What is this thing called Evangelicalism?

In the 1970s, when I became a Christian, people were already asking the question, “What is an Evangelical?” In the context in which I lived at the time, Europe, the answer was really quite simple. It meant “Protestant.” But that did not solve the matter. I did have to come back to my native land.

Arriving in the USA and heading off to a seminary (known to some as “saint school”), I found the same question being asked. The answers given at the time were historical or theological in nature. They were also inconclusive.

I still ask the question. Why? Because there are so many people who want to crawl under this umbrella with whom I discern very little commonality of belief or practice. Wheaton College defines the modern term this way:

There are three senses in which the term "evangelical" is used today as we enter the 21st-century. The first is to see as "evangelical" all Christians who affirm a few key doctrines and practical emphases. British historian David Bebbington approaches evangelicalism from this direction and notes four specific hallmarks of evangelical religion: conversionism, the belief that lives need to be changed; activism, the expression of the gospel in effort; biblicism, a particular regard for the Bible; and crucicentrism, a stress on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. A second sense is to look at evangelicalism as an organic group of movements and religious tradition. Within this context "evangelical" denotes a style as much as a set of beliefs. As a result, groups as disparate as black Baptists and Dutch Reformed Churches, Mennonites and Pentecostals, Catholic charismatics and Southern Baptists all come under the evangelical umbrella-demonstrating just how diverse the movement really is. A third sense of the term is as the self-ascribed label for a coalition that arose during the Second World War. This group came into being as a reaction against the perceived anti-intellectual, separatist, belligerent nature of the fundamentalist movement in the 1920s and 1930s. Importantly, its core personalities (like Harold John Ockenga and Billy Graham), institutions (for instance, Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College), and organizations (such as the National Association of Evangelicals and Youth for Christ) have played a pivotal role in giving the wider movement a sense of cohesion that extends beyond these "card-carrying" evangelicals.
(To read the entire article, click here).


There really isn’t a lot of help there, is there? Maybe we can understand this a little better if we recognize that the word often has an adverb attached to it. Very often people (in the USA) refer to something they call “broadly evangelical.” Now we’re getting somewhere – I think. Why do I think that? Because I can look at the wide array of theological systems (and non-systems!), and the worship and lifestyle practices of those claiming to be “broadly evangelical” and note that, in fact, very little is meant by the term. Mormons lay claim to the mantle as easily as do Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, various Church or Christ groups, and myriad other groups. The “Emerging Church” claims what is left after evangelicalism and mainstream denominationalism finish off our spiritual sensibilities. I have no problem at all confusing broadly evangelical groups with liberals, heretics, and generally mixed-up folk.

So, what to do? You can call me a Christian, or a Protestant, or a Calvinist (that’s a definition waiting for another essay). Those are just a few of the many names I have been called! I would prefer it, however, if you didn’t refer to me as either evangelical or broadly evangelical.

How about you?

Nuff Said

This came in today. It says heaps. Enjoy!



Louis Farrakhan heaps praise on Barack Obama

Fred Jackson - OneNewsNow - 2/25/2008 8:15:00 AM

Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan says Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is the "hope of the entire world."

Associated Press reports that Farrakhan, addressing some 20,000 people Sunday at the annual "Saviours' Day" celebration in Chicago, never explicitly endorsed Obama but spent most of a nearly two-hour speech praising the Illinois senator. AP says Farrakhan compared Obama to Nation of Islam founder Fard Muhammad, who also had a white mother and black father. He suggested that Obama "could turn out to be one who can lift America from her fall."

According to the Chicago Tribune, Farrakhan spoke about the war in Iraq, the nation's economic problems, and the increase in natural disasters, saying the world was in a perilous state and Obama could help it recover. "This young man is the hope of the entire world that America will change and be a better place," he said.

The Tribune reports that Obama's people moved quickly yesterday to try to downplay the praises of Farrakhan, who has a history of controversial remarks -- particularly regarding the Jewish people. The newspaper quotes Obama spokesman, Bill Burton, who said that "Senator Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support."

Non-American by Choice
(I know that the color in my headline is a difficult color to read on a website, but it was chosen for the obvious reason)

In the past two weeks two American cities have told the US Marine Corps that they are not welcome. Read one of the news reports here. Toledo, Ohio has joined Berkley, California (that's shocking, huh?) in making these unAmerican demands. I have solutions, of course.

