Not only is pedophilia legal in many countries around the world, it is culturally acceptable.  I was sent another news article about an 8 year old girl seeking a divorce from her betrothed, a 47 year old man.  In this case the 'Judge' ruled that she was TOO YOUNG TO SEEK A DIVORCE!!!  This is the epitome of up side down thinking.  The judge further said that she could apply for a divorce WHEN SHE REACHED PUBERTY!!!  The truth is that this behavior is rampant in Islamic culture around the world because the 'perfect man' demonstrated it himself.  These stories only make the news because the big business news industry uses the shock value to turn a dime.  If it were not for this money motive, they would not come close to the politically incorrect job of criticizing Islam or its prophet.  Because they do have the profit motive, the politically correct attitude is beginning to turn, however they would not deign to criticize the bloodiest religion of our time and in my opinion, of all time for being bloody.  And since the PC attitude is changing the Islamic culture is changing, however slowly to stop the practice of selling children to be wed.  This barely scratches the surface of human rights abuses within the Islamic culture.  I've written about the official rejection of any other faith in their midst by violent means.  I've written about the capital punishment of rape victims and homosexuals.  I've written about the Palestinian lies against Israel.  I've written about the grade school indoctrination to hatred.  What I don't see is the media focus on the ills of Islam, ever.  There are a few exceptions, like John Stossel, Glen Beck, Michelle Malkin who are willing to put the facts together to get an over all view, but all you'll see in the MSM is 'isolated stories' of feudal gang rapes, child brides, and suicide bombings.

 The liberal elite and the complicit media have done tremendous damage to our reputation around the world claiming we are the greatest source of evil in the world.  I was angry at the liberals before 9/11/1 and I was angry at the discrimination against my faith long before they piled on the American presidency making him out to be the war monger instead of the agency charged with keeping this nation safe.  The more I learn the angrier I become.  I am currently working on a series called Big Lies as I study authors like Michael Medved, Victor Davis Hansen, and many other historians.  So I'll broach this topic again in the near future.  For now, I want to address how the liberals would defend Islam. 

I know there will be those who will try to defend Islamic nations by attacking America, since there is no logical reason to defend Islam in this issue.  Instead they would try to make Western cultures, especially American culture appear morally equivalent.  So let's just compare child marriages that occur in the U.S. to child marriages that occur in Islamic nations.  Here we have a 12 year old child who is seeking help and protection from her husband who has hurt her with a knife and threatens to do much worse.  According to Sharia Law, he would be within his rights.  Leaving aside the beatings on the street by the morality police, this is essentially slavery.  A woman is not her own.  In other words, her entire life is spent under the authority of a man.  If not her father, then her brother or uncle until she is married.  Then it is her husband and if not her husband then her son or her brother in law.

Here you have a woman who is still in her marriage at 35 after being married at 14 against her mother's will.  In the next case you have a similar case where the girl wanted to be married as a child and it was against her parent's wishes and the state imprisoned her husband for having sexual relations with a minor of 15 while he was 22 years of age.  The next case again was similar.  These are marriages by choice of the girl, frowned upon by all their authority figures.  The one case that was not the girl's desire was among the Hmong immigrant community at age 15.  The youngest among these cases was age 13 and again, against her parents' wishes.  In all these cases except the Hmong arranged marriage, the age disparity between the husband and wife was no more than 10 years.  In all these cases the wife has the option at any time to divorce her husband with the legal authorities' support.  While I abhor the sexual activation of anyone under the age of 17 and prefer that they wait until they are mature enough to make life long consequential decisions, I can certainly see a moral difference between a culture who works to discourage this behavior and one which embraces it.  There may be comments of criticism within the Muslim society, there is no internal incentive for correction among the authorities of the culture.

A chemical attack against pro-lifers on their own property.
Terrorizing a Catholic church in meeting.
Calls to burn Mormon temples were sent out via gays' blogs and threats against Mormons and Catholics were posted there.
Anthrax scare at the HQ of the Mormon religion.  Churches being vandalized.
Anthrax scare at the Los Angeles Ward.
Anthrax scare at a Catholic Knights of Columbus HQ in New Haven, Connecticut.
Man received 16 stitches after being struck by a "No on Prop 8" advocate.
Burning copies of the Book of Mormon on the steps of local Mormon Wards

Theater director driven out over gay marriage

From intimidation tactics to outright violent attacks are being perpetrated on the organizations who supported Prop 8 all across this nation.  This is terrorism and in every case, if the roles had been reversed the legal actions that would have been taken not to mention the media coverage that would have been dedicated to 'informing' the public would have sparked an outrage that would have undermined any credibility of those organizations.  However, since the crimes are being committed by a protected group, the media have been all but silent and in at least one case the commentator equated the criminal activity with that of the victims of that crime calling both sides hate filled and angry.

