The Apocalypse (a.k.a.. Election 2016!)

Jesus need not come back.  The apocalypse has already happened without Him.  And it happened via the presidential election cycle of 2016 in America. 

Well... not exactly.  But it sorta feels that way. 

Depending on who you voted for, there is a pretty good chance that you viewed Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton as the Devil incarnate.

"They" were the ultimately embodiment of evil, and in order to save our nation, they had to be stopped at all costs.  Because if the other candidate won, America would descend into unprecedented levels of darkness from which it cannot ever return. 

Facebook became the battlefield of America's second Civil War. The closest of family and friends became emotionally unglued, resulting not only in heated exchanges, but in a massive number of casualties.  Friends lists were purged, and people were uninvited from weddings and holiday get-togethers, all because a loved one supported the wrong presidential candidate.

The church has reflected this cultural division as well.  Voting for the wrong candidate resulted in many Christians smugly questioning the salvation of many other Christians who did not.  After all, it was abundantly clear which candidate God was backing.  And if it wasn't very clear to you, there were many prophetic voices in certain circles who were more than willing to tell you which candidate God favored, and to give that candidate a significance similar to that of some major well liked Old Testament figure.  For some, failure to vote for God's man (or woman) was a test of your commitment to Christian orthodoxy, and exposed how deeply compromised you were in your heart of hearts.

And now that the election is over, there are many who rejoice over Donald Trump winning the election, and likewise, there are many who are deeply fearful of the same.  And depending on which candidate you supported, there are as many news outlets that are willing to feed your feelings of triumph as there are those who are willing to feed your feelings of anger and insecurity.

I know I wrestled with my emotions over this election.  And there has been a time or two (or three) where I got caught up in wrestling other people who were also wrestling their emotions too.

Things ought not be this way.  While I think it is a great thing for people to be involved in politics, and to passionately champion important causes, and to hash out difficult topics, I can't help but feel that we are in danger of being too emotionally invested in this process. 

As Christians we have to remember that as much as we love our country, America isn't our religion, and we should stop treating it as such.  Our identity shouldn't be grounded in her, or a particular political philosophy or candidate.  We must avoid any language that would tempt others to see certain political leaders as some sort of mini-messiah.  God already gave the world a Messiah, and His name is Jesus!  And for heavens sake, we need to stop confusing America with Israel and/or the church.  America is neither.  And the degree we treat America as if it were either of these shows just how much we've made America into a religion.

So, instead of becoming unglued over politics, as Christians I believe we need to become increasingly unattached. 

And in saying unattached I don't mean being uninvolved.  On the contrary, I believe the church should be involved in politics, but in doing so, we need to realize in our heart of hearts that whatever our level of involvement is, we are ultimately serving this country as ambassadors of Jesus Christ, and as citizens of another kingdom. 

Such is like the ambassadors of our own country who serve overseas in other nations, representing the interests of the United States while abroad.  Where appropriate, they give their two cents on various issues that arise.  But does the American ambassador to France get bent out of shape when France elects somebody that ambassador perceives to be an idiot as the president of France?  Probably not.  Why?  Because even though they may have a great love for France, their loyalty is back home, in America. 

And I believe that's how we as Christians need to be when it comes with our attitude towards politics.  We are to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ, who while getting involved of the political life of the nation we are serving in, ultimately has a heart that longs for the things that are back home. 

Armed with the mindset, that we are ultimately ambassadors of Christ, will do much to safeguard our hearts from looking at this election (or the next one!) as if it were the apocalypse.  And maybe... just maybe, God will be able to use us as people of influence as a result, so we are able to further His will in this world. 

When Should You Not Vote?

Talking to some, one would almost think it was a mortal sin not to vote.  There might even be a certain place in hell for people who don't vote.  It's a wonder Dante didn't write about the topic.

And of course, it is said if you don't vote, you lose the right to complain.

But I would like to challenge this conventional wisdom.  I find it a little too ill thought out.  I think there are plenty of times you should deeply consider not voting. 

1. Don't Vote Just to Vote

I believe voting just to vote is deeply immoral.  Voting just to vote is like being on a jury and finding somebody guilty or innocent "just because."  Voting just to vote is unjust.  Don't "rock the vote" just because MTV thinks you mindlessly pulling a lever is better than you not voting.  If you do that, you are just a sheep falling into somebody else's power game.  Voting just to vote makes you and everyone else in our society a victim, and not an actual participant in our democracy.

2. Don't Vote If You Don't Know the Candidate

If you are going to cast your lot for a certain candidate, you should only do so because you've considered ALL the possible candidates you are voting for in each office, thought about where they stand on the issues, have considered their general character and qualifications to hold office, and believe they in some way represent what you believe is important for our society. 

Going into the voting booth and pulling the lever for somebody because they belong to a certain political party, or because you saw an ad on the TV and thought they'd be a great person to have a beer with, is rather idiotic.  Don't be stupid.  Vote straight party if you feel you think every candidate in that party represents you and what you believe to be good for the country.  But if you don't know that to be factually true, don't vote straight party.  In voting straight party, you are quite possibly voting for some really terrible candidates who don't have your interests in mind, and you are empowering such people simply because they have an R, D, or L next to their name. 

In my opinion, having the option to vote straight party should be illegal.  There should be no party names next to any persons' name.  Such only encourages uninformed voting, and making people useful idiots.

Don't vote out of ignorance or because you decided it'd be fun to randomly pick a few people that you know little to nothing about.  Don't do things like randomly select county commissioners, sheriffs, judges, or other such people, simply because you have this nervous itch to vote with a completed ballot, and having an incomplete ballot drives your "type A" personality insane.  It's ok if your ballot is incomplete.  This isn't a graded quiz.  Your ballot doesn't need to be completed.  You aren't going to get an F on your report card if you don't fill in every category. 

If you are going to vote your conscience, then you need to make a vote based on actual knowledge.  If you don't know, don't vote!  Your vote impacts our society, and the last thing our society needs is some politician in office who got there by a bunch of people who randomly picked their name out of a hat.  This isn't a lottery or magic trick you are participating in.

