Sep 6, 2009
I’ve heard rebukes like this leveled at liberals; now it’s good for whiny conservatives.
If you can’t handle your kids listening to their president for 10 minutes, perhaps you should consider moving to a different country.
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Theme based on Derek Punsalan's Grid Focus.
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2 thumbs up
Well said!
Hey wait, that’s what Jeff P. said too! :)
Well said.
But, but… how can we let our children listen to a black Muslim terrorist dictator who is an illegal alien and wants to kill all our elderly and is making our Christian Country part of his godless communist socialist regime?!?
AND HE WANTS TO SHUT DOWN THE INTERNETS!!!
Most of this comment is silly and untrue in its details. Even those who are most concerned about events in our nation would not describe their concerns with this kind of language.
I don’t know… I’ve heard quite a few things that are not too far off from this… mostly from average evangelical Christians…
Sounds like you really should move to a different country.
I thought it would be obvious, but since it’s not — I was totally being sarcastic. I didn’t realize there would be others here who would seriously talk like this! I thought I was going over the top, but reality beat me.
They really need to invent a sarcastic font. Now that I know it was sarcasm . . . funny :)
As a homeschooling Dad, I’m hoping there is a way to see it on-line. And then, if it makes sense, to show it to my kids.
It’s going to be broadcast on either the White House or Department of Education website (I can’t remember which).
I heard it was going to be on C-Span…
Hearty Amens.
Hitler was a President too. I’m not saying, I’m just saying.
My children know “their President” was given a 100% pro-choice voting rating by Planned Parenthood. They also know his voting record on Partial Birth abortion, Infant Born Alive and Parental Notice bills. My daughter wants to know why her President wants to let babies die.
Hitler wasn’t democratically elected.
Perhaps not, but the person who appointed him Chancellor was.
Nero was a Christian killing, lunatic dictator, and about him Paul said: Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2
Grant – semantics?
What does telling my children about Obama’s position on abortion (and many other issues) or wanting to watch his speech before they do have to do with rebellion?
And how does that make me whiny?
Sing a little louder. http://www.abortionfacts.com/literature/literature_909sl.asp
For that matter here is a little speech all the kiddies should hear.
Barack Obama’s address to Planned Parenthood.
http://www.abortionfacts.com/literature/literature_909sl.asp
darn it – missed the cut and paste! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUl99id2SvM
Ought you be British, then?
This is sort of my point—and I’m not being sarcastic. If Obama is comparable to Hitler, wouldn’t the wisest choice for most people be to move out of his regime?
That’s what I’d do if I thought that.
Is wisdom a matter of “looking out for myself, my neighbors be damned”?
I didn’t call Obama Hitler. I called Hitler a President. Achmadinejad and Chavez are Presidents too. Perhaps everyone who disagrees with their policies should just move to another country. Or all the good children and good parents can just shut up and be good citizens.
Perhaps we do need a sarcastic font. Or maybe Abraham Piper can make a point without starting it with an insult. Everything just goes down hill from there doesn’t it.
Dietrich Boenhoeffer didn’t.
He demonstrated amazing ability to think through complicated and high pressure national/political/Biblical issues. He didn’t see his personal situation solely as a choice between surrender to their ideology or fleeing Germany because of his (Biblical world view) ideology.
In the context of that struggle, as he challenged pastors to stand on Biblical grounds regardless of the risk, he said, “Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”
I trust God for our national outcome (the “big picture”) just as I would for my personal outcome if my house burned down while I was at home. But the fact that I trusted God while the house is burning would not preclude my calling the fire department and making use of the garden hose while I waited for them to arrive.
I did get caught on your adjective “whiny” conservatives. Over the past months, I’ve heard many Christians trying to hush up any opposition of the POTUS ideas to the point where it has seemed that individual opposition is somehow unChristian.
The last year and a half is the first time in my life I have attempted to engage in real time political dialogue. I’ve learned a great deal about myself and others in the process.
[...] again to add a link to Abraham Piper’s comments. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Criminal charges for . . . Praying?NC Schools [...]
