The Salty Peanut Gallery

Are you as confused as I am over the US economic crisis? Admittedly I am the world’s worst when it comes to understanding finances, but wrapping your mind around the complex issues that surround the current situation is a challenge for anyone. I’ve done a little research and in a nutshell here’s how I understand it.

For over a year now the US economy has been slowed by a reduction in the availability of credit. Two big issues are contributing to the problem. First is the decision by lenders to make risky subprime mortgages available to homebuyers under relaxed standards resulting in a record number of defaults. Second is the practice of bundling and trading bad loans along with good loans making it virtually impossible to know which loans are good and which are bad. Over time this has created widespread uncertainty which has frozen credit markets. Consequently it is becoming difficult for the economy to function since business needs credit. Now we are told that Big Brother must step in and save us.

Things get even more complicated when you factor in the effects of energy dependence. Then to make matters worse law makers are compelled to inject partisan spin into the process in hopes of scoring political points with their constituents. Everyone seems to be pointing fingers but no one is willing to claim any of the responsibility. And while throwing money at the problem may put a band aide on the bleeding, one wonders if anything meaningful will be done to address the heart of the problem.

Dr. Albert Mohler has written a great piece on A Christian View of the Economic Crisis. In it he explains:

…the current crisis sheds light on what happens when things get out of control, when various pressures distort the proper operation of the markets, and when irrational valuations entice investors to make poor investments. Dishonesty enters the picture at many levels, and the individual investor is too often left in the dark.

When these things happen the economy is threatened by a lack of trust, and trust is the most essential commodity of all when it comes to economic transactions. Without trust, the entire system collapses.

I’m reminded again of the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians where Paul compares the foolishness of this world to the wisdom of God. “We speak wisdom among those who are mature,” writes Paul, “yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing (1 Corinthians 2:6).” It seems to me that we are seeing these words being played out right before our eyes. Greed, dishonesty, questionable business practices are all part of the wisdom of this age and are utilized by the rulers of this age. Michael Spencer gives a sobering reminder of this all “coming to nothing.”

So how should Christians view this economic crisis? According to Dr. Mohler:

Christians should look at the economy as a test of our values. The Bible values honest labor and dedicated workers, and so should we. The Bible warns against dishonest business practices, and we must be watchful. False valuations are, in effect, lies. Dishonest accounting practices are just sophisticated forms of lying. Insider information is a form of theft.

The Bible honors investment and thrift, and Christians must be wary of the impulse for short-term gains and pressure for instant profit. Over the long-haul, the entire economy must prosper if the vast majority are to do well and realize a responsible gain.

Sometime yesterday our good friend, Byron, over at The No Kool Aid Zone had the misfortune of being hacked. Attempts to enter the site were met with the following message:

We have assumed control
We have assumed control
We have assumed control
We have assumed control
We have assumed control

Fortunately Webbie-Dude Paul was on top of it and was able to get things up and running in no time. Speculations as to “what the motivation of the lifeless loser(s) was who decided to create this mischief” have lead to various ideas, anything from being the work of a political left-winger to space aliens. As a public service we offer these insightful observations.

Top Ten Signs Your Co-Worker is a Computer Hacker

#10. You ticked him off once, and your next phone bill was for $20,000.

#9. He’s won the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes 3 years running.

#8. When asked for his phone number, he gives it in hex.

#7. Seems strangely calm whenever the office computer network goes down.

#6. Somehow gets HBO on his PC at work.

#5. Mumbled, “Oh, puh-leeez” 95 times during the movie “The Net”.

#4. Massive 401k contribution made in half-cent increments.

#3. His video dating profile lists “public-key encryption” among hobbies.

#2. When his computer starts up, you hear, “Good Morning, Mr. President”.

And the #1 sign your co-worker is a computer hacker:

You hear him murmur, “Let’s see you use that Visa card now, Professor I-Don’t-Give-A’s-In-Computer-Science!”

