Randy

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Archives for the ‘Culture’ Category

For whom or what would you die or suffer?

Monday, May 27, 2013, 2:31 pm | Randy Thomasson

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Memorial Day means the most to those who’ve known someone who died in war.

But it can mean something significant to everyone if we’ll just think about it.

Honoring those who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice means we deeply appreciate people who have laid down their lives to protect us from evil. They substituted themselves for us. They died so that we could have liberty.

No greater love

And that’s the greatest love on earth – the sacrificial kind. Jesus Christ, the King and Savior of the world, explained it when He said about Himself, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13 NKJV)

It makes me ask myself and ask you, for whom or what would I die or suffer?

Think about it. Hard work gets good things done. And suffering the flesh is a necessary part of becoming holy.

Remembering just wars

I’m convinced that World War II would not have been won on the side of Right unless the United States of America had chosen to enter it and win it. The cost of liberty was many U.S. soldiers died and many Americans suffered through rationing, hard work, and the loss of sons killed in battle.

But when the war ended, and the soldiers came home, and our nation “got back to normal,” Americans largely ignored the existence of evil on our own soil and in our own hearts. Houses, jobs, TV, pleasures, and labor-saving devices were the new pursuit.

Enslaved by lies

Living out traditional values instead of true Christianity, many parents in the late 1940s and early 50s birthed a new generation, of whom many rebelled in the late 1960s and early 70s. Remember the hippie movement? Lies about sex and drugs and God led millions astray, and gave birth to the harmful culture of moral relativism.

Fast forward to today. More than two generations have passed since we’ve made abortion on demand legal, made divorce easy and “guiltless” in the law, and made the carnal ethic of “if it feels good, do it” the deceiving master of our hearts.

Carnal consequences

Given this spiral down the proverbial toilet, is it so hard to see why America is more godless than godly? Pursuing comfort and avoiding suffering hasn’t taught our culture to love God or love children with His values. No, that was “too hard” and didn’t bring immediate gratification.

So what have been America’s just desserts for rebellion against her true King? Moral ruination of children, a generation that shocks us with new inventions of evil, and a people harming themselves with self-induced diseases and dying sooner than their parents. America is imploding from within.

Spirit over flesh

What’s the answer? The value of suffering is clear. For the Spirit to win, the flesh must be defeated. And for the highest love to be demonstrated, the greatest voluntary sacrifice must be given. Do you grasp it? Now is the time for sacrificial love for the sake of ourselves, our families, and our culture.

Again, for whom or what would you be willing to die or suffer? A correct perspective on true love and cultural renewal would make us, in the face of moral challenges, stop asking “Why me?” and begin asking “Why not me?” With faith in the Gospel and love for people, our willingness to “suffer” to do what’s right will be the beginning of changed minds, leading to changed lives.

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, pastor executed by Nazis, in his book, The Cost of Discipleship

Someone’s got to say it

Thursday, February 21, 2013, 8:56 am | Randy Thomasson

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SaveCalifornia.com and I have a moral obligation to speak and stand for what benefits children, families, and individuals, and to speak and stand against what harms people created in the image of God.

And on the important but uncomfortable moral subject of homosexuality/bisexuality/transsexuality, someone has to say the truth — because children and adults are being harmed by these unnatural, unhealthy, unbiblical, and tyrannical behaviors.

For example:

1. Against Health: Male homosexuality has the highest rates of HIV/AIDS and a host of other sexually transmitted diseases, higher cancer rates, and earlier deaths. Documentation

2. Against the Best Interest of Children: Boys and girls raised by female homosexuals have skewed gender identities. Girls are more masculine-acting and more aggressive than normal, and boys are less masculine-acting and more passive than normal. And a significantly greater portion of young adults raised in these homosexual households have experimented with homosexual acts themselves, as compared with those raised in natural family households. Documentation

3. Against Stability: The marriages of husbands and wives, on average, are 1000% stronger, with 10 times the duration, of homosexuals who cohabitate. There is no such thing as marriage without a man and a woman. And neither can claims of same-sex “commitment” match man-woman marriage. Official census data found 50% of man-woman marriages lasted 20+ years, while only 5% of homosexual couples even claimed this duration (among whom, male homosexual couples often have “open” relationships). Documentation

4. Against Liberty: In California, there are state laws and court rulings that give homosexuality/bisexuality/transsexuality the force of law. These official policies oppress religious freedom, parental rights, property owner rights, business owner rights, foster parent rights, physician rights, counselor rights, and even Boy Scout rights. Here’s the latest intolerant attack by homosexual activists against moral virtues and a private group’s right to set its own standards.

