Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. This statement is clear, concise, to the point and desires absolutely no interpretation. There is absolutely nothing in the constitution that talks about the “separation of church and state”. That statement can be attributed to a letter from Thomas Jefferson in response to members of the Danbury Baptiste association who were worried about government encroachment on their religious liberties. He responded “Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between church and State”. http://billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/primary-source-documents/danburybaptists/  It is interesting to note that two days after writing this letter Jefferson attended a church service in the House of Representatives.

Freedom of religion does not mean that there is no circumstance under which the practice of religion cannot be subject to certain laws. As a country though, we must be very careful how we choose to apply any rule of law against the free practice of religion. This right is not mercifully extended to the citizens by the benevolent hand of government. It is a God given right! And no one has the authority to impinge on this it! Just as no man has the right to enslave another, no one has the right to encroach on the religious freedom of another. It is significant that in countries where people are free to pursue their conscience, there tends to be respect for other freedoms as well. Religious freedom is strongly related to political liberty, economic freedom, and prosperity. “[W]herever religious freedom is high, there tends to be fewer incidents of armed conflict, better health outcomes, higher levels of earned income, and better educational opportunities for women.” http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/12/why-does-religious-freedom-matter

Quite frankly, religious freedom is the harbinger of the many freedoms that people simultaneously enjoy. If you do not believe this then look at the countries where religion is forbidden or there is a theocratic state. The likelihood of countries like America suddenly descending into tyranny is highly improbable, but if it was to happen it would most likely happen incrementally by attacking basics rights like religious liberty. For this reason citizens must be vigilant and fight back against any, and all attacks on their faith if they want to continue enjoying this God given right. The freedoms that we enjoy in the western world and other democracies are a direct result of this great experiment in governance by the America people. We must ensure that these rights are there for, and continue to be enjoyed by our posterity.

The history of the world is littered with despots, and tyranny fills our not too distant past. We must be ever mindful of this and do everything in our power to guard these liberties that we take for granted. When Justice Hugo Black used this statement by Jefferson in his ruling against the school district in NJ almost 70 years ago he started a dangerous precedent. Since then there has been a slow steady stream of subtle attacks on religious freedoms that have recently taken on new fervor. It has gotten to the point that one cannot even say a public prayer before a football game in many school districts, towns have banned traditional Christmas displays, the United States government tried to force a major employer to provide the morning after pills to women even though it goes against their beliefs, some religious foster home charities have been forced to close their doors because they too refused to compromise their convictions about children growing up in traditional families, a city in California tried to ban home bible studies, and the list continues. What makes this particularly alarming is that all of these attacks have been initiated by the State in the guise of concern for some “greater” cause. Americans must be vigilant and guard against this slow invasive creep. Even if one hates religion and disagrees with many of the positions held by these religious institutions, no one can afford to let these attacks go unchallenged. We are all stake holders because as religious freedom goes, so goes many of our other freedoms.

To the Black Lives Matter movement. In the interest of really working to improve the plight and the lives of black people in this country, please take your message into the black neighborhoods where crime is rampant, and confront the perpetrators who inflict the most violence against other black people. Address the chronic issue of black on black crime and the sheer brutality with which it is often committed. Because black lives matter, place more focus on the value of the black lives lost as a direct result of the wanton violence inflicted by other blacks on these victims. Work on reducing the number of homicide victims in these communities where the murder rate is so significantly higher than in any other ethnic group. Because black lives matter, challenge the drug pushers in black communities to channel their energy into outreach programs that stress the importance of education, and work toward reducing the high school dropout rate. Because black lives matter so much, target more energy on the issue of absent black fathers from the home and their children’s lives. Perhaps reducing the rate of black children born to single parents from 73 percent may go a long way in addressing that issue. Because black lives matter so much we should teach our young men the proper way to respond to and deal with the police when they are stopped by the police (whether they are justifiably stopped or not). If we want to decrease the rate of incarceration amongst black men, we have to do a better job of getting them to understand that prison is a natural consequence of committing crime. Remind them that despite the rhetoric, there is no conspiracy by the Police against them, that “the system;” contrary to popular opinion is not “out to get them”. Teach young black men to carry themselves with pride and not assume the status of victims, encourage them to adopt a positive lifestyle with good habits and life changing behavior. Let them know that “the American Dream” is possible even for them. If the Black Lives Matter movement, together with the rest of the community work diligently to help implement these simple measures in the black community, we will go a long way toward improving the lives of black people throughout this country.

