American Exceptionalism as Seen by de Tocqueville
Alexis
de Tocqueville traveled from France to the United States of America in
1831 to see and understand what a great republic was like and how it
functioned. The book he subsequently wrote, Democracy in America, is
considered by many as the best book ever written on democracy and its
application in the United States of America. During his travels, de
Tocqueville investigated and made observations on virtually every aspect
of life in America. He concluded that, “America is great because she
is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be
great.”
In fact, de Tocqueville was amazed by the consensus of
good that existed in this new land and the willingness of those of both
meager and extravagant means to band together in “associations” to
address and solve common problems. He summed it up this way, “Americans
of all ages, all conditions, and all dispositions constantly form
associations…religious, moral, serious, futile, general or restricted,
enormous or diminutive. The Americans make associations to give
entertainments, found seminaries, to build inns, to construct churches,
to diffuse books, to send missionaries to the antipodes; in this manner
they found hospitals, prisons, and schools. If it is proposed to
inculcate some truth, or to foster some feeling by the encouragement of a
great example, they form a society.”
In no sense was de
Tocqueville naïve. As an observer from France, he had a perspective
that was distinct and unique from that of Americans themselves. In
regard to our shortcomings he said, “The greatness of America lies not
in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her
ability to repair her faults.” He saw religion and morality as the
keystone of democracy and freedom. Consider his words, “Liberty cannot
be established without morality, nor morality without faith,” and these,
“Despotism can do without faith, but freedom cannot.” He wrote of
America at that time, “The Americans combine the notions of religion and
liberty so intimately in their minds, that it is impossible to make
them conceive of one without the other.” And finally on the topic of
Christianity he said, “America is…still the place in the world where the
Christian religion has most preserved genuine powers over souls; and
nothing shows better how useful and natural to man it is in our day,
since the country in which it exercises the greatest empire is at the
same time the most enlightened and most free.”
Perhaps it’s not
surprising that, as a Frenchman, he made the following observation on
marriage in America, “Of the world’s countries, America is surely the
one where the bond of marriage is most respected and where they have
conceived the highest and most just idea of conjugal happiness.”
Even
in 1831, de Tocqueville understood the danger of big, powerful
government. He wrote, “The American Republic will endure until the day
Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's
money,” and “Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one
word, equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks
equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and
servitude.”
The United States of America, as de Tocqueville
observed, has always been an exceptional nation. The question is, will
it remain so in our lifetime, and for future generations of Americans
yet unborn?
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Parents
Parents
I was blessed with really great parents and I hope you were too. I thought this Grace Moment from Time of Grace (www.timeofgrace.org) really hit the mark. I hope you are enjoying these daily words of encouragement from Pastor Mark Jeske as much as I am—
“Yeah, I know. Not everybody has great parents. Some people don’t have any parents at all. As with God’s distribution of other gifts, not everybody gets every gift. But there are plenty of good to great parents who get taken for granted, as though they were pieces of furniture or machines.
Were your parents OK? Good? Great? They are precious gifts of God to you, blessings to make your life better. Parents are God’s stand-ins, providing security, food, guidance, and discipline. Parents help us fathom and navigate the complex ways of modern society. Proverbs 23:22 says, Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
The greatest parents are those who share their faith in Christ with their children. Did you learn about your Savior from a parent? You are blessed indeed. Are they still living? Perhaps you could call and thank them. God is good. Parents are good.”
If you need a little uplift to start your day, then I encourage you to click on www.timeofgrace.org and sign up to receive Mark’s pithy take on our world from Jesus’ perspective. It’s even better than orange juice or that first cup of coffee.
I was blessed with really great parents and I hope you were too. I thought this Grace Moment from Time of Grace (www.timeofgrace.org) really hit the mark. I hope you are enjoying these daily words of encouragement from Pastor Mark Jeske as much as I am—
“Yeah, I know. Not everybody has great parents. Some people don’t have any parents at all. As with God’s distribution of other gifts, not everybody gets every gift. But there are plenty of good to great parents who get taken for granted, as though they were pieces of furniture or machines.
Were your parents OK? Good? Great? They are precious gifts of God to you, blessings to make your life better. Parents are God’s stand-ins, providing security, food, guidance, and discipline. Parents help us fathom and navigate the complex ways of modern society. Proverbs 23:22 says, Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.
