The Nanny State

Fellow blogger The Rebellious Pastor's Wife has recently posted an excellent refutation of the book Why Mommy is a Democrat. The book itself is a horrendous piece of propaganda but that is not what I want to spend time on, if you want to read about its misleading nature go read The Rebellious Pastor's Wife. [Zoidberg] "Do it, I tell you! Or face the wrath of my mighty Claw!"

What I would rather spend time on is the idea of the Nanny State. Now, I will be very candid and state that I believe I can take better care of myself than some must justify my taking up oxygen bureaucrat in D.C. I do firmly believe that God has given authority to our government to rule our country, however, I do not think this means they necessarily must regulate ever part of my existence. I like the Pastor's wife have noticed a decided note of disapproval of people who do not rely on the government in certain aspects of life.

Thankfully, we have numerous families who homeschool in congregation so most people are not put off by Mrs. forty-two's desire to homeschool little Rebekah and future siblings. We still get a little bit of but how will you properly socialize your kids. Personally, I ain't too worried. I just think they will miss out on the fun of Friday Night Football. Oh well.

Where we really get the odd looks is when people find out we are attempting to opt out of Social Security. It is like we are from a different planet because we don't wish to rely on the generosity of government which is habitually incapable of balancing its own budget. I also wish to minimize the numbers of strings the government feels it has on my ministry.

With these in mind I think you can easily figure out that I am not a fan of the nanny state and as I look out at the political landscape I am reminded of a short story I read in highschool. I wish I could remember the title. Maybe somebody can help me out. Anyhow, the story is about a time of political correctness run a muck, where good dancers are shackled, pretty faces are hidden behind a mask, and smart people have implants that keep them from focusing too long all in the name of equality. The nanny state ideally is about bringing people all to the same level.

However, in reality it is always about bringing everybody down to the lowest common denominator. Look at our schools, the SAT has been readjusted to make students feel smarter and now instead of actually having to know math you get to use a calculator. Heaven help us if the calculator dies. Yes, I rely on one myself, but at least I can do the math without one. My wife is a victim of public school mediocrity, she is a brilliant person, she graduated salutatorian from her highschool, but was never challenged. When she was in college she was not prepared for the rigors of excelling at the collegiate level. To put it this way, public school was so easy she did not pay attention in class but read a book and still maintained a 4.0. These factors play into why she wishes to homeschool.

Now the nanny state schools are more concerned about instilling tolerance of ideas they agree with and the color ink that will not negatively affect the self-esteem of the child than they are about getting children to achieve their highest potential. My other issue with the nanny state ideal is what I call the Animal Farm Principle - all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.

The nanny state is predicated on the idea of equality but it does so at the expense of certain groups. Instead, of actually working to erase distinctions it heightens them by giving so called disadvantaged groups special liberties. The book in question TRPW's blog is a prime example of this phenomenon. It demonizes white middle/upper class people.

ERA is back

According to Crosswalk.com, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) is trying to bring back ERA. Now, I have serious doubts that it will pass, but one never knows. Whether or not it will pass is not really my concern with the ERA; my concern is, how will the ERA affect the Christian Church and its stance against female clergy?

According to a straight forward interpretation of the amendment we would be guilty of denying a fundamental right by denying women admission into the ranks of clergy. If you are counting on the 1st Amendment to protect you, don't. They will find a way around it. They may not make it illegal for us to operate but they will do everything they can to place financial pressure on the church. Mark my words, seminaries that insist on the truths of the Bible will no longer be able to provide their students access to federally guaranteed student loans and churches will lose their tax-exempt status. Of course, this doesn't take into account all of the lawsuits that will come against the church for its refusal to bow before the altar of the world.

I realize I sound alarmist, but I have lost faith in the people who serve us in elected positions. Really, it is hard to trust a person who looks to the Government for all the answers rather than to God. Tack on the fact that many of these so called tolerance people consider Christians backward, bigoted and incapable of thinking for themselves. Well, I think you can understand my reticence about thinking the church will not be affected by ERA.

An interesting court case

This case was a normal divorce proceeding which is bad enough now it has taken on a new dimension. The ex-husband in the case is refusing to pay alimony because his ex is now a man. Oh what tangled webs we weave when we seek to play God.