“We sleep peacefully in our beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on our behalf”. This quotation captures the essence of what some are called to do and the way that we benefit from them faithfully answering that call. While there are many dangerous jobs that others do, the men and women who volunteer to do the job of protecting us deserve special mention and gratitude. They perform a noble endeavor and because of their excellence we often go about our business completely unaware of the many perils that could have befallen us were it not for the heroic work of these gallant citizens. They are often underpaid and unappreciated yet they persist, they are maligned but they continue to put themselves in harm’s way to protect us, they are castigated and their characters impugned but they stand ready to fight on our behalf. They have families and friends who worry about them, they have plans for their lives, they have fears and many of the same worries that the rest of us do, in fact; they are like us in every other way except for the extraordinary and thankless job that they do on our behalf, but they do it anyway.

Show appreciation today for a police officer.

Imagine for one minute the concept of absolute nothingness. There are no stars in the sky, no sun, no moon, no atmosphere, or stratosphere, there are no mountains or valleys, no beaches or oceans, no rivers or tributaries, no gravity or any physical laws. There is no oxygen, no hydrogen, methane, or matter. None of the things on which we rely to give us energy is present. There is no water, no fire, no wind or anything that our imaginations can conjure. The very concept of nothingness in itself is quite incredible. Think about it! Absolutely nothing exists… Then quite randomly, out of this vast sea of absolute nothingness, without any explanation, without any driving forces, the big bang occurs and from this the universe with all of its laws, precision and complexity is born. Intelligent people tell us that this is exactly what happened when the universe came into being in contradiction of everything that we know to be true (that everything which begins to exist has a cause). Scientists once believed that the universe was eternal so it was not necessary to explain its existence, but this premise is no longer held to be true in the scientific community. Since the universe is not eternal but indeed has a definite beginning point, we must ask the question what caused it to begin.

Though scientists generally agree and accept that the evidence strongly points to the univers having a beginning, they dispute that it has a cause. This unwillingness to accept that the it has a cause is not based on any observation that contradicts this idea, but quite simply on a philosophy that will not even consider the possibility, and stubbornly refuses to do so. There are two primary ingredients that are required in any discussion of cause in our world. One is material and the other is the ability to use the material for the end product, for example; in order to have bread one needs to have the ingredients to make bread (flour, yeast, water etc.). Having the ingredients alone is not enough to produce the bread though; a good baker will be necessary to bring it all together, put it in the oven and do all that is needed to yield the final product. This is true for everything around us. There is not a single thing that anyone can point to in our world that is the result of random chance or, just appearing out of thin air. Look all around the house, in the yard, streets, fields, playgrounds or anywhere, and anyone will be hard pressed to find one thing that is the result of a “poof” appearance”. There is no system or mechanism that is a result of random chance. The cars on the street, the planes in the air, the laptop on the desk, the iPhone in someone’s hand, the houses we live in, the schools we attend etc. all have a cause.

The staunchest atheist will agree that it is folly to even suggest that the TV in his living room that was not there when he left earlier in the day did not just appear there from nothing. That same atheist will refuse to apply the same logic to the universe with its vastly superior complexity. Despite his belief that the universe is the result of random chance, he cannot explain why it is impossible for a much simpler device like a TV to just appear for him to watch. He cannot answer why we do not have things popping out of nowhere in a consistent manner with the way the universe supposedly did? Why is there no evidence of this ever happening throughout the course of history? If in our everyday lives it is inconceivable that things would just appear from nothing, for no reason, then why would anyone even refuse to consider that this same principle applies to the universe? If nothingness had the power of production to give us the universe, then why has its power of production ceased?

The atheist has many reasons for not believing in God but the theist also has many solid reasons for believing that God does exist. Everything that we know about the world around us points to the idea that, that which has a beginning has a cause. The evidence is all around us. The arguments for the existence of God are powerful and many, and no one should be cowered or feel ashamed for believing in God. It is reasonable to do so, there is a sound intellectual foundation on which it stands, logic does not contradict, but points to God. People should not be afraid of science they should embrace it because science is not the enemy of faith, but it helps to solidify it.

In the coming weeks we will examine some of the arguments against and for the existence of God.

