Let's Talk Politics, Pt. 1

So some things were brought to my attention lately that made me really think about doing this post. What I'm gonna say some may not agree with especially with my intended audience, young conservative home school graduates. But this is something that I want to share with you all. A little glimpse of what I've learned being in politics. I hope that you understand that my point behind this is to encourage you to be wise in the political arena and not ignorant. Jesus told us in Matt. 10:16 that we are to be wise as serpents and gentle as doves. the snake is a shrewd creature able to recognize friend from foe; actions that will benefit or actions that will harm.

What I want to do in this post, and future ones like it, is teach you a little on how to be "wise as serpents" because from what I've seen, young conservatives need it... Badly. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying I have all the answers, I most definitely am not the most experienced dude in politics. But from my experience I've come across young conservatives making mistakes that will actually hurt them if not corrected. So without further adieu let's get down to business shall we?

The Media is not Your Friend
I came across this recently on Facebook. A young student was making a comment on an article she saw on a news media's website. The article was discussing the "policy shift" of a major conservative 2016 Presidential nominee hopeful. The article had apparently changed this young lady's view entirely on this guy. She now no longer supports him because of the statements made in this article. My verdict? Bad, move Jeeves.

The media is not your friend, not even the supposedly conservative ones. I've been in the business long enough to know that even if you agree on major policy issues, if you're not that news outlets "guy" you're a target and they will spin your statements. Now I'm not saying that was what was done in this case but after reading the article myself I noticed some issues that made me skeptical of it (*Sniff* *Sniff* I smell a spin doctor). Watch out for these kinds of things. Don't believe every thing you see, read, or hear. Fact check it, find the context. Focus on what was actually said rather than what the media tells you what was said (I find it hilarious that they will show you a speech then begin to interpret it for you). If you can do this you'll less likely to be duped by the media.

Don't Post Everything that Comes to Mind!
PLEASE! Don't do this one! Especially not, if you are considering running for office one day. It will come back to haunt you. See something that Congress or your state leg is doing that really rubs you the wrong way? Act rationally, don't begin a slug fest of ad hominem attacks, or post memes with questionable facts. It will come back to get you, trust me. For example, I know of a young gentleman that thought a particular post that he saw would be just the thing to post on Facebook for a candidate. So he posted the picture on the candidate's timeline. What he didn't realize however was how that picture was very extreme in nature. The statements made could also have been easily spun to make the candidate look like a extreme radical with not much capital in the intelligence department. Fortunately, it was taken down before it could cause serious damage. But just take this as a reminder, be careful little ones what you post.

So those are a couple issues I wanted to share with you. Of course I'll probably be back with more as I go along. But fill free to comment your thoughts below, share this on social media if you found it helpful, or whatever. God bless, and I hope to see you making an impact in our culture.

Court is Now in Session

I recently just got back from law school orientation. I'm really blessed to be attending one of the very few (and I mean VERY few) law schools that believe in the true definition of the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God that control the universe. Very simply the laws of nature are the absolutes that God has dictated the universe to function under. The law of gravity, the law of aerodynamics, the laws of thermodynamics, and so forth. These laws guide nature and anything that does not follow these laws can not cope with reality and breaks down.  This isn't just true of the material universe but also of humanity as well. As Blackstone, the great English legal theorist said “For as God, when he created matter, and endued it with a principle mobility, established certain rules for the perpetual direction of that motion; so when he created man, and endued him with a freewill to conduct himself in all parts of life, he laid down certain immutable laws of human nature, whereby that freewill is in some degree regulated and restrained, and gave him also the faculty of reason to discover the purport of those laws."

In the beginning, God created a universe that was structured with order, when man sinned against God taking of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that order began to break down. Why? Ravi Zacharias explains it this way, the Hebrew language for knowing good and evil is actually translated, "deciding for myself what is right and wrong." Order gave way to chaos because man chose chaos. The order is still here, moral absolutes exist, we chose to ignore them.

Know why am I bothering to right about all this? Here's why, in criminal law when you break the law you cause detrimental effects not only to yourself but to society as well. Your actions do have consequences not just for yourself but for others, whether its a malum in se crime, a crime evil in itself, or a malum prohibitum crime, one illegal because the legislature said so. This is why the state sues you in a criminal action. Because you have threatened the well being of society as a whole.

Now picture this. The God of the universe created a set order of laws, much like are government. Unlike our governments, however, God is the ultimate Governor. His laws are a universal to all people, time, and cultures. What this means is when we break God's laws that govern our lives, i.e. the Ten Commandments, we not only endanger our own safety and well being but that of those around us, and the God of the universe then takes legal action against us for our sin. He becomes the Great Prosecutor.

