Merry Christmas

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and that life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

(John 1:1-5 NIV)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

(John 1:14 NIV)

He was in the world, and though the world was made by him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God …

(John 1:10-12 NIV)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible …

(Colossians 1:15-16 NIV)

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

(Colossians 1:17 NIV)

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him …

(Colossians 1:19 NIV)

Jesus was not a demi-god.  He was 100 percent God, and 100 percent man.  The man was born in Bethlehem, but he was the Second Person of the Trinity from the beginning.

It fills me with awe to think that he gave up his glorious throne in heaven to become a man; born in a stable because there was no room for him anywhere else.  He came to redeem you and me, that we might be with him forever.  What a gift!

Merry Christmas.

The Law

Geraldo Rivera to Sean Hannity on the Fox News’ program Hannity tonight, December 5, 2016:

“A moral compass and decency are not what we’re talking about here!

We’re talking about the Law!”

That, fellow Americans, is exactly the problem in this country.

The Trinity

Please listen to the Holy Spirit’s call:

Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

(Psalm 90:2 NIV)

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Now the earth was formless and empty,

darkness was over the surface of the deep,

and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (emphasis added).

(Genesis 1:1-3 NIV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

 and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made;

without him nothing was made that has been made.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,

the world did not recognize him (emphasis added).

(John 1:1-2; and verses 3 and 10 NIV)

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,

which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at

and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life.

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,

and we proclaim to you the eternal life,

which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,

so that you also may have fellowship with us.

And our fellowship is with the Father

and with his Son, Jesus Christ (emphasis added).

(1John 1:1-3 NIV)

He was chosen before the creation of the world,
but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Through him you believe in God,
who raised him from the dead and glorified him,
and so your faith and hope are in God.
(1Peter 1:20-21 NIV)

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

will teach you all things and will remind you of everything

I have said to you (emphasis added).

(John 14:26 NIV)

Jesus said, ”Heaven and earth will pass away,

but my words will never pass away.”

(Luke 21:33 NIV)

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

(Hebrews 13:8 NIV)

Like Judaism, Christianity is monotheistic.  God is one Lord.  We Christians believe the mystery that, although God is one God, He is also three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As you can see, God spoke creation into existence through his Son, the Living Word of Life: Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit was also present.  From its very start, the Bible proclaims the Holy Trinity, and the New Testament confirms and fulfills the old.

God is infinite, whereas the human mind is finite.  Consequently, it is often difficult for the human mind to comprehend God.  We become mired in logical fallacies:

·         If God is one, then how can He be three?

·         Either He is one, or He is three.  He cannot be both.

If God is truly God, if he is truly almighty and all powerful, doesn’t it stand to reason that He can transcend physical limitations and be one God in three persons?  Or, are we to be like “Caliban upon Setebos,” (Robert Browning) trying to understand what God is like in terms of our own limitations?

To make the things of God understandable to the people, Jesus often taught in parables.  He would say something like:

·         The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all that he had and bought the field. (Matthew 13:44 NIV)

·         No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.  Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.  People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers.  The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

(Luke 6:43-45 NIV)

There are things nature that are bear a similarity to the Trinity.  The Divinity students out there may point out that these similitudes are not exact representations, and that is true.  They do, however, give the finite human mind a way to pick up on the concept of the Trinity.

Chemically, water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen.  So are ice and water vapor.  All three are H₂O.  They are different, and yet they are all of the same composition.

We take an egg out of its carton, and we call it one egg.  When we break it apart, we see that the one egg has a yoke, a white and a shell.  They are all part of the same egg, but they perform different functions.

Atoms are composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive electric charge, neutrons have no electric charge, and electrons have a negative electric charge.  Each serves a different purpose:

The number of protons in the nucleus defines to what chemical element
the atom belongs … The number of neutrons defines the isotope of the element.

The number of electrons influences the magnetic properties of an atom.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom

Remove any of the protons, neutrons or electrons, and you change the chemistry of the atom.  Working together, they determine the nature of the one atom.