The greatest parents are those who share their faith in Christ with their children. Did you learn about your Savior from a parent? You are blessed indeed. Are they still living? Perhaps you could call and thank them. God is good. Parents are good.”
If you need a little uplift to start your day, then I encourage you to click on www.timeofgrace.org and sign up to receive Mark’s pithy take on our world from Jesus’ perspective. It’s even better than orange juice or that first cup of coffee.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
21st Century Book Burners
21st Century Book Burners
The other day I received an e-mail which included a link to a YouTube™ video that was titled “Burning Down the House.” I pasted in the link and watched the video which had to do with how liberals in Congress caused the current financial crisis by mandating loans to individuals at subprime rates who really had no chance of repaying the loans. It was a well-documented, compelling video. But the quality, or even the correctness, of the video is not the point of this blog.
I thought the argument made by the video was sufficiently informative and so I forwarded it along to a number of friends. However, before they had a chance to see the video, YouTube™ had taken it down. Why? Because if you are a member of YouTube™, which is owned by Google™, you can complain that a video is “offensive” and if enough others complain, the video is flagged. The intent is to stop pornography and videos that violate patent rights from being put on YouTube™, but the left has now organized to issue complaints against any conservative video as being “offensive.” The result is that any pro-life or pro-free market video or any video calling for victory in the war on terrorism or even promoting a conservative movie is “flagged” as being offensive. Apparently, once a number of complaints are received a video is automatically taken down. The appeal process to get it back up is lengthy enough to make timely videos such as “Burning Down the House” unavailable when they could have had an impact.
I was shocked when I read about this in a piece written by Matthew Sheffield in the October 2, 2008 issue of The Washington Times. But I should not have been.
We live in the age of book burners. The liberals already control the mainstream media—CBS, ABC, NBC, Newsweek, Time, US News, and nearly all of the major newspapers. The far-left teachers’ union controls public classrooms. They write the history textbooks. They want to use the power of government to force conservative ideas off the air through re-implementation of the ironically called “Fairness Doctrine.”
Liberals must have absolutely no confidence whatsoever in their ideas or in the American people to make free choices wisely. What intellectual bankruptcy! When their ideas do not prevail, they use the power of government or organize into bands of electronic vandals to censor conservative ideas. They shout down and throw pies at conservative speakers on campus. They steal conservative alternative campus newspapers. They blacklist conservative actors and actresses.
Apparently their ideas are so weak and flimsy that they can’t even stand up to the slightest bit of scrutiny or analysis by conservative critics on the radio, in Hollywood, over YouTube™, at FOX News or in any other public square. How sad for anyone that their confidence in their own ideas is so low that they cannot allow them to be questioned. Instead the power of government, theft, blacklisting, and vandalism are their only recourse.
Liberalism was once a voice for freedom of speech, but that voice has apparently been silenced. Is intellectual honesty dead among liberals in America?
The other day I received an e-mail which included a link to a YouTube™ video that was titled “Burning Down the House.” I pasted in the link and watched the video which had to do with how liberals in Congress caused the current financial crisis by mandating loans to individuals at subprime rates who really had no chance of repaying the loans. It was a well-documented, compelling video. But the quality, or even the correctness, of the video is not the point of this blog.
I thought the argument made by the video was sufficiently informative and so I forwarded it along to a number of friends. However, before they had a chance to see the video, YouTube™ had taken it down. Why? Because if you are a member of YouTube™, which is owned by Google™, you can complain that a video is “offensive” and if enough others complain, the video is flagged. The intent is to stop pornography and videos that violate patent rights from being put on YouTube™, but the left has now organized to issue complaints against any conservative video as being “offensive.” The result is that any pro-life or pro-free market video or any video calling for victory in the war on terrorism or even promoting a conservative movie is “flagged” as being offensive. Apparently, once a number of complaints are received a video is automatically taken down. The appeal process to get it back up is lengthy enough to make timely videos such as “Burning Down the House” unavailable when they could have had an impact.
I was shocked when I read about this in a piece written by Matthew Sheffield in the October 2, 2008 issue of The Washington Times. But I should not have been.
We live in the age of book burners. The liberals already control the mainstream media—CBS, ABC, NBC, Newsweek, Time, US News, and nearly all of the major newspapers. The far-left teachers’ union controls public classrooms. They write the history textbooks. They want to use the power of government to force conservative ideas off the air through re-implementation of the ironically called “Fairness Doctrine.”