He was being backed into a corner. That kind of situation that had one of two options, and both of them had big cost. The woman was dragged from the bed of a married man and thrown at the teacher’s feet. The crowd watched as those who brought the woman tightened the tension on Jesus to make a decision. The lawyers and religious leaders knew if Jesus simply went along with what was the strict reading of the law, He would be choosing for her to be plummeted by the stones in the accusers’ ready hands. The other option would be to insist they not spill her blood and leave her alone. Uphold the law and condemn this woman to immediate death, or dismiss the law and undermine the foundation of the way of God. It is an extreme “either” “or” standoff. Jesus bends his knees till he can trace his fingers in the loose dust before him. It’s quiet, all eyes are on the teacher, looking for a sign in the sand. He rises amidst the thick tension and fierce determination to bring Jesus down. “Which way will he go”, is echoed in whispers and across the minds of all present. Then he says it, he has chosen, but it is not what any had thought of as an option. In its profound simplicity Jesus showed a Third Way; he speaks and everything changes. “He who has no sin throw the first stone.” In these few words Jesus renders everyone there to their knees in spirit if not in body.

Those seeking to condemn others, to use the law to cause failure and show superiority are brought to the piercing truth that renders them humbled, whether they wanted it or not. Jesus didn’t simply follow the letter of the law, nor did he dismiss its place either. He just called for truth. He went on to be able to give mercy to the woman, sending her on her way with a call to live differently, like the others had been sent off as well. I am moved by the mercy and I am impacted by the way Jesus finds a Third Way when confronted with our limited “either” “or” way of thinking. I learning to take time to pause, and listen for a Third Way in the face of my own challenges, decisions and responses to questions or confrontations. Just when I think I am most certainly right and they are most certainly in the wrong, I am called to my knees to glide through the sand of my moment and listen for another way. It usually begins with compassion for all who are involved and honesty about my own need for mercy more often than I am inclined to give it to others. I usually find that a Third Way upholds truth with love together. It does not dismiss the problem and yet it finds a way to lead myself and others to a greater life giving truth.

A few years ago, a longtime friend and I had fallen out of our way with each other. Betrayal and backstabbing talk to others had taken place on his part. I had work in my life that needed facing and changing as well. The pain and shame of the situation led me to a road of counseling and repenting. An unwillingness on his part to talk it out lasted for a couple of years. He called one day at the death of his mother and asked me meet. I had to bend to the ground and ponder my options. It was tempting to just say no. It was also just as tempting to go and use this moment to challenge him on his past behavior. But as I paused to hear Jesus, he gave a Third Way; “Just listen”. We talked, my friend eventually shared about his Mom and asked me to officiate the funeral. It was a good way. He asked for forgiveness as I did of him. Peace set in and sincere care prevailed. I had not imagined this even possible on my own. The Third Way is the way of slowing to hear from God beyond myself, humbly regarding the need of others for truth and kindness, and simply living closer to the way Jesus lives, that grace may abound.

Being a victim in America has become a status symbol that people seem to hold on to and guard jealously. There are so many groups who claim to be oppressed by “the system” that it is difficult to keep up with their numbers. There is almost a paradoxical type of affluence to being a victim and the subjects wear their perceived affront as a badge of honor. They walk into a room and they feel that all eyes are on them as the (fill in the blank) –American who is always persecuted just for “being who he/she is”. With this warped status symbol comes an attitude of expectation, and an outlook that they deserve special attention. These “victims” see themselves as outsiders who are constantly targeted, and refuse to believe that they have a fair shot at success, many of them do not embrace the idea that they are full-fledged Americans unless they can get the power of big Government on their side.

By viewing themselves this way, many often refuse to give the effort necessary to be successful and so find themselves as the main subjects in a series of self-fulfilling prophecies. Without providing any proof, and often referring to some incidental “evidence” they blame all or most of their problems on others discriminating against them because they are (fill in the blank) – American. This then becomes a badge of honor to them. They wear it like a Soldier garbed in his dress uniform displaying all of the insignia that he has proudly earned. This embrace of victimhood comes with its “benefits” because others often take up the cause of the victim class and project themselves as the saviors. This recognition by sometimes very prominent people then gives legitimacy to different movements that further continue to keep people in a state where they always have to look to someone else to come to their rescue. Their rescuers are often willing to do whatever it takes to ensure their perpetual support.

This attitude is dangerous because of the inertia or militant behavior that it often engenders. The victim class justifies their lack of ambition and effort, or their combativeness by blaming “the system”. They soon begin to demand rights that are not like the natural or God given rights guaranteed in the constitution (the right to speak one’s mind, religious freedom, defend oneself, be secure in one’s home, the right to your property etc.). Instead many of the rights that they demand imposes on others and/or involves the distribution of “stuff” from the government largesse. The following quote gives a look into the soul of the victim class, it reads “In claiming the status of victim and by assigning all blame to others, a person can achieve moral superiority while simultaneously disowning any responsibility for one’s behavior and its outcome. The victims ‘merely’ seek justice and fairness. If they become violent, it is only as a last resort, in self-defense. The victim stance is a powerful one. The victim is always morally right, never responsible nor accountable, and forever entitled to sympathy”. In their minds every difficulty they face is someone else’s fault, they believe that they should be exempt from the natural consequences of living and they go all out to ensure that their ever increasing demands are imposed on the rest of society.

