Author Archives: roybeaird

FREEDOM and LIBERTY, the AMERICAN HERITAGE…


Freedom and Liberty are two words that engender deep emotions in the hearts of millions of Americans and people worldwide.  However, they are also two words that are frequently misunderstood, misinterpreted, and misapplied, resulting in a condition that hinders rather than advances them. 

Virtually every American would contend that they are supporters of both and want them to be preserved.  Yet, the divide in America along ideological lines politically, morally, economically, socially, and spiritually reveals that we do not all support the same thing when it comes to Freedom or Liberty.  That is a problem!

Freedom is not being able to do what you want when you want or even where you want.  Freedom and Liberty are terms embraced by our Founding Fathers and the Framers of the American Constitution to project a truth they understood.  The founding fathers recognized that both had limitations or parameters within which both had to operate in a Free Civil Society guided by a set of laws, a constitution, and a moral code.  They never intended it to be interpreted to mean citizens could do whatever they wanted without consideration of other people and their rights.

I don’t mean to be crude, but the sexual activity between two consenting adults engaged within the confines of their homes is their business.   The operative and qualifying words are ‘consenting adults’ because even if it is within the four walls of your domicile, pedophilia is both morally and legally wrong and impermissible.   

You can do what you and another consenting adult wish in your own home, but you can’t do that same thing on a park bench, in a subway, on a bus, in a restaurant, or in any other public place.  That would be an infringement upon the rights of others, so even though you have Freedom to choose within your own home, you do not have that same freedom in public. 

If I exercise my right and it truly infringes upon your right, my right cannot supersede or supervene upon your rights.  I am not talking about Freedom of Speech, as some seem to believe that if one speaks in a manner that is offensive or disagreeable to another, they are restricted from the right to speak.  I may not like what you are saying, totally disagree with your premise and thesis, and find your tone objectionable, but that does not preclude your right to say it and say it in the manner you desire. 

There are and must be limited constraints on speech, such as shouting fire in a movie theater or inciting a riot or subversion.  Your religious beliefs and mine may be polar opposites, but you have the right to believe and express them publicly and privately without infringement by the government.  Of course, if your religious beliefs include the extermination of a group of people other than those following your tenets, that is not acceptable in any civil society.

Our Founding Fathers believed in and incorporated the oft-quoted and well-known phrase in the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence that must be examined and embraced if we are to remain the Free Constitutional Republic they established.  The original draft of Jefferson’s words read, “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable; that all men are created equal and independent, that from that equal creation, they derive rights inherent and inalienable, among which are the preservation of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”  

The Committee of Five edited it and gave us the revised version found in the Declaration of Independence.  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” 

We do not have to like or agree with each other, but based on the Constitution and I believe the teachings of Scripture, we must respect and honor the inalienable or unalienable rights of others.  Life is more than breathing and existing.   It defines everything about our existence.  It includes breathing and existing, but it must include the right to live that life freely without undue interference or restriction from any other person or government.   It is a right given by God.  It is the right to self-determination. It is the right to experience, associate with, and practice our beliefs. 

Let me add that every human born on planet Earth, as well as those being formed in the womb, has the right to Life and the expectation that others will honor that right.  Violating that right is justifiably met with swift and severe consequences legally, morally, and biblically.

Liberty is more than being able to do whatever you want whenever you want to do it.  That is not Liberty; it is Anarchy, and Freedom cannot exist in Anarchy.   If allowed to continue long-term, anarchy results in oppression, coercion, and absolute control by some outside force.  Anarchy is, by definition, no rule, law, or order. 

Anarchy results in utter chaos and increased civil warring factions engaged in violence and undisciplined activity.  It results in Tyranny, which is also no government or self-government, and obliterates a Republic.  Direct Democracy produces both, and although many of today’s politicians and some in institutions of higher learning insist that we are a Democracy in America, we are not!  We should never want to be because of the violation of our inalienable rights it would invite.

I believe that the declaration of our Founding Fathers regarding the inalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness is so far-reaching it should become a stand-alone class in the Church and the educational system.  No, I do not mean everything about the Declaration or Constitution; those are worthy of study in their own right, but those few words define our major reason and objective in the break from Great Britain in 1776.  Liberty is not the complete picture and does not cover the full scope of the objective. 

Liberty is encapsulated within equally significant commitments by our Founders to Life and Happiness.  I believe that Life and Happiness give form and substance to Liberty.  All three must be protected against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

It would serve us well to reread and study the 14th Amendment in the context of the Declaration of Independence and those guarantees of our inalienable rights.  I won’t go into a long treatise of this amendment, but suffice it to say that whenever a government becomes destructive of inalienable rights, it is the people’s right to create a new government with principles and power. 

Please understand that I am not advocating a coup against our government or our present form of government; I am simply trying to say that the federal and state governments have no right to infringe upon our inalienable rights!  That is part of the sought guarantee and recognition of the right to Pursue Happiness and to have Life and Liberty.

This is another of the multitude of reasons I reject the National Socialist Leftist Liberal Globalist Democratic Party and the RINO approach and idea of government.  I support limited government and desire a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.

Both sides of the political aisle have disappointed me and have engaged in agendas and policies that abuse and seek to infringe upon my inalienable rights.  I remember them when it is time to vote.  I remember them when I go to prayer.  I remember them when I speak to others.  I love America and desire that each of us is afforded our inalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.

God bless you, and God bless America!

AMERICA NEEDS TO BE REDISCOVERED…


At least, by those on the Left, for they seem to have lost sight of the Original Intent of our Framers and Founders and the Colonials fighting for the Free Constitutional Republic they gave us.  Maybe they have not lost sight of it but have shifted their ideological positions to the point that they no longer want what our forefathers gave us. 

Maybe Socialism, Progressivism, the Deep State, and Totalitarianism are what they now believe in and desire.  If that is the case, the War we are engaged in is far more serious than most Americans seem to believe.  If that is what they believe and desire, this is truly a Fight to the Finish for Freedom!  The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated.  I cannot decide for you, but I hope I can offer some insights that will help you understand where we are and how we got here.

Mark Levin, lawyer, former Reagan DOJ official, radio conservative commentator, and author, has written a new book I highly recommend.  It is “Rediscovering Americanism: And the Tyranny of Progressivism.” This book is not just a read; it’s a guide to understanding our past and shaping our future.  It was released in 2017, so it is over a year old, and many of you may have already gotten and read it.  It is worth the price and time to do so. 

Mr. Levin, in my view, is always insightful and pulls no punches when it comes to America and our need in this fight for Freedom.  His credibility is unquestionable, and his perspective is invaluable in these turbulent times.  He is a staunch constitutionalist, as I believe I am, but he has the educational and historical background to see it in a way that many in the public sector do not.

