Voiceless

  What would you do if an abortion clinic was across the street from your church? What would your church do?

  Last night, I watched a great movie called Voiceless. That is exactly what happened in the movie. Jesse Dean is a former military man discharged because of injuries sustained in action. He is the new outreach minister of a church that has an abortion clinic across the street. Day after day, he watches women go in and out of the building. He tries to talk some out of it, and feels the loss when one young girl kills herself after having her baby killed.

 He wants to do more, but the church is apathetic. They don't want to get "political". They pray about it, and feel that is all they need to do. But Jesse wants to do more. He needs to do more. I won't give any spoilers away, but he has a few brushes with the police as he does what he feels God is calling him to to: minister to women intent on killing their babies, and try to save lives.

 The man in the White House just launched some rockets at Syria because their  lunatic leader has been using chemical weapons on his own people. I don't know if it was the right thing to do or not. I do know Mr, Trump violated laws by doing this without Congressional approval. That issue aside, should we attack another country for such a thing?

 On a daily basis, we are murdering innocent babies with chemicals and other cruel methods. If we have the right to attack another country because their leader is committing atrocities on his people. does that mean another country has the right to attack America for the atrocities we are daily committing in the name of women's health, choice, and other cutesy words we use instead of butchering and murder?

 "But it is different. The Syrians being killed are out of the womb." Really? Why is it different? It is only different because we have gotten apathetic about the murders sanctioned and funded by our government. Is it because we can't see what these babies are going through as they are burnt with chemicals or torn apart by a butcher masquerading as a doctor?

 What if when we Americans stand before God, He asks us why we let it go on? What would we say? "I didn't want to get political." "It was legal, what could I do?"

 I have heard professing Christians protest making abortion legal, "because women will go to back alleys and do it with a coat hanger. At least it is safer this way." Safe for whom? Not  the baby. It is safer for the person ordering the murder. Why are we so concerned about making it as safe as possible for someone to commit a murder?

 I have felt for a long time that we aren't doing enough to stop this atrocity. I find myself wishing I could do more, but wishing doesn't really do anything. Sure, I vote for pro-life politicians. In fact, one of the many reasons I did not vote for Trump was his praise of Planned Parenthood.

 But that isn't enough.

 If we had buildings all across America where toddlers and small children were taken and cruelly murdered, would we stand idly by? I can't imagine we would. We would want whatever necessary done to stop it.

 If someone is killed trying to harm or kill a small child, or even an adult, we feel justice was served and they deserved what they got. Yet, we are so worried that a mother killing her baby can go about it as safely as possible.

 I heard a pastor say this in a sermon once: "If the blood of Abel's blood cried out to God from the ground, what must He be hearing from all of the babies we have killed here in America?" How long will God put up with it? Are we a truly Christian nation when we sit idly by and don't do anything to stop this American Holocaust?

 We (well, Trump) just launched rockets at Syria because of the atrocities being done there. What are we going to do about our own? We can't even get a Republican Congress and  the "Republican" Trump to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Even a lot of conservatives and Christians don't really think Roe vs Wade should be overturned. But why not?

 Really, what kind of people we are, what kind of Christians are we to stick our heads in the sand when it comes to this issue? And what kind of people are we that we have become so comfortable and apathetic about babies being ripped a part in the womb? It should worry us if we don't view the killing of babies in the womb as bad as the killing of people outside of the womb.

 Do we have any right to wonder why Christians didn't rise up against slavery, when we let this go on? Do we have any right to wonder how Hitler exterminated and treated the Jews so horribly when we sit by and let it happen to the most innocent of humankind? Do we have any moral right to go after Syria for what their leader has done while we have our baby butchering and killing legal and funded by our government?

 I'm no expert on these issues, but here are some reasons we don't do more, or anything:

1) We have gotten used to the murder of babies.

2) It's legal, so many people feel it should just be left alone.

3) We don't care enough.

4) We don't want to take the time or effort to do anything about it.

5) Some of us feel it is better women go to an abortion clinic than a back alley.

6) Many feel it is a political issue.

7) We just try not to think about it.

  There may be other reasons, but it doesn't really matter. When we stand before God, if He should ask us what we did to stop the slaughter of innocent lives, what will we say? If He asks us why we didn't do anything, what will we say?

 And who is to say He won't ask that?

Would Jesus boycott Beauty and the Beast because of a gay moment?

   Sometimes you can tell the slant of an article by the title of it.... and this one was obvious: "Would Jesus boycott Beauty and the Beast because of a 'gay moment'?" The writer believes that there is no way Jesus would  boycott "Beauty" because of the gay moment.

   There have been a lot of posts about this controversy. There are people and organizations calling for a boycott, and people knocking boycotts and saying it isn't that bad, some are even saying that you should just let your kids go see it and educate them.

 But would Jesus boycott it?

   It amazes me how so many people know exactly what Jesus would do in these cases... and what a surprise that He would do the thing they agree with. The article writer has no issue with the gay moment and is against a boycott, so of course he is going to say Jesus would not boycott it. It's funny how that works....Jesus always agreeing with us and doing what we would do, or not doing what we would not do.

   Here is a better question: would Jesus watch anything for entertainment that glorified or painted in a good way a sin that He died for? Seriously.... would He? He went through the agony of the cross, suffered, and died for the sin of homosexuality (and all sin). Can you imagine Him being entertained by something portraying that sin in a positive light?

 Or any sin.

   Evangelical Christians tend to pick and choose what to be outraged by and what to stand against. Back a few years, a movie released in theaters called "Brokeback Mountain", a story of two men having a gay relationship. Christians were horrified and boycotts were called against theaters that showed it. Yet the same churches never called for boycotts against movies, or theaters that showed movies with heterosexual immorality in. I don't think any even called for boycotts of theaters that show the porn lite 50 Shades of Grey movies. But a gay cowboy movie.....of course we need to boycott that and take a stand.

 We condemn Democrats for immorality and other wrongs, yet have no problem when our party's candidate does the same and worse.

  We watch all kinds of immorality and sin on TV, but are outraged when a pro-gay company puts a gay moment in a movie.

 Selective morality. Selective outrage.

 Is it any wonder the world does not take Christians seriously?