Women hits building while going to see Eye Doctor

This story is just too funny to pass up. This poor lady managed to hit a building while going to see her eye doctor. With a headline like that you just can't pass it up. Of course, I can't imagine a worst way to get your name in the paper.

The American Evangelical Pilgrimage Destination

This past weekend I went with our Confirmation students to the The Holy Land Experience or as I like to think of it Roman Pilgrimage Protestant Style. This miserable piece of bland American Evangelical putrescence could have been great if it didn't cost 30 gold coins to get in and it wasn't so steeped in Left Behind garbage. The missus and I went to the presentation on the temple expecting hear an explanation of the worship which occurred at the temple and history behind it were regaled with fairy tales about a future temple and how God did not fully dwell with his people and did not give them the Holy Spirit. If God did not give them the Holy Spirit just how in the world did the Holy Spirit communicate God's Word? I wonder why they consider God dwelling with his people at the temple an incomplete dwelling.

Then after that, there was the presentation of Israel in 66 A.D. where we learned that the location of tomb and the cross is not where Christian tradition has believed it to be rather it in is someplace identified ~75 years ago by some no name Brit. Of course, I had to ask who cares its not like there is anything in there now.

About the only thing worth seeing that we were able to take in is the Scriptorium and smoked turkey legs. Although there are some glaring historical inaccuracies in the Scriptorium, the first is the idea that Christians invented the Codex, they did not; they popularized its use. Second of all is the laughable idea the Puritans were about religious freedom. Let's set the record straight they were all about the freedom to teach in their own way and engaging in a little persecution themselves. Some of the earliest colonies were formed because of religious differences and laws against teaching against the Puritan beliefs.

Anyhow, do yourself a favor save your thirty gold coins and go see a good historical presentation by going to a Dr Paul Maier presentation.

Luther's thought for the day

God's word is the true "holy thing" above all holy things. Yes, it is the only one we Christians know and have. Though we had the bones of all the saints or all holly and consecrated garments upon a heap, still that would not help us at all. All that stuff is a dead thing that can sanctify no one. But God's Word is the treasure that sanctifies everything. By the Word even all the saints themselves were sanctified. Whenever God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read, or meditated upon, then the person, day, and work are sanctified. This is not because of the outward work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all. Therefore, I constantly say that all our life and work must be guided by God's Word, if it is to be God pleasing or holy. Where this is done, this commandment is in force and being fulfilled.
- Luther's LC 2nd Commandment 91-92

The people at St Matthew's Churches out of Oklahoma should read this statement. Maybe then they would stop sending me those wretched "prayer rugs." They are as bad as the holy relic merchants who sold enough pieces of the cross to build enough crosses to crucify all of Europe.

Zoidberg's Brain Slug Treatment Candidate of the Week

It's Zoidberg's chance to write and if they try to stop me they will face the claw, the CLAW I tell you. I have found my first candidate for my experimental treatment of instilling commonsense by means of Brain Slug. I have searched long and hard for this week's winner. This week's recipient has earned the hate of animal lovers around the world or I should say animal lovers who have not received my patented brain surgery. Our patient is so well loved that his fellow activists hate him, now that takes talent. Enough about how much hate he is earned now is the time to meet our patient. He is none other than, animal-rights activist Frank Albrecht. Old Frank gets the nod this week because he thinks we ought to kill Knut without offering it to me as a free dinner. Zoidberg is hungry!

It turns out that even animal-rights nut jobs disagree with his idea that "he should be given a lethal injection rather than brought up suffering the humiliation of being treated as a domestic pet." Daily Mail

Dr. Luther, however, tells me he deserves our ire for a non-dinner related reason. He says that God gave all creatures in to man's care and that means they should care for those animals who cannot care for themselves even when said animals would make Zoidberg a great meal. It's a conspiracy, I tell you, a conspiracy!

For the increase of zeal

I have always been Pro-Life, but I never had a great deal of zeal until recently. To be honest I hadn't realized the change until this afternoon as I was doing some research on a totally unrelated subject and I came across the picture of a 22 week old dead baby and my heart was torn. Earlier, I was in principle and action pro-Life, but there was no emotion attached with my beliefs and now there is and I wondered "why?". It is then I realized there is a major reason for this change. And here is that reason,


Meet Rebekah, she is less than a week old in this picture or 36 weeks (counting from the start of the pregnancy - she was born premature). She is now 9 1/2 months, but in this picture she wasn't much older than that poor unloved child left out to die. If holding your own child doesn't change your perceptions, I don't know what will.

