Transcript: Hugh Hewitt Interviews Jim Gilchrist and Michelle Malkin on Border Security

Radio Blogger reports an interview of Michelle Malkin and Jim Gilchrist by Hugh Hewitt. They share key points regarding the restoration of the security of the United States of America at their national borders.

Thank you, Conservative Grapevine, for the link.

Review of a Book Review Review: The Truth About Hillary

The Truth About Hillary is making waves across the political spectrum. The "mainstream" media's intentional lack of coverage has had little effect in stopping the public interest in this critical biography. If anything, the news of some media coverups have heightened other media's attention to Ed Klein's book.

Amidst the criticism, suppression, and acclaim of The Truth About Hillary, Dr. Albert Mohler, Jr. recommends that Christians avoid this book and spend their time on more worthwhile tasks. Mohler makes no attempt to defend Senator Clinton, nor would we expect him to, but he does warn against an unhealthy joy in mudslinging and speculation.

I agree with bryanm's analysis:

Edward Klein's new book about Hillary Clinton, The Truth About Hillary is sure to have no problems selling. But, how should we as Christians think about this book? Albert Mohler has some very interesting comments on this.

The set-up for the book is a sure winner. To cultural conservatives--and especially to Christian conservatives--Hillary Clinton is representative of everything that is wrong with liberalism. Her ideological feminism, her early work developing a radical concept of children's rights, her "it takes a village" approach to raising children, and her activism for abortion and an entire constellation of liberal causes is enough to place her right at the center of conservative concern. The fact that she is married to former President Bill Clinton just adds fuel to the fire--and anxiety to the picture. The fact that she appears poised to enter the presidential race
raises the stakes even further. For all these reasons, Edward Klein's book seems just the thing--a repository of documentation that can justify and intensify Hillary hatred. What's wrong with this picture? Just about everything.

Ok, be honest, after reading that description of Hillary, you're ready to run out and buy the book aren't you? But let's consider a few other things.

Christians should repudiate this book and determine to take no pleasure in it. Why?

First, because we are morally obligated to tell the truth, to honor the truth, and to respect the truth. A quick look at The Truth About Hillary is enough to reveal the lack of documentation that would justify many of his charges and 'revelations.' Rumor is no substitute for evidence, and unnamed sources that dish out personal dirt are morally reprehensible and worthless in terms of credibility.

Christians need to carefully consider this first point. It is because we are morally obligated to tell the truth that we shouldn't be interested in a book that sets up a false truth at worst and an unsubstantiated one at best.

Second, because taking pleasure in this book will divert our attention from what really matters--the battle of ideas and the hard work of intellectual engagement. We should direct our energies to engaging the policies, proposals, and ideological commitments represented by Hillary Clinton--not to dirt-throwing contests over scandals without evidence.

This is a great point. In our current political and religious climate, it's very easy to lose focus. Given the stereotypes that Christians already have to deal with, it's imperative that we stay focused.

Third, because we know that character really does matter--and this means the character of those on both sides of a political contest or controversy. Those who oppose Hillary Clinton's policies and ideas will reveal true character by focusing on those policies and ideas--not on scandalous rumors. Inevitably, character will reveal itself, especially in the crucible of a heated political contest.

The fact that character will reveal itself, is actually quite comforting. As most reading this may in fact oppose Hillary as a political candidate, it would be detrimental to corrupt our Christian character for any reason.

Fourth, as Christians, we are not to take pleasure in the real or imagined wrongdoing of others. We must not give ourselves permission to read a book that will encourage us to feel morally superior about ourselves, even as it poisons our hearts about someone seen as a threat to what we cherish.

Read something edifying this summer. So many books . . . so little time.
Don't waste your time--or tempt your heart--with The Truth About Hillary.

This last point may be the most difficult for many to swallow. I think it's accurate though. Reveling in somone else's misfortune and moral misgivings will not get us anywhere in this, or any other debate.

Rally In New London

This is from Mud & PHuD (For more information, see Supreme Court Expands Eminent Domain Rules):

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Rally In New London

The rally is going to happen! Fred Paxton was kind enough to send me this:

FORT (For Our Rights Today) is holding a RALLY on Tuesday, July 5 at 6PM on the steps of City Hall on State Street in New London. There is a Parking Garage on the corner behind City Hall. Scott Bullock, the lead attorney from the Institute of Justice who argued the Kelo v New London case in front of the Supreme Court will be present. We are hoping to have a few other interesting speakers. Please do everything you can to be there. A strong showing is important not only for the Fort Trumbull residents but people across the nation.

