God Created us With the Ability to Choose

By Dale Weckbacher:

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

NKJV

There is little doubt that John 3:16 is the most well-known and quoted verse in the Bible.  This verse speaks of the mercy and grace of a loving God that could have destroyed mankind but instead gave His only Son as a sacrifice for their sins.  Because Jesus, God’s Son, has paid the death penalty for mankind’s sin, salvation and eternity with God is now possible. 

However, what many may overlook in this verse is that receiving this gift of eternal life is contingent upon individuals choosing to believe.  In other words, God does not force his gift of salvation on mankind but instead gives us the opportunity to choose to accept or reject His free gift of salvation.  This is because God created man in his own image and part of that image is the ability to choose. 

As we study the Bible, we see that it is full of accounts of individuals faced with choices.  In some cases, individuals make wise choices such as when Peter chose to seek forgiveness from God for his rejection of Christ as opposed to Judas who chose suicide over his betrayal of Christ.  We also see Joseph who chose to run away from the sexual advances of Potiphar's wife as opposed to David who gave into temptation when tempted by Bathsheba.  Life is full of choices and the Bible encourages us to make wise decisions by showing us examples of both good and bad decisions made by individuals and the consequences of these choices. 

The founders of our nation respected the God given ability of each individual to choose.  I am sure they understood that this meant people would make both bad and good choices but understood that the preservation of the right to choose was worth the cost of bad decisions that undoubtedly would be made.  This is why I believe the founders of our nation would support the right of any business to refuse service to any individual if providing that service would violate their religious liberties, guaranteed by the first amendment of the Constitution.   

The current debate in Arizona over senate bill SB1062 is being wrongfully hyped as an anti-gay bill when in reality it is designed to protect the religious liberties of businesses in Arizona.  (1)  If people in the gay community in Arizona believe that Governor Brewer’s veto of the bill means that businesses will be forced to provide services to them they are wrong.  This is because there is already a law on the books in Arizona, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), protecting religious liberty.  All SB1062 did was provide clarification should someone be sued for failing to provide services to someone based upon their religious beliefs.  (1)

In fact, the text of SB1062 never specifically mentions gay, lesbian, or same sex marriage and is a general bill covering a broad range of religious beliefs.  (2)   If this legislation were, as some believe, a bill designed to target gays and lesbians, would it not specifically mention them.  The truth of the matter is that the debate on this legislation once again illustrates that there is an attack in our country on religious liberty, especially the religious liberties of Christians and Jews. 

If you disagree that such an attack exists let me cite the example of the owner of a gay bar in West Hollywood California who denies service to any legislator voting against the gay rights agenda.  (3)  However, in Colorado a bakery owner was ordered by a judge to bake a cake for a gay couple, in other words he is prohibited from denying them service unlike the gay bar owner in West Hollywood.  (4)  The only difference in these two cases is that one is a gay bar owner and the other is someone with deeply held religious beliefs.  Both the bar and bakery owner’s rights to refuse service to anyone are protected by the first amendment of the constitution but the bakery owner is having his rights denied, demonstrating the double standard in our society where religious liberty is concerned. 

We supposedly live in a free society where both business owners and customers have the right to choose where to spend their money.  If a business owner does not want to invest his time and money providing a service that violates his religious beliefs, the law allows him or her to do so under the first amendment right to freely practice his religion.  If a customer is denied service by one business they have the right to communicate their disagreement with the businesses decision by taking their money and business to a competitor that will provide them service. 

Choices are an important part of our daily lives but whenever the government intervenes and limits choices, our liberties are threatened.  The fact that some businesses may deny services to gays and lesbians represents an opportunity for them to start their own businesses that provide the services they have been denied.  This is the power and beauty of the free market. 

1. Nazworth, Napp. Issue Analysis: Arizona Bill Does Not Give Businesses License to Discriminate Against Gays. www.christianpost.com. [Online] The Christian Post, February 24, 2014. [Cited: February 26, 2014.] http://www.christianpost.com/news/issue-analysis-arizona-bill-does-not-give-businesses-license-to-discriminate-against-gays-115093/.

2. Yarbrough, Barto, Worsley. SB1062. www.azleg.gov. [Online] State of Arizona Fifty-first Legislature, 2014. [Cited: February 27, 2014.] http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/51leg/2r/bills/sb1062p.pdf.

3. Angeles, CBS Los. WeHo Bar To ‘Deny Entry’ To Lawmakers Who Back Anti-Gay Legislation. losangeles.cbslocal.com. [Online] CBS Losangeles, 25 February, 2014. [Cited: February 27, 2014.] http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/02/25/weho-bar-to-ban-lawmakers-who-support-anti-gay-legislation/.

