Some random, oft times in-coherent thoughts on biblical justice and poverty. This post does not do justice to the issue of poverty, but it my meager contribution of Blog Action Day.

Some time in May, John Hagee preached a sermon in 3 parts, entitled Voting the Bible.

via TAPPED Archive | The American Prospect

* God's Purpose for the Church
* Should Christians get involved in the Political Process?

* The Bible's Position on Abortion
* Defending Religious Freedom...Is It Ever Right to Defy the Government?

* War: Is It Ever Justified?
* The Crisis of Education
* The Coming Economic Crash
* The Immigration Crisis
* The Marriage Crisis
* Global Warming: Fact or Farce?

I don't intend to offer commentary on the whole thing, nor to offer a rebuttal, however, I believe that there should be a 'real issue' moment for those that are concerned with voting, and indeed concerned with the Christian’s role in our society. It seems that many would limit us to battling two or three individual morality issues – gay marriage and abortion. Now he would have us face global warming as well.

An individual morality issues are those morals chosen by the individual. Yes, I believe that in many ways homosexuality is a choice while we would all agree that abortion is a free choice. A corporate morality issue is the morality, or immorality, in which we as a society participate, such as poverty, greed, or even the denying of basic human rights, such as the right to live.

Let me first say, that I am against Christians using the Church as a cloak for politics. We should not vote because we are Christian, but vote as Christians, that means that we have issues that we are allowed to tackle, I believe, but they are essentially economic problems, such as poverty, justice, and caretaking. As a community organizer, I was able to be involved in all three of these - at least on some level. The single most important verse for me during my travels is taken from the Prophet Micah.

He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8 NKJV)

And of course,

But let justice run down like water, And righteousness like a mighty stream. (Amos 5:24 NKJV)

These verse would remind me of the biblical idea of justice corporate. Remember, Amos was not preaching to those who condoned individual sin, but the rich and powerful that had substituted gold for God.

A great many times, I find those that would use Christianity as a cloak for defense of the family against gay marriage (as if gay marriage will destroy traditional marriage) and for defense of the unborn against murder (In polite society, we call it abortion), often times refuse to use it as a foundation to attack injustice against the poor as well as injustice perpetrated on workers. The same is said of men like John Hagee, who, if his motivations are sincere, would rather defend the family against gay marriage while leaving it too poor to feed itself.

John Hagee would quote to us from Matthew, saying,

"You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people. (Matthew 5:13 NET)

Saying that salt is active, and that we most be active. It is a stretch of the imagination, and perhaps a great twisting of the Scriptures, to see this verse in that light. Instead of salt being active, it is a preservative. It doesn't eat away at anything, but preserves the item, keeping it from destruction.

John Chrysostom says,

When He had delivered to His Apostles such sublime precepts, so much greater than the precepts of the Law, that they might not be dismayed and say, How shall we be able to fulfil these things? He sooths their fears by mingling praises with His instructions, saying, "Ye are the salt of the earth." This shews them how necessary were these precepts for them. Not for your own salvation merely, or for a single nation (people), but for the whole world is this doctrine committed to you. It is not for you then to flatter and deal smoothly with men, but, on the contrary, to be rough and biting as salt is. When for thus offending men by reproving them ye are reviled, rejoice; for this is the proper effect of salt to be harsh and grating to the depraved palate. Thus the evil-speaking of others will bring you no inconvenience, but will rather be a testimony of your firmness.

It is not that salt has to clean the world, but that the world is preserved by salt for salvation.

It seems that those like John Hagee would have us tackle only individual morality issues (gay marriage) while ignoring the corporate morality of poverty and economic justice.

The first message from Christ is repentance, and indeed, the entire need of the Cross was not a social revolution, but an accomplishment of salvation; however, Christ did also preach concerning the poor of both kingdoms - His and ours.

Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the king will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.' "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they too will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?' Then he will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.' And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
(Matthew 25:34-46 NET)

These above are issues of our fellow man. Abortion is evil – it is murder; however, poverty leads to hunger and hunger to death, thus those that would cause such are themselves the murders. And what of abortion? For those abortions committed because of abject poverty, how easy would it be to lift those young women out of poverty to give them hope, not only for themselves, but for their unborn children as well?

Remember well the words of the prophet Isaiah,

Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomor'rah! "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of he-goats. "When you come to appear before me, who requires of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and the calling of assemblies-- I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:10-17 RSVA)

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh? Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, "Here I am.' "If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. (Isaiah 58:6-10 NKJV)

Ah, you who make iniquitous decrees, who write oppressive statutes, to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be your spoil, and that you may make the orphans your prey! (Isaiah 10:1-2 NRVS)

And the Psalmist,

Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. (Psalms 41:1 NKJV)

And Jeremiah,

"For if you truly amend your ways and your doings, if you truly execute justice one with another, if you do not oppress the alien, the fatherless or the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not go after other gods to your own hurt, then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land that I gave of old to your fathers for ever. (Jeremiah 7:5-7 RSVA)

And the Apostle James,

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Hosts. You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. (James 5:1-6 NKJV)

Where are the words of justice, for hope for the poor, of love for those without in the words of those who would have us vote the bible in this election? Many in the pulpits would have us focus on the lives of our neighbors instead of the emptiness of the destitute. They would have us to enact laws that would determine someone’s individual morality choices rather focus on the very things that touch us all.

Poverty is not solely owned by those that fitly neatly into a financial category, but it is shared with those that would do nothing to help their fellow man. It is increased by those who would ignore it, rather, by those that would prefer it for others. This type of poverty spills over into the soul, so that greed becomes their god – selflessness becomes selfishness; holiness becomes incontinence. It is this type of morality that is rarely spoken of by those that would have us vote for a candidate because he promises to end gay marriage or abortion – when never things will ever be stopped by a mere man-made law.

In not one of John Hagee’s speeches (I would hardly call them sermons) he speaks not to the idea of biblical justice, yet he would have us vote the bible. He ignores the idea that we should ‘spread the wealth’ around. Wait, is that not a biblical precept?

“Or unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12.48)

Many in the evangelical movement would have us focus on preventing what amounts to sexual sin – calling that the mission of the Church, while saying that the Churches be allowed to take care of the poor without government mandates. To call this view hypocritical is an understatement. They are fine for government involvement in the private lives of it’s citizens, just as long as they stay away from the pocket-book.

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I have been following  election 2008 since the primaries and have noticed a serious undercurrent of racial tension expressed through euphemisms, rhetoric and fear mongering.  This tension has increased in recent weeks with the false rhetoric being spewed at Republican rallies by McCain and his VP pick Sarah Palin, but it began early during the primaries and went mostly ignored by most mainstream media outlets.

In the primary race when Reverend Wright became a national topic discussed on every cable news program, he was used to raise questions regarding Obama’s judgment. It became apparent  that people in the media were actually reacting to the expressive nature of a black church, rather than to any true equivocations over Obama’s decision making ability.  Few white people have ever attended a black church, and this first look into a progressive black church scared white conservatives and media members alike.