The Contemporary Christian music world was shocked and saddened over the recent announcement that famous Christian vocalist, Ray Boltz, is gay. Best known for the song “Thank You” and a host of others, including “Watch the Lamb,” “The Anchor Holds,” and “I Pledge Allegiance to the Lamb,” Boltz granted an exclusive interview with the Washington Blade, a weekly newspaper to the Washington DC gay community. In it he shared his coming out journey. Boltz explains:

I’d denied it ever since I was a kid. I became a Christian, I thought that was the way to deal with this and I prayed hard and tried for 30-some years and then at the end, I was just going, “I’m still gay. I know I am.” And I just got to the place where I couldn’t take it anymore.

A year after retiring from the music industry, he and his wife separated in the summer of 2005. Boltz moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he could start fresh, live a low-key life and get to know himself. That Christmas while sitting around the kitchen table at his daughter’s house, he finally found the courage to share with the family what had been bothering him for so many years. From that point on continuing to pretend was no longer an option. Certainly it was difficult for the family, but Boltz explains, “I was offered support and love from each member of my family, including my wife.” Now divorced, He and his wife remain close.

On his website, Boltz explains that during the last few years he’s learned there are many people who feel the same way he did. He acknowledges one church in particular that has helped him in many ways, the Metropolitan Community Church founded forty years ago by Rev. Troy Perry in the Los Angeles area, catering to the LGTB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community.

This is what it really comes down to. If this is the way God made me, then this is the way I’m going to live. It’s not like God made me this way and he’ll send me to hell if I am who he created me to be … I really feel closer to God because I no longer hate myself.

I feel for Ray Boltz and the turmoil he has endured. I really do. But what’s sad is that instead of finding victory over temptation through the power of Jesus Christ, he has chosen surrender to the enemy in order to gain a false sense of peace. And in these kinds of cases there are always false teachers who are willing to accommodate with their twisted doctrine those looking for answers. The Metropolitan Community Church, for example, provides several biblical reference articles on homosexuality available online. One article in particular by Rev. Dr. Mona West offers a full review of how to approach the subject of homosexuality in the Bible while staying connected to the cultural influences inherent in the text.

The Rev. Dr. offers some colorful misinterpretations of scripture in an attempt to refute the idea that homosexual relations is a sin. For example the story of Sodom in Genesis 19 is not a condemnation of homosexuality, but a story about rape and inhospitality. When God said in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 that if a man has carnal knowledge with another man “it is an abomination,” these verses are referring to an ancient Mediterranean culture in which sexual acts were a form of expressing or gaining social and political dominance. They “in no way prohibit, nor do they even speak, to loving, caring sexual relationships between people of the same gender.” In the New Testament when Paul listed male prostitutes and sodomites among the list of wrongdoers in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-11, he was referring to abusive relationships where young boys were being exploited, not mutually loving and caring relationships between people of the same sex. And again in Romans 1:26-27 “Paul’s reference to natural and unnatural sexual acts must be taken in light of Mediterranean sexuality. He is not attempting to give an ethical teaching concerning homosexuality.”

Now in case these gross perversions of scripture aren’t convincing enough, the Rev. Dr. has this to say:

When dealing with matters of biblical interpretation one always needs to keep in mind the role of the authority of the Bible in matters of faith and practice. While the Bible is an important witness to the relationship between God and humanity, it is not the ultimate revelation of God—Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, is. We must guard against what some scholars have called bibliolatry—making an idol out of scripture.

Making an idol out of scripture? That’s your argument? So essentially what this means is we shouldn’t take the Bible too seriously. It’s just a book. It’s fallible. It needs philosophical and rational thought to balance it out. Bottom line is this: The Bible can’t be trusted as the authoritative written Word of God.

Well I’m sorry Rev. Dr. Mona, but I beg to differ. Science and philosophy are constantly changing, but God’s Word never changes. When people like Ray Boltz who experience same sex attraction try to say God made me this way, scientifically we now know that this is false. In March of last year, the director of the Human Genome Project, Dr. Francis Collins, definitively announced that there is no gay gene. There is no genetic cause for homosexuality. The cause isn’t biological. The cause is spiritual.

Paul writes in Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Each of us are born with an attraction to sin. We battle with it our entire lives. Some would say that pointing this out justifies hatred, condemnation and exclusion. You tell me. Is it more loving to justify behavior that ends in destruction or to point out the way of escape?