3. Don't Vote If All the Choices are Bad

A lot of people are upset about the candidates in the 2016 election.  Donald Trump seems like a terrible candidate.  Hillary Clinton is terrible too.  Jill Stein doesn't offer me anything I really want in a president.  As of now, I plan on voting for Gary Johnson, but there are some stances he takes that I'm not very excited about, and make me pause and question whether I should even be voting at all.  I'm almost at the point I would consider not voting for any of the 2016 presidential candidates.  And you know what?  That's ok.  And guess what?  If I do I am not forfeiting my right to complain or participate in our democracy (in spite of what people mindlessly parrot). 

In our form of government, our elected officials are supposed to be people we elect that represent us.  They are elected to congress or the presidency in order to represent our interests.  Therefore, you should NEVER vote for somebody who doesn't represent you in any way, shape, or form. 

Don't hold your nose to vote.  Only vote if somebody truly represents you and where you stand on the issues.  If somebody doesn't represent most of the views you hold, and if you don't think they'd attempt to do most of the things you don't want done, then voting for somebody just to vote is about the dumbest thing you could possibly do. 

Why in God's name would you do something like that?  It simply lacks sense.  That means you are intentionally voting for somebody who is going to represent the total opposite of what you want done in office.  Do you realize how stupid that is?  Don't choose to be stupid.  Rather, choose not to vote!

Not voting is an option, and one you should seriously consider if there are simply no candidates who represent you running for elected office.  Choose not to vote, then exercise your right to give your opinion in public about why you think voting for any of the candidates is a dumb idea.  It's the only reasonable thing to do.  In truth, voting just to vote is the only way you forfeit your right to an opinion in our democracy.  If you vote for somebody who doesn't represent your point of view, then you are actually silencing your point of view and forfeiting your opinion.  Your opinion is the one that truly doesn't count when you vote against your interests!

Conclusion

Don't rock the vote just to rock the vote.  If you just can't bring yourself to vote for any candidate, then don't.  It's the only morally right thing to do. Corrupt politicians and corporations may prod the sheep into voting just to vote, because for them, it's simply a numbers and power game.  Don't be some corrupt politicians sheep or useful idiot. 

Politicians fear you not voting more than they fear you voting for somebody else.  Otherwise, they wouldn't push as hard as they do for large voter turnouts.  There is nothing politicians fear more than a low voter turnout.  For a low voter turnout robs them of money, power, and the ability to ultimately influence the world we live in, and to accomplish their agendas. 

A low voter turnout is practically a death sentence to a politicians' political career.  And if you refuse to vote because all the candidates are terrible, such a "protest vote" sends a signal to the powers that be that better candidates are needed.  Otherwise, if they know that the masses are going to vote just to vote, and if they can count on you mindlessly voting, then they will continue to put forward terrible candidates that will only further ruin our country, because they know you will vote for them anyway.  And that, in my opinion, is one of major reasons why we often have such terrible candidates running for office.

At the end of the day, sometimes the only way to make a difference and give your opinion in our society is to not vote.  Sometimes voting "none of the above" is the only logical and ethical decision possible.  And if you identify with some of the points I raised in this post, seriously, prayerfully consider not voting this election cycle.

I'm not Afraid of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump is the devil.  If he gets elected, we will all be ruined.

Hillary Clinton is the devil.  If she gets elected, we will all be ruined.

So whoever you vote for this election season, you need to make sure you vote so as to make sure the other guy (or gal) doesn't get elected, because their election would be apocalyptic in nature, and a complete disaster for this country!

Or so the rhetoric goes...

I don't know about you, but I am rather tired of this rhetoric.  I'm only 34 years old, but it seems like I've heard this argument every election cycle since as far back as I can remember.  This argument is getting really old.  And the longer I live, the more silly I find it to be.  How so many people continue to fall for this nonsense is beyond me.

Here are 3 reasons why I'm not afraid of whoever gets elected:

1. Jesus Christ is Large and in Charge

First and foremost of all, as a person of faith, I believe Jesus Christ to be the Lord of heaven and earth.  And no matter how bad things get in this world, I believe that He is ultimately in control.  Yes, things can get very bad.  Hitler styled dictators do rise to power.  But at the end of the day, Jesus Christ is still Lord, and He's greater than Adolf Hitler, Donald Trump, and Hillary Clinton. 

No matter who gets elected, I will continue to confess Psalm 23 over my life. The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures.  He makes me to lie beside the still waters.  He restores my soul, and leads me along the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Though I walk through they valley of the shadow of death, I shall not fear, for His rod and His staff, they comfort me.  He prepares for me a table in the presence of my enemies. He anoints my head with oil, and my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.  And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

When I look at the world with the eyes of faith and see Jesus is large and in charge, I realize that God's ultimately got my back, no matter who gets elected.  Jesus Christ impacts my daily life more than any elected official ever will.  He leads me and guides me. Wherever I am, the pasture is always green.  I refuse to live in fear, so much so I could even have dinner with my mortal enemies and still be at peace.  My cup runs over, no matter who gets elected.


2.  The Constitution Severely Limits the President

Secondly, we have a great system of government in the United States, and we often forget that.  We have a very powerful system of checks and balances that severely limits the President from doing all that much.  In the wisdom of our founding fathers, when they setup our form of government, they ultimately set up a form of government that operates as if it were in a perpetual traffic jam.  And they did such knowing that there would be nut jobs like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton who could possibly get elected and possibly do a lot of damaging things.  So they severely limited their powers, making it very hard for any elected official to do very much.

As a result, history has shown that no matter what goofball we've managed to elect, by in large, most presidents accomplish only incremental changes and don't do a lot.  They don't do a lot that is great, nor do they do a lot that is bad.  And even the most radical of political ideologues that get elected are generally forced to govern somewhere more in the middle of the political spectrum.  Of the 43 elected presidents our country has had, only a handful have managed to make a major and noticeable impact on our country.  The few that have managed to do such, you could easily name. 