    At the risk of sounding like those whose Jesus agrees with them and would do everything they do, let me give you a pearl of wisdom: I don't believe Jesus would watch Beauty and the Beast, and not because of the gay moment (though I hold with what I said earlier) -  I don't believe He would waste time on the entertainment Hollywood throws our way. Be honest: If the three persons of the Trinity would appear in bodily form, how many of our TV shows and movies would we still watch? How comfortable would we be if the Trinity sat in on our viewing of the shows and movies we watch? Would we cringe? Would we be  embarrassed? Would we want to fast forward through some parts?

  We tend to be too earthly minded, and too addicted to the god of entertainment. We will defend watching movies like the Shack, ignoring the many reasons we shouldn't. We will watch shows glorifying all sorts of sin and will defend our watching it. But have we so capitulated and bowed to the gods of this earth, that we honestly believe we MUST watch anything?

No, we don't have to watch the Superbowl

No, we don't have to watch Game of Thrones

No, we don't have to watch the newest vampire movie or TV show

No, we don't have to watch the newest Disney movie.

No, we don't have to watch the newest superhero movie.

  I have my things I like to watch, but really...... I don't need to watch them. I like to think I am careful in what I view, but am I careful enough? Would Jesus watch what I watch, if He watched anything?

  I am convinced TV/Hollywood has helped America become more godless and immoral. I am also convinced it has helped us become used to and more accepting of things we wouldn't normally be. We have gotten used to immorality and profanity. Homosexuality is the newest frontier, and they have been putting gay characters in wherever they can. Is anyone who has been paying attention truly shocked that Disney would put a "gay moment" in a movie geared for kids? Liberals and Hollywood have long been trying to indoctrinate kids that "gay is OK". It was just a matter of time til they tried it in a Disney movie.

  Back to Jesus. The TV show and movie that doesn't glorify sin in some way, or is not profanity-filled is rare. I don't care if it is Beauty and the Beast or The Dukes of Hazzard (the only sinful thing I remember about that was Daisy Duke's too short shorts.....)...... I don't think an argument can seriously be made for the Son of God to watch anything that glorifies sin.

   There is one thing you can count on: Jesus would be consistent. He wouldn't watch and be entertained by something that glorifies heterosexual immorality, then be outraged by a gay moment in a movie.

 So would Jesus boycott Beauty and the Beast? I believe He would boycott any form of entertainment that portrayed any sin in a positive light......including much of what evangelical Christians watch, listen to, and read.

The Shack: Making God in our own image

   Nine years ago, a very controversial book came out titled The Shack. It got rave reviews from people like Gloria Gaither and Michael W Smith, and a lot of bad reviews from others. It was THE book to read in the year 2007. I heard a lot about the book, and read the reviews of it on Amazon and Christianbook.com. People either loved it or hated it, there were not in between opinions. I seriously don't think there is another book labeled Christian that has as many consumer reviews as it has.

  I finally decided to read the book for myself and see what all the fuss was about..... and I hated it. The premise was cool..... a man meeting God at the place where his little girl was killed........but that was all that was good.

 (My reviews are here: The Shack: My review, Revisiting The Shack, and a review of it that was also on Chuck Swindoll's page.)

   First there were the curse words. I am one of those extreme Christians who believe no Christian should ever use curse words, and that no author who is writing a Christian book should include curse words... and this book had quite a few.

   Then there was the author's portrayal of God: All through the Bible, God is portrayed as masculine: He, His, Father..... There are those who argue that God has no gender, which I am not sure there is any proof of that, but regardless, God always refers to Himself in the masculine........ but William P Young does not.

  In The Shack, God is a black woman who speaks like an uneducated black woman........and man, did that rub me wrong. (and no, it wasn't the black part.... it was the woman and uneducated part).

   And then there is Jesus: Young does portray Jesus as a man, but as a blundering one who makes mistakes and has no clue about some things (and who is oddly white, and not black like His Father......mother?)

  The Holy Spirit is portrayed as a woman, which if God is three in one and uses the masculine pronouns for Himself, it would only make sense that the Holy Spirit would have a masculine pronoun.

 I have been amazed at the many Christians who love this book, have no issues with it, and will in fact defend what I and many others view as heresy. (In fact, there will be those who are offended by this blog post because they like the book so much).

   With the making of the book into a movie, The Shack has been getting a lot of attention again. As I was thinking about the book and movie, a thought hit me that didn't before: by Young's portrayal of the Trinity, and more specifically God the Father,  Young is making God in his own image, or an image he seemed to prefer for his book.

 If you study the names of God/Jesus, they cover a lot, and each name shows a different characteristic of Him: Rock, Shepherd, Father, Prince of Peace, Jehovah Jireh, and many more. The Bible is full of different names and characteristics of God. Nowhere is God portrayed as an uneducated black woman with poor speech.

   Why couldn't Young have written this book and stayed Biblical? Why couldn't he have portrayed God as the loving Father of the Bible, instead of as an uneducated black woman who can't even talk right? Why did Young feel the need to make God in his own way instead of what God is really like?

 This statement is not original with me, but I believe it with all my heart: There is a danger of bringing God down too low and making Him too common. Yes, God became a man, but not a bumbling idiot like Young portrays in his book, but God is not common........ and Young brought God down way too low in his novel.

   It isn't popular to speak up about this book and movie, but I firmly believe it is heresy, it is bringing God down too low, making Him into our own image, and should not be labeled Christian, but heresy.

No, Christians do not have to support Black Lives Matter

  There has been a rash of posts condemning Christians who fault Black Lives Matter and who dare to say "All lives matter." There were some people posting that if we fault those people who kneel for the National Anthem and are saying we are part of the problem.

  Let's rewind a bit. The BLM was borne through a lie. The lie that Michael Brown was shot dead by a policeman while Brown had his hands up. The media ran with that, liberals ran with it, and the truth eventually came out..... Brown had previously tried to the cop's gun from him and was charging the cop when he shot him.

 But the truth didn't matter. Liberals liked the other narrative better. We watched with horror as the town of Ferguson was descended on by what became the BLM - people destroying property, stealing, rioting, ruining people's very livelihood - all because a black criminal was shot and killed while charging at a police officer.

