by Brian Hobbs | Oct 17, 2013
Well, our brief national nightmare appears to be over, as the most recent U.S. government shutdown has come to a close. A compromise has been reached in Washington, yet the roots of disagreement appear to be unmoved.
This most recent crisis only underlines the greater reality that we are divided, not only in Washington, but as a country on whole. We are at a crossroads, just as Ancient Rome was in the first century before the birth of Christ.
According to the late, great historian, J. Rufus Fears, “In 60 B.C., a crisis of almost unprecedented proportion had been reached (in Rome) over the lack of a budget and the national debt.” The Roman Republic, which had fallen from its glory days of a virtuous and patriotic citizenry, was troubled by other similar problems, including elections that were decided only by campaign contributions, an immigration crisis and wars in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the Roman people of the time seemed to care more about Gladiator games than civic virtue and were unwilling to carry the awesome responsibility of self-government. By the year 59 B.C. the Roman Republic, which was divided into two major political parties much like our own, turned to the eventual dictatorship of Julius Caesar.
A national crisis, however, does not necessarily need to destroy a republic and create a dictator. In fact, American history shows the contrary. Our own Founders, in 1786, faced a debt crisis of epic proportions and emerged from it all the stronger. What separated those leaders, ones like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, from today comes down to one ingredient: Patriotism.
Let’s pray for wisdom for our current leaders and that God would rise up more patriots like George Washington.
by Chris Doyle | Oct 7, 2013
The current government shutdown is in its second week of existence. I know it is a challenging ordeal for a lot of people.
Many of my friends on Facebook are complaining about it, and they have every right to express their frustrations because this is not good for anybody in our country, especially for those who are struggling already due to limited income and relying on government support for their livelihood.
But here’s something everybody needs to consider, specifically those who honor and respect the sanctity of life. I, for one, believe the United States House of Representatives is doing the right thing.
Now, before the steam starts coming off your head, hear me out. Not everybody in the House supports Pro-Life causes. Not all Congressmen have the most sincere intentions. I do realize why politicians have such slimy reputations.
However, if you are keeping up with recent measures, including continuing resolutions that have passed in the House of Representatives, you know it comes down to the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “ObamaCare.”
Thomas Sowell’s piece “Who Shut Down the Government?” may have said it best, “…House of Representatives voted all the money required to keep all government activities going – except ObamaCare. This is not a matter of opinion. You can check the Congressional Record.”
Why are there such extremes happening with this government shutdown? Why are open-air monuments “closing” and athletic events of military academies being cancelled? Why is the Amber Alert website not accessible (although Letsmove.gov, promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama, is running)?
There can be many political ideologies to consider, but the facts remain, the House is responsible for passing bills that involve financial resources, and other than the one involving the President’s healthcare plan, the House representatives have done their job to allow the government to be in operation.
A friend of mine, Christi, gave an excellent description. I thought it was very fitting, and I asked for her permission to share.
She said the House has shown up every day to offer negotiations. The U.S. Senate, led by Sen. Harry Reid, has refused to negotiate. She described how Reid has forced this situation and then blamed others for the government shutdown by saying “Look what you made me do!” like some abusive husband. And the American citizens are the children in the background saying, “Mommy, just do what Daddy says, or it’s your fault he’s hurting us.”
I don’t know if House Reps will continue to hold their ground. They may run out of fingers to stick into the holes of a leaky dike. But as long as they do, be encouraged Pro-Life supporters, because once ObamaCare is unwrapped and put into action, abortion options will increase, and you as tax-payers will foot the bill for women who accept such unethical, immoral options.
No, I don’t have a word of encouragement for everybody about the government shutdown. I wish I did.
But consider this. A Biblical reference used most often regarding government is the words of Jesus in Matt. 22:21, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.”
The first part of the verse is quoted most often, but the latter doesn’t seem to be emphasized as much. Yes, we are to honor the government in its proper authority, but honoring sanctity of life should be something we render to God, the Author and Creator of Life.