And we have the founding fathers and the U.S. Constitution to thank for that.  Very few of us could point to anything significant that has happened in our lives and directly connect it to the actions taken by the presidency.  And even if you could, such events would be few and far in between.  So, even if we elect a devil to the executive branch of our government, they wouldn't be able to do very much to damage our country. Likewise, we could elect the archangel of heaven into office, and they would find themselves limited in the amount of good they could accomplish. And why?  Checks and balances highly limit what presidents can do. 

3.  The Reality:  Life is Pretty Good.

My life is pretty good, and I'm guessing yours is pretty good too. 

My wife and I have decent jobs.   We aren't rich, but we live comfortably and securely. We enjoy some creature comforts.  We can afford to give to those in need.  So far as I know, my rights aren't actively being violated.  I have food in the fridge, clothes on my back, and a roof over my head.  I have a family that loves me.  And while I may occasionally question my level of safety, like when somebody rang our door bell at 4 am on a Sunday morning recently, generally speaking, I don't have to give too much thought to being physically harmed on a daily basis.   And while typing this blog, I am able to do so from a miraculous piece of technology that allows me to instantly communicate with just about anybody around the world in the blink of an eye. 

So, relatively speaking, life is pretty good!  And my life is pretty good, even though during my lifetime we've had a couple presidents that were anything but good.  Yet in spite of electing a couple goofballs, a lot of amazing and wonderful things have happened, not only in my life, but the life of countless people across this country. 

And my guess is that whether we elect Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton in the next election, my life is going to continue to be pretty good.  Even the most powerful and reckless of presidents have very little ability to impact my daily life.  The CEO's of Facebook and Apple impact your life more on a daily basis than president Obama has in the past 8 years, and they are likely to continue to do so, no matter who we elect in the next election.

Conclusion

Don't buy into the media hype, or the hype of friends and family who are worried to death about the outcome of this next election.  Don't be terrified about the outcome of this next election.  Chances are, whoever wins will make very little difference.  In spite of what you might believe, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are not the devil.  Yes, they are both deeply flawed candidates, and both appear to be complete slime balls.  But their ability to make a major impact on your life or the life of anyone you know is very minimal.  And that is the God's honest truth. 

Let this truth sink into your heart instead of the shallow and mindless rhetoric that a lot of people are engaged in at this time of year.  And be prepared to remind everyone that Jesus Christ is Lord, that presidents are very limited in what they can do because of our system of checks and balances, and that our lives are ultimately pretty good, no matter who we elect as the next president. 

I'm not afraid of the outcome of this election, and neither should you be.

Don't "Waste Your Vote" on Donald Trump

I want to be upfront.  At the time of this writing, I plan on voting for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson for president.  And saying such has caused many people to tell me that I am "wasting my vote," because "he can't win." 

However, contrary to what many are saying, I believe that if you plan on voting in the 2016 election this year, I believe that Donald Trump is only the truly "wasted vote" in this election season, even if he does ultimately win and become the president of the United States. 

Here are 4 reasons why I believe this to be the case.

1. Donald Trump Doesn't Represent You:

In America, our form of government is a "representative" form of government.  That means our elected officials are supposed to be generally representative of the people that elect them to run the government on their behalf.  Ideally, the views of our elected representatives represent the general views and desires of the people that elect them.

If you plan on voting for Donald Trump, God bless you, but you are electing a man who probably doesn't represent you, or the views of most his supporters, especially those who would consider themselves conservative minded individuals (which most claim to be).  Unfortunately, there is very little about Trump that is "conservative."  Trump isn't a constitutionally minded person.  He doesn't believe in a small and limited government.  He doesn't believe in being fiscally responsible.  He doesn't believe in free market capitalism.  His views are actually the very opposite of the platform and party he claims to represent, and he's actually pretty liberal on most issues.  Such is why the vast majority of Republicans strongly opposed him in the primaries.  He only won because so many people ran for office in a very fractured party.

Now the only reason many are supporting Trump is because he's the only Republican name that will appear on the ballot in November.  And if you ask me, such is a pretty terrible reason to vote for somebody.  You should vote for the person who best represents you, and if none of the candidates do, you would be better off not voting at all.  Don't just vote for somebody because they are wearing the right jersey.  Vote for somebody you are excited to have them represent you.  And the only way you can do that is if they actually do! 

2.  Donald Trump Isn't "Owned" By Anybody:

One of the few things said to be "virtuous" about Donald Trump as a politician is that he isn't beholden to anybody's money or special interest groups. After all, he's filthy rich and doesn't need anybody else's money, therefore, he can't be bought (unless of course, the price is right, meaning it'll have to be very high).  And as good as this sounds, this is actually not a very good thing in our form of government.

While such might make Donald Trump feel free to blaze his own trail, it also makes him relatively free from accountability, and allows him to totally ignore the wishes of the people who helped get him elected into office in the first place.  In our form of government, politicians need to have their strings pulled from time to time, otherwise, they might only engage in activities that strictly benefit and enrich them, or are far too radical.  Being able to pull their strings forces politicians to listen to those they represent, and helps restrain them from engaging in extreme policies that could be disastrous. 

For example, we all know Hillary Clinton is candidate that is fully bought and paid for by special interests groups.   And while I would never vote for her, I would rather she get elected as president rather than Donald Trump, simply because all of the "big donors" she has making large contributions to her campaign will ensure that she will essentially end up governing in a rather moderate fashion.  Otherwise, if she felt beholden to nobody, she would probably govern in a extremely reckless and liberal fashion.  There would be nobody on the sidelines to force her to pump the brakes from time to time.  But because she is "owned," she is more likely to govern in a more responsible manner.

Therefore, since Donald Trump feels beholden to nobody, you are essentially wasting your vote for the next few years, because you will be unable to hold him accountable.  If elected, he will simply do whatever he wants to do, regardless of what anybody else thinks... especially you! 

I don't know about you, but I never want a politician that feels unaccountable to me.  Our elected officials should fear the people they govern.

3.  Donald Trump Lacks Vision:

We all know Donald Trump wants to "Make America Great Again."  But so what?  What person doesn't want to make America a great place to live, work, and play?  Hillary Clinton and Gary Johnson also want to make America a great place.  If you don't believe such, I believe you are smoking some wacky tobacky and are being far too cynical in your assessment of other candidates. 

