2009 California Election Forum

Militants divert aid to locals

Disturbing reports are coming in that the Burmese military is diverting aid from Karen villagers.

Don Richardson wrote in his book Eternity in Their Hearts about the amazing story of this group as they accepted Christ. They are the largest ethnic group in Burma, mostly Christian.

Pray for the persecuted Karen. For more information, contact Christian Freedom International.

Linda Bowles says it well...

"The massively cruel and ruinous communistic experiment of the Soviet Empire would not have been necessary if philosophers and intellectuals had not ignored a basic truth about human nature: Human beings, as a derivative of the instinct to survive, are innately driven to act in their own self-interest.

"Notwithstanding propaganda, conditioning or brute force, any government or institution which runs head on against the grain of this basic human drive is doomed to fail.

"We seem not to have learned a basic lesson of history: Capitalism harnesses human self-interest; socialism exhausts itself trying to kill it.

"The bureaucrats, who seize and dole out other people's assets, initially see themselves as humanitarians. Eventually, they conclude they are indeed superior to others, and treat themselves accordingly.

"They make laws to which they are not subject; they vote themselves and their wards privileges and benefits. Then, they no longer serve--they rule a nation of the government, by the government and for the government."

—Linda Bowles

The truth behind the fallout of American lending institutions

The subprime crisis is the result of too much government interference, not the free market.

The start of the havoc-producing mess began with the Community Reinvestment Act that tried to prevent "redlining" and pressure banks to make loans in low-income neighborhoods.

Banks received positive ratings by giving loans they usually wouldn't have...but did with the help of government pressure and incentives. Consistently encouraged by government and politicians, these risky loans ignored the credibility of the borrowers.

Problem identified

Under the Clinton Administration, this problem started to become apparent.

Lenders were trapped in a Catch-22. "If they comply," wrote Loyola College economist Thomas DiLorenzo during the Clinton-era, "they know they will have to suffer from more loan defaults. If they don't comply, they face financial penalties...which can cost a large corporation like Bank of America billions of dollars."

Lending to those who wouldn't normally qualify, no down payments, no verifications of income, interest-only payment selections and ignoring weak credit histories became the norm.

Those institutions that tried to raise interest rates to better cover their risk were accused by the liberal politicians of "predatory" loans.

This economic insanity continued to look like it was working as long as home prices kept rising--the latter being an unsustainable practice.

But now that the bubble has burst, many mortgage lenders are bankrupt and thousands of homes are in foreclosure.

Politicians caused the problem.

Politicians' bailout plans will only make it worse.

In economics, this is an example of the law of unintended consequences.

The free market would have protected us from this mess. Government intention is counterproductive and destructive.

New school song celebrates nontraditional holiday

The 6th graders at Hidden Trail Elementary in Chino Hills were given six songs to sing this school year: Thanksgiving, The Star Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, The Apple Song, Turkey in the Straw and Over the River—all good and innocent. But recently added is this song: Ramadan.

Here's how it goes:

Do not eat or drink,
Until the sun goes down.
When you bow and pray,
Your face must
Touch the ground.

Going to the mosque:
It's where the family prays,
Or in an open yard;
They pray five times a day.

***

It's all in the month of
Ramadan, Ramadan,
Ramadan.
It's all in the month of
Ramadan, Ramadan,
Ramadan.

***

Fasting is the way,
And it takes discipline.
Sunrise to sunset,
The spirit glows within.

Twenty-nine sacred days
When everyone takes a part.
It's very spiritual,
And it will fill the heart.

What do you think? Should America's 6th graders be taught to sing this song? Email me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Strengthening traditional marriage

At the Redondo Beach Election Forum, I asked Gwen Patrick--a black candidate for assembly in the Compton area--why black Evangelical Christians believe in traditional marriage, but vote for politicians who support same-sex marriage?

She said she hopes to help change all that.

I like what Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson said:

"The time is now for conservative black churches to join with white Christians in opposing this ruling. For far too long churches have sat on the sidelines while serious moral issues have been decided without their participation.

"This issue is about right and wrong. Changing the definition of traditional marriage to include homosexuals is wrong and Christians have a moral duty to speak out against it. Black ministers must encourage their congregations to support grassroots coalitions that seek to protect traditional marriage."

What do you think? How can we join in a coalition of beliefs to stand up for the Bible view of marriage? Email me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with your ideas.

