Solar Activity, Cosmic Rays, & Global Warming

Global warming alarmists have grown quite fond of devaluing the correlation of solar activity on earth’s temperature. In the 1972 World Book Science Annual, Dr. Reid A. Bryson, Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. John E. Ross, the Associate Director, wrote, “The sun is the source of all climatic effects.” (p. 96) More recently published studies continue to validate this statement. In fact, a body of research empirically demonstrates correlations between earth’s temperatures and cosmic ray fluctuations from other stars in our galaxy in addition to the sun.

Results of studies by Henrik Svensmark and others of the Danish National Space Center and of the Institute of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, links solar activity, cosmic rays, cloud and water vapor formations, and temperature variations. In a nutshell, increased solar activity suppresses cosmic ray penetration of the atmosphere which reduces available low cloud condensation nuclei. This sequence of events increases clear sky, incoming radiation, and the greenhouse effect from gaseous water vapor. The result is terrestrial warming. When solar activity decreases, the reverse effects result in cooling. (Svensmark, et. al., “Experimental evidence for the role of ions in particle nucleation under atmospheric conditions,” Proceedings of the Royal Society A)

Readers will note that the Proceedings of the Royal Society A, a journal of the mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences, also publishes articles of studies demonstrating that the sun is not a factor in current climate change. I think that this demonstrates that current research concerning the correlation of solar activity and climate change remains a valid topic of scientific study. To cavalierly dismiss empirical studies of the impact of solar activity on climate change is counterproductive and has no scientific merit.


(Photo: Composite image of multiple solar flares on the sun, NASA)

The Grand Experiment

With the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a series of events shook and changed the world forever. As the new Republic took shape, the most unusual group of human leaders continued to place liberty ahead of a grab for power. Instead of establishing a new monarchy or other familiar form of totalitarianism in which the victors grabbed as much power as they could for themselves, America’s Founders created a new government that had no human precedent.

In 1787, the year of the signing of the American Constitution, Ch’ien Lung of the Manchu Dynasty ruled supreme over the people of China. Protests against his rule were put down by ruthless military force. In Japan, Tanuma Okitsugu exercised totalitarian and corrupt authority over the Japanese. Catherine II was the enlightened despot of all the Russians. King Louis XVI sat on the throne of France. He was soon overthrown and executed in the bloody French Revolution which provided the fertile ground for a tyrant of a new making, Napoleon Bonaparte. Frederick the Great ruled Prussia, and Joseph II was the emperor of Austria, Bohemia, and Hungary. Some of these great nations still live under despotic forms of rule even today.

In an amazingly short time as measured by the history of world civilization, America outstripped all of these nations in world power and influence – all because a small group of men chose to establish a nation of liberty rather than a nation they could rule. They chose a nation established on their belief in the providential rule of God instead of the terror of man.

"...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

America is decidedly a grand experiment to hang onto.

Global Warming Consensus Melting Down

As if on cue, I received a link on 6/30/08 to a blog by James Spann, chief meteorologist at station ABC 33/40 in Birmingham, Alabama. Posting on his station’s Weather Blog, “Global Warming Movement Turns Cool,” Mr. Spann informs readers that

*****
…the mythical UN IPCC “consensus” continues to crumble… Dr. Kiminori Itoh, an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist who specializes in optical waveguide spectroscopy from the University of Tokyo, and a top UN IPCC Scientist, calls global warming fears: the “worst scientific scandal in history” in the weblog of former Colorado State Climatologist Dr. Roger Pielke.
Here is what Canadian climatologist Tim Ball says about the IPCC: “The IPCC is a political organization and yet it is the sole basis of the claim of a scientific consensus on climate change. Consensus is neither a scientific fact nor important in science, but it is very important in politics. There are 2500 members in the IPCC divided between 600 in Working Group I (WGI), who examine the actual climate science, and 1900 in working Groups II and III (WG II and III), who study “Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability” and “Mitigation of Climate Change” respectively. Of the 600 in WGI, 308 were independent reviewers, but only 32 reviewers commented on more than three chapters and only five reviewers commented on all 11 chapters of the report. They accept without question the findings of WGI and assume warming due to humans is a certainty. In a circular argument typical of so much climate politics the work of the 1900 (less than one percent of the scientific population) is listed as ‘proof’ of human caused global warming. Through this they established the IPCC as the only credible authority thus further isolating those who raised questions.”
*****

These and many other findings mentioned in Mr. Spann’s report indicate that global warming science and scientists are not quite as infallible as global warming alarmists make them out to be.

