Mama Hen

Do we have a "Christian Duty" to vote?

12:56 PM, Monday, September 8, 2008 .. Posted in Things that make me say Hmmmmmm .. Link

As a P.S. to the post below, once again, having "too biblical" of a viewpoint got me banned from another "Christian" forum. This one for military wives.

But being banned there was not a surprise to me at all. Anytime conversation got serious there, it was immediately deleted or labeled "debate" even if it wasn't.

Sometimes I wonder who it is these "Christians" actually serve? Is the bible the word of God or not? Is there such thing as truth? What sort of fruit are we bearing when we can't handle the meat of the word, and are content to drink milk and kool-aid?

2 Tim 2:15

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Hebrews 13:12-14

"Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."

Finally, I would just like to say "thank you" to the many people who have e-mailed me, thanking me for writing this post. I sincerely appreciate your supportive words.

**************************************************************************************************************

Here I go again with the "P" words......politics. And an even worse combination...."Politics and Religion!"

I very recently had a conversation with someone over this topic. The person, (I’ll call her “Betsy") scolded another lady for saying that she didn't think she was going to vote this fall. Betsy told her that it was her duty as a believer, as a citizen and as a military family that she must vote.

If found this line of thinking ludicrous.

This was my response:

I disagree. (And feel free to disagree with me as well.)

Your vote is your personal endorsement. It is who you feel, in good conscience is the best person for the job. I don't believe in voting for the lesser of two evils. Voting for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil. Who do you vote for if your only two options are the Antichrist or the False Prophet? (Not that I am comparing those running to these, just making a point.)

It is kind of like the "surveys" that companies do.

"Would you pick, A B or C" but they don't give you an option you could live with, so you pick the best of those. What if your response isn't and A B or C answer? Why can't I have a "D" or "other?" Then they run around saying "See, 60% say they like A!" Well, that's only because we didn't have a D!

I do not like McCain, and I do not like Obama. Neither of them are deserving of my vote. Sorry.

As a believer, I can't vote for either of them. McCain is NOT pro-life. I'm sorry. Actions speak louder than words. What are his actions? Read This Article It does a good job of summing it up. He is for embryonic stem cell research, he is against the first amendment, against the second amendment....how many more of our rights would he like to squash?

As a believer, I will pray for our nation, and pray for our leaders, but as a believer I am NOT obligated to vote for any of them. And our guys are fighting and dying for my right to believe as I wish too.

As a citizen, voting is a right, not an obligation.

Being a military wife is trumped by being a believer.

I think Palin is great, but she comes as a package deal. I still have to sleep at night, and want to do so with a good conscience.

So I will be a "None of the Above" person, or may do a "write in." (Since we still have that right in NC) But I will NOT hold my nose and check the box.”

***

I am not saying it is a sin to vote, or to get involved with politics. It is up to each person to make their own choice. While I follow politics quite closely, I don’t think that our government is the answer to our nations problems. On the contrary, they seem to cause more problems, get us in to more debts, and into more wars than the citizens. Wouldn’t you think?

"Betsy" responded to me, that God made us stewards, and that by note voting, I was doubly wrong. That as stewards we were obligated to keep this nation “going correct” and that by my refusing to vote, I was being a bad steward. That God calls this “lazy and foolish” and God will send me packing. She said that we have a responsibility to GOD to vote.

My response:

Keep it "going correct?" Do you really think this nation is going in the right direction? We slaughter unborn babies by the millions, and now even the just born aren't to be protected. We have states embracing and passing gay marriage, Christians are beginning to be silenced, and discriminated against, legally. Our leaders are known for being liars and exploitative.

Not participating in the affairs of this world is NOT forsaking a duty to God. Have you forgotten that we serve a greater kingdom? As far as I am concerned, I am not a citizen of this man-made institution. I will NEVER pledge my allegiance to a corrupt(ible) government. The only responsibility I have is to my family and my Lord. Many people do try to use scripture to guilt people into subservience to the government, but it is scriptural manipulation. People especially like to use Romans 13 to cause Christians to obey their governments, but that is only in reference to a "good" government. Are we supposed to serve and bow down to a corrupt or evil government? Should the Christians have just handed all the Jews over to Hitler's forces? Should Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego have just bowed down to the idol? I don't think so. We should obey God rather than man.

Anyone that knows their bible, knows that the kingdoms of this world belong to the devil. He is the god of this world. I will not serve him or his kingdoms. They will all pass away.

Not voting has nothing to do with stewardship, nor does participation in this "election." Do you know what God made us stewards of? His mysteries and His Grace. Stewards of His, to serve Him.