If we were to, as Mr. Levin has done, go back and research the phenomenon of the beauty of and need for limited representative government, we would be appalled at where we are today in America.  This is not the America of our Founders and not even the America of our grandparents.  I would say parents, but all who read this have not attained the chronological travel through time as I did.  The 19th and 20th Centuries produced some significant enemies of our system of government and made Benjamin Franklin’s statement poignant in a new way.  When asked what kind of government they had created, he said, “A Republic if you can keep it.”  That is the question of the hour: can we, or will we?

As described by Mr. Levin, the drift or shift in our ideological, social, moral, and understanding of what a Republic is has produced serious dangers and pitfalls for our future.  The shift to mobocracy rather than representative democracy has impeded our ability to self-govern with any semblance of success or sanity.  When those driven by personal ambition and lacking in moral fiber gain power, as is representative of our government for the past fifty or more years, the Republic is damaged.  We endanger our Republic when we lose sight of the intrinsic value and inalienable right of Freedom and the necessity of recognizing natural law and its inseparable elements.

The Founders and Framers approached the formation of our Republic and its government from a strong natural law and traditional morality, with individualism, capitalism, property rights, liberty, Freedom, and rejection of tyranny.  Today, those in Washington, especially in Congress and many of the bureaucracies, desire a tyrannical oligarchy and seem to believe they “know best” and that we are the ignorant plebs or deplorable elements of society.  They are the elite and believe themselves to be entitled to dictate to the rest of society what we can and cannot do.  That is the face of the Democratic Party today, and there are far too many Republicans who have boarded that train. 

Today, for whatever reason, the Left seems to be embracing the views of statism/socialism and even communism.  This is what the progressivism of today embraces with complete allegiance.  Mr. Levin walks the reader through the progression and postulations of 19th and 20th-century progressives and the damage they have done.  This is a warning that must be heeded by all who desire to see America remain the Free Constitutional Republic with limited government our Framers and Founders established. 

The current view of the Left seems to be heavily influenced by Plato, Rousseau, Hegel, and Marx.  He introduces a new name to me and possibly you: Herbert Croly, a father of modern liberalism and progressivism in America.  If we consider the damage done to our Republic by the administrations and influence of Wilson, Dewey, Roosevelt, and others, we can discern how people like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama were elected. 

We have been on a multi-generational path and plan through our educational system to destroy conservative and constitutional originalism in the minds of our children and now their children.  John Dewey was a chief proponent of using education as a means to ‘counteract and transform’ the individualist tendencies prevalent in America.  He saw education as the primary tool and powerful weapon to replace our Americanism and Individualism by embracing the ‘cooperative and collective.’

Mr. Levin suggests, and I believe he is correct, that a Progressive believes in the perfectibility of man by governmental tinker and control.  He also suggests that they believe that if the tinker and control do harm, the good intentions of their ideology and agenda immunize the well-intended progressive.  Balderdash is what I say to their mindset. 

People like Wilson sought to create an incredibly expansive and powerful activist and interventional government.  He called his desired system an “unbounded activist government.”  Now, doesn’t that make you all warm and fuzzy?  An All Powerful and Expansive Government dictating our lives.  That is not the America we need, so I say we may need to rediscover America.

Today, the impasse in Washington has everything to do with the conflict between two views: the Progressive, Globalist, Socialist view, and the Constitutional view.  However, it is a sad commentary that too many of the GOP have no clue what true Constitutionalism really is.  They, too, have morphed into Big Government Advocates, and the only difference between them and the Democrats is they maintain a smidgen of loyalty to the Constitution. 

None of them seem to realize or remember that this is supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.  They believe themselves to be the only wise and noble in society, and we (citizens) do not know what is best or even what we want.  The fact that we keep sending the same bunch back to Washington might be a validation of their views.

If we don’t resist the resistance and insist that all our elected officials, regardless of party, follow the Rule of Law and protect and defend the Constitution, we are aiding and abetting the destruction they are proposing and perpetuating.  What can we do?  I sound like a broken record, But Prayer is the first order of business.  The second is to become involved, informed, and Vote!  I did not say Vote, Vote, Vote but VOTE.  We cannot allow voter fraud to shift elections if we hope to save the Republic.

God bless you, and God bless America!

WHAT ABOUT GOD, AMERICA?


If I asked everyone to give their opinion or belief as to whether or not America was founded on Christian principles or was founded as a Christian nation, there would likely be three distinct responses.  Some would say, NO! That would be a categorical rejection of that idea.  Others would say, ABSOLUTELY! That, too, would be an unequivocal affirmation.  The third response would be, I Don’t Know, or something to that effect. 

There is a basis for arguing from all viewpoints. However, I believe that the Bible and Christianity highly influenced America, and most of the Founders and Framers believed Solomon’s words in Proverbs 14:34 – “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” 

Those who insist categorically that America was not and is not a Christian nation do so from the view that our founders were far more guided by secular thought, self, and state interests than the Bible or Christianity.  They acknowledge that the Founders were religious but believe that they rejected many Christian doctrines because they were deists. 

The deist argument is among the most prevalent in arguing against any Christian influence in our formation as a Republic.  I don’t want to get into the minute of that argument, but suffice it to say this argument believes that deism, not Christianity, was the major influence in America’s founding.

On the other hand, those who contend that Christianity and the Bible were far more influential than any other refer to the documents and writings from that era and cite the many religious quotations of the Founders.  If that position is taken too far, it becomes, “Any quote by any founder supporting religion makes him an orthodox or evangelical Christian.”  I don’t want to take a weak approach in my argument for America’s Christian Founding, so let me proceed.

It is a factual reality that in 1776, every European American, except for about 2,500 Jews, identified themselves as being Christian.  At that time, about 98 percent of the colonists were Protestants, and the remaining 1.9 percent were Roman Catholics.  What kind of Christians were they? Were they committed to the principles and cause of Christ?  Were they superficial in their following of the Christian teaching?  Based on their denominational or doctrinal view, some argue that many were not Christians because of their personal failures or omissions, such as church membership.

Deism influenced some, but Christianity and the Bible heavily influenced the majority.  If you research history, you will find how difficult it was to become a member of the Calvinist churches in 18th-century America.  If the standard by which we judge whether these men were Christians or influenced by Christianity is ‘moral perfection,’ there has never been a Christian.  I would contend that Christianity was not the only influence on the Founders and the Framers of our American Constitution. 

