I just watched a trailer for a movie that I MUST see.  It is the product of Ben Stein and discusses the perplexity of the conflict between so called scientists and a belief in God and a creation.  It is really chilling

The website answers the questions why:

Ben realizes that he has been “Expelled,” and that educators and scientists are being ridiculed, denied tenure and even fired – for the “crime” of merely believing that there might be evidence of “design” in nature, and that perhaps life is not just the result of accidental, random chance.

On the website there are resources for Teachers, Students and others that want to get involved in the movement.  Resources include posters, flyers, press kit, etc.  What a terrific message to send at a time when we seem to be completely lost as a society.

I just read an article that I agree with very much.  Here it is if you’re intersted: Glenn Beck: Too bad, Michigan and Florida.

I’ve long been concerned about the growing trend of entitlement in America.  Whether the topic of discussion is welfare, poverty, education, highways, water rights, or any other current issue, there seems to be a growing sentiment among all Americans: “You owe it to me!”.  Somewhere along the way there was a generation that picked up the idea that, work or not, they deserved to have expensive homes and cars, luxurious vacations, and privileged access to everything that the generation before them worked a lifetime to obtain.

One billboard in particular comes to mind.  It read “Get Married, Get a Home”.  In the background was a picture of a 3000 square foot home with a large yard, brilliantly landscaped, and a grand entrance.  It was nicer than the home my parents lived in near the end of my father’s career.  Meanwhile I wondered how I would be able to afford rent for me and a young wife, let alone a huge home like that.  But marketing like that has generated a perceived “need” in young people that owning a home is a right of passage.

Perhaps one of the most concerning side effects of this new entitlement attitude is the growing list of truly valuable achievements that our generation is forgoing.  For example, there are many young people that choose work over higher education so they can acquire the cars, homes or other status symbols that they have been taught to value.  Many young couples put off having children or place them in child care rather than live with less.  As a result, a new generation of children are growing up to understand that family comes in second to the house, cars, trips, etc.

One of the biggest problems with this new entitlement mentality is that it is not sustainable.  Debt comes due too quickly.  High paying jobs are hard to come by quickly and often require higher education.  Poor planning and living paycheck to paycheck can make a small problem quickly become a financial crisis.

As Glenn Beck pointed out, the answer this generation seems to give is a bunch of excuses.  They eventually walk away.  Whether it’s bankruptcy, foreclosure, or passing the bill on to Mom and Dad, we seem to be losing our capacity to take responsibility.

For those of you wondering where we can find examples in American history of leaders taking responsibility and leading responsibly, you need look no further than George Washington.  He was aware that the most influential factor leading up to the American Revolution was the heavy tax laid on the people in the colonies by Britain.   He was always extremely cautious to keep government small and to serve, not burden, the people.

Eventually the tab will come due and if it’s not this generation it will be the next.  We would do well to remember the reasons for the establishment of our independence and let that motivate us to once again liberate ourselves from debt, vice and cling to honesty hard work and virtue.

I was reminded today of testimony given to a congressional committee sometime after the Columbine High School shootings nearly ten years ago.  In light of more recent, and seemingly more frequent, shootings in our schools, it seems appropriate to reproduce some of those comments here.  This is a poem written by Darrell Scott, father of Rachel Scott, who was a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You’ve stripped away our heritage,
You’ve outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question “Why?”
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!

Here is a complete copy of the e-mail that was circulating then: Link

I certainly think that the topic of prayer in school is one that should be revisited.

I received an e-mail a while ago that had several interesting photographs of the Supreme court and proposed several facts about the presence of God and religion in our government. I’ll quote a few of them below. Keep in mind that I need to verify these. If you happen to know of the origin of the quotes, or if you can authenticate the images, please post a comment or send me a note.

As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world’s law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view . it is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!

As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.

This next quote from James Madison does appear on many sites on the internet, although none of them look very authoritative. I think some research to validate this would be in order before using it extensively. Can anyone tell me where this quote originated? Was it in an official speech or something less formal?

“We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

With similar caution, Patrick Henry is purported to have said:

“It cannot be emphasized  too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by  religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the Gospel of  Jesus Christ”

How far we seem to be today from the Christian roots that bolstered us as a young nation.  It ought to be of concern to every American to explore and remember these things and to reflect on how they created a strong America.

Today is “Super Tuesday”. The media is out in force to hype the primary and caucus events that will be held today. As they say, it represents a record number of states ever to concurrently hold primary elections. To support their claims, record numbers of voters have registered throughout the country.

As I observe the primary election and nominating process this year, I’m a bit disappointed in the way it has evolved over time. In particular I’m referring to the two party system that emerged early on in American politics. The current nomination and election process likely prevents many qualified and desirable candidates from ever competing nationally due to a lack of affiliation and favor with insiders in either of the two main parties. This lack of affiliation may be just what America needs to check the political process and ensure that career politions really do have the best interests of the American people at heart. George Washington mentioned his concerns with the emergence of a party system in his farewell address.

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