In an interview with The Associated Press Matt Damon shared his concerns over Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate. To Damon it seems the thought of Governor Palin being a heartbeat away from the presidency is “scary”, “a disaster”, “absurd”, “terrifying” and “crazy”.

Let’s look closer at what he had to say.

I think there is a really good chance that Sarah Palin could be president. And I think that’s a really scary thing because I don’t know anything about her. I don’t think in eight weeks I’m going to know anything about her. I know that she was a mayor of a really, really small town. And she’s governor of Alaska for less than two years. I just don’t understand… I think the pick was made for political purposes but in terms of governance it’s a disaster.

I see, so when it comes to governance, being a mayor of a really, really small town and being a state governor for less than two years is a disaster, but being a community organizer and being a junior senator is perfectly fine. Picking Senator Obama wasn’t at all for political purposes, but picking Governor Palin was. Thank you so much for clearing that up for us, Matt.

You do the actuary tables and there’s a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn’t survive his first term and it will be President Palin. And it really…we were talking about it earlier…it’s like a really bad Disney movie. The hockey mom. “I’m just a hockey mom from Alaska.” And she’s the president. And it’s like she’s facing down Vladimir Putin and using the folksy stuff she learned at the hockey rink. It’s absurd. It’s totally absurd. And I don’t understand why more people aren’t talking about how absurd it is. It’s a really terrifying possibility. The fact that we’ve gotten this far and we’re that close to this being a reality is crazy, crazy.

According to Damon, Senator McCain apparently has one foot in the grave and the other foot on a banana peel. This is the part that really makes my blood boil. The hypocrisy and the double standard here is absolutely mind blowing. Here he is denigrating the Governor for being a hockey mom. Are you kidding me? How much more sexist can you be? What ever happened to equality for women? I thought liberals were supposed to be for women’s rights. So it would seem that equal rights for women and minorities only apply to liberal woman and liberal minorities. Conservatives may not be afforded such rights. This would explain the elite media’s fawning over Obama as though he were the anointed one, while falling all over themselves in an effort to dig up new dirt each day on Sarah Palin.

I need to know if she really thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago, that’s an important…I want to know that. I really do. Because she’s going to have the nuclear codes. I want to know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4000 years ago. Or if she banned books or tried to ban books. We can’t have that.

For the record the Governor has acknowledge her belief in a Creator and has supported allowing creation to be discussed in the classroom. While it’s true many creationists believe in a relatively young earth, Sarah Palin has never said when she thinks dinosaurs were here. So why is this even an issue? I’ll tell you why. Have you notice how there seems to be a concerted effort among the liberal elites these days to paint Christians as being out of touch with reality? Being a Christian automatically disqualifies you from running for public office because it is proof positive that you are out of the mainstream in society and therefore incapable of making rational decisions.

This is not the first time we’ve heard this. You may recall an article I posted back in January over outrages statements made by Dr. Gilbert Omenn, professor of Internal Medicine, Human Genetics, and Public Health at the University of Michigan. Omenn expressed worry over “a president who didn’t believe in the evolution arguments” suggesting that “this is a way of leading our country to ruin.” Never mind the fact that this country was founded by men who believed that “all men are created…”

So it would seem the battle lines have been drawn. If recent polling data is any indication, though, it appears there may be a backlash from all the Sarah bashing going on in the media. Things aren’t looking quite as certain in the Obama camp as they once were. Stay tuned, it should get interesting.

It’s official. God has formally endorsed the Democratic National Committee, this according to filmmaker Michael Moore and former DNC chairman Don Fowler.

In an interview with MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann, on Countdown, Moore had this to say:

“I was just thinking, this Gustav is proof that there is a God in Heaven. That it would actually be on its way to New Orleans for Day one of the Republican convention up in the twin cities at the top of the Mississippi River.”

And according to a recent video posted on YouTube, Don Fowler was caught on tape suggesting that Hurricane Gustov’s predicted landfall on opening day of the Republican National Convention “just demonstrates that God is on our side.” Fowler later apologized.