Historically, arguing that the Puritans who colonized America were not serious Christians is difficult.  In the words of Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop, their desire and ambition were to create “a shining city upon a hill” (a direct reference to Matthew 5:14).  The Puritans separated the church and the state. Still, they believed that both should work in tandem to support, protect, and promote true Christianity.  We must ask if greed and the idea of personal gain existed in any colony?  Of course, it did, and that might have been Jamestown’s major influence or motivator.

How can we overlook those famous words in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”   

The references to “the laws of nature and of nature’s God” and the documents close by “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world” indicated that the signers were relying on “the protection of divine Providence.”  How could one argue that does not ring of heavy influence by the Bible and Christianity?  There were calls by our Founders for prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving issued by the Continental and Confederation Congresses. 

How can we overlook the fact that although the Constitution says little about God or religion, the hints are there that they viewed America as a Christian nation?  Before you protest, let me continue.  What about including a pocket veto occurring 10 days after a bill is passed by Congress, Sundays excepted?  What about the directive of Article VI that prohibits religious tests for federal offices? 

Barry Alan Shain, in “The Myth of American Individualism: The Protestant Origins of American Political Thought,” makes a broad-stroked argument for the influence of Christianity on our Founders.  He received support from Donald Lutz, who examined 15,000 pamphlets, articles, and books on political subjects published in the late 18th century.  He concluded that the Bible was cited more than any other book, article, or pamphlet. 

Let me borrow from the Heritage Foundation research and argument that although the Bible or Christianity is not mentioned in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, the Founders were influenced by both.

James Madison wrote in Federalist 51, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.”  That understanding and Christian influence helped them steer away from utopian concepts.  It enabled them to turn from what many Enlightenment Thinkers of that day supported, “a strong centralized government run by experts.”  May God deliver us from the so-called governmental experts of our day. 

Also, they believed, as do I, that God has ordained moral standards and that all legislation must be made in accordance with those standards.  In their writings, it is easy to discern that they believed that moral law took precedence over human laws.  I also believe it is easy to ascertain their view of liberty was heavily influenced by the Scriptures and Christianity.  Supreme Court Justice James Wilson said, “Without liberty, law loses its nature and its name and becomes oppression.  Without law, liberty also loses its nature and name, becoming licentious.”

I’m sure this will upset some who do not believe in God or Creation, but our American Founders believed that human beings were created in the “imago dei“—the image of God. I am equally convinced that many of them were devotedly convinced that religious liberty was a prize and a right that must be protected extensively. However, many expressed their views that the civil authorities should encourage Christianity. 

If you choose to cite the 1947 Supreme Court Decision of ‘Everson v. Board of Education’ and argue that the Founders intended an impenetrable wall of separation between Church and State, let me suggest a consideration.  Consider the many founders who made public statements and took governmental action to demonstrate their views, which were eons away from the modern view.  They believed that religious liberty was a right that had to be protected. 

I refer you to George Mason’s 1776 draft of Article XVI OF Virginia’s Declaration of Rights. “That as Religion, or the Duty which we owe to our divine and omnipotent Creator, and the Manner of discharging it, can be governed only by Reason and Conviction, not by Force or Violence; and therefore, that all Men should enjoy the fullest Toleration in the Exercise of Religion, according to the Dictates of Conscience, unpunished and unrestrained by the Magistrate….”

James Madison did not like the use of the word toleration and contended that it implied that religious liberty was a grant from the state and could be revoked and had it reworded, “the free exercise of religion” is a right, not a privilege granted by the state.  They also argued that religion belonged in the public square.  I refer to Thomas Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptist Association.  It is argued that Jefferson insisted on a wall so prohibitive that nothing of religion could be in the public square. 

However, if you research history, you will find that Jefferson issued calls for prayer and fasting as Governor of Virginia.  He even drafted bills allowing the governor to appoint “days of public fasting and humiliation, or thanksgiving” and to punish “Disturbers of Religious Worship and Sabbath Breakers.”   

As a member of the Continental Congress, Jefferson suggested that the nation adopt a seal containing the image of Moses “extending his hand over the sea, causing it to overwhelm Pharaoh.”   He included the motto: “Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God.”  The separation that bans anything religious from the public square won’t square with that.  We could cite George Washington and his numerous references and appeals for focus on God both publicly and privately. 

I believe our Republic as a society and government has drifted from the founding principles.  Our Founders believed it permissible and even encouraged the national and state governments to encourage Christianity.  That may not be prudent today, but to ban the influence of God, Christianity, and the biblical moral virtues and principles from all things public is to invite problems we could avoid. 

Most of us would like to see an America where people are treated with respect and viewed as equal under the law.  Most of us would like to see an America where our government allows us to enjoy Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness without undue influence, regulation, or control.

I am not calling for Christianity to control the government or the government to attempt to control the Church.  I am calling for all who believe and follow Christ to pray for this nation and pressure our elected officials to return to allowing states and communities to determine how much or how little of the Bible they want in their public sectors.  I am calling for everyone who prays to pray for America and our leaders.  I believe we were founded on Christian principles and that our Founders wanted you to be free to worship or not worship as your heart dictates.  I believe in America!

God bless you, and God bless America!

WHAT YOUR HAND FINDS TO DO, Do It With Excellence…


I take my title from Ecclesiastes 9:10 – “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

It is my observation that far too many people in today’s society seem to have no purpose in life.  They have no real direction and are drifting aimlessly through life, moving from one crisis to the next.  Some lament their condition and express unhappiness with life, everyone, and everything around them.  Some become disgruntled and bitter, unable to enjoy even the simplest things, and live with envy and hate toward those who have discovered purpose in life.  They see themselves as victims and believe that nothing is their fault.

Sadly, unless we find purpose in life and prepare for that purpose daily, we are susceptible to becoming entrapped in a mentality of defeat, hopelessness, and bitterness.   I read an article recently about a church ministry trip to Guatemala.  The team went there to build church buildings in some of the country’s most remote portions.  They stayed in humble facilities called hotels. 

The members of the team saw the impoverishment of the people and expected to see people with no purpose or pride.  One team member reflected on a walk through the village and saw something that changed his outlook on the people they came to help and shaped his vision for his own future. 

He saw an elderly man in his 70s or 80s (not old at all to me anymore) working on a small strip of land between the sidewalk and the curb.   It was infested with weeds.   What got this man’s attention was the way the man dressed.  He wore a long-sleeved shirt and pants, both off-white and tan.   He had boots that were almost knee high and his trousers tucked into the boots.  The man also had on a leather apron that started at his chest and ran almost to his knees.  He also wore a wide-brimmed straw hat and had on gloves.  He had two tools with him, a hoe and a rake nearby. 

He said the apron reminded him of a farrier’s or blacksmith’s apron, and he determined that this man had probably done something like that for a living but could no longer follow that occupation due to age and physical condition. 