4. Fields, Liz. Judge Orders Colorado Bakery to Cater for Same-Sex Weddings. abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, December 7, 2013. [Cited: February 27, 2014.] http://abcnews.go.com/US/judge-orders-colorado-bakery-cater-sex-weddings/story?id=21136505.

Qualities of Great Leaders (part 1): Courage and Strength

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Josh 1:7-8

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

NKJV

Upon the death of Moses, Joshua found himself thrust into the role of leader of the Nation of Israel.  He is going to be leading a group of people whose parents had failed to follow God’s will and thus were prohibited from entering the promised land.  Joshua and Caleb are the only two people of that generation allowed to go with the people into the Promised Land because they courageously went against the popular opinion of the day and chose to step out in faith believing that God could prevail against any giants in the land.  (Numbers 14:1-10)

Now faced with the loss of his mentor and the task of leading a nation into the Promised Land, which by the way enemies to Israel and their God currently occupied, is given the command by God to be strong and courageous.  God understood that there would be tremendous battles ahead and pressure placed on Joshua to compromise with the people currently occupying the land, by worshiping their gods, something God explicitly prohibits.  (Exodus 20:3)  Joshua then proceeded to lead the people into the Promised Land and stands as a great example to us today of how a courageous leader can prevail even when facing tremendous odds. 

Unlike Israel, our nation is not looking to enter the Promised Land but instead faces tyrannical leadership that threatens to transform our nation.  Their goal is to transform our nation from a constitutional republic in which individuals have been able to thrive and succeed into a European style socialist nation or worse a South American style banana republic.  We need courageous leaders like Joshua that are willing to stand up against the socialist, statist, and progressive elites of our nation and restore our nation back to the free society that resulted in us becoming a world power.  We need courageous leaders that will courageously stand up against:

1)      Out of control spending – The out of control spending of our government and the accompanying debt will have to be paid someday, most likely by our children and grandchildren.  These same people are already having difficulty finding employment in the fields in which they are educated.  The lack of employment opportunities also means many are unable to pay their student loans.  When we add to that the additional taxes they will be asked to pay to service our nation’s debt, their financial future is bleak.  I would not doubt that when they look back at our generations irresponsible spending, they will probably accuse us of economic child abuse.

2)      Progressive taxation that stifles productivity and ingenuity.  Our progressive income tax is designed to tax those making more money.  As people advance in their careers or see their businesses grow, they find themselves having to pay a greater percentage of their incomes to the government in taxation.  Our income tax is so top heavy that 50 percent of all taxpayers paid 97 percent of all income taxes.  The top 5 percent paid 57 percent of all income taxes, and the top 1 percent paid 35 percent of all income taxes in 2011, the most recent statistics available.  (1)  In fact, 43 percent pay no federal income tax and many of these receive transfer payments from the wealthy through refundable tax credits like the earned income tax credit and additional child tax credit.  (2) (3)

3)      Moral decline that threatens the very foundation outlined in our nation’s founding documents.  This moral decline has virtually destroyed the traditional family with single parenthood in America tripling since 1960.  (4)  These single parenthood households are mostly single moms that earn about one-fourth of what married moms earn.  (4)  The main causes of single parenthood are either divorce or pregnancy out of wedlock.  In other words, the virtual destruction of the traditional family has trapped many women in lower paying jobs and forced them to seek government help through food stamps and Medicaid.  As a tax preparer, I know many of these single moms also receive transfer payments through the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit on their tax returns. 

Our nation is in trouble and is on life support, but this means our nation is still alive.  However, we have a leadership void in this country because our leaders, or so called leaders, are more interested in preserving their political positions and ambitions and less interested in doing what is best for the country.  There is no doubt that any leader daring to courageously stand up against these issues will be attacked by the media and political establishment.  However, anyone daring to courageously stand up against these issues has an opportunity to be viewed by historians as the one that turned this nation around. 

In the next two elections it is critical that we the voters elect strong and courageous leaders like Joshua to lead our nation.  Next Saturday we will look at another quality of a great leader, vision. 

1. Pomerleau, Kyle. Summary of Latest Federal Income Tax Data. taxfoundation.org. [Online] Tax Foundation, December 18, 2013. [Cited: February 21, 2014.] http://taxfoundation.org/article/summary-latest-federal-income-tax-data.

