BIOMETRIC CARD

It's really happening. Every since 9/11 I have thought eventually we're going to end up with a biometric mark on our hand or forehead to prove who we are, to protect us from terrorists, illegal immigration, and identity theft. I predicted this because it's right there in the Bible that at some point we're going to be required to have a mark on our hand or forehead which will affect buying and selling, and the times provide the incentive to pursue an airtight way to prove who you are. Christians are warned from accepting the mark. This will bring on unparalleled prosecution of the church as they will either have to disobey a huge warning and command in the Bible or not be able to buy and sell.

I'm not the only one to think of this. If this truly comes about, there will be lots of hoarding of food and stuff, preparing for the impossibility of buying anything.

And, it's truly being talked about - and not only talked about, but a bill has been drafted. I heard it first on Fox today, but then I also see it in a news article in the Washington Post.

But it's still a biometric national ID card. It's handed out by the Social Security Administration and employers are required to check it when hiring new employees. Essentially, if you want to participate in the American economy, you need this card. "Within five (5) years of the date of enactment, the fraud-proof social security card will serve as the sole acceptable document to be produced by an employee to an employer for employment verification purposes," the bill says. "This requirement will exist even if the employer does not yet possess the capability to electronically verify the employee by scanning the card through a card reader."

Now, of course Jesus is not only coming back to America, but to the whole world. While the dialogue happened on Fox News (Neil Cavuto), the discussion turned to the fact that if only America has this requirement it would be a handicap for it in the global economy. Then, Neil posed the question, "so are we going to have a global biometric card?" The girl on the other side just shrugged her shoulders, as though that's not out of the realm of possibilities.

As in the Health Care bill, something like this could go through w/o thinking it all the way through first - without reading the fine print. Eventually, they'll realize that a card like this could make identity theft incredibly dangerous if someone got a hold of your card. So, the "fix" would be an implant on your hand or head. Someone could still drug you, put you under, and surgically remove it to steal your identity, but that would be harder than pick pocketing your wallet.

HYPOCRISY & DOUBLESPEAK

Again, having had a extended break from the news, watching it again isn't very gratifying. The commentary and blue vs red discussions get tiresome and boil the blood. In most cases, it really comes down to hypocrisy. Politicians' stands on principals constantly change depending on the issue. That points to an interview on Hannity last night of an actual atheist's point of view on the political left's fear of Christianity. Looking at a distance, she can see that they are afraid of any concrete rules - and absolute right and wrong.

Waffling is a way of life for them. "I was for it before I was against it" type of thing. It was a big deal for the media with Kerry, but they see that as par for the course now - unless, of course, it's coming from the right. So they're just as guilty of the hypocrisy as everyone else. Hypocrisy and double speak. The difference is simply that hypocrisy happens from one instance to another, whereas "doublespeak" is contradiction that happens w/in one speech. That happens w/ surprising regularity.

Even though Christian values make up 80% of the American electorate or perhaps because of that, the Higher power of God and the absolute truth in His Word, Christianity threatens their power. The pattern in America for quite some time is that the minority or topic-specific groups are the ones who get out into the streets to protest and protect their rights or wishes. That is changing now. The 80% of the electorate with stronger values of right and and wrong and the protection and justice that accompanies it, is feeling threatened and they are raising up. In a democracy, one would expect the majority to rule while protecting the rights and freedoms of minorities. It feels like that paradigm has shifted in America over the years.

An age is coming when politicians and the MSM will no longer be able to reach a large enough electorate and audience with radical, extreme leftist ideas. They think of their ideas as mainstream, but in truth their PC talk offends a lot of people.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS?

I've been on a "screen" blackout, including TV and Instapundit for the last week - an assignment from my son's 2nd grade classroom teacher.

I convinced him that I still needed to go to Yahoo! to check my e-mail b/c people assume they're reaching me that way. At the same time, I'm getting to see headlines, and I've browsed a few links, but not many.

But, truly, as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. I haven't had to be worked up over any of this for a week. In the long run, I don't think that being part of an uneducated electorate is a good idea, but it was a nice reprieve for awhile. But, don't get me wrong, as nice as the reprieve was, this is my first day back to "the screen" and here I am at breakfast, reading instapundit links and blogging.

The break, however, did give me a perspective that stepped away from the up to the minute daily news and allowed me to think about it all in a more broad way.

I may not be able to go to a Tea Party or run for office or anything like that, but there is one thing I can do. Pray. Some might say that's equivalent to "thinking about it" but I don't believe that's true. I believe that prayer is the work. Only God can make changes as sweeping as we need them. But, that same God will use you and me to do it. But, we can't do it on our own - we need the power of the Holy Spirit to equip us for every good work.

We all have an opportunity next Thursday, May 6, to do something that can make a difference. It is the National Day of Prayer. While, we can pray each and every day on our own, there is something profound about the entire body of Christ praying for the same thing at the same time. So, on May 6, pray for our nation; pray for our world; and pray for your own community. And remind others to do the same.