What impressed him was how the man, regardless of physical condition or age, prepared himself for what he was doing as if it were his assigned responsibility.  He had a purpose in life and pursued it with preparation and excellence.  His wife did the same in their little hovel, keeping it neat and tidy.  They had purpose and took pride in what they did.

I am retired or at least semi-retired (I’m not sure you ever retire fully). I no longer go to an office to work and sometimes find it easy not to dress for the occasion. I was told long ago that the way we dress for the day reflects the importance we place on what we are doing or not doing that day. 

I believe that purpose in life is rooted in two things.  For me, it is my faith in God, number one, and my commitment to excellence, accountability, and responsibility, number two.  I have adopted the directive of the Bible found in Colossians 3:23-24 – “Whatever you do [whatever your task may be], work from the soul [that is, put in your very best effort], as [something done] for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing [with all certainty] that it is from the Lord [not from men] that you will receive the inheritance which is your [greatest] reward. It is the Lord Christ whom you [actually] serve.”

I see the younger generation exhibiting a lack of commitment to excellence, and many are devoid of any sense of responsibility or accountability.  They are transient in their lives and move from job to job, from place to place, and from relationship to relationship, with no sense of permanence. Our tolerance and lack of discipline have taught us that. 

Many people work for money!  You may say that’s what we all do.  However, I believe and have long taught that you should pursue what you have a passion for as a vocation in life. 

Early in my adulthood, I realized through a series of events that my passion was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   I wanted to preach, teach, and disciple hungry souls for Kingdom purposes.  I have, at times, found myself having to take secular employment to supplement my income.  Not all those jobs were in the same realm as my passion, but I did them temporarily.  That being said, I have always attempted to do it with my all and do it as unto the Lord. 

We have allowed technology, political correctness, lack of discipline, and entitlement to produce a generation or generations of people without any sense of purpose in life.  They have no real purpose and lack the necessary pride to drive them to get off the sofa, reject the government handout, and seek to be gainfully employed, providing for their own.  Through government programs, we have enabled the mindset of laziness and lack of purpose.  We have made it easy to lack diligence and any sense of an entrepreneurial spirit.  Yet, those same people are bitter toward those who work and have amassed any level of fortune. 

I believe that inner peace comes only from knowing God’s purpose for our lives, and once we know that, we become better laborers for Him and better citizens.   Some insist that it is difficult to know the will and purpose of God, but I say not so!   I believe that the purpose of God can easily be discovered in what He has caused you to be passionate about. 

Yet too many drift without preparing for success and committing themselves to any purpose and cause.  Too many fail to assume any responsibility and are not held to any standard of accountability. 

Our society and our government have sought to eliminate God and the Bible for all things public.  We have demanded that there is no absolute truth and that everything must be equal.  In our endeavor to level the playing field and make everything equal and fair, we have destroyed the inner drive to excel and stripped people of their purpose in life.  We have made it too easy to drift and lost our work ethic and vision.  The American Dream has stood on the platform of a willingness to pursue a dream and work hard.  The American Dream embodied accountability and responsibility. 

In its infancy, America was filled with people who believed that they could succeed if allowed to pursue their passion.  They did not expect the government to provide for them, only that it would not interfere and limit their ability to pursue their dreams and purposes.  They understood that the harder they worked, the luckier they were and that their labors could produce great rewards.  They dreamed big dreams and dared to pursue them with passion.  They accepted the responsibility for their success or failure and were accountable for their actions.

We have generations who see no harm in looting, rioting, maiming, and destroying private property.  They accept no responsibility for their actions and often cry ‘racism’ if challenged and held accountable.  They have been taught they are entitled to have what another has or equal to that without the labor that person invested.  We have destroyed ourselves and lost purpose and vision.  I am praying that we can reclaim that, and it begins in the home where mother and father teach their children.  They teach them both in words and actions.  They must demonstrate what they teach.

I know this may be a bit different type of blog post, but I want to see America restored to her former greatness. I do not believe that is possible without a return to what made her great. I believe that it all begins with the heart and mind of individuals. I believe that without a return to moral practices, personal responsibility, accountability, and a return to God, we will continue on the path of destruction.

Please join me in praying for America and those who live in this great land! May God help us adopt the directive of 2 Chronicles 7:14 and return to Him.

God bless you, and God bless America. 

America, America, I would Have Gathered You


As I pray and consider our condition in America, politically, socially, and spiritually, the scripture from Matthew 23:37 comes to mind.  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!”  

Jesus lamented over the condition of Jerusalem, the spiritual and moral condition of that beloved city.  I lament over America’s spiritual, moral, and societal condition.  I am deeply troubled, and this election is of great concern.  I believe we are at a critical juncture, and the decisions we make on election day will significantly impact our future.

The political, societal, moral, governmental, and spiritual shift in America and the world over the past twenty-five years is concerning.  I am in my seventies, a Baby Boomer, having grown up in an era when patriotism was the norm and the sentiment of most was anti-communism.  My generation was not without flaws, but we valued the family, considered it honorable to work for a living, believed in the Constitution, and valued freedom of speech.

I have borne the brunt of the ire of some who believe that as a Christian and a minister of the Gospel, I should say nothing political.  I have those who profess Christianity and those who do not confront me over my position on life, especially the life in the womb.  They consider that entity in the womb nothing more than a blob of tissue, not a living being forming.

When I consider the Bible and what I have studied and been informed of by scientists and those in the medical profession, I cannot agree with that assessment.  By five weeks, that baby resembles a tadpole more than a human, but it is developing a circulatory system and has cells in its tiny heart that begin to flicker.  How can I consider that a blob of lifeless tissue?  By week six, the nose, mouth, ears, intestines, and brain are beginning to form.  By week seven, tiny little hands and feet start to appear.  Yet, they still call it a lifeless blob.

In this election, we have two very flawed candidates at the top of the Democrat and Republican tickets.  No, we have flawed candidates running for every political office.  People are flawed vessels.  None of us are perfect, and some of our personalities are more grating than others.  Both top candidates have a history of moral issues.  As much as I would like the next president to be a highly moral and deeply spiritual person, that is not the issue.   The issue is America.

Recently, at a Wisconsin rally, two Wisconsin-La Crosse University students called out, “Christ is King!” and “Jesus is Lord!”  They were heckled, and the sitting Vice President, Kamala Harris, called out to them, “You guys are at the wrong rally,” and the crowd cheered her.  She said, “I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street.”  Exactly what rally she was referring to is not fully known, but the stunning thing is, by her words, she revealed that Jesus is not King or Lord at her rallies. 

