Fowl Language and How it Can be Alright

As a christian I am more and more amazed how my opinion of things change. Growing up I was raised very straight line with strict rules on my behavior. Many of the reasons and principles behind the rules became easily apparent as I grew older.

Most the principles and morals I was raised with have not only stuck with me, but I have embraced them and explored deeper into the reasons and mindset behind them. Many things I have different views than my parents on is due to me being more extreme in my views than even they are. This mostly applies to politics and things such as limited government, being a libertarian, and personal responsibility apart from the systems our world is wrapped up in. For the most part my parents and I are really close in mindset.

One are where I am different from how I was raised is the mindset of "curse words." Four letter words that make moms cringe.

I personally try very hard to not use curse words  because it offends some people. The heart behind not using curse words is trying to be positive and have a good attitude. The heart is what God is after not your words. If your heart is changed by God your words will change with time.

The problem I have is with christians who are offended by other christians or even the unsaved who use particular words they don't like. There is no difference in the heart from saying $h*t or shoot. So as christians we should know more than anyone that the heart is what God is after and we shouldn't even care about others expressions or exclamations. As christians we should be the last person on earth offended by anything especially words.

One particular disagreement is with people who believe saying, "oh god" is taking the Lords name in vain. (which is one of the ten commandments) The Lord of the Israelites of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's name was (As close as we can say it) "yahweh." The Israelites wouldn't even write the complete name out for fear of using it wrong. Now using "yahweh" in an expression or exclamation would be using the Lords name in vain. There are many "gods" in the world, money, greed, beauty, buddah, materialism, allah, etc. So using "god" is not using the Lords name in vain.

Now this does not mean I think we shouldn't try and strive for always having positive language and expressions,We are actually are told to speak of what is good, holy, and right, (paraphrasing)
 but I do believe we need to think about what we believe and why we believe what we believe.

Christianity should never be a religion of rules. In fact christianity shouldn't be a religion, but a relationship with our heavenly father and with other people. So the next time you are shocked at a curse word you hear, check yourself and think about the meaning behind what the person is saying and how many times you've probably said the same thing that day just with a different spelling.

The Bantam Voice
"Freed people free people"

King of the Republic

It is said that the king of the republic is the people. That is how our founders envisioned this nation and the government they crafted together to work.

Ben Franklin famously answered the question of what type of government the founders had established,

 "A republic, if you can keep it."

This post piggy backs on my previous post of personal responsibility and voting. I stated that it may not be the most important way we can change our country, but it is a way we can guide our country. I listened to an interview with a talk show host and the author of, "How do you kill 11 million people." The authors name is Andy Andrews and his interview was riveting. The conclusion in his book was that the Nazi's overtook Germany with less than 10% of the vote and dragged all of Europe and even the rest of the world into hell because 10% of the population were energized.

Hitler was elected with only 17 million votes out of a possible 85 million people who could have voted in that election, but many people were apathetic and didn't care. They got complacent. Andy Andrews agrees with me (or I with him?) that our country is full of apathetic people, mainly Christians, who decide that voting isn't important. 

Well if the king of the republic is the people and the majority of energized people are Christians (only takes 10%), conceivably what better way for a Christian to impact their country by helping put Christ as king. If we the Christian voters would let our lives be examples and lay down our life and be a representative of Christ and let him work through us, Jesus Christ would be the king of the country.

Chew on it and hope it smacks you awake. Voting is important and as a Christian you have a duty to represent Christ for those around you including your country.

Put Christ back at the center of our country by making him the center of your life and then GO VOTE!

The Bantam Voice

"Freed People Free People"

Personal Responsibility

painting is by Jon McNaughtona a political artist check out more awesome paintings at www.mcnaughtonart.com

I think this picture expresses my feelings towards government and what it is doing to the church and American citizens and our responsibility to wake up and free ourselves

There is many epidemics going on in our country today. One that I have seen recently and I have to deal with day to day is how many Americans including Christians do not want to take personal responsibility.

The reason our government has grown to such an ridiculous size is because we begged and pleaded for them to take the responsibility and give us guaranteed retirement, food stamps, unemployment, healthcare, feed the homeless, security, filters for the internet, and go kill the bad guys in foreign policy.

Many people including christians that I have talked to have expressed that they don't vote. They don't get involved in politics. I know of one pastor who has stated that he hasn't voted in many years and it is the best time of his life and he encourages others to do the same. He stated he hasn't felt hate since he stopped voting.

