3/16/07. Are You Monogendered?

I know, I know, you probably don’t know the meaning of the word monogendered? Don’t feel too bad, Microsoft’s Word spellchecker doesn’t know either. I just learned the term yesterday, and I am monogendered.

Being upset about all the madness about gender identity, I googled those two words and found there were more than 33 million references to gender identity. If I could have googled “gender identity in 1955, I would have likely gotten a few dozen. In those days we knew that about half the people were male and the other half female with an occasional morphrodite (hermaphrodite) passing through town with a carnival. Let me point out that the hermaphrodite is born that way because of a genetic aberration whereby a person has both primary sex organs.

Today there are dozens of terms that have been invented by people with aberrant behaviors, which are not likely inherited. These behaviors come from choices people make.

My google search lead me to a glossary of terms about sexual and gender identity. It had four pages of such terms as “gender dysphoria,” which is “Unhappiness or discomfort experienced by one whose sexual organs do not match one’s gender identity.” And by the way, monogendered according to their definition is, “One who is comfortable in only one gender role.” Well duh, yes I am comfortable in ONLY ONE gender role.

This kind of stuff is humorous on the surface, but otherwise America has some very sick people, and not all of them are confused about their own gender. I don’t know if there is anything worse than sitting down in a “hear no evil, see no evil” mode knowing our young children are being fed lies like this.

Christians, among all peoples, know the source of truth and it is not in the public schools, major news media sources, TV, movies, and pop songs. If your pastor doesn’t take the lead, then leave him sitting on his pulpit furniture and start doing something youself.


3/14/07. Intolerance of the Tolerance Crowd

General Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made a comment the other day saying he thought homosexual behavior was immoral. It sent the politically correct crowd into orbit. You can expect the homosexual activist groups to be upset, but it is sad that many heterosexual (I guess) politicians chimed in with an open rebuke toward Pace.

Nancy Pelosi put in her two cents. And by the way, two cents would be about maximum for anything she might say. How on earth did we get to a place in America where someone like her would become Speaker of the House? Well I’m off track here.

The people who want you and me to be tolerant of their beliefs and perverted behavior will not be tolerant of our opinions if we use the Bible as our guide. The righteousness of God will not share the same space with their dark lost soul.

The Bible says homosexual behavior is perverted. I know a lot of people including many who sit in church pews do not believe the Bible, but hey, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist, a theology professor, or a PhD in zoology to understand that males having sex with other males is NOT NORMAL.

Interestingly enough the same people who believe homosexuality is okay and normal for some people are the same ones who believe in evolution. I just wonder how the evolutionists explain homosexuals, or vice versa.


3/08/07. Let Me See If I Understand This

Scooter Libby was convicted in court and could spend 25 years in prison. For what? He had a poor memory as did about 4-5 other key witnesses, but his was called a lie.

What did Libby “lie” about? He supposedly outed someone who was supposedly a covert CIA agent. While Valerie Plame was the person named, no one established that she was a covert agent, because she wasn't. So Libby “lied” about something that didn’t exist. He was the one who did the outing and she couldn't be outed since she was not a covert CIA agent. Wow, this is so criminal!

Democrat Sandy Berger stole sensitive documents from the National Archives, stuffed them in his pants, and then destroyed them: the documents, not his pants. He also lied, but so what? Anyway he is still walking around, and is in fact working for one of the 2008 presidential campaigns because he has government security clearance.

And, Democrat Congressman William Jefferson, Louisiana was caught red-handed with $90,000 of green in his freezer. He is still walking around too. In fact, Speaker Nancy Pelosi recently put him on an important committee, Homeland Security.

Justice, who kidnapped and raped her?


3/06/07. Dumbsville, USA

One of the real shocks I received in the early days of my college teaching career came when I watched a college sophomore student attempt to divide one number by another. She had no clue how to start the process without the aid of a calculator. That was 1972. And some would say those were the good old days when students had some math skills.

Performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) reached a peak in 1964, and since that time scores have declined continually for more than 40 years. With declining scores educators have been inflating grades to make students look better. The National Assessment of Educational Process test out of Washington has shown that the typical state has claimed their students perform at the 68% level on test scores, while the NAEP tests show them performing at 30%. Why the discrepancy? States are allowed to make their own tests for the students and then give the tests. Others make the NAEP tests. In short, states make their own tests and likely give teachers instructions about how to “teach to the tests.”