The obvious racism inherent in the universal outrage over Rev. Wright was further illustrated by the tepid and complacent responses to McCain’s spiritual advisors, John Hagee and Rod Parsley, both of whom have extreme evangelistic political views and opinions that are far more outrageous than any Reverend Wright ever espoused.

Pastor John Hagee once called the Catholic Church “the great whore,” equated Hitler to a righteous hunter carrying out Gods will, and suggested that hurricane Katrina was God’s retribution for New Orleans planning a Gay pride parade.  Hagee also wrote, in his book What Every Man Wants in a Woman" Do you know the difference between a woman with PMS and a snarling Doberman pinscher? The answer is lipstick. Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a woman with PMS? You can negotiate with a terrorist."  Can you imagine the outcry if Rev. Wright ever uttered such insulting sexist rhetoric?

Rod Parsley is so far off the beam that he insists Islam was founded by a demon, and that America has a divine mandate to destroy the evil religion. Parsley also suggests that AIDS and HIV are the product of "Gay sexuality…” which “… inevitably involves brutal physical abusiveness and the unnatural imposition of alien substances into internal organs, orally and anally, that inevitably suppress the immune system and heighten susceptibility to disease."  Parsley fails to site any reliable medical reference to back these beliefs or to provide any explanation for the large number of heterosexuals with AIDS and HIV.  Parsley continually quotes discredited studies to suggest that Lesbians and Gays in America have unusually short life spans, that homosexuality is more dangerous than smoking, and mistakenly attributes 60 percent of all syphilis cases in America to gays. 

The reason we do not hear more about these outrageous statements in the mainstream media is that they are somewhat familiar to the any white person who ever attended a Pentecostal Christian church.  Scary hateful rhetoric spewed by white evangelical preachers is familiar and expected, and does not garner the attention of mainstream media outlets.  This was demonstrated most recently when video of Sarah Palin being blessed by a “witch doctor” was released on the net, and few mainstream media sources even carried the story.  I call the practitioner a witch doctor by the way,  because he was exorcising witch craft from Palin, not because he happened to be black.

In all fairness I must mention that McCain dismissed Hagee’s support early in the election process but, sadly, still counts Rod Parsley one of his personal spiritual advisors.

We saw racism rear its head again, when conservatives responded to Palin’s pregnant teenage daughter by suggesting Palin was a wonderful conservative mother for supporting her child’s illegitimate condition.  They lauded Palin’s parenting skills and suggested that the girl’s pregnancy was proof of Palin’s conservative credentials.

Imagine if you would how those same conservatives would respond if Obama had a pregnant unmarried black teenage daughter.   We can imagine the outcry over his judgment as a parent, and over the teenage girl’s irresponsibility for getting herself in that condition.  We’d probably hear complaints that Michelle Obama had failed to supervise her child appropriately because she was too career oriented, and the outcry over another pregnant black teenager would almost certainly be universally critical. 

It is not hard to imagine the negative response a black pregnant teenager would evoke when we consider that most critics of welfare programs incorrectly blame single black mothers for being the average recipient of public assistance programs (AFDC) when studies indicate the number of whites on AFDC is always higher.

Recently we have seen Republicans use deceptive rhetoric and code words like “character” to evoke racist response among their followers.  It was at a rally in New Mexico, when John McCain asked “who is Barack Obama” that a supporter yelled out “kill him.” Sarah Palin has repeatedly whipped crowds into frenzied shouts of “treason” and other invectives by suggesting, falsely, that Obama pals around with terrorists.   At one heated rally audience members verbally attacked a black cameraman working for a local media outlet, by ominously telling him to “sit down, boy.”   Rally goers in Ohio, when asked if Obama was a terrorist, responded that Obama had the name and the “blood lines” to suggest he could be a terrorist.

While McCain asked his followers to tone down the rhetoric, his campaign is still releasing ads evoking racial fear responses and hatred by tying Obama to terrorists or suggesting he is “foreign” and unknowable. It is apparent that racial tension is still an effective weapon in the political arsenal of the Republican Party, and they are attempting to use that weapon to affect the outcome of this election.

According to veteran civil rights activist Congressman John Lewis, Republican John McCain and his running mate Sarah Palin are  "sowing the seeds of hatred and division" which  remind him of the segregationist era tactics of Alabama Gov. George Wallace, who incited violent responses to his race baiting rhetoric.  What is even sadder is that most of the mainstream media, and many white Americans will fail to recognize the racist rhetoric employed by McCain and Palin for what it is; Pure unequivocal opportunistic racism.

Sources: Mother Jones, McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam, David Corn, March 12, 2008. Open Left, Top 10 Outrageous Quotes From McCain's Spiritual Advisers, Katie Halper, May 01, 2008 Think Progress, McCain Spiritual Advisor, Allah was a Demon Spirit, Amanda Terkel,March 12, 2008. The Huffington Post, McCain Backer Hagee Said Hitler Was Fulfilling God's Will (AUDIO), Sam Stein, May 21, 2008.  The Huffington Post, John Hagee's McCain Endorsement Sparks Uproar, February 29, 2008 Department of Health and Human Services, Indicators of Welfare Dependence, 1997.  Liberalism Resurgent, People on Welfare, Steve Kangas, editor. Reuters, Congressman says McCain sowing 'seeds of hatred', Matt Spetalnick, Oct 13, 2008.

Dear Mr. Harris,

About fifteen years ago, I was in your history class at Brown Deer High School. Perhaps you remember me; perhaps you don't. I'm sure you had many, many students during your teaching career. However, I remember you and your class and have thought about it often over the years. Your teaching was compelling, engaging, and highly effective. As such, you were one of, if not the, single most influential teacher I ever had. You taught me a lot. You did it with great humor and urgent seriousness. You opened my eyes to concepts such as fiscal conservatism, the legacy of Ronald Reagan, and free-market economics. The idea that America is a place where hard work, self-determination, and ingenuity will get you far is a valid one--an idea I still hang on to, to this very day. Your teaching was instrumental in shaping my world view.

My family moved "up north" to Peshtigo after my second year of high school, where I graduated at the top of my class. I then went on to UW-Madison, earning an English degree in 2000. Next, I moved to Ohio to attend OSU, and have only visited the Milwaukee area a few brief times over the past eight years. Thus, I had absolutely no idea that you had given up teaching, started your own motivational speaking business, and even host a conservative radio talk show! No idea, that is, until last week, when I was watching the news, half asleep, and saw you at a rally in Waukesha, begging John McCain to "take it to" Obama. As I drifted off to sleep, I said to myself, "Wow! I think that's Mr. Harris, my former teacher!" Your cadence, your style, and your passion were unmistakable, but I thought perhaps I was misremembering.

I didn't think much of it at first, until the next morning, when I noticed a link on CNN.com's front page. It was something like "McCain-Palin rallies turn angry"--the meme that has since penetrated the media. I clicked through, and did not even begin reading the story at first. I simply typed Ctrl-F, "Harris", Enter. And bang, there was your name, your now-famous quote, and a reference to you as a local radio show host! I thought, "Wow! I was right! It WAS Mr. Harris! And he's on the radio now!" It came as quite a surprise after all these years to rediscover you, via national media attention.