Thank you!! I am not the only one who thinks this, your just brave enough to say it out loud.
well said
Most excellent. Conservatives (myself included) seemed to give Bush a pass for a lot of things he did, but suddenly they have a cow when Obama does the exact same things.
I left this same comment on your dad’s blog today:
President Obama is not our typical President. He has surrounded himself with anti-American Marxist people. His unprecedented appointment of 30+ Czars shows his desire to make his power more far reaching. As you look at the background of some of these Czars and his friends, you find communist and socialist ties. You can know the character of a man by the company he keeps. One way that communists try to wield their power is by indoctrinating children. So I think that some Americans have lost their trust in this President and are alarmed at his desire to address the children. His motives seem insincere as he comes off of one of the most heated recesses in America’s history. It appears that he has an agenda other than what is being said.
I respect the decision of parents on both sides of the coin – people fought and died so we can live in the land of the free. I home school – so this will not be an issue for us.
Plus, he’s black. And we know some people just can’t handle that.
(If you can’t tell, I am being a bit sarcastic, but it seems like there is a bit of thinly veiled racism in statements like these.)
One thing I am REALLY getting tired of is the race card being played EVERY time a criticism of the President is made!
I don’t think it gets played EVERY time. (I had to use caps lock there, since you did.) That’s a bit of an overstatement.
Um, yeah, it kind of does.
Actually, I think it’s much more racist to see “thinly veiled racism” every time a black man is criticized. I’m not a fan, but it has nothing to do with him being black.
No, it isn’t. Acknowledging racism (or wondering if it exists) does not make one racist. People who claim to be color blind are only fooling themselves. It would be nice, though, wouldn’t it? Sigh. :)
When I, and some others, look at Obama, I see first and foremost a President whose policies I don’t like. When you look at him, you apparently first and foremost see a black man. Therefore, to you, the reason I criticize him CAN’T be the policies– it MUST be because he’s black. There’s a lot more thinly-veiled racism in that assumption than there is in my criticism.
It also assumes you know the hearts of those who criticize the President. And you don’t. Find actual examples of people who criticize him based on his race, and I’ll deplore those right along with you. Don’t self-righteously impute motives to the rest of us.
The scribes & Pharisees made the same point to Jesus, of course:
I find it hard to believe is people actually believe that Obama has “surrounded himself with anti-American Marxist people” — these accusations are numerous and filled with loaded language (marxist, communist, czars, etc), but seem entirely without evidence. I think the loaded language is a BIG giveaway that the arguments step from emotion, not reason.
Just because you disagree with someone, that does not make them anti-American or a communist. And just because someone support some “socialist” policies does not make them socialists — otherwise we’re all socialists because we support “socalist” fire departments & police & roads & etc.
Healthy debate is always good. But when you call people on the other side “anti-American,” that’s crossing a line.
Can’t the same be said for religion? Do you really think Obama is trying to brainwash children into being communists through a 10 minute message on valuing education? That strikes me as serious paranoia.
I am sorry. I assumed that readers of this site were educated on the background of Obama’s Green Jobs Czar, Van Jones. Van Jones is a self-avowed communist and today was forced to resign for his many inflammatory statements.
There are many sources documenting this man’s radical views. Here are just (2):
http://www.honestquestions.com/articles/people-...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,546602,00.html
A link to a fox news article, who would have expected that?
:-D
facts are facts
Right on Josh. A bit of level-headedness is so refreshing.
As opposed to the ever truthful, unbiased articles written by NBC, ABC and CBS….
Lesley I was talking about his comment above, not his shot at Fox news.
Also, different Josh made the comment about Fox. Funny, but not my work.
Now talk about an over reaction. That was not a wise post. What a waste of 22 words.
He may be “their president” (mine too, unfortunately), but there is absolutely nothing right about the indoctrinating of our children. This is about a whole lot more than whiny conservatives. Way more.
You know, I thought my sarcastic comment was going to be way over the top, but sometimes reality beats fiction.
Sure, why not let our pro-socialist, pro-abortion, pro-partial birth abortion, pro-muslim, pro-Chavez,anti-Christian, anti-capitalist, anti-small business, anti-Israel, and anti American values President get one more chance to speak to our public school ( liberal indoctrination centers ) students. They don’t see enough of Barak Hussein Obama already.