 Since then, any time a black person is killed while resisting arrest, the BLM does what they do best: loot, burn buildings, attack people, cheer on the death of police officers, and riot. Sadly, the media and Obama never condemn it, but continually support BLM.

 People argue that what we see isn't what BLM is about... but if so, where are the voices of reason?
Where are the BLM leaders condemning the rioting and looting? Why aren't they urging restraint? Why aren't they calling for peaceful protests? Could it be that what we are seeing truly is representative of the BLM?

 Where are the BLM people when black babies are being murdered in abortion clinics at a much higher rate than white babies?

 Where are the BLM people when blacks are killing each other at an alarming rate?

 Why are the only black lives that matter the ones killed by cops and/or white people? And yes, that is a fair question, for that is the only time we hear from them... and especially when it is a criminal resisting arrest.

   Think about that for a moment. People are saying we Christians should stand with BLM, but they are the most visible when a criminal is killed by a cop. The death of a criminal resisting arrest is what gets them looting, burning, rioting, killing, and threatening lives. They cheer when a cop dies and call for the death of white people.

 And we are supposed to stand with them?

Fact: There are more white people killed by police than blacks. And we never riot. (Right around the time Brown was killed, an unarmed white kid was shot and killed by a black cop.... and no one cared, no one rioted, and Obama was silent)

Fact: There are far more blacks killed by other blacks than by whites or cops.

Fact: The founder of Planned Parenthood wanted abortion legalized to help thin down the black population..... yet black people continually vote for the party that champions and supports their work. Hillary Clinton has said she admires Sanger.

 Just this week, the BLM group has attacked Charlotte, NC. Among other things, they have:

Attempted to throw a reporter into a fire.

Destroyed a truck and trailer while the terrified driver was trapped inside.

Stripped and beat a man.

Burned buildings

Looted

Threatened white people and cops.

  I look at this and the other riots, and cannot help but come to these conclusions:

BLM is a hate and terrorist group

BLM is the black version of the KKK

BLM seems most upset when a criminal resists arrest and gets shot.

BLM doesn't care about black babies being killed, or black lives killed by other blacks.

Many, if not most, of the BLM people don't want equal rights. They want special rights, they want reparations for slavery, and they will never be happy until white people are subservient to them.

A Christian has no business supporting this group. And don't tell me I should do so as I watch these terrorists try to destroy the city of Charlotte.

   I have yet to see any proof that I am wrong, and it is beyond me why the media and Obama openly support and encourage them....unless they want more division and a race war.......

  And these athletes that are refusing to stand for the National Anthem......their stance is based on a lie. They are all overpaid and not oppressed, and they are mostly  protesting the same criminals getting killed that the BLM group is.

 And yes, they have the freedom to kneel or whatever, but we also have the freedom to be disgusted by it and condemn it.

 I am sure there is real racism in our country - on both sides - and I am sure there are black people oppressed and treated badly by whites, but those concerns need to be brought to the table in a reasonable manner. Burning buildings, and acting like terrorists isn't going to win anyone over that has common sense and is paying attention.

 Where I work, I wait on and cross paths with many black people on a daily basis. I have never treated them any differently than white people. I have had some rude black people, but I have had far more rude white people. Just yesterday, I had a nice chat with a black lady as I was outside doing my parking lot duty. I am not a racist.

  As much as I detest Obama's presidency and what he has done to our country, and as much as he disgusts me.... I believe 100% that he could have united this country as the first black president.... perhaps as we have never been united. Unfortunately, he has had an agenda, seems to hate America and white people, and he has seemed to have been bent on dividing the country and pitting white against black.

 So yes, pray....but if you are a Christian, do not support the Black Lives Matter group. Watch the rioting and see what you are supporting.... and pray for the people in danger by Black Lives Matter.

Lions and gorillas, and pot, oh my!

Lions

   Turn back the calendar a year or so ago....an American dentist shot and killed a lion in Zimbabwe, and all hell broke loose. Americans had never hear of this lion named Cecil until it was shot and killed, and the reactions of many were  insane. There were people who wanted him arrested. He had to hide out in fear of his life, and there were people who seemingly would have been happy to have seen him put to death for the incident..... because he killed an animal. (I seem to remember people actually calling for his death).

Gorillas

  More recently, a small boy got in with a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. Fears for the child's life resulted in the gorilla being killed. Again, the reactions were crazy, insane, and thoughtless. Everyone instantly became expert gorilla and child raising experts.

People thought the gorilla should have been shot with a dart to knock him out

People condemned the parents for not watching the boy closely enough.

Some people thought it would have been better for the kid to die instead of the gorilla - really, that is sadly no joke.

  Instead of being thankful a small child survived, people were more upset that an animal was killed to protect a human life.

Dogs

  Ancient Egyptians worshiped cats, and it seems this country is close to animal worship, and no animal comes closer to being worshiped than dogs.....followed closely by cats. There have been several incidents where someone was attacked or mauled by a dog and I have read the comments on those stories. The amount of people worried that the animal will be put down is mind boggling....or if it is put down, people are upset. The animal is never at fault, and dog lovers are more worried about the welfare of the dog than the person it attacked.

  Just a couple of weeks ago, a woman walked onto some property to deliver some legal documents. She was doing her job. The people were not home, and they had dogs loose..... dogs that attacked and killed this woman. And who did the animal lovers blame? The woman.

It was her fault for trespassing..... uh, she was doing her job you insensitive clods

She deserved it - no she didn't.

The dogs were just protecting the property and should not be put down - uh, if a dog is vicious enough to kill someone, they should not be loose.

Alligators

  Even more recently, a little 2 year old boy got grabbed by an alligator in Florida and was killed. Again, the parenting experts came out in condemnation of the parents.......as if the parents don't have it hard enough losing a child, now they have insensitive know-it-alls condemning them for not preventing it. I haven't seen any posts defending the alligator, but I would be very surprised if there aren't any out there.

Pot

  I am 100% un-apologetically opposed to the legalization of marijuana. I have read the reasons why it is a bad idea, and there is irrefutable proof that it is a very bad idea.... of course the pro-pot people refuse to admit it, but that is no surprise....they will do or say anything to get it legalized and more accessible.