This episode of obfuscation is but one more step toward the outright persecution and expunging of religion and conservatism in our land.  City councils have in the past condemned the religious organizations for their stance on the issue of family values in opposition to calling the same sex relationship equivalent and God ordained marriage.  We are headed for dark times in this world as believers.  Though there are official gay voices denouncing this behavior, they are being drowned out by the vast numbers of very vocal proponents of their agenda. 

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council
"We are going to see, I think, unprecedented attacks against our faith through measures like the hate crimes [legislation] to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act," he says. "We're going to see attacks on innocent human life through the Freedom of Choice Act, trying to erase all the gains that have been made in the pro-life movement. And I think even our freedoms are going to come under attack." 

Please act immediately to defend the pro-family victory won in California last week when the people of California passed a constitutional amendment (Proposition 8) by a 52%-48% margin to protect marriage as the union of a man and a woman.  Since Election Day, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has made statements supporting demonstrations against Proposition 8, and urging California 's Supreme Court to block the amendment's enforcement.

History Of Man:  from bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, from dependency back to bondage – Alexander Tylers

The great cycle of faith living can be modified, interrupted, as seen in the several Jesus movements over this past century.  The Azusa Street outpouring and many other examples were exactly that.  A movement back toward Christ and the faithful church.  We who believe should first pray and then act in accordance with the Spirit who guides us.  It is very likely that the California Supreme court will again try to thwart the will of Californians to support this lobbying agenda to ruin everything this country was built upon.  Its not just the issue of homosexual marriage, its naming pornography free speech and devaluing the life of every human being.  There is so much more going on than destroying the family values that have made and kept this country strong.  Eventually, it will come down to the demonizing of our world view.

Are You a Man or Not

I came across this article in the Christian Science Monitor by Daniel B. Wood called “Manly-Man, Girly-Man, Oh Man.” The article is meant to be humorous and I did find it amusing, but there is an air of significance. He discovers he is not manly enough. His approach to deal with his dilemma was to go to Borders Books to find advice in popular references like O and national newspapers for direction on how to man up.

Personally, I think this reflects the problem of fashion as a whole. What’s in, what’s out, what’s the wisdom of the minute, never mind that of the hour or the day. This is a product of the liberal mindset. Oh, all right, progressive if it pleases you. Doesn’t make a dime’s worth of difference what you call it. If it smells like bull crap and looks like bull crap, though you call it curry, its still bull crap. Finding your inner child, finding yourself, getting in touch with your feminine side, learning to be more sensitive, all these fashionable journeys into self discovery amount to a bowl full of bad progressive ideology.

What has worked for thousands of years still works today. The era of the 1950’s was definitely too gender biased, and the reform of gender driven business and government and plenty of religions were absolutely necessary. Now the fashionable crowd has finally come around to recognizing that the feminist movement went too far. Wood cites several liberally respected references that recognize this fact.

Men and women who’ve been going to church and searching for knowledge on living the moral life instead of listening to Oprah and Judge Judy in the afternoon have, for the most part, been living the life men and women “en-vogue” are coming back to after two generations of floating around in gender identity neutrality. As Christians, we’ve been taught that men are called to cover their families in protective, gentle, guiding love with firm rules and a forgiving heart. Let me stipulate here that this does not entail lording the position over wife and kids and certainly not disciplining his help mate. We’re taught that women are to submit, not because they can’t handle the job of leader or that they are less than men, but God designed us to be a leader and a helper, for anything with two heads cannot survive. He also commends men to listen to their wives as advisors and the two work as one with one purpose. Anything less stunts their effectiveness, in survival and as a witness to unbelievers and an example to their children.

For a case study, I would point you to Joyce Meyer Ministries. Here is a woman in charge and at large. Her work is the major bread winning position for their household and she is enjoying a grand success by her testimony and service in their ministry, yet she is submitted to her husband who is working in a supporting role, as long as he is submitted to God. This, even though she was not raised with the appropriate example roles in her upbringing. The wild success of Promise Keepers has much to do with the clear instruction for gender roles within families.

The men and women who’ve struggled under the feminist movement the most are those who’ve been raised in the environment with examples of these God designed roles. Their plight has been to find a mate who accepts their role and will live the role God ordained for them. Gender roles will never snap back to 1950 and they shouldn’t, but most women are missing the strong confident male to cover them, and most men are regaining their confidence and purpose as was designed.