Why, then, do they persist in trumpeting their myth that man-made global warming is an incontrovertible conclusion and in discrediting their challengers as “flat-earthers” and other acrimonious names? The clear majority, if not all, of the individuals and organizations leading global warming alarmism is comprised of liberal idealists. Their drive is to attain and consolidate the power to direct the collective lives of the world’s inhabitants, resulting in the curtailment of individual liberty. To accomplish this, they must convince enough of the world’s populations, particularly those in the more influential nations, that governing for the collective good is vital to the survival of the planet and, consequently, humanity. Crisis, whether real or perceived, is therefore a beneficial tool of liberal leadership because it short-circuits debate and democratic deliberation that could lead to solutions outside of their centralized planning goals.

Consider, for instance, the admission of Mr. Al Gore himself during an interview with David Roberts of grist.org in May 2006:

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Q: There's a lot of debate right now over the best way to communicate about global warming and get people motivated. Do you scare people or give them hope? What's the right mix?

A: (Gore) I think the answer to that depends on where your audience's head is. In the United States of America, unfortunately we still live in a bubble of unreality. And the Category 5 denial is an enormous obstacle to any discussion of solutions. Nobody is interested in solutions if they don't think there's a problem. Given that starting point, I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentations on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience to listen to what the solutions are, and how hopeful it is that we are going to solve this crisis.
*****

“An over-representation of factual presentations?” In other words, Mr. Gore declares that Americans need to be lied to and deceived in order to properly comprehend global warming. Without “over-representation,” there would be no crisis, no alarmism, and, hence, no opportunity to drive the world toward the tyranny of collectivism.

Unfortunately for Mr. Gore, et. al., some of the scientists are choosing to leave the corral of deceit they have been so carefully constructing. We can only hope that the global warming “consensus” will continue to melt down.

Infallible Science?

One cornerstone of global warming alarmism is the assertion that the science and scientists of global warming are infallible. The evidence for warming has been called “unequivocal” by the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Scientists who raise contrary concerns about the methodologies and conclusions of global warming science are dismissed as industry hacks and science quacks.

In the 1972 World Book Science Annual, Dr. Reid A. Bryson, Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, and Dr. John E. Ross, the Associate Director, wrote that the “most important factor in changing the climate, and the one for which man has the most responsibility, is dust… After the eruption, summers in the Northern Hemisphere were cooler than they had been in the years preceding the Krakatoa eruption.” (p. 99) Concerning warming and cooling trends, these scientists wrote, “Incidentally, the spread in temperature from an Ice Age to a no glacial world climate is only about 9 degrees F. Many glaciers have advanced since 1945. We are now nearly two-thirds of the way back to the averages of the early 1800s - a colder time than any living person can recall.” (p. 102)

According to contemporary global warming science, these and other scientists from 30 and more years ago were in error. We are told now that the most important factor is changing the climate, and for which man has the most responsibility, is carbon dioxide emissions. Why were the scientists of previous years wrong? I am willing to acknowledge that new technology and new evidence can change prior scientific conclusions.
However, the rational person must ask, “What, then, makes today’s global warming science and scientists infallible? What if there are new technologies in the making that will uncover new evidence that alters today’s scientific conclusions? If that is the case, then today’s scientists are no more infallible than yesterday’s scientists. And, if that is the case, then do we really want to enact laws and policies that will likely bankrupt us?” After all, had America and the world enacted laws and policies that institutionalized an alarmist fight against the global cooling patterns observed by scientists such as Drs. Bryson and Ross, what kind of climatological mess might we be in today?