So take heart, my Pro-Life friends. Whether they are doing it intentionally or not, these House members are favoring you in this government gridlock.
by Brian Hobbs | Oct 3, 2013
With all the talk focused on the U.S. Government shutdown, America’s political system once again finds itself in gridlock. Leaders of both political parties are at an impasse over the issue of healthcare, and the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
This issue shows the reality that we are divided in Washington, we are divided at home. This is not the first time, however, our country has faced crisis and division. The Founders of our country faced a great policy crisis, one related to debt.
According to the late, great historian J. Rufus Fears, “In 1786, a severe debt and mortgage crisis threatened to bring down the fragile structure of republican freedom in our young nation. The wise heads of Europe believed that the financial crisis of the new United States was proof that democracy could never work. The Founders of our country, men like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and Robert Morris, responded to that financial crisis in such a way that they laid the foundation for the freedom we still cherish. The Founders did so because they learned from history.”
Can we do today as the Founders did? If we do not, we may be headed down the path of despotism. Fears said, “In 1786, when the mortgage crisis got severe in this country, men like George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and Robert Morris all realized that the situation could lead to a dictatorship.”
Fears said of the greatness of the Founders, “How did this infant republic produce a galaxy of statesmen unsurpassed in history and unequal to any power in Europe at the time? The older I get, and the more I study history, the more I wonder if these things just happened by chance or whether there was a greater hand guiding it. What separated them from men and woman of today is (1) they were all patriots; (2) they were people who understood the teachings of Adam Smith in the Wealth of Nations; (3) Congress was willing to listen to experts like Robert Morris and Alexander Hamilton who were not theoretical economists, but practical men of business; and (4) they had honor and believed that repaying debt was a matter of honor.”
Whether a healthcare law or overcoming debt, these principles are at play today. What our leaders–what all citizens–need most today need is a sense of patriotism. I am unsure how the government shutdown and gridlock will end, but a long-term solution is needed, and a renewed patriotism will be key.
Finally, this would not be properly a Christian blog entry if I did not admit I do believe the Hand of the Almighty is guiding our nation, even as we spiral downward. Let’s pray that God would strengthen Christians to be who we are supposed to be. After all, patriotism and prosperity without God is no better condition than what we face now.
by Samantha Decker | Sep 11, 2013
Today marks twelve years since September 11, 2001, but the heaviness, lack of understanding and even frustrations seem to be just as present in the hearts of Americans today as they were twelve years ago. Today we walk a little heavier, remember with clarity and have a perspective that focuses outside of our daily routines, jobs, and tasks.
Most people can tell you where they were, what they thought, and how they felt on that day twelve years ago. Personally, I remember sitting in my fourth grade classroom and watching the teachers cry and whisper in the hallway. I didn’t understand what was happening. After school that day, my dad and I went to go feed our goats like we always did, but that day I looked him in the eye and asked him why he was so sad. He told me again what happened and that sometimes it’s easy to know that God has a plan, but hard to understand what it is in a certain moment. I didn’t understand.
Today, I still don’t understand. My fiancé is currently deployed to the Middle East and much of it is a result of what happened that day and in the days after. As a fourth grader, he decided that day that he wanted to serve our country. Today, that sacrifice is a reality for us both. However, there are many days that I still don’t understand.
In my lack of understanding, there is one truth that gives me unending hope and joy: God understands. As I search in the scriptures I see that Job, Joseph, Paul, and many others didn’t fully understand each trial that came, but what they did understand was that God, in writing a beautiful meta-narrative, has sculpted a master plan that ends in eternal victory.
God has a plan in our lack of understanding and He has a plan in the midst of our pain. Today, I pray that we trust that while sin has left this world broken and painful, we hope in the plan of a God who has written each intimate detail out until completion.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 NIV).
by Chris Doyle | Aug 29, 2013
It is that time of year. You can’t avoid it. Here in Oklahoma, especially, the next three months of Saturdays are planned around it.
College football is a cultural phenomenon, and everybody across the country has their own take about how to experience it. Even those who are not interested in the sport are affected. Weddings, housework and other functions of life are determined when kickoff is scheduled.
Many of you are excited, looking forward to this time of year, which means you also are aware of a major decision that occurred this week, involving one of the more popular figures in college football this season.
