Caffeinated Thoughts

Is Voting a Simple Matter of Preference?
No Unambiguous Voice from Heaven Whispers: “This is My Candidate, Vote for Him.”
Luther College Professor: “Jesus was a Muslim”
Fifty Shades of Freedom
Live Streaming the Launch of Give Cures with Rick Santorum

Is Voting a Simple Matter of Preference?

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 04:35 AM PDT

Arguing with Christians who intend to vote for Mitt Romney on purely practical grounds is fruitless. I will lose the battle before it has even begun. I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. When I point out how Governor Romney has pledged to actively defend the right to kill 25,000 innocent yet-to-be-born Americans per year, they will simply say that Obama is much worse.

So, I would try this argument.

Suppose one candidate promised he would kill 2,000 American Christians a month, and the other said he would kill 10% less (only 1,800 a month). Would the Christian voter vote for the candidate who would kill the smaller number? No, he would vote for NEITHER!

Would it matter if the differences were much greater than 10%? No, he would vote for NEITHER. (In fact, it wouldn't matter if his preferred candidate promised to only kill 1 Christian a month)

Would it matter if the victims were Muslims instead of Christians? No, a Christian would vote for NEITHER.

The principle is quite simple: Don't vote for any candidate who would promote the killing of one innocent person. But do you see why this argument is a loser? It is because the voter I address has already abandoned principle. He or she wants us to look at the bigger picture. What are 25,000 lives when the economy is at stake?

As I see it, there are two other major problems with the pragmatic argument. First, it isn't practical. It assumes that a single vote counts. It doesn't, really. Practically speaking, Barack Obama beat McCain by 8.5 million votes. Millions of Obama voters did not count. They were redundant. Those voters could have stayed home and the outcome would not have changed one iota. On the other hand, nobody's vote for McCain counted (as a practical matter) – they all could have stayed home and it would not have mattered.

The pragmatic voter probably does not want to hear any of this practical stuff. Because, even though he is pragmatic, he does have one principle that guides him every election: Thou Shalt Vote. Here is where principle finally kicks in.

How is that one can believe God requires him to vote, but at the same time think the Lord has not given a single principle in which to determine how to cast that vote? This voter might be respond: "The presidential candidate doesn't have to be a Christian; he doesn’t have to be perfect on life issues. But I have to vote for somebody, don't I?"

No you don't.

No Unambiguous Voice from Heaven Whispers: “This is My Candidate, Vote for Him.”

Posted: 12 Jul 2012 03:13 AM PDT

The following is an excerpt from the introduction of my book, With Christ in the Voting Booth: Casting Down Imaginations Before Casting Your Vote. When I started the book in late 2010, the working title was "Get it Right This Time: He's Our Guy” and my intention was to promote the candidacy of Mike Huckabee. Things change. I was changed. Studies of the Bible and history made me realize that I believed a lot of things about America that weren't true. More importantly, I came to realize that my priorities were not aligned with the priorities God has set forth for our lives, such as "seek ye first the Kingdom of God."

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

II Corinthians 10:4

Voting Booth Under Blue Sky

Knowing who to vote for doesn't always come easy for the Christian. No unambiguous voice from heaven whispers: "This is my candidate, vote for him." Even though almost every candidate in America claims to be a Christian, most of us know a few Christians we wouldn't trust with a loaded BB gun, let alone access to the launch button of the world's largest cache of nuclear weapons.

Thankfully, God has given us His Word, "the ultimate voter's guide." Using the Bible, With Christ in the Voting Booth provides tools to resist Government Too Small and Government Too Big, while embracing Government Just Right, not based upon false promises and "Christian" utopian fantasies, but rather the most important political success story of all: The Voter and Governor Who Please God.