Sweet Sixteen Starts Tonight!

I am feeling rather nervous and excited because tonight my Aggies are playing a Sweet Sixteen game for the first time in 27 years. The last time the Aggies were in this position is when the late Shelby Metcalf led the first ever men's team to the Sweet Sixteen. This year has been quite a treat. They talk about the 80's team making believers out of people, but the current team has made a believer out of me.

Luther's Thought for the day

How, then, does such sanctification take place? Not like this: sitting behind the stove and doing no rough work, or adorning ourselves with a wreath and putting on our best clothes. But as said above, we occupy ourselves with God's Word and exercise ourselves in the Word
- Luther's LC 2nd commandment 88

Sanctification does not occur because of our own work, but through the Holy Spirit working through God's word. It is when we dive into the word of God that the Holy Spirit opens our hearts and minds in order to enlighten us with God's wisdom and will. In this manner we will find our daily lives being affected by God for He has promised that His word is profitable for training in living a Godly life (2 Tim 3:16).

Lutheran Thought for the Day

I was pondering ways that I could be of greater benefit to my readers outside of sharing my views on current events and then I thought "hey, I can let them journey with me through my devotions." Currently, I am working my way through the new Concordia: Reader's Edition of the BOC. It is a great buy, by the way, particularly for its reading schedule. Anyhow, devotional tidbit for the day

But the greatest abuse occurs in Spiritual matters. These do with the conscience, when false preachers rise up and offer their lying vanities as God's Word... Here, then, let us learn and take to heart the great importance of this commandment. Then, with all diligence, we may guard against and dread every misuse of the Holy name as the greatest sin that can be committed outwardly. For to lie and to deceive is in itself a great sin. But such as sin gets even worse when we try to justify our lie and seek to confirm it by calling on God's name and using his name as a cloak for shame, so that from a single lie a double lie results-no, many lies.
- Luther's LC 2nd Commandment 54&55

A fair warning to all of us, be careful in how you speak. Do not confuse the lies of this world with the word of God. Speak only the truth and seek the Lord's will above all things.

Lord, may the words and actions of your servant be of glory to you alone.

Are weddings worth it?

I can remember talking to pastors and finding it a complete surprise to hear them say they hate doing weddings but like doing funerals. I wondered because in my mind weddings are a happy occasion and funerals are sad. Now with a few funerals under my belt and a couple of weddings I now fully understand why.

In some ways I think performing weddings are more trouble then they are worth. First of all you have those newsstand garbage rags telling the brides not to put up with anything from the minister because it is her wedding and some brides take that to heart. They tend to be rather surprised when you tell them if you don't approve they don't get to use the church. Now we don't have to much trouble with that because we are upfront with prospective couples concerning our service guidelines. Now it is the second issue that makes it even worse.

If you are a pastor reading this feel free to chime in, but are you like me praying that as they fill out their personal info you will find two separate addresses? I know I do. It is never easy to deal with couples living together, but it is even worse if you are like us and allow non-members to be married at our church. First of all, you do not have a relationship of trust already established and that makes it much harder to convey the Law without them getting defensive and mad at you. It is for this reason, I tend to wait until the second or third time that we meet to spend time with this topic because then it is easier to see that I bring it up out of concern and not just to be another random "you evil wicked people person" who is easily dismissed. Another reason is that it is because I use the ZoeScore premarital test, and I can show them all the research on how living together damages their relationship on top of sharing the Law. I find these results help them to personalize the Law and see how breaking the Law has hurt them, thus making it easier to confront them with the Law with the goal of repentance. This brings me to the next problem, couples who are not members of the church are just looking for a place to get married and have no desire to listen to a dumb pastor tell them how to live a godly marriage. Thus begging the question, are weddings really worth it?