A few weeks ago I watched American Idol for the first time. It was very entertaining, primarily because the producers obviously put the worst of the worst as well as some of the best on the telecast. The entertaining part was watching complete fools make complete fools of themselves. I was struck by the positive attitude of those losers. When talking they seemed so sure that they were good, yet they were awful. I’ve heard a lot during the past 30 years about how schools teach self-esteem to an extreme. As a result kids are dumb, but feel good about it. I really wonder if that was what was going on with the Idol losers. Either way we are in deep trouble with such a dumbing down of America’s children.

That same problem is found among Christians. We know from research that very few so called born again Christians at 18 years of age have a Christian worldview after graduation from college. No one apparently trained them to study God’s Word.


3/1/07. Al “Hot Air” Gore Major Contributor to Global Warming

If we could harness all the hot air that spews out from the mouths of the global warming fanatics it would probably destroy the habitat of the polar bear population. Al Gore is one of the worst. Take an ignorant populace, feed them lies of a supposed crisis cultivated by a few elites whose main goal in life is to control the masses, and you have something like a global warming problem.

Has global warming killed anyone yet? No. Has homosexual behavior by men killed anyone yet? Yes. As a matter of fact males participating in homosexual behavior are about 6000 times more apt to get HIV, and the life expectancy of this type person is about 30 years less than heterosexual men. We have this kind of problem on a global basis and people are basically ignoring the problem of such behavior, but would have you to believe the earth will be destroyed if you don’t turn in your SUV for a bicycle.

As for Al “Hot Air” Gore, he has four homes and the one in Tennessee costs him about $30,000 per year for electric and gas. And, old “Hot Air” says everyone can do something to prevent global warming. As I understand it if you have a large carbon footprint, as they call it, you can invest some of your wealth in energy saving endeavors and therefore give yourself a carbon neutral position. Al “Hot Air” has supposedly done that to allow him to still spend $30,000 in energy utilities on one of his four homes and still feel proud of himself.

That’s how elites manipulate. They do what they want because they have the money to buy themselves an excuse. Remember the year when “Hot Air” was still vice-president, and he and his wife gave only about $300 to charity. He would rather tax you to death to give part of it to others who can vote for him.


2/28/07. Idol Camp, That Figures

A few days ago I heard about a camp sponsored by the American Idol TV show that is called Idol Camp. The camp is for young kids 12-15, or something close to that. That certainly is consistent with American pop culture right now, training our young kids to attempt to be an American idol.

The thing that struck me so about this announcement is that the timing was appropriate. I mean it was appropriate considering all the headlines for the past few weeks about Anna Nicole Smith and Brittany Spears. Both of these young women were idols of sorts, they captured headlines for their unusual behavior and then bottomed out. Smith died at age 39 of unknown causes at this point, and Spears had most of her head shaved and was in and out of a rehab center three times in one week. Smith has been dead for about three weeks, and courtroom shenanigans have yet to put closure to the question, “Where should Anna Nicole be buried?”

My point is that we do not need to send 12-year old kids to camp to train to be American idols. The Hollywood types and the rock stars may make the headlines, and they may make lots of money, but why would any adult want to encourage youngsters to enter careers where disastrous side effects seem to be commonplace?



2/17/07. HPV HYPE

Even casual observers have noticed the news about the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer, certain genital lesions and warts due to the human papillomavirus (HPV). One of the most disturbing things about this new vaccine is that some people are recommending it for girls as young as nine years old. Considering that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, I have to wonder, “Has America gone nuts?” Well of course she has.

Rick Perry, governor of Texas issued an executive order earlier this month requiring all sixth grade girls be given the vaccine Gardasil (Merck) beginning in 2008. I also read that a Merck lobbyist in Austin was a chief of staff for Governor Perry some time in the past. How convenient is that? Half of the sixth graders in Texas are girls, so that makes a pretty good locked in market, wouldn’t you say?

While it is nice to have a vaccine that has the potential of preventing cancer, the 3700 people who die of cervical cancer each year is right at one-half of one percent of the entire population. Government has no business forcing young girls to take any vaccine, especially one that prevents a STD. Many who look at this problem are failing to focus on the real issue behind the symptoms, the sexual activity of teens. We don’t see a problem with teens having sex, but boy we sure want to make sure we do all we can to prevent global warming, the ultimate in hype!