As I said earlier, I have often thought of you and your history class over the past fifteen years--more so than most teachers. Specifically, it comes up whenever someone wants to know why I became a Republican, or whenever I feel I owe someone that explanation. You see, here's the rub: I am now, and have been for many years, a Liberal American. Whenever necessary, I throw my support behind the Democratic Party. Although to be quite frank, they are as a whole much too conservative, corporatist, and spineless for my taste. After unenthusiastically throwing away my first vote on the politically impotent Bob Dole in 1996, I voted enthusiastically for Al Gore for President in 2000. Mind you, just over a half-decade earlier, while my young, impressionable mind was under your influence, I wrote a "research paper" for my high school chemistry class "refuting" Gore's book Earth in the Balance, using such dubious sources as (gasp!) Rush Limbaugh's trashy fiction. But by 2000, it became clear to me that I had been led astray, and that Gore was a good and decent man (kind of like Bill Clinton minus the charisma, but with stronger "family values"). It became obvious to me that the Republican Party had lost its collective mind, nominating the idiot son of a mediocre former President, when they had the opportunity to nominate the then still somewhat respectable John McCain instead. The differences could not have been more clear. As such, I passed right over that Ralph Nader-phase that many young liberals were going through at the time, in which they think there are "no differences" between the two major parties.

It was the theft of the election in 2000 that ultimately radicalized me, ensuring that I will remain a proud Liberal for the rest of my days. And the illegal war and occupation of Iraq sure didn't help my opinion of the right-wing. And Katrina? Well, 'nuff said. Kanye was right.