This raises an interesting question. Does God take sides in an election and if so whose side is He on? And by the way this isn’t a new question. In fact it’s centuries old. Prior to Israel’s invasion of the Promised Land, Joshua was seen surveying the field of battle contemplating what would inevitably be their first engagement of enemy forces: Jericho. His thoughts were heavy as he pondered what was about to unfold. When all at once his eye caught sight of a soldier coming to meet him brandishing a sword:

And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?”

Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:13-15).

Who is the Commander of the Lord’s army? None other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is worthy of worship. His response to Joshua made it clear that the question of whose side He is on completely misses the issue. You see He is neither for US nor for our adversaries. He is the sovereign Lord of all the universe. It’s not a matter of whether God is on our side. It’s a matter of whether or not we are on His.

So how ‘bout it, Michael Moore and Don Fowler? Whose side are YOU on?

Here’s a question for you. If the Antichrist were running for president would you vote for him? Think about it.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, he’s not according to Rachel Motte, Political Links Editor for ScriptoriumDaily.com:

I’ve been amused by recent speculations that Barack Obama may be the antichrist. After Saturday’s candidate forum at Saddleback Church, I think we can safely say that he isn’t. That would be too far above his pay grade.

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My son loves Guitar Hero. He and his friends play for hours on their Xbox 360 gaming consoles. On occasion he has invited me to join him. I’ve tried to explain to him that I do it for real every Sunday morning. Why would I find playing a pretend plastic guitar even remotely entertaining? Still I understand the popularity of the game. Who doesn’t imagine what it would be like to be a rock star?

On the other hand it is also true that some Christian households find the idea of celebrating worldly music a troubling thing. It’s for that reason that Digital Praise® Inc, the leader in Christian-themed, family-friendly entertainment software, has just released a new inspirational PC guitar game, Guitar Praise™. Here’s what the Digital Praise press release has to say:

Guitar Praise lets players act out their dreams of leading a rock band by playing along with their favorite Christian rock tunes.

As players shred through their guitar solos, Guitar Praise records high scores per song. New songs, in sets of five, are unlocked along the way to keep the player’s interest. By tilting the guitar, players can activate spinner bonuses; as they increase their skills they can earn new onscreen “guitars” with richer sounds and different effects.

Tom Bean, President and CEO of Digital Praise, Inc. explains:

People love the console guitar games on the market, but many would like more family-friendly songs and graphics. Guitar Praise gives kids, families and youth groups the play features they like best, plus some new twists as well as the best Christian rock titles out there today. Guitar Praise can be an exciting group event. Having the lyrics onscreen reinforces the positive messages present in Guitar Praise’s roster of songs, and allows everyone to take part in the game.

Sounds like Digital Praise has come up with a real winner, which got me to thinking. If a Christian version of Guitar Hero is such a great idea, maybe someone should come up with a Christian version of other popular video gaming titles. Here are some possible suggestions that I think could really catch on:

The Sims: Church Life - Create believers, design their worship centers and help your Sims fulfill their aspirations for a spiritual life-or neglect their needs and see what happens!

Final Fantasy: Left Behind – The church has been raptured and Rayford Steele has been left behind. Help guide him through a world without God’s people!

Grand Theft Auto: Restitution – Play a newly converted gangster as he returns to the neighborhood in a quest to give half of his goods to the poor and return fourfold all that he has stolen.

Resident Evil: Faith Healing - The outbreak has begun. You have only moments to spare before Raccoon City erupts into complete virus-infested chaos. Play the part of a faith healer against crushing zombie hordes!

Maybe you have an idea for a Christian version of a popular game. What Christian games would you like to play?

According to a recent study, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is responsible for a steep decline in the number of female worshippers. Yes, you read it right. More than 50,000 women a year have left the Christian churches in England over the past 20 years. “In short, women are abandoning the church,” says the report’s author, Dr Kristin Aune, a sociologist at the University of Derby.

Because of its focus on female empowerment, young women are attracted by Wicca, popularized by the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Women’s ordination, as priests and now bishops, has dominated debate and headlines – but while looking at women in the pulpit we have taken our eyes off the pews, where a shift with more consequences for the church’s survival is underway.