The latently racist use of the president’s middle name at the end of a hyperbolic, fear-mongering, buzzword-exhausting comment is, in my opinion, poor form.
Thank you, Joel!
…truth comes in many forms….
So does untruth.
Well, I can’t speak for others (well, I guess that’s not true, but I won’t), but for me, were my daughter in school (and older than 9 mo) I would want her to hear from the president so we could talk about what he says in light of God’s word.
What I would object to is mostly that he’s sending a lesson plan for suggested discussion, BUT won’t disclose even an outline of the speach for parents, or even a school board, to approve. Most already have the attitude that it’s the gov’t's job to educate kids already, this doesn’t help (this attitude of Fed Gov’t going directly to kids around their parents).
Too many wish to force everyone to do the charitable things the church should be doing, as in education, healthcare, etc.
But most churches don’t have the accountability credibility to make these things work.
Tax everyone and let the Gov’t deal with it is an immoral and unchristian position. We should so care for our own that the world would do anything to join us, and then hold our members to account to follow Christ as the early church tried to do.
If you don’t want the government to indoctrinate your children, then don’t send them to government run schools. If you don’t want the government to indoctrinate other people’s children, then you need to address your control issues.
Maybe I don’t know everything he is supposed to be addressing, but, on the surface, I see nothing wrong with the President of the US addressing school children.
Haven’t other presidents done this? I never heard this kind of outrage before.
Nobody had a problem with Bush hanging out at a school when 9/11 happened. Wonder if he was indoctrinating them or just reading Green Eggs and Ham with them?
I always forget that there are just as many paranoid people on the right as the left. The reaction of a Texas university shutting down a Western Civ course of study — which is covered in the most recent issue of World Magazine — is classic liberal paranoia. The reactions to this blog post are classic conservative paranoia. *sigh*
Yeah, the President should NEVER address the nation’s school kids.
Unless he’s a Republican.
…and a Conservative Christian.
and white.
arrrgghhhhhhh!
Sorry Dawn, I’m sure you can explain it all away with us being Hilter-Obama’s evil commie nazi socialist henchmen. It’s all a big anti-american conspiracy, donchaknow?
donchaknow?
donchaknow?
That looks like Commy-Russian words to me Josh!
This from the woman who compared Obama to Hitler. Arrrgghh, indeed.
Donchaknow is DEFINITELY a Commie word. I assumed everyone knew that those Northern Mid-Westerners were all now controlled by Al Franken. (His reach is much farther than Minnesota.)
Sure, let the head of the government speak to the government-educated children. He’s basically the head principle. (Maybe we should think about subjecting our kids to this kind of thing in general if we are uncomfortable with this in particular? Why be so shocked? This train is waaaaayyyyy down the tracks now.)
Does it feel like yet another Orwellian activity? Umm, yes. Again though, we’re waaaayyy down that road.
Don’t blame me, I voted for King Arthur.
I think the issue here is that emotions are ruling beyond the constraints of truth. What it comes down to is this: Christian parents MUST control what their children are exposed to. Those who call us “whiny” for wanting to first see the president’s words are trying to diminish the responsibility that God has given me. It is a whole bunch of people judging others while they should be supporting their rights and responsibilities as parents. In the case of Obama, he supports the killing of 1 out of 4 of the school-children he is going to speak to through abortion. We don’t have cable because I can’t screen the shows first, I don’t take my kids to movies without first reading FOTF reviews, and I don’t let a man of Obama’s character address my children without me being there to answer it with truth.
Finally, this post completely ignores the suggested work of “What can we do to support the President?” assignment that wasn’t changed until pressure was added. Perhaps sleeping on whether to post the judgmental “whiny” comment would have created a different post – I don’t know. But this is not helpful, not loving, and very mocking.
If you can’t handle someone calling whining whining, then how thin is your skin? Perhaps too thin to be online.
Your argument is then that conservatives who don’t agree are whiners and that, instead of treating an issue with love and concern, we should be brash and condescending because it is an online forum?