1 Cor 4, 1 Peter 4

I am neither lazy nor foolish. I am studied, faithful and dedicated to my Lord, and it is Him alone I seek to please and serve. And I will not lie and give a vote to someone I don't think deserves it.

I have nothing more to say on this topic. I know I am controversial and a non-conformist. But that is just me.

***
Betsy had no legitimate response, other than to threaten me with an "I'm an admin" comment.

So as a Christian, in whom do we trust? That should be an easy answer, because as of today it is still on our American dollars. God. Our answers and hope come from Him alone. Our government is not the answers to our nation's problems, they are not our hope for the future. And it is certainly not a sin to steer clear of it, or stay home on election day. My staying home will make just as much of a point as it would if I went. But this way I have nothing to repent over, since I can not in good conscience say, "I want billy bob" to be president. Because I don't. So casting a vote for him wouldn't be honest, would it?

In any case, there is no law in this nation that says you must vote. Frankly, I think there are too many people voting that shouldn't. Yes, they shouldn't. They are uninformed and vote for someone for the wrong reasons. You shouldn't be casting a vote for someone unless you know exactly what they stand for, in action, not just in lip service. Vote for a person only after you have researched for yourself, their voting record, their political actions. Because it is what they DO that matters, not what they promise.

Agree with me or don't agree with me, that is fine. But we are not under a commandment by God to vote in an election. Period.

An excellent article along these lines from 2004…

“Our Hope is in the Gospel, Not the Government or Politics”

Five years ago I was convinced that Christians could change the world. I was convinced they could end the major social ills that plagued society. I was convinced they could make America a "Christian nation" that would be found honorable in God’s eyes. Not only that, but many more people would be brought to the faith as a result. Everything was going to be glorious and wonderful if Christians just got mobilized.

But mobilized to do what? Share our faith? Testify about the glory of God? No, instead I wrongly assumed that political activism and getting "our" guys in governmental positions of power were the best solutions to most problems facing America. Whether the problem was porn, alcoholism, drugs, abortion, gays, modernism, etc., government seemed the best and most viable solution.

While I did not believe that laws and legislation would "fix everything" I saw the political system – not Jesus or Scripture – as the most potent vehicle to reform America. My answer was government and politicians. How incredibly silly and naive. The goal of this essay is to persuade other Christians to realize, as I eventually did, that our hope for reforming society is not found in coercive government policies. Nor is it found with politicians. Our hope instead should be in Christ and spreading God’s Word and love to our fellow man.

That is what will reform society. Government cannot do it. Fruitful ministry should be our motivation and main focus. Not fruitless politicking.

Looking back, it is clear that I was incredibly ignorant. I held the position that many Christians continue to hold today. I wrongly believed (despite overwhelming evidence) that society could be strengthened and improved through political action and government control. Many Christians take offense at such a statement, still holding out much hope that America can be Christianized if only the right legislation is passed and if only the right people are elected. The last 25 years tell a much different story, however.

Christians, I ask you to be honest with yourself right now instead of just resorting to righteous indignation. Realistically look at the fruits of all your efforts. Where have they gotten Christianity in America? How many successes can you point to? How many converts have you produced because of your political and governmental reform efforts? How many people have a more positive (instead of more negative) view of the faith?

The reality is nothing much has changed in society as a result of all your hard work. The Christian Right has wasted a colossal amount of time, money and energy in the 25 years since they became a potent political force and they've accomplished little of purpose. Think about it. Religious liberties continue to be lost; the huge issues we yell about are not getting any better (abortion, homosexuality, feminism, etc.) and are just continuing to be more and more accepted. If anything, things like homosexuality are more accepted now than they have ever been.

Millions and millions of dollars, and hours and hours of manpower have gone into dividing people through politicking when it could have done much better showing others the love of Christ and preaching the Kingdom of God. Not only that, but Christians are looked upon more negatively today by non-Christians than they were 25 years ago. Just ask yourself, zealous Christian, how much more could we have accomplished if all that money and time was pumped into church plants, missions work, evangelism, and meeting social needs instead of wasting it on failed political endeavors?

.

I often hear from other pastors that they are distressed because not enough Christians are voting. I think it’s more distressing that not enough Christians are taking their faith seriously. I think it’s more distressing that not enough Christians are sharing the love and hope of Christ with their neighbors. I think it’s more distressing that too many Christians are pinning their hopes on political activism rather than on the Gospel and God’s sovereign power.