2. Sahadi, Jeanne. 43% pay no federal income taxes. money.cnn.com. [Online] CNN Money, August 29, 2013. [Cited: February 21, 2014.] http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/29/pf/taxes/who-doesnt-pay-federal-income-taxes/.

3. Jeffrey, Terence P. CBO:Top 40% Paid 106.2% of Income Taxes; Bottom 40% Paid -9.1%, Got Average of $18,950 in 'Transfers'. cnsnews.com. [Online] CNS News, December 9, 2013. [Cited: February 21, 2014.] http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/cbotop-40-paid-1062-income-taxes-bottom-40-paid-91-got-average-18950.

4. Aparna Mathur, Had Fu, and Peter Hansen. The Mysterious and Alarming Rise of Single Parenthood in America. www.theatlantic.com. [Online] The Atlantic, September 3, 2013. [Cited: February 21, 2014.] http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/09/the-mysterious-and-alarming-rise-of-single-parenthood-in-america/279203/.

Defining Conservatism

By:  Dale Weckbacher

1 Corinthians 14:11

Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.

NKJV

Language is what sets humans apart from the rest of the animals in the world.  Our ability as humans to voice our thoughts through either spoken or written language allows us to create a better world.  However, when two individuals try to carry on a conversation and do not speak the same language, it is impossible to exchange ideas.  Unfortunately, people speaking the same language can even have difficulty sharing ideas because they are unclear about the definition of certain words. 

I believe there is a difference in the definition of conservatism within the Republican Party and this disagreement is one reason for the current infighting going on within the Republican Party.  This difference in definition was revealed recently in an interview John Kasich, Governor of Ohio had with reporters back on the third of February.  In the interview, Reporter Henry J. Gomez asked Kasich  “Do you feel that you have a base problem, and when you’re campaigning for reelection this year, what are you going to tell conservative Republicans who bring up complaints about Medicaid expansion and about the severance tax?”  (1)  Governor Kasich then went into an explanation of his “conservative philosophy” which consists of endless welfare spending that insinuates that opponents of entitlement expansion so not care about the poor the way he does.  (1)  Apparently, Governor Kaisich’s conservative philosophy supports big government and the forced transfer of wealth. 

One definition of conservatism that I found says the following, “(a political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the best in society and opposing radical changes).”  (2)  Using this definition, we must first determine who the best in society are and implement programs designed to preserve them.  Looking at what Governor Kaisich said, we can surmise that the best in society he is interested in preserving are the poor in his state.  This is where I have to disagree with governor Kaisich’s philosophy. 

I do not believe that the best way to preserve the poor in our country is to expand entitlement programs for this only serves to stifle ambition and encourage idleness.  Instead, the best way to preserve the poor is to encourage them to receive an education, live moral lives, and become producers in our society that no longer accept charity but are able to contribute to charities. 

1)      Education – Statistics have proven for many years that having more education equals higher income.  (3)  Granted there are exceptions to this rule and in our currently sluggish economy, many college graduates are experiencing difficulty finding employment, but over the long-term, more education results in greater income.  Therefore, instead of just handing individuals a handout or large tax credit each year, society would be better served if these individuals learned a marketable trade or profession and were able to earn a greater income practicing their new trade or profession. 

2)      Live moral lives – The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world.  (4)  Teenagers that become pregnant are much more likely to live their lives in poverty because:

a.       Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (only one in three receives a high school diploma) and only 1.5% has a college degree by age 30.

b.       Nearly 80% of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare, a much higher percentage than their older counterparts. Almost 50% of all teen mothers and over 75% of unmarried teen mothers began receiving welfare within five years of the birth of their first child.

c.       While we may imagine that a teen pregnancy is a the result of a one-time mistake, nearly 25% of teen mothers have a second birth before turning twenty.

d.       Teen mothers are less likely to qualify for a high-paying job since only two-thirds of teen moms have a high school diploma.

e.       Teen moms are less likely to attend college.

      In addition:

f.        Babies of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely and at low birth weight, which raises the probabilities of infant death, blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, and cerebral palsy; it also doubles the chance that a child will later be diagnosed as having dyslexia, hyperactivity, or another disability.

g.       These children are also at greater risk of abuse and neglect.

h.       The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison while teen daughters are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.

i.        If an unmarried teen mother did not end up receiving her high school diploma, there is a 64% chance that the child will grow up in poverty. The child of a married high-school-graduate, however, has only a 7% chance of growing up in poverty.  (4)

This is why social issues are important to conservatives for conservatives understand that they have an economic effect on people. 

