Logical Conclusions: Temple Prostitution
Filed under: Christian, politics, religion | Tags: Christian, church, homosexuality, men, ministry, religion
Leave a Comment I do not normally link to blog posts from others but this time I simply have to make an exception. I first found this post linked at Chris Roseborough’s blog Extreme Theology, which he had linked to the original article. The basic premise here follows the logical conclusion that if liberal churches can accept homosexuality as a viable part of Christianity and not call it sin, why not do the same thing with temple prostitution? I think it is a brilliant piece and absolutely worth reading. If you have any comments, please leave so that we can have a discussion.
Setting the AJC straight on anti-abortion
I just read an article from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on the conviction of Scott Roeder for the murder of Dr. George Tiller, who was a late-term abortion doctor from Wichita, Kansas. The article is a great showcase for poor journalism without facts as well as liberal yellow journalism, you can take your pick which is worse.
The article, written by Roxana Hegeman of the Associate Press, does correctly summarize the facts of the days court proceedings, wherein Roeder was found guilty and could serve 25 years to life. This is fine. Hegemanalso says that fringe groups support Roeder and might want to commit more violence. While there was only one source to back up her statement this may also be true.
The problem is that the article seems to paint all pro-lifers as being extreme and wanting to see abortionists dead, and that pro-life activists want more protection to commit these crimes. This is patently untrue. Every major activist group and ministry affiliated with the right to life such as Operation Rescue, Focus on the Family, and Personhood USA condemned this act of violence, as it is the opposite of the right to life movement. The general consensus of the right to life movement is that while Dr. Tiller committed thousands of atrocities against humanity by daily killing the unborn, and that he deserved to be tried in a court of law, he himself had a right to life that Scott Roeder violated.
Perhaps the worst part of this article is when the author quotes Randall Terr,y as the founder of Operation Rescue, promising there will be more bloodshed. What she fails to tell you is that Randall Terry has not been affiliated with the organization for 17 years. In addition, as stated previously, Operation Rescue denounced this and all other violence against abortionists and staffers.
Hegeman and the Associated Press dropped the ball on this article. Either that, or they are purposefully trying to skew this issue, knowing that a majority of Americans say that abortion is morally wrong.
Masonic Vocabulary: Titles
Filed under: men | Tags: fraternity, freemasonry, masonry, men
Leave a Comment Another subject people wonder about related to Masonry are the titles we use. There are lots of different names for officers and past officers, and sometimes people think they sound religious or theologically inappropriate.
First, lets look at the officer titles. There are many positions in a lodge, and many of the titles seem quite obscure.
Tyler-Stands outside the lodge room during meetings to make sure non-members do not come in, and that members coming late enter when it is appropriate.
The two Stewards (Senior and Junior) are primarily responsible for providing for refreshments at meetings or dinners at special events. In Ohio these positions are appointed by the Master of the lodge.
The Deacons are responsible for many things mostly related to communication (that sounds vague!). While the Junior Deacon stays at the inner door and communicates with the Tyler, the Senior Deacon conducts the candidates during the degrees and traditionally delivers the lecture for each degree.
Secretary and Treasurer are responsible for taking care of the administrative necessities of the lodge. The Secretary keeps the minutes of the meeting, handles correspondence , and the like. The Treasurer keeps the books and handles banking such as writing checks, making deposits, and investment decisions.
Now we come to the top three officers of the lodge: the two wardens and the Worshipful Master. The Wardens, who could also be called first and second vice presidents, assist the Master with conducting the meetings and with the overall leadership of the lodge. The Senior Warden specifically charged with conducting meetings in the absence of the Master. There are some other duties but these are the most important.
Finally, we come to the Worshipful Master. The master is the elected leader of his lodge, essentially the president. He is in charge of presiding over meetings (basically keeping order), setting the agenda for them, and generally planning the agenda for his term (which is usually one year).
But why Worshipful? Many people think this is a sacrilegious title, as if the Master is the object of worship. This is not the case. The earliest lodges were founded in the United Kingdom (probably Scotland) where the term worshipful is used the same way we use honorable. So the master is not being worshiped, he is simply being honored in the same way a judge, legislator, or head of state would be.
I hope this helps answer some questions about Masonry and the titles we use to identify our officers. If you have any questions please feel free to leave them in the comments or send me an email using my contact form.
Masonic Membership Process-How to Become a Mason
One of the questions I often get asked is: “If I want to be a Mason, what do I have to do, and what is the process like?” Well, I thought I would share this with the rest of the world.
First, it is very important to not e that Masonry is NOT a by invitation organization. Masonry requires that those who wish to join must do so of there own free will. Therefore, inviting a man to join is actually not allowed. It is permissible to invite a friend to a social event, or to tell him he would make a good Mason. But we never invite someone to join.
That being said, the first thing a man would do to begin his journey into Freemasonry would be to ask a member for a petition, which is similar to an application for a job, and typically includes name, address, occupation, birthplace and date. The petitioner then returns it to the lodge member along with the initiation fee (in my lodge this amount is $150.00 which is about average). Before the petition and fee can be turned in to the lodge Secretary it must also have the signed recommendation of two members, usually the person the petitioner got the petition from and another member who knows the petitioner.