  There are warnings out about candy with pot in them coming across the border from Colorado. People are being cautioned to be careful about the candy their kids have.... a sensible warning. a few months ago, some kids at a school in Pennsylvania were somehow able to order candy with pot in over the internet and had it delivered. Yeah, that is one of the dangers, the chances are greater of kids getting a hold of it if it is legalized, but pro-pot people don't seem to care.

  As I read through the comments on that news story, I was disgusted at some of the comments. A lot of people were mocking the idea of being worried about it. One young man said it wasn't a big deal if kids did get their hands on some, because marijuana isn't addictive.....these people are so pro-pot that they don't care or aren't worried about kids getting their hands on it. Unbelievable.

Oh my!

    I guess it should not be a surprise in a country where killing an innocent baby is not just defended, but celebrated.... and is one of the main platforms of the Democratic party.......but it seems we are losing our respect for human life. Animals matter more and too many people are more concerned with the death of an animal than with the death of a human.

How many Americans would have been upset if Cecil the lion had killed the dentist? Would the same people outraged about the death of a lion in another country been sad or outraged about the death of a dentist if the lion had killed him?

Would there have been as much outrage if the little boy had died instead of the gorilla? Would the same people posting about the gorilla being killed have posted anything if the boy had been hurt or killed?

If the woman had survived the dog attack and the dogs been put down, would the dog lovers have cared?

If a child gets hold of pot candy, will the pro-pot people even care? Would it make a dent in their push to legalize it?

The slippery slope

   A friend of mine posted a news story about the growing acceptance of pedophilia. It is a small number accepting it, but it is growing and some psychologists are starting to try to make it sound more acceptable. I commented about the slippery slope we are on, and that it will most likely happen here in America. A relative of the woman who posted it, mocked the idea and said there is a big difference in immorality in adults and between an adult and a child, and knocked the slippery slope idea.

  But is it really that far of a stretch? Take into account there are a lot of people out there who aren't just OK with babies being ripped a part in the womb, but would rather a small child die than an animal...or any human die instead of an animal.

Michael Jackson


  When Michael Jackson was alive, there were a lot of people who were positive the man was molesting kids.... and nothing ever happened. Parents still let their kids stay with him, it was known he slept with little boys, and he paid off a family to drop the accusations of his molesting their boy. People loved him so much, they wanted to ignore this stuff about him. There were people threatening to kill themselves if he had convicted of the child molestation charges...... they idolized this bizarre singer so much, they didn't care that he might have been a child molester.

  It just came out in the news that police found all kinds of child pornography and other bizarre pornography at his Neverland Ranch. It would seem everything thought about him was true..... but the die-hard Michael Jackson fans won't care.

 And too many people don't care about adults - especially teachers - having sex with their students, especially if it is a female teacher and male student.... it is a joke.

Gay parenting

   Even with the testimonies of people raised by gay parents, adoption by gay parents is being forced on us...along with all other things gay. A child doesn't matter as much as the "right" of 2 gay people to have a child in spite of God's plan of a man and woman having one together. The gay agenda is more important than the welfare of children.

Where are we going?

  All of this combined should be cause for concern. Abortion was most likely the first step, but America has lost the respect and love for human life. Animals are valued more by many people, and when a child is endangered people would rather point fingers than be sad a child died or happy they didn't. Is it really that hard to imagine in this country that is getting increasingly more and more godless and immoral, that the day will come when sex with children is defended and eventually legalized? It has happened before in other countries and civilizations. In ancient Rome, it was considered normal and accepted for adult men to have catamites - young boys used sexually by adults....

  Is it really that impossible of an idea that it will be legalized here in a country were killing babies is defended and celebrated? A country where even many Christians have no problem voting for politicians who celebrate and defend that "right"? Is it so hard to imagine it happening here when people care more about the treatment and value of animals than of humans?

  Humans are always more important than animals. We have a living soul that will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Regardless of the popular idea of animal lovers, animals do not go to Heaven, They die.... end of story, People matter. Human lives are what is important..... not a lion in another country, not a gorilla in a zoo, and not your pet who you sickeningly refer to yourself as "mommy" to.

 If we don't start respecting the sanctity of ALL human life... if we keep voting for politicians who are not pro-life no matter if they have a "D" or "R" by their name. we Christians will be as guilty of not respecting human life. all human lives matter to God, and they should to us also.

 So go ahead and post all of your pro-animal posts, but try to at least mention the horrors of abortion, Christians being tortured and killed by radical Muslims, people in sex trafficking, and more.....those all matter more than puppies, gorillas, lions, or any other animal.

The tragic tale of Trey Pearsons

  Posts like this aren't popular. The pro-gay people don't like them because it is against what they believe. People who still believe the Bible truly does say it is a sin don't like it because they just don't want to think about it.

   Before yesterday, I had never heard of Trey Pearson. He is part of a "Christian alternative rock band" called Everyday Sunday. (What does the alternative mean anyway??). I also had never heard of the band. This 35 year old married father of 2 came out as gay. From everything I have read, it appears he is going to leave his wife,  and "co-parent" with her, and pursue his sexual desires.

  I was reading a lot of comments on the story, and sadly the majority of people were cheering him on and thinking it was a good thing. One person said he could better minister to the LGBT community. That is like someone claiming to be a Christian drug addict and saying he could better minister to drug addicts.

A definition

  In an attempt to avoid confusion, I am going to use the term "gay" to refer to someone who is engaging in sex or a sexual relationship with the same sex/gender. I myself deal with same-sex attraction, but do not attach the label "gay" to myself, for to me it is an identity and indicates sexual activities with the same gender. I know of Christians who identify as "celibate gay Christians", but to me that is like saying someone is a teetotaler alcoholic, or a celibate adulterer. To me, and for this blog post; "gay Christian" means someone professing to be a Christian while having sexual relations with the same gender.

A blessing and a curse

  The growing acceptance of gay people/homosexuality is both a blessing and a curse. As I well can testify, it is rough having to hide the fact that you are attracted to the wrong gender. Add to that the lies you must tell for why you aren't dating or married, and it is truly rough. Sitting in the church pew for years with a secret struggle, not being able to ask for prayer because it would get you ostracized or worse.

  So for me and others like me who want to live for God and not surrender to these attractions and desires, it is a blessing that there is growing acceptance. I don't feel the need to hide anymore, and bringing my struggles to light have actually taken their power over me away, and they have lessened to an immense degree.