Already the term “global warming” is being replaced by “climate change” to reflect that the actual temperatures are not matching the intensity of the scientific predictions. Yet, global warming alarmists continue to espouse that the methodologies and conclusions of their scientists are infallible and are not to be challenged. Is this the kind of thinking upon which we want to impose new laws that will radically alter our lives in ways yet to be imagined? I suggest that we give this some serious thought.

Excellent!

Great news! Last night's "From the Front Lines" webathon to raise contributions for the largest care package delivery to American troops in history was a smashing success. The stated goal of $500,000 was surpassed prior to the half-way point in the eight hour webathon.

Contributions from the fund raiser reported this evening at MoveAmericaForward are $1,116,556.

If you participated, way to go! If you still want to participate, log on through the above link and follow the care package instructions.

Care Packages

A unique opportunity to participate in a drive to send the largest single shipment of care packages in history to U.S. troops is going on now.

MoveAmericaForward.org, the nation's largest pro-troop organization, is in the middle of a drive to send the largest single shipment of care packages to U.S. troops in history. When you sponsor care packages for our troops you have the opportunity to type in a personalized message that will be printed along with your name and address on all the items in the care packages. Often times our troops in Iraq & Afghanistan - who get lonely given the 8,000 miles of separation from family and friends - will send notes of gratitude back to the sponsors of these packages.

The grand finale for the push will take place on Thursday, June 26th when a "Jerry Lewis" style 8-hour Internet Telethon ("From the Frontlines") will take place. This cutting edge production “From The Frontlines” will be broadcast live online by UStream.tv and hosted by Melanie Morgan & Michelle Malkin. Live and taped reports will be broadcast from our troops serving in Iraq & Afghanistan during the historic 8-hour event.

For many more details, surf over to www.moveamericaforward.org. Follow the links to more reports about the care packages and the telethon. Consider sponsoring a care package for American military personnel serving in Afghanistan & Iraq. Consider watching some of the telethon and learn what is currently taking shape in those theaters of operation.

Plants Have Feelings, Too!

SkyePuppy posted (6/4/08) about the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) protest against the treatment of lobsters. If PETA has their way, then vegetarian diets will become law. Except for imposing more elitist control over the lives of ordinary citizens, that sounds innocent enough. After all, vegetarianism is billed as "good for us." (Since I have conducted no personal research into the topic, I will not make any comments about the value of vegetarianism at this time).

However, in the land of left-believe, there is no such thing as innocence.

*****
GENEVA - Plants deserve respect, a group of Swiss experts said Monday, arguing that killing them arbitrarily was morally wrong. In a report on "the dignity of the creature in the plant world," the federal Ethics Committee on non-human Gene Technology condemned the decapitation of flowers without reason, among other sins. Still, committee member Bernard Baertsche suggested at a press conference that such cruel acts would be weighed on a case-by-case basis, noting "the simple pleasure of picking the petals off a daisy might suffice as a reason." Similarly "all action that involves plants in the aim to conserve the human species is morally justified," said the committee, which offers an ethical take on all areas of biotechnology and genetic engineering. Nor did the commission object to genetic engineering, since this did not threaten plants' "autonomy -- that is, their capacity to reproduce or their capacity of adaptation." -- Edmonton Journal
*****

How long will it be before an organization is formed that protests the cruelty being wrought on plants by farmers who insist on growing certain varieties in confinement (otherwise known as farms) and mercilessly executing unwanted varieties? Oh, the cruelty of it all! (By the way, here is a ground floor opportunity. What to call such an organization? It must have a nifty acronym. PETP - People for the Ethical Treatment of Plants - doesn't cut it).

Now the rational thinker might believe that the sparks will fly when PETA and this organization to be named collide. But rational thought and actions are not prerequisites in the land of left-believe. I am certain that a workable compromise will emerge - especially since there will be those who are members of both organizations - such as, oh say, humans refrain from eating. Or, to be a bit more gruesome & macabre, resort to dieting on the only living being that liberals love to kill.

Worrywarts

I don't make this stuff up. I am not creative enough. An AP-AOL Health poll conducted from March 24 to April 3, 2008 links stress-induced health issues with high debt (surprise, surprise). What did catch me by surprise were the concluding sentences listing groups with more or less “debt stress.”