2/13/07. Is The Democrat Party Now Complete?

Every levelheaded Democrat in America should pause long enough to observe all those who are connected to the party. It seems every aberrant group in America is attached in some way.

The Democrat Party is home to animal rights groups, the sexually disoriented groups, the NOW gang, the environmental nuts, communists, socialists, and in general all who seem to hate America. The latest action of the party to show their consistency is that they had a Muslim Imam give the invocation at the Democratic National Committee winter meeting. That was probably appropriate come to think of it, “winter meeting of Democrats.”

Husham AL-Husainy who delivered the convocation prayer heads a large Shiite mosque in Dearborn, MI. He has ties to radical Shiites in Iraq who are terrorizing Christians there.

I am not surprised that Democrats would do that, and to be honest, the Republican Party is just a couple steps behind in selling out our country, which was founded on Christian principles. Sadly, too many who call themselves Christian do not see anything wrong with a prayer to Allah.


2/12/07. Disciple Your Daughter

I first met Joe Crickenberger when he was a college student. He would attend our church during holidays alone. Having a certain affinity for college students after having spent 20 years on college campuses, I got acquainted with Joe when I could because we also shared a common interest in agriculture. In fact, Joe was then an Ag student at West Virginia University where I completed my undergraduate degree in agriculture. Fast-forward about 20 years: Joe and his 17-year old daughter Sarah are in Honduras for the next several days as part of a work mission team.

I have a strong belief that parents should do all they can to give their children a missionary trip experience, particularly to a Third World country. And, I think it is more effective if at least one parent goes with that son or daughter. To send your child to get a certain experience is one thing, but to show you have a genuine interest in the mission work, for example, is important. Do as I do, not do as I say.

I met Joe about the same time I took some men to Nicaragua for a mission trip. It was years later after Joe had married Kim, and they started raising a family that Joe went on one of our mission trips. He liked it, and now a few years later he and Sarah are on a trip together.

As a side bar note Glenda and I asked Joe to be one of a few people to meet with us to plan a local camp program to help others. That was in 1993. It was Joe who suggested the acronym SAW, which stands for Servants At Work. Thanks Joe.

Another side bar: Steve Hancock a mutual friend that Joe and I have is also on the same trip with his daughter Josie. Discipleship; doing things with your children.


2/7/07. Race Set The Stage For Christian Witness

I often write about the fact that major media and liberal politicians are constantly trying to make it look like America is the most racist nation in the world. It’s always the same crowd taking every opportunity to insert race into every equation that comes along. Frankly, I think the majority of Americans of all races have gotten over the plantation days.

Events leading up to the Super Bowl irritated me to no end. I’m not an avid football fan, but every time the Super Bowl was mentioned on TV it seems the sports announcers had to gush over the fact that both coaches in the Super Bowl are black. It was treated as some monumental cultural event that was equivalent to Rosa Parks sitting somewhere besides the back seat. I became more annoyed each time I heard these guys and gals talk about this milestone. As it turns out, this was a very good thing.

The reason it was a good thing is because the two coaches are committed Christians. When the winning coach was interviewed this is how it went.

Jim Nantz of CBS Sports asked this of Tony Dungy, “ This is one of those moments, Tony, where there is also social significance in this victory, and to have your hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Tell me what this means to you right now.”

Tony Dungy answered, ”I'll tell you what. I'm proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American to win this. It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I've said it before, Lovie Smith and I, are not only the first two African-Americans, but Christian coaches showing that you can win doing it the Lord's way. And we are more proud of that.”

Praise God! Dungy, in order to be polite, had to say he was proud to be representing African-American coaches, but he clearly let the interviewer know that his relationship to Jesus Christ was more important. This had more impact coming from Dungy because the media had hyped the race significance. This basically set the stage for his Christian witness. Dungy and Lovie Smith also have worked with some ministry to provide an excellent witnessing tool online. Go to http://www.beyondtheultimate.org to find that information.


2/2/07. Selling Dim Bulbs to Dim Bulbs

A California assemblyman made news the other day when he announced that he wanted a law to ban incandescent light bulbs by the year 2012. Leave it to the green crowd to come up with such ideas. If I learned one important thing during my five years of graduate school at two different universities it was this; beware of those who make conclusions without scientific proof.