No, only that Abrahams critique is a fair one, and that if people are offended at being called whiners then they probably need to stay off the internet.
Matthew – your thoughts are completely unbiblical – if someone is offended – just go away. What about striving for peace, unity and love and compassion. And Abraham – this is a completely disappointing post and it reveals your heart and your maturity. I did not expect something so rude to come from you heart. I Corinthians 13 – Love is not rude. I only wish you would love and respect your readers political views as we love and respect you – rather than telling us to leave the country if we disagree with you! Very disappointing – I unfollowed you on twitter.
Lori, I am truly sorry to have disappointed you.
However, I didn’t say that anyone should leave the country. I said that if the president is so untrustworthy, he can’t talk to kids for a few minutes, then perhaps you should consider moving somewhere else.
I didn’t say that to be snide, but because that is exactly what I’d do if I thought Obama was that bad.
I think you missed the point. There is rightful concern over HOW our children are addressed by the president, and the way this event has been unfolding seems to circumvent the principle that parents should be in charge of that. If you look at the study guides posted on the internet that will also be distributed to teachers, they smell strongly of indoctrination in style if not substance. Are teachers unable to help their students discuss a presidential speech without the help of the White House? I do agree with you (and disagree with several commenters) in that the determining factor should not be whether a president’s policies are morally right or wrong, liberal or conservative. The concern should apply universally, not just to Obama. I believe we ought to respect our president and am not against my child listening to him. I do care under whose authority the addressing of my child happens. The tone of your post seems to write off anyone who has concern whatsoever. At least to be fair, shouldn’t you have titled it, “I’ve heard rebukes like this leveled at whiny liberals; now it’s good for whiny conservatives”? Then maybe it wouldn’t sound like you’re labeling every single conservative who has a concern as whiny.
Thank you Katie.
well said Abraham and thank you for saying it!
I suppose if I object to the original Dept. of Education suggestion that teachers have students “write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president”, which letters “would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals”, then I’m just another whiny (and probably at least slightly racist) conservative?
Le the school children listen to the president and also see this video on government…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO2eh6f5Go0
Wow.
So now not only is any independent judgment considered inherently racist by some; now it’s also inherently whiny?
Is this going to become one of those games between Christians, “I’m more spiritual than you/more wise/more discerning/more full of the fruit of the Spirit because I never speak critically of the president” things?
I think it already has. And that bothers me. Alot.
No one has said those things. If they did, they’d be wrong! I think your projection of those thoughts speaks more about your heart than others’. I often do the same thing, I’ll admit, when I’m afraid/upset.
Not projection:
Abraham’s initial statement called conservatives whiny.
You mention racism as a likely motive in your 3:43 comments.
Conservatism isn’t inherently whiny. It’s only whiny if we whine.
I said “whiny conservatives” instead of just “conservatives” so that if you don’t whine, as I imagine you don’t, you wouldn’t feel like I was talking about you.
Sorry for the confusion.
I appreciate you posting your opinion in this matter, but respectfully disagree. I have been in politics in the past, and I see where the country is headed under this leadership. He deserves respect because he is president, however, I do not want my son exposed to Obama’s agenda, which from what I have seen tends to be very ungodly. I have a right as a parent to decide what my child is exposed to, that is my job frankly. He will see the video at school if it is played, but he will not participate in the “worksheets” and other materials that appear to be being used in order to get our children on board with Obama’s agenda.
Abraham, your comment was basically saying anyone who didn’t want their children to hear the speach was “whiny”. You simply insulted someone you didn’t agree with rather that engaging them thoughtfully.
Brandon, I think what Abraham did was take the Conservatives criticism that used to be leveled at Liberals during the Bush administration: “if you don’t like it, leave the country” and turned it around. In my reading, his point, which is actually reinforced by many of these comments, is that we tend to demonize the “other guy” while giving “our guy” a free pass.
The criticism leveled was childish then and it is childish now.
And Piper’s apology was just like telling your wife you didn’t call her a nag. You just said she was “acting like” a nag. It’s sort of like saying I am sorry IF I hurt you, but never actually acknowledging that you were a huge jerk.