*****

"Indeed, the survey found that upwardly mobile, middle-class families were among those who had the most debt stress. Others were women, couples with small children, low-income working families, Democrats and those who graduated high school but haven't taken college courses. Those least likely to be stressed from debt include men, retirees, empty nesters, college graduates and Republicans." (emphasis added)

*****

Wow! A few conclusions can be drawn from this:

(1) For better health, be Republican.

(2) Republicans manage their money better than Democrats.

(3) Republicans take more responsibility for their lives.

(4) Democrats worry more. [Well, given the lifestyles of typical liberals, I can understand why].

Any other conclusions? I'd love to share more.

Like I say, I can't make this stuff up.

FDR D-Day Address

As Allied forces struggled to gain a beachhead at Normandy, France, 64 years ago, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt shared the news with Americans as a prayer to God.

*****
My Fellow Americans:
Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our Allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.
And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:
Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.
They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.
They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest -- until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.
For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.
Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.
And for us at home -- fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas, whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them -- help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.
Many people have urged that I call the nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.
Give us strength, too -- strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.
And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.
And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee; faith in our sons; faith in each other; faith in our united crusade. Let not the keeness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment -- let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.
With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogances. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace -- a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.
Thy will be done, Almighty God.
Amen.
Franklin D. Roosevelt - June 6, 1944
www.historyplace.com/speeches/fdr-prayer.htm
*****
It is certainly a shame that Americans then did not have warriors like the ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State to protect them from the religious ravings of their megalomaniac president who kept insisting that peace be won through military victory and that national petitions to Almighty God were proper to help secure that victory; or, that they did not have a Speaker of the House who attributed American success to the “goodwill” of Nazi Germany.
Yes, I am engaging in a bit of sarcasm. My solemn deliberation, though, is to remember the sacrifices of our brave men and women both then and now with the same attention to faith and prayer that FDR asked of Americans. Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.

(photo: Normandy, France, June 6, 1944)

I've Gone Green

Yes, believe it or not, I've gone green; that is, I am now a staunch environmentalist. The reason for my "conversion?" I have been taught how simple it is. All I have to do is offer a few incantations about needing to save the planet and - voila! - instant greenie. Don't believe me? Well, try "environmentally conscious" NASCAR driver Brian Vickers:

*****
"It's something I've definitely grown passionate about. I believe that we are damaging this world in many ways and it's not just about carbon dioxide; we've got to learn to lead a sustainable life and a sustainable future as humans," said Vickers. "People talk about environmentalism as a way to save the planet, and I think that's a very inaccurate statement. I think it's a way to save humanity and society, as we know it, because the planet is going to go on.
"What we're trying to protect and what people need to realize is that we're trying to protect our future as human beings and how we live on this planet. Unless we can do it in a sustainable way. then that's not going to happen. And definitely not with six billion people."
"I think all the people of the world need to recognize that, first and foremost, we need to think about intelligent solutions," said Vickers. "I don't think it's realistic to expect everyone to live in huts in the woods. That's not acceptable for six billion people; you just can't survive that way. What we need to do is figure out how to live the life we live in a sustainable way." (Monte Dutton, NASCAR This Week)

*****

So there we have it. Say a few magical words and - poof! - instant greenie. There, wasn't that easy? All we have to do is "figure out how to live the life we live in a sustainable way."

Rev up those engines, boys, the race is about to begin! I feel so much better already.

Memorial Day 2008

A sad irony of the legacy of human history is that we so rarely have peace unless it is forced upon us. Many a human civilization has tried to live peacefully without an umbrella of vigilance and military protection because they would not or could not provide it. All too often, the unfortunate consequence is that such civilizations become the target of predatory regimes that have no interest in peace, mercy, or justice.

Thus it is that America maintains Armed Forces and calls upon them to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” Memorial Day is our opportunity to pay respect and honor to those who have gone before us in service to our nation. Whether in war or in peace, America has lost too early sons and daughters who have sacrificed themselves for the benefit of others.

While our tribute through prayers, parades, memorial services, and other ceremonies is proper and fitting, we can also honor our military personnel, both living and dead, by remembering that freedom, liberty, and peace are secured only through vigilance, hard work, and sacrifice.