The insistence that abortion is about women’s health and reproductive freedom is incomprehensible to me.  You can choose to hate me if you will, but abortion is not about reproductive freedom or a woman’s health care.  It is about choosing to end the life of that developing human in the womb.  Abortion is a moral issue, and my position is that it is a supremely defenseless life.  That baby cannot be compared to a kidney or any other organ in the woman’s body. 

There are a myriad of issues concerning immigration, taxes, spending, foreign policy, freedom of speech, religion, private property, the Second Amendment, and more. Which candidate will pursue a policy that is better for the economy and terrorism? 

When I consider that the Vice President said she could not think of a single decision Biden made that she would change, I take note. When I review the record of the four years under Trump and the four years under Biden, I take note. When I see the condition of foreign affairs, I take note. When I consider my retirement account and the cost of living, I take note.

I am pro-life. I am pro-America.  I am in favor of immigration, but it must be legal, and those desiring to come must be vetted and have a willingness to assimilate.  I agree with President Theodore Roosevelt, who revealed this in 1907.  “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American and nothing but an American … There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag … We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty, and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

I believe that Donald Trump offers the better choice to achieve a robust economy, a secure border, protection of the unborn, remaining a Free Constitutional Republic, and peace. I do not know his or Kamala Harris’s true spiritual condition; only God knows that. I am not voting for Trump as my spiritual leader; he is not, nor is any other human being. 

We will not fix the problems in America at the ballot box but at the altar!  The issues, manifested as political, societal, racial, and moral, will not be resolved by politicians.  Only God can transform the human heart, mind, attitude, and moral fiber.  The present level of hatred, if allowed to continue and escalate, will plunge us into the abyss of destruction.

Therefore, my plea is to resist making this election about personality.  Stop participating in the vitriolic diatribe and rhetoric that is dividing us and examine the records.   I refuse to hate people.  I hate the demonstrations of evil at the hands of people. 

I am a Vietnam Veteran, a patriot, an American by birth, and a Christian by the Grace of God.  I want America to remain the Republic established in the late 1700s.  I want us to become “One nation (unified), under God” and make the ideals of the Declaration of Independence our sincere objective.  May we return to the belief that “All are created equal and have been granted certain inalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness!”  

God bless you, and let’s all stand together to see America be the beacon of hope it has been for centuries.  Two passages from the Bible need to become our focus: Matthew 6:33 and 2 Chronicles 7:14. 

Vote your conscience and participate in making decisions about America’s future!  

WE MUST RETURN TO GOD…


I realize this blog post may not win friends and positively influence people in some camps.  I cannot be concerned about that.  I am not attempting to be caustic or divisive, but based on my Christian worldview and my commitment to God, I believe that we have erred, as a nation, in our drift from God and the Bible.  You may disagree; that is your right and privilege.

One can argue inaccurately that our Founding Fathers were opposed to teaching the Bible and God in public schools or embracing them in government. There are too many references and direct quotes from them at the time of the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution that counter that view for me to spend much time on it. 

However, I will cite a few references in my comments and plea for a return to our moral moorings, God, and the Bible.  All roads do not lead to heaven.   You may believe that they do, but I stand on the Bible, and it is expressively clear that Jesus is the way to the Father, and there is only one way to heaven: through His Grace – Salvation.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light, and He said, “No man comes to the Father but by me.”   He is the Door! 

If you unfriend or challenge me, that is your prerogative, and I respect your right to hold your own views and express them. It won’t sway me in my convictions, but it won’t make me argumentative and hateful. 

The Father of American Education and author of Webster’s Dictionary of 1828 had this to say regarding the Bible in schools: “In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed.”

Webster defined the word education as: “EDUCATION, n. The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline that is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and it is meant to fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts, and science is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties.” [Emphasis added]

Fischer Ames, the author of the First Amendment, supported the Bible in public education.  He said: “Why should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a schoolbook?  Its morals are pure, its examples captivating and noble.  The reverence for the Sacred Book that is thus early impressed lasts long and probably, if not impressed in infancy, never takes firm hold of the mind.”

He further stated: “We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education. We’re starting to put more and more textbooks into our schools. … We’ve become accustomed of late to putting little books in children’s hands containing fables with moral lessons. We are spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text in our schools. The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other manmade book.”

Another of our Founding Fathers asserted his support powerfully, saying, “If we were to remove the Bible from public schools, we would be wasting so much time punishing crimes and taking so little pains to prevent them.”   That is precisely what we have done!  The incorrect view that the founding fathers wanted nothing of God, Christianity, or the Bible in education or government has brought us to the precipice of losing our republic to tyranny and despotism.

We are rapidly reaching the place where those in power in Washington, state, and local entities are becoming Hitleresque and imposing regulations and mandates that directly conflict with the American Constitution.  However, they do so in the name of safety and use the phrase “for the good of all.”  Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying, “Those who would give up essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary Safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”  That may sound harsh and cruel, but it was insightful to the reality that rights, freedoms, and liberties once ceded are never regained.  Governments nor Tyrants ever, short of a revolution, give back the lost rights.

In the Engel v. Vitale case (1962), the United States Supreme Court ruled 6-1 against New York’s Regents’ prayer, a non-denominational prayer that state education officials had composed for public school children to recite.  One year later, a case originated by a Philadelphia area man named Ed Schempp challenged mandatory Bible reading in Pennsylvania schools.  The case went to the Supreme Court, ruling 8-1 that devotional Bible reading or other government-sponsored religious activities in public schools were unconstitutional.  They were wrong based on the writings of the Founding Fathers’ original intent.

If you honestly examine Engel v. Vitale, you will discover something ignored or missed by local schools and most citizens.  The court did not say that the students could not organize and offer prayer; only the schools themselves could not.  However, the reality is that prayer has been banned based on what is happening.  You will likely be sent home if you wear a Christian T-shirt to school; however, if you wear one depicting almost anything else, you will likely not be sent home.  That is discrimination and religious persecution. 

During the pandemic, it appeared that we were nearing a time when the government would issue a mandate and institute program where the government would issue every citizen an N95 mask. Had that happened, it is not unlikely that failure to wear it could have resulted in incarceration or worse. 

We may soon find ourselves so policed in our speech and thought that anything other than the defined government-acceptable ideology and agenda is deemed hate speech, insurrection, or sedition.  Under government laws, the latter of those could result in lengthy prison sentences and even execution.  Am I being melodramatic and exaggerating?  Not intentionally, because there are proposals for those very things floating around the Halls of Congress, the White House, and other segments of government.