If you would like more information, please contact Susette Kelo at 860-447-0466 or Kathleen Mitchell at 860-701-0023 or the email address above.

Remember: If not now then when, If not us then who! Please share this information with family and friends. Be there!

MIT Blogger Survey

Here is a request from MIT to all bloggers:

The larger our sample is, the better chance we have of being unbiased. Help us spread the word, and have your friends with weblogs take the survey as well!

Thanks to News from the Great Beyond for the tip.

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This post participates in the Beltway Traffic Jam.

Commendable Press

Established news disseminators have developed a reputation for painting the culture of death in a positive light, masquerading killers of the innocent as healthcare providers or keeping their crimes out of the news in many instances.

The pro-life community and other diligent media have published accounts of a killer who allegedly cannibalizes his victims and recently lost his clinic closed because of various health violations. The closing itself is good news, but established media sympathetic of or apathetic toward the culture of death offer little or no coverage of these dangerous activities.

Such reporters and commentators covered this article to varying degrees of detail. Some might consider the contents as "too much information" due to the graphic nature of the reports, but these sources deserve credit for their vigilance:

Articles:

Covenant News
Operation Save America
religionjournal.com
Christian Communication Network
FreeRepublic.com
EtherZone
The Crusader
The Great Separation
Gimmie Back My Bullets
WorldNetDaily
The Pulpit Pounder

Links:
Townhall.com
Drudge Forum
Pro-Life With Christ

"Blogdom of God"

Adrian is collecting URLs for a list of Christian bloggers and a link to his request. I'm happy to oblige.

Thank you, CrosWords for sharing.

Voices of Reason

The June 15 broadcast of the Political Cesspool provides a good analysis of the crime of illegal immigration.

One key point was the fact that illegal immigration is a crime, such as theft, drug trade, or murder. Thus, requests for government accommodations to illegal immigrants are requests to accommodate a crime, and suits for services to illegal immigrants promote lawbreaking. A host noted that another term for "flow of illegal immigrants" is "a flow of criminals."

A windows media recording of this program is online, and The Political Cesspool web site provides information about how to order program recordings on tape.

Press Release: CONSTITUTION PARTY CONDEMNS SENATE APPROVAL OF MORNING AFTER PILL

Editorial Note: Now that this blog is aggregated with ProLifeBlogs.com, I will be submitting more pro-life news such as the one below. Thank you, The Yonkers Insider.

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Press Release: CONSTITUTION PARTY CONDEMNS SENATE APPROVAL OF MORNING AFTER PILL

The following press release is being sent to all media in New York:

June 23, 2005

Mr. Burr Deitz, chairman of the Constitution Party of New York, announced today the Constitution Party's extreme disappointment in the Republican–controlled state senate's passage of a bill that allows women and underage girls to obtain morning-after pills from
pharmacists without a physician's visit or prescription and without parental consent.

Mr. Deitz said "We applaud Senator Ruben Diaz and others who voted against this abomination. We are disgusted with Republican Senator Nick Spano and the other senators who voted in favor of this bill. This event demonstrates more than ever why the Constitution Party is needed in New York. Our party will not endorse candidates who do not pledge and act to defend and promote the inviolable right to life of innocent human beings, from the moment of conception to
natural death – without exception."

The Constitution Party platform states `The pre-born child, whose life begins at fertilization, is a human being created in God's image.' Emergency contraceptives act to prevent implantation of a conceived human being that is created in God's image upon fertilization. Their sale and use results in a premeditated killing
of a preborn human child. Our platform also states, `We oppose the distribution and use of all abortifacients.' Morning-after pills are abortificients.

Mr. Deitz continued, "We stongly urge Governor Pataki to veto this bill. Since Governor Pataki is a 'pro-choice' governor who supports the murderous killing of pre-born babies, we realize that he is extremely unlikely to veto the bill. This pro-abortion governor was endorsed by both the Republican and Conservative parties in New York. Elected officials and judges have a moral, if not legal obligation to uphold the Constitution and defend the republic by protecting the innocent."