I know politics isn't everything. It isn't even the main thing. Christians, who believe in heaven and want to escape hell, recognize that here, there is no continuing city (Heb. 13:14) and are looking for a country where the Righteous One dwells (Heb. 11:14-16). Some Christians even suggest that it is foolish to concern themselves with politics, likening it to polishing brass on a sinking ship. Yet every four years, many of those same Christians vote during the primary season, and most of them vote for president the following November. Nevertheless, they aren't activists, they have never been to a Tea Party, and they don't blog about government. They don't want a bailout. They don't want a handout. They just want to be left alone to raise their families as they see fit.

If this is you, don't worry. I am not out to create political activists or political junkies, I only hope that together we will begin to think Biblically before we vote. It is not enough to vote Republican or support "conservative" candidates. While there may not be a specific Bible verse that directly addresses every policy decision a mayor or senator has to make, God's Word is not silent on the whole process of governing righteously.

I do not claim to know who will be in the running for all the major political offices in 2012, let alone in the years beyond. Although I have no personal insight into the will of God, I know there is no secret ballot. God sees every box we check. Jesus goes with us into the voting booth, and God requires that whatever we do, we do to the glory of God (1Co. 10:31). I can say with confidence that He requires that if a Christian votes, he or she votes in obedience to the Word of God and in faith, leaving the results to Him. He has promised to never leave His people[1]:

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation … if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God); he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. Deuteronomy 4:29-31

[1] I show later in the book that this promise is extended to the people of God only, not our country as a whole.

Luther College Professor: “Jesus was a Muslim”

Posted: 11 Jul 2012 10:00 PM PDT

Here is one of those stories that leaves me scratching my head and thinking… well I can't write what I initially thought. Via CampusReform.org:

"'Was Jesus a Muslim?” asks Prof. Robert F. Shedinger in the beginning of a book he published this year entitled Was Jesus a Muslim? ” I will answer with a very qualified yes.”

In a recent interview Shedinger also defended his controversial thesis explaining that a Muslim undergraduate student had sent him on academic odyssey that culminated with him asking himself “Was Jesus a Muslim?”

“Even as a Christian I have to answer yes to that,” said Shedinger, who is the head of the religion department at Luther College in Iowa.

Shedinger also argued that Islam is a better fit for Jesus since it is not a religion but a "social justice movement."

First off Islam is 600 years younger than Christianity so this, this just doesn't make sense. Secondly I'm sure Muslims would argue against his statement that they are a social justice movement, not a religion. Third, we have this…

“I had to rethink what Islam is… I came to the conclusion that it was a social justice movement and I think that's who Jesus was in the first century so I conclude Jesus is more like a Muslim,” he said.

The whole social justice aspect to his idea could take up a different post. It diminishes the real purpose Christ came to earth and that was to "seek and to save the lost," (Luke 19:10), and of course we know that was through His death, burial and resurrection. That message, the Apostle Paul explains, was of "first importance," (1 Corinthians 15:3). Since Christ came to die on a Roman cross to say Jesus was a Muslim doesn't "jive" not only because it is a younger religion than Christianity, but for the primary reason that Islam rejects the crucifixion of Christ.

In the Qur’an, Surah 4. 156-57 reads:

And for their saying, ‘Verily we have slain the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, an Apostle of God.’ Yet they slew him not, and they crucified him not, but they had only his likeness. And they who differed about him were in doubt concerning him: No sure knowledge had they about him, but followed only an opinion, and they did not really slay him, but God took him up to Himself. And God is Mighty, Wise! (emphasis mine)

Muslims would agree with Professor Shedinger as they believe he was a prophet, not the Son of God. It would seem even though Shedinger claims to be a Christian, he rejects the core of the Gospel, which isn't unusual for liberal scholars. Unfortunately, Luther College which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, supports his scholarship (what scholarship?).

This is certainly an example of a school that claims Christ that has beliefs contrary to what Christ taught.