• First, strip them of all Federal aid including tuition assistance for college students; funding for road projects; WIC; and Aid for Dependent Children. Keep the money coming in for all veteran-related expenses, like the GI Bill and GI Loan mortgages.
• Next, deny them access to any of the functions of the National Guard. And do not allow any of their citizens to join any branch of our military.
  
• Finally, allow them to create their own militia for protection of their fair cities, since we should offer no protection for them in the event of an invasion (anybody remember Red Dawn?).
  

This is America. Disagreeing with its policies, its treaties and its general direction is fine. It is, in fact, the very reason for which our military stands up for this country. They protect our freedom to voice our opinions; never more than now, when the enemy is an aggressor which attacked us on our own soil.


Telling the people who stand between you and chaos; who defend you from the imposition of Sharia Law (see entry of February 7) is neither wise nor moral. As I have suggested before, especially in the case of denizens of Hollywierd who so often proclaim they're moving to another country (Michael Moore, can I help you pack?) - GO, please. We do not need you. You are welcome to stay, but please shut up.

Convert or Die!

I read an article this morning which doesn't surprise me; but does shock me. The Archbishop of Canterbury (no friend to Christianity as far as I can tell) wants to complete the Islamicization of Great Britain. The long and the short of it is that the Archbishop not only believes it inevitable that Sharia Law will become the law of the land in England - he believes it should!

This has been predicted by many Christians for years. When Muslim populations grow in Western nations, they will seek the implementation of this Islamic system of law. It will become the vehicle for the persecution of all who refuse to submit to Islam. It will be the manner by which religious leaders continue to abuse women and minorities. It will not allow Muslims to co-exist peacefully with their non-Muslim neighbors.

What can you do about it? Let me suggest three manners of response:

1. PRAY. Pray for England. Pray for the Archbishop. Pray for the Christians of England to be able to resist.
2. READ. Read your Bible. Read about Islam (try to understand something of Christianity first!). Educate yourself regarding the evils of this system of belief that wants to overcome the world - and either subjugate or kill all who resist.
3. EVANGELIZE. "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation," the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:2. Your friends and neighbors need to be told.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
"So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'" (Hebrews 13:6).

Late breaking addition. Here's how this Sharia Law works out in practice.

What say you, my brothers and sisters?

Joe McCarthy was Right (So was Dan Quayle!)

Friends,

I just thought I'd let you know about a piece that was published today and to acquaint those of you who may not be aware of it with the Pearcey Report. Comments still welcome!

Blacklisted by History Jeopardizes Standard Liberal Storyline
Wild-Eyed Myth Encounters the Real Joe McCarthy

By Curt Lovelace

At Friendship Street School in the early 1950s, we were taught that hiding under our school desks would save us from nuclear attack –- which, in the lingua franca of the day, the Satan-loving Commies in the Kremlin were poised to rain down upon us at any moment. These exercises were the famous “duck and cover” drills.

Yet, while we feared Communist-initiated death from the skies, as a nation we tolerated -– even fostered -– Soviet activity within our own government. While trying to find a place to hide from nuclear destruction, we somehow felt safe enough to vilify Joseph McCarthy, a U.S. senator from America’s heartland who tried to root out the Reds from service in our federal apparatus. So successful were efforts against the senator that the term McCarthyism has become synonymous with wild-eyed fanaticism.

To read the rest of this article, at the Pearcey Report, click here.

While We're on the Topic...

Puritans, that is. Let me inform you about a wonderful resource for those who would rather listen that read. iTunes now has a section called iTunesU. If you have an MP3 player you can download lectures from many colleges and universities (You will need to download iTunes. You can do that by clicking here.) One of the schools is Reformed Theological Seminary. You can access and listen to lots of good lectures, including Theology and Church History - even chapel sermons.

Back to the Puritans... One of the series available for download is a series on the Puritans given by Dr. J. I. Packer.(Did I mention that these are all FREE?!)