"We urge New Yorkers who are against abortion to join with us, and to vote for our candidates as the only way to end the continued butchering of America's most innocent children. Our platform and its principles can be found at: www.nyconstitutionparty.com"

Submitted by: Mr. Paul Henderson, Communications Director, Constitution Party of New York
Contact: (877)571-5479

Newsworthy Blog Entries

The Internet is full of news, and appropriately so. However, much of the news is written poorly and is often a waste of time to read.

Web sites exist to filter through the releases so that an editor or contributor can highlight their favorite articles.

With this blog, I am going to add my voice to identify articles that I find newsworthy for any (but not necessarily all) of the following reasons:

1. The article has important information.
   
2. I like the article.
   
3. I agree with the article.
   
4. The article exemplifies thorough or balanced journalism.
   

This may simply consist of a link reference, excerpt, and/or a copy where legally appropriate.

Many Media Blackout Abortion Atrocities

Mark Jurries and others point out how many media outlets are circumventing coverage of the cannibalism of a child killer, whose abortion clinic was recently shut down due to hazardous conditions:

What's just as interesting as the story is the lack of coverage it's getting. I searched CNN, ABC, MSNBC, CBS, and FOX, and didn't find a mention of the story. Why? Either they're too busy yapping about Michael Jackson or they're not interested in covering the story because it would run against their agenda.

It's true that many media outlets (including those above) are silent or sympathetic about the atrocities of the abortion industry. An online friend of mind was monitoring the AP feed via Yahoo since Wednesday and saw no coverage of this investigation. Apparently the only AP coverage neglected to mention the improper storage of cadavers and evidence of cannibalism (see the article if you think you can stomach the details. It's not pretty, but the story needs to be told as people are literally getting away with murder among other vices).

Mr. Jurries reminds us that we do have other means of obtaining critical news:

But that's what makes internet journalism (i.e. WorldNetDaily and the blogosphere) so great - you can find the stories they don't want you to find.

I did notice this story in the blogosphere and other online media. They deserve credit for covering news like this, and I Lord-willing I will credit them in a later blog update.

Geocaching, Episode II

On Monday I spotted my first "find", and I was along for the ride when my friend located another in Clarksville, IN.

More Good News

My friend Jon shared this message of how God offers us forgiveness of sin and an abundant life now and for eternity in His loving hands. Jon wanted me to share this and I am glad to help spread the Word.

I have placed my trust in Jesus Christ to free me from my sin and adopt me into God's family. I pray that you do, too.

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There are many people that are lost from God’s love, many who probably have been led away from Jesus through deception. I am certain in Christ Jesus that many people search for something that is empty in their own heart. They are sad, and incomplete in their lives. Perhaps they believe in no God, perhaps ALLAH, perhaps one of the many Buddhist gods. One thing is for certain. There is no excuse for us to ignore them. These people feel the emptiness only Jesus; the Prince of Peace can fill. Jesus wishes us to be His living tools, so all those who are lost may know the Joy He brings!

20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal
power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what
has been made, so that they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20

Truly none of us deserve any good thing from God, If we expected God to look at us as we look upon each other. As the common phrase is, “Nobody is Perfect”

To the people of the world that do not believe in Adam and Eve and the original sin; even they cannot dispute that at times in their lives they have acted out or even thought in their minds that which is not good. For if God is perfect (which He is) and time is eternal (which it is) then just one time in our lives that we have fallen short of perfection, we must be held guilty by an eternally perfect God!

10as it is written,” THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,THERE IS
NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; 12ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME
USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." Romans 3:10-12

You and I take joy in the free Gift from God. We can live our lives with the blessed assurance that we are with Christ and Christ with us. How horrible we were, and are. Yet in all that we are loved by God!