In 2004, I supported and voted for John Kerry. In 2006, I used my vote to take congressional control away from the Republicans. And, after initially supporting Dennis Kucinich (Go ahead, mock me on your radio show!), I have enthusiastically supported, with my money and my time, Senator Barack Hussein Obama for President of the United States. Is he perfect? No. Frankly, he's not liberal enough by half for my liking, a bit too corporatist, and his caving in to far right-wing demands regarding FISA, not to mention the corporate socialism of the Bush bailout scheme, has left me feeling quite disappointed. Nonetheless, he seems to be a good man of sound intelligence, and I can only hope he can do for this nation what FDR did, and lead us out of the mess your party has once again put us in. With any luck, he will be up to the challenge.

~~~

You sir, with all due respect, on that stage in Waukesha, Wisconsin, displayed a stunning level of intellectual dishonesty. You mentioned Reverend Wright, Father Pfleger, and ACORN in the now famous clip. And although I didn't hear you mention William Ayers, I'm sure you have on you radio show or blog. So, if you want to talk about "shady characters", let's get at it!

If I could just get real with my former teacher for a minute... C'mon, teach'? Are you kidding me!? Do I really need to mention Pastor John Hagee, whose endorsement John McCain actively sought; Hagee, the twisted fundamentalist freak who described Adolf Hitler as a "hunter" of the Jewish people, fulfilling God's will! Or how about Pastor Rod Parsley? This psychotic, bloodthirsty dominionist has said, regarding Islam, that "America was founded in part with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed" (Oh yeah! I remember THAT from my US history book!) and "We were built for the battle! We were created for the conflict! We get off on warfare!" According to John McCain, this dude was a "moral compass, a spiritual advisor." Nice. Gettin' off on warfare! Yippee kye aye eh! A spiritual advisor who says American Christians should become sexually aroused by killing Muslims! That's some terrorist family values for ya!

And ACORN? Seriously, teach'? Can you say Florida 2000? Can you say "Brooks Brothers riot"? Can you say Bush v. Gore? Can you say Diebold? Can you say former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and the 2004 election? Because I can. Because I was there, on the ground as a poll watcher in Columbus, election day 2004, begging people to stay and vote, as they waited hour upon hour in the rain. In 2008, nineteen states have been illegally purging voters from the rolls--tens of thousands of voters illegally purged in Colorado alone. It doesn't take a poli-sci degree to know that election fraud is a far bigger problem in this country than Ann Coulter-style (look it up) voter fraud, or even these weak allegations against ACORN and the like. Face it, your right-wing party doesn't want people to vote in large numbers, especially folks with a skin pigmentation similar to your own.

Oh, wow... this just in: Your McCandidate was the keynote speaker at a 2006 ACORN-sponsored rally... so, umm, yeah. My goodness! Does this mean John McGrumpy was for voter fraud before he was against it? Or just that he was against using black and brown folk as boogiemen before his trainwreck campaign needed to go dirty?

And "pallin' around with terrorists," to borrow a phrase from your beloved Barracuda? Wanna talk about that? Alaska Independence Party, anyone? Hello? This, the party founded by Joe Vogler, who said, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. And I won't be buried under their damn flag." My goodness. Is that Jeremiah "God damn America" Wright, Alaska-style? Why yes, I think it is--only with a dash of secessionist treason thrown in for good measure. Yeah, that's Country First! Alaska's "First Dude" must be quite a patriot, having been a registered AIP voter for so many years! And your blessed Barracuda was just earlier this year--not when she was eight years old--urging the AIP to keep up the good work, telling them, "I share your party’s vision".

Or how about radio talk show host extraordinaire (ha!) G. Gordon Liddy. You were my history teacher. I know you know the story. Convicted and served four and a half years for the Watergate break-ins. Who, like any upstanding American (right?), advised listeners to greet bulletproof-vested ATF agents by "go[ing] for a headshot... Kill the sons of bitches." It's no wonder John McCain would, at the age of eight years old, go on Liddy's radio show and describe him as "an old friend" that made him "proud", by adhering "to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great." Those great American, non-terrorist principles like burglary and murder! Oh, and did I say at age eight John McCain praised G. Gordon Liddy?--I'm sorry, I meant to say "in the year two-thousand eight".

And then there's Bishop Thomas Muthee. Oh, snap! Don't even make me go THERE! This nutcase hunted "witches" in Kenya, like some nutty sequel to Monty Python and the Holy Grail--Monty Python goes to Kiambu to Hunt the African Swallow and Witches. And he is proud and unrepentant of his actions! I guess other countries have domestic terrorists too, huh? But that's OK, because Sarah Barracuda only served on a board regarding education reform with Muthee. Oh, I'm sorry, what I meant to say was that she described the Kenyan domestic terrorist Muthee as "really bold" and credited him with shoving that pesky God out of her way so she could be elected governor. Well, at least we know VP Palin will be safe from "every form of witchcraft"--that's one less thing to worry about when she gets that 3:00 AM phone call, as Putin rears his Russian head in our airspace.

So you can beg Senator John Sidney McCain to "take it to" Obama all you want. But we both know he is too cowardly to slime Obama to his face. And if I'm wrong, just re-read my above points, pick one, and then we will see McCain get slapped down faster than you can say "mavericky". That is if Obama doesn't just laugh off the doddering old moron. Keating 5 anyone? C'mon, man!? You were a history teacher. You know this stuff. I realize you are steeped in your ideology and all, but I expect a great deal more intellectual honesty from an educator I once looked up to and admired.

The student may not yet have matched the achievements of the teacher. I readily admit I have not found my niche in life and achieved anything as impressive as you have... yet. And honestly, I'm happy for you and your family, that you have a successful business and a successful radio show. And I sincerely hope you are enjoying your fifteen minutes of fame. I have not yet heard a single word of your radio show, and I'm not sure I want to. But having been in your classroom, having witnessed your magnetism and eloquence up close, and having perused your blog, I predict you will be going "big time" very soon. This fifteen minutes of fame may only be the beginning!

Old John McCain was wrong when he told you that your reward will be in heaven, not on Earth. Maybe that's how it works for Negroes in John McCain's ancient, racist mind. But we both know he is out of touch--even with the modern conservative movement. I can't say what your, my, or anyone's reward will be in heaven. But I do believe you'll get a big fat reward on Earth. It won't be long before you go national, and join the likes of Alan Keyes and Armstrong Williams as the token black conservative who makes all the redneck FOX News-watching suckers feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even though they support politicians and policies that are destructive to working class Americans of all races. You will be right there to provide affirmation to them, so they can tell themselves and the world, "See, we aren't racist! James T. Harris gives us permission to feel this way." Just keep talking down to the black community, like Cosby on steroids, or, for that matter, like your self-proclaimed hero, drug junkie Rush Limbaugh. Just keep up your trash talk, and you will be rewarded by the machine that is the American right-wing hate radio industry.

You just keep on keepin' on, disgustingly calling Barack Obama "Chocolate Jesus" and likening his supporters to Hitler Youth. Meanwhile, you make yourself known to the nation by stirring up the crowd at one of these hate-filled McCain-Palin rallies, where audience members openly call Obama a "terrorist" and an "Arab", shout "off with his head", refer to African-American members of the media as "boy", and, again referring to Obama, shout "kill him". Go ahead, throw your hat in with that crowd. For years, even after I became a staunch Liberal, I still had respect for you, thinking that it must take a lot of courage to be a black conservative. Maybe in some quarters that is true, sir. But I suspect in your case, it doesn't require courage--just a lust for attention, fame, and the Almighty Dollar. Take it to 'em, sir! You're gonna be a star.

To quote a song, "Ambition makes you look pretty ugly", sir. Do you deserve the death threats and all the racially-charged epithets from liberals, African-American or otherwise? Hell no! But with all due respect, sir, I can understand the anger that you have generated. As evidenced from your now-famous soundbite, as evidenced from your blog, and no doubt as evidenced from your radio show (albeit, I am just guessing on that point), you take things into the gutter. When you put out that kind of ugliness, it's gonna come right back at ya. I sincerely wish you continued success and safety, sir. But ask yourself, do you really think the folks you whipped up at that rally wish the same for Barack Obama or his supporters? You know damn well that far too many of them do not. On your blog you had the nerve to say MLK, Jr, is rolling in his grave over the way liberal blacks are picking on you. No, he's not, sir. If anything, he's moving over, to make way for Barack to join him. I pray that does not happen. God willing, Barack Hussein Obama will not meet the violent end that JFK, RFK, and our brother Martin met. But if the unthinkable does happen, know always and forever your small, shameful role in fomenting the American anger that led to such violence.

It's hard to believe you were the educator who introduced me to the evils of McCarthyism, yet here you and your party are, in 2008, feeding the same sort of "anti-communist" hysteria America saw back then. It's hard to believe you were the educator who introduced me to Mark Twain's, "The War Prayer", yet your party feeds on endless warfare like a junkie on his fix. But perhaps you didn't mean all that stuff--you were just covering what was in the book, what was required of you as a teacher. I remember you had students draw a political comic about the lies, fears, and smears of McCarthyism. I can still picture in my mind the one I drew, with it's cheesy visual gag and bad pun. It was not very clever, but OK I suppose for a kid. You also had us write our own "Ode to War", in the spirit of Twain. And to this very day, it's one of the few things I did back then, when I was a weaselly little teenage, Rush Limbaugh-listening, Republican wannabe, that I am still proud of. Unfortunately, I can't find a copy at the moment, but I believe I can recall, roughly, a few couplets:

[Attempting to describe the horrors of WWI-era trench warfare...]

"Their minds may be raped, by the chaotic rhythm of shells,
Each victim left drooling, as their minds go to hell,"

[Capturing the futility and jingoism of war, I believe I concluded with these lines...]

"And as the last soldier dies,
For the victor, the ticker tape flies."

I'm pretty sure you gave me an "A".

Like I said, I always figured it took courage to be a black conservative, and I admired and respected you for that. And throughout this long American nightmare of the Bush/Cheney Years, I always figured, surely, Mr. Harris would have come to his senses by now, and backed off from his right-wing ideologies. (Note to self: Wishful thinking is a waste of time). If the economic collapse of the past few weeks hasn't proven that trickle-down economics and deregulation are little more than voodoo, I don't know what will. Yet you still cling to these ideas, don't you? Theories are fine on paper, sir. Sure, Milton Friedman had theories; so did Karl Marx. But when put into practice, they just don't work. You had me convinced for a time, and perhaps you have yourself convinced as well. But all your bogus economic theories, like your party's mindless chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!", are morally bankrupt. And I think you know it. You sir, with all due respect, are a charlatan.

You have found a niche for yourself, according to a testimonial on your website, getting "room[s] full of rednecks to love you." And with all due respect to some friends of mine in West Virginia, who are good, decent, liberal, American "rednecks"; whose children, like a scene out of To Kill A Mockingbird, were called "nigger-lovers" because their parents put an Obama/Biden sign in the yard; who had tacks thrown in their yard and driveway as a result--with all due respect to all the good rednecks out there--the sorts of "rednecks" that you "get to love you", by telling them what they want to hear, like you did at that disgusting rally in Waukesha, are no friends of mine, no friends of this country, and they damn sure don't want to be your friends, no matter how long and loudly they may clap for you.

I'm not asking you to join the Obama campaign, sing "Kumbaya", and help my fellow Liberals usher in the Workers' Paradise. If you really believe Grumpy McCain and the intellectual powerhouse of Sarah Palin are fit to lead our country's executive branch, then so be it. But you are on the wrong side of history, sir. And I do hope you someday use your powerful voice for good, not hate and greed (but I won't hold my breath). I know I have become everything that you hate, and I know (from your blog) that you wish my "leftist" kind "would go away... forever!" But get used to it, sir. Because as the late Sam Cooke once sang, "A change gon' come, oh yes it will."

So, I thank you, sir. I thank you sincerely, Mr. Harris, for opening my mind, some fifteen years ago, to political, social, and civic awareness, as well as issues of race and culture. I am just thankful that I long ago realized you were filling my mind with all the wrong ideas.

Sincerely,

Your former student,

Michael A. Richie,
Brown Deer High School 1993-1995,
Peshtigo High School (Valedictorian) 1995-1996,
UW-Madison, English major, 2000,
The Ohio State University, Master of Education, 2002,
Former high school English teacher,
Proud agnostic, who strives to uphold the actual teachings of Jesus Christ,
Proud American Liberal, patriot, and registered Democrat,
And stalwart supporter of "Chocolate Jesus" for President.

PS - I'm voting for THAT ONE.

.

Dear Mr. Harris,

About fifteen years ago, I was in your history class at Brown Deer High School. Perhaps you remember me; perhaps you don't. I'm sure you had many, many students during your teaching career. However, I remember you and your class and have thought about it often over the years. Your teaching was compelling, engaging, and highly effective. As such, you were one of, if not the, single most influential teacher I ever had. You taught me a lot. You did it with great humor and urgent seriousness. You opened my eyes to concepts such as fiscal conservatism, the legacy of Ronald Reagan, and free-market economics. The idea that America is a place where hard work, self-determination, and ingenuity will get you far is a valid one--an idea I still hang on to, to this very day. Your teaching was instrumental in shaping my world view.

My family moved "up north" to Peshtigo after my second year of high school, where I graduated at the top of my class. I then went on to UW-Madison, earning an English degree in 2000. Next, I moved to Ohio to attend OSU, and have only visited the Milwaukee area a few brief times over the past eight years. Thus, I had absolutely no idea that you had given up teaching, started your own motivational speaking business, and even host a conservative radio talk show! No idea, that is, until last week, when I was watching the news, half asleep, and saw you at a rally in Waukesha, begging John McCain to "take it to" Obama. As I drifted off to sleep, I said to myself, "Wow! I think that's Mr. Harris, my former teacher!" Your cadence, your style, and your passion were unmistakable, but I thought perhaps I was misremembering.

I didn't think much of it at first, until the next morning, when I noticed a link on CNN.com's front page. It was something like "McCain-Palin rallies turn angry"--the meme that has since penetrated the media. I clicked through, and did not even begin reading the story at first. I simply typed Ctrl-F, "Harris", Enter. And bang, there was your name, your now-famous quote, and a reference to you as a local radio show host! I thought, "Wow! I was right! It WAS Mr. Harris! And he's on the radio now!" It came as quite a surprise after all these years to rediscover you, via national media attention.

As I said earlier, I have often thought of you and your history class over the past fifteen years--more so than most teachers. Specifically, it comes up whenever someone wants to know why I became a Republican, or whenever I feel I owe someone that explanation. You see, here's the rub: I am now, and have been for many years, a Liberal American. Whenever necessary, I throw my support behind the Democratic Party. Although to be quite frank, they are as a whole much too conservative, corporatist, and spineless for my taste. After unenthusiastically throwing away my first vote on the politically impotent Bob Dole in 1996, I voted enthusiastically for Al Gore for President in 2000. Mind you, just over a half-decade earlier, while my young, impressionable mind was under your influence, I wrote a "research paper" for my high school chemistry class "refuting" Gore's book Earth in the Balance, using such dubious sources as (gasp!) Rush Limbaugh's trashy fiction. But by 2000, it became clear to me that I had been led astray, and that Gore was a good and decent man (kind of like Bill Clinton minus the charisma, but with stronger "family values"). It became obvious to me that the Republican Party had lost its collective mind, nominating the idiot son of a mediocre former President, when they had the opportunity to nominate the then still somewhat respectable John McCain instead. The differences could not have been more clear. As such, I passed right over that Ralph Nader-phase that many young liberals were going through at the time, in which they think there are "no differences" between the two major parties.

It was the theft of the election in 2000 that ultimately radicalized me, ensuring that I will remain a proud Liberal for the rest of my days. And the illegal war and occupation of Iraq sure didn't help my opinion of the right-wing. And Katrina? Well, 'nuff said. Kanye was right.

In 2004, I supported and voted for John Kerry. In 2006, I used my vote to take congressional control away from the Republicans. And, after initially supporting Dennis Kucinich (Go ahead, mock me on your radio show!), I have enthusiastically supported, with my money and my time, Senator Barack Hussein Obama for President of the United States. Is he perfect? No. Frankly, he's not liberal enough by half for my liking, a bit too corporatist, and his caving in to far right-wing demands regarding FISA, not to mention the corporate socialism of the Bush bailout scheme, has left me feeling quite disappointed. Nonetheless, he seems to be a good man of sound intelligence, and I can only hope he can do for this nation what FDR did, and lead us out of the mess your party has once again put us in. With any luck, he will be up to the challenge.