Now this is a free country and anyone can choose to vote or not vote, but to publicly be proud of the fact that you haven't voted is just crazy to me. That would be like me saying,

“Hey guys I haven't had a job for 3 years and I'm living off of your hard work by getting unemployment. I've been partying and taking no responsibility. It's great you should try it!”

When we as Americans do not take the opportunity to influence those around us and influence who is elected we have no one to blame, but ourselves every time the government does something we don't approve of.

As a christians I believe God calls us to use our talents and our sphere of influence to show the love of God and to show that we care about what happens to people. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but the governments decisions impact lots of people. They can oppress people, steal from people, kill people, degrade people, and take away our rights religion, free speech, guns, etc. If christians don't speak out literally and in voting against abortion and big government who will?

Now voting is really a very small realm of influence, some would say not important. I dare say it can be extremely important, but not because of the vote. It is important because it give people the opportunity to share how they see the would to others in discussions at work, church, or play. When people discuss politics it isn't really about “politics,” it is about their values, their morals, their worldview. Especially as christians or people of faith how can we just not have a part in that discussion? I guess for some it is uncomfortable, hard, scary. I would challenge those of you who don't talk much about your values when it comes to politics to know where you stand and why. Based on your faith, your life, your morals, your knowledge, and wisdom. You may just impact someone with your love for people and your values. It's simple just hard.

As christians in a church we also have another area where we need to step up (church as a whole). We allow the government to take over our responsibility and areas of influence and many times stand idly by.

I heard a story once about a church in England I believe (not sure about the place) who asked their community, which was a rough community, what the number one thing they would want to change about their community. The people stated they would want the trash picked up in the street. With all the drugs, prostitutes, etc going on they were just worried about the trash. So the church started walking all together and picking up the trash. It changed the neighborhood so much and became so widely known that the government stepped in and started cleaning the street so the church would have to. The church compelled the government to act. Now that is where the story stopped for me, but I'd love to know if the church said, “go somewhere else we got this.” “We don't need you here go where you are needed.” Or did the church allow the government to take over their responsibility.

That is what has happened to our American church today. Instead of going to church to get help with food, or at the loss of a job, we go to the government. The government has become Americans benevolent church. They are able to do this how? At gunpoint. They take taxes from individuals and then bless those that they deem needy. Then the church goes to the pope of America (IRS) and says please, please let me tax exempt. I'm helping you, I'm on your team. The church has lost it's influence because we handed it over to the government in the form of non profit status. It is now being used to tell churches to pay for contraceptives and possibly abortions. It has been used to threaten pastors not to speak out about how the Bible says homosexuality is wrong. What's next? We have to say Jews are inferior?

Americans and especially christians need to take responsibility and give Caesar what is Caesars and take away the teeth from the government by trying to get away from being non profit. It will kill or worse distort many American churches if we let it.

Now other than voting there is many ways as Americans we can take responsibility in our lives. I believe responsibility is like a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it is and the better you are with it. I will share a few ways I have tried to take more responsibility rather than relying on someone else or especially the government.

1. Inform yourself. Don't rely on college, Republicans, Democrats, or for heavens sake public school to teach you how the world operates and what is right and wrong. History looks really different through public school. Presidents and issues look way different without the distortion of media and government involved in them (like President Lincoln whole other post)
2. Try and cure yourself with your own treatments for a day or two before going to the doctor. I haven't been to the doctor for anything in over 5 years when I use to go at minimum monthly and weekly a lot of times. Treat your children with natural remedies for one day before heading to the doctor. I've had to cancel every appointment for my son when I do that.
3. Don't trust the government to tell you what is safe to eat. The USDA doesn't inform you of whether the meat is disease free just that it meets all their packaging guidelines. Try to eat local if possible (I am having a hard time with this one) or just inform yourself of what you are eating. If may change the way you think and live.
4. Don't take anything from the government if you don't need it. Sometimes we need help and that is what food stamps and unemployment are for, but don't abuse it. Remember that is your money that is going into that fund if you wouldn't want someone else to take your money if the situation was reversed try and avoid it.
5. Be an example in your own life. We preach that the government needs to get out of debt and quit operating in a deficit, but are we in our own lives? We cry about the government not being honest or transparent, but are we?
6. Don't go to college before you know what you want to be when you grow up. Relying on Universities and other colleges to inform you about the real world can give you a skewed reality. I think it is very hard on children to go straight from high school to college and make a decision that will affect the rest of their life when they've never even paid a mortgage or rent payment. Things change a lot about yourself from 18 to even your early 20's. Universities are far to willing to shape how a 18 year old think with government funded grants, scholarships, and building funds. Someone who doesn't know what they believe in why will be told what to believe and rarely why.
7. Try growing your own food share with your kids and friends where food really comes from. One day Wal-Mart may not be there. What will we do then?
8. Vote and more importantly know what you believe and why. Be ready to share why you believe what you believe. Always be ready to change your opinion based on new information. We don't know everything and should always be making sure our opinions are solid and our morals firm.
9. Encourage others who are stepping out of their comfort zones and taking on personal responsibility. It is a rough journey with many critics.