If you were to ask Donald Trump how he is going to make America great again, you get a lot of vague ideas.  He's going to make America safe.  He's going to build a wall.  He's going to create a lot of jobs.  He's going to increase everybody's wages.  He's going to be Mr. Law and Order.  He's going to do things, and they are going to be huge and great!

Umm... yeah. Whatever.  This isn't vision.  These are just empty and meaningless campaign slogans.

4.  Donald Trump Doesn't Understand the Issues:

This seems to be a generally accepted self evident truth that most people agree on, even those that support him.  It became painfully clear from the multitude of debates he engaged in during the primaries, from numerous television interviews, press conferences, and speeches that Trump has made, that Donald Trump simply doesn't understand the issues our nation faces.  That is why he talks like an intellectual buffoon most of the time, and can't offer a coherent articulate thought.  That is why he flip flops on so many issues all the time.  And having felt painted into a corner on this issue a few times, Trump assures us that he's going to surround himself with really smart people who do understand the issues, and he'll be a great president because he surrounds himself with best people. 

But, the question then becomes, if Donald Trump doesn't understand the issues, how would he know which people to appoint as his advisors?  How does he know who the true subject matter experts are?  How will he know who is really qualified to advise him on any number of issues?  If Trump is as incompetent as he sounds regarding the issues, what in God's name makes anybody think he can appoint sound advisors? 

Nobody is asking the president of the United States to have an expert knowledge on all the issues that our country faces (no president does, nor could they).  However, they should have at least a basic working knowledge of the major challenges our nation faces, and they should know the things that they don't know, so that they can defer judgment to those who do, and take sound counsel as they tackle problem after problem  Unfortunately, Donald Trump isn't even close to competent on most of the basic issues our nation faces, and I firmly believe he will face a real challenge appointing people who are competent to be trusted advisors and cabinet level officials. 

Conclusion:

Whoever you vote for this year, be sure to vote for the politician that best represents you.  Don't just vote for the guy who has the best chance of winning.  Don't just vote for the guy who is of a certain party.  Vote for the guy who really represents YOU.  Otherwise, you will have truly "wasted" your vote, even if the person you vote for doesn't have a chance of winning.

And at the end of the day, I think Donald Trump is a wasted vote.  I don't believe Donald Trump represents anybody but Donald Trump.  And even if he wins, you will have lost and will have wasted your vote.

Cutting through the Crap and the mass Hysteria over North Carolina's HB2 Bill and Charlotte's Potty Ordinance!

Recently the North Carolina Governor and legislators passed the controversial "HB2 Bill" (you can read the full bill here).  The bill overturns a recent city ordinance in Charlotte, NC which allowed transgender individuals access to the restroom of their choice on publicly owned property, and made LGBT individuals a special protected class of individuals within the city limits, granting them additional civil rights protections that are not specifically granted to them by the state.

There has been a lot of uproar and anger over this bill.  The legislation is considered so awful, one would think Donald Trump wrote and approved this bill.

The LGBT lobby and Charlotte City Council (with mayor Jennifer Roberts) has whipped up the media into a frenzy over the perceived attack on the LGBT community and their civil rights.  Opposition to the bill has created a lot of made for TV drama, which the media has pounced on with great vigor, as it makes for great ratings and internet click-bait.

Petitions have been circulated in which major corporations CEO's, such as those at Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Facebook, Apple, have signed, expressing their concerns over the HB2 ordinance.  A lot of companies have threatened to take some of their future business elsewhere because of this legislation, which is considered a "step backwards" for LGBT civil rights in the state of North Carolina.  The legislation is considered hurtful, hateful, bigoted, and something that may potentially cripple the economy of North Carolina.

That's a lot of rhetoric to digest.  Now, let's cut through the crap.

Here are some problems I have with the HB2 Legislation, the Charlotte city ordinance. and a lot of the rhetoric/hysteria I see on both sides of the issue:

1) The only possibly negative thing the HB2 legislation actually does is take away the power of local cities in North Carolina to draft their own civil rights ordinances, and makes that as something that can only be done at the state level.  As a conservative leaning individual, I actually find this part of the HB2 bill somewhat troubling, as I believe in the rights of local government to make whatever laws they deem fit.  The city of Charlotte should reserve the right and power to create any ordinance it wishes dictating who can pee where.  Such power shouldn't be stripped away by the bigger state government.  Such an idea is actually anti-conservative, which is ironic considering it was legislation passed by an allegedly conservative leaning Republican government.

2) The LGBT crowd still has all the exact same rights they have always had in North Carolina.  This is simply true, no matter how much somebody may hee-and-haw over the HB2 bill.  LGBT individuals have had the same rights they've always had in North Carolina.  Some might not consider this much, but the truth is, they have the same rights as all their heterosexual neighbors have.  Period. End of story.  Anybody who says otherwise is simply lying.

3) The Charlotte City ordinance actually made transgender individuals a special protected class, giving them "more rights" than their non-transgender neighbors.  Now, this is something that is lost on many.  The city of Charlotte granted transgender individuals the right to use the bathroom of their preferred gender identity.  But in doing this, they were granting some of its citizens rights not afforded to others.  It allows transgender individuals to use the public restroom of their choice, which is not a right afforded to non-transgender individuals. Such is actually reverse discrimination.  If transgender individuals are reserved the right to use the bathroom of their choice, then non-transgender individuals must be afforded the same right.

4) Heterosexuals and the LGBT community were actually in the same discriminatory boat!  Prior to the city ordinance passed by Charlotte, a business could refuse to serve you or let you work at their establishment on the basis of your sexual orientation.  So, if you were gay, and somebody didn't want to do business with you because you were gay, they reserved that right.  You could be fired from your job for being gay.  But likewise, under the law, a business could refuse to do business with you because you were straight!  Under the Charlotte city ordinance, businesses could no longer consider your orientation a factor in their decision to serve you as a customer or employ you as an employee.  However, in saying this, one must realize, the knife cut both ways.  Without the city ordinance, businesses reserve the right to continue to discriminate against those who they do business with on the basis of their sexual orientation, no matter which direction that orientation swings, whether gay or straight.   Now that the ordinance has been struck down, your employer could fire you for being gay... but they could also fire you for being straight. And while it is very unlikely either is to ever happen, it could happen.  North Carolina is an "at will" employment state, meaning an employer can refuse to employ you for just about any reason at all (except over protected issues, like race and religion).  

