numbskulls-

 It just does. Anytime we believe questionable stories enough to share them it makes Christians look dumb when the truth is exposed. Looking dumb does not further the cause of Christianity. 

 Fake stories make it harder for Christians to share stories that are true but kind of hard to believe-

 Like the gospel. We really want people to believe the gospel because if they don’t they will go to hell (John 3:14-16).  The gospel is a story about a God who came down from heaven; became a man, lived among people, preformed all kinds of miracles and then died in our place to pay the price for our sins. Then that God rose from the dead after three days in the grave (John 1:1-4). This story is one-hundred-percent true. That said, the Bible and I both concede that it is a hard story to believe (John 20:29, Mark 16:10-12, Luke 24:1-11). Christians who share off-the-wall stories can cause unsaved people to think that the gospel is just another one of those stories.     

 Fake stories oftentimes make Christians look meaner than we really are-

 The story about smallpox on the border is a good example. Many who read the story believed that a conservative (perhaps even a Christian) made the story up because they hate brown people and want to make them look like filthy-disease-carrying-vermin. I know this is true because I read some of the comments (John 13:35).  I also know a lot of Christians and none of them think any of those things about anyone.

 When we share questionable stories, it reflects badly on Jesus-

 We represent Jesus. If we look stupid, Jesus looks stupid (1stCorinthians 12:27).

 If we don’t monitor ourselves the government will step in and “solve” this problem-

 Government interference rarely “solves” anything and if they step in to “solve” this problem the biggest losers will be the 1stAmendment and the people.

 I get that it’s easy to get excited when we come across a story that reinforces something we believe about the world (like abortion is out of control or unfettered immigration is hurting the country). However, we really need to stop and think before we share anything. We need to ask ourselves some hard questions before we hit the share button:

 Is this story plausible?

Are other news outlets covering this story?

 Do the views shared in this story represent Jesus well?

If you were not a Christian what would you think of this story?

 When in doubt just don’t.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

How Come the Pro-life Movement Has not Changed Many Minds?

Lisa M. Price1 Comment

 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools~ Romans 1:20-22 NIV

I am profoundly and deeply pro-life.

 One of the earliest convictions I experienced as a new Christian was the belief that God Himself is the author and giver of human life. Because God is the giver of life human life should always be protected and nurtured by God’s people.

 I have also walked the pro-life talk.

 I am the mother of four children. One of those children is an older child we adopted. I have worked or served in nearly every area of the pro-life movement. My husband and I have sat on the boards of countless pro-life organizations. I worked for three years as the director of a Pregnancy Help Center.  I have marched in the marches, handed out the info,  and organized various fundraising rallies, walks and banquets. I have cried and prayed with anxious and hurting women who were experiencing an unplanned pregnancy.

 I do not say all that to boast or to make myself sound better than I really am.

There are many in the pro-life movement who have worked harder, done more and been far more faithful to the cause than I have been. Rather, I say all that so that readers will understand exactly how brokenhearted I was when I heard the horrific details of the New York state abortion bill that was signed into law on the 46thanniversary of Roe vs. Wade.  The law effectively legalizes abortion up until the very moment of birth for any and all reasons. It allows midwives, physician assistants and nurses to perform abortions. The law also repeals all legal protections for babies born alive after a failed abortion (it happens).

 The passing of this law broke my heart, and not just for the children who will surely die because of it. I was devastated because I fear this law is proof-positive that the pro-life movement has failed to do the very thing it was formed to do.

  In the forty-six years since Roe vs. Wade became law science has effectively proven two things. First, a fetus is human. Secondly, human life begins at the point of conception. Pro-abortion zealots with even an ounce of intellectual integrity freely concede those two facts.

  Nonetheless.

 Abortion is still legal and dreadfully common. Abortion has also become weirdly fashionable. The number of abortions in America has increased in recent years; and there are now online forums where women talk about their abortions proudly, as a badge of honor rather than a sad chapter in their life.  When Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the New York bill into law he received a standing ovation from the senate. The city of New York celebrated this “landmark legislation” by lighting up the World Trade Center in pink lights. New York is not the first state in the union to ratify a similar law.

 Sigh.

 Good, God-fearing people have fought the pro-life fight for nearly half a century and abortion is still legal and anything but rare. Furthermore, according to the Pew Research Center the majority of Americans (fifty-eight percent) sincerely believe that abortion should be legal in all or most situations. Thankfully, most (eighty percent) are still civilized enough to believe that third trimester abortions should not happen. That said, most believe abortion should be legal and widely available to anyone who feels they need one.

 It’s time we asked ourselves why.

 Here’s the thing. I sincerely believe that the problem does not lie with what people know about abortion. The problem lies with how people feel about abortion. Everybody knows it’s a baby.  Even the morally bankrupt morons gleefully whooping and hollering over the passing of their stupid bill know for a fact that the law is about killing babies. Abortionists abort babies, not teddy bears or turtles or masses of tissue.  We don’t even need science to tell us that. All science has done is confirm what our consciences already know (Romans 1:21-28).

 It’s a baby, stupid.