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the NCAA handed down a half-game suspension to Johnny Manziel because the Texas A&M quarterback allegedly received payment for signing autographs. Last year’s Heisman Trophy winner is benched for the first half of the Aggies game against Rice this Saturday.
Many have shared their opinion about this ruling. Most who are not A&M fans seem to be disgusted, thinking the punishment was too light. Those who follow college football are aware of recent penalties that were much harsher for similar offenses.
Ohio State was put on a one-year bowl suspension because eight players sold Buckeye memorabilia. This kind of penalty shocked ESPN reporter Mark Schlabach, who said at the time, “To be honest, I’m surprised the NCAA hit the Buckeyes as hard as it did. I figured The Ohio State University was immune from the kind of punishment that might cripple a program in recruiting and severely sully its once-pristine reputation.”
Even closer to home, Dez Bryant, former Oklahoma State Cowboy and current Dallas Cowboy, could not play the majority of his final year at OSU because he lied to an investigator about a visit he had with NFL star Deion Sanders. To be clear, the visit itself was not against NCAA rules. No financial benefits were obtained.
The lesson learned in Bryant’s case, perjury is a serious offense, even in the eyes of the NCAA. Inappropriate financial gain, though… that punishment has some variance.
I do not know how the NCAA comes to its conclusions on how to punish athletes and athletic programs when they violate the rules. I know I don’t have all the details in the cases I mentioned (Bryant, Ohio State and Manziel). But I can give you my impression, and this may enlighten many sports fans… Money is a major factor on all decisions made. And when I say “all,” I mean “ALL.”
Want to know why it is difficult for a playoff system to materialize in “Big Boy” college football? Want to know why many athletic programs leave conferences and join others? Want to know why some conferences won’t consider some athletic programs? Want to know why Notre Dame has remained independent in football?
And though no one wearing the NCAA logo will come out and admit it, money even factors in penalties. Why did Manziel only get a half-game suspension instead of a 10-game suspension or a bowl-ban? Because College Football and those who financially benefit from the cultural phenomenon would be affected if the sport’s current most popular player was booted weeks before all the hoopla begins.
Of course, I could be wrong regarding Manziel. Keep in mind, I did say this is my impression. Yet one thing is certain. Money tends to corrupt, and the love of it, as the Bible tells us, is the root of many evils.
I don’t mean to tarnish the enthusiasm of sport purists. Those who know me know I am sports nut and have my own versions of athletic utopia. If nothing else, please know that some of those in charge of the games we love don’t always have the most sincere intentions.
Enjoy the season, football fans! Even those of you in College Station.
by Brian Hobbs | Aug 21, 2013
Oklahoma has found itself in the international news spotlight once again, as two teens are accused of killing a 22-year old man in Duncan just “for the fun of it.”
The problem of evil shows its head again, as the community and victims ask “Why?” This problem boils down to the following: If there is an all-knowing, all-powerful God who loves us, why does He not stop evil from happening to us?
In his seminal work, “The Problem of Pain,” the great C.S. Lewis seeks to answer this question, which he believed was the greatest challenge to Christianity. Though you should read the book, Professor Louis Markos of Houston Baptist University summarized it in one phrase, “free will.”
In other words, God could have created a universe in which men only acted out His wishes, but from creation He gave us the ability to choose the good or choose evil. For the Reformed and Calvinists among us, this answer may not be satisfactory. But what Lewis was getting to is that the explanation of pain and evil is sin, and the fallen nature of man.
In his exquisite Confessions, St. Augustine recalls a time in the days of his youth when he and his friends stole pears from someone’s pear tree, not to eat from them, but for the pure glee of doing evil. Sound familiar?
Lewis went on to say that were it not for the goodness of God, we would not even know what evil is. In other words, how do we know what a crooked line looks like if we do not know a straight one? Mankind’s hearts are desperately wicked the Scriptures tell us (Jeremiah 17:9) and the enemy, Satan, is always tempting men to do evil.
On a deeper level, as we grieve the death of this man, it is important to focus on what we know. But now is not is not the time for a cold, theological analysis. It is always best to turn people’s “Why?” into a focus on “Who?” Only God can right all wrongs. Only Jesus Christ lived the sinless life. In Him alone, we have life and hope amid the darkest days of evil.