5) Big corporations are engaging in very selective ethics. In reality, many are moral cowards only looking to make a buck.  A lot of big businesses have come out and voiced their opposition to the ordinance.  They've suddenly become civil rights leaders.  But make no mistake, they are only doing such for two reasons:   One, it's a great PR stunt, in which they get to stand before the cameras as champions of LGBT civil rights.  Second, they are scared to death to not oppose HB2, as the LGBT lobby is quite powerful, and these businesses are afraid of what would happen to their profit margins and stock prices if they were seen as being on the wrong side of a very public and personal policy debate.  In truth, many of these corporations are being hypocrites and moral cowards. Most probably don't care about anybody's civil rights, which is why many corporations such as Apple and Facebook, happily engage in business relationships with countries like China, a nation that is a gross violator of civil liberties of everybody everywhere, and these CEO's gladly turn a blind eye to the plight of the people there... because at the end of the day, they just want to make a buck, and will gladly do business with countries like China, never mind how they actively oppress billions of people.

6) North Carolina's economy isn't going to go belly up anytime soon because of this legislation.  In spite of the Charlotte Observer and Charlotte mayor Jennifer Roberts practically begging businesses to threaten to leave North Carolina over the HB2 bill (they need the leverage), the truth of the matter is that very few will do so.  North Carolina remains the same state the day it was before Charlotte passed it's city ordinance, and it is the same state since the HB2 bill struck it down.  Everybody still has the same rights they've always had.  And the state remains the same attractive place for businesses to do business, which is why it's population and economy has boomed over the last few decades.  Yes, a few businesses may limit their involvement in the economy of North Carolina in very selective ways.  But such will probably only be temporary and short term in nature, and very few dollars will be lost from North Carolina as a result.  For once the issue runs its length through the courts, and the hysterical attitude of some groups dies down in the media, then everything will return to normal, and will be as it was before.  I'd be willing to bet good money that North Carolina's economy continues to grow over the next several years, regardless of what happens around this legislation.  Why?  Because as I pointed out above, most businesses are going to continue to do what is best for their profit margins and stock prices, because they really don't care all that much about civil rights of anybody.  They mostly care about making money, and will engage in whatever activity allows them to make the most.

7) There isn't anything to be afraid of in the bathroom! The city ordinance was unnecessary to begin with, and so is the fear over children being sexually assaulted.  While it seems to be statistically true that transgender individuals might be a little bit safer by using the bathroom of the gender they identify with, such protections as granted under the Charlotte city ordinance are entirely unnecessary.  We already have laws against assault and battery.  It's a crime to attack somebody simply because they dress differently than other people and appear to be in the wrong bathroom... or any other reason. Therefore, transgender individuals are already protected under the law, just like everybody else is, and allowing them to use the bathroom of their choice is not necessary.  Likewise, the hysteria of some groups who worry about women and children being sexually exploited in the bathroom by a pervert is unnecessary, as we also already have laws against such things as well.  And while it may also create a safer environment to keep individuals of the opposite sex out of your bathroom, let's not forget that people are much more likely to be sexually exploited by somebody they know and trust than they are a random stranger in the bathroom.  The fears of both groups simply aren't based in reality, and are far too melodramatic.  and in my opinion, the odds of anybody ever being assaulted for any reason in a public bathroom are so low that no politician should be concerned over the issue from a public policy and safety perspective.  The bathroom just isn't that dangerous of a place, no matter who uses it.

8) There isn't anything in the Bible that says who should pee where!  It may come as a shock to some of my fellow Christians, but there isn't anything in the Bible that says that bathrooms must be gender specific.  So, seriously, simmer down on the rhetoric and the outrage.  It's entirely unnecessary, and you aren't standing up for Jesus by crying out against transgender individuals and which bathroom they should or should not use.  You are actually making Jesus and yourself look bad.  Personally, I think public restrooms should discriminate on the basis of one's personal plumbing, but I believe that such is simply as a matter of common decency and privacy that should be afforded to each gender in using common public restrooms.  And such is simply my personal opinion.  I don't claim it's the opinion of Jesus.

In my final opinion on the matter, if both sides cannot ultimately agree over this issue, then public restrooms need to be made completely gender neutral, with privacy dividers that completely separate each stall, so nobody has to worry about seeing anything they don't want to see or have anybody else see.  It's really very simple.  That way nobody feels discriminated against, and nobody has to worry about their public safety, or in anyway being violated.

Of course, as a guy, that's really going to stink for me, as I enjoy the quick moving lines at sporting events and other venues.  But I would rather have that than the mass hysteria we are seeing in public. This is definitely not an issue worth coming unglued over.  And I would really like to see both sides hash this issue out in a much more respectful way, without employing hateful rhetoric, or threatening economic sanctions against the state of North Carolina.  North Carolina is actually a great place to live, work, and play.  It's a state that is friendly for Christians, transgender individuals, straight people, and homosexuals.

If you think otherwise, something is seriously wrong with your noggin.

How Should Christians Vote?

"I don't follow a donkey or an elephant, I follow the lamb." ~ Brian Zandh

As Christians, we should not allow ourselves to be held captive by any one political party.  No single party should be able to count on our vote in any given election season.

Being a Christian should not be synonymous for being a Republican, a Democrat, or any other party.  While political parties tend to form around certain ideologies, at the end of the day, we need to recognize that they ultimately don't exist to promote a certain platform as much as they exist to get their candidates into positions of power, and then maintaining that power once there.

That's why, for example, at the most recent Republican presidential debate in Detroit, all of the Republican nominees for president vowed to ultimately support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president, in spite of each candidates total disdain for Trump, and viewing him as something akin to the Abomination of Desolation.  Yes, even Marco Rubio, who has publicly called Donald Trump a fraud and a con-man, has vowed to support Donald Trump if he becomes the nominee.  Because at the end of the day, it's not about where one ultimately stands on the issues.