3)      Become producers that can provide charity instead of taking it – Dr. Ben Carson is one of the favorite targets of liberals.  This is because of his courage in confronting President Obama face-to-face over the failures of Obamacare.  However, he stands as a great role model to people currently living in poverty.  Raised by a single mother, he was able to achieve success by becoming a world-renowned brain surgeon. 

Just like governor Kaisich, I believe the goal of conservatism is in the preservation of the best in society.  However, people like Governor Kaisich who believe they are preserving the best in society by providing perpetual government handouts have it wrong.  The true conservative believes in the preservation of the best in society by helping them become self-sufficient individuals capable of providing for not only their own needs, but by also being able to reach out the hand of charity to others.  This is the best thing we can do for those in our society that currently live in poverty. 

The best in our society are those who have succeeded and are able to help the poor with charity and a job.  These are the ones that we must preserve in our society if the poor are to have any chance of escaping their poverty. 

1. Hart, Jason. Ohio Gov. John Kasich Wants to Redefine Conservatism. www.redstate.com. [Online] Red State, February 3, 2014. [Cited: February 17, 2014.] http://www.redstate.com/diary/jasonahart/2014/02/03/ohio-gov-john-kasich-wants-to-redefine-conservatism/.

2. Princeton. Conservatism. wordnetweb.princeton.edu. [Online] [Cited: February 18, 2014.] http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=conservatism.

3. Strauss, Steven. The Connection Between Education, Income Inequality, and Unemployment. www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, November 2, 2011. [Cited: February 18, 2014.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-strauss/the-connection-between-ed_b_1066401.html.

4. Do Something.org. Background on Teenage Pregnancy. www.dosomething.org. [Online] [Cited: February 19, 2014.] http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/background-teenage-pregnancy.

Raising the Debt Ceiling: A Demonstration of the Lack of Leadership in the GOP

By Dale Weckbacher:

Proverbs 29:14

The king who judges the poor with truth,

His throne will be established forever.

NKJV

Here’s Johnny.  For many years we heard these words after the local evening news.  Growing up I remember my dad would stay up to hear Johnny Carson’s monologue before going to bed.  In his monologues, Johnny Carson was an equal opportunity comedian which means he equally poked fun at all politicians whether Republican or Democrat.  Jay Leno, who was recently fired from the Tonight Show, was also an equal opportunity comedian and will be missed. 

This week during the debate over the debt ceiling increase, we were subjected to a different kind of Here’s Johnny with the caving in of John Boehner.  John Boehner promised during the last spending debate in Congress to fight for decreases in spending that equal or exceed the proposed raising of the debt limit.  (1)  Unfortunately, like many promises in Washington DC, the promise had an expiration date, which is usually one minute after making the promise. 

In addition to following the Boehner rule, Speaker Boehner promised to abide by the Hastert rule, which states that no bill will be voted on that does not have support of a majority of the Republicans in the House.  In the recent vote to raise the debt ceiling, Speaker Boehner also violated his promise to follow the Hastert rule by allowing a vote on a bill with support from only 28 of 227 Republicans.  (2) 

What the GOP and Nation lack at this moment is leadership.  Speaker Boehner continually tells us that there is nothing he can do since the GOP only controls one house of the Congress and does not control the White House.  This is not leadership but surrender.  If Boehner were the strong leader he claims to be he would be going full speed ahead in the Congress opposing the out of control spending and dare the Senate and Obama to oppose him. 

However, Boehner continues to wave the white flag of surrender in spite of the fact he promised to oppose any debt ceiling increase without corresponding spending cuts.  Even if the GOP manages to take control of the Senate in this year’s election, I suspect he will still wave the white flag because he does not control the White House. 

Currently our Olympic Team is competing in the Winter Olympics in Russia.  What makes the Olympics inspiring to us is it is an opportunity for world-class athletes to showcase their talents to the world.  Granted many of the athletes attending the games may not win any medals but each one of them will do their country proud by performing to the best of their abilities.  Shouldn’t we expect the same from our nation’s leaders?

Our nation needs leaders who like Olympians, are not afraid to battle even if the odds are against them winning a medal.  Granted, Republicans only control one house of the Congress but I was around in the 80’s when President Reagan had to deal with Democrat control of both the House and Senate for most of his two terms.  In spite of the odds being stacked against him, President Reagan managed to get most of his agenda passed because of his strong and courageous leadership. 

Men like Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin, and Governor Jindal in Louisiana have demonstrated strong leadership in the face of adversity.  Imagine either Ted Cruz or Rand Paul as majority leaders of the Senate along with a Tea Party Speaker of the House.  Then imagine a strong executive like Scott Walker or Bobby Jindal in the White House.  With leadership like this, we can begin to turn this leviathan around from going over the cliff.  We can then place roadblocks in the way by using article 5 of The Constitution to prevent us from going towards the cliff again.