Once the petition is turned in, it is read in open lodge during a stated meeting. The Worshipful Master then assigns a committee to investigate the candidate. Typically the committee is 3 Past Masters of the lodge but there could be variation on this. The committee should then contact the candidate to arrange a meeting, preferably at his home. The committee will ask a series of questions to try to get to know the man better, to test what kind of character the man has. The committee should also talk to the wife to make sure she understands what Masonry is and why her husband wants to join. The last thing a lodge would want is for membership to cause strain on a marriage.
After the investigation the committee goes back to the lodge and makes a recommendation at the next stated meeting. The petition is then voted on by secret ballot, using a special box.
Box used for balloting in a Masonic Lodge
To vote, you simply reach in the front and either pick up a white ball or a black cube (you cannot see them but it does not matter since they are different shapes). The voter than places the ball or cube in a hole at the other end of the box. The ball or cube lands in a little tray that can be pulled out to count the votes. The ballot must be unanimous in order for a petitioner to be elected to receive the degrees of Masonry.
Finally, once the petition has been successfully voted on, the candidate is notified that he has been elected and what meeting he needs to come to receive his Entered Apprentice degree.
That’s it! If you have any other questions about the election process, leave a comment here on this post. Also, if you are a Mason with a funny or interesting story about your election, please leave it here for others to enjoy!
The 10th Amendment and Healthcare
Filed under: government | Tags: courts, healthcare, legislation, obama
Leave a Comment I just read a great blog post about using the 10th Amendment to the Constitution to block the horrific health care plan coming down from Congress. Governor Perry of Texas has asked his Attorney General to investigate if the exclusions and deals made with some Senators are constitutional. I have sent an email to Ohio’s Attorney General Richard Cordray, asking him to do the same.
I have two requests of all who read this. First, I would encourage you to contact your own Attorney General and encourage them to launch a similar investigation and consider suing to block this legislation. Second, I would ask that all interested leave a comment here about what you think about this legislation, good or bad, and what you think we as citizens should do about it.
Why I signed the Manhattan Declaration
Filed under: Christian | Tags: abortion, Christian, homosexuality
Leave a Comment After hearing quite a bit about it in the news I decided to check out the Manhattan Declaration. If you have not yet read the declaration I suggest you check out the website and read it yourself. If you have not heard of it (living under a rock will do that) it is a position paper put together from leaders of various Christian churches that affirms the sanctity of human life, the dignity of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and the right of conscience and religious liberty.
In recent years these principles have been attacked by various groups and individuals that want to change society to fit their wants and desires. The document serves as a line in the sand for what we will tolerate and what we will affirm as what is right and just for all society.
Now some Christians have rejected the idea of signing this document for various reasons. Those who call themselves Christians and yet reject Biblical doctrines think we should allow people to make choices about who lives or dies or allow anyone to marry just because they want to declare their love for each other or share work benefits. This is a matter of allowing the culture to dictate truth, which it cannot. Truth is objective and therefore timeless, and cannot be perceived by a culture that changes with the season’s fashions.
I urge everyone who reads this, and who understands the Biblical application of these principles to sign this document. For those that do not, I suggest you investigate who Jesus is, what He has done for you, and how you can receive Him into your life. Amen.
Perinatal Hospice: An Alternative to Abortion
Filed under: abortion | Tags: abortion, Christian, faith, politics, religion
Leave a Comment One of the questions many people ask about abortion is: “What if the baby has a terminal birth defect, shouldn’t he or she be aborted?” In the world’s view, this is usually the first and only choice. But for Christians, as painful a situation as this is, it is still a violation of the sixth commandment prohibiting murder.
Now there is an alternative form of care for these situations that can benefit Christians and non-Christians alike. Called Perinatal Hospice, it allows parents to deliver and care for their child for whatever short amount of time they will be on this earth. It not only allows parents to participate in God’s natural plans for birth, life and death, it allows mothers, fathers, and other family members the opportunity to properly participate in this child’s life and mourn their passing. It allows for the grieving process without the guilt of knowing that a life was terminated in violation of God’s law.
For more information I suggest you check out this article on Lifeissues.net. Fatal birth defects are a tragic situation, they do not also have to be a murderous one filled with guilt and shame.
Russ Bonchu
Public comments and opinions can be made at the link below, or you may reach me privately at: http://russbonchu.reachby.com
Obama and the Nobel Prize
So I wanted to come out with a more timely response to this announcement but I simply did not have time over the weekend and was trying to process this very strange choice. After doing some thinking and research, all I can say is theat the committee biffed it. In 37 weeks in office President Obama has not actually accomplished anything in the way of peace or major foreign policy that could result in peace. He has not signed any major treaties, hosted a peace conference, or made new allies. There simply are no major accomplishments to point to.
What he has done, as this article points out, is make some changes to our foreign policy and apologize for prior US actions (neither of which he needs to do). He has embarrassed the office of President by showing weakness before countries that want to destroy us and our way of life.