Now imagine yourself in a court room, where the Great Prosecutor has just proven your guilt. Its obvious, the Great Cloud of Witnesses have testified to the fact, your guilty. Your sentence? Eternal damnation. In a situation like this there is only one hope for the defendant. You've got only one solitary hope. And its not in your power to get it. The only way to be freed is by an official pardon on the part of the state. The prosecutor must not press charges. In legal terms this is called a nolle prosequi, "unwillingness to pursue."And there is no way a Holy Righteous Judge would do that. Or would He?

You see God is the Holy and Righteous Judge but He is also filled with mercy. This is why He doesn't simple do away with us, He gives us time. "It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not." - Lamentations 3:22 We often ask in times of great catastrophes where was God in that? Where was God in this? How could He let that happen? But what we need to start asking is why in the world am I still here? You see God sent His Son Jesus to take the place of our sins, the punishment was sentenced upon Christ in your stead. In that one action The Great Prosecutor withdrew charges, and you are found blameless in the sight of the Law. If you repent and trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ you can walk out of the courtroom free and this story can become a reality in your life. So what do you say? Are you ready?

Common Core: What Does it Mean? by Josh Denton of Families for Reformation

In brief: What is Common Core? 

Common Core is the name for an initiative that began in 2009. Briefly, the goal of Common Core is to 

implement a national set of academic standards that regulates the material used and taught in our schools. 

Under normal circumstances, such standards are set by the state; however, this is not to presume that 

Common Core is the first idea of its nature. Common Core is a very near replica of H.R. Act 1804, also known as Goals 2000: Educate America Act. In its own words, Goals 2000 was “To promote the development and adoption of a voluntary national system of skill standards and certifications; and for other purposes.”The nation's governors and education commissioners, through their representative organizations, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), led the development of the Common Core State Standards and continue to lead the initiative. 

Is Common Core Beneficial? 

The Common Core Standard’s official website uses appealing language that may at first glance sound 

innocuous. However, anything more than a superficial look will quickly reveal that the implementation of 

these standards is anything but beneficial to our education systems. First, Common Core is dangerous because of the amount of Federal government involvement that is necessary for the examination, and regulation of these standards. Those who advocate Common Core insist that the actual implementation of Common Core, including how the standards are taught, the curriculum developed, and the materials used to support teachers to help students reach the standards, is led entirely at the state and local levels. While the aforementioned decisions may be in the hands of the state government, the fact remains that the funding and regulation of Common Core is entirely up to the federal government. It has been proved time and again that states often sacrifice freedom from the regulation of federal government on the altar of government funds. Second, Common Core leaves no room for individualization. Recall that it is a set of rigorous standards for all children. 

Again, at first this sounds positive, but the results are showing otherwise. Common sense tells us that not all 

children have the ability to learn at the same rate. Since Common Core pushes for a universal system, it is 

leading to stunted education. Even articles written in defense of CCSS admit that support for the Standards is crumbling. Research has shown that the lack of time, resources, and tools to address opportunity gaps has put these lofty State goals out of reach, leaving education spending costs up, while test scores remain low.

What are the Dangers of CCSS? 

Common Core leaves us with some very disturbing explanations in response to crucial, genuine questions, 

such as the fact that it includes a national database of information. One legitimate quandary arises as to how sex education is affected by uniform standards. Under the National Sexuality Education Standards (NSES), 

designed by SIECUS (Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S.) and other organizations linked with Planned Parenthood, children by the end of 2nd grade are taught to “provide examples of how friends, family, media, society and culture influence the ways in which boys and girls think they should act.” 

 By the end of 5th grade, students should be able to identify functions of reproductive body parts and “define sexual orientation as the romantic attraction of an individual to someone of the same gender or a different 

gender.” 

 Standards like these assume that all children are alike in their maturity and development and overlook parents’ assessment of their children’s readiness for sex education.

While this information is deeply disturbing, perhaps even more so are proponents’ responses to criticism of 

Common Core. In addressing criticism of the Common Core national education standards, a panelist at the 

Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank, said critics were a “Tiny minority” who opposed 

standards altogether, which was unfair because “The children belong to all of us.” While such comments are 

perhaps not reflective of Common Core as an entity, they do most certainly serve as a grave caution to which the mindset Common Core could lead us in the future. 

What is Our Response? 

Common Core is officially fully implemented. So what steps can we take to insure that CCSS is defeated just as 

Goals 2000 was defeated in years past? Firstly, educate yourself on the issues pertaining to Common Core, 

and then educate those around you. Spread the word. Secondly, the only way Common Core will be stopped is 

if citizens in every state contact their state and federal representatives and demand that CCSS be blocked.