HT: All American Blogger

Fifty Shades of Freedom

Posted: 11 Jul 2012 04:48 PM PDT

In June, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force drafted a recommendation that "clinicians screen women of childbearing age for intimate partner violence (IPV), such as domestic violence, and provide or refer women who screen positive to intervention services," extending the call to include even those "women who do not have signs or symptoms of abuse."[1] Given the subject matter (and the popularity) of the Fifty Shades of Grey series, one might wonder if anyone is really in a position to judge the behaviors that constitute abuse. Indeed, according to guidelines set forth by both the Centers for Disease Control and the American Medical Association, the nature of Grey's relationship with Ana establishes a clear case of abuse.^{^[2]}

Yet millions of readers simply cannot (or will not) make the connection between the abusive nature of Grey's "love" for Ana and the real-life consequences that kind of love incurs. In a culture that equates love with abuse, how on earth can we as Christians reasonably introduce the truth? Do I think you should read the book? By no means. Rather, I would ask that you skip the book and pick up your Bible because active engagement in the Word prepares the mind for active involvement in the world (Romans 12:2). Only Scripture can prepare us to make a reasonable defense (1 Peter 3:15).

Over the past couple of days, we have examined the explosive popularity driving the Fifty Shades trilogy, and why we as believers should be concerned. Today I want to take a look at how we can engage a culture that views the world through a Grey shaded lens.

A PARADIGM FOR GREY AREAS

Ultimately, the apostle Paul set forth the best diagram for responding to the Shades dilemma. Notice his engagement with the people of Athens (Acts 17:16–18:1). Following Paul's model, we can speak to the readers of Grey in the following ways:

Engage yourself in the work of the gospel. We first find Paul in Athens as he waited for Silas and Timothy. But his wasn't merely the activity of ministry; his very soul was engaged in the work of the Gospel—so much so that “his spirit was provoked within him" (Acts 17:10-16). May God so break our hearts that we move forward to wrestle with the idols of our cities as well.

Engage yourself in the work of observation. Paul "saw that the city was full of idols”. That is, he watched with an air of understanding and close inspection.^{^[3]} Pay attention to those around you. Listen to what they say. What is it they most value? What potential idols do you see manifest? Money? Sex? Relationship? Observe the need and answer the call.

Engage the church. “So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.” (Acts 17:17) Paul went to the Jews and the devout people first. Given the pervasive nature and sales of the Grey series, we are kidding ourselves to think that it has not entered the church. Therefore, begin with believers. Begin with a call for holiness and right worship; for a Biblical understanding of the issues between men and women and the God who is sovereign over all.

Engage yourself with unbelievers. (v 18). Paul talked with pleasure-seeking Epicureans and morally upright Stoics. Because his answer to each was the Cross (verse 19), his dialogue with each transcended both the hedonistic and the ethical worldviews.

Engage them at a cultural level. Paul met them where they were: in their city, surrounded by their gods. “So Paul, standing in the midst… said, ‘Men of Athens, I perceive… for I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar… What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.” Paul took note of the cultural earmarks of the city and pronounced the truth in the heart of their need. The same is true of Fifty Shades of Grey; it is a symptom of a deeper, more spiritual issue. Once we recognize the fact of it, we are better able to apply the cure.

Engage them on a literary level. In verse 28, Paul makes a literary leap: "as even some of your own poets have said…" It's an interesting strategy; one that applies very succinctly to Fifty Shades. As the wise man said, "There is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9) It's true too. History and literature are littered with men such as Christian Grey. Faust had his Gretchen. De Sade darkly shadowed children. Byron had Augusta. Indeed, Grey appears to be the ultimate Byronic hero, taking his cue from the original who, "carried his bleeding heart all across Europe," and was purportedly "mad, bad, and dangerous to know."[4]

Take for instance Sydney Carton, of Dickens’ fame. Both Carton and Grey came of tortured backgrounds, both lived degenerate lifestyles, both looked to salvation at the hand of a woman. Both men sought redemption. But here is where the likeness ends. For, as Grey demanded Ana’s torture to procure his happiness, Carton gave his life to save his beloved Lucy’s. One difference, and only one, lay between the two men: the Cross.