Liberals must have absolutely no confidence whatsoever in their ideas or in the American people to make free choices wisely. What intellectual bankruptcy! When their ideas do not prevail, they use the power of government or organize into bands of electronic vandals to censor conservative ideas. They shout down and throw pies at conservative speakers on campus. They steal conservative alternative campus newspapers. They blacklist conservative actors and actresses.
Apparently their ideas are so weak and flimsy that they can’t even stand up to the slightest bit of scrutiny or analysis by conservative critics on the radio, in Hollywood, over YouTube™, at FOX News or in any other public square. How sad for anyone that their confidence in their own ideas is so low that they cannot allow them to be questioned. Instead the power of government, theft, blacklisting, and vandalism are their only recourse.
Liberalism was once a voice for freedom of speech, but that voice has apparently been silenced. Is intellectual honesty dead among liberals in America?
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Of Bad Law, Bad Choices & Ignored Warnings
Of Bad Law, Bad Choices & Ignored Warnings
The current economic crisis is a direct result of bad law, bad choices and ignored warnings. Let’s talk about bad law.
Bad law often originates from well-intentioned people and that’s what happened in the case of our current economic crisis.
As far back as 1977, the Carter Administration pushed for and the Democratic Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act which gave incentives to low-income families to obtain mortgages to purchase a home… A great and worthy goal that achieved some success.
But in 1995, Bill Clinton (with the help of Senator Chris Dodd and Representative Barney Frank) pushed through changes to the Community Reinvestment Act. These changes authorized subprime loans. Under pressure from lawsuits by community activist groups like ACORN, Freddie Mac orchestrated more than $1 trillion of these dangerous loans to folks who would not otherwise have been able to obtain a loan due to low income, no credit, or bad credit.
Until the advent of subprime loans the housing prices had been tracking at the rate of inflation (which was very low), but all of the sudden the new demand for housing, thanks to easy money, made the price of houses skyrocket. It all worked well as long as interest rates were low, but they didn’t stay low.
Higher rates plus an artificial spike in fuel prices caused by our nation’s failure to access the Alaskan offshore and other known oil reserves put out of reach by the Federal government, put a tremendous economic squeeze on low-income house buyers, many of whom simply quit making their mortgage payments.
Oops!
Back in 1995 and all the way through 2003, there were warnings that there was an impending crisis at Freddie Mac. There were numerous articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. In fact, at the time of the Enron collapse, the Wall Street Journal warned that the situation at Freddie Mac was even worse than Enron. But no one paid attention. No one wanted to listen, especially those in Congress who instituted the change to subprime loans.
When the Bush administration proposed major changes to avert the crisis we are experiencing today, both Senator Dodd and Representative Frank said Freddie Mac was sound and that no change or additional oversight was needed. John McCain was a co-sponsor of the proposed legislation, but you would never know it from mainstream media coverage. Meanwhile Senator Dodd, Representative Frank, and newly minted Senator Barak Obama were receiving huge checks from the executives at Freddie Mac as a payoff for their continued support.
What about bad choices? Yes, the folks who took the subprime loans made bad choices. But, it was awfully hard to resist. A beautiful home in the suburbs with better schools and less crime was very enticing. And if the interest rate would only stay low… But the interest rates shot up, the housing prices dropped and disaster occurred. It’s a sad situation, but you and I know that it’s not good to bail out our children when they get in trouble. There is no lesson learned when we do so. We should have compassion, but a bail out would not be beneficial in the long run. We are all better off, even if bruised, when we are forced to live with the consequences of our actions.
Now we face a huge crisis, but there is another one looming on the horizon that is much, much larger than the current one, yet the liberals like Dodd and Frank have once again assured us there is no problem. I’m talking about Social Security which is just as busted and broken as Freddie Mac. Again the Bush administration has tried to make changes to return this program to solvency, but the opposition is in denial, just like they were on the subprime crisis. The result is sure to be the same.
Will the Dodd’s and Frank’s of this world ever learn? Apparently not! Senator Dodd, Representative Frank, and Senator Obama now claim that the current crisis is a result of “deregulation” when, in fact, it is their bad judgment and bad legislation that have gotten us to where we are today. It was mandatory regulations stipulating that subprime loans be made to individuals with no capacity to repay them that caused this crisis.