Rational and logical arguments may support, or undermine, belief.  However, it requires a leap of faith to understand that we will not entirely “get it” until we meet Jesus face to face, and then to believe anyway:

For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

(1Corinthians 13:8-10 NIV)

Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror;

then we shall see face to face.

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,

even as I am fully known.

(1 Corinthians 13:12)

Finally, believe now and be saved:

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 (alternate wording).

(John 3:16 NIV)

Veterans' Day 2016

In Flanders Fields

John McCrae, 1872 - 1918

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place, and in the sky,

The larks, still bravely singing, fly,

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead; short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe!

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high!

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/flanders-fields

Honorably Discharged Veterans, the Wounded, and the Fallen:

Our heartfelt thanks for your service.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Good

Hillary Clinton was not elected to be President of the United States. Barack Obama’s presidency will come to an end soon.  There will be a Republican majority in the senate and the house of representatives for at least two years.  I have been thanking God in prayer; over and over.

The oppressive, Orwellian tyranny of the secular humanists has been temporarily put in abeyance.  For now, the Liberals, Progressives, Democratic Socialists, and their ilk must content themselves with constraining the freedom of speech, thought, religion, opportunity, expression and assembly of college students.  Grownups have shown that they can think for themselves.

It appears that Donald Trump will have the opportunity to appoint to the supreme court “originalist” justices who will follow the letter of the law, rather than legislate from the bench.  Praise God!  Please pray that his appointees will be confirmed, and that they will remain constant in their devotion to the country and to the constitution.

God answers the prayers of His people.  Once again, He has given all American’s another chance to conduct ourselves in accordance with His will, as given to us in the Holy Bible.  Our country certainly did dodge a bullet this time, and this may be our last chance to get it right.  We have a wonderful opportunity to walk together in unity toward the common goal of a better life for everyone; in human freedom and the liberty provided by God’s grace.

The Bad

Donald Trump will be our next president.  We all should pray for him every day, that he will grow into the office, as so many other presidents who have gone before him have done.  He has demonstrated the ability to surround himself with talented people.  Please pray with me that he will listen to their advice.  Pray for the congress, that they will be able to steer Mr. Trump in the right direction … away from rushing to judgement before all the evidence is in and from acting in rash and impulsive ways.

When Barack Obama first became president, he misused the power of a Democratic majority in congress to pass the Affordable Health Care Act without incorporating input from the Republicans.  The Democrats brushed aside the wishes of the Republican minority, and in doing so sowed the seeds of what looks to be an eventual repudiation of all that they hoped to accomplish.  Please pray that the Republicans will not make the same mistake now.

Mr. Trump’s past behavior has not always demonstrated good character.  He has said things that were ill-considered.  People have been offended, and rightfully so.  He has given his detractors ammunition with which to attack him.  He has worsened the divisions that have polarized our people.  Please understand that I agree with most of his policies and goals, but to be an effective president Mr. Trump needs to become a leader of all the people.  Barack Obama’s presidency showed that, in a democracy, leaders cannot lead without the support of a united people.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will move on Donald Trump in a mighty way changing him into a man that all Americans will admire and willingly follow.

The Ugly

The 2016 elections have exposed the depth of the corruption and rot in Washington D.C.  Donald Trump has pledged to “drain the swamp.”  Please pray with me that the members of congress will have the will and the courage to set aside self-interest and instead to act in the best interest of the American people.  For too long mammon has ruled the hearts of our leaders.  May God cause them to pass laws that will put a stop to it once and for all.