It's ALLLLLLLLL about the power.  

And to get an R or D in office is all that ultimately matters to whoever a party puts forward.  Ideals ultimately come in a distant second, and are fundamentally no different than the team that lost last year's World Series or Super Bowl-- easily forgotten and something of a distant dream.  Ideals are ultimately the bait that parties tend to dangle in front of voters in order to gain their support at the voting booth.  But once elected into office, those ideals tend to become less important. Almost all candidates want is you to vote straight R or D at the voting booth, every year, every time.  And the fact is, most people do.

Things have been this way for so long, I believe most Americans are conditioned by the political powers that be to vote this way, including Christians.

For example, I believe in my heart of hearts that if Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were to trade parties, all of a sudden tens of millions of Republicans would find themselves irrationally voting for Clinton as the next president of the United States, and vice versa.

You might scoff at such an idea because you really hate Hillary Clinton, or you really hate Donald Trump.  But you know what I'm saying is true.  You are just so captivated by the jersey the current candidates are wearing to admit it is so.

If you tend to vote Democrat, you know for a fact you wouldn't suddenly be voting for Hillary Clinton if she became a Republican.  And if Donald Trump suddenly became a Democrat (again), you wouldn't even consider voting for him.  But because Clinton is a Democrat or Trump is a Republican, suddenly you find both of them to be somebody you can support in the voting booth.

And you do such, because you've been conditioned to do nothing but care about voting for either the R or the D.  And if the two candidates switched parties, you wouldn't follow them.  Rather you, would probably do like you do most years, and go to the voting booth and irrationally pull the R or D lever.  Of course, you would claim you held your nose as you did, but there is no great moral victory in acting like somebody else's useful idiot.

And if you think this isn't true, I think there is a pretty good chance you are a Kool-Aid drinker who is so brainwashed into voting either R or D that you don't even know it.

Many of you, like Marco Rubio, totally disavow Donald Trump, and think he would be an awful president.  But because you are so brainwashed, you will end up voting for him come November, simply because he is the Republican candidate on the ballot.  And some of you might be Bernie Sanders supporters, but will find yourself voting for Hillary Clinton just the same.

Stop being such a tool.  Jesus didn't die on a cross and overcome the grave so you could continue to be manipulated by politicians. 

Both parties count on you mindlessly voting R or D  year after year, election after election.

That's why there is always a big push to have a large voter turn out every election season.  Because the powers that be know that people are going to pull the lever one way or the other every single time, and that seldom will anybody divert from this voting strategy.  All they care about are the numbers, and so they beat the drum to get as many people as they can to turn out, not because they are interested in truly representing those people in government, but because such only stands to increase their power.

As Christians, instead of voting simply R or D every year, or "voting for the lesser of two evils," and holding our noses as we vote, we need to vote for men and women that we are ultimately proud to have represent us in our government.  For we have a representative form of government.  Therefore, whoever you vote for should be somebody you are glad to have stand in your place in Congress or the White House, and to make a stand for things you ultimately value and want done on your behalf and in your name.

The candidate you vote for should largely do the things you would do, if you were there to do them.  You should take great pride in who you vote for, because you are putting them in office to represent you and your interests.

And if that means that come November you aren't proud to have Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump represent you as the President of the United States, then you should vote for neither candidate.  You would be better off not voting, voting for some third party candidate, or simply writing in your own name, than to vote for somebody who does not represent you.

But isn't such a "wasted vote?"  

Absolutely not!

The only truly "wasted vote" is the vote you make for somebody who doesn't represent you, no matter which party gets elected.  And simply voting for the "lesser of two evils" is the greatest of evil of all.  

Should Christians Be Involved in Politics?

Questioning whether or not Christians should be involved in politics is like asking whether or not should Christians be doctors, teachers, construction workers, retail clerks, farmers, bankers, or real estate agents.

Of course they should!

But many well meaning Christians believe the answer is no. 

They believe we should be engaged in more heavenly matters, and that political engagement of any sort is a distraction from God's calling and purpose for the church. 

After all, everything in this world is fading away, destined to be judged by fire, and the kingdom of God will one day bring about end to all the kingdoms of this world.  So why get involved in such temporary endeavors when eternity is at stake?  Does not such involvement show we've confused where our true citizenship is ultimately located? 

But if we use such an argument about politics, then we could easily apply such an argument to any profession. At the end of the day, all professions involve engaging in temporary matters.

And of course, politics has a way of getting out of hand, as it often attracts power hungry people that engage in corrupt behavior all in the name of making themselves into a messianic figure. But if you step back and look at the bigger picture, such can be found in every profession known to mankind... including ministry.

I think Christians should be involved in every level of politics, from voting, to sitting on a school board, to possibly becoming the Preaident of the United States.

After all, God has placed us in this world to be a source of blessing to this world, wherever we may find ourselves.  And that means doing more than just giving off a heavenly aurora and saving souls.  It means helping real people solve real problems in real ways. And being involved in the government is just one of the many ways we as Christians can help solve the challenges that face mankind in tangible ways. 

I would argue it would be entirely unspiritual if Christians were entirely divorced from being involved in any and all political matters and had nothing to do with civil government.

As Christians we are called to help others, and part of that includes possibly helping others in this world decide where roads get built, how neighborhoods get zoned, how children get educated, and what laws are just and helpful to the rest of our society.  So why some Chistians think we shouldn't be involved in such matters is beyond me.  If anything, Christians should have some of the greatest ideas to put forward in any nation they find themselves, because they are doing what they do unto the Lord, and should ultimately have Him and the greater good of all people in mind.

And in the process of helping the Caesar's of this world figure out how to govern the nation, we get to be witnesses for Christ, and bring His presence with us wherever we go and in whatever we do. And hopefully, we can make a practical difference in this world, just as we do in whatever other professions we we engaged in for a living. 

And we will do all these things while also sharing the Gospel that Jesus Christ is ultimately King of kings, and Lord of lords, to whom all must ultimately bow before.