Much apologies

I was a bad boy and forgot to post a link. Anyhow for those of you who wish to learn more about the sick activities of 'Black Jesus' check out this link

Zoidberg's Brain Slug Treatment Candidate of the Week Award

Hey all,

We are getting ready to start a new regular feature here at LUTHERAMA. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that people do a lot of stupid things and well we would like to honor these people who make life funny, so we are going to be featuring these people in a once a week feature called Zoidberg's Brain Slug Treatment Candidate of the Week.

Now we at LUTHERAMA already spend a large amount of time on the web but we can still only be in so many places during the week, so we are going to need your help. If you see a prime candidate for Zoidberg's Brain Slug Treatment let us know, feel free to leave a comment on any of our articles and if yours is picked we will give you the credit for the find and link to you in the article (and if you are like us you like Links). Remember, we are looking to have fun so the funnier the better.

Look for our first candidate this Friday!

The Real Silence of the Lambs

Steven Tart, self proclaimed "black Jesus", has been arrested for raping, sacrificing, and eating young women. To be perfectly frank, this is just sick. On the other hand, it once again proves to us that we are in the last days. Jesus warned us that in the last days there would be people who came along and said "I am He" and that they would try to lead people astray.

Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
- Matthew 24:23-28

Show and Tell isn't all that it is Cracked up to be

This story by Foxnews.com would be funny if it wasn't so sad. A mom was arrested after her son showed up in his 1st grade class with some crack cocaine. I think the fact that he was able to bring this drug into a supposed drug free zone should be an indication they need to start searching elementary age children for contraband, just like they do to the high schoolers. I have to wonder did he have to abide by the "bring enough for everybody" rule? That would have taken and made a normally dull make work assignment a little more interesting.

How Sweet it is!

The Aggies are in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in over 20 years and the girls aren't doing to bad either having advanced to the second round. No matter how the game ends this coming Thursday, it will be a great season. Now we just have to worry about somebody trying to steal Billy G. away. I hope that doesn't happen because he now has the chance to build a legacy at Aggieland.

Homosexual Advocacy Group Wants God To Apologize

Homosexual Advocacy Groups have expressed dismay at God's perennial bestseller title The Holy Bible claiming that it makes derogatory and hateful remarks about homosexuals. Of particular contention between the homosexuals and God is His statement, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

According to the spokesperson from ATALBG, "God is perpetuating a stereotype that homosexuality is not normal and advocating discrimination against the homosexual community. Comparing homosexuality to thieves and drunks is bigoted and should not be tolerated. We are seeking an immediate public apology from the Almighty."

More militant groups such as the Rainbow Army are calling for a complete banning of the book and laws against people who disseminate God's book through spoken or written form. Meanwhile, people such as the Archpriestette Schori is trying to calm the strife between God and the homosexuals claiming that this was an remark later added by the editor.

God's response to all of this, "People, I don't hate you. I hate what you are doing. Didn't you see the part where I said all people are sinners? Or did you just add on 'except me'. The fact remains everybody is equally sinful, but I still love you enough that I was willing to go to the cross to die for you. As for an apology, don't expect one any time soon. I do not apologize for telling the truth and insisting on a certain level of morality in my creation."

This is of course a parody of events surrounding Gen. Peter Pace. However, the truth remains homosexuals are sinners in need of a savior just like everybody else.

Sin the root of the problem

This article by Foxnews.com is not exactly for the faint of heart. For me it causes conflicting desires of wanting to drum them over the head and wanting to reach out. Rather than go into the gruesome details, I will simply state a mom killed her children. Usually after such a thing hits the news, people start asking why a person could do such a horrific things e.g. Andrea Yates. The answer though is not one people want to hear. It is the expression of the inherited sin nature of human beings. This is the root cause. The twisted nature that we inherit from Adam warps our perceptions, thoughts, and feelings so that we end up doing despicable things. People don't want to hear this because they want to maintain the delusion that people are inherently good. So, I am sure there will be many people calling for her to be given mental therapy rather than jail time.

Mental therapy is all well and good but it is not going to treat the problem only the symptoms. This woman and her boyfriend desperately need a good dose of the Law to wake them up to the fact that they aren't right. Then we can treat the real problem with the healing balm of the Gospel.

I have officially gone Mad

Yes, indeed, I am as mad as a hatter. It is March Madness, baby! My Aggies are the #3 seed in the south. I hope they put together a better showing then their last game. If they come with their "A" game opponents will have to watch out for the long arm of the Law.