~~~

You sir, with all due respect, on that stage in Waukesha, Wisconsin, displayed a stunning level of intellectual dishonesty. You mentioned Reverend Wright, Father Pfleger, and ACORN in the now famous clip. And although I didn't hear you mention William Ayers, I'm sure you have on you radio show or blog. So, if you want to talk about "shady characters", let's get at it!

If I could just get real with my former teacher for a minute... C'mon, teach'? Are you kidding me!? Do I really need to mention Pastor John Hagee, whose endorsement John McCain actively sought; Hagee, the twisted fundamentalist freak who described Adolf Hitler as a "hunter" of the Jewish people, fulfilling God's will! Or how about Pastor Rod Parsley? This psychotic, bloodthirsty dominionist has said, regarding Islam, that "America was founded in part with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed" (Oh yeah! I remember THAT from my US history book!) and "We were built for the battle! We were created for the conflict! We get off on warfare!" According to John McCain, this dude was a "moral compass, a spiritual advisor." Nice. Gettin' off on warfare! Yippee kye aye eh! A spiritual advisor who says American Christians should become sexually aroused by killing Muslims! That's some terrorist family values for ya!

And ACORN? Seriously, teach'? Can you say Florida 2000? Can you say "Brooks Brothers riot"? Can you say Bush v. Gore? Can you say Diebold? Can you say former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and the 2004 election? Because I can. Because I was there, on the ground as a poll watcher in Columbus, election day 2004, begging people to stay and vote, as they waited hour upon hour in the rain. In 2008, nineteen states have been illegally purging voters from the rolls--tens of thousands of voters illegally purged in Colorado alone. It doesn't take a poli-sci degree to know that election fraud is a far bigger problem in this country than Ann Coulter-style (look it up) voter fraud, or even these weak allegations against ACORN and the like. Face it, your right-wing party doesn't want people to vote in large numbers, especially folks with a skin pigmentation similar to your own.

Oh, wow... this just in: Your McCandidate was the keynote speaker at a 2006 ACORN-sponsored rally... so, umm, yeah. My goodness! Does this mean John McGrumpy was for voter fraud before he was against it? Or just that he was against using black and brown folk as boogiemen before his trainwreck campaign needed to go dirty?