5. Against Constitutional Rights and Civil Rights: There is no “gay gene,” thus no basis for civil rights designation. Consider that race and ethnicity are inherited, but homosexuality is not, as both science and thousands of former homosexuals demonstrate. A changeable behavior is not immutable; therefore homosexuality/bisexuality/transsexuality should not have been given the legal force of non-discrimination laws, such as those based on immutable race and immutable gender. Look what’s happened — bestowing civil rights status upon homosexuality and “gender identity” (transsexuality) has resulted in the severe infringement of Americans’ First Amendment rights — religious freedom, free speech, and freedom of association. Documentation 1 | Documentation 2 | Documentation 3

6. Against God: From Genesis through Revelation, the Bible describes homosexual behavior as sin. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, specifically defined marriage as only for one man and one woman in Matthew 19, and He taught that all sexual activities outside of marriage are sin in Mark 7 (“adulteries,” “fornications,” “lewdness”).

When people’s constitutional rights and their conscience before God is trampled, I’m concerned.

And when adults publicly celebrate and promote to children a behavior that results in three-quarters of the HIV/AIDS transmissions in our nation, I am very concerned. So should everyone who knows what’s true and cares about children and our society.

This is why SaveCalifornia.com speaks and stands for what’s right in God’s sight — to help individuals and families thrive – and speaks and stands against what’s wrong – to protect valuable human beings from harm.

Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.
1 Corinthians 13:6 (HCSB)

The future of the Boy Scouts

Thursday, February 7, 2013, 5:49 pm | Randy Thomasson

ScoutsaluteThe latest attack of homosexual activists against the Boy Scouts is very important, perhaps more important than the Boy Scouts and scouting families know.

First, let’s establish some facts about what’s being debated. There is no “gay gene” and no biological basis to homosexuality. Homosexual behavior is unnatural, unhealthy, unbiblical, and its political agenda is tyrannical against those who don’t support it. So keeping out homosexual-bisexual-transsexual role models and influences is definitely in the best interest of training boys to be “morally straight.”

Understand the first two facts by visiting SaveCalifornia.com’s Not Born This Way page. Understand why all sexual activity outside of man-woman marriage is immoral by seeing Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 7:21-23, Romans 1:26-27, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, to name a few scriptures.

The good news is the newest push by homosexual activists to invade scouting tents has been temporarily stalled. But the bad news is the homosexualization of the Boy Scouts may eventually occur, unless they get back to the Bible.

I fully acknowledge the likelihood that, in May, the 1,400-member national council of the Boy Scouts of America will affirm the current policy against homosexual staff, scoutmasters, and members.

But  as long as the Boy Scouts remain a non-religious/non-Biblical organization and don’t insist on board members who love morality more than money, I’m concerned that their days as a “morally straight” youth organization are numbered.

Consider all the Christian-format hospitals and universities that were founded more than a century ago, but are now bastions of unbiblical values. And don’t forget the Christian church denominations that have been systematically taken over by those who despise the revealed word of God in Scripture. For if “Christian” institutions can fall when future generations of leaders ignore Biblical standards, how much easier can officially “non-religious” organizations with only “moral” principles eventually implode from within?

To protect boys from immoral values emanating from within Scouting, I recommend the Boy Scouts consider doing the following:

1.    Make the Bible the standard of the Boy Scouts, not merely holding beliefs based on society’s frequently-changing perspectives on “God” and “morality.” Draft new bylaws stating its commitment to Biblical values and name core principles.

2.    Prohibit anyone from being in the Scouts unless they agree, in writing, with these core principles.

3.    Dramatically downsize the paychecks of Scout executives and size of Scout offices to reduce the temptation to pursue money over morality.

4.    In order to maintain religious freedom, be willing to abandon its Congressional charter and government support, if necessary.

5.    Restore this policy statement to the Boy Scouts’ official websites, which was posted from 2004 to 2010, when it was taken down: “Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting’s values and beliefs. Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position.”

The new policy, posted on June 7, 2012, is: “While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

And now, here in 2013, some national board members in the Boy Scouts reportedly agree with homosexual activists — and agree with both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney — to get rid of this standard altogether. Do you see the slide?

As the Boy Scouts struggle comes to a head, it’s time for a spiritual reality check about what’s best for morally-sensitive families, which is why, over the years, many “Bible-based” and “Christian discipleship” alternatives to Boy Scouts — and Girl Scouts — have sprung up.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Romans 12:9 NASB