Two things I’m very confident of:
1. Most of the people who are mad about this wouldn’t care if Bush did it.
2. Most of the people who are appalled that people are mad would have been apoplectic if Bush did it.
But yes, a speech to the kids of the country by the President is just good civics, no matter who he is.
Though radical liberals talked similarly about Bush (esp regarding the war), I also doubt they would have had a problem with Bush talking 10 minutes to children about education.
Josh – they ordered a GAO investigation and held congressional hearings after his daddy did in ’91. ;)
Really? I’d be interested in reading more about that. There are certainly radicals on the right AND left, and it stems from the same problem IMO.
I get the feeling that this post, or at least the comment thread, has somehow attracted some new readers. Or at least that’s my feeling based on the far less than congenial back-and-forth I just read.
Abraham, in your previous post you said, “You can’t have friends without rules.”
Do you think the reason for the controversy (I am neutral on the controversy), is that a Presidential address of school children has not been done before? (I.e., a “rule” is being broken).
No, because a Presidential address of school children HAS been done before.
http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=21790-1&showVid=true
George H. W. Bush on 10/01/1991 – from CSPAN archives: “President Bush addressed the nation’s schoolchildren in an address to students at Alice Deal Junior High School in Washington, DC, which was videotaped for broadcast to students around the country. In his remarks, the president discussed the America 2000 education initiatives and urged the schoolchildren to remain in school.”
Sounds familiar.
I agree with the sentiment. Besides, those who have decided to leave the education of their children up to the state really have no grounds for complaint.
However, the national government has no constitutional authority to be involved in local schools in any way, shape, or form. Whether a sitting president is speaking directly to school kids about the importance of getting an education so that they can better serve the state, or reading them books about pet goats, I think we’d all be better off if they just kept to themselves.
This is the part that I have trouble understanding about all the hoopla. We’re talking about kids that are in public schools. For 9 months of the year teachers are addressing the students without parents having any advance – or post, for that matter – notice of what they’re going to say. I can’t understand why the president’s 10-20 minutes, or even the follow-up exercises, should seem so much more threatening than the 9 months of 30-hour weeks the teachers are already getting with the kids.
If my children were school-aged they would be permitted to listen to and enjoy the experience of hearing the President of the United States addressing them.
I would challenge them to listen carefully, as I would listen as well.
And we would discuss frankly, the content, context, messages and possible motives aimed at them positive and/or negative.
And I would pray that by instructing my children in ways to sort through and contemplate what it means when sweet and bitter water seem to flow from the same stream, that I am equipping them to exercise engaging their world, to practice active listening rather than passive ingesting, and to understand that they must take more and more responsibility, with the Lord’s strong and lucid help, in discerning what is worthy for their hearts and what is not.
I’d like to teach them to fish, as the old adage states, rather than taking their fishing poles, pushing an empty boat out to sea, and locking them in their rooms.
(apologetic for the length, but continuing still) I think this has been a fantastic thread and an excellent post. Yes, the discussion has been heated and indelicate, but it reveals our hearts, and the fruit of our passions reveals to us the flavor of the water running from our hearts regarding these issues…and such revelations, though “indelicate” are important to grapple with.
Good post. Good thread.
Of all the things written, here and on other public forums, this mirrors exactly my own thoughts and attitudes and actions I would like to take with my school age children. Thank you for sharing.
It’s just another good reason to homeschool.
Frank, I agree 100%. Homeschooling dad of 4.
I haven’t read all the comments, so perhaps I’m duplicating.
I read your Dad’s post at Desiring God, and I like it a lot. I think he’s right.
Yet I also think we must be very careful, and I think those parents who pray hard for the president and let their kids watch the speech and keep them informed about all the issues that our country is facing are doing well.
If you read Corrie ten Boom’s THE HIDING PLACE, you can see how the seeds of the Nazi horror were growing years and years before Hitler came to power. (I don’t think Obama is anything like a Hitler, but I think there are things going on behind the scenes that are just as dangerous and I don’t want our president to get sucked into that.) In fact, look at the history leading up to the rise of any totalitarian horror, and you see similarities–good things are promised, bad things are delivered.