In more than 11 hours of lectures, Packer covers …

1. The Puritan Identity – pt. 1 (45:14)
2. The Puritan Identity – pt. 2 (33:10)
3. Puritan Theological Concerns – pt. 1 (45:54)
4. Puritan Theological Concerns – pt. 2 (45:03)
5. The Bible in Puritan Theology – pt. 1 (46:53)
6. The Bible in Puritan Theology – pt. 2 (46:01)
7. Salvation by Grace – pt. 1 (46:41)
8. Salvation by Grace – pt. 2 (46:37)
9. Faith and Assurance – pt. 1 (46:32)
10. Faith and Assurance – pt. 2 (46:16)
11. The Good Fight – pt. 1 (46:22)
12. The Good Fight – pt. 2 (31:45)
13. Conscience (44:06)
14. Reformed Monasticism (43:01)
15. The Christian Minister (44:22)
16. Worship, Fellowship, and Discipline in the Church (27:40)

I have listened to several of these lectures and they are great. Don't miss out on this great opportunity.

Read the Puritans???? Me?

In 21st century America - and probably in most places - the word Puritan has negative connotations. It symbolized the sexually repressed and the laughless. Neither of these characterizations is true, but perceptions are reality to most people. Well, here's a challenge for those of you who would like some good (though not easy) reading in 2008.
Join the Puritan Reading Challenge.

This challenge, started by a fellow named Timmy Brister, whom I have never met, involves a list of 12 books. Actually, hundreds (literally) of people have already signed up and committed to read one of these books per month during this year. Before you panic, let me point out that most of these books are paperbacks under 200 pages long. The first , The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbe, is only 128 pages long.

Now, why would you want to get involved in such an endeavor, especially with books that are all more than 300 years old?

I'm glad you asked. These are books which have impacted countless lives. They are not the kind of fluff and warm fuzzies we are accustomed to reading today. They contain theological truth - and application. They are even written in complete sentences! I have already read some of these and parts of others, but I am signing on and will make every effort to read through this list this year. In fact, I just ordered the whole set. Let me tell you about that.

Reformation Heritage Books has bundled the set and made the whole list available for the incredible price of $65. I know I don't need to say this for most of you, but, I am not in any way affiliated with Reformation Heritage Books or any subsidiary. I gain nothing from their books sales. In fact, I just laid out my $65 for this set!

I want to encourage each of you (both of you?) who read this blog to join the challenge. It's worthwhile reading, even if you can only do it when the kids are down and you're already exhausted or you just finished working a double shift. You can only read these books in short snippets at any one sitting anyway!

When you sign, let Timmy Brister know. He's keeping an informal count and will be involving people in discussions if they wish to join in. Let's do this together.

And let me know if you join in, too.

You Are Somebody

We’ve been in a presidential campaign cycle for a long time. Now we are finally getting to the home stretch. Yet, we hardly know anything about most of the candidates. They all say that they want to let us know who they are so that we can make our electoral decisions. None of them is letting too much info slip, however. Their real identities are still a mystery to me. I would like to be able to vote for Fred Thompson. He seems to be conservative – and several commentators have told me that he is. But, Fred Thompson has told us next to nothing about who he is and what he believes.

This is not a political blog entry! I only use that introduction on identity to get to my real topic; my “thought for the day.”

Identity truly is the great quest of mankind. From the philosophers asking “who am I”, to the passion since the 1960s for going off somewhere to “find ourselves,” and even including our everyday questions about what life is all about; we all want to know who we are – and whose we are. In our social climate, which includes a massive divorce rate; domestic partnership; same sex pseudo-marriages; blended families; dysfunctional families; drug and alcohol ravaged families; knowing who we are and where we fit in is difficult; especially for the children in these situations. This makes individual identity even more important. Please read these two brief portions of Scripture (God’s Word, the Bible).

I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. (John 14:18-20)

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1)

If you are a follower of Christ, sister; if you believe that He is your Lord, brother; then you are not only a member of the family – you’re an important partner in the family. You have identity in Christ. You’re somebody. At the end of the day, you can count on still being in Christ and in Christ’s family. Take that to work with you today; or to the grocery store; or to court; or wherever you have to be. If you are a Christian you don’t have to search for identity. You are somebody.

Iranians Should Need to Worry; Probably Don’t

Once again, US ships have been threatened by those of a foreign nation. My readers need only look down a few inches to the entry of December 22, 2007, to be reminded of another such incident which didn’t turn out so well. Here’s a snippet from the report from FoxNews:

WASHINGTON — The United States issued a stern warning to Iran Monday following an incident near the Strait of Hormuz in which Iranian speedboats veered dangerously close to three U.S. Navy ships and intercepted radio signals said U.S. "ships would explode."