 The pro-life movement has worked tirelessly to change minds. Most in the pro-life movement (including me) believed that when people understood the science behind the pro-life arguments that their minds would be changed and hearts would soon follow. We forgot (or never knew) that it is only heart-felt, bone-level conviction (rather than intellectual acknowledgement) that keeps people from changing their minds back to their previous beliefs when life gets tough or the arguments for the other side get persuasive and/or sophisticated.

 The pro-life movement has done a lot of good things. Those things should continue to be done. The pro-life community should lovingly engage, educate, lobby congress, help the hurting, provide for the needy and raise money for the cause. That said, Christians (of all stripes) should preach the gospel boldly and pray fervently that God brings spiritual revival to our world. Only God can change a human heart and without heart-change the abortion statistics will stay the same.  

 

 

 

What is “Privilege” in our Culture and what Should Christians do About it?

Lisa M. Price4 Comments

You must have refused water for the thirsty and food for the hungry. You probably think the land belongs to the powerful and only the privileged have a right to it! You must have sent widows away empty-handed and crushed the hopes of orphans~ Job 27:7-9 NLT

 Areva Martin and David Webb had a debate about whether or not race or experience ought to be the deciding factor in whether or not applicants are offered jobs in particular fields.  Mr. Webb argued his experience, not his race had provided opportunities for him in his field. Ms. Martin stated Mr. Webb was oblivious to the plight of minorities since he was a beneficiary of “white privilege”.  Mr. Webb then politely asked Ms. Martin to explain how exactly how he had benefited from “white privilege”.

 Then,

 She said: 

“That’s a whole, another long conversation about white privilege, the things that you have the privilege of doing, that people of color don’t have the privilege of doing”

 Mr. Webb explained rather gently (I thought) that he was black and therefore it was pretty much impossible for him to benefit from “white privilege”.

 Yikes.

 It would be all-too easy to simply pounce on Ms. Martins obvious ignorance. Alas, there are bigger issues at play here than the opportunity to take a few cheap shots. The real issue here is the subject of privilege. 

 There are two sharply divided camps concerning the contentious issue of white privilege. The first believes race determines everything about everything in this life. Those in this camp believe being born white is a golden ticket that magically opens doors and guarantees success in life. The other camp is convinced that the whole issue of privilege is nothing more than the figment of fevered progressive imaginations.  Both views contain elements of truth but both are ultimately flawed.  Following are five common myths regarding “white privilege”:

 The whole concept of privilege is nothing more than a liberal myth-

 It’s not.  Privilege is a real (James 2:9). It would be the height naiveté and absurdity to argue that where one is born and who one is born to has no effect on that person’s future prospects in life.  A child born in the United States to two educated, financially stable parents begins his or her life with many advantages over a child born to a single mother in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Conversely, a child born in America to two economically disadvantaged parents who stay married and work hard will have some distinct advantages over a child born to an unwed fourteen-year-old girl who uses drugs. All this is true regardless of the color of said child (Proverbs 20:7).

 Privilege is exclusively about race and gender-

 It’s not. Only an idiot would argue that there is not a racial component to privilege in our culture. However, privilege is ultimately more about the choices of a child’s parents than race or gender (Proverbs 20:7). A black girl born to poor parents who love her enough to educate and discipline her will likely do better in life than a white boy born to middle-income parents who do not discipline him or take an interest in his education. Ben Carson demonstrates this reality. His mother was a semi-literate African-American teenager when he and his brother were born. She later divorced her husband and worked a series of menial jobs to support her family. She also made education a top priority for her boys, she carefully monitored who they spent time with and how much television they watched. Today both brothers hold advanced degrees and are wildly successful by any measurable standard.  Ben Carson is a former neurosurgeon and the current HUD Secretary; his brother Curtis is an aeronautical engineer (rocket scientist).

 All races and genders think exactly the same way-

 They don’t. Life experience, intelligence level, religious conviction and upbringing do more to determine how a person views life than race or gender do. Assuming otherwise is a very weird and weirdly unhelpful form of racism and/or sexism.  

 The very-real problem of racism will be solved with more racism-

 It won’t. Punishing white people for being born white is a form of racism that will do nothing to right the very real wrongs of the past. Nor will it undo any privilege that currently exists. The most effective way to deal with racism is through the correcting of those who make racist remarks, the spread of Christianity, improving educational opportunities for all children and encouraging people of different races and backgrounds to get to know one another (Colossians 3:11, Galatians 3:28).

 Privilege is simply a matter of dumb luck-

 It’s not.  Perhaps, this was true a century ago, but that ship has sailed. Privilege is about choices. Parents who make bad choices curse their children, parents who make good choices bless their children regardless of their race (Deuteronomy 30:19, Psalm 112:2).

And Finally:

 The Bible has nothing to say about the subject of privilege–

The Bible actually has a lot to say about “privilege”. Although, it never uses the word. The Bible talks a lot about justice and the sin of favoritism. The Bible is clear: righteous people avoid showing favoritism to anyone based on any outward characteristics such as race, gender and financial status (Leviticus 19:15, Romans 2:11, 1st Timothy 5:21, James 2:1). Rather, Christians are to love everyone, all the time, giving no thought to a person’s race, gender, or the size of their bank account (Galatians 3:28).

Period.