And "pallin' around with terrorists," to borrow a phrase from your beloved Barracuda? Wanna talk about that? Alaska Independence Party, anyone? Hello? This, the party founded by Joe Vogler, who said, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government. And I won't be buried under their damn flag." My goodness. Is that Jeremiah "God damn America" Wright, Alaska-style? Why yes, I think it is--only with a dash of secessionist treason thrown in for good measure. Yeah, that's Country First! Alaska's "First Dude" must be quite a patriot, having been a registered AIP voter for so many years! And your blessed Barracuda was just earlier this year--not when she was eight years old--urging the AIP to keep up the good work, telling them, "I share your party’s vision".

Or how about radio talk show host extraordinaire (ha!) G. Gordon Liddy. You were my history teacher. I know you know the story. Convicted and served four and a half years for the Watergate break-ins. Who, like any upstanding American (right?), advised listeners to greet bulletproof-vested ATF agents by "go[ing] for a headshot... Kill the sons of bitches." It's no wonder John McCain would, at the age of eight years old, go on Liddy's radio show and describe him as "an old friend" that made him "proud", by adhering "to the principles and philosophies that keep our nation great." Those great American, non-terrorist principles like burglary and murder! Oh, and did I say at age eight John McCain praised G. Gordon Liddy?--I'm sorry, I meant to say "in the year two-thousand eight".

And then there's Bishop Thomas Muthee. Oh, snap! Don't even make me go THERE! This nutcase hunted "witches" in Kenya, like some nutty sequel to Monty Python and the Holy Grail--Monty Python goes to Kiambu to Hunt the African Swallow and Witches. And he is proud and unrepentant of his actions! I guess other countries have domestic terrorists too, huh? But that's OK, because Sarah Barracuda only served on a board regarding education reform with Muthee. Oh, I'm sorry, what I meant to say was that she described the Kenyan domestic terrorist Muthee as "really bold" and credited him with shoving that pesky God out of her way so she could be elected governor. Well, at least we know VP Palin will be safe from "every form of witchcraft"--that's one less thing to worry about when she gets that 3:00 AM phone call, as Putin rears his Russian head in our airspace.

So you can beg Senator John Sidney McCain to "take it to" Obama all you want. But we both know he is too cowardly to slime Obama to his face. And if I'm wrong, just re-read my above points, pick one, and then we will see McCain get slapped down faster than you can say "mavericky". That is if Obama doesn't just laugh off the doddering old moron. Keating 5 anyone? C'mon, man!? You were a history teacher. You know this stuff. I realize you are steeped in your ideology and all, but I expect a great deal more intellectual honesty from an educator I once looked up to and admired.

The student may not yet have matched the achievements of the teacher. I readily admit I have not found my niche in life and achieved anything as impressive as you have... yet. And honestly, I'm happy for you and your family, that you have a successful business and a successful radio show. And I sincerely hope you are enjoying your fifteen minutes of fame. I have not yet heard a single word of your radio show, and I'm not sure I want to. But having been in your classroom, having witnessed your magnetism and eloquence up close, and having perused your blog, I predict you will be going "big time" very soon. This fifteen minutes of fame may only be the beginning!

Old John McCain was wrong when he told you that your reward will be in heaven, not on Earth. Maybe that's how it works for Negroes in John McCain's ancient, racist mind. But we both know he is out of touch--even with the modern conservative movement. I can't say what your, my, or anyone's reward will be in heaven. But I do believe you'll get a big fat reward on Earth. It won't be long before you go national, and join the likes of Alan Keyes and Armstrong Williams as the token black conservative who makes all the redneck FOX News-watching suckers feel all warm and fuzzy inside, even though they support politicians and policies that are destructive to working class Americans of all races. You will be right there to provide affirmation to them, so they can tell themselves and the world, "See, we aren't racist! James T. Harris gives us permission to feel this way." Just keep talking down to the black community, like Cosby on steroids, or, for that matter, like your self-proclaimed hero, drug junkie Rush Limbaugh. Just keep up your trash talk, and you will be rewarded by the machine that is the American right-wing hate radio industry.

You just keep on keepin' on, disgustingly calling Barack Obama "Chocolate Jesus" and likening his supporters to Hitler Youth. Meanwhile, you make yourself known to the nation by stirring up the crowd at one of these hate-filled McCain-Palin rallies, where audience members openly call Obama a "terrorist" and an "Arab", shout "off with his head", refer to African-American members of the media as "boy", and, again referring to Obama, shout "kill him". Go ahead, throw your hat in with that crowd. For years, even after I became a staunch Liberal, I still had respect for you, thinking that it must take a lot of courage to be a black conservative. Maybe in some quarters that is true, sir. But I suspect in your case, it doesn't require courage--just a lust for attention, fame, and the Almighty Dollar. Take it to 'em, sir! You're gonna be a star.

To quote a song, "Ambition makes you look pretty ugly", sir. Do you deserve the death threats and all the racially-charged epithets from liberals, African-American or otherwise? Hell no! But with all due respect, sir, I can understand the anger that you have generated. As evidenced from your now-famous soundbite, as evidenced from your blog, and no doubt as evidenced from your radio show (albeit, I am just guessing on that point), you take things into the gutter. When you put out that kind of ugliness, it's gonna come right back at ya. I sincerely wish you continued success and safety, sir. But ask yourself, do you really think the folks you whipped up at that rally wish the same for Barack Obama or his supporters? You know damn well that far too many of them do not. On your blog you had the nerve to say MLK, Jr, is rolling in his grave over the way liberal blacks are picking on you. No, he's not, sir. If anything, he's moving over, to make way for Barack to join him. I pray that does not happen. God willing, Barack Hussein Obama will not meet the violent end that JFK, RFK, and our brother Martin met. But if the unthinkable does happen, know always and forever your small, shameful role in fomenting the American anger that led to such violence.

It's hard to believe you were the educator who introduced me to the evils of McCarthyism, yet here you and your party are, in 2008, feeding the same sort of "anti-communist" hysteria America saw back then. It's hard to believe you were the educator who introduced me to Mark Twain's, "The War Prayer", yet your party feeds on endless warfare like a junkie on his fix. But perhaps you didn't mean all that stuff--you were just covering what was in the book, what was required of you as a teacher. I remember you had students draw a political comic about the lies, fears, and smears of McCarthyism. I can still picture in my mind the one I drew, with it's cheesy visual gag and bad pun. It was not very clever, but OK I suppose for a kid. You also had us write our own "Ode to War", in the spirit of Twain. And to this very day, it's one of the few things I did back then, when I was a weaselly little teenage, Rush Limbaugh-listening, Republican wannabe, that I am still proud of. Unfortunately, I can't find a copy at the moment, but I believe I can recall, roughly, a few couplets:

[Attempting to describe the horrors of WWI-era trench warfare...]

"Their minds may be raped, by the chaotic rhythm of shells,
Each victim left drooling, as their minds go to hell,"

[Capturing the futility and jingoism of war, I believe I concluded with these lines...]

"And as the last soldier dies,
For the victor, the ticker tape flies."

I'm pretty sure you gave me an "A".