Even now, the Department of Justice has brought charges of sedition against the leader of Oath Keepers and other members of that group.  This is all tied to the January 6th incident in Washington.  In using this tactic, they are attempting to make January 6th an organized, preplanned attempt to overtake and overthrow the government by Trump and his supporters.   Some of the events may have been preplanned, but the evidence suggests it was not Trump supporters or with Trump’s support.  We are treading on very thin ice, which shows how tedious the state of the Republic really is.

If we return to God as 2 Chronicles 7:14 admonishes and practices the Christian lifestyle, we would find love rather than hate being sown throughout our society.  We would find that there was more tolerance of differing views rather than intense vitriolic hatred.  We would find more listening to opposing views rather than attempting to silence all voices who disagreed with our position.  The Bible says, “God is Love!”  It does not say that He has love but that He is love.  If He lives in our hearts, we, too, will manifest love.

If you are on the Right or the Left and you are spewing hate, you are part of the problem, not a pathway to a solution.  I do not want to see a Civil War.  I want to see a return of America to a Republic where all are viewed as being created equal and have certain inalienable rights, including Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  The problem in America is not simply Right vs. Left, Republican vs. Democrat, or Conservative vs. Liberal.  It is a heart problem!  I do not mean the organ in the chest that pumps blood but that part of us that makes us who we are and drives our actions and interactions.

I believe that in these last days, there will be those who earnestly seek to return to God and demonstrate love.  There will be others who become rigid in opposition. The resulting persecution and hate may push us over the precipice of destruction into a Civil War, and many on both sides will perish.  The Republic will crumble in that scenario, and everyone will pay a severe price.

We need to return to God and our moral foundations.  I pray we do.  God bless you, and God bless America!

Why I Voted for Donald Trump


In today’s vitriolic political climate, any post in support of Trump garners immediate ire and attack. As I give my reasons for voting for Trump instead of Harris, I discover that my Facebook friends list grows noticeably smaller. I have had people from the Left, from the Right, and from Religious Sectors question why I am going to vote for Donald Trump and the Republicans.   I do not have to justify my vote, but I would like to explain my reasons briefly.

My Christian worldview and values are the primary reason I vote as I do. It is from my Biblical Christian worldview and values that I derive my identity. It defines who I am, what I believe, and why I believe the way I do.   You may disagree with me vehemently; that is your right.   I believe you are wrong, but that is another debate for another time.

I am concerned about America and Americans, myself included.  I am concerned about the future of this Country and what kind of Republic my grandchildren and their children will live in.   I am concerned about all our freedoms, including Freedom of Speech, Religion, and the Right to Self Defense and Self Protection.   I am concerned about the ability to choose the occupation you desire and the right to private property.

I am concerned about many things.  When I compare the Trump administration with the current administration, I can honestly say we were better off fiscally, socially, and nationally under Trump.   We were energy independent, our economy was far better, and the American Dream was much more reachable. 

I am Pro-Life and believe that the rights of the unborn in the womb must be protected.  When I hear the arguments that abortion is about women’s health, I cringe.   Most of the time, it is not about health but preference and convenience.   When I hear that a woman has a right to decide what to do with her own body, I agree, to a point.   However, abortion is not about the woman’s body other than she is the host of a totally separate and distinct life. 

If we allow abortion because the pregnancy could interfere with a woman’s career path, that is not about health but preference.   If we allow abortion because the baby has some physical or medical defect, that is not about the woman’s health but preference or convenience.   I believe that it is a biblical and moral position to value the life of the defenseless.   My convenience or yours is not the question that should have been considered before the acts that produced the pregnancy.

Donald Trump is being vilified because he said that the abortion issue belongs to the States to decide.  Constitutionally, he is right.   If the mother’s life is endangered, the decision must be placed in the physician and the mother and father (if there is a father present).  However, in my view, it must be legitimately a danger to the mother’s life, and even then, I know women who opted to give birth because they valued the life of the unborn so strongly. 

Transgenderism and allowing children who are in elementary school to determine what sex they think they should be is profoundly troubling and will be the downfall of our society.   Providing taxpayer dollars for medical treatments and operations to alter the birth sex of anyone is both unconstitutional and morally wrong.   That is forcing those of us who believe this is wrong to fund an action that violates our religious beliefs.   That is constitutionally wrong.

National Security is a significant concern.  Donald Trump desires a secure border and was effectively moving in that direction, whereas Biden and Kamala Harris purposefully opened the floodgates.   It is a national security concern, public safety concern, health concern, and fiscal concern to have millions of unvetted illegal immigrants enter our country.   The threat of terrorism, crime, drug, and human trafficking, as well as the influx of diseases we had virtually eradicated, is real.

Recently, the Governor of Virginia took action to ensure that only Legal American Citizens could vote in Virginia’s elections.  The League of Women’s Voters and now the Biden Administration’s DOJ have sued Virginia to force them to put the 6,000-plus known non-citizens back on the voter rolls.  Those people self-identified as non-citizens by checking the box indicating they were not citizens.  Why would they want them back on the rolls?

The League of Women’s Voters argued that “suppose some of them became citizens before the election.”  Seriously?  The proviso of Virginia was that they were contacted and given the opportunity to prove the non-citizen identification was an error.  They also can, with proper identification, cast a provisional ballot and then be given the opportunity to provide proof of citizenship.  The Virginia Constitution requires every voter to be a citizen of the United States. 

We know that many non-citizens have voted and are registered to vote.  No American, regardless of political ideology, should want non-citizens to vote.  We should all desire free and fair elections.  We should desire ‘one vote for one person.’  Kamala Harris and her party support keeping illegals and non-citizens on the voter rolls, but Trump does not—another reason to vote for him.

In my home State of Texas, the Senate race between Ted Cruz and Colin Allred is a clear choice between ultra-liberalism and constitutional conservatism.  Allred is on record calling the Border Wall a Racist Wall and vowing to tear it down.  He is on the record declaring that he would reinstate abortion nationally.   He had a 100% Biden score in Congress.  He voted with Biden 100% of the time until one vote just before announcing his Senate candidacy.  Imagine that!

Allred has dug back into the annals of history and brought up an incomplete quote by Cruz regarding cutting Social Security and Medicare or pushing the retirement age forward. The issues with Social Security and Medicare are directly associated with federal spending. Social Security was solvent until Lyndon Johnson tampered with it, and once Congress gets its hands on money, it never gives up access to that source.

Allred is too liberal for Texas.  He may win the election, but that would be a severe blow to Texas.  If you are voting for or against him because he is a Black man, that is racist.  If you are voting for him because he is a former Athlete, that is ridiculous.   If you are voting for him because you do not like Ted Cruz, that is like cutting your nose off to spite your face.  Consider the facts and the records, and in every election, vote both for your conscience and for what is best for everyone.