Of course I do not think we should really be surprised. Why should we take serious an award given to Al Gore for making a movie about the environment that he later admitted used junk science?
Thoughts on the murder of George Tiller
Filed under: Christian, abortion, government | Tags: abortion, Christian, murder, news
Leave a Comment This past Sunday, one of the US’s most notorious and controversial abortionists was murdered inside his church. I wanted to share some thoughts on this murder.
First, since this death was not one sanctioned by the government, put in place by God to judge human actions, it is murder and therefore falls under the condemnation of the sixth commandment. This was a vigilante action that no Bible believing Christian can rightly sanction, agree with, or celebrate.
Second, I want to make it clear that the end does not justify the means. Situational ethics is an oxymoron, and is no ethics at all. Even though Tiller was a dispicable man and disgrace to the medical profession, who flouted the law by performing abortions up until the last possible moments before birth, the Bible does not allow for his killing by one lone man without trial and sentencing by a court sanctioned by the government where he resides.
That all being said, I wanted to point something out I heard in a podcast today which really made me think. This vigilante probably thougth he was saving lives by killing Dr. Tiller, as it will probably put his clinic out of business. What is really interesting to me is that Dr. Tiller probably felt he was “saving” lives by keeping these women from being “saddled” with an unbanted pregnancy, improving their quality of life. It didn’t matter that they were both ending lives, and ignoring the right to life that these babies and Dr. Tiller shared. I suppose it’s kind of poetic, in a horribly twisted sort of way.
Unfortunately this case will almost undoubtedly do damage to the pro-life movement, making Bible believing Christians look like the domestic terrorists that the Department of Homeland Security accused us of being. Therefore, when your pre-Christian friends ask you about this I would encourage you to denounce this murder, and then quickly shift the subject to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, taking the opportunity to share His love with them.
Amen.
Hate crime legislation: is it Good?
Filed under: Christian, government, religion | Tags: Christian, church, courts, gay, homosexuality, law, politics
Leave a Comment The US Senate is currently considering new hate crimes legislation that would add sexual orientation into existing laws on hate crime. While some people think it is good to add these “enhancements” to the law I submit to you that it is not, and will explain why.
Hate is not a Crime Hate is an emotion,not an action. We can’t punish hate anymore than we can punish love (which we cannot by the way). Only actions are punishable, along with the intent that preceded them. But without action, intent is meaningless. So if we cannot punish emotion, what are we attempting to punish? Thought and speech.
Speech in the US is protected Almost all speech in this country, with the exception of sedition, is protected under The Constitution. Ten years ago the Ku Klux Klan held a small rally here in Cleveland, Ohio where they made racist speeches. Many people here thought our mayor, who at the time was black, should not have given them a permit. But the mayor did the right thing, allowing them to march and rally. While the Klan may be dispicible, they have a right to exist, a right to speak, and those opposed to their views have a right to condem them, which they did. Hate crime legislation would make it illegal for a Pastor of a church to read or expound upon the chapters of Leviticus and Romans in the Bible that condemn homosexuality as a sin. This would not only violate our right to free speech but but also our freedom of religion as well.
Hate crime is not justice The US Constitution guarantees equality under the law. Equal protection as a defendant, equal punishment as the convicted. Hate crime elevates certain crimes to a special status, requiring enhanced punishments. This is not justice it is revenge. What is worse, under the new hate crime bill the defendant is only charged with a hate crime. If he proves that he did not commit the crime based on hate, hw would be found not guilty, receiving no punishment.
No life is more valuable than another. If the victim of a crime is of a different ethnic group then the perpetrator, do they suffer more? Of course not.The Mathew Shepard murder was a despicable crime, but it is no worse than any other murder. Does Mathew Shepard’s mother miss him more than any other mother who has lost a child? No one in their right mind can say yes to this. Therefore this legislation is illogical and unnecessary.
Hate crimes legislation is not needed The only way this legislation would make sense is if someone who committed a hate crime today would not be punished under existing law. But the fact is that people are punished . In the previously mentioned Mathew Shepard case the two men were both given life sentences, one without the possibility of parole. Another good example of a punished crime involving hate is that of James Byrd, Jr. a black man from Jasper, Texas who was dragged to death by three white men in 1998. In this case two of the three men received death sentences, the other life in prison. What would hate crime legislation do? Can we kill them twice? Can we make the third defendant live long enough to serve two life sentences? Of course not. If that is not possible, then it is not possible for this legislation to do anything productive and is therefore unnecessary.
Men, if we want our rights to free speech and free exercise of religion protected we must stand up for them. Thomas Jefferson said: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” I urge you to call the US Capitol switchboard at (202)224-3121 and ask your Senators to not support this bad legislation (S. 909), lest it become bad law. If you do not know who your Senators are, you can simply tell the operator where you live and they will connect you.
I would also ask that you pray for God to grant our elceted officials wisdom in these troubling times, for mercy for our sins, and for repentance and revival to come to our troubled nation.
Amen