These next two elections provide an opportunity to restore strong leadership to our nation.  Leadership with the courage to stand up against those desiring to fundamentally transform our country into a socialist statist nation and back into the representative republic our founders envisioned.  A nation that supports every citizen’s right to life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 

It is not too late for our nation but we must begin now to find true leaders determined to restore and preserve the values and principles that made this nation great.  Starting with next Saturday’s posting, I will share what I believe constitutes great leadership.  We will then score potential leaders such as Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, Scott Walker, and Bobby Jindal to see how they score.  I also invite your comments suggesting other potential leaders and why you believe they qualify as the type of leader our nation needs right now. 

1. Zeleny, Jeff. The Day the Boehner Rule Died. abcnews.go.com. [Online] ABC News, February 11, 2014. [Cited: February 13, 2014.] http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/02/the-day-the-boehner-rule-died/.

2. Bernstein, Jonathan. Hastert Rule Violated, Republicans Happy As Clams. www.bloomberg.com. [Online] Bloomberg Opinion, February 12, 2014. [Cited: February 13, 2014.] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-12/hastert-rule-violated-republicans-happy-as-clams.html.

The Biblical Perspective on Work Versus the Washington DC Perspective on Work.

By:  Dale Weckbacher

2 Thessalonians 3:10b

If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

NKJV

When I turned 16 the first thing I wanted to do was get my drivers license.  After passing my driving test my dad gave me his old car.  It was a 1963 Mercury Comet wagon so since I turned 16 in 1972, the car was 10 years old.  My father told me that if I wanted a newer car I would have to find a job to pay for it.  I also quickly learned that my dad may have given me a car but it would not go far unless I filled it with gas and maintained it.  So, in obedience to my dad I found myself flipping burgers at Jack-In-the-Box.  After about a year of working for $1.95 per hour, which was the minimum wage then, I purchased a newer car. 

My dad has gone home to be with the Lord but I am glad he used my desire to own a nicer car to teach me the value of hard work.  Unfortunately, we heard from our wizards of smart in DC this week that being locked into a job is bad for people and it is better for them to be liberated from the restraints of a job and instead be home with their children depending on government programs to meet their needs.  (1)  This illustrates the difference between the Biblical perspective on work, which my dad taught me, and DC’s warped perspective on work, which is designed to create an even greater dependency class that will continue to re-elect them to office. 

This does not mean that that as a Christian I do not support charity for Jesus taught that we are to be charitable in Matthew 25:31-46.  Jesus is acknowledging that there will be times when people are genuinely in need and we as Christians have an obligation to care for their needs.  However, we are also to help these people find work so they can become self-sufficient people no longer requiring charitable assistance.  In fact, once these individuals no longer need charitable assistance they will be able to give back by helping others in need. 

The first person to have a job in the Bible was Adam who was given the duty of tending the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15).  God gave Adam this job prior to the fall, which dispels the myth that work is a curse.  The curse pronounced on Adam was not work but that his work would be difficult (Genesis 3:17-19).  Therefore, the next time your job is difficult, do not blame God but Adam.  We are created in the image of God, a God who works, after all, he created this entire world and universe in just six days and then took a day off as an example to us of the need to take one day a week to rest. 

Use of the term job lock is just another liberal ploy to justify their failed policies.  In Monday February 10, Talk show host Rush Limbaugh postulated the belief that the reason behind touting unemployment as a liberating force for good in people’s lives was an attempt to cushion people from the devastating news of the CBO report on Obamacare.  (2)  The CBO report revealed the fact that Obamacare is expected to drive 2.5 million full-time-equivalent workers out of the labor force by 2024.  (3)  It would appear that the liberal perspective on work is to use it as a political football.  They can claim that they have delivered people from an evil job in order to distract them from their failed policies.

My hope is that most individuals understand that having a job or business that pays them income is the best way to meet the needs of themselves and their families.  As we can see from scripture, this is not just something that was invented during the industrial revolution as some have said but something God wants us to do.  In an essay written by Benjamin Kline Hunnicutt, a professor of leisure studies at the University of Iowa, he attempted to justify the liberal logic that work is evil by saying, “During the Industrial Revolution, Americans worked incredibly long hours.  It was common for people to work from dawn to dusk, often into the night, six days a week—better than 60 to 70 hours a week with no vacation and few holidays.  (4)  What professor Hunnicut fails to mention is that prior to moving from the farm to cities during the industrial revolution, people worked the same long hours on the family farm.  All the industrial revolution did was transfer these long hours of work from the farm to the factory. 