The global warming crowd is getting louder and louder. They use the tactic of repeating a lie often and eventually people will believe the lie. Like so many outrageous things in our culture from global warming, abortion is not murder, homosexual behavior is normal, and many other abnormal thoughts and behaviors, the success of these propaganda campaigns is dependant upon an ignorant populace.

So we have a viscous cycle; children go to public schools where they learn more cultural propaganda than scientific facts and methods. Some become the next generation’s teachers. The scenario sets up a situation whereby lies can be propagated on the masses with relative ease. So if some nutcase comes along and says a dim light bulb will prevent global warming, there is little resistance because the idea is being presented to dim bulbs who don’t know any better, don’t care, and wouldn’t know how to find the truth if they wanted to do so.


2/1/07. It Shouldn’t Be a Black and White Matter

The multiculturalism nonsense in America is getting old. I am tired of so many issues being talked about in black and white terms. Senator Joe Biden probably killed his own political campaign the same day he announced he was a candidate for president. He said to a reporter concerning candidate Barrack Obama, “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy, I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”

Most every word in the sentence is ridiculous implying that no one has every come on the American scene with dark skin who is also articulate, bright, clean and nice-looking. It was a stupid comment and full of error. However, our country’s obsession with the first African-American this, the first woman that, the first homosexual that, or the first Hispanic to do something, is outright stupid. Let it be. Let people with dark skin color or a double X-chromosomes rise naturally according to their talents and hard work WITHOUT feeling the need to point out the skin color, gender, gender preference, etc.

The color distinction is more absurd when you take into account that many so called African-Americans actually have no more African blood than some other country. In fact, Obama’s was born to a white woman. Why not call Obama a European with great skin color? If he is a qualified candidate then let something besides his skin color determine if he can do the job.


1/30/07. Bush’s Cut and Run at the Mexican Border Policy

In mid May, 2006 we got news that about 6000 National Guard members were being sent to our southern border. We were told that they would not likely be armed and that they would not have any duties to enforce control of illegal aliens crossing the border. We were told that the Guard would be helping build roads and fences. Most of us no doubt thought such a measure was nothing more than political posturing to make us think our government actually wants to control the border. Hey, we are not stupid.

Recently about a dozen armed people came across our southern border with our National Guard troops in full view. The word is that the Guard cut and run. Well, as George Bush said when asked if any Democrats used that language concerning Iraq, “cut and run” was not the exact language. Nonetheless, our Guard troops got in their vehicles and moved out of the area avoiding conflict with the weapon tote’n, bullet proof vest wearing Mexicans.

A spokesman for the Arizona National Guard Major Paul Aquirre said, "We don't apprehend. We don't detain. We don't transport." What are they guarding, their lunch? Sounds like we should remove the word “guard” from National Guard. So I wonder, what does it cost to keep 6000 boys scouts on our southern border?

The Bush Administration continues to act as though American citizens are the least important people in this Mexican border disaster. Bush seems more intent to please Mexican authorities than the average America. He desires to appease large companies by allowing them to employ illegals. Bush does like to give the allusion that he has your best interest at heart when he sent the troops to the Mexican border, but his cut and run policy exposes the truth; you are not important to him.

Of course, cut and run would have kept two brave Border Patrol agents out of jail. American citizens should hound the White House until Bush pardons the two agents who were put in jail recently while the Mexican doper found with about 750 pounds of illegal drugs was given immunity for testifying (telling lies) about the agents. Information is surfacing almost daily showing the agents were not guilty as charged.




1/29/07. Grandchild Number Ten

Cassie Marie Rowan, born January 22, is now home and being enjoyed by all.
Shown with Cassia are parents Mark and Jenny, and older sister Elena Kay.

1/28/07. School: Religious Freedom or Christian Responsibility

I have a lot of respect for Jerry Falwell at several different levels, but he has missed opportunities to do the right thing for many years. In his column today at WorldNetDaily.com he repeated a theme he often discusses, religious freedom in public schools.

I have heard many Falwell messages over the decades but I have never heard him strongly advocate the formation of more Christian schools or suggest that parents homeschool their children. Falwell has put a lot of energy into fighting for the religious freedom in public schools including the formation of Liberty Counsel, an organization with lawyers who challenge the discrimination against Christians in public schools.