 However, there is the curse. With the growing acceptance, more and more people are coming out as gay to openly live the gay lifestyle. Guys like Trey Pearson have swallowed the lie that you can be gay and Christian, so they are professing to know Jesus as Savior, but are engaging in sin and immorality....and getting approval and applause for doing so....sadly from many Christians.

 And here is why I find this news about Trey Pearson so tragic: I have studied and read many books about this issue. I have heard testimonies of men and women who lived the gay lifestyle, but left it to serve God. I have read and heard the arguments of the pro-gay theology crowd; and more importantly I have prayed a lot. And this is what I have found to be true and what I believe:

What I believe according to the Bible

1) Attraction to the same sex is not sin.

2) I don't believe people are born gay, but neither do I believe it is a choice.

3) The Bible clearly condemns homosexuality  (the sexual act) as sin in both the Old and New Testaments.

4) You cannot be a Christian and engage in sexual acts with the same gender. (Or the opposite gender for that matter outside of marriage).

5) God ordained marriage between one man and one woman, and any time marriage is mentioned in the Bible it is in that context.

6) You cannot live a life of habitual sin and go to Heaven, thus anyone who is having sex with the same gender will go to hell..... and that IS Biblical.

7) Anyone affirming and accepting a "gay Christian" is only helping them be deceived and helping them towards an eternity in hell.

8) Homosexuality is a form of brokenness. You don't just accept brokenness, you seek help and healing from it.

9) The gay life is a dangerous life. Gay men have a much higher rate of promiscuity - it is not unusual for a gay man to have hundreds and even a thousand for more sexual partners in his lifetime. AIDS and other STDSs are much more common among gay men than heterosexuals.

  Lasting monogamous relationships are rare among gay men. Their relationships tend to be short and even higher in frequency than heterosexuals. There also seems to be more depraved sexual acts among gay people, and the one sexual act common among gay men is dangerous health-wise.......so taking this all into consideration, how can any one say they love a person and encourage them to pursue that kind of lifestyle?

10) The gay lifestyle cannot make one happy.

11) There is freedom and deliverance. Yes, one may have the attractions and desires for life, but that happens with others. Heterosexual males may struggle with lust for life, porn addicts may always be tempted, former alcoholics may always have the desire to drink..... but God can keep us from going back to those sins. Some men get to a point their same-sex attractions are gone and they marry women. Others still deal with it but marry a woman and make it work, while others never get to that point.

 Regardless of the case, we need to get past the thinking that because God doesn't take away the attractions and desires, that it means He is OK with the sin,

  The Bible warns about God turning us over to believe a lie, and that has to be where these guys like Trey Pearson are. I am not hating him, nor throwing stones. I think it is sad, and I am thankful that it isn't me going against God and His Word, while claiming to be a Christian. We should pray for the Trey Pearsons of the world. Don't hate and judge them, but pray they see the truth and find their way back to God.... and never, ever affirm them in their sin and deception.

We All Have Our Benghazi

   When asked what how Donald Trump is any better than Hillary Clinton, the Benghazi tragedy is brought up. We may never know what really happened, but it would appear that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are both culpable for the deaths of four good men, if not directly responsible for their deaths.

  And it was a tragedy. I am not disagreeing in least about that, nor that she should be held responsible for it and not be running for president.

  But is that really justification or reason to vote for the "lesser evil"? If her responsibility for the deaths in Benghazi make her ineligible to vote for, then what about the other politicians who stand by and allow their own Benghazis to happen? What about we who vote for them and also stand by as these Benghazis happen?

 What Benghazis am I talking about?

  The butchering and murder of innocent babies.

  The death of 4 men who seemingly asked for help and received none is tragic, but how much more tragic is the murder of millions of babies in our country as politicians support and defend it, as we march to the polling booth and vote for the candidates who support and defend it, many of whom have it as part of their very political platform.

 Be honest here. Which is worse: the death of 4 great men, or the murder of millions of babies? If standing by and doing nothing as those 4 men were murdered makes one ineligible to be president of our country and too evil for you to vote for, what does standing by, defending, funding, and celebrating the murder of innocent babies make a person? If the former is so horrible to us that we want Hillary jailed and we refuse to vote for her (among other reasons), then shouldn't any candidate who supports what we call abortion also not be eligible for our vote?

 Or have we become so calloused to this horrible butchering of babies, that it is barely a blip on our radar while the deaths of 4 adult men are much more important and horrible to us?

  I don't care if it is Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Donald Trump. George W Bush, or Mickey Mouse..... if a candidate not only stands by and does nothing to fight this modern day Holocaust, and even worse defends and supports it; we should be just as outraged and horrified as we are about the 4 men who died in Benghazi.

 Hillary Clinton is very pro-abortion. Donald Trump has always been, even supporting partial birth abortion. Since his miraculous conversion to being a Republican, he claims to have changed his views on abortion, yet praises the biggest abortion provider in the country for "doing a lot of good". I bet some of the people who killed the 4 men in Benghazi have done some good in their lives too....... but they are still murderers and evil.

  I have been forgiven much, and know I am just a sinner saved by grace. I don't think I am any better than anyone else...... but that said: I promised myself long ago that I'd never vote for a candidate who was not pro-life. I had my doubts about the last couple, but they seemed to be. However, this election has 2 candidates who both are pro-abortion. And that, my friend; makes them just as much or more ineligible to be president and impossible for them to get my vote.

 And are we any better than Hillary Clinton if we keep ignoring the murder of innocent babies and vote for candidates who defend and fund the butchers?

 I don't know what we should be doing, but voting is a start. If there was a building near us where 2 year olds were taken and ripped a part or killed in some other cruel way, we'd never stand for it. We'd be for any force necessary to stop that evil practice.

  But yet since it is babies in the womb that we can't see, we have become accustomed and calloused to it to the point that we will vote for people who want to further the cause. We'd be more upset if it was puppies and kittens...... but babies? Yawn.

  May God have mercy on our country for allowing this to go on. So yes, criticize Hillary and demand justice for the deaths of those 4 men; but don't go and support and vote for anyone who has the blood of millions of innocent babies on their hands.

Should a Christian boycott Target?