CDR Gene Fluckey was among the first generation of World War II submarine commanding officers to abandon certain conservative battle tactics employed by those preceding them. Upon the return from an extremely successful first patrol as commanding officer of the USS Barb, CDR Fluckey was summoned to a visit with President Roosevelt in July 1944. After briefly discussing his patrol with the President, CDR Fluckey was told, “Battle reports like yours let me sleep, confident that peace is inevitable.” (Carl LaVO, The Galloping Ghost, Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 2007, p. 74)

Let us honor this Memorial Day, and every day, those who sacrifice to make “peace inevitable.”

Oil Industry Profits

Thanks to all who participated in the poll.

It’s time to be the answer man. The answer to my question – “Approximately how much do oil companies profit on each gallon of gasoline priced at $4.00 per gallon?” – is 40 cents. The other figures in the multiple choice poll question break down as follows:

$2.64 is the 1950s price of gasoline adjusted for inflation alone.
$.80 is the amount of taxes paid per gallon (about 20% per gallon).
$.20 is just a bogus figure I threw in.

My source for these figures is an article, “Economics 101: The Price of Gas,” from the Ludwig von Mises Institute. I recognize that there are challenges to some of these figures, especially in light of today’s charged political environment. I did a far-from-exhaustive sampling of other sources and found that the cited article is not at any great variance from many other sources. I will leave it as an exercise to the interested reader to follow up; my technique involved googling “profit gallon gasoline.” That produces plenty of material to sift through. Informative stuff, too.

Regardless of what site I went to, it is evident that we pay more for taxes than “big oil” company profits on each gallon of gasoline. In fact, we pay taxes on each gasoline purchase at least twice. In addition to the taxes that consumers pay at the pump, the company pays income taxes. In the case of Exxon Mobile, that has been about 40% of gross profits the past three years (2007 Annual Report, p. 38. Note: 7.55 Mb pdf document, if you choose to open it). Costs, including income taxes, are built into the price structure of everything we purchase. Businesses and property do not pay taxes; people pay taxes.

Even though the profit margins of “big oil” companies have remained steady for many years in spite of the fluctuations in the price of crude oil and refined petroleum products, oil company executives are being hauled into Washington to testify before Congress for “price gouging.” Maybe it’s time for our illustrious elected officials to take a look at who is really gouging consumers. A mirror would help here.

Armed Forces Day 2008

As May 17th - Armed Forces Day - approached, I began thinking of those who fought in World War II. In particular, for some reason I began thinking of those who fought who still had not achieved and been granted the fullest rights at home: blacks, Native Americans, Japanese Americans, and others.

Even though many experienced various discriminations that continued even during their military service, they nevertheless contributed valiantly in their service as American military personnel. And, when allowed to engage in combat, they fought tenaciously.

I marvel at all of our brave American heroes who stood up to totalitarianism around the globe, but I especially marvel at those “minorities” who, in spite of the discriminations they experienced, still put their lives on the line for their country. What would motivate someone to make this decision? I offer only my personal guess.

They believed in America. In spite of injustices that probably most of them experienced, they understood the difference between liberty and totalitarianism. They stood for liberty. Even though there were still domestic issues to resolve, they put many of those on the back burner until the threat to America and the rest of the world was totally annihilated.

Americans today could stand to learn and apply valuable lessons from them.

May God bless all of our Armed Forces personnel preserving our freedom today.

(photo: Tuskegee airmen)

New Poll

I invite you to take my poll (located along the left side). Approximately how much do oil companies profit on each gallon of gasoline priced at $4.00 per gallon?

I will reveal the answer next week.

I look forward to your participation. Thanks!

