Veritas Rex

Shut Up & Stay in Bed

I am currently teaching a class in our Living Stones College entitled “Developing a Christian Worldview.” I love this class and its content because it is so relevant to all that is taking place in our world. For a worldview to be “legit,” it has to be able to pass four critical tests:

The Test of Reason: Is it reasonable?
The Test of Reality: Does it fit reality?
The Test of Breadth: Does it explain all of life?
The Test of Practice: Is is livable?

The last question poses a serious problem for our “Green without God” friends. Let me explain.

This month more than 170 countries are meeting in Copenhagen to discuss the reality of a world treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gases. There’s only one small problem with this gathering. Someone estimated that the conference itself will create an estimated 40,584 tons of carbon emissions. To put that figure into perspective, this is roughly the carbon footprint for the entire nation of Morocco in 2006!

So let me see if I get this right. We’re going to have a conference to create a document that will mandate the cutting of  greenhouse gasses, but the “environmental experts” will actually create an overabundance of gasses from all the hot air that will be released as a result of this gathering. Hmm. The very folks who are convinced we are destroying the planet with global warming will actually be expediting our demise by their own irresponsible behavior. Shame on you! How do you sleep at night?

You see, there’s only one reasonable, non-hypocritical conclusion for these well-meaning, but misguided, self-appointed saviors of Mother Earth – Shut up and stay in bed! To do otherwise only contributes to the problem.  I’m a big advocate of leadership by example. If you really believe in your worldview, then set an example by living a carbon-free lifestyle. Don’t eat, don’t breath, don’t move, don’t procreate and don’t consume. Call me in six months and let me know how it’s working for you.

Find more from this author at his blog: Transformnation

Veritas Rex vs. Bilerico on Abdul

Below you will find a link to the Abdul in the Morning show podcasts.  The "Laramie Project Bloggers Debate" contains a debate between Curt Smith and Bil Browning that was aired Friday morning.  In my humble opinion this wasn't much of a debate...Curt dominated. 

I find it so annoying when liberals don't answer questions and instead give rambling responses that touch on every other subject but what the discussion was supposed to be about.

http://hosted-media.podzinger.com/wxnt/feed/Abdul.xml

Trouble in Leftyville?

From time to time I like to check out the websites and blogs of organizations that battle IFI in our efforts to make the Hoosier state an even better place to live, work and raise a family.  This time I came across a post by Bil Browning over at The Bilerico Project.  Many of our VR readers will remember that The Bilerico Project is a left-wing gay activist blog housed in Indianapolis. 

It looks like there is a rift developing between a few factions within the gay rights movement here in Indianapolis.  Bil calls out Indiana Equality (the lobbying arm of the militant gay activist community) for letting IFI get the scoop on them regarding the Marriage Amendment's reintroduction in the Special Session of the Indiana General Assembly.  One commenter even slammed IE's lobbyist, Mark St. John, and called for new leadership. 

Kurt vs. Ryan on Notre Dame Obama Invite

A recent article in the Indy Star calls attention to a group of priests who are upset with Notre Dame over inviting President Obama to give the commencement address and receive an honorary degree at graduation.  IFI author Kurt Luidhardt posted an alternative view a while back, arguing that protesting Notre Dame's decision is not the right way to address the problem. 

I won't be driving up to South Bend to protest, but support those who do, and believe it is problematic that a prestigious Catholic university like Notre Dame would honor someone with an honorary degree (yes, even the President) who so clearly opposes their values and has demonstrated that on numerous occasions in his short tenure.  Inviting President Obama was a mistake.  Notre Dame should listen to the priests and reconsider.     

Indianapolis Tea Party

Apparently the Founding Fathers have come back from the dead and they aren't very happy.  This is a true grassroots movement that is sweeping the nation.  The tea will be brewing in Indianapolis at the Statehouse on April 15.  Check out Tea Party central for the details.  I enjoyed some of the signs in this photo collage below.  A grassroots movement pushing public policy away from socialism and towards freeing up the free market is desperately needed.

Find more videos like this on Smart Girl Politics

What's happening to our country?

Last fall when the election of Barack Obama began to feel more and more imminent, some conservatives, looking for a ray of light, pointed out that sometimes things have to get really bad before they get better.  Look at Jimmy Carter, they said.  Four years of him brought along Ronald Reagan.