 I am not a big boycott guy. I have seen boycotts called for a lot of times, and often it has been something that I don't use or patronize anyway.

  And then there is Target. I have seen many Christians slamming a boycott, but for the most part they are the same Christians who have no decency or common sense to take issue with men using the women's bathrooms, fitting rooms, locker room, etc; or vice versa.

  People on the other side of these issues have no problem boycotting to get their agenda through, but should Christians?

  I believe we should in some cases. Our country is getting more and more wicked and morally bankrupt - one has to only look at the two frontrunners for president to see that. This is just the latest thing Christians have failed at as they throw their support behind the worse candidate to ever run as a Republican, and the most morally bankrupt candidate since Bill Clinton.

  I could be wrong, but I feel if Christians had taken a stand all along, we would not be in the mess we are in. But instead of taking a stand, we just stepped aside, or worse...we went along with whatever came along. It seems we Christians have gotten so used to just going along with everything, that now many of us feel we can't take any stand. It is a sad day when Christians take more of a stand against other Christians than they do against what is wrong and insane. If you dare take the sensible approach to the bathroom issue, other Christian side with the world and liberals and attack you. If you dare even say homosexuality is a sin, much less take on the cake issue; other Christians stand against you and call you names.

  Back to Target. They don't have a good record when it comes to policy:

1) They do not allow the Salvation Army to have bell ringers at their stores so their shoppers can have a "distraction free shopping experience"... ironic they don't care about the distractions of men in the women's fitting rooms and bathrooms.

2) More recently, Target did away with identifying toys by gender. There are no longer boys and girls toys in the toy department.... the toy department is gender-less.

  And now their official policy is "gender-less bathrooms". Men and women can use whichever bathrooms and fitting rooms that they want. The feelings of .3% of the population matters more than the safety and feelings of a majority. There has already been one incident at a Target in Missouri where a 23 year old man was taking pictures of women in the fitting room. There was also an incident in another Target where a man was just leaning on the wall in the women's bathroom, and management refused to do anything about it and said he was allowed in there,

  So I personally feel that it is time to boycott Target. It is not a Christian issue, it is a common sense and decency issue. It isn't even an LGBT issue. The problems so far have come from men that are not transgender. But by bowing to the wishes of the LGBT movement, they are opening the doors for any man or boy to walk in.

  I do believe we should be careful how we boycott. Don't be like the woman who went in a Target this week waving her Bible and screaming about Target being evil and that everyone should stop shopping. Sign a pledge, call and politely tell them you are not going to shop there anymore and why. Don't scream, don't have a rotten attitude, but be polite and firm.

   And yes, I am aware that more stores may follow, that the government may force this insane agenda and policy on all of us...... Obama is for it, Hillary and Trump are for it....and we may have to shop at stores eventually with this insane and dangerous policy.

  But we aren't there yet, and if Target got hurt enough by it, it might cause other stores to take caution in this area.

  So I am boycotting away and have already signed a pledge and made a polite phone call. No more Target for this guy. It is time we Christians stopped going along with the immorality and insanity in our country, and take a stand.

God made them male and female

   We are in a severe moral decline in this country. What used to be whispered about and done in secret is now paraded in the streets and forced on the whole country. If you dare believe in  waiting to have sex until marriage, that homosexuality is wrong, that transgender is  mental illness and is wrong, and that people should use the bathroom for the gender they are....you are mocked, called a bigot, and made an example of.

  There are more words to describe a person's gender and sexual identity than anyone would have ever dreamed possible years ago: gay, lesbian, transgender, transsexual, pan-sexual....... and the list goes on and on.

   When God created man, He created Adam; 100% male. He then decided Adam needed a help mate and created woman. Period. There is a statement that the The pro-gay crowd and even many Christians who deal with same-sex attractions hate: "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." As cliche' and as hated as it is, that is the truth. God created male and female, two heterosexual beings.... He did not create homosexual beings, He did not create man for man or women for women, nor something in between. He created man and created woman for man.

  There is a verse in the Old Testament that largely gets ignored today. Deuteronomy 22:5:
"A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman's garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God."

    People interpret that verse differently, or just toss it in the bin of things we don't have to do since it is Old Testament. A friend of mine said that it is just one verse back in the Old Testament... yet how many times does God have to say something for it to matter?  And look at the word used there: abomination. The dictionary definition is something that causes hatred or disgust.... so God hates and is disgusted by men and women wearing clothes that are like the other gender's..... or as one translation puts it, "men pretending to be women and women pretending to be women." (wow, that sounds like a description of transgenders). And God doesn't change His mind on an abomination.

  Some people interpret this that women should wear skirts and dresses since pants were invented for men. I have heard all of the arguments and have my own beliefs on that,,,, and I'd rather see a woman in a dress or skirt any day than pants anyway, but I am not getting into that here. What should be obvious is that God created male and female to be different, and He used the same word to describe sex between the same gender as a man or woman dressing like the opposite sex: abomination.

  On to hair: 1 Corinthians 11:14-15 says: Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? 15 But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering."

    I have heard all of the arguments on the hair too. "Jesus had long hair"....uh, how do you know? "All of the pictures show Him in long hair".....and how many of those artists saw what Jesus looked like? "That was just for that culture", and on and on... The Bible was inspired by God, and His Word plainly indicates that men should not have short hair and that woman should have long hair.

    If you throw all of this in a blender and blend it up good, this is the conclusion:  God created male and female for each other and for reproduction, that men and women should not dress alike, that men and women should have different hair lengths, that men are to be the head of the house, and that sex between the same gender is sin....... I believe one can rightly conclude that the differences in gender are a pretty big thing to God. He created men and women to be different and created them for each other.

  Could we have started this whole mess when we started going along with the world on dress and hair? Everything is "unisex"nowadays. Even before the transgender thing became so common and accepted, it hasn't been unusual to look at a person and have no clue if it is a man or woman because of the way they are dressed and have their hair.....so how does one know whether to be attracted to a person like that? Conspiracy theory alert: what if that is all part of an agenda?