U.S. ships blew whistles, issued radio warnings and took evasive maneuvers to avoid striking the Iranian boats, which motored as close as 200 yards from the American ships by one account. The naval ships armed their weapons, and the five unmarked Iranian boats — believed to belong to the Iran Revolutionary Guard — sped away.

My question: what good is it being the world’s only remaining superpower if punk non-super powers can push us around like this? They got a stern warning. President Bush did say that this was a “provocative act.” Iranians should have to worry about us. They should not have the national temerity to tweak us. But this is what happens when “girly-men” (and sometimes not-so-girly women) run our government; train our would-be “intellectuals”; inhabit our halls of justice and our pulpits.

Jeremiah 29:7 says this: Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper." Neither peace nor prosperity will result from a weak, insipid response to bullies. Not only will this weakness negatively affect the United States of America, but it will harm all nations and peoples who seek peace.

America: get a spine.

Art Historians To Save Us From Global Warming

You may have seen mention of this in The Limbaugh Letter. I found it hard to accept, even from the pen of El Rushbo, so I went and looked it up. The gist of the article is that from artwork of the 19th century, artist/scientists can tell us how badly we have wrecked our environment. Among other things, the AP report, states:

A group of scientists has studied the colors in more than 500 paintings of sunsets, including many of Turner's 19th-century watercolors and oils, in hopes of gaining insights into the cooling effects caused by major volcanic eruptions.

By better understanding past changes in climate, they hope to improve computer models for future climate change.

Obviously, these graduates of Art History 100, are also cross-credentialed as Environmental Scientists. Funny (ha, ha) that when some (real) scientists question man-made global warming, they are scoffed at as unqualified if they are mere climatologists or earth scientists. Al Gore has no credentials in any scientific filed – he’s not even an art history scholar – yet his word is gospel. Gee, I wonder why.

I'm Still Wondering

Why, when oil prices hit $100 we are still not drilling in ANWR.

Did You Ever Wonder…

o …Why are there always rocks handy when young men wish to riot?

o …Why rich liberals seem to think that if their revolutionary, radical friends should ever win they won’t be the first ones “purged”?

o …Why Al Gore, famous for inventing the internet, is considered a serious scientist (despite evidence to the contrary)?

o …Why, in this age of global warming, we’ve had the snowiest December on record here in Maine?

o …How people who claim to be rational can believe that humans evolved from amoebae or fish or apes?

o …Why we Americans cannot get a decent candidate for President – from either side of the aisle?
o ...Why Christians expect pagans to act like anything other than pagans?

Dear friends, may you have a blessed 2008. Please expand this list of "Did You Ever Wonder..." questions with your own quaint queries.

Remembering the USS Liberty

I try to remind people about the USS Liberty every now and then. This saga is a reminder to all that the Reagan policy of “Trust, but verify,” needs to apply to all, including our nation’s alleged allies.

In June, 1967, Israeli forces attacked the USS Liberty (AGTR5), a basically unarmed US naval vessel in international waters. Thirty-four American sailors were killed, 174 more were wounded. Israel has never acknowledged the seriousness of this war crime. There is absolutely no excuse for the attack and even less credence to Israel’s claims that they didn’t properly identify that ship bearing the American flag and having a very distinctive profile.

American evangelical Christians like to characterize the political entity of modern Israel as the Israel of the Bible. Therefore, they accept anything and everything that happens in and through that state as being some form of fulfillment of prophecy. While Israel has been an ally in many instances and is viewed as a bulwark against Islamic fanaticism, it cannot and must not be given a pass on international honesty and trustworthiness by the United States. Israel’s interests are Israel’s safety and security. That is as it should be. The US, however, must not be naïve in accepting that Israel’s interests will always be the same as ours.

Once again, I call upon Israel to confess regarding its piracy on the high seas, and the murder of American sailors.

God bless America, please.

“No thank you,” Governor Romney

This campaign is already overcooked. We have been subjected to campaigning for the Presidency since 2004. Senator Hillary has been at it longer than that.

One of the issues has been whether or not Christians can vote for a Mormon. Of course I have a few thoughts on that.

First, let me clear up any thoughts of Romney being a Christian. He is not. He is a Mormon. Mormon theology is not Christian theology. There are many areas of divergence, not the least of which is that the Trinity of the Bible is not the trinity of Mormonism.