So, if we didn’t have those kinds of dangers to worry about, then I think what Obama is doing is fantastic. Even his original idea of asking kids how to help him is an educationally sound idea (reminiscent of Kennedy’s question, “What can you do for your country?”). But in light of the kinds of threats we face, I’m glad he changed his focus and I hope that people will continue to watch out for possible problems and try to avoid them, not allowing this president or any other to wade into dangerous waters.
[...] on Facebook 2009 September 7 tags: Facebook by Adrienne Reading blog posts can be painful, because so many people seem to have opposing viewpoints and there is no listening, no encouraging, [...]
That is the truth – the post itself was coming out of the wrong place – a disgust of an action turned into condescending attitude. As for the responses, they are not all taking the same tact but there are always a few.
Here is the speech. If you took the president’s personal details out it could have come from almost anyone. My children will be out of school tomorrow (not to protest but because they are visiting family out of state) so they will not hear it. I will show it to them and we’ll talk about it. We all should.
Here is the thing: Every child’s education begins at home and is supplemented at school or wherever else they go. So, don’t be afraid but, by all means, be involved. Grace and peace to you all.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
We will be very quick to sin when we let our fear and insecurities about our nation and our world get the best of us.
“Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” -1 Peter 2:17
Yes, I am calling disrespect of President Obama sin (or more accurately Peter is) but no I’m not claiming to be guiltless of this or holier than anyone. Just let your trust in our almighty God overwhelm any fear you have of what’s happening in our world.
yes!
I am English, so forgive my ignorance, but Obama is a communist now? And he is indoctrinating children Re:abortion during a 10 minute speech to schools?
Ive only seen snippets (of probably the worst of it) and Im sure much of the liberal media is as bad and one sided but fox seems terrifying. I assumed I was watching unsubtle satire…
What do you think Obama is going to say?! The partisan spirit of american politics vaguely baffles me. The extremes of each side seem bent on painting the other side as evil(from where Im standing). Neither side comes close to demonstrating a ‘christian’ position morally (capital punishment anyone?) and issues of left vs right wing are issues of opinion.
It’s not the talk that concerns me, it’s the worksheets and talking at the end, “How can I help President Obama achieve his goals?” and there are many others like that same question. That question was taken from the worksheets on the White House website…it’s one thing to give a speech, which many presidents have done. It’s quite another to want them to spend hours discussing it, and getting the kids “on board” with what Obama wants accomplished. Just because he is our president does not mean that we must agree with everything on his agenda. It’s more than just a speech.
Telling people that don’t agree with the current political state of affairs to move to a different country is undermining the power of democracy. If you don’t like the way things are going, do something to change it. I didn’t like the way things were under Bush, so I went out to get out the vote for Obama. Now he has the chance to prove he can do better. If he does, he gets reelected. If he doesn’t, the power goes back to the Republicans, and we can go back to state sponsored faith initiatives and restrictions of rights, because then that is what the American people want. And if I can’t live with that, it’s up to me to try and change consciousnesses. Moving out of the country because the president is pro choice (like many, many others in this country! others that are now getting their voices back!) is a cowardly option.
The only people that I think (knowing of course that ultimately everyone gets to do what they want, but still) can legitimately leave the country are our LGBTQ fellow Americans that have been treated as secondclass citizens for so long now, as reinforced by the passing of Prop 8 last November. I totally understand them leaving for a country where equality is normal and people would never dream of taking away basic human rights. All others need to shut up and work for what they believe in, and let others do the same. Americans of all people should be ashamed of wanting to quit the second things don’t go their way. You guys are the ones telling the world that your democracy is the greatest of all democracies, won with blood, sweat and tears. Yet you guys are the ones to give it up so easily. You guys are the ones with the myth of rags to riches and the American dream and American exceptionalism. If you don’t believe in those myths anymore, that’s fine (welcome to reality!) but don’t force it on the rest of the world if you don’t want to act on it.