Dr Aune’s research shows that “more than a million women worshippers have left churches since 1989.” She asserts that the church must do a better job of addressing women’s issues if it hopes to prevent this mass exodus. Obviously these women have a need that is clearly not being met through formal religion. But with all do respect, may I suggest that there may be more at stake here than reforming traditionalism and hierarchies?

Once while passing through Samaria, the Lord Jesus struck up a conversation with a woman who had come to draw water from a well. This woman too had a need that was clearly not being met through formal religion. She’d been through five broken marriages and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. This woman had a thirst for something that neither her religion nor her many relationships could fulfill. Jesus didn’t offer better programming or a more modern approach to women’s issues. What Jesus had to offer was living water, promising that whoever drinks of it will never be thirsty again.

People today are searching for something outside themselves to quench the thirsting in their souls. Dr Aune believes that “with the pressures women face, churches must adapt to make themselves more accessible” by introducing services and activities that address the needs of women and the modern influence of feminism. While this may seem like the popular thing to do, better services and activities cannot possibly fill the void when what is really needed is a drink from the living water that Jesus Christ has to offer. Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” – John 4:13-14. How can Buffy possibly compare to that?

Since starting this blog I’ve tried for the most part to steer clear of politics as much as I can. Not that there’s anything wrong with that mind you, it’s just not what I want to talk about. However, I am willing on occasion to make an exception, particularly when politicians are caught trying to use scripture in public, usually in an attempt to bolster their social agenda. Such was the case this past weekend with Barack Obama at the Saddleback Church presidential forum. When asked to identify America’s greatest moral failure, here’s what he had to say:

I think America’s greatest moral failure in my lifetime has been that we still don’t abide by that basic precept in Matthew that whatever you do for the least of my brothers, you do for me. And notion of — that basic principle applies to poverty. It applies to racism and sexism. It applies to, you know, not having — not thinking about providing ladders of opportunity for people to get into the middle class. I mean, there is a pervasive sense I think that this country is wealthy and powerful as we still don’t spend enough time thinking about the least of these.

First of all we should address the context of the passage Senator Obama is attempting to cite. Jesus is prophesying about his second coming. It is a day of judgment in which He will separate the sheep from the goats, rewarding those who have received Him and judging those who have rejected Him. The evidence of their acceptance or rejection will be in their willingness to serve the followers of Jesus Christ. It’s not that Christ is rewarding service and condemning those who don’t serve. Jesus explains that serving Christ’s followers is the same as serving Christ himself, the point being that failure to serve Him proves one does not really belong to Him.

La Shawn Barber is a Washington, DC-based freelance writer, blogger, and blog consultant, a political conservative and an outspoken born again believer. Her recent post at La Shawn Barber’s Corner on Barack Obama and Matthew 25 touches on Obama’s misrepresentation of scripture that results in what I think is a very interesting contradiction. She explains, “I think what’s clearly in view here is not charity for all the less fortunate. It’s about Christians attending to the legitimate needs of other Christians.” She then goes on to challenge Obama’s inconsistency in citing this passage:

With a straight face, Obama chastised others for not abiding by the precepts of Matthew 25, when he had a chance to do the same and failed. For example, instead of choosing to protect and care for the least of his brothers, the unborn, by supporting a bill that would protect those born alive after failed abortion attempts, he voted against the bill.

Who among us is more vulnerable and needy than an infant, unborn or otherwise? Obama the “Christian” said he would not yield when it comes to a woman’s right to have her baby slaughtered.

Excellent point! It’s unimaginable that Obama can presume to preach to us about not doing enough “for the least of these” (i.e. not paying enough taxes) in the face of his own voting record on the abortion issue. It’s not enough that he has little understanding of the scripture he’s trying to use. He isn’t even consistent in the way he uses it.

And by the way, did you happen to catch his wishy-washy response to the question of when life begins? “Whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.” Above your pay grade? Are you kidding me? Dude! You’re not running for dog catcher. It’s the presidency of the United States for crying out loud. Whose pay grade DOES it involve?

Look, there’s no question where Obama stands on abortion rights. He’s made that perfectly clear. No doubt he was uncomfortable voicing his position in front of a crowd of religious conservatives. I just find it remarkable how Senator Obama’s distorted understanding of scripture is not only incorrect, it’s inconsistent.