Like I said, I always figured it took courage to be a black conservative, and I admired and respected you for that. And throughout this long American nightmare of the Bush/Cheney Years, I always figured, surely, Mr. Harris would have come to his senses by now, and backed off from his right-wing ideologies. (Note to self: Wishful thinking is a waste of time). If the economic collapse of the past few weeks hasn't proven that trickle-down economics and deregulation are little more than voodoo, I don't know what will. Yet you still cling to these ideas, don't you? Theories are fine on paper, sir. Sure, Milton Friedman had theories; so did Karl Marx. But when put into practice, they just don't work. You had me convinced for a time, and perhaps you have yourself convinced as well. But all your bogus economic theories, like your party's mindless chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!", are morally bankrupt. And I think you know it. You sir, with all due respect, are a charlatan.

You have found a niche for yourself, according to a testimonial on your website, getting "room[s] full of rednecks to love you." And with all due respect to some friends of mine in West Virginia, who are good, decent, liberal, American "rednecks"; whose children, like a scene out of To Kill A Mockingbird, were called "nigger-lovers" because their parents put an Obama/Biden sign in the yard; who had tacks thrown in their yard and driveway as a result--with all due respect to all the good rednecks out there--the sorts of "rednecks" that you "get to love you", by telling them what they want to hear, like you did at that disgusting rally in Waukesha, are no friends of mine, no friends of this country, and they damn sure don't want to be your friends, no matter how long and loudly they may clap for you.

I'm not asking you to join the Obama campaign, sing "Kumbaya", and help my fellow Liberals usher in the Workers' Paradise. If you really believe Grumpy McCain and the intellectual powerhouse of Sarah Palin are fit to lead our country's executive branch, then so be it. But you are on the wrong side of history, sir. And I do hope you someday use your powerful voice for good, not hate and greed (but I won't hold my breath). I know I have become everything that you hate, and I know (from your blog) that you wish my "leftist" kind "would go away... forever!" But get used to it, sir. Because as the late Sam Cooke once sang, "A change gon' come, oh yes it will."

So, I thank you, sir. I thank you sincerely, Mr. Harris, for opening my mind, some fifteen years ago, to political, social, and civic awareness, as well as issues of race and culture. I am just thankful that I long ago realized you were filling my mind with all the wrong ideas.

Sincerely,

Your former student,

Michael A. Richie,
Brown Deer High School 1993-1995,
Peshtigo High School (Valedictorian) 1995-1996,
UW-Madison, English major, 2000,
The Ohio State University, Master of Education, 2002,
Former high school English teacher,
Proud agnostic, who strives to uphold the actual teachings of Jesus Christ,
Proud American Liberal, patriot, and registered Democrat,
And stalwart supporter of "Chocolate Jesus" for President.

PS - I'm voting for THAT ONE.

.

-Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.

The last mentioned of the Fruit of the Spirit, self control is the one most people would probably prefer to leave out. It can often be the hardest to practice, and it encompasses all the preceding Fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps that is why it was mentioned last; to leave it afresh in your mind. We know that a lack of SELF-CONTROL has a detrimental effect on us, but it also affects our relationships; those we come into contact with.

~Proverbs 25:28- Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.

Without self-control in our lives, we become vulnerable to all kinds of problems. Anything out of CONTROL in your life can harm others and cause damage in relationships. Including (but not limited to):

-Uncontrolled anger

-Uncontrolled lust

-Uncontrolled spending (The #1 cause for divorce is financial stress & money problems)

-Uncontrolled drinking

-Uncontrolled ambition (The workaholic who’s never at home with the family)

-Uncontrolled tongue

~How do we obtain self-control? Here are 9 key ways that will help in maintaining your self-control:

1) Master your moods- Keep you attitude in check, do what’s right even when you don’t feel like it; live by commitment, not by emotions

2) Watch your words-Put your mind in gear before you talk.

-Proverbs 13:3 He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.

3) Restrain your reaction- How much can you take before you lose your cool?

-Proverbs 19:11 A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

4) Stick to the plan- If you don’t determine how your time is spent, others will; Remember though, we are to follow God’s will & His plan 1^st. Have control enough to be in it.

-Ephesians 5:15-17 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

5) Manage your money- learn to live on less than you make; invest the rest. The value of a budget is that it tells your money where you want it to go, instead of wondering where it went.

-Proverbs 21:20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.

6) Maintain your health- (to the best of your ability) Thus, you can accomplish more & enjoy your achievements.

-Psalm 38:3 Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

7) Avert your eyes- This one’s tough. You can’t control everything you see, but you can control how much you look at it

-Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (I’m pretty sure the same standard applies to ladies looking at men; sorry, you’re not off the hook)

8) Don’t allow anger to bring sin- like it plainly says in Ephesians 4:26, "In your anger do not sin" God let us know that we will get angry, but we must release the pressure before the top blows, no matter how we’ve been wronged.

-1 Thessalonians 5:15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

9) Know when to “Cork the Bottle”- The Bible doesn’t specifically say that we can never drink, but it’s clear that we are not to get drunk.

-Ephesians 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

~Now, where do you need self-control?

 Discipline today will help you determine success tomorrow. We must realize that we cannot accomplish this on our own, but we need Holy Help.

-2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

The key to self-control, is giving up control to God. With Him in the driver’s seat, you’re sure to get where you need to be. The more our progression, the further He’ll take us.

-Matthew 25:23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

 There is tremendous potential to be used in positive ways that honor Christ. In reality, we are still subject to sin and death. Although we are not totally evil ourselves, we are still susceptible to weakness & fleshy desires. Our body can be used for good if the flesh is not in control.

-Romans 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship..

~How can we be living sacrifices?

-Self-discipline isn’t in our nature. Spirit-Control, not self-control, makes the difference. The Holy Spirit can control the things I can’t. Ask God to help you, through the Holy Spirit, to help you do right in His eyes.

-Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

-Open the door to let the Holy Spirit fill you, and close the door of flesh to Satan by confessing sin & claiming Christ’s crucifixion.

-Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

-Renew your mind with God’s word

-Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

-Allow the Holy Spirit to help you master your emotions (with the fruit of the Spirit); Present yourself as an instrument of righteousness.

  -Romans 6:12-13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.

  -Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, & strength.

 -Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

-The key to self-control is surrendering control. Surrender your control to God; allow Him to move in your life. Who better to run your life, than the One who made your life?

“Fruit of the Spirit- Self-Control” Bible Study prepared by Justin Lessard. Email: ferventservant1@hotmail.com

Web: http://justinlessard.wordpress.com & http://www.myspace.com/justinlessard

If you wish to use this study, all I ask is that you leave the credit info lines, including the name, email, & web address, above.

By the way, everyone thinks McCain referred to Obama as "that guy" during the debate because McCain was being disrespectful. That's incorrect. McCain called Obama THAT GUY because McCain FORGOT OBAMA'S NAME! McCain is definitely losing it.

This shouldn't be a surprise since McCain is friends with the S&L criminal Charles Keating Jr. and sat on the board of USCWF, a criminal organization (Iran-Contra) that is anti-semitic and racist. There is no way this man should be president of the greatest nation in the world.