America was built on the idea of hard work and self-reliance. People understood that the life they lived was directly related to the extent of the effort that they gave. They also understood that life is sometimes unfair and things can go awry, but every bad thing that happens is not always because of some ubiquitous oppressor; sometimes it’s just life. There is real injustice in the world, there are real problems that we must address and aggressively tackle head on. Americans have always confronted the clear, legitimate causes and injustices worth fighting for, they will continue to do so, and we are a much better society because of it, but too many have latched on to the coat tails of these legitimate causes to promote all kinds of dubious causes that promote the victim class and/or divides the country. People have to be willing to stand up and fight this dangerous behavior or continue to see it gain more and more ground.

It is amazing that some people in this country seem to relish and grab on to any opportunity to point out the supposed “unfairness” that is built into the fabric of this country. There seems to be an unrelenting effort by a few to constantly gin up the masses, by propagating the idea that America is a really terrible place for certain groups of citizens. This appears to be done to forward an agenda that involves keeping certain blocs in a continuous state of discontent that then manifests itself in unseemly and very ugly ways. The latest example of this behavior can be seen in the response to a young Muslim teenager who was arrested for bringing a device that authorities in his school viewed as a “hoax bomb”.

Without examining all of the facts, quite a few people (some very prominent ones no less) jumped on to the “Islamophobia” train, and without providing any proof accused school authorities of discrimination. A closer look at the issue though will show that schools all over the country have adopted what is known as a zero tolerance policy, and have implemented some rather strict student codes of conduct with very harsh penalties whenever any pupil is found to violate one of the rules within the code. A couple years ago a seven year old boy was suspended for two days in Maryland for chewing a pop tart into the shape of a gun, pointing it at his friend and saying “bang, bang,” CBS (2014). His father said that his son told him he was trying to chew the pop tart into another shape, it did not turn out the way he wanted and he more or less just went with the gun shape. A couple States have since initiated laws to prevent the punishment that he received for the act from happening to innocent children again. Four years ago a student was suspended for a year, and placed on a “diversion program” by the police WND (2011v) because he blew three pellets out of a pen at some students in his class. Honor students have been expelled for minor infractions of schools student conduct code and some students have even been arrested for behavior that in any other circumstance might invoke a “ho-hum” response. These are just a few examples of zero tolerance gone wrong and there are many many more examples of this.

A lot of what used to be once considered as “normal childhood” behavior can now find children facing misdemeanor, and in some cases ever more serious charges that negatively affect their criminal records, which very often can have life long and life changing effects. Zero tolerance and the blanket application of these harsh punishments save teachers and school authorities from doing the hard work of trying to determine intent, applying judgement, interpreting actions and just using plain old fashioned common sense, and in the process they sometimes helped to ruin lives.

The reaction to this young man bringing his device to school should force people to question school districts, local Governments, and States about their lazy zero tolerance policies and the harmful unintended consequences which have resulted from it. Even though the clock looked nothing like any clock you have ever seen, and trying to go through a screener at the airport with it probably would cause anyone carrying it to be pulled aside by the TSA; the teachers still over reacted.

The reaction to this young man by the school authorities was no different than the reaction that students across the country have faced for minor breaches of their relevant school district’s code of conduct. It had nothing to do with his religion, color or anything like that. Instead of using this opportunity to highlight the issue of zero tolerance, the focus is on the so called problem of islamophobia in America. The puppet masters once again immediately seized the opportunity to manipulate the narrative in order to divide the nation into opposing camps. There are legitimate concerns of injustice that do have to be addressed in this country but the grievance pimps and hustlers must be confronted about their behavior, and about always trying to stir up discontent. They must not be allowed to drive the narrative anymore.

“Pop Tart” suspension should be upheld, school official says                                                                                                                                             Read more at: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/examiner-recommends-school-board-uphold-pop-tart-suspension/

Zero tolerance ‘insane madness’ in Virginia Honor-roll student expelled for shooting ‘what amounts to a spit wad’                                                                                                                                                               Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2011/01/256917/#LAxL7BTAFGALYZFr.99