The New JFK

Campaigning on change, hope, & progress, Sen. Barack H. Obama has been heralded the “new” JFK. These are heady times, folks. We have the messiah of change, hope, & progress all wrapped up in one Sen. Barack H. Obama, the “new” JFK. Typical of campaign rhetoric, one might come away with a different conclusion when we actually pay attention to how JFK excited Americans in the 1960s:

Economy:
JFK: “To achieve these greater gains, one step, above all, is essential--the enactment this year of a substantial reduction and revision in Federal income taxes. For it is increasingly clear--to those in Government, business, and labor who are responsible for our economy's success--that our obsolete tax system exerts too heavy a drag on private purchasing power, profits, and employment. Designed to check inflation in earlier years, it now checks growth instead. It discourages extra effort and risk. It distorts the use of resources. It invites recurrent recessions, depresses our Federal revenues, and causes chronic budget deficits.” (Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union, January 14, 1963)

Sen. Barack H. Obama:
“I suspect a lot of this crowd--it looks like a pretty well-dressed crowd--potentially will pay a little bit more. I will pay a little bit more..." (response to question about letting tax cuts lapse, 1/30/2008)

“Domestically, our national debt and budget constrain us in ways that are going to be very far-reaching. And I think whoever is elected in 2008 is going to be cleaning up the fiscal mess that was created as a consequence of the president's tax cuts.” (Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.155 Oct 30, 2007)

Religion in America:
JFK: “The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God.” (Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961)

Sen. Barack H. Obama: “This brings me to my second point. Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.” (“Call to Renewal” Keynote Address, 6/28/2006, http://obama.senate.gov/speech/060628-call_to_renewal/)


Cuba:
JFK: “Upon receiving the first preliminary hard information of this nature last Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., I directed that our surveillance be stepped up.”

JFK: “Finally, I want to say a few words to the captive people of Cuba, to whom this speech is being directly carried by special radio facilities. I speak to you as a friend, as one who knows of your deep attachment to your fatherland, as one who shares your aspirations for liberty and justice for all. And I have watched and the American people have watched with deep sorrow how your nationalist revolution was betrayed-- and how your fatherland fell under foreign domination. Now your leaders are no longer Cuban leaders inspired by Cuban ideals. They are puppets and agents of an international conspiracy which has turned Cuba against your friends and neighbors in the Americas--and turned it into the first Latin American country to become a target for nuclear war--the first Latin American country to have these weapons on its soil.”

Sen. Barack H. Obama: “Our longstanding policies toward Cuba have been a miserable failure, evidenced by the fact that Fidel Castro is now the longest-serving head of state in the world. If our isolationist policies were meant to weaken him, they certainly haven’t worked. I believe that normalization of relations with Cuba would help the oppressed and poverty-stricken Cuban people while setting the stage for a more democratic government once Castro inevitably leaves the scene.” (Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization, 2004)

Enemies of Freedom
JFK: "...to prevent a Communist takeover of Vietnam which is in accordance with a policy our government has followed since 1954." (President Kennedy justifies the expanding U.S. military in Vietnam)

JFK: “Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge--and more…. Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but a request: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.
We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can we be certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed…. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.” (Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961)

JFK: “...It was not General Marshall's speech at Harvard which kept communism out of Western Europe--it was the strength and stability made possible by our military and economic assistance. In this administration also it has been necessary at times to issue specific warnings--warnings that we could not stand by and watch the Communists conquer Laos by force, or intervene in the Congo, or swallow West Berlin, or maintain offensive missiles on Cuba. But while our goals were at least temporarily obtained in these and other instances, our successful defense of freedom was due not to the words we used, but to the strength we stood ready to use on behalf of the principles we stand ready to defend.” (Remarks Prepared for Delivery at the Trade Mart in Dallas, November 22, 1963)

Sen. Barack H. Obama: “We must remember that the cost of going it alone is immense. It is a choice we sometimes have to make, but one that must be made rarely and always reluctantly. That is because America’s standing in the world is a precious resource not easily rebuilt.” (Senate Floor, 3/21/07)


Military Service:
JFK: PT 109 - 'nuff said.

Sen. Barack H. Obama: None.

If Americans are looking for a “new” JFK, then we already have him in the White House. At least, when we base the comparisons on actual content, we do.

Has Sen. Obama Attacked the Black Church?