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world,

and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing,

we will be content with that.  People who want to get rich fall into temptation

and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men

 into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Some people, eager for money have wandered from the faith

and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1Timothy 6:6-10 NIV)

Since President Elect Trump’s victory, there have been demonstrations in major cities around the country.  Hilary Clinton said that we “owe him a chance” to lead.  As usual, I disagree.  We do not owe Mr. Trump anything, but we owe it to the country.  As stated in my last post, God has directed us to submit to the authorities instituted among men, so long as we do not have to disobey God in doing so.  The demonstrators remind me of spoiled, two-year-old children.  They didn’t get what they wanted, so they are throwing a temper tantrum.  A lot of us didn’t like it when President Obama was elected, and reelected, but we didn’t riot in the streets.  We respected the American democratic process; which is a blessing from God.  Friends, please don’t tread God’s blessings underfoot.

God Rules

Mercifully, the 2016 presidential election will be over in a couple of days.  Although there is a good chance the loosing candidate will contest the results if the election is close, at least the endless speculation about which states will go for which candidate will be over.

I was in a major department store a few days ago, while my wife shopped for clothes.  They have a place to sit and rest near the fitting rooms, and there is a TV you can watch.  It is probably provided to keep husbands occupied, so they will not interfere with the ladies’ shopping.  Another retired gentleman sat down, and we discovered that the TV only had two channels.  “Dr. Phil” was on one, and “The Talk” was on the other.  It was worse than water boarding, so we shut the thing off.  I mentioned that those shows were almost as bad as the political stuff.  We agreed that this election year is “a mess.”  Then we moved on to talking about deer hunting.

The idea that “life goes on” stuck with me.  I was reminded that God is sovereign and all powerful.  He has a plan for the ages, and He causes and allows things to happen so that His plan will come to pass.  Men have free will, but God directs the flow of events to fulfill His plan.

I began a Bible study about it, and I found some of the verses that provide us with comfort and assurance:

The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over all.

(Psalm 103:9-19 NIV)

He rules forever by his power,

his eyes watch the nations ---

let not the rebellious rise up against him.

Selah 

(Psalm 66:7 NIV)

…so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to the lowliest of men.

(Daniel 4:17 NIV)

You (Nebuchadnezzar) will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals … until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes.

(Daniel 4:25 NIV)

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;

When the wicked rule, the people groan.

(Proverbs 29:23 NIV)

Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.

(1Peter 2:17 NIV)

Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men …

(1 Peter 2:13 NIV)

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

‘He committed no sin,

and no deceit was found in his mouth.’

When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.  Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

(1Peter 2:21-23 NIV)

However 

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest.  ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,’ he said.  ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.’

Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’

(Acts 5:27-29 NIV)

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

(Ephesians 6:24 NIV)

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Romans 8:38-39 NIV)

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone --- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live quiet and peaceful lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

(1Timothy 2:3-4 NIV)

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is His love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

As for a man, his days are like grass,

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

But from everlasting to everlasting

the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children ---

with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts.

(Psalm 103:9-18 NIV)

…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and will heal their land.

(2Cronicles 7:14 NIV)

If calamity comes upon us … we will stand in your presence … and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.

(2Chronicles 20:9 NIV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

(1John 1:9 NIV)

… for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose.

(Philippians 2:13 NIV)

Then the end will come, when he (Christ) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

(1Corinthians 15:24 NIV)

Praise God!  Amen

J'accuse

It would be difficult to imagine a presidential candidate worse than Donald Trump. That said, to find that candidate is not difficult in this most pitiful of all election years.  You only need to look to Hillary Clinton.  We have before us, my friends, “The Duel” (Eugene Field) between the gingham dog and the calico cat.

In my last post, I said that I oppose Sec. Clinton because I believe everything she says and does would be bad for the country.  Allow me to restate that.  I believe everything she has said and done, and will say and do, will be bad for the country.

Please allow me to cite a few of many possible examples:

• While she was Secretary of State, Hillary and Bill Clinton accepted contributions to the Clinton Foundation from foreign governments, and other foreign interests.  These contributions appear to me to have been bribes, given in exchange for favorable treatment by the U.S. State Department.  Mr. and Mrs. Clinton were also overpaid for speaking engagements, which appear to have been arranged as an easy way for them to make a lot of money in exchange for favorable treatment and influence.  Sometimes these financial transactions were with foreign countries that have a history of human rights violations; particularly the mistreatment of homosexuals, women, and religious minorities.  At other times, these transactions resulted in activities that were damaging to our national security.  Sec. Clinton approved giving the Russians the ability to buy an interest in the production of U.S. uranium. Remember also that before he left office, Bill Clinton approved the sale of technology to China that resulted in a dramatic improvement in their offensive missile capability and their space program.