As Americans we need to take responsibility where we can. Vote and share what our values and principles are. If we don't take responsibility we are giving up our influence to the government and I think we have seen where that takes us.

The Bantam Voice

“Freed People Free People”

Guns and My Faith: Conclusion

I thought due to the conversation generated through my previous post I would comment on how faith enters into my thinking. I generally do not use my faith as a trump card or my primary way to present ideas to people, but it is the first place I start analyzing any position or issue. Most people are more responsive to reasoning and political points of view, but I feel it is important that I respond on where I get my stance of gun rights based on being a christian.

The question is “what is Jesus Christ worldview.”

The first thing I believe I have to do and explain is who I believe Jesus is. He is the son of God. He is also part of a trinity with God the father and the Holy Spirit.

I believe each part of the trinity represents different aspects and characteristics of God. God the father was the just, jealous, and at times even violent. He demanded perfection in the Old Testament to prove we could not live up to His expectations and needed a savior.

God the son was grace, mercy, forgiveness, and that savior we needed.

Even though I believe that all three have shown different characteristics they are the same God and have all the characteristics. I believe God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I believe Jesus would want me to stop and help someone who has been beat up (the good Samaritan parable) or to help prevent someone from being beat up or killed. I believe I am suppose to lay down my life for my friends and for those I encounter. I put my comfort, safety, and possibly my freedom (could be put in jail) for stepping in to help a stranger.

That is the heart of which I carry a gun with. That is my mindset I believe the God I serve would want me to have.

Now I do not believe that if you do not carry a gun you are wrong. I don't believe that at all.

Now I completely agree with what Chad stated about making the world a safer place. That the world needs a relationship with Jesus Christ and us as Christians having relationships with people and caring for people with the heart of God is the best way to change our world for the better and to make our world a safer place.

I was more stating that as far as gun laws and “gun safety” that it would be safer for everyone to have a gun rather than just criminals having guns because they are the only ones willing to break the law to own them. If our government make it illegal to carry a handgun criminals will still have handguns and that is what my premise and conclusion is.

I loved the responses and hoped you enjoyed hearing what others had to say as much as I did. I believe we are to challenge each other in how we think and that is always what I am trying to do when I talk about issues or topics. I thought about where I stood this week a lot, prayed, and read the Bible just because of the responses and challenges. I am more confident now more than ever on my stances with gun rights and more confident than ever on how I believe I am suppose to help others in need of a miracle.

Feel free to keep the conversation going, but I'll try to have a different topic sent out in the next day or so in case you are sick of this one.

Thanks

The Bantam Voice

“Freed People Free People”

Guns: Menace or Hero?

This week I for the first time since open carrying (carrying a gun on my side, legal in some states including NC) I had a situation where it was almost brought into play.

I am a huge gun rights supporter and believe more law abiding citizens needs guns, but this even really shook me to my core and gave me first hand experience why a handgun can be a hero more than a menace.

My wife and I were driving past a 60 year old (or so) gentleman who seemed to be scared of another man who was around 20 or so. As we drove past we could tell that a fight may be about to break out and slowed down to see if we needed to get out of the car. As we watched looking back the younger man starting beating the older man with a baseball bat in the middle of the road.

By the time we could turn around and jumped out there were nearly 10 cars all watching and no one getting out of the car to help stop this. I was about 7 car lengths away and ran up while calling 911. An officer arrived right and I was getting close and the operator told me not to get any closer the officer would handle it.

Yet I had just seen a man laying flat on his back in the middle of the road being beat with a baseball bat. I could not tell how injured the older man was, but the situation leads me to believe it was serious.