The hard working people of this country have caused our country to become an economic superpower envied by the rest of the world.  I recommend that people adopt the biblical view of work and work hard allowing god to bless their efforts instead of waiting for some government bureaucrat to give them a handout in order to secure their vote.  Remember, government bureaucrats could care less about people’s economic state and are only interested in keeping their jobs.  They have no problem with using the taxes of others to buy votes by giving handouts to struggling individuals who they know will continue to vote for them to keep the handouts coming. 

Join me in being an example to others by working hard and demonstrating the value God has placed on hard work.  Proverbs 12:24 says the following

Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.

NLT

We must be examples of the value of hard work to a world losing its work ethic. 

1. The Washington Times. EDITORIAL: The Democrats’ job lock ruse Only in Obama World does losing your job set you free. www.washingtontimes.com. [Online] The Washington Times, February 10, 2014. [Cited: February 11, 2014.] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/10/editorial-the-democrats-job-lock/.

2. Limbaugh, Rush. Democrats: Work is Punishment. www.rushlimbaugh.com. [Online] EIB Network, February 10, 2014. [Cited: February 11, 2014.] http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2014/02/10/democrats_work_is_punishment.

3. Roy, Avik. Millions Americans Out of the Workforce. www.forbes.com. [Online] Forbes, February 5, 2014. [Cited: February 11, 2014.] http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/02/05/white-house-its-a-good-thing-that-obamacare-will-drive-2-5-million-americans-out-of-the-workforce/.

4. Hunnicutt, Benjamin Kline. Why Do Republicans Want Us to Work All the Time? www.politico.com. [Online] Politico Magazine, February 7, 2014. [Cited: February 11, 2014.] http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/02/jobs-leisure-republicans-want-us-to-work-all-the-time-103282.html?hp=pm_2#.Uvrg0flSbkr.

Biblical Common Sense Versus Washington DC Common Sense:

By:  Dale Weckbacher

My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.  Hang on

to them.

 (NLT)

Often as I look over the news of the day in order to determine what to write about, it is easy to become discouraged and I even have doubts about whether we can change the direction our country is currently on toward socialism and tyranny.  As a believer in Jesus Christ and the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, I find peace and comfort when I discern the news through the Word of God.  This is why I add a scripture at the beginning of each post that I believe is appropriate to the topic of the post. 

Looking at the events this week in the news we have to wonder what has happened to common sense and logic.  For example in the middle of the lowest labor, participation rate in 35 years (1)  instead of working on policies designed to create jobs for unemployed citizens of our country.  Instead, we are discussing how to grant amnesty and a pathway to citizenship for people who chose to violate the immigration laws of this country.  (2)  These people come into our country and since they are here illegally are willing to work under the radar for wages that are often below minimum wage. 

Politicians try to convince us that these individuals are no threat to American workers since they are doing jobs “Americans will not do.”  This may have been true when our economy was thriving and unemployment was low but millions have exhausted their unemployment and given up on finding work.  I am sure these individuals view an influx of cheap labor from south of the border as a threat and would prefer we enforce our immigration laws as a means of protecting them against an economic invasion of cheap labor competing for their jobs. 

In another example of the absence of common sense in our government, we have the raising of the debt ceiling.  Back in 2010, my wife was among those that lost her job.  When that happened, we had to reevaluate our family budget.  One of the things we did was pay off our much of our debt with the severance package my wife received when she left her job.  This is what common sense tells us to do when we face economic trouble. 

However, that is not the common sense of Washington.  When Obama took office, the total debt for the United States was $9,986.1 billion.  As of the end of 2013, the debt has increased to $16,738.2 billion.  (3)  Unlike what families do by reducing their spending and debt, the logic in Washington DC is to increase debt and spending, thus bankrupting the next generation that will have to pay back the massive debt our nation is accumulating. 

Then we have the logic of how to create jobs.  The majority of Americans work in the private sector.  In that sector, jobs are created by private companies that grow and need additional employees to run those businesses.  Growth in these companies does not occur because of some government program and instead is the result of their efforts to develop and deliver products and services people demand.  These companies thrive in an atmosphere of limited governmental control and intervention. 