It would be very interesting to see what would happen if the millions of Christian activists put forth the same efforts for ministry that they put forth in political activism. I imagine that many more people would be reached in much more meaningful ways. How I wish conservative Christians possessed the same zeal for advancing the Church that they have for advancing the Republican Party and various politicians.

Notice that nowhere in this column did I tell Christians to neglect what they feel are their "civic duties." Nor did I totally discount the merits of engaging in the political process. Yet I have been freed from my former ignorance. I now realize that even the most simplest acts of Christian love and virtue can be used in a much more significant way to establishing my overall goals than trying to impose a Superstate for Jesus on the unwilling masses.

In my Wesleyan-holiness theology, salvation is a free gift of God that must be freely accepted by man. It is not forced upon him. My great Anabaptist heritage sought to largely sever itself from the State. We believed that spiritual revival was the hope for America, not judges, politicians, and elections. In all of this, there was no forced government coercion. There was no massive federal welfare state. These Christians actually took care of one another and took seriously the responsibility to provide for unmet needs, instead of handing that responsibility off to the government. War was denounced and peace was proclaimed. The ultimate hope was in Jesus.

Today that has all changed by and large. Deep down inside, Christians know their hope should be in Christ. Yet today many act and behave as if that hope belongs with the State. How many more millions need to be wasted, how many more politicians need to disappoint us, and how long do our wheels need to spin in the mud before we realize that we need to change course?

It is long past time for Christians to wake up and realize that their hope is not in State coercion and government programs. Nor is it in war. It is in the Prince of Peace. It’s time to give this Peace a chance and turn away from the fruitless solutions of the past

To read the entire article, go here:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/barnwell/barnwell32.html

The Death of the Free Internet?

10:27 AM, Tuesday, July 22, 2008 .. Posted in Things that make me say Hmmmmmm .. 0 comments .. Link

This is a very scary thought...both to our way of life, and to freedom of speech, and just about anything else.

The Internet has been the greatest technological achievement of the 20th century by far, and has been recognized as such by the global community. The free transfer of information, uncensored, unlimited and untainted, still seems to be a dream when you think about it. Whatever field that is mentioned- education, commerce, government, news, entertainment, politics and countless other areas- have been radically affected by the introduction of the Internet.

And mostly, it’s good news, except when poor judgements are made and people are taken advantage of. Scrutiny and oversight are needed, especially where children are involved. However, when there are potential profits open to a corporation, the needs of society don’t count.

*snip*

In the upcoming weeks watch for a report in Time Magazine that will attempt to smooth over the rough edges of a diabolical plot by Bell Canada and Telus, to begin charging per site fees on most Internet sites. The plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites beyond a cutoff point.

From my browsing (on the currently free Internet) I have discovered that the ‘demise’ of the free Internet is slated for 2010 in Canada, and two years later around the world. Canada is seen a good choice to implement such shameful and sinister changes, since Canadians are viewed as being laissez fair, politically uninformed and an easy target.

*snip*

What will the Internet look like in Canada in 2010? I suspect that the ISP’s will provide a “package” program as companies like Cogeco currently do. Customers will pay for a series of websites as they do now for their television stations. Television stations will be available on-line as part of these packages, which will make the networks happy since they have lost much of the younger market which are surfing and chatting on their computers in the evening. However, as is the case with cable television now, if you choose something that is not part of the package, you know what happens. You pay extra.

And this is where the Internet (free) as we know it will suffer almost immediate, economic strangulation. Thousands and thousands of Internet sites will not be part of the package so users will have to pay extra to visit those sites! In just an hour or two it is possible to easily visit 20-30 sites or more while looking for information. Just imagine how high these costs will be.

*snip*

Be aware that we will all lose our privacy because all websites will be tracked as part of the billing procedure, and we will be literally cut off from 90% of the information that we can access today. The little guys on the Net will fall likes flies; Bloggers and small website operators will die a quick death because people will not pay to go to their sites and read their pages. Ironically, the only medium that can save us is the one we are trying to save- the Internet (free).

This article will be posted on my Blog, www.realitycheck.typepad.com and I encourage people and groups to learn more about this issue. Canadians can keep the Internet free just as they kept text messaging free. Don’t wait for the federal politicians. They will do nothing to help us.

I would welcome a letter to the editor of the Standard Freeholder from a spokesperson from Bell Canada or Telus telling me that I am absolutely wrong in what I have written, and that no such changes to the Internet are being planned, and that access to Internet sites will remain FREE in the years to come. In the meantime, I encourage all of you to write to the media, ask questions, phone the radio station, phone a friend, or think of something else to prevent what appears to me to be inevitable.