• To conceal her influence peddling, Mrs. Clinton used her own email account to do the nation’s business when she was Secretary of State.  In doing so she failed to safeguard information vital to the national security.

• On his October 21, 2016 radio program, Sean Hannity reported that the Clinton’s tax returns for 2014 showed that only 5.2 percent of the money received by the Clinton Foundation actually went to grants that directly benefited people in need.  The rest went to the “administration” of the foundation (Clinton operatives and gofers), and to the Clinton’s themselves.

• She has been shown to be a liar over and over and over again.  How can our people have faith in a government that does not trust them with the truth?  How can we pass through a crisis that threatens the existence of our nation if we do not know if we are being told the truth?

• Hillary abandoned Americans who were under attack in Libya.  Then she tried to hide the nature and extent of the attack from the American people (she lied and caused others to lie).  With the 2012 election two months’ away, could it be that she thought it would hurt President Obama’s chances for reelection?  “At this point what does it matter?”  The point is that she left Americans to die in the desert while she dithered about what outfit their rescuers should wear to the occasion.

• Sec. Clinton is an advocate for abortion on demand, including partial-birth abortion. Lamp in a Corner has shown previously that there are biological reasons to believe that human life begins before live birth.  Should she be elected President, Hillary would appoint to the Supreme Court Justices who would support the Roe vs Wade decision.  She would support public funding of abortion procedures and providers (making us all complicit in her murders).

• Mrs. Clinton would continue to cut defense funding to pay for social programs.  She says she will support the military, but she is a pathological liar, remember?  During Bill Clinton’s presidency, the size of our active duty military was cut roughly in half. Consequently, we did not have adequate forces and material to maintain our world-wide defense commitments while waging the War on Terror on multiple fronts.  With the complicity of Congress, President Obama has gutted the military, and Hillary gave her approval; despite what she may say in public.  The Clintons and President Obama think that having a strong military makes it too easy to choose war rather than diplomacy.  Lamp in a Corner believes that the lack of a strong military puts the United States at a disadvantage when attempting to use diplomacy to deal with the likes of Iran, China, and Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

• Hillary supports open borders, a common market style unification of the nations of the Western Hemisphere, and increasing the number of refugees that are being allowed to enter the country without any sort of screening.  This will further erode our manufacturing base, destroy American jobs, make us more vulnerable to terrorism, and expand the influence of peasant cultural norms in our country.

• There are any number of crimes that Hillary Clinton might be indicted for, including but not limited to: Fraud, Conspiracy, Materially Aiding the Enemies of the United States, Bribery, Failure to Secure Classified Material, Lying to Congress, Perjury Under Oath, Influence Peddling, and Malfeasance.  She stated publicly, with a smirk on her face, that she would never be indicted, and she wasn’t.  Former President Clinton and President Obama saw to that.  She is guilty as sin, and she ought to go to prison … not the White House.

• Sec. Clinton has said that some people might not feel welcome in Donald Trump’s America.  I assure you that she will make things very uncomfortable for those who disagree with her in her America.  If you are a conservative, you may be barred from employment for opposing gay marriage.  You stand an extremely good chance of having your right to keep and bear arms impinged upon in draconian ways.  If you want to peacefully assemble to distribute literature near an abortion clinic, or to attend a conference held by a firearms group, or to pray in a public place, forgetaboutit.  If your pastor refuses to marry a gay couple, if your doctor refuses to perform an abortion, if your church school refuses employment to an unbelieving teacher, then the government will put you out of business.  You cannot depend on a “free press” to defend your freedoms.  She has the press in the hip pocket of her pants suit.