   This whole gay/transgender, gender-less bathrooms, and all of that seems to reek of going against God's design. I read a lot and have been paying a lot of attention and I have a theory. I could be wrong, but here it is:

  Liberals hate the Bible and Christianity, and I believe they are doing their best to do away with all morality and anything decent. It seems to me - and I have read some statements that support this - they want to do completely away with gender and sex. No male or female, no gay or straight.....just everyone being gender-less and having sex with whoever and whatever they want.

  This whole push for people to use whichever bathroom, locker room, or fitting room isn't by accident. It is part of an agenda. I may be wrong on some of my theory, but Obama and his minions have a reason for pushing this, to try to force it on schools and everyone else..... and it isn't because they care about the .3% of the population that identify as transgender. There is more to it than that. It may not be what I am thinking... it could just be another attempt to draw attention away from something else he wants to do...... who knows?

  We can go too far with the ideas of what men and women shouldn't do. Culture dictates that men should love sports, drink beer, hunt, fish, drive pickups, have sex with as many women as possible, etc. Women should cook, clean the house, watch chick flicks, and sew. As a guy who hates sports and has never fit in with men who are into all of that, I have come to realize that culture cannot dictate what is a man and what is not, yet the Bible clearly shows that God intended man and women to be different and have different roles in the home and outside of the home.

  Male and female created He them (KJV). The evidence is there that He wants the two genders to be different in dress, looks, and roles. Who are we to say differently? And who are politicians to try to away with God's design for sexuality and gender? Our interpretation on some of the verses I used may differ, but one cannot ignore them and say they don't matter. They wouldn't be in there if they didn't matter.

It isn't at all about politics, it is about morals

  Last week young man I am friends with made a comment about this bathroom issue that is such a hot button issue right now. He ended his comment by saying he doesn't think Christians should be getting involved in these political issues anyway. (I doubt it is a coincidence that he wholeheartedly supports Trump who is OK with men using the women's bathrooms).

  I have seen and heard many Christians say the same thing about gay issues, abortion, and marriage. Christians should stay out of political issues. I asked my friend a question that applies to all of these: "Who said these are political issues? They are moral issues."

  Pick any moral issue that has been a scourge in our country, and the Democratic Party has been on the wrong side of things:

Slavery

Civil rights

Abortion

Homosexuality/gay marriage

Bathrooms

  If acceptance for incest continues to be pushed, it will be the Democrats who push for it and want to legalize it.

If pedophilia is ever legalized, it will be the Democrats who push for it.. and I believe it will be the way our country is headed. There are already people trying to make it not so bad, and there exists organizations that want it here in America.

If polygamy is ever legalized, it will be the Democrats who push for it.

  Any perversion or sin that is taboo may eventually become popular and legalized....and the Democrats are the party who rallies behind each one and makes it into a political issue.

Think about it: Anyone who runs as a Democrat has as part of their political platform the following:

Abortion
Anything gay-related
Killing babies

And now
Genderless bathrooms

  So the questions arise: Just because these immoral, godless, and anti-Christian politicians have taken up these moral issues to be on the wrong side of and make a requirement for holding office....... does that mean they are now political issues and not moral ones anymore? Does that remove the responsibility of Christians to stand against these things?

  We have already failed our country as Christians. This country that was founded on Christian principles and to have a country where people had religious freedom, has changed vastly from what it was intended. I am not always right, but I have a few reasons and ways we have failed our country and it is our fault we are in the mess we are in:

1) We have not voted. Too many Christians don't vote at all...ever, We have a responsibility to vote the right kind of people in.... and if all Christians voted, that would be possible.

2) Too many Christians vote wrong, or vote for the wrong issues.  I honestly don't believe any Christian should vote Democrat....look at the things they support, defend, and want to legalize...how can a Christian go along with people who support those things? And no, the Republicans aren't much better... but they are usually better, though Donald Trump has shown that maybe we aren't any better than the people who vote for Democrats and their policies.

3) We aren't affecting culture. I have seen comments and articles lately saying Christians should not try to influence or affect the culture. I disagree 100%. I may be wrong, but I think if Christians had held firm down through the years, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in. Had we stood up to the junk that was put on TV and the radio, if we stood against stores selling pornography, if we had used the power of boycotts on things that matter....I don't think we'd be as bad off as we are. I could be wrong, but too many Christians just go along with the world and instead of standing against immorality and perversion on TV, they watch it.

4) We haven't prayed enough. It doesn't do any good to pray for an end to abortion if you're voting for politicians who support and defend it, but overall I am not sure we have prayed for our country and leaders the way we should.

  Why do so many Christians want to back off and say these are political issues, and that we Christians shouldn't get involved or be too vocal about it? I have theories on that too, and they could be wrong of course:

1) Some Christians are OK with those things. Sad, but true. We live in a day when nothing is wrong and some Christians aren't against anything. Abortion, homosexuality, genderless bathrooms, etc....they are OK with it and think the rest of us need to follow their shallow religion that is OK with it.

2) Some truly don't care.

3) Some know it is wrong, but are more worried about hurting someone's feelings than speaking up, so they hide behind the "Christians shouldn't be political" shield. My same friend I mentioned said we Christians shouldn't be reacting so strongly and badly to these insane bathroom policies..... I disagree. There is a time to rise up and say no way.....as a side note, a young man of 23 was just arrested in a Missouri Target for taking photos of women in the women's fitting room..... where men are now allowed due to Target's new policy..... so what are we to do, mutter we can't get political and look the other way until it happens to someone we love?

4) Some may truly have honest and good intentions and believe in their minds that they ARE political issues.

5) Some are just so liberal that they fight conservatives on all issues and this argument is thrown at us to try to shut us up.

6) Some may sooth their conscience by calling them political issues so it won't bother them when they vote for candidates who are on the wrong side of these issues.

  If these same people had been around when slavery was legal would they have said the same thing? Would they have told us to tone down, that it was a political issue and Christians shouldn't be involved? Would they have criticized those involved in the very illegal Underground Railroad? What about civil rights? What about civilizations where sex with children was legal and encouraged? What about child sacrifice? These are all moral issues that have been supported and pushed by rulers and politicians either in America or in other countries and civilizations.