A definition for modern times

There is a difference between the "emerging church" and the postmodern "emergent church." But here is a truth that applies to many in both camps:

"Because emergent beliefs are so amorphous--as a result of complying to postmodernism--it is impossible for its teachers to assert their beliefs absolutely.

"As a result, real conviction is one of the great casualties of emergence. Writers such as Brian McClaren, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Peter Rollins and Rob Bell are quick to write off historical doctrines and hesitant to assert anything other than approximate truths. Thus the emergent tone is dismissive, even when under the guise of profundity.

"It has intentionally not built itself on any foundation--an effort to avoid proposition, metanarrative and tradition."

—Eric Hogne

Friends of the Court respond to homeschooling

Many "Friends of the Court" briefs have been filed in the homeschooling case.

Two stand out:

The California Teachers Association says, "Allowing parents to homeschool without requiring a teaching credential will result in 'educational anarchy.'"

According to Superintendent of Education Jack O'Connell's filing, "Homeschooling is allowed, but with the help of a structured independent study program."

Pray for the oral hearings in response to these briefs.

Indian government implements 2003 ruling

A growing number of countries are enacting or enforcing anti-conversion laws against Christians and missionaries.

Dozens of missionaries were recently kicked out of Jordan.

Now in the state of Gujarat, India, a law passed in 2003 is finally being implemented. It had been stalled because the Governor said it violated the Indian constitution.

Pray for this situation. False and real accusations will be made to stamp out the growth of Evangelical activity.

Besides trying to stop the Gospel, this law cuts down on charity work. In India, charitable work may be construed as a bribe used to convert people to Christianity.

Prayers of support are needed for Christians so they can freely worship and proclaim the good news--for new converts, missionaries, Christian workers and charities. And pray for those persecuting the church that they would come to Jesus Christ and accept Him as their personal Savior.

County Clerk issues marriage licenses to same-sex couples

Tuesday, June 17, marks the day same-sex couples can get their marriage licenses from the County Clerk's office.

So next week I'm going to send you a complete report on the California Supreme Court's 4-3 decision to impose its ideology on all of California, overturning Proposition 22--the will of the people.

The cultural war has intensified as judicial activists are forcing California to accept its secular/humanist philosophy over values, tradition and a Biblical worldview.

The judicial decision has profound implications on the sanctity of marriage and the protection of our children.

Concerning same-sex marriage licenses, pray that the court delays these marriages until after the November vote.

On June 18 (2008), we should know for sure that the Marriage Initiative is on the ballot. Please pray for its success.

The initiative is our only hope to overturn this ruling, as the current court decision cannot be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Until the vote in November, expect a nasty campaign. The pro-same-sex lobby could spend up to $50 million to defeat the proposition. Our side might raise $15 million. It will need the support of churches and pastors to win. Their failure to mobilize and vote means we will lose...and so will children and marriage nationwide.

Does tax on plastic bags make "cents?"

Democratic liberals in the State Legislature want to impose a tax on each plastic bag you use at the store.

But like most government programs, they don't look at the unintended consequence of their actions.

The first obvious consequence is that this social engineering bill will push the cost up for us all; hurting the poor and those on fixed incomes (i.e., seniors) the most.

The second unintended consequence is that the tax hurts the environment. That's right, plastic actually is better than paper.

Let me explain.

One hundred million new plastic grocery bags require the total energy equivalent of approximately 8,300 barrels of oil. Here's how this energy usage breaks down: extraction of the raw materials, manufacturing, transport, energy exerted in product use and curbside collection of the bags. Of that, 30% is actual oil and 23% is natural gas used for bag production. The rest is for fuel used along the way.

That sounds like a lot until you consider that the same number of paper grocery sacks use five times that much total energy.

A paper grocery bag isn't just made out of trees. Manufacturing 100 million paper bags with one-third post-consumer recycled content requires petroleum energy equivalent to approximately 15,100 barrels of oil plus additional energy derived from other sources, including hydroelectric power, nuclear energy and wood waste.

When the cashier bags a purchase in paper, the consumer doesn't see that it took at least a gallon of water to produce that bag (more than 20 times the amount used to make a plastic bag), that it weighed 10 times more on the delivery truck and that the paper bag took up as much as 7 times the space as a plastic bag during transit to the store.

Finally, one paper bag ultimately results in producing between tens and hundreds of times more greenhouse gas emissions than a plastic bag.