We are not electing a pastor.  Donald Trump is a flawed human being, as are the rest of us.  I view Trump as a person who, as president, can help move us in a Constitutional direction, giving us hope of remaining a Free Constitutional Republic.  Claiming his moral failings is sufficient reason to vote against him while ignoring those of Biden, Harris, Waltz, and many others seeking office is evidence of preference not principle.

You may find what I am saying objectionable; that is your right. But I ask everyone to carefully examine the records, pray earnestly, set aside preference and personality, and vote for the platform that is best for America. 

God bless you, and God bless America!

The Vote of the Non-Voter


I realize my blog today may not be appreciated or accepted by some, but it is my view.  If you disagree, you disagree.  I will not call you names or seek to vilify you for that position.  I hope that you will hear my questions and convictions with civility.

I saw a disturbing report from the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. That study projected that approximately 104 million people of faith, including 32 million who self-identify as Christians and who regularly attend church, may abstain from voting in this election.

My immediate question was, “Why?”  Why would so many Christians or people of faith not be involved in the selection of the next president of the United States?  Why would so many put the decision of the type of governmental representation we would have in the hands of others, many who are non-believers and have a vastly different ideological view?  Why?  That is a perplexing question for me, a fellow believer.

I understand that the politician’s and political activists’ incessant diatribes and rhetoric can be difficult to stomach. The nastiness of politics is often anything but Christian, frequently quite uncivil, and leaves one feeling they need a shower after listening. I understand the dirtiness of the political process. I do, but I also realize what is at stake and how it affects voters and non-voters.

I have had Christians, including preachers, tell me that they do not do politics, and they leave that to the politicians.  My standard response is, “That’s what got us in this mess.”  Tragically, the misunderstanding of the original meaning of ‘Separation of Church and State’ has been instrumental in this attitude.  Also, the belief that if believers are involved in politics, they somehow secularize the gospel, and the desire to be faithful to Christ precludes any involvement in the political process. 

If a believer believes that they should not participate, I will not denigrate them for that view. However, I will ask that they consider what is at stake and how their decision affects others, including their children and grandchildren. 

In America’s quest to become independent from England, the clergy was generally deeply involved and influential in the decisions made.   In the subsequent years, pastors would preach ‘election day sermons’ in which they detailed the issues and even suggested how the congregants voted.   They contrasted the positions of the parties and candidates to biblical precepts, principles, and standards and voted accordingly.  We should, too.

If we do not participate in the process, we surrender our privilege and responsibility to choose the nation’s direction.  If the nation elects leaders and officials who hold anti-biblical views, that nation will not enjoy the blessings of God.  If a country chooses leaders who espouse policies and agendas that are in harmony with God’s word, that nation will have the propitious smile of heaven.

Christians are to be ‘salt and light’ in a dark world.  I question if that is possible if we remain in the background with no voice regarding the type of government we live under.  Yes, we are citizens of another world, but we live in this one.  When millions of unborn babies are being aborted, young children subjected to gender transition treatments, the family unit of father and mother relegated to unimportance, and freedom of speech and religion being diminished, how can a believer not be involved at least in casting a ballot?

I hold the view that if a believer or anyone who opposes the views of the Leftists withholds their vote, they are voting via absentia for what they oppose.  Had they voted for the candidate or party that took a stance more closely aligned with their view, they could have possibly provided the needed majority to reject those agendas.  Withholding their vote allows that side a better opportunity to prevail.   Therefore, in reality the non-vote becomes a vote in the negative. 

I believe that as a believer, it is my responsibility to voice my desire, which hopefully is God’s desire, by my vote.  If I did not vote, I would feel that I have neglected my responsibility to provide my family with the desired sanctuary to live, thrive, and survive.  If I fail to participate and the nation becomes something other than the Free Constitutional Republic established, how much responsibility do I have for that condition? 

I am not saying that if you do not vote, your name will be blotted out of God’s Book of Life.  No, I am saying that we are to be good stewards of the Blessings of God.   Our government is supposed to be a government of the people, for the people, and by the people; therefore, as a good steward, I have a responsibility to help determine the nation’s direction politically.

I voted for the party and candidate with a history of and expressed views that give the best hope of protecting our religious liberties and freedoms.  I voted against the party and candidate that seeks agendas and pursues ideologies that I consider anathema to the Bible and my faith.   I voted for Donald J. Trump and the Republicans.  Not because they are without flaws but because the other side is more profoundly flawed and immoral.

God bless you, and God bless America!

Religion and Politics Separate?


I do not want to sound irrelevant, but the societally destructive idea that Religion and Politics should be kept separate will not die, so I must speak to it.  I speak from my Christian worldview and through my study of American history and the Founding Fathers.

I have told people, “You are not a cat; you do not have multiple lives; you have a life, and that life is the sum total of who you truly are.”  Yet, I continue to meet the idea, among Church attendees, that life is compartmentalized and separate.  I beg to differ!  What you truly are will be revealed in the total of your interactions.  Your work, social, religious, political, and family life combined define you. 

That being said, how do we totally divest ourselves of politics when politics impacts life, and life is what we live? Today’s extreme secularization is troubling. I do not ask nor desire that preachers make every sermon a political activism speech. That would be contrary to the purpose of the ministry. However, I expect preachers and church members to be engaged, aware, and even vocal about things contrary to moral sense and biblical standards. 

If we try to build an impenetrable wall between things political and things spiritual, we will open the door for those seeking to advance anti-biblical agendas to operate freely.  I believe that believers are expected to sound the alarm when danger is visible.  Often, politics embodies dangers that cannot be ignored.  Therefore, religion and politics cannot always be separated. 

There are two sides to the coin of religious involvement in government; it can go too far.   I am convinced that a major impetus in today’s societal norm, the demand that “Abortion is a Woman’s Personal Choice,” is the acceptance of homosexual marriages.  God did not create multiple genders but “male and female, created He them.” (Genesis 1:27).   There is nothing ambiguous about that.

My religious views are that abortion is the taking of a human life.  I believe there are instances where, biblically, there is justification for taking a human life.  The Bible speaks to them, punishment for premeditated murder being the chief, not abortion.  If you do not view that baby in the womb as a human being in development, you may well be able to endorse abortion; I cannot.

The founding fathers were diligent in their endeavor to prevent the government from imposing any religious beliefs on the public. They did not want a ‘State Church,’ as was the case in England. They wanted freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. They desired that each person have the right to worship or not worship as they desired.

