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1. 

   carolyn. e on October 16, 2009 at 1:09 am

   David, I just listened to the whole series. I had and have so many thoughts going through my mind, but I will try and make this clear.

   First of all, on the 80/20 question. And sorry, if much of this is the same as Steve’s thoughts- and also Vickey’s, but here goes. I am a simple person trying like anything to follow Jesus. I fall every day, but thanking Him, I have the chance to try again, according to His leading to have a heart like His and to do what He wills. Even before I was a Bible believing Christian, I have always had a black and white mindset. I don’t do gray areas very well- but that’s not to say I’m a rigid and legalistic person. I just take the Bible for what the Lord says. When He says things such as thou shall not murder, I take it for such. When the Bible tells me adultury and homosexuality are sin, they are sin, and there is no getting around it.
   Have I ever fallen into a sin which is condemned in the Bible- oh yes, more than I want to admit, but that is still no excuse for willfully doing it again. I look at this part as causing another to sin. I have done sinful things, but my sins have not caused others to sin. They were offenses by me to God..
   When someone is a teacher, Pastor, public official, Judge etc. if they are allowing such things, or even advocating such things as abortion and homosexuality, they are causing or have the potential to cause others to sin. And we know what our society is like in that there is much “corporate” or national sin- because we’ve allowed leaders who look lightly on such practices, or in many cases legislate immorality.

   Abortion is murder. There is no getting around that, even if one was to look at it apart from the Bible. Science has shown us all that once that egg has been ferilized- a life has started. I won’t go into all the medical details, but we know that in early months, that baby has a heart beat, can feel, can hear. That baby may not survive outside the womb at a very early age, but that’s still no reason to believe it is not a human person. We have environmental laws which protect Sea Turtle eggs, yet a human baby is not more than a lump of tissue while inside a womb?

   Once we allowed Roe V Wade to succeed, people at that time may have figured that it would be a rare thing to terminate pregnancies- but just look how far we have come in 30 years! We have abortion rates skyrocketed, we have federal money going to abortion clinics which often skirt the law when it comes to minors and even health code violations. It has brought us to a place where we have embryonic stem cell research, genetic engineering and who knows where it will go next- cloning comes to mind. First Dolly the sheep- but soon children? Clone the aborted babies maybe? We have a disregard for life- among the vulnerable, elderly and infirm. It’s all a byproduct of allowing abortion.

   Same goes with homosexuality. I remember Lawrence V Texas. When that ruling was coming down, people were saying we had no right to go into people’s bedrooms. Well, now they have brought their bedrooms into homes throughout the country by way of TV shows, movies and magazines. They have won over the government school curriculum, and forced their way into the Lord’s House! They have their outrageous parades, then scream intolerance when people question their lifestyle. When Bible believing folks warned that allowing sodomy to be legalized would lead to trouble, they were mocked as old fashioned bigot homophobes. It is the same every day in every state where judges are legeslating sin, forcing same sex marriage. Next down the slippery slope we’ll have bigomy and polygamy legalized and other disgusting things I don’t even want to mention.

   David, I wrote a blog post quite a while ago called “No Compromise”. Now that was mostly about the interfaith movement and that Open Letter to Muslims a while back, but it also is true in the political arena as well. When someone calls for compromise, someone will always have to give in, or give up their beliefs or values. It can’t work. I can not compromise by voting for someone who may be a great fiscal conservative, yet who champions abortion and gay rights. If I did, I would be compromising my Lord.

   Now, this brings me to my last thoughts. As you know, I do study and read the founding documents of this wonderful country. The GOD given rights (NOT government as so many have been taught to believe) are LIFE first, Liberty and the persuit of happiness. Steve, his pastor and Vickey all make good points about this, that Life is the first right in our Documents, but abortion advocating government takes away that first Constitutional and more importantly God given right. Next is liberty, which is being taken away when the government takes away the rights of the 1st Amendment of the freedom of religion. Forcing same sex marriage, forcing silence through things such as hate crimes, and forcing taxpayer money for unethical, immoral and sinful practices which go against many of the Biblical beliefs so many still trust and believe in. They are taking away our pursuit of happiness when they take away our liberties and tax people into poverty.

   Vicky made the best point I think, when she talked about our kids. David, I remember growing up, we still said the Lord’s Prayer in school. We were given our little Gideon’s Bibles. We were taught the 10 Commandments. IN school. We were taught right and wrong, and expected conceqences for certain behaviors. That is all gone now because we allowed leaders who compromised. The Lord only knows what the world will be like when my son grows up. Our leaders today will be long gone by the time he can vote, but the immoral choices they allow today will still be here for his generation. What will my answer be when he asks why I let this happen?

   I will not ever compromise my God and Savior. Not for a little financial security. Even if it means Michael never gets a job. Not for comfort in this world which will mold and rot.

   I would love to see the Republican party come back to it’s roots of Biblical, Constitutional, fiscal concervancy, but if there are no leaders who are willing to give 100 percent of my values and beliefs- I would not hesitate to vote a third party or for a pro life, pro family, pro Biblical values Democrat.

   I don’t see much hope right now for either party- but I pray there are some folks out there who are immune enough to power and greed, and compromise, who will rise up from the Republican states and help bring the Country back to her Biblical and Constitutional foundations.

   Sorry David for this being so long- there’s so much to chew on, and pray for! God Bless and thank you for all your dedication!