Wood concludes with his advice for the new male gender role as is in fashion today but still sees gender courtesies as insulting and dangerous to feminism. My advice is to put the seat down. If men had to clean the bathroom, men wouldn’t even stand to pee. If he makes a date, he pays the bill. If she makes the date, she should pay the bill. Walk on the street side of the sidewalk keeping her on the building side of the sidewalk. Protective measures are generally accepted whatever their politics. Open the door for her, and if she’s offended by this, she isn’t ready for the role that will bless your relationship. Expect him to open the door for you, he’ll be delighted to find you still exist, and if he isn’t, he’s not ready for the role that will bless your relationship

For those of you who are not familiar with Dennis Prager, I wanted to bring a sample of his work.  His clarity of thought and ability to express those thoughts are renowned in matters of morality.  He is very religious though not Christian, he speaks at Christian venues all the time.  He is Jewish and teaches the Torah on a regular basis in Synagogue. I listen to him daily on his three hour talk show Monday through Friday.  Here is his take on the subject of love.  He doesn't bother to separate the four different meanings our concept of love has been translated from.  He simply approaches the subject from the modern perspective which is based in the ancient traditions of nearly all cultures.

In my past studies on the topic from the Bible, I discovered that our English single word to express the concepts of what took four different words in the Greek and simalarly in the Hebrew, has facilitated our confusing verticle and horizontal love.  In this article Dennis describes the relationship of equals and draws a comparison of differences between love of authority to its charges.  ie. the love of a man and woman or between adult same-sex friends as opposed to the love of a parent for their child and God for His people.  I wanted to expand just a little on Dennis' thought about unconditional love, so I will add a paragraph at the end of Dennis' article.

With Valentine's Day approaching, some thoughts on love.

1. The love relationship between a man and a woman is unique. There is no love like it for two primary reasons: First, it is the love of equals -- all other love relationships (except same-sex friends) are between unequals. Second, it is sexual.

2. Because it is the only love relationship between equals (again except for friends), it is the only relationship in which it is a good thing to seek to be loved. In other relationships, it is bad to seek to be loved. Parents who seek to be loved by their children will inevitably do a poor job as a parent. They may even damage their child. Leaders who seek to be loved by the public will be ineffective at best and dangerous at worst. One can only lead if he does not yearn to be loved. A teacher who tries to be loved by her students will likewise fail. Parents, leaders, teachers have jobs to do, and seeking to be loved compromises their ability to do those jobs properly. They should seek to do the right thing, and doing the right thing often means being not loved, even hated. If they seek any response from those they lead, it should be respect, not love.

But in the love of equals -- i.e., the love between a man and a woman and the love of friends -- it is not only all right to seek to be loved, it is a good thing. Taking the love of a spouse or friend for granted is perhaps the single greatest cause of marital divorce and the breakup of friendships. "What can I do to ensure his/her continuing love?" is a wonderful thing to keep in mind.

3. That is one reason the notion of "unconditional love" is foolish. The fact is, we all earn love, and it is a good thing to have to do so. What possible good purpose can the belief that your spouse loves you unconditionally -- i.e., no matter how you act -- serve? If we believe our spouse loves us no matter what we do, what would motivate us to be on our best behavior at all times? Why be kind even when we are in a foul mood? Why work to stay attractive if he will love me no matter how much I neglect how I look? Why continue to pay attention to her -- like regularly calling her from work -- if I know that even if I ignore her, she will continue to love me?

Unconditional love is not a good idea. I don't know where it originated, but I am quite certain it's relatively recent, a product of an age that has put primary importance on feelings. With the possible exception of a parent's love for a young child, unconditional love is not a good idea among people, and it's probably not a good idea concerning God's love for us. I am familiar with no biblical basis for the notion that God loves us no matter how much cruelty and evil we engage in (God's love of His Chosen People, Israel, is specifically depicted as conditional upon Israel's behavior), or for the notion that God loved Adolf Hitler and Mother Teresa equally. Frankly, I would be disappointed in such a God. It renders Him a love machine whose love cannot be affected by our behavior, not a loving being who is affected by how we act. It renders His love amoral. And it prevents us from growing up.

4. "God is love" is a half-truth. God is many things, and love is only one of them. One can just as accurately say "God is punishment" or "God is justice" or "God is truth."

5. We show love to those we love by doing what they consider loving, not necessarily by what we consider loving. A young man once called my radio show and told me he was not planning to give his girlfriend flowers or even a card, or to do anything special for her on Valentine's Day. His reason was that he considered Valentine's Day a creation of American capitalism -- just another way to sell cards, flowers and gift items and increase companies' profits. I asked him if his girlfriend agreed with him about the insignificance of Valentine's Day. He said she didn't, that, in fact, she thought it important that he do something special for her on Valentine's Day.