Dodd and Frank and Obama are afraid the truth will get out. This time they are right. It will. Stay tuned.
The current economic crisis is a direct result of bad law, bad choices and ignored warnings. Let’s talk about bad law.
Bad law often originates from well-intentioned people and that’s what happened in the case of our current economic crisis.
As far back as 1977, the Carter Administration pushed for and the Democratic Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act which gave incentives to low-income families to obtain mortgages to purchase a home… A great and worthy goal that achieved some success.
But in 1995, Bill Clinton (with the help of Senator Chris Dodd and Representative Barney Frank) pushed through changes to the Community Reinvestment Act. These changes authorized subprime loans. Under pressure from lawsuits by community activist groups like ACORN, Freddie Mac orchestrated more than $1 trillion of these dangerous loans to folks who would not otherwise have been able to obtain a loan due to low income, no credit, or bad credit.
Until the advent of subprime loans the housing prices had been tracking at the rate of inflation (which was very low), but all of the sudden the new demand for housing, thanks to easy money, made the price of houses skyrocket. It all worked well as long as interest rates were low, but they didn’t stay low.
Higher rates plus an artificial spike in fuel prices caused by our nation’s failure to access the Alaskan offshore and other known oil reserves put out of reach by the Federal government, put a tremendous economic squeeze on low-income house buyers, many of whom simply quit making their mortgage payments.
Oops!
Back in 1995 and all the way through 2003, there were warnings that there was an impending crisis at Freddie Mac. There were numerous articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. In fact, at the time of the Enron collapse, the Wall Street Journal warned that the situation at Freddie Mac was even worse than Enron. But no one paid attention. No one wanted to listen, especially those in Congress who instituted the change to subprime loans.
When the Bush administration proposed major changes to avert the crisis we are experiencing today, both Senator Dodd and Representative Frank said Freddie Mac was sound and that no change or additional oversight was needed. John McCain was a co-sponsor of the proposed legislation, but you would never know it from mainstream media coverage. Meanwhile Senator Dodd, Representative Frank, and newly minted Senator Barak Obama were receiving huge checks from the executives at Freddie Mac as a payoff for their continued support.
What about bad choices? Yes, the folks who took the subprime loans made bad choices. But, it was awfully hard to resist. A beautiful home in the suburbs with better schools and less crime was very enticing. And if the interest rate would only stay low… But the interest rates shot up, the housing prices dropped and disaster occurred. It’s a sad situation, but you and I know that it’s not good to bail out our children when they get in trouble. There is no lesson learned when we do so. We should have compassion, but a bail out would not be beneficial in the long run. We are all better off, even if bruised, when we are forced to live with the consequences of our actions.
Now we face a huge crisis, but there is another one looming on the horizon that is much, much larger than the current one, yet the liberals like Dodd and Frank have once again assured us there is no problem. I’m talking about Social Security which is just as busted and broken as Freddie Mac. Again the Bush administration has tried to make changes to return this program to solvency, but the opposition is in denial, just like they were on the subprime crisis. The result is sure to be the same.
Will the Dodd’s and Frank’s of this world ever learn? Apparently not! Senator Dodd, Representative Frank, and Senator Obama now claim that the current crisis is a result of “deregulation” when, in fact, it is their bad judgment and bad legislation that have gotten us to where we are today. It was mandatory regulations stipulating that subprime loans be made to individuals with no capacity to repay them that caused this crisis.
Dodd and Frank and Obama are afraid the truth will get out. This time they are right. It will. Stay tuned.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Taxes & Democrats
Taxes & Democrats
“I’m only going to raise taxes on the ‘rich’ and I’ll give tax cuts to the middle class.” It is indeed the “silly season” when candidates make boasts and claims that would make a drunken sailor blush. But the idea that a Democrat candidate for President of the United States is going to cut taxes is as believable as the idea that the moon is made out of cheese.
Democrats raise taxes. The only exception among Democrats since 1932 - 76 years ago - was John F. Kennedy who famously said, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” and proceeded to lower income tax ratesacross the board and thereby ushered in an era of prosperity. JFK was indeed an exception to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.
Republicans cut taxes. Yes, there are Republican exceptions when clueless Presidents like Bush 41 raised taxes, who then got his just reward by being defeated for a second term.