Of course, in being Christians we might butt some heads along the way. Our message and some of our views will likely be controversial.  And our ethical positions might keep us from engaging in and supporting some political perspectives, or from participating in some political activities due to having made our loyalty to Jesus Christ first and foremost.  Or it means we may advocate for things that nobody else advocates for, simply because nobody else had the eyes or heart to see certain needs.  And because we might not be able to engage in certain activities without compromising our faith, such might limit the level of involvement we have in the political arena. 

But how is that different from any other occupation we might find ourselves in? 

It might be impossible to become the President of the United States without a lot of moral compromises (indeed, I personally question how one could become such today without cutting a lot of throats and engaging in shady dealings, but perhaps I'm just cynical like that).  But such difficulties are simply part of the sufferings of Christ we as Christians participate.  Such challenges, however, don't mean we entirely withdraw from openly participating in the society and culture we find ourselves placed in.  I believe Jesus Christ calls us to engage society on every level.  The Gospel message is the gospel message for the entire world.

As Christians, we are ultimately ambassadors for Jesus Christ, and He is not only our King, but the King of the entirely world, including those who currently sit over their respective nations as kings. 

Jesus and His ministry is ultimately political in nature:  HE IS A KING! 

And as King, I imagine He has some pretty amazing things to say the kings of this world. 

Of course, many if not most will reject what He has to say, and want nothing to do with the Lord's Anointed. And many will take a bold stand against Christ, and openly defy Him.  Indeed, the kings of this world once crucified the Lord, and have violently persecuted many of His followers since. 

But such only happened because the Gospel message ultimately has political ramifications.  Jesus, in part, was crucified because His message was revolutionary in its political scope.  They didn't crucify Jesus just because He was telling people that they could go to heaven when they died.  They crucified Him and ultimately persecuted His followers because announcing that "Jesus is Lord" is a threat to a world in which the Caesar's of this world see themselves as the only lord. 

But our involvement with government it isn't always going to be all doom and gloom.  History shows time and time again the church of Jesus Christ has been able to make some outstanding contributions to society and civil governments that proved to be a blessing to many within this world, and ultimately at the same time, the world that is yet to come. 

Yes, ultimately we keep our hopes fixated on the promise of a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.  And we know this world will one day be subjected to a cosmic judgment. 

But such doesn't mean we go stand out on our roof tops and look up into space waiting on the return of Jesus in the interim.  Rather, such means we are to go out into all of the world, and engage people where they are at, in all levels of society, telling them that Jesus is Lord, and that we want to make a difference in this world that positively impacts them because of this fact. 

Let's Excommunicate Donald Trump from the Church!

My proposition is a very simple and straight forward one:  Christians everywhere need to excommunicate Donald Trump from the church. 

And instead of being seen in public praying with him, interviewing him, asking him to come speak at our schools, events, and talk shows... or otherwise courting Donald Trump in any way, shape or form, the church and its leaders need to publicly rebuke and shun Donald Trump.

With one voice, we need to let Donald Trump know in a very clear manner that he needs not call himself one of us, because he's not one of us.  We should not let Donald Trump in anyway pretend to be a Christian of any sorts. 

By playing make believe with Donald Trump, it not only makes him look like a fool, it makes us as the church look foolish for submitting ourselves to his nonsense, and worst of all, it brings reproach on the gospel and everything the church values and stands for.

And such would not only be good for our sake, but most importantly, for Donald Trump's sake, and the sake of his unsaved soul. 

Of course, we might be afraid to shun Trump. 

After all, if we shun Trump, who else might we consider shunning?

Where would it stop?  If Donald isn't a Christian, then who is, and who is not?

And if we kick him out, then what would we do with all the other serial adulterers and serial divorcees in the church?  What's would we do with our top-down, heavy handed, authoritarian leadership styles among our pastors?  What would we do with those who live lives full of excessive materialistic indulgence, and who think it's God's will for them to be loaded, and to live in large palaces?

Well, such might lead us to start asking some really hard questions and coming up with some pretty hard to swallow truths.  Truths we don't like.  Truths that bring into question where we stand with Jesus, and how much our lives align (or don't align) to the teachings of Christ. 

And such is why we as Christians in America continue to play church with Donald.  Because actually being the church might be too costly of a thing.  It would shake us up in ways we don't want to be shaken.

Donald Trump isn't a Christian.  Don't be afraid to say it.  He needs to hear it.  And most importantly, we need to hear it. 

I hereby excommunicate Donald Trump from the church of Jesus Christ.  I hope you'll join me.

I don't want God in the White House

As an evangelical Christian, I have been conditioned to believe that if I want to make America great again, and if I wish to hold back the tidal wave of God's fiery judgment, and if I wish to vanquish all demonic foes (both foreign and domestic), then I simply need to be committed to making sure God gets back in the White House.

And the only way to get God back in the White House of course, is to vote for a man after God's own heart, which means voting for another evangelical Christian... or a Roman Catholic or Mormon, if that's all we can find.

At least, that's what we've learned to think.  And this belief is so common among us that it almost goes without saying anymore.

And it is such a powerful idea embedded into our DNA, that because of our numerical representation, even Donald Trump the Great feels compelled to bow at this cultural altar, and at least pretend to be Christian-ish, if he has any serious hopes of being successful in his bid for the White House.

We will accept nothing less, and such is evidenced by the fact that all Republican presidential candidates currently running for office have an official Christian badge that they are ready to flash should anybody question their credentials.

But the more I think about this idea, the more I'm starting to feel like it's a bad idea, nay, even a terrible idea.

First of all, the idea is theologically suspicious.  

As a Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ presently possesses all authority in heaven and earth.  He is currently King of kings and Lord of lords.  And no matter who sits in the Oval Office, Jesus Christ is still the sovereign King over all of creation, and He presently rules over whomever we elect as the President of the United States.  Therefore, the idea that America needs somebody that is saved and sanctified in order to get God back in the White House is a mistaken idea.  God is already there, no matter who we elect.

Secondly, the idea that electing a Christian leader will somehow hold back God's judgment on our nation is entirely without Biblical support.