Whereas the wrecked childhood of Grey fed into an adult desire to brutalize, Carton projected the imagery of a broken man and the God who healed him. Grey looked inside and found ruin; Carton looked to the Cross and found honor. Carton, driven by love for Lucy Manette (a woman, I might add, who would never return his affection) laid down his life for her husband, whispering, “for a life you love.” Carton gained nothing and lost his life for love. It is arguably the single most romantic literary moment. Ever. Set that imagery before the minds of others, and Grey shows up for what he is—a coward who demands the anguish of another for his own satisfaction.

Then take the analogy further. I John tells us, "this is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down His life.” And, “greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Carton laid down his life for the one he loved. On a cosmic level, so did Christ.

If culture is reflected in the eyes of its literature, if stories provide the intersection between the heart and mind, we would do well to avail ourselves of the crossroads. We must take up the Cross and carry it to the heart of our culture. Stories provide a unique means of doing so.

"There is something in us, as story-tellers and as listeners to stories, that demands the redemptive act, that demands what falls at least be offered the chance to be restored. The reader of today looks for this motion, and rightly so, but what he has forgotten is the cost of it. His sense of evil is diluted or lacking altogether and so he has forgotten the price of restoration. "[5]

Our goal as commentators of culture is to bring that price front and center, and to ultimately lay it at the foot of the Cross. For as long as man stands apart from God, he either cannot (as a pagan) or will not (as a prodigal) mourn his sin. Thus we mortals war against Redemption.

Engage them with the clear message of the Cross. (Acts 17:18). For the believer and the unbeliever both, there is no other answer we can offer. And really, is that not enough? For the Christian Greys, broken by abuse and continuing the cycle, Jesus Christ is the healer. For the obsessive Anastasia’s who equate torture with love, Jesus Christ is the Truth. And for the believers who abstain from the book, Jesus Christ is the purity that guards them. What other answer do you have to give them? Truly, I know of none.

[1] See the an online verson of the draft at the following website: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf12/ipvelder/draftrecipvelder.htm

[2] See Basile KC, Hertz MF, Back SE. Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Violence Victimization Assessment Instruments for Use in Healthcare Settings: Version 1. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2007. Online copies available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/pub-res/images/ipvandsvscreening.pdf

^{^[3]} See James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament), electronic ed. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[4] Castle, Terry (13 April 1997). “‘Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know’”. The New York Times.

[5] Flannery O'Connor, Flannery O'Connor : Collected Works : Wise Blood / A Good Man Is Hard to Find / The Violent Bear It Away / Everything That Rises Must Converge / Essays & Letters, 1St ed. (Library of America, 1988), 820.

Live Streaming the Launch of Give Cures with Rick Santorum

Posted: 11 Jul 2012 07:30 AM PDT

I'm in Coralville, IA this morning for the launch of Give Cures which is the John Paul II Stem Cell Research Institute's national gift campaign that raises funds to advance ethical, non-controversial, adult stem cell research for cures and to raise funds to build a cord blood bank so moms can donate their newborn's cord blood. Give Cures connects people, patients and partners to the life-saving ethical research of the Institute.

Rick Santorum is the special guest who will make a formal announcement at the BioVenture Building (2500 Crosspark Road, Coralville, IA) at 11:00a. The Give Cures Launch event will also include remarks from Bob Vander Plaats of The Family Leader, Steve Scheffler of Family Faith and Freedom, Kim Lehman, the director of Give Cures and Joe Dunham, Vice President of the John Paul II Research Institute.

Santorum commented on the event, "I look forward to being a part of the Give Cures launch on July 11th. I commend them and their commitment to advancing adult stem cell research as they work to find cures for illnesses, and I applaud them for their dedication to protecting human life."

You can watch the live stream here which will be live this morning at 11:00am. Below is a video about Give Cures so you can learn more.