As a practical rule of thumb, if you like lower taxes at the local level, you should vote for the Republican candidate for Mayor. If you like lower taxes at the state level, you should vote for the Republican candidate for Governor. And if you like lower taxes at the national level, you should vote for the Republican candidate for President. The exceptions are few and far between.
Of course, taxes are important for many reasons, but primarily in regard to individual freedom and in regard to prosperity.
On the micro level, every one of your dollars collected in taxes reduces your individual freedom. Instead of you choosing how and where to spend your dollar, some elected official, who considers himself or herself wiser and smarter than you are, decides how to spend your dollar. And on the macro level, the more of your dollars that are taken by government in the form of taxes, the bigger and bigger government grows and threatens the very fabric of freedom in our society. Large, powerful, centralized government always trends toward tyranny. It is the sole cause of the loss of freedom whether its name is Fascism, Nazism, Communism, or Socialism.
All human institutions, government included, are corrupted by frail, corrupt humans. We are all sinful and everything we touch becomes corrupted as time runs on. We are imperfect and the institutions we create are imperfect. There is no such thing as a powerful, centralized government that is benign. There is no such thing as individual freedom within a nation that is controlled by unrestrained politicians. That’s the most important reason to oppose taxes - higher and higher taxes provide the foundation for the creation of bigger and bigger government.
Prosperity is similarly affected by high taxes. You and I are more prosperous when we spend money as we choose. Top down, command economies do not work. No government, no matter how smart the leaders, can anticipate supply and demand. It is the magic of a free society that creates jobs, that creates new products and services, that innovates, that develops cures for diseases, and inexorably leads to scientific and engineering progress.
Socialist economies simply regulate scarcity. There is no innovation except in building bigger weapons and more powerful delivery systems. Citizens suffer at the whims of government and any consumer innovation that seeps into such a society is stolen or copied from free societies.
The dysfunctional Trabant automobile built by the former East German government is as an apt symbol of socialism, as is the Volkswagen an apt symbol of freedom in the West. There’s nothing progressive, or innovative, or creative, or free about a top down, command economy.
Taxes not only mean less freedom for you and me, they also mean bigger, more controlling government, and less prosperity for all Americans.
Liberal Democrats may be well-meaning in raising taxes and in their intent to do more for you and me, but the road of higher and higher taxes only leads to less freedom and less prosperity.
You and I have a choice in November when we vote for politicians running for local, state, and national office. What will your choice be—less freedom and a lower standard of living or more freedom and prosperity?
“I’m only going to raise taxes on the ‘rich’ and I’ll give tax cuts to the middle class.” It is indeed the “silly season” when candidates make boasts and claims that would make a drunken sailor blush. But the idea that a Democrat candidate for President of the United States is going to cut taxes is as believable as the idea that the moon is made out of cheese.
Democrats raise taxes. The only exception among Democrats since 1932 - 76 years ago - was John F. Kennedy who famously said, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” and proceeded to lower income tax ratesacross the board and thereby ushered in an era of prosperity. JFK was indeed an exception to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton.
Republicans cut taxes. Yes, there are Republican exceptions when clueless Presidents like Bush 41 raised taxes, who then got his just reward by being defeated for a second term.
As a practical rule of thumb, if you like lower taxes at the local level, you should vote for the Republican candidate for Mayor. If you like lower taxes at the state level, you should vote for the Republican candidate for Governor. And if you like lower taxes at the national level, you should vote for the Republican candidate for President. The exceptions are few and far between.
Of course, taxes are important for many reasons, but primarily in regard to individual freedom and in regard to prosperity.
On the micro level, every one of your dollars collected in taxes reduces your individual freedom. Instead of you choosing how and where to spend your dollar, some elected official, who considers himself or herself wiser and smarter than you are, decides how to spend your dollar. And on the macro level, the more of your dollars that are taken by government in the form of taxes, the bigger and bigger government grows and threatens the very fabric of freedom in our society. Large, powerful, centralized government always trends toward tyranny. It is the sole cause of the loss of freedom whether its name is Fascism, Nazism, Communism, or Socialism.