• Mrs. Clinton says she is a Methodist (plug your ears John Wesley), but make no mistake about it … she is a secular humanist first.  She sees religion as an impediment to social progress, and she wants religious people to practice their faith in private where they will not bother anybody.  She is willing to let atheists like Mikey Weinstein influence public policy, and she is willing to impose her values on the rest of us, but she does not want religious people to be able to freely advocate for their values in the marketplace of ideas.  She believes that people of faith are bigots who practice hate speech.

• How will she do all this?  It is quite possible that she will have a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate.  She will almost certainly have one or more appointments to the Supreme Court.  She will destroy her enemies using the “politics of character assassination” that she is now using against Donald Trump.  She will buy off whomever she can.  Her bag of tricks is bottomless.  People in Washington, D.C. are rightfully afraid to cross her.

So, now what?  Get out and vote in a way that will prevent Hillary Clinton from becoming President.  Tell your friends.  Drive conservative people to the polls.  Write the editor of your newspaper.  Get a “Hillary for Prison” T-shirt or bumper sticker.  If you have any money, give some to the candidates of your choice. Do any legal thing you can.  Do not break the law!  That would be descending to Hillary’s level.

Finally, remember that there is an Almighty God who is in control of everything.  If things look bad, be encouraged that:

… in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose. (Rom 8:28 NIV)

Can it get any Worse?

News reports tonight say that past statements by both presidential candidates are causing major problems for their campaigns.  Hillary Clinton made statements to her Wall Street backers, during speaking engagements about two years ago, to the effect that it was necessary to make misleading statements to the public.  She is reported to have said that it was necessary to give the public the impression that she was not obliged to look after the interests of the financial community in order to get elected, but that she would in fact take care of the financial community once in office.  Donald Trump is reported to have made unforgivably sexist remarks demeaning to women during a conversation with a reporter about ten years ago, when he did not know his microphone was on.

I want to thank both candidates for making my point.  Neither of them is fit to hold the Office of President of the United States.  For the good of the country, it is their duty to put an end to this sad, sad spectacle.

Lamp in a Corner calls for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to withdraw themselves from candidacy.  They should issue Sherman type statements to the effect that they will not serve if elected.  The Republican and Democratic parties should initiate candidate replacement protocols immediately.

As my favorite poet, Robert Burns, said in his immortal poem, “To A Louse:”

O wad some Power the giftie gie us 
To see oursels as ithers see us! 

http://www.robertburns.org/works/97.shtml

Basket of Deplorables

I oppose Hillary Clinton; I do not hate her.  I do not oppose her because of her gender, any more than I oppose President Obama because of his African-American heritage.  I oppose them because I disagree with them on almost all of the issues, nearly all of the time.  I believe they are wrong, and that just about everything they say and do is bad for the country.

Unfortunately, it is true that some bad people like David Duke and the Hell’s Angels have endorsed Donald Trump.  When you are a leader, sometimes the wrong people get behind you.  It does not mean that those who support Mr. Trump, or just agree with his ideas, are somehow tainted because some bad people support him.  If that were true, those who agree with Mrs. Clinton would be likewise contaminated.

As I have stated in a previous post, I agree with Mr. Trump much more often than I disagree with him, and vastly more often than I agree with Mrs. Clinton.  If that makes me “deplorable” in her estimation, then make room for me in the basket.

I understand that Mrs. Clinton has tried to “walk back” her “basket of deplorables” (sic.) statement.  As Mr. Trump is slowly learning (the hard way) some things are very difficult to take back.  That is because they betray basic attitudes.  They give away a person’s “true colors,” so to speak.  As the lyrics to the John Prine song Dear Abby say, “You are what you are and you ain’t what you ain’t.”  Hillary Clinton is an elitist.  Those who agree with her are liberal and enlightened, and the rest of us should step aside and trust our betters to know what is good for us.