In an address to the National Press Club on April 28, 2008, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. said that “attacks on him are really attacks on the black church… Mr. Wright told the press club audience that the black church in America grew out of the oppression of black people, and that his sermons reflected that struggle.” (The New York Times) In his speech, the Rev. Wright compared U.S. troops to the Roman legions that killed Christ, praised Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, and suggested that the AIDS epidemic was a racist plot. (ABC news)

In response, Sen. Barack H. Obama summoned reporters to say he was outraged by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's "divisive and destructive" remarks, calling his behavior "outrageous" and a "spectacle." (ABC & AP news)

Has Sen. Barack H. Obama attacked the black church in America?

Saving the Planet

Recent articles and columns move me to jump onboard the Earth day-environmentalism-global warming bandwagon. I have some further ideas about reducing greenhouse gasses.

First, eliminate all amusement parks. Except for selfish entertainment, they serve no useful purpose yet burn up massive amounts of carbon-generating megawatts every operational day. Everyone concerned about global warming should want to protest, not attend, these bigfoot carbon footprint generators.

Second, ban NASCAR, IRL, and all other forms of auto racing. How much greenhouse gasses must these operations generate? Do we really want to strand polar bears on melting polar icecaps just so folks can watch some cars going around in circles?

Third, limit the number of movies that can be produced annually and the amount of time that consumers can spend watching movies and television. Instead of creating and contributing to environmental hazards, we could redirect our time to, say, cleaning up a neighborhood.

Fourth, allow commercial planes to depart only when they have been completely filled. No use dumping all that fossil fuel exhaust directly into the atmosphere with partially filled planes. And eliminate first-class passenger sections in order to increase the carrying capacity. We have to be energy efficient.

These are just a few of my ideas to contribute to the global warming solution. They are a wee bit drastic, but, after all, we have to save the planet. What global warming alarmist could disagree with my proposals? Thank goodness that we have prospective presidential candidates this time around who are not afraid to talk about the draconian policies that need to be implemented in order to halt and reverse global warming terrorism.

Tax Season Keeps on Going

Well, the tax filing deadline has passed and, I am sure, most Americans have finished their taxes for another year. In reality, though, tax season is never over. Already you have made either payroll deductions or estimations for the current year. Already our governments are holding our money hostage until we can wade through the complex of regulations that will allow us to potentially free some of it. The paperwork & IRS instruction hassles are increasingly ridiculous.

This is why I have become more & more attracted to the grassroots, non-partisan Americans for Fair Tax movement. If you have never heard of the Fair Tax, or want to learn more about it, a wealth of information is available at http://www.fairtax.org/.

When I first heard of the Fair Tax plan, I was not in favor of it. It is, simplistically stated, a national sales tax. Who wants that? But before jumping to uninformed conclusions, give it a fair hearing. Take the time to be informed about its benefits. The website is full of research. I believe that the Fair Tax proposal is the most well-researched tax reform proposal around.

Here are some highlights of the proposal directly from the website: “The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue replacement, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment. This nonpartisan legislation (HR 25) abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities. The IRS is disbanded and defunded. The FairTax taxes us only on what we choose to spend on new goods or services, not on what we earn. The FairTax is a fair, efficient, transparent, and intelligent solution to the frustration and inequity of our current tax system.”

If the Fair Tax proposal interests you, learn more about it at http://www.fairtax.org/.

Personal Relationship with Jesus

Tomorrow, March 23, 2008, is Easter for most Christian faith groups worldwide. The remembrance of this event, and the events leading up to the resurrection of Jesus, creates an appropriate time for all of us to take stock of our spiritual lives and personal relationship with God. I offer these questions as a beginning point for personal reflection:
(1) What is your spiritual belief and how do you practice it?
(2) To you, who is Jesus?
(3) Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell?
(4) If you died right now, where would you go? If heaven, why?
(5) If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?

If your answer to question (5) is “no,” I thank you for reading this far. You really have no need to read further.

If your answer to question (5) is “yes,” I invite you to consider what the Bible says and to let it speak to you.

(1) “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23) What does this say to you?
(2) “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) What does this say to you?
(3) “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” (John 3:3) Why did Jesus come to die?
(4) “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) What does this say to you?
(5) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” (Romans 10:9-11) What does this say to you?
(6) “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15) What does this say to you?
(7) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) What does this say to you?