However, the logic in Washington DC is one of creating an atmosphere that is hostile to private sector growth and prosperity.  (4)  The Obama environmental policies threaten the coal industry in our nation and the jobs of those working in that industry.  Obama was unable to have his cap-and-trade legislation passed in Congress but has not given up on the implementation of his environmental agenda.  He has now introduced a strategy that bypasses Congress through the implementation of a series of EPA regulations known as New Source Performance Standards (NSPS).  (5) 

These regulations will impose firm caps on the amount of carbon new coal-fired plants can emit and the government is even considering limiting the emissions of existing coal-fired plants.  (5)  This will serve to limit the demand for coal as these plants are required to limit their production of energy.  This curtailing of demand will mean less coal will need to be mined thus causing smaller coal mining operations to go out of business and larger operations will downsize.  This means more unemployment in the coal industry.  In addition, the limiting of production of cheap energy by these coal-burning plants will mean increases in energy prices for everyone.  This will be especially troubling for families facing higher health insurance premiums and reductions in hours because of Obamacare. 

Common sense tells us that what our country needs is an energy policy that does not limit energy production but instead increases energy production using new technologies.  North Dakota is experiencing an energy boom using technologies such as horizontal drilling and fracking to tap into newly accessible oil reserves.  (6) 

This oil boom not only benefits those working in the petroleum industry but also means the creation of new infrastructure.  It also means higher pay in other industries.  For example, even trainees at Walmart in North Dakota start at $17 per hour.  (7)  North Dakota provides an example of the economic boom our entire nation would experience if we would lift the onerous regulations placed on energy production by the EPA. 

What we need to restore our nation to the greatness it once had is to return to the commonsense policies that our founder envisioned when they drafted our constitution republic.  They envisioned a small government that would play the role of protecting the citizens of our nation and allow the creativeness of individuals in our nation to thrive.  They would have opposed the opening of our borders allowing an invasion of cheap labor that would take away jobs of citizens.  They would have opposed continual deficit spending and the incurring of massive debt that future generations will have to repay thus limiting their economic opportunities.  They would have also opposed onerous regulations that threaten the nation’s vital production of cheap energy, which is critical to the infrastructure of the nation. 

                                                                                                                                                                             

Give me Biblical common sense as opposed to Washington DC common sense any day. 

1. Adams, Becket. U.S. Unemployment Down to 6.6 Percent, Labor Participation at 35-Year Low. www.theblaze.com. [Online] The Blaze, February 7, 2014. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/02/07/u-s-unemployment-down-to-6-6-percent-labor-participation-at-30-year-low/.

2. Erickson, Erick. And We’re Doing Immigration Reform? www.redstate.com. [Online] Red State, February 5, 2014. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] http://www.redstate.com/2014/02/05/and-were-doing-immigration-reform/.

3. Chantrill, Christopher. US Federal Debt Since 1900. www.usgovernmentrevenue.com. [Online] US government Revenue. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] 16,738.2.

4. (Diary), Alecastates. President Obama Doesn’t Know How to Create Jobs, and a Minimum Wage Increase Won’t Help. www.redstate.com. [Online] Red State, February 6, 2014. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] http://www.redstate.com/alecstates/2014/02/06/president-obama-doesnt-know-how-to-create-jobs/.

5. Howe, Ben. Obama’s Plan to Bankrupt Coal Continues Without Congress. www.redstate.com. [Online] Red State, February 6, 2014. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] http://www.redstate.com/2014/02/06/obamas-plan-to-bankrupt-coal-continues-without-congress/.

6. Briody, Blaire. The Next North Dakota: 5 States About to Go Oil Boom. www.thefiscaltimes.com. [Online] The Fiscal Times, December 2, 2013. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/12/02/Next-North-Dakota-5-States-About-Go-Oil-Boom.

7. Louwagie, Pam. North Dakota struggles to cope with its oil-boom prosperity. www.startribune.com. [Online] Star Tribune, January 28, 2013. [Cited: February 7, 2014.] http://www.startribune.com/local/188503971.html.

Restoring the Power of the Tea Party Movement

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Acts 17:6b

"These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.

NKJV

The above passage from the Bible speaks of the tremendous impact the early church had on society.  It all started with Peter’s message after Pentecost where 3000 people were saved and the movement continued to grow from there.  Even when persecution came from both the Roman government and the Jewish religious leaders of the time, the church continued to grow.  This persecution only caused believers to scatter and spread the Gospel out from Israel and into the rest of the world.  It is this spreading of the Gospel, in the midst of great persecution, that the Bible speaks of in Acts 17:6. 

These people many of whom had seen Jesus after his resurrection and who were in the upper room at Pentecost, had a passionate desire to share their faith.  Not only did these people suffer great persecution, many of them even sacrificed their lives for their faith.  The passionate faith and desire to spread the message of truth these early Christians had is an example to us as we face tremendous challenges in our country. 