One of her tactics is to attach pejorative labels to those who oppose her ideas.  Mrs. Clinton says that the deplorables are misogynists, bigots, and homophobes, and that is why they support Mr. Trump.  She has also called Mr. Trump, and his supporters by implication, xenophobic.

To be very clear, Lamp in a Corner stands on the scripture that says, “If anyone says, ’I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar.” (1John 4:20) Hatred or prejudice of any kind is wrong, period.  To the extent that we know of applicable scripture, we stand with love on what it says with regard to the problems America faces in today’s world.

We oppose bigotry.  However, we do not believe that it makes a person a bigot if they believe that their religious beliefs are the only true path to eternal life with God. (John 14:6) A person is not automatically a bigot if they make a critical statement about people of a different race.

We oppose misogyny. However, if a person is pro-life, and opposes abortion on demand, it does not necessarily make them a woman hater.

We oppose homophobia.  Jesus loved us so much that gave His life for homosexuals; and the rest of us sinners. (Mk 2:17, Rom 5:8, John 3:16)  If we want to become like Him, shouldn't we love others in the same way?  We also understand the Bible to teach that homosexuality is a sin (Lev 18:22, Rom 1:26-27, 1Cor 6:9-10), and that marriage is between one man and one woman. (Gen 2:24)

We want our country to look after the interests of its own citizens as a priority.  That does not mean that we are a jingoist who says “my country right or wrong” no matter what our country does; or does not do.  We do not regard a person as ethnocentric if they want to preserve the dominant norms and values of our society by screening those who apply to immigrate to see if they oppose those norms and values.  We want immigrants who want to become Americans and useful and productive citizens.

If you do not agree with Hillary, you are said to be a “hater” and an enemy.  Be warned, those who agree with her will need to march in step, because, as the old Buffalo Springfield song says, “If you step out of line the man come and take you away.”  In Hillary Clinton’s ideal “Big Brother” society, there will be new kinds of criminal behavior.

Gun ownership and use, without the government’s, permission will become a crime.  Hillary does not believe the Second Amendment protects the right of the individual to keep and bear arms.  She thinks recent Supreme Court decisions to the contrary were wrong.  In her ideal society, you will be able to own a gun if the government lets you, but it will be illegal for you to carry it, buy too much ammunition for it, keep it in your house, defend your family with it, and especially to hunt Bambi with it.  She believes that gun registration and the licensing of gun owners is needed to stop gun violence; despite the fact that the bulk of the evidence shows that the opposite is true.  In Australia and the United Kingdom, licensure and registration led to the subsequent mass confiscation of legally owned guns.  Hillary Clinton said that what happened there should be “looked into,” implying that it could become a model for the United States.

Using your freedom of speech, guaranteed by the bill of rights, will become a crime if you advocate peacefully in the marketplace of ideas for what the Progressives think is not politically correct.  It is happening now.  Speaking an inconvenient truth will get you kicked out of college (or earn you a failing grade in class) today if you speak out on campus. Today, at many universities, there is no such thing as academic freedom, and there will be no such thing as freedom of speech in society as a whole if Mrs. Clinton gets three or more appointments to the supreme court and/or Democratic control of the U.S. Congress.  

Honest, law abiding citizens will no longer just be labeled.  They will be adjudicated criminals.  Imagine, if you will, getting convicted for Felony Hate Speech. Not for urging that harm come to someone because they are Black, but merely for stating that the majority of today's African-American children are born out of wedlock, due to the deterioration of the Black family structure.  Be vigilant, and know that once rights are taken away, they are almost never restored.

Please do not vote for Hillary Clinton.  If you cannot bring yourself to vote for Donald Trump, then write in.  (The third party candidates are ideologues, who have no conception about how the real world works.)  Further, please do not give Mrs. Clinton’s party a majority in congress.  Vote, but please do not elect Hillary Clinton.

Big Game Hunting Tips

Note:  Please scroll down to the next posting if you don’t hunt.