If I was closer could I have stopped this with my gun. Convinced the younger man to stop? What is the other cars carried a handgun and they were able to stop this?

We are law abiding citizens and people of character are the ones who need to be carrying handguns. Our federal, state, and local governments somehow cannot figure out an elementary school economics problem.

If you make a law forbidding guns in a city (like Chicago), government building, school, or bank the only people who have the power and responsibility of handguns are people who are breaking the law. This doesn't fix the problem or guns being dangerous and being used to harm people. Laws only stop law abiding citizens from bringing a gun into a bank. By definition a law abiding citizen will not use a gun to rob a bank! So the next time you hear of a bank being robbed at gun point, or the slaughter of dozens of people at a school shooting, think how it may have gone if every teacher, bank teller, and law abiding citizen was carrying a handgun.

If everyone was carrying a gun I believe that the world would be a safer place, and criminals would think twice before threatening other peoples life because they know that other people are also armed.

Would love to hear your thoughts on it.

The Bantam Voice
"Freed People Free People"

Santorum vs Reagan on the Libertarian Influence in the Republican Party

THIS HAS COME UP ON THE RADIO AND TO THE FRONT OF DISCUSSION. THIS IS A RE-POST WITH UPDATED INFORMATION INCLUDING LINKS TO THE RICK SANTORUM VIDEO. SEE THE VIDEO AT http://www.jasonlewisshow.com/2012/02/santorum-vs-reagan/

Before showing the quote on Rick Santorum I wanted to give the definiton according to dictionary.com of what a libertarian is

lib·er·tar·i·an/ˌlibərˈte(ə)rēən/

Noun:

An adherent of libertarianism. A person who advocates civil liberty.

and again from thefreedictionary.com

1. One who advocates maximizing individual rights and minimizing the role of the state.

2. One who believes in free will.

Now what Rick Santorum says regarding the libertarian influence within the Republican Party.

 “I fight very strongly against libertarian influence within the Republican Party and the conservative movement.”
(SEE THE VIDEO AT http://www.jasonlewisshow.com/2012/02/santorum-vs-reagan/)

A famous Conservative named Ronald Reagan once said this regarding the same topic

If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism …The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.

Case closed Rick Santorum is scared of civil liberty influencing the Republican Party.
Case closed I will not vote for him and won't even think about it again.
He has put a nail in his coffin of my potential vote. I will write in a candidate or vote 3rd party before I vote for Santorum.

The Bantam Voice
"Freed people free people"

Rick Santorum = Prohibition

Prohibition was something that many people thought was a good idea. It was the "christian" and godly thing to do.

Government intervention even for a good cause only results in more power to the government. Prohibition set the precedent for the government to be involved in what we were allowed to consume. They have since outlawed raw milk, selling neighbors certain foods, and allowed massive control to be given to the "food police."

This is the easiest explanation of why Rick Santorum makes me nervous. Everything he says he wants to do with good intentions and the "right and godly thing to do (little g on purpose)" will only give more power to the government and more reason to be invovled in our lives.

I believe that if we outlaw gay marriage then the government would now has the keys to the bedroom and then can start to control who can have sex with and when. How far away would we be away from the government deciding how many kids we could have? They could decide that sex was only for pro-creation or that only the "best looking" citizens could have children.

Don't throw your liberties away with a wrong sense of "godliness." When the government mandates something you are is no longer doing it because you believe it is wrong and no "godliness" is then created. Government doesn't create godliness it just creates tyranny and oppression.

All the good intentions in the world can still result in freedoms being ripped from our lives. Of course we all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

In another point the right and "godly" thing (prohibition) was eventually repealed, but the government still maintaned the power over our lives. Even if Rick Santorum does all the "right" things, but does it with government power it can just be undone and actually used again the people of the country.

The answer is always freedom. The answer would be to take away power from the government and give it back to the people. Take away the benefits of marriage and gays will no longer want to be recognized as being married. Being married is a religious union. Most people only want to be recognized as being married because of the tax benefits. Take away the tax benefits and treat all people as equal instead of the government "granting more benefits" to other people.

Rick Santorum is openely not for less government involvement in your life especially when it comes to social issues because of this I cannot vote for him and hope that you will at least think on my thoughts before deciding to vote for anyone.

I of course endorse Ron Paul

The Bantam Voice
"Freed People Free People"