If these Bible verses are speaking to you, I invite you to consider these questions:

(1) Are you a sinner?
(2) Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
(3) Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
(4) Are you willing to surrender your life to Christ?
(5) Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and into your heart?

If your answers to the above questions are yes, I offer the following words as a sample of what you can sincerely pray right now to receive complete forgiveness from our loving God:

“Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give You my life to do with as You wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If this is your prayer, or if you have further questions, I invite you to visit the website of First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill. You can contact me through the online form there.

May God grant you a blessed Easter celebration, and may this become your moment of salvation!

(Questions taken from the Share Jesus Without Fear workbook. © 1997 by LifeWay Press.)
(Scripture taken from the New International Version. © 1996 by the Zondervan Corp.)

Political Christianity: Hillary Clinton

The Christian faith has become a contested centerpiece among candidates for the 2008 Presidential campaign. Even the liberal-controlled, anti-Christian (well, anti-conservative, evangelical Christianity) Democrat party, the two main contenders have not been shy about admitting their religious loyalties whenever it serves their political purpose. I look first at Mrs. Clinton.

Writes Michael Luo (New York Times, 7/7/07), “Her Methodist faith, Mrs. Clinton says, has guided her as she sought to repair her marriage, forgiven some critics who once vilified her and struggled in the bare-knuckles world of politics to fulfill the biblical commandment to love thy neighbor. Mrs. Clinton, the New York senator who is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, has been alluding to her spiritual life with increasing regularity in recent years, language that has dovetailed with efforts by her party to reach out to churchgoers who have been voting overwhelmingly Republican… On the campaign trail or in other public appearances, she increasingly is speaking more personally about faith, sprinkling in references to inspiring biblical verses ( “faith without works is dead,” from James), Jesus’ injunction to care for the needy and even her daily prayer life, which she credits to being raised in a “praying family.” In the interview and a subsequent telephone conversation, she described her spiritual habits — she carries a Bible on her campaign travels, reads commentaries on Scripture and on other people’s “faith journeys” and spoke of experiencing “the presence of the Holy Spirit on many occasions.” …Long portrayed by critics as out of touch with religious voters, Mrs. Clinton is clearly intent on trying win some of them over. Her campaign, for example, has brought in Burns Strider, an evangelical Christian who headed religious outreach for Democrats in the House.”

In an even bolder pronouncement of her zealous faith in Christ, Mrs. Clinton addressed a Sunday camp meeting of the Holy Flame Pentecostal Church of Little Rock, Arkansas on November 29, 2004: "I'm here spending time at my husband's library, and of course, I always take time to worship God in as evangelical a way as is feasible, given time and location constraints. As you know, I consider myself an evangelical Christian, really a Christian conservative, if you want to know the truth, so it's nice to be 'home' again in the South, which I really consider my quote-unquote home even though I live in New York most of the time.” (Rob Long, National Review Online)

Mrs. Clinton… yes, quite the darling starling for the cause of evangelical, conservative Christianity.

Let’s fast rewind back to 1995 to discover what evangelical, conservative Christianity means to Mrs. Clinton. In April of that year, Mrs. Clinton met with New Age medium and author Jean Houston. During their session, “Houston told the First Lady to close her eyes and talk to Eleanor Roosevelt, and then imaginatively proclaim what words Eleanor would say back to her. Then she encouraged Hillary to talk to Mahatma Gandhi. Mrs. Clinto told him how she, like he, suffered for peace… The solarium session was only one of a series of Houston meetings, including a meeting of gurus like Tony Robbins and Houston friend Mary Catherine Bateson…” (L. Brent Bozell III, Whitewash, Crown Forum, 2007, pp. 100-101)

As an evangelical, conservative Christian myself, I find it extremely difficult to reconcile Mrs. Clinton’s self-revelations about being an evangelical Christian with her involvement in séances and medium-led channeling through which she “spoke” with Roosevelt and Gandhi. There is just happens to be a wee bit of a doctrinal difference between evangelical Christianity and New Age spiritism.

Perhaps what Mrs. Clinton means is that she considers herself a political Christian.