I then asked him if he considered birthdays special and expected his girlfriend to do or get something special for him on his birthday. He said he did. How would he react, I then asked, if his girlfriend dismissed the significance of birthdays the way he dismissed the importance of Valentine's Day and ignored his birthday? He acknowledged that he would be hurt.

Just as his girlfriend should make his birthday special whether or not she believes in the importance of birthdays, he should make Valentine's Day special for her whether or not he deems the day special. We show love to the other in the way he or she understands it, not the way we do.

6. Finally, to the extent that emotions can be measured, it may be difficult to say whether love or hate is the stronger emotion. But this can be said with certainty: Among the psychologically healthy and morally decent, there is no comparison. Love is the most powerful force in our life. And the more the merrier.

End of Dennis' article.

Dennis expressed an understanding of God's love to be more closely to that of equals.  While not implying that we are in any way equal to God, this love description is accurate if incomplete.  According to the scriptures, God views us as both children and a bride.  While we are yet sinners we are His children.  As we become the devoted we grow into a people in line with His will.  As we mature in this spiritual sense we move from being children to friends of God.  As friends of God we become eligible for partnership with God.  This is again, not to suggest we are ever equal with God, but a match for co-love as compared to that between a husband and wife.  This is the whole premise of the classic book by Madam Guyon titled, "Song of the Bride" which is a commentary on the wisdom book in the Bible, "The Song of Solomon."  If you've had trouble making heads or tails of this poetic prose translated from its original language, then I suggest you grab a copy of "Song of the Bride" and read both books side by side.  You won't be disappointed.

Girls are like
apples on trees. The best
ones are at the top of the tree.
The boys don't want to reach for
the good ones because they are afraid
of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they
just get the rotten apples from the ground
that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples
at the top think something is wrong with
them, when in reality, they're amazing.
They just have to wait for the right
boy to come along, the one
who's brave enough
to climb
all the way
to the top
of the tree.
borrowed from megan

family lifestyle portrait

I have heard several people ask if inter-racial marriage is acceptable in today's society and am a little surprised this question still comes up. The responses are nearly unanimous in encouraging them to proceed. I do have some concerns for them and would like to address them now. While I see absolutely nothing wrong with inter-racial relationships, I caution them in the following areas of societal differences.
1. Religion. If you mix religions in a household you can expect difficulties from foundational expectations for the relationship from both parties.
2. Morality. If you are not on the same page with respect to what is good and right, you can expect to be at odds with your mate on the most important aspects of marriage including how to train up your children.
3. Traditions. Familial expectations at odds with your own upbringing can be a source for additional, unnecessary pressures upon the marriage.
4. Culture. Your support structure bases its expectations on what has been done before. The people around you pressure you to conform to generally accepted roles in their own experience.

I recommend for all couples to engage in pre-marital counseling to help each party come to terms with these issues before they jump into the lifelong commitment to serve, honor, defend, respect, help each other through the challenges marriage brings. If you have these differences addressed before you make the covenant (contract) then everyone is aware of the requirements from each party to make the covenant work. False expectations are erradicated before they start, and true expectations are strengthened on the fact that each party was foretold what will be.  I have seen five divorces in my immediate family, one of which was my own even though I had committed myself to doing whatever it takes to avoid another one. Each of my parents after their divorce from each other divorced from a following marriage. Both were widowed once from subsequent marriages. My point is, I've seen a lot of the consequences of jumping into lifelong commitments with damn the consequences attitudes. This has been an incentive for me to pay attention when someone has advice for what makes a marriage strong and successful.

Have you ever had the statistics quoted to you on the divorce rate in America? More than half of all marriages end in divorce. Why? The statistics don't reflect the percentages of stable people vs. unstable getting married. They reflect the number of contracts broken. In other words, many of these broken marriages are perpetrated by repeat offenders. (People marrying and divorcing over and over again.) The number of unstable people relationally are actually closer to a third of the U.S. Don't get me wrong, this is still a shamefully high number, but given the sexual revolution of the 1960's and the attack on the institution of marriage by the educational system, the welfare system, and the leftist rule in the judicial system, I marvel that the institution of marriage has fared as well as it has.

The most reported reasons for divorce by the participants are far and away pinned to financial struggles and differences. Take the time to investigate the monetary habits of your prospective spouse and work together to build a budget and a long range set of goals. Employ a financial planner's expertise to help write a plan for achieving these goals. Romance is all about spontenaity and gestures but a marriage is all about purpose and stability. If you've built your relationship on only half of this equation, you're only half way prepared for what awaits you in the future. Marriage is not the goal, it is only the starting post for the journey of a lifetime. Up to now, your whole life has only been preparation for this commitment. Make sure you complete the work necassary to make the rest of your life successful.