Just as the early church faced persecution from two fronts, the Tea Party and conservatives in our nation also face persecution from two fronts. 

1)      Democrats, Liberals, the Media, and Progressives – Persecution from here is similar to the persecution the early church faced from their Roman occupiers.  The threat here is very real and represents potentially dangerous threats for these groups because they hold the seat of power in the executive branch, the Senate, and much of the judiciary.  We have witnessed how President Obama has allowed the IRS to target Tea Party groups applying for tax-exempt status and has even went so far as to essentially make their activities legal through executive orders.  (1)

2)      The Republican Establishment, and Moderates – This persecution is similar to what the persecution the early church faced from the Jewish religious leaders of their time.  These religious leaders should have been able to discern from scripture that Jesus was the Messiah but were blinded from discovering this truth.  Likewise, the Tea Party was blindsided believing the Republican establishment would embrace them after helping them regain control of the House of Representatives in the 2010 election.  What conservatives and the Tea Party now know is that Republican establishment views them as an enemy and takes every opportunity to lash out at them.  (2) (3)

The early church grew in the midst of these great trials and I believe the Tea Party can also thrive in these difficult times by

1)      Developing the passion we had in the 2010 elections – Unlike the early church that continued to passionately declare the truth of the Gospel even when it cost them everything they had and even, in some instances, their lives, the Tea Party allowed itself to be silenced during the 2012 Presidential election due to pressure from the IRS.  Instead of allowing this pressure to silence us we must press on with our passion for seeing our country return to its roots as outlined in our founding documents.  Our founders had this passion and the result was the founding of this country.  Many of them lost everything they had but their passion was developing the legacy of a great and prosperous country.  We must revive this passion.

2)      Standing up to the Republican establishment – The current leadership of the Republican Party is more interested in being liked by Democrats, liberals, and the mainstream media than it is in working with its base.  However, this does not mean conservatives cannot win election in spite of the efforts of the GOP establishment to stop them.  In 1980, Ronald Reagan was able to secure the GOP nomination for President and win election in a landslide twice. 

It is time for the Tea Party to become vocal and visible once again.  On Thursday January 30, 2014, the GOP establishment currently running the House revealed their immigration/amnesty plan.  It appears the GOP leadership is attempting to trick conservatives into believing that their plan calling for “enforcement first” but that also calls for a way to “have an agreement that shows how people who are not lawfully here can be able to be lawfully here.” is somehow good for our country.  (4)   This is what occurs when you try to please both your large corporate donors while pleasing your conservative base.  The fact that the GOP establishment believes we, as conservatives are stupid enough to fall for this sham is a shame.  

What the Tea Party must do is select true conservative candidates for the House and Senate in the 2014 election and unite behind them through a grassroots effort just as early Christians did.  We then must begin uniting behind one candidate for President that believes in the true conservative principles of small, constitutional government and unite behind that candidate, propelling them to the nomination and the Presidency through a united passionate grassroots effort. 

Early Christians demonstrated what occurs when people passionately unite in a grassroots effort to declare the truth.  Join me and other tea party conservatives in a grassroots effort, declaring the benefits of smaller more responsive government.  The United States is a great nation and got there due to the greatness of its people but we must act now to save our country before our government grows into a leviathan that totally forgets about the people that made the nation great. 

1. Campbell, Greg. Obama Attempting to Make IRS Targeting Tea Party Legal. www.tpnn.com. [Online] Tea Party News Network, December 13, 2013. [Cited: December 27, 2013.] http://www.tpnn.com/2013/12/13/obama-attempting-to-make-targeting-tea-party-legal/.

2. Pollak, Joel. BOEHNER SHOWS TRUE COLORS TO TEA PARTY WITH RYAN-MURRAY BUDGET DEAL. www.breitbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, December 12, 2013. [Cited: January 30, 2014.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/12/Boehner-1-Tea-Party-0.

3. Strong, Matthew Boyle & Jonathan. SHOWDOWN: BOEHNER TO REVEAL IMMIGRATION 'PRINCIPLES,' CONSERVATIVES READY TO RUMBLE. www.breatbart.com. [Online] Breitbart News, January 29, 2014. [Cited: January 30, 2014.] http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/01/29/Immigration-Showdown-At-Cambridge.

4. Kaus, Mickey. This is the best scam they can come up with? dailycaller.com. [Online] The Daily Caller, January 30, 2014. [Cited: January 30, 2014.] http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/30/this-is-the-best-scam-they-can-come-up-with/.