The apostle Paul made it clear in Romans 1:18 that the wrath and judgment of God is always being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness.  God is always judging America in some way, shape, or form.  And as history has made abundantly clear, our continued existence as a nation-state is always in constant jeopardy.  Eventually, America will go the way of all nations, as God is only interested in permanently establishing one nation forever, and that is the Kingdom of God.  And according to the Bible, His kingdom will eventually overtake all nations.  Therefore, electing a Christian to the presidency of the United States will not change what is our ultimate fate.  American will not exist forever.

Thirdly, just because a candidate is a Christian doesn't mean they have the best ideas and solutions to make America a better place, and to solve the issues our nation faces.

In spite of having impeccable Christian credentials and a direct line of communication with God , president George Bush proved to be not such a great president, and I think most would admit that they regret voting for him two times in a row (at least I do).  Granted, Al Gore and John Kerry would've probably done a terrible job at running our government had they been elected.  But I think most of us would admit president Bush didn't exactly do a great job either.

The way I see it, voting for a man just because he claims to be a Christian is like trying to take a test at school and praying that you will pass it.  The truth of the matter is, if you take a test at school without mastering your subject matter and studying hard, you'll never pass the test.  Therefore, we should vote for somebody, not just because they are a Christian and give us some sort of religious goosebumps, but because they've really done their homework, and have the best ideas about governing our nation.

Therefore, it is my resolve (and I hope you'll join me) that going forward I will not simply vote for a man simply because he is a Christian.  While I like the idea of a Christian occupying important government positions, I'm not going to vote for somebody simply because they put on a half-way decent show of being a Christian.  Rather, I'm going to vote for the guy I think will best govern our nation, who has the best ideas, who has done his homework, and really seems to have the ability to get things done.

At the end of the day, the guy we put in the White House should be the best guy for the job. Period.  

Presently, I don't know who that is yet.  I personally like Rand Paul, but I don't think he has the best chance of winning.  And I'm not exactly thrilled about any other candidate, so I might find myself not voting for anybody for president.

But regardless of who ultimately wins, I will commit to praying for whoever ends up in the White House, because at the end of the day, Jesus Christ is Lord and all of my hope is ultimately in Him.  And I believe that through the rule and reign of Jesus Christ, that He can even make deeply wicked men the best of rulers, and nothing will ultimately stop Him from accomplishing His will in this world.

For the rule and reign of His kingdom of peace will know no end, no matter who we elect.

America will attack Israel

During the presidency of Barack Obama, the relationship between America and Israel has shown some signs of being strained.

Many progressive minded individuals have very strong negative feelings towards the nation of Israel, and what they perceive as crimes against the Palestinian people.  Many believe that Israel has adopted an apartheid type of policy against the Palestinians, and that their recently re-elected prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is something of a war criminal.  For political purposes, president Obama continues to call the nation of Israel our closest ally and friend.  But it is evident to all "that loving feeling" between the United States and Israel isn't what it once was.

There has been a definite shift in tone and rhetoric.

Historically, the political strength in the relationship between Israel and America has, in part, been fueled by the Evangelical Christian makeup of America.  Many hold to a popular "end-times" theology that sees it as necessary that we as a nation "Stand with Israel!"  However, as the power and influence of Evangelicals in the political arena continues to fade in this country, and as it continues to become increasingly progressive, we are seeing fewer people make the call to stand with Israel.

Indeed, there is the sense in which Israel is looked at as less of a friend, and almost an enemy.  One might be so bold as to say that Israel is currently America's "frenemy."  

The deterioration of this relationship between America and Israel should not come as a shock to us.  It is something that has ultimately been foretold in the Scriptures themselves.

Indeed, I would be so bold as to prophetically say that the day is coming in which America will not only permanently break its relationship with the nation of Israel, but that one day America will engage in an armed military conflict against Israel.

The prophetic witness of the Scriptures ultimately bears this out, and is part of God's larger plan to ultimately redeem the nation of Israel.  The Old Testament prophet, Zechariah declared:

"Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it."  (Zechariah 12:2-3; NASB)

"For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city" (Zechariah 14:2; NASB)

If we read these texts carefully, and in their larger historical, literary, grammatical context, we will discover that the prophet Zechariah is speaking to the nation of Israel, who has just returned back from its Babylonian exile, and has resettled into the land.  It has begun to rebuild itself politically and spiritually.

To the dismay of prophets such as Zechariah, the terrible judgments that Israel had gone through at the hands of the Babylonians was ultimately insufficient.  They did not truly purge the nation of Israel from her sins as was hoped.  Spiritually, the nation still showed signs of corruption, and so long as the nation showed such signs of spiritual corruption, they would continue to be vulnerable politically, and would continue to be subject to further judgments from God at the hands of the nations.

Looking into the distant future, Zechariah prophetically saw that Israel was still spiritually corrupt, and that the nation would continue to experience the same fate that it has continually experienced since it was founded.  Indeed, Zechariah saw a time in the future where all of these things would reach a feverish boiling point, and an apocalyptic scenario would ultimately unfold in the chronicles of human history.

One day, Zechariah says, as part of God's ultimate plans to redeem the Jewish people, events will transpire that will cause Jerusalem to become "a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around," and Jerusalem will become a "heavy stone for all the peoples" and that "all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it."  He says "all nations will be gathered against Jerusalem to battle."

And by "all nations" that means "all nations."  Such is inclusive of America.

America will eventually join the rest of the world, yes, even the radical Islamic world, in an attack against Jerusalem.  And such will ultimately come out of a sense of inevitability.  We will feel like we have no other choice but to lead an attack on Jerusalem.  The force of it will be like gravity, and like an apple clipped from a tree, we will have no choice but to fall.

It will be argued in those days that Israel has finally crossed the line.  There will be a "last straw" type of scenario that will provoke the nations to genuinely feel it must attack Jerusalem for the common good of humanity.  As a nation, we will feel that we must, and that such a war is ultimately morally justified and necessary.

Of course, in the present, we haven't quite reached the point of no return.  But the strain we are beginning to see in the relationship between the United States and Israel is ultimately a manifestation of prophecy simply coming to pass.  While our national relationship will have moments of improvement, we are ultimately on a downward trajectory that will result in war.

Jerusalem is becoming a cup of reeling.  It is becoming a heavy stone that pulls on us all.

None will be exempt.