    The handwriting is on the wall if anyone wants to read it. Our country is getting progressively more and more immoral and wicked.  People 50 years ago would have scoffed at the idea that the things that are legal, defended, and celebrated. So it isn't  out of the realm of possibilities that in our lifetime, that incest, pedophilia, polygamy, even bestiality will be legalized and defended by politicians and others.  It has happened in other civilizations, and all it takes is enough people pushing for it, Hollywood putting it on TV and normalizing it, and the liberals to take up the cause...... and they will happen.

  And will these same Christians sit back and say we shouldn't get involved in political issues when those moral issues become part of a political platform? Sadly, most likely they will.

  We cannot sit back and refuse to be involved in these moral issues just because they have been politicized. That doesn't absolve us from responsibility to stand against and speak out against them. And even the issues that are truly political.... we need to be involved. Our nation's future and the future of our children depend upon it.

That time I was in the bathroom with a Mexican woman

 The year was somewhere in the late 90's. Myself and 9 other people from my church were on a missionary trip to Mexico City, Mexico. Talk about an eye opener. I saw and experienced things I had never seen and experienced here in the good old USA.

  One afternoon, I needed to use a restroom and found one nearby. You had to put in a peso or two to get in to use it, so I did and entered. They evidently do things very different in Mexico, for there was a woman mopping the floor. I was taken aback of course. Here, they close the bathrooms for cleaning.....especially if a person of the opposite sex is cleaning it. I looked at the few stalls and they were all occupied. She motioned for me to go ahead and use the long trough that was a urinal. I was thinking "there is no way I am unzipping and taking a leak in front of this woman!" I shook my head no. She motioned again for me to use it. I folded my arms and stared at her. Muttering something in Spanish, she took her mop and exited. I waited a moment to make sure she wasn't coming back in and did my business.

  Urinals always freaked me out. I have a shy bladder anyway, and it is difficult for me to stand at a urinal beside another male and use it for its intended use. And when there are no dividers present, it is even worse. It evidently doesn't bother some guys, as I have had guys chat with me as we stand there with our zippers down taking a leak. It always freaks me out a bit. Really, who does that?! There I am all self conscious, and these guys want to strike up a conversation?!

  If I feel self-conscious around other men, how am I going to feel if a woman saunters in as I stand at the urinal. I already know from my experience in Mexico how I feel about that possibility.

  And yet there is a lot of support for bathrooms being open to whoever wants to use whichever bathroom they identify with that gender of.

  If everyone was 100% honest, they would admit it is beyond crazy that this is an issue. But yet it is, and it will only get worse. Singers are canceling concerts in North Carolina because they passed a law that men must use the men's bathroom and women must use the women's bathroom. Really. They are more concerned about the feelings of a very small minority than the feelings and safety of many. I saw Obama may even sue the state and cut funding.

  Read that again....Obama may sue NC and cut funding for trying to do what has always been done: have bathrooms for men and bathrooms for women. It is like we are living in an upside down world.

 Paypal has backed out of taking 400 jobs into NC because they care more about the feelings of a few than the safety and feelings of many.

 Target has opened their bathrooms to whichever gender wants to use either, and don't care how anyone feels about it.

 Many Christians are supporting this insanity and even criticizing either our stand against it, or how we are standing against it. Is there a wrong way to oppose such insanity? How are we supposed to act, just lie down and let them do whatever they want to do? Unlike some, I feel we Christians SHOULD affect culture and stand against these trends. We have been too weak, too shallow, too obsessed with entertainment and culture to take much of a stand on anything, so the world has gotten more and more wicked, and has accepted more and more taboo and bizarre behaviors...... and we follow along.

 I blogged about this once already in a post titled "Staying out of their bedrooms and bathrooms, Part 1", and don't want to repeat myself, so here are some brief thoughts:

1) Fact: only .3% of the population identity as transgender. Liberals want to change bathroom policy to make .3% of the people happy... and don't care what the other 99.70% of people think or feel about it, or what effect it could have on us.

2) Fact: the man behind the push to use whatever bathroom people want, is a convicted sex offender who molested minors.

3) Fact: 40% of people who attempt to become the opposite sex end up committing suicide.....they discover what they thought would make them happy, does not.

4) Question: taking the above statement into consideration, should we in any way give into transgenders or do anything to help them further along in their delusion which has a great chance of ending in suicide?

5) Opinion: I believe anyone who cares about this issue should boycott Target til they feel it.

6) Opinion: If a man tried to enter the bathroom when any of my nieces were in it, I would stand in his way and tell him he was going to wait.

7) Opinion: Christians SHOULD stand up to things like this and affect the culture for the good.

8)  Opinion/fact: If most Christians today would have been around when slavery was legal, they would criticize any Christian who dared oppose it and tried to help free the slaves.

9) Fact: A college in Toronto, Canada opened their bathrooms and locker rooms to whoever wanted to use them and had to back down.... surprise, surprise, surprise: boys were going into the girls' bathrooms and taking pictures of the girls in the showers and under the stalls. And that is not the only incident that has happened.

10) If you are OK with this bathroom issue, what would you say to these girls who had had this happen? What would you say to the women who are coming forward who have been raped and attacked and are scared about men going into the same restroom as they are in? Really - what would you say? Tough? You don't matter as much as this .3%?

11) Question: Why DO the feelings of a few matter more than the feelings and safety of many?

12) Question: If we fight for, or just agree to, making it easier for transgenders to continue in their delusion by making it possible for them to use whatever bathroom they want, are we partially responsible when some of them kill themselves?

    I believe we need to take a stand. We are not hateful or bigoted for standing up to this insanity. I am tired of a small minority forcing their ideology on us and making and changing laws that affect us all. It is time to take a stand and stop being the silent majority.

  I will close with links to two posts about this that say it better than I can.

Christpher Doyle, a man who knows a lot about this issue: A Compassionate Solution For Transgender Bathroom Controversy. 

Matt Walsh, conservative blogger: Regardless of the law, I can't allow a man to enter the bathroom with my wife or daughter.


 And lastly, the same way I ended my other post on this issue, the statement from the Lietenant Governor Dan Forrest of North Carolina:

“If our action in keeping men out of women’s bathrooms and showers protected the life of just one child or one woman from being molested or assaulted, then it was worth it. North Carolina will never put a price tag on the value of our children. They are precious and priceless. If a corporation wanting to do business in North Carolina does not see the worth of our children in the same light, then I wish them well as they do business somewhere else,” said Forest.