Maintaining Internet (free) access is the only way we have a chance at combating the global corporate takeover, the North American Union, and a long list of other deadly deeds that the elite in society have planned for us. Yesterday was too late in trying to protect our rights and freedoms. We must now redouble our efforts in order to give our children and grandchildren a fighting chance in the future.

read the entire article HERE

I just hope this isn't true, or it could be very, very bad.

Immunizations: Informed Consent?

09:54 AM, Saturday, July 19, 2008 .. Posted in Things that make me say Hmmmmmm .. 3 comments .. Link

I have heard the phrase "Informed Consent" used a great deal, but when we consent to things, are we really being given all of the information? If we had all the information, and were really informed, would we still be consenting?

Over the past few years, there seems to have been an increased push for vaccinations. Vaccinations for everything under the sun.....and not.

But why? It seems Big Pharma companies feel the need to create a fear, and then turn around and create the "fix." But are the fixes safe, and if they aren't ,should we still be FORCED to go along?

How about the new Gardasil that is being pushed so incredibly hard? It was approved by the FDA on June 8th, 2006, and by the June 30th, was shipped across the country, and 6 short months later, it was already being pushed into law by 18 States,Texas being the first to enact it. Why such a hurry to mandate a vaccine for an STD?

"A recent publication by a conservative watchdog group has rekindled media interest in a controversial anti-virus vaccine and sent Big Pharma and federal health agency officials into damage control mode.

In a 25-page special report released June 30, Judicial Watch -- a Washington DC-based nonprofit organization that promotes “transparency and accountability in government” – presents evidence based on government documents that in the two years since being licensed by the Food and Drug Administration, Merck & Co’s Gardasil, heavily promoted as a safe and effective vaccine against cervical cancer, has been connected with nearly 9,000 “adverse events,” including the deaths of 18 – perhaps 20 – girls and young women.

In addition, there were 140 “serious” events reported (27 categorized as “life-threatening”), with 10 spontaneous abortions and six cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome – all since January 2008................"
Read the Rest of the Article Here

But if we are supposed to decide for ourselves if something is safe or not, whether we want it or not through "INFORMED CONSENT" why is our government offices pushing so hard to FORCE us to have them or else?

"Worst Vaccine Bill Ever" Seeks Compulsory Shots For All Children

Assembly Bill 10942, introduced at the request of Richard Daines, the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, calls for changes to the law in order to make recommended inoculation compulsory in order for children to attend school.

The bill would also permit the administration of vaccines for sexually transmitted infections to minors without parental consent.

Maryland Parents Threatened With Jail For Not Vaccinating Children

But back to the "informed consent"......do you want to know what is actually IN those vaccines that our society is pushed to accept without question? Take a look here:
Vaccine Ingredients

That particular website is a wealth of information, from vaccine ingredients, to laws by state.

But one other thing that I find especially disturbing, is the unethical behavior of the companies that create them.
Where do they test these "wonderful" vaccines to see if they are safe?

12 Babies Die During Vaccine Trials in Argentina

And where do they come from?

Vaccines that use aborted fetuses:
Acambis 1000 (smallpox) Acambis -- MRC5
Avaxim (hepatitis A) Pateur Merieux -- MRC5
Biavax (mumps, rubella) Merck -- RA273, WI-38
Ervevax (rubella) Smithkilne Beecham -- MRC5
Havarix (hepatitis A) Smithkilne Beecham -- MRC5
Imovax HDCV, DCO (rabies) Pasteur Merieux Connaught -- MRC5
Meruvax II (rubella) Merck -- RA273, WI-38
MMR II (Measles, mumps, rubella) Merck Sharp & Dohme -- WI-38
MR VAX (measles, rubella) Merck -- RA273, WI-38
Poliovax (polio, IPV) MRC5
Priorix (measles, mumps, rubella) Smithkline Beecham -- MRC5
Proquad (mmr, chickenpox/varicella) Merck -- RA273, WI-38, MRC5
Twinrix (hepatitis A and B) GSK -- MRC5
VAQTA (hepatitis A) MSD -- MRC5
Varivax (chickenpox, varicella) MSD -- WI-38
Zostavax (shingles) Merck -- MRC5, WI-38

Still want those "wonderful" shots?

*****

An Excellent, and thoughtful blog in regards to this:
Blaine Staat

Who do our children belong to anyways? Who should be making the decisions about their health care? Their loving, caring PARENTS who only want the best for them, or the "State?"

Just another thing that makes me say, "Hmmmm."

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