Romney made a major speech, recently, in which he made the case for his religion to be left out of the equation in the Presidential campaign. That’s fine with me. Mormonism is not the reason I will not vote for Mitt Romney. I will not vote for him because he is not a conservative and because I do not trust him.

When Romney came back to Massachusetts to ascend the gubernatorial throne, I worked as a political reporter. I covered the Republican convention and the campaign. Romney is an elitist who immediately upon receiving the nomination froze out all the grass-roots supporters who had worked so hard for him. He also named his own running mate, after the convention nominated someone he didn’t want. He had stated that he would allow the convention to choose his running mate. He lied. (By the way, when that running mate, Kerry Murphy-Healey, ran for Governor on her own, he did absolutely nothing to help her defeat the liberal Democrat who now occupies that seat).

Romney is hailed as the great hero of health care reform in Massachusetts. He imposed a system which requires Bay State residents to have health insurance or face fines. Now having health insurance is a fine idea. I wish I could afford a better plan. The government, however, should not be allowed to mandate that I spend money on health insurance. Nor should an entire new bureaucracy be created to make sure that we comply.

While he claims to be a defender of family values, Romney was the Governor who ushered in the only legal homosexual marriage law in the US. Did Romney support this? Well, he didn’t fight it very much. When running against Ted Kennedy for the US Senate, in 1994, Romney said that the gay and lesbian community “needs more support from the Republican Party.”

So, I simply do not trust the man. Who do I vote for? I don’t have a clue. Presidential politics in this country has long been a “hold your nose and vote for the least worst” situation. This is the worst crop in a long time.

I’m glad God’s in charge.

Where is the Compassion Police?

I keep waiting. It's been two full days at this point and I have not heard a word of outrage from Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson. Christians have been shot to death because they are Christians. Where's the outrage? Perhaps there's nothing in it for them. Using words which are on the "bad" list is a hate crime. Is murder of Christians OK?

Maybe, it's because the victims were not....

One Man Rule (or the French-Frying of America)

We usually associate the term “One Man Rule” with dictatorships. The names Stalin, Mao, and Idi Amin come to mind. Cesar Chavez wanted to join the club – and he may yet. But how about Guillermo Lopez? Sr. Lopez is a leader in the Latino Leadership Alliance somewhere in Pennsylvania. It is he who seemingly spearheaded (can I use this term?) the move to have the name “Pork Chop” removed as the name for a minor league baseball mascot. He was offended because, for some unknown reason, he finds it offensive to Latinos, Hispanics, or somebody. We don’t really need to know the reasons, just know that someone felt disrespected. First the “Frito Bandito,” now this. So, for the sake of this one man, the team caved in. (He will probably claim there were a great number of people who agreed with him. The principle is the same).

We have become so thin-skinned in this nation that we are afraid to speak many words, phrases, and concepts simply because they may offend someone; some one.

My rights to free speech have been abridged. We have become so politically-correct and offense-conscious that we might as well live in France where the collective national spine is as rigid as a French Fry (or “Freedom Fry” if you’re still using that term). This, my friends, is a continuing consequence of the feminization of this great land that was built by great, courageous men – and their strong, supportive women.

Because I happen to be a minority (white, heterosexual, conservative, Christ-following, male), my free speech is often termed “hate speech.” What’s hate speech? Anything that liberals think will upset somebody they are trying to use for more votes, therefore more power.

If I believe that homosexuality is a sin, I should really keep it to myself. That may be hate speech; a crime. Nor are we allowed to speak of our religious beliefs in the workplace or at school, unless we happen to be a pagan of some stripe. We wouldn’t want someone to be scarred for life because he or she heard the name Jesus.

All over the land there are people rising up and saying, “no” to offensive school mascots (you know, "the Fighting Native Americans"), town seals with (oh, no!!) Bibles or Biblical words, displays of American flags or nativity scenes or menorahs. And because of our national fear of one another and absolute dread of the power of actual thought, we cave in and give these fools their way.

Americans, be strong. Resist while you can. Say a word today that they don't like. Then smirk and be on your way!

The Stupidity Train is Waiting at the Station

OK, I know that most of you would not expect to find a picture of a six-pack on my blog. But, how could I resist this story? Last week, I shared with you a story about fools who abort children for the environment. Now it's Canadian beer drinkers.

Take a gander at the AP story below. I'm with the Canadians on this one. You can even keep your Tim Horton's iced coffee in the fridge.