I have had the pleasure of hunting big game for a long time, in the United States and Europe.  I have hunted with family, friends, and by myself.  Although I have not been successful every year, I have killed an antelope and quite a few deer; including a Roe Buck in Germany.

I hunt for the time in the out of doors, and to get away from the cares of everyday living. It is, however, also gratifying to harvest an animal.  Hunting is exhausting, and it helps burn off the effects of accumulated stress.  Just don’t take the fun out of it by putting so much pressure on yourself to “fill your tag” that you can’t enjoy the hunt.

I have learned a few things along the way that I would like to share with those who are thinking about going hunting this year for the first time.  They are a good review for those who have hunting experience as well.

First, if your spouse isn’t happy, nobody will be happy.  If you can, try to get your spouse interested in hunting with you, or at least coming along to enjoy the camping.  If that doesn’t work, be like ET and phone home once in a while.  I know that it feels like you are on a leash, but it will go a long way toward providing reassurance that you are not lost, hurt, or dead.  Now that we have cell phones, there will usually be a few times when you are in range and can call, without a lot of inconvenience.  If you are out of range, then so be it, but at least try to keep it in mind.  Also, do something nice for your spouse when you leave, and again when you get home.  Let your spouse know that you are not taking them for granted.  I’m using gender neutral terms here in recognition of the growing number of female hunters.

Try to involve your children.  Teach them to shoot.  Unfortunately, the way things are going it is going to get bad enough before the Lord returns that they will need to know how to shoot. Try to pass on the love of hunting to your kids, but don't compel the unwilling child.  Hunting and shooting are not for everybody.  They are a good way to have quality time with your kids, but be a patient teacher. 

Put safety first.  There is no way to take back an accident after it happens.  I spent 12 days in an intensive burn treatment center because I made a stupid mistake (not on a hunting trip) at a time when I was fatigued.  You will get very tired while hunting, and it is easy to screw up.  Know the rules for handling firearms safely, and follow them.

The roads in rural areas are deceptively peaceful.  Farm equipment, logging trucks, ruts, blind turns, rock slides, and especially other hunters can present road hazards you may not anticipate.

If you start climbing down a steep, narrow ravine, make sure it goes all the way to the bottom of the canyon, and doesn’t end in a cliff.  Be sure you are able to climb back out if you have to.  If you are thinking of trying to traverse a field of ice or loose rock, and there is a 200-foot slide into the boulders below, don’t do it.  Find a way around.  Don’t try to climb anything to get to game, carrying a pack and a gun, that you would have trouble climbing free hand. County sheriff’s deputies and other search and rescue personnel are usually local men and women with families.  It is not right to make it necessary for them to risk their necks to get you out of a jam.

Be aware of the weather.  If a major snow storm is on the way, get out of the woods and get a motel room until it blows over.  If it starts snowing hard while you are hunting, you may also have trouble getting back to camp.  Everything will look the same, and you can get lost.  Get back to camp when a heavy snowfall starts, whether you go into town or not.  Use common sense.

You owe the game you shoot a clean kill.  If you are an archer, get close enough.  If you hunt with a muzzle loader or a regular rifle, use enough gun.  It should be powerful enough to kill cleanly, but not so powerful that the recoil makes it hard for you to shoot accurately.  Being recoil sensitive doesn’t make you a wimp, but ignoring how you handle recoil will make you sorry.

If you are only going to buy one rifle for all big game, then I recommend a modern, high velocity, flat shooting caliber; no smaller than a .280 Rem; and up to a .300 Win. Mag. (if you can take the recoil).  Consult an expert if you intend to hunt dangerous game. Remember, you may kill on the first day out, but it is just as likely that you will kill after you have been hunting from a few days to a week.  You may be cold, wet, tired, and hungry or thirsty.  You will not always be able to shoot from a good, stable rest.  One or all of these may make precise shooting difficult.  That is why you need to shoot the most powerful rifle you can manage well; especially for large animals like elk, moose, or bear.