All human institutions, government included, are corrupted by frail, corrupt humans. We are all sinful and everything we touch becomes corrupted as time runs on. We are imperfect and the institutions we create are imperfect. There is no such thing as a powerful, centralized government that is benign. There is no such thing as individual freedom within a nation that is controlled by unrestrained politicians. That’s the most important reason to oppose taxes - higher and higher taxes provide the foundation for the creation of bigger and bigger government.
Prosperity is similarly affected by high taxes. You and I are more prosperous when we spend money as we choose. Top down, command economies do not work. No government, no matter how smart the leaders, can anticipate supply and demand. It is the magic of a free society that creates jobs, that creates new products and services, that innovates, that develops cures for diseases, and inexorably leads to scientific and engineering progress.
Socialist economies simply regulate scarcity. There is no innovation except in building bigger weapons and more powerful delivery systems. Citizens suffer at the whims of government and any consumer innovation that seeps into such a society is stolen or copied from free societies.
The dysfunctional Trabant automobile built by the former East German government is as an apt symbol of socialism, as is the Volkswagen an apt symbol of freedom in the West. There’s nothing progressive, or innovative, or creative, or free about a top down, command economy.
Taxes not only mean less freedom for you and me, they also mean bigger, more controlling government, and less prosperity for all Americans.
Liberal Democrats may be well-meaning in raising taxes and in their intent to do more for you and me, but the road of higher and higher taxes only leads to less freedom and less prosperity.
You and I have a choice in November when we vote for politicians running for local, state, and national office. What will your choice be—less freedom and a lower standard of living or more freedom and prosperity?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
How Do You Want to be Remembered?
How Do You Want to be Remembered?
Maybe it’s because I’m approaching my 65th birthday and I’m feeling my own mortality, or more likely it’s because I saw a silly plaque among flowers at a golf course. Whatever the reason, I’ve thought about what people might think of me when I’m gone (I’m not planning on leaving soon, but that’s in the Lord’s hands).
My conclusion after a recent family reunion is that it’s just like David said, "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."[1] Time flies and when we are gone we may be remembered by our immediate family for a little while, but soon they too will join us and we will be remembered no more. That’s the way life is.
About that silly plaque, I’ve actually seen several of them and they always make me chuckle. They are usually near the club house and are located among a small flower garden. The typical plaque says something like, "In memory of John Smith, long time member of such-and-such country club." I know we’re not here to be remembered, but I know I certainly don’t want to be remembered like that.
Let’s see. I can just imagine the small talk. "John was a nice fellow. Always showed up on time for his tee time. He had a slice in his swing, but he could really tell a good story."
I once asked my good friend, Bill, if he could retire and play golf all the time. He said, "Sure, all the time for about two weeks." Isn’t it the truth! I love the game of golf, but I would be bored shortly if that was the sole purpose of my life.
The mother of Barry Goldwater, Sr. told him that he should leave the earth a better place. That’s sounds like pretty good advice, but it really misses the point if you take Jesus’ word seriously.
Sounds good to leave the world a better place, but is that command of Jesus’ Great Commission? He doesn’t want us to just leave the world a better place, even though that’s a good thing. No, He wants us to help others leave this world and join Him in Heaven. In the Great Commission Jesus told His disciples to be His "…witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."[2] His commission to me might sound something like, "Be my witness in Vienna, in Virginia, across the United States, and around the globe."
My first response is always, "That’s impossible. I can’t witness across Virginia, much less across the US and around the world." Of course, my response conveniently fails to take into account my responsibility for witnessing to neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and all the others I bump into on a daily basis. It’s easier to find an excuse.
But, of course, I don’t even have an excuse when it comes to sharing the Good News across Virginia, the United States, and around the Globe. There are lots of avenues for me to not only share the Good News first hand in my local community, but also support effective mission programs in my state, across the nation, and throughout the world. So what’s my excuse? If I’m honest, I don’t have one.
That’s why I’m personally so excited about Time of Grace Ministry (www.timeofgrace.org), a national and international media outreach that has been blessed with phenomenal success in reaching those who don’t yet trust in Jesus as the long promised Messiah, their personal Savior.
If you are a follower of Jesus, what will you do today to gently tell someone you know about Jesus? What are you doing with the blessings God has given to you to share the Good News across your state, across our nation, and around the globe?
[1] Psalm 103:15-16, excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[2] Acts 1:8, excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
Maybe it’s because I’m approaching my 65th birthday and I’m feeling my own mortality, or more likely it’s because I saw a silly plaque among flowers at a golf course. Whatever the reason, I’ve thought about what people might think of me when I’m gone (I’m not planning on leaving soon, but that’s in the Lord’s hands).