Demanding that we keep religion and politics completely separate opens the door for edicts such as the one Kamala Harris has declared her administration would follow.  She said that there would be no religious exemptions to medical personnel regarding abortions.  That takes the matter a step further than ‘Separation of Church and State’ and imposes the States’ wishes on religion.   If you demand the church and religion stay out of politics, you must also insist that the state or politics stay out of our religious lives. 

The insistence that abortion should be legal until and, in some cases, even after birth is beyond diabolical.  How could anyone, even the most ardent supporters of abortion, not acknowledge that that fully developed child is a human being?  How is that not genocide?  How is that not infanticide?  How can that be deemed just and acceptable?  How can I remain silent when the lives of the unborn are being regarded as an unwanted growth on the body?  How?

She called it a ‘fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body.”  Madam, what about the fundamental freedom of that unborn to have the opportunity to live?   That baby in the womb is not part of the woman’s body; it is a separate life being hosted in the woman’s body.  That baby is not a kidney, a gall bladder, or some other organ; it is a Human Being!

With each incursion by the State to regulate our religious freedoms or other freedoms, we inch closer to the condition where the State defines life and decides where we live, work, and how we conduct life.  That is not freedom; that is tyranny and slavery.  I cannot sit in silence and watch our liberties and freedoms trampled on by the godless oligarchs of politics. 

I am a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, a Christian.  I am a natural-born American, a Vietnam Veteran, a patriot, a father, grandfather, husband, brother, and neighbor.  I want what is best for America, and infringing upon our Religious Freedom and demanding that Christians sit in silence regarding politics is dangerous and destructive.  Therefore, I will continue to sound the alarm as long as I draw breath and stand for Faith, Family, and Freedom. 

God bless you, and God bless America!

Some Like to Gripe But Don’t Like to Be Involved…


What I am going to say will possibly irritate some, maybe many.  However, I cannot refrain from offering my two cents based on my beliefs biblically, constitutionally, and personally.  If you find it objectionable, then hold tightly to your views.  You are welcome to voice your opinion, but if you respond here, I ask that you remain civil; otherwise, please refrain from commenting.

I consider a person’s Facebook page or any other social media medium equivalent to their home.  I would not come into your home and lash out vitriolically.  It is your home, and I respect that.  If I disagreed with your approach or lifestyle, I would extricate myself and move on.  I would not condone it, but I would not be abusive.

Now, I will discuss what I feel I must address.  I will address those identifying as ‘Christians’ in this, but it also applies to others.  The reason I feel the need to address this issue is that reports are that there are supposedly ninety million Christians in America, and approximately fifty-five million either do not vote or are not registered to vote.  I consider that a tragedy.

In my 70-plus years on the planet and over 50 years in the ministry, I have concluded that many people “Like to Gripe but Don’t want to do what is necessary to fix the problem.”   They don’t want to get their hands dirty with the difficulty of dealing with hard, complex, and controversial issues. They just ‘Gripe,’ blaming everything and everyone but themselves.

If you do not vote, you have no right to complain.  Think about it before you heat up the oil to boil me and the feathers to cover me.  If you do not participate in the potential solution, how can you complain when nothing good transpires?  You had the opportunity to be a part of the decision but opted to take the easy road, abdicate personal responsibility, and let others decide.  After the fact, you become vocal, complaining about the situation. 

In my study of American history, I have noted that Christians and Churches were actively involved in the political process during the Revolutionary period and long after. Many pastors in those days preached what they called “Election Day Sermons,” advising their congregants of the issues and even suggesting how they should vote.

I am not ashamed to tell people how and why I will vote a particular way or for a specific candidate.  I attempt to deal with the issues, reflect on the track records, and consider the policies and the party platform.  I then vote for the candidate or party whose track record, agenda, and policies most closely align with my biblical values.  Hopefully, my values are biblical, not personal preference and bias.

If those of us who are Christians or profess to be do not become involved and, at a minimum, vote, how can we consider ourselves obedient to the faith?  The Bible nowhere teaches a live-and-let-live attitude that condones or accepts everything.  The Bible calls us to come out from among the world and be separate.  We are not to be isolated hermits but committed to the principles and precepts of the Bible.  Our lives and our votes should correspond with the tenets of the Bible.

Before you explode and argue that if I vote for a person with a flawed character, I cannot be following biblical precepts, remember that God frequently used ‘flawed people’ to do some incredible and good things. Since none of us are perfect, let him, who is without sin, cast the first stone. Otherwise, move past the personalities to the policies and evaluate how those policies align with or contradict the Bible.

I read a quote that resonated with me, “No nation will thrive because of the righteousness of a leader but will thrive because of the righteousness of the policies promoted by that leader.”  I contend that if we vote for personalities rather than policies, we err and endanger the Republic. I suggest that many things considered secular have a biblical foundation and importance. 

We need judges who honor justice, integrity, morality, and the Constitution and value human life.  Without borders, there is no nation, and we endanger the legal citizens.  I stand with Israel because God does.  I believe in marriage between one man and one woman because God does.  I believe in religious liberty, espoused in the Bible and the First Amendment.  I believe in the family because God places heavy emphasis on the family and parental responsibility in developing and training the children.  I believe in the value of human life because God does.

When I hear people like Hakeem Jefferies issue a text or statement immediately after the second attempt on Donald Trump that “We must stop the MAGA.” I cringe, but he and we know that kind of rhetoric promotes more of the same thing as the two would-be assassins.  Then Hillary Clinton declared that Donald Trump was a danger to America and the world; I cringed knowing that incendiary rhetoric laced with hate, paranoia, and fear has only one logical result.

So, if you ‘Like to Gripe’ but are unwilling to be involved in solving the problem or voting, I ask, “Could that be part of the problem.”  Could your unwillingness to vote be a backdoor vote for everything currently wrong?  I believe that our personal preferences regarding personality must become subordinate to what is Constitutionally, morally, and biblically correct. 

I ask that you evaluate (honestly) this year’s presidential and compare the past four years with the previous four, and if you can honestly say that your economic situation, your freedoms, and life are better now than under the previous administration, then vote accordingly.  Most of us cannot say that.  I do not want hype; I want action.  Therefore, based on my reflection on the two administrations in question, my biblical view, and my desire to preserve the Republic, I will vote No on Kamala Harris and Yes on Donald Trump.  Not because I think the GOP is without fault, but the Left is far worse, in my view.

Please pray, examine the facts, not the rhetoric, and vote!   If I refuse to be involved in a matter, I offer no opinion on that matter.  Some have asked me, “What are you hearing in your spirit about this election?”  The same thing I heard in 2020, “It’s up to you!”    The “you” in that equation are all of us who believe in God.  If we pray and vote, we can have God’s desire.  If we do not, then evil will prevail.  The ball is in our court!

God bless you, and God bless America!