Falwell has several ministries including Liberty University and k-12 Lynchburg Christian Academy. Both are excellent schools. I am guessing that the reason Falwell does not promote homeschooling or the formation of more Christian schools is that he doesn’t want to offend public school teachers who help finance his ministries. If that is so, it is a poor reason. The other possibility is that Falwell actually believes his work in the public schools is more valuable.

Whatever Falwell’s motive is I see the work in public schools much like trying to infiltrate the enemy camp and train their troops. There has to be a better way in this day, and that my friend is homeschool and private Christian schools. Of course, this will not be successful until a large majority of pastors, and especially the high profile ones like Falwell, make an aggressive public effort to promote and finance such schools. FINANCE, that’s it, finance; pastors already have ideas about what they want to do with the money that comes into their storehouse.


1/26/07. What is George’s “hidden in the Bush” agenda?

In his State of the Union speech recently President Bush said, “we cannot fully secure the border unless we take pressure off the border, and that requires a temporary worker program.” Oh really, George? Do you mean like you can’t keep prisoners in a jail until you let a few of them out? George, I suggest a troop surge to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California that would put a lot more pressure on our side of the border.

Bush is stubborn. It is nice to have a commitment to a just cause, but 4000 illegal aliens crossing our southern border each day will not make America strong. This type thing has been escalating into a nightmare at hospitals, schools, and other places where the people coming here as cheap laborers do so at the expense of taxpayers who foot the bill for all the perks the illegals get. There is nothing cheap about their labor, and the Hispanics failure to assimilate into AMERICAN (USA) culture is slowly adding to our cultural decline.

Bush said we need an orderly and legal way for foreigners to enter and work on a temporary basis so they wouldn’t have to sneak in, “and that will leave border agents free to chase down drug smugglers, and criminals and terrorists.” He says this while the nation is outraged at the fact that two border patrol agents are in prison while the drug smuggler they were chasing was set free after U.S. taxpayers paid the medical bill to treat his wounds. And we are puzzled as to why U.S. officials took the time to go to Mexico and find this drug smuggling criminal so he could testify against the border patrol agents.

America did not become great by an influx of immigrants comparable to the massive illegal invasion. We are a great nation for a number of reasons, but changing the cultural landscape so rapidly giving us a Mexican sub-culture, or permanent subclass is proving disastrous. The illegal alien invasion is enormous and critical thinkers in the United States are wondering why Bush wants to eliminate our borders and make such a contribution to the destruction of this great nation. Is Bush stupid? Is he sold out to some group of people? If so, who are they? He seems sincere about some things, but he is sincerely wrong in his views about the invasions at our southern border.



1/25/07. Methods Fell Off the Wagon.

When John Wesley and others founded and lead the Methodist Church in its early days they supposedly focused on prayer, study and helping the underprivileged. When the news surfaced recently that President George W. Bush wanted to establish his library at Southern Methodist University some people came out of the woodwork to protest.

I paid no attention to the man’s name, but I saw him on a TV news report as to why some do not want the Bush library to be at SMU. He was labeled as pastor of a Methodist Church somewhere is south Texas as I remember. His complaint about President Bush was laughable for anyone informed about politics and religion. He complained about the fact that economic conditions for some in America should have more attention from the Bush Administration. My thoughts are, “What every happened to prayer, study, and helping the underprivileged?"

I suppose everyone has a different type burr that gets under the saddle, but one of mine is preachers who try to get the government to do work the church should be doing. I am a little familiar with the Bible and what it says about Caesar, and what it says about believers. For people who are ignorant of the Bible, yet attend church and listen to these liberal “do-gooder” preachers spew their rhetoric about what government should do for the welfare of the underprivileged, I feel sorry.

It is not the function of government to take from some and give to others. The Bible says ”Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor. 9:7) Notice that the Bible says each man, not a central government. The liberal guy in south Texas was on TV representing the Methodists denomination even if unofficially. He is not alone; misguided men are frequently on national TV trying to tell us what Jesus would do, and at the same time suggesting that our government is the entity responsible. Anyone with such a warped view of the roles of Christians and governments has fallen off the wagon if they were ever on it.