My conclusion after a recent family reunion is that it’s just like David said, "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more."[1] Time flies and when we are gone we may be remembered by our immediate family for a little while, but soon they too will join us and we will be remembered no more. That’s the way life is.
About that silly plaque, I’ve actually seen several of them and they always make me chuckle. They are usually near the club house and are located among a small flower garden. The typical plaque says something like, "In memory of John Smith, long time member of such-and-such country club." I know we’re not here to be remembered, but I know I certainly don’t want to be remembered like that.
Let’s see. I can just imagine the small talk. "John was a nice fellow. Always showed up on time for his tee time. He had a slice in his swing, but he could really tell a good story."
I once asked my good friend, Bill, if he could retire and play golf all the time. He said, "Sure, all the time for about two weeks." Isn’t it the truth! I love the game of golf, but I would be bored shortly if that was the sole purpose of my life.
The mother of Barry Goldwater, Sr. told him that he should leave the earth a better place. That’s sounds like pretty good advice, but it really misses the point if you take Jesus’ word seriously.
Sounds good to leave the world a better place, but is that command of Jesus’ Great Commission? He doesn’t want us to just leave the world a better place, even though that’s a good thing. No, He wants us to help others leave this world and join Him in Heaven. In the Great Commission Jesus told His disciples to be His "…witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."[2] His commission to me might sound something like, "Be my witness in Vienna, in Virginia, across the United States, and around the globe."
My first response is always, "That’s impossible. I can’t witness across Virginia, much less across the US and around the world." Of course, my response conveniently fails to take into account my responsibility for witnessing to neighbors, friends, acquaintances, and all the others I bump into on a daily basis. It’s easier to find an excuse.
But, of course, I don’t even have an excuse when it comes to sharing the Good News across Virginia, the United States, and around the Globe. There are lots of avenues for me to not only share the Good News first hand in my local community, but also support effective mission programs in my state, across the nation, and throughout the world. So what’s my excuse? If I’m honest, I don’t have one.
That’s why I’m personally so excited about Time of Grace Ministry (www.timeofgrace.org), a national and international media outreach that has been blessed with phenomenal success in reaching those who don’t yet trust in Jesus as the long promised Messiah, their personal Savior.
If you are a follower of Jesus, what will you do today to gently tell someone you know about Jesus? What are you doing with the blessings God has given to you to share the Good News across your state, across our nation, and around the globe?
[1] Psalm 103:15-16, excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
[2] Acts 1:8, excerpted from Compton's Interactive Bible NIV. Copyright (c) 1994, 1995, 1996 SoftKey Multimedia Inc. All Rights Reserved
Friday, September 12, 2008
Our Failure
Our Failure
Recently, I received the 2007 numbers from Giving USA™, which is the statistical authority on to what, to whom, and how much Americans contribute each year.
I have always been amazed by the amount donated by Americans to nonprofits ($306.39 billion), and especially by the amount donated to religious causes (this includes all religions, but the vast portion goes to Christian groups, probably 80% or more). According to Giving USA™ the amount given to religious groups in 2007 was $102.32 billion. Yes, that number is $102,320,000,000 and, adjusted for inflation, that was a 1.8% increase over the amount given in 2006. The total given to religious activities is more than any other segment and amounts to 33.4% of all funds donated to various nonprofit organizations in the United States (of which there are more than 1.1 million groups).
Incidentally, the group closest to religion is education, which received $43.32 billion in 2007, a distant second to the amount contributed to religion.
The $102.32 billion contributed to religious activities is a lot of money, but my question is: If we are donating so much more to religious causes than ever before, why aren’t we seeing an impact from such giving?
Let’s say that just 60% of all this giving goes to Christian groups. That would be more than $60 billion dollars. If that’s the case, why isn’t Christianity flourishing? Why isn’t it growing rapidly? Why isn’t Christianity having a powerful impact on our culture? Why isn’t the USA becoming a more civil, kinder country with each passing year?
Why aren’t there more people in church each Sunday, less foul language, fewer abortions, less pornography, less divorce, fewer broken homes, less crime, etc.?