GETTING THERE

Well, it's been awhile since I've made a blog post. I think that's because I'd just had enough of being frustrated for awhile. I was excited, however, about the Tea Party Protests around the country yesterday. If I could have found a ride and companion, I would have attended the one in my proximity. Instead, I just looked forward to the coverage - good or bad - there or not.

One of the Today Show's leading stories was the Tea Party protest. It was the fairest portrayal of the group I've ever seen by NBC. They really portrayed them as a regular group of people just trying to make their voices heard. I was encouraged.

I was able to gleefully tell my daughter that our freedom of speech and assembly are making a difference, even if it took a year. Persistence matters, even in the event of persecution.

Last night I was studying Acts 13-14 for the Bible study I'm doing. It speaks of the beginning of Paul and Barnabas's mission to spread the Gospel to the Gentile world.

In light of the persecution of the Tea Partiers, for which I think much of its protest concerns wanting our country to return to the founding principals of our country, including the Rock it was placed on, "One Nation Under God" and "In God We Trust," one set of verses stuck out to me.

"At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders."
Acts 14: 1 - 3

It has taken considerable time, but the Tea Party protesters are starting to get at least a relatively fair showing in some of the MSM. The convincing of the MSM that the Tea Partiers are "real" and not "astroturf, crazy, fringe, or stupid" is getting there. I sense that some even realize that they have to somewhat abandon the idea that they're all racists. Still, the acknowledgement does not come easily and is not universal.

I saw an article at both NBC.com and the NY Times.com (albeit buried in the bottom of their headline links), but MSNBC didn't have one word on their political page, even though their top story was about a small protest in Florida regarding teacher's pay. It is reminiscent of last year when they neglected the protest in Washington and instead reported on a small protest about gay rights.

As I said, the NY Times even commented on it, in the most straight forward way to date, but you can still sense their reluctance and efforts to downplay it.

It appeared that the authorities had expected a larger crowd. Only about a third of a second confinement area, between West 30th and West 29th Streets, was filled, and a third was empty.

Fox News sent one of its biggest stars, Neil Cavuto, to Atlanta to be the host of programming from some of the rallies.

I find it interesting that they felt the need to comment on the Fox coverage, as though by sending one of their biggest stars shows some type of promotion of the cause, instead of reporting. Neil Cavuto, after all, is Fox New's financial news host. Reading between the lines, I think it shows that the NY Times failed to actually go to a legitimate, important event. All of their reporting seemed to be 2nd hand. I suppose they've had to give up sending reporters b/c they were finding it difficult to find people and signs in the crowd to promote their narrative of racist, fringe people making up the protesters.

President Obama's comments were something else altogether. But, that's for another post.

WORTH A VIEWING

I didn't see it originally air, but David Letterman interviewed the president of the Idaho Tea Party. The interview is embedded in the following:

DAVID LETTERMAN GIVES THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT “the best showcase it’s ever had?” The quality of the recording is only fair, but easy enough to follow.

It's the best, fairest coverage the Tea Party has ever received on network television.

TEA PARTY DEFINED

I just read an article from the Washington Examiner that, in my opinion, really nailed the essence of the Tea Party movement as well as the crux of the 50-50% ideological divide in our country.

Over the past 14 months, our political debate has been transformed into an argument between the heirs of two fundamental schools of political thought, the Founders and the Progressives. The Founders stood for the expansion of liberty and the Progressives for the expansion of government.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/Tea-partiers-embrace-liberty-not-big-government-89556562.html#ixzz0jm5YYOYL

WHO SAID IT?

"We cannot be guided by political ideology but by scientific evidence."

Yup. Obama on his big speech today on allowing oil drilling off of our coasts.

Unbelievable.

This speech could have been said by Palin herself.

WASHINGTON – Reversing a ban on oil drilling off most U.S. shores, President Barack Obama on Wednesday announced an expansive new policy that could put new oil and natural gas platforms in waters along the southern Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and part of Alaska.

Speaking at Andrews air base outside Washington, Obama said, "This is not a decision that I've made lightly." He addressed the expected outcry from disappointed environmentalists by saying he had studied the issue for more than a year and concluded it was the right call given the nation's voracious thirst for energy and the need to produce jobs and keep American businesses competitive.

Read more at Associate Press.

This is yet one more GOP policy that he has found he had to embrace, despite his deep convictions and rhetoric during the campaign. Notice he said that "This is not a decision that I've made lightly. I've studied the issue for more than a year and concluded it was the right call given the nation's voracious thirst for energy and the need to produce jobs and keep American businesses competitive." Hmm. I thought that he had all the answers when he came in. Like Gitmo, he hadn't faced the harsh realities that surface when looking at issues while seated in the Oval Office before talking about moral urgencies and so forth. Things look a lot different when you're faced with the facts.