8But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8

Our knowledge of Jesus’ willing sacrifice, and resurrection from the dead is a flame on our hearts, and in our mouth, and seen with our eyes. For us there is no excuse. This flame is passed on to us by those before us, and can be seen being passed down all the way back to Jesus Christ Himself! We must pass this flame unto others! PRECIOUS are the words below:

16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17"For God did not send
the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved
through Him. 18" He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe
has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
Saint John 3:16-18

Are we single minded? Are we arrogant; thinking we are the only ones who could be correct in our beliefs? If it is God’s will for the world to see us as such, then we must suffer such names! The world would have us to believe that what ever is good for you may not be for me. Such words dilute the perfect statement from Our Lord Jesus:

6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to
the Father but through Me.
Saint John 14:6

Take comfort in your faith, and know that Christ loves you, and
shall return for us all. Those who believe in the one Living God, and His
Son, Jesus Christ:

2"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would
have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3"If I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am,
there you may be also.
Saint John 14:2-3

16"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another
Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17that is the Spirit of truth, whom the
world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him
because He abides with you and will be in you.
Saint John 14:16-17

It is good for us to be confident in Christ Jesus. To have faith in Christ is to acknowledge His awesome power. To acknowledge that He is the only God is to acknowledge His sovereignty. We should never be afraid to tell people about Jesus Christ, for He is the gift of salvation to the whole world:

8"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord
God, " who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Revelation 1:8

Many people will feel this emptiness, and also know that there is a desire in their heart concerning knowing Jesus. Such a precious gift Jesus has for us. Eternal life without pain, worries, or fear. Yet a free gift to all who will believe:

9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9

If you see friends or family that have such questions or feel emptiness. PLEASE tell them what you know! Pray this prayer with them and thank God for the miracle that just happened inside them, If you feel the need to pray this prayer, then do not hesitate to pray:

God, I have done wrong in my life! I believe in your son Jesus. That He died on
a cross to wash away my sins. To never be seen again in your eyes. That He rose
from the dead and now reigns in Majesty. God forgive me, and save me -Amen

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If you have turned from your sins to follow Jesus Christ today, please let me know so that I could rejoice with you and encourage you in your faith. (E-mail address is avalle789( at) sbtsstudents dot net) .

This blog is for me to share thoughts to benefit the reader, and if this leads you to follow Jesus Christ, your benefit will last for this life and for the life to come in God's grace.

Geocaching

I went geocaching tonight.

I can almost hear you say geo-what?

Geocaching is a hi-tech version of scavenger hunting aided by a Global Positioning System and a Web browser. For those with any explorational instincts, this is a great way to enjoy the outdoors.

My friend Bill introduced me to a Geocache quest in Cherokee Park, where we had a successful find. He logged our results on http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LUID=baed597c-0ea9-4569-9551-9aa82d2a6d35 .

I enjoyed the little hike.

Thanks, Bill.

"The Entrance of Thy Words Giveth Light"

Our Sunday School class is doing a study on Bible intake, including Bible memorization.

This prompted me to review the verse that my wife and I are in the process of memorizing. Writing text by hand and typing are useful memorization tools, and I am now adding "blogging" to my toolbox.

It has been many minutes since I last attempted to quote the verse, so I will give it a try here.

Psalm 91:15
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble, and deliver him. ; I will deliver him, and honor him.


The editing above shows where I need some work. Now that it is in my immediate memory, I will type it again for reinforcement:

Psalm 91:15
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.


That quotation was made without reading another while typing (verified by the honor system), so I'm making progress.

As Christians we need to be not just hearers and quoters, but
doers of the Word. Please pray that this would be the case for you and me.

Introducing ProLifeBlogs

Last week I discovered ProLifeBlogs.com:

The objective of this site is to raise awareness and support for the pre-born and the sanctity of human life by communicating pro-life news and materials and by enabling a community of pro-life bloggers to promote their sites, interact with one another and influence internet readers.

After using the site for a few days, I have found this claim to be true. It addresses various right to life issues from various perspectives (philosophical, practical, political, and non-political), and provides links to a wide variety of resources.

Out of gratitude for all who defend the right to life, I have placed an iconic link to ProLifeBlogs.com in the sidebar.

Bumper Sticker Theology

Yesterday I saw a black-and-white bumper sticker with the following quotation:

I don't bless governments, I don't bless countries, and I don't bless wars. - God

This seems to indicate a stingy god in contrast to the compassionate God of the Bible. In the following passages He reveals Himself to be more generous with His blessings:

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34)

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (II Chronicles 7:14 )

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD (Psalm 33:12)

Another bumper sticker on this vehicle advertised John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid.
I wonder if Howard Dean was driving.

Pray that they would get to know the God revealed in Scripture, and for all of us, pray that He would truly be Lord of our lives.