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Monday, 09 November 2009

Climate Change or Human Rights

What's more important to the administration's foreign policy -- climate change or human rights? You may find the answer disturbing.

Many were shocked last February when Secretary of State Clinton said that pressing China about its human rights abuses "can't interfere" with more important things -- like "the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis, and the security crisis."

Even the Washington Post was shocked; its editors said Clinton's comments were "misguided." But now it seems that Clinton was only stating what was to be official Obama administration policy.

We saw this same attitude last month when Barack Obama declined to meet with the Dali Lama. The snub was an apparent effort to curry favor with Chinese leaders -- leaders who deny religious liberty and human rights, not only to their own citizens, but also to Tibetans. Obama's refusal to meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader reminded me of when President Ford wrongly refused to meet with Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the heroic Russian dissident.

Obama and his aides have also reportedly refused to meet with a representative of Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi. And now we learn that the President has been quietly cutting off aid to groups that monitor human rights abuses and fight on behalf of human freedom -- especially in Iran. In the Wall Street Journal, David Feith and Bar Weiss write that the administration has eliminated millions of dollars in funding for the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, Freedom House, and the State Department's Iran Democracy Fund.

These actions go against everything America stands for. Our worldview is largely informed by our Christian heritage -- one that puts human dignity first. Has this administration forgotten that human rights have always been America’s greatest export? We believe that all humans are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, as our Declaration of Independence says. We can't just write off these rights for the sake of climate change or the economy; they're central to who we are.

I knew this before I became a Christian. In 1973, President Nixon sent me to Moscow to negotiate for the release of Soviet Jews. I told Vasily Kuznetsov, the hard-line Soviet negotiator, that if the Soviets did not loosen their restrictions, Congress would not pass the trade treaty, which the Soviets desperately needed. Release the Jews, I said -- or kiss American grain goodbye.

Kuznetsov pounded the table and shouted, "You have no right to interfere in our internal affairs!"

"These aren't your internal affairs," I replied. "Human rights are not conferred by government; they cannot be denied by government. They are God-given. We call them 'inalienable.'"

Kuznetsov finally agreed to release the Jews -- and America shipped its grain.

I can't take credit for that; it was the U.S. Congress and the American people who freed those captives. And it will take the same pressure from Congress and the American people to free captives in China, Iran, North Korea, and anywhere else people are denied their God-given rights.

I hope you'll contact the White House (call 202-224-3121), Hillary Clinton, and your representatives with a strong message -- one loud enough to be heard by people languishing in prisons around the world: The principles that guided us throughout our history are not for sale.

-- Chuck Colson

Proverbs 24:24 "Whoever says to the guilty, 'You are innocent' -- peoples will curse him and nations denounce him