 

My friends were partly right.  Drastic circumstances do produce drastic solutions.  29 years after his election and transformation of American politics, it’s hard for us to think back now and remember just what a radical shift in politics the election of Ronald Reagan was.  It was historic.  A shift now just from one political party to another, but a shift within a political party.

 

What I feared my friends were missing, and my words are now proving all too prophetic, was that the liberals, having learned from the Conservative Revolutions of 1980 and 1994, would change the rules to make it impossible for a new resurgence of conservatism.  Then, just a few weeks into The Obama Administration, we learned that the White House was seeking to take over the census, and therefore, determine the make-up of Congressional districts for years to come.  The “Stimulus” Package, touted by President Obama as the plan to revive our economy, was not just a government spending plan, it was a political spending plan.

The Coming Evangelical Collapse?

I came across an article by blogger Michael Spencer at the Christian Science Monitor recently.  His main point is that Evangelical Christianity is on the verge of collapse.  He leads off with a list of horrible terribles to further detail his prognostication:

"We are on the verge – within 10 years – of a major collapse of evangelical Christianity. This breakdown will follow the deterioration of the mainline Protestant world and it will fundamentally alter the religious and cultural environment in the West.

Within two generations, evangelicalism will be a house deserted of half its occupants. (Between 25 and 35 percent of Americans today are Evangelicals.) In the "Protestant" 20th century, Evangelicals flourished. But they will soon be living in a very secular and religiously antagonistic 21st century.

This collapse will herald the arrival of an anti-Christian chapter of the post-Christian West. Intolerance of Christianity will rise to levels many of us have not believed possible in our lifetimes, and public policy will become hostile toward evangelical Christianity, seeing it as the opponent of the common good.

Millions of Evangelicals will quit. Thousands of ministries will end. Christian media will be reduced, if not eliminated. Many Christian schools will go into rapid decline. I'm convinced the grace and mission of God will reach to the ends of the earth. But the end of evangelicalism as we know it is close."

He goes on to list the reasons why this collapse will happen as he predicts.  Being a bit of a culture warrior myself and a political conservative, his first of seven reasons caught my eye:

Give up the TV and "Focus on the Family"

My wife and I recently took a three week hiatus from television. This is surely the longest stint in my life without this modern "luxury."  I've previously gone for a period of days at a time while consumed in work or perhaps on a camping trip. But a three week stretch is different, especially when you are otherwise going about life "as normal." We were  not camping and I was not "under the gun," working on any major deadline with my professional obligations.

A few quick observations.

1. Were we less connected to the world without TV? My answer here is no. We continued to be as connected as ever. We had Facebook of course. We stayed up on the news through our favorite columnists who we read on the web, and listened to FOX News and CNBC on XM Radio while driving.  Oh, and Veritas Rex!

2. Without TV we had more energy. What can make a person more slothful than a few hours of TV at night? During our three week stretch I had more energy and was able to jump up at a moments notice for physical activity

3. Without TV we had more margin. In the evenings, when typically the TV would be on, we're not distracted by Jim and Pam or Bill O. Instead, we could give our full attention to each other, and romping around with our son Jackson.

State Rep. Jackie Walorski Attempts To Strip Planned Parenthood Of State Funding Today

Over at Hoosier Access they have an interview with State Rep. Jackie Walorski.  Jackie is a strong pro-life, pro-family legislator and will attempt to strip Planned Parenthood of their state funding today in the Indiana House of Representatives.  

We have reported several times about the Lila Rose videos that show Planned Parenthood employees protecting statutory rapists.  You can get the full background here.

Rep. Walorski is doing the right thing.  The state of Indiana should not be funding groups that refuse to obey our state's laws to hold statutory rapists accountable.  They are not only a danger to unborn children, but to the young women they advise.  Our tax dollars should never have supported them.  Now is the time to right that wrong.

hat tip:  Josh Gillespie

Love Won Out on GOD TV

Here is video about the Love Won Out conference being shown on www.god.tv tomorrow.   As IFI continues to oppose policies that would promote homosexuality within Indiana's public policy, it's important to remember what we are for...helping everyone fight the temptations they are burdened with in order to serve God more fully.  The Love Won Out conference helps people to resist one such temptation.  IFI brought them to Indianapolis and continues to support their life changing work.