AP

A threat to the planet, eh?

Scientists have found a new threat to the planet: Canadian beer drinkers.

The government-commissioned study says the old, inefficient "beer fridges" that one in three Canadian households use to store their Molson and Labatt's contribute significantly to global warming by guzzling gas- and coal-fired electricity.

"People need to understand the impact of their lifestyles," British environmental consultant Joanna Yarrow tells New Scientist magazine. "Clearly the environmental implications of having a frivolous luxury like a beer fridge are not hitting home. This research helps inform people — let's hope it has an effect."

The problem is that the beer fridges are mostly decades-old machines that began their second careers as beverage dispensers when Canadians upgraded to more energy-efficient models to store whatever Canadians eat besides doughnuts and poutine.

University of Alberta researcher Denise Young, who led the study, suggests that provincial authorities hold beer-fridge buy-backs or round-ups to eliminate the threat — methods that Americans use to get guns off the streets.

You can come buy my bridge; er, I mean fridge.

Earth Goddess; Vain Idol

I could not wait until Monday to post this about how foolish we have become. Remember that God's Word says, in Romans 1, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen." (v. 25).

(Wo)man’s Foolishness
From Fox News

Woman Aborts Child To Help Save the Planet

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Giving birth is a burden on the world. This is according to British born, Toni Vernelli, 35, who had an abortion 10 years ago to ensure her carbon footprint would be kept to a minimum, the U.K.'s Daily Mail reported Sunday.

Vernelli -- who works for an environmental charity -- was later sterilized to help "protect the planet", the Mail reported.

"Having children is selfish. It's all about maintaining your genetic line at the expense of the planet," Vernelli told the Daily Mail, adding she believes bringing new life into the world only adds to the problem.

The Mail also reported that Sara Irving, 31, also underwent sterilization to because she felt "a baby would pollute the planet".

Irving’s become an environmentalist as a teenager, it was reported, when she realized saving the environment was her top and foremost priority in life. After going through several boyfriends she finally found her now husband Mark Hudson who is also an advocate of the ‘no kid’s policy’, according to the Mail.


God’s Wisdom
Psalm 8

1 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! 2 From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? 5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. 6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: 7 all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. 9 O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

As Fox News says, "We report; you decide."

Señor Chavez, “Shut Up”

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — In his opening address of a rare OPEC summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned the United States on Saturday that oil prices would further surge if the U.S. contemplates an attack against his country or Iran.

If ever there was a reason for the US to start drilling in ANWR, this is it. This petty tyrant should not be allowed to dictate our foreign policy any more than he should be allowed to bad mouth the King of Spain. He and his friend in Iran claim that they will destroy the US dollar and that this is only a prelude to the bringing down of the United States. This would be a good time to read, once more, Jeremiah 29:7)

Self-sufficiency - by whatever means, gas, oil, wind power, nuclear power, or some combination of things – should be a goal of the US. Isolationism never looked so good. I suggest that we allow the world to go it alone for a few years and see how they fare. Spend all that foreign aid money on us. We certainly have enough needs of our own.

Regular Post-Election Day Objections

Yesterday was election day across the nation. Some states and municipalities had races for political offices. Others, like my community, only had ballot questions. We had about a 30% turnout here in Maine and that was one of the items the reporters wanted to talk to people about outside the polls. One man being interviewed indicated that he didn't know anything about the questions (several of which called for the expenditure of hundreds of millions of tax dollars), but he felt it was his duty to vote.

Once again I will (mildly) rant on this subject. I would rather have fewer, informed, voters than lots of ignorant ones. Do not vote if you don't have a clue. Do not run voter registration campaigns just to get more stupid people out to cast ballots they don't care about and don't understand.

Of course, I recognize that voter registration drives have little to do with civic duty, the common good, or the people being registered. They are all about the cause or party of those doing the registration drive. They are self-serving. They actually frustrate the will of the people by flooding the ballot boxes (or machines, or computers, for those of you who don't live in small towns) with votes from people who don't have a political will - they're just doing as they were "advised" by the nice people who gave them cigarettes, booze, drugs, or a ham sandwich.

Please do not bother on my account. Let all who care come to the polls. The more the merrier. But if you don't really care; or if you don't even know who's running or what the issues are; please stay home.

OK, that's done for now.