Societies have been trying to control certain aspects of human sexuality since the beginning of time, and modern times have shown little improvement.  Long before written history societies were attempting to control female fertility cycles by offering sacrifices and rituals to their gods.  Most of these rituals were committed with the goal of increasing birth rates among societies, or to increase food bounties to feed the increased birth rates brought about by earlier rituals.  Little information exists, however, to suggest that proscriptions against “alternative” sexuality were ever a big concern for early societies.

After the establishment of codified Christian religion the controlling of sex and procreations took on a new importance.  Sexuality was often associated with wanton Pagan beliefs, (Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden) and thus sexual pleasure became taboo in the Roman Catholic Church.  Thinking about sexual pleasure became associated with “bad thoughts” and Pope John Paul II once cautioned husbands "If a man gazes on his wife lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart." 

Conservative religions splintered from the original Catholic Church and differed in various aspects of their doctrine, but most retained proscriptions against sexual pleasure.  The Pilgrims of Plymouth were preoccupied with illicit sex involving buggery and sodomy, and they attributed sexual desire as coming from the animalistic side of man.  Like Pope John Paul II, the pilgrims associated sexual pleasure, even among married couples, with adultery.

Little has changed in modern times where we have conservative groups like Focus on the Family mirroring the concerns of the Pilgrims by urging abstinence outside marriage, and by lobbying against homosexuality. We also have the Parents Television Council lobbying against non marital or heterosexual images of human sexuality in TV programs, and conservative preachers like John Hagee blaming natural disasters on gay pride events. 

Conservatives here and in the Islamic world are consumed with controlling sexuality by urging young women to dress modestly less they might entice innocent males who might pass by and become overwhelmed with uncontrollable sexual desire. Meanwhile, the US State Department is busy charging video store owners with federal pornography charges for dispensing legal adult videos.  The President of the United States has been doing his part to encourage controlled sexuality through abstinence by restricting AIDS funding unless programs are based on useless abstinence doctrines.  The Republican Vice-Presidential candidate supports abstinence only birth control education, and has a pregnant teenage daughter to show her dedication to those principles.

It seems conservative forces are extolling ever greater energy to controlling sexuality in this country.  Frank open discussions of sexuality are imperative if we are going to combat the millennia of repression and disinformation disseminated by conservative religious organizations in the past and in the present.  Censorship is the death of creativity and clear thinking, and when we include human sexuality under the umbrella of censorship we create an environment where superstition and repression thrive.

Restrictions against free expressions of sexuality does nothing but assign human sexuality to the dark shadows of repression and cuts off an important avenue for shared experience and mutual understanding. The only cure for sexual repression is open and honest discussion about the variety and scope of human sexuality in all its diverse and unique iterations.

Sources: American Sexual History, the Psychology of Free Love, Elizabeth Reis, Blackwell Publishing, 2001. The Atlantic, Of Sex and the Catholic Church, Francis X. Murphy, CSSR, February, 1981. Puritans at Play: Leisure and Recreation in Early New England, Bruce C. Daniels, Palgrave Macmillan; Anniversary edition (August 25, 2005) Washington Times, Conservatives: Lets See Good (marital) Sex, Kelly Jane Torrance, August, 15, 2008. National Public Radio, Fresh Air from WHYY Pastor John Hagee on Christian Zionism, September 18, 2006. Huffington Post, Top 10 Outrageous Quotes from McCain's Spiritual Advisers, Katie Halper, April 25, 2008.Rolling Stone, Jesus Made Me Puke, Matt Taibbi Undercover with the Christian Right, Matt Taibbi, May 1, 2008.Alternet,  The Christian Right's Slick Campaign to Make Abstinence Seem Trendy, Vanessa Valenti, August 28, 2008. Alternet, Yet Another Obscenity Trial? We Should Be Ashamed, Dr.Marty Klein Aug, 29, 2008.

Pastor [Raymond S. Porter] will be put into a casket for three days and three nights, from October 12th at 2:00 pm through October 15th at 9:00 am. Then he will come out and give a message to Mr. Obama from God, that the whole world may hear.

...

This is about murdering innocent babies. Our society calls it abortion, but I call it what it is murder.

The reason why I am doing this is out of obedience to God. Many Americans think our economy is failing because of the Bush Administration, but they are wrong, it is because of sin.

We are a very sinful nation, therefore God is against us. The only quote I have is from God's word. 2 Chronicles 7:14 say's 'If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land'. We are suppose to be a civilized nation but we are practicing Barbaric behavior called human sacrifice. It is sad that we live in a county were it is perfectly legal to murder an unborn child for convenience, maybe the mother to be says, 'It's not the right time, I must further my career', or a mother may tell her teenage daughter, 'You must get rid of the baby because you are to young. You must finish school'. It is human sacrifice for one's own convenience. Senator Barack Obama said if he becomes president that he would intervene in the African countries where genocide is taking place. He will not however, intervene in Roe vs. Wade which is genocide that is taking place here in America everyday disguised as planned parenthood.

Naturally.

First the economy was in the cornhole due to gays, now it's due to abortion.

God, do these people know anything about anything that ever happened, ever?

This is seriously on par with the ancients believing earthquakes happened because God is angry or the ancients believing that hurricanes happen because of gays...oh wait, that was John Hagee, five minutes ago.

Headdesk.

(h/t RightWingWatch)

Galations 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such there is no law.

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Gentleness is described as: compassionate, delicate, sensitive, merciful.

Exhortations to be gentle-

~2 Timothy 2:24-26 And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

~Titus 3:1-2 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for any honest work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all men.

~James 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, without uncertainty or insincerity.

~Acts 24:4 But‑‑not to be tedious‑‑I beg you, with your accustomed fairness, to listen to a brief statement of our case.

-Why do you think wisdom is 1^st pure, then peaceable, gentle,...(James 3:17)?

-Why might listening to the gospel be “tedious”?

-We are to be gentle toward unbelievers, not to force them into an uncomfortable obligation, not to be rude, or too forward, but with sensitivity of the Spirit, discern the need delicately, tactfully, and explain to them that Christ is the Answer.

~1 Thessalonians 2:6-8 ...nor did we seek glory from men, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse taking care of her children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

~2 Corinthians 10:1 I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ‑‑I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold to you when I am away!–

-Why is it important not to be self-seeking or a “glory-hound” in our evangelism?

-Why might Paul have been more timid in the presence of the Corinthians, and bold when away?

~Galations 6:1 Brothers, even if a man is caught in some fault, you who are spiritual must restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself so that you also aren't tempted.

~1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness.

-We are also to be gentle toward other believers, as well; our brothers and sisters in Christ. As such we are called to greater peace. (Hebrews12:14 Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord; Romans 12: 18 If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.) If an issue arises, talk about it, carefully, and not too hastily. We are permitted to anger, but it should be “known not shown”. ( Eph 4:26 Be angry but do not sin;..) If the issue is regarding them, how might Jesus Himself talk to the person, knowing the importance