I think I know the answer. Christianity has become an institution, not a cause. It’s become inwardly focused. It has become, as Reggie McNeal says, a "club" with its own rituals and buzz words, but its impact on society as a whole is negligible.
From the perspective of a donor who wants to see his dollar have an impact, Christianity circa 2008 is a flop. It is understandably not written up in the book, Forces for Good, as an effective cause.
Whoa, my Christian friends are going to say, that’s not fair. We need churches, we need staff, we need to take care of the elderly, and we need fellowship, etc. And my answer is, yes, but $60 billion should still allow plenty of funds for sharing the Good News.
Whoa, they will say again. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to change hearts and convert souls.
And I would respond that yes, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to change hearts, but we have been commanded to bring the Good News to those who do not yet trust in Jesus so that the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to change hearts.
Is Christendom in America taking the Good News outside our churches to the hurting? If that is a legitimate question, then I’d say we are getting a poor return on our $60 billion or whatever the actual number is.
We are exhorted to exercise good stewardship with our dollars and our talents. Spending $60 billion per year without any significant return seems like poor stewardship to me.
It’s not a shortage of dollars that is holding back spiritual renewal in America. It’s not the Holy Spirit. What else can it be but a lack of focus on outreach that is restraining the Good News from spreading far and wide?
If you are a believer, where’s your focus? Are you satisfied with the impact your donated dollars are having? Before it is too late, shouldn’t we start thinking of Christianity as a cause, rather than an institution?
Recently, I received the 2007 numbers from Giving USA™, which is the statistical authority on to what, to whom, and how much Americans contribute each year.
I have always been amazed by the amount donated by Americans to nonprofits ($306.39 billion), and especially by the amount donated to religious causes (this includes all religions, but the vast portion goes to Christian groups, probably 80% or more). According to Giving USA™ the amount given to religious groups in 2007 was $102.32 billion. Yes, that number is $102,320,000,000 and, adjusted for inflation, that was a 1.8% increase over the amount given in 2006. The total given to religious activities is more than any other segment and amounts to 33.4% of all funds donated to various nonprofit organizations in the United States (of which there are more than 1.1 million groups).
Incidentally, the group closest to religion is education, which received $43.32 billion in 2007, a distant second to the amount contributed to religion.
The $102.32 billion contributed to religious activities is a lot of money, but my question is: If we are donating so much more to religious causes than ever before, why aren’t we seeing an impact from such giving?
Let’s say that just 60% of all this giving goes to Christian groups. That would be more than $60 billion dollars. If that’s the case, why isn’t Christianity flourishing? Why isn’t it growing rapidly? Why isn’t Christianity having a powerful impact on our culture? Why isn’t the USA becoming a more civil, kinder country with each passing year?
Why aren’t there more people in church each Sunday, less foul language, fewer abortions, less pornography, less divorce, fewer broken homes, less crime, etc.?
I think I know the answer. Christianity has become an institution, not a cause. It’s become inwardly focused. It has become, as Reggie McNeal says, a "club" with its own rituals and buzz words, but its impact on society as a whole is negligible.
From the perspective of a donor who wants to see his dollar have an impact, Christianity circa 2008 is a flop. It is understandably not written up in the book, Forces for Good, as an effective cause.
Whoa, my Christian friends are going to say, that’s not fair. We need churches, we need staff, we need to take care of the elderly, and we need fellowship, etc. And my answer is, yes, but $60 billion should still allow plenty of funds for sharing the Good News.
Whoa, they will say again. It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to change hearts and convert souls.
And I would respond that yes, it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to change hearts, but we have been commanded to bring the Good News to those who do not yet trust in Jesus so that the Holy Spirit has the opportunity to change hearts.
Is Christendom in America taking the Good News outside our churches to the hurting? If that is a legitimate question, then I’d say we are getting a poor return on our $60 billion or whatever the actual number is.
We are exhorted to exercise good stewardship with our dollars and our talents. Spending $60 billion per year without any significant return seems like poor stewardship to me.
It’s not a shortage of dollars that is holding back spiritual renewal in America. It’s not the Holy Spirit. What else can it be but a lack of focus on outreach that is restraining the Good News from spreading far and wide?
If you are a believer, where’s your focus? Are you satisfied with the impact your donated dollars are having? Before it is too late, shouldn’t we start thinking of Christianity as a cause, rather than an institution?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)