I’m sorry for the rant. It’s just that I have never seen such a display of fear and hate mongering, coupled with misinformation, propaganda and the such, in the name of politics, as I have this past year. If you want to be a democracy, start acting like one. I think my rant was way off topic to your original post (which I thought was good, actually. It’s funny how the same things can be said to a lot of different people, and how hard it is to take it all of a sudden). Some of the comments just really hit me the wrong way. I mean no disrespect.
We are not a democracy. We are (supposed to be) a representative Republic.
Saskia, I agree with the sentiment you express in that we Americans have the right to vote for our representatives. We democratically elect them and they represent us. We should not give up when things do not go our way. However, I also believe Prop 8 was passed democratically. So therefore the LGBTQ people should follow your comment and not leave the country. They should also drum up support the way you did for Obama and others did for McCain. That is how things go in a democracy (representative republic) as you say.
[...] her to those myriad other views and philosophies. And, despite what some may believe, that is not grounds for me to find a new country to call home. [...]
I have insomnia tonight. I read my Bible when I can’t sleep. Tonight I read 1 Peter. Politics are my stumbling block. My feelings about it highlight my lack of faith. I have to repent of my anger. I also apologize for the way I felt and wrote about Abraham. It was disrespectful and rude. I am going to fast from the Internet for a week, lest I be tempted to fall into sin again.
[...] speech to schoolchildren. (I agreed with it.) It only took 2 anti-Obama commenters for the first accusation of racism to come [...]
oh that God’s people would fight for the gospel and building His Kingdom with as much energy and passion as they have exerted towards politics.
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”- John 18:36
When will we get this? Where in any passage of Scripture do we see Jesus or Paul encouraging Christians to use the government to advance the Kingdom? We should hold loosely to our political positions and tightly to the gospel which saves.
Don’t be afraid of Obama, God is in control.
You mentioned people should consider moving to a different country if they can’t handle their kids listeneing their president’s speech. As a Christian I don’t truly belong to any country, but I got to live somewhere until I die or the Lord Jesus Christ returns.
I feel like “this world is not my home, it’s got nothing for me, only leaves me with emptiness and tears in my eyes…”
This song says it best…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY9m0uAPun0
I usually run away from talking about politics, but something good should be said for how the Obama administration has handled this: they posted the speech beforehand (which they didn’t have to do), listened to objections people had (didn’t have to), and re-tooled the speech (didn’t have to).
Seems like a good example of democracy at work.
[...] Abraham Piper If you can’t handle your kids listening to their president for 10 minutes, perhaps you should consider moving to a different country. [...]
Does it matter that the first intent of the address was to assign children the task of writing a letter to themselves about how they would help the President achieve his goals?
Dear Me,
I like the President. He is very nice. I will help him achieve his goal of stopping global warming by riding my bike to school. I will help him achieve his goal of eliminating private health insurance by using E.R. services and not paying. I will help him achieve his goal of passing FOCA by getting my neighbor girl pregnant when she’s 14 and murdering the baby.
Sincerely,
Me
Only after the public balking did the President’s speech get rewritten into the “personal responsibility” message. The speech he gave was just fine, and appropriate for school kids embarking on a new year. The first intent – rope the kids into helping the President achieve his goals – was downright cutely diabolical. It’s a confused (or false) man who lauds “personal responsibility” yet is working like mad to fundamentally transform American institutions, demolishing our heritage of personal responsibility and erecting collectivism in its place.
Also, the people who see thinly veiled racism behind every bush have been worked over with the brass knuckles of multiculturalism, their brains bashed in with false guilt, cultural Marxist linguistic bullying. I was too at one time. It’s a damned place to be.
Really? If you thought the President was horrible and that his actions were wrong, your response would not be to speak up or do something about it, but to run away?
I am disheartened not only by the nature of this post, but also the comments that followed. None of this has been edifying, nor has it been a good witness to readers who may not know the sweetness of the Lord’s salvation. It breaks my heart to see members of the body of Christ tearing each other down with their speech.
“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” (Ephesians 4:29)
I read an incredibly convicting and eye-opening chapter tonight from a book called Life as a Vapor by John Piper; the chapter is called Kill Anger Before it Kills You or Your Marriage. It was so encouraging! I recommend it to all people because this is a sin that everyone struggles with.