Carefully sight your rifle in.  I use the (so called) Weatherby method.  If you sight your modern, high velocity rifle in so that it shoots three inches high at 100 yards, you will be able to put a round into a big game animal’s kill zone out to 300 yards by aiming for the point half way between the line of the back and the bottom of the chest, just behind the shoulder.  If you can reliably hit the kill zone at greater than 300 yards, you will need to practice to see what your bullet drop is at those longer ranges.  Ballistic charts are good guidelines, but things like changes in altitude, air temperature, and humidity may make your rifle shoot higher or lower than the chart says.  I am a fairly good shot, but I do not take shots over 300 yards on game.  Get a good range finder, and use it.

Thoroughly learn how your rifle shoots.  Know how far the bullet will drop at various ranges, and how it is affected by the wind.  A tail wind results in less bullet drop, while a headwind will make it drop faster.  A 90 degree, 10 mph. wind will move the bullet to the left or right about an inch at 100 yards, but as much as a foot at 400 yards.  Find out how your particular rifle shoots in the wind.  If you are hunting on a very windy day, you should avoid long shots.

After you sight your rifle in, find out the maximum range at which you can reliably hit an eight-inch circle (but not from a bench rest).  Do not take a shot on an animal that is a greater distance away than that range.  Practice with the rifle you will hunt with.  If the target is up or down hill from you, you may have to change your point of aim.   Also, shoot at least three rounds through your rifle the week before you go hunting to remind you of what it feels like. 

Learn to use a map and compass.  Take them with you, even if you have a GPS.  Gadgets can break.  Batteries go dead.  A map and compass will get you home.

Be aware of your surroundings.  If other hunters are in the area, assess how they are hunting.  If they appear to be hunting safely, stay cognizant of their positions.  If they are reckless, find another location to hunt.  Don’t confront the reckless hunter unless it is necessary.  It is better to stay away from a Bozo with a gun if you can.  If it is bad enough, report the reckless hunter(s) to a game warden or other law enforcement.  Also, it is your duty to the sport, and to game animals, to report any observed violations of the law.

Look before you shoot.  Positively identify that what you intend to shoot is a game animal, and that it is the one you have a license for.   Know what is between you and the animal, and what is behind and to the sides of the animal.  Be sure there is an adequate backstop.  Make sure that you will be able to retrieve all edible portions of the meat from the spot where your animal falls; and from where it may run to if it doesn’t go down immediately.  You will be excited, so keep your cool.  Remember that an elk can weigh as much as 800 pounds, and it may be difficult to retrieve the meat from steep, rocky terrain; or pack it 10 miles back to camp..  It is a sin to take a life and then waste the meat.

To kill an animal, you have to go where the animals are, not where you think they will be.  You would be surprised how many times hunters go home skunked because they are hunting where there are no animals.  Learn what your game eats.  Find places where they have access to water.  It’s not rocket science, but I have spent a lot of time watching benches between hills where there is no food or water, to no avail.  If other hunters are moving the animals, you may see them in places like that, but you will improve your odds in a big way if you hunt near food and water.  Scout before you hunt.  When you find food and water, look for sign: droppings, hoof prints, day beds, etc.  If you don’t find them, find food and water where there is sign.  Don’t disturb the area.  Relieve yourself somewhere else.  Don’t smoke.  Move to a place where you are close enough to see and shoot, but without spooking the animals.  I have killed big game throughout the day, but the most productive time to hunt, in my experience, is in the hour after legal shooting light begins, and in the hour before it ends.

Take a good knife.  Put another in your day pack in case you loose the one on your belt. They get dull, so take a small quickie-type sharpener with you.  You aren't Jim Bowie.  Big knives are hard to use.  The new knives with replaceable blades are great, but you can't separate bone with them.  So, if you use a replaceable blade knife, take a traditional hunting knife along to do the heavy lifting.

Please remember that a safe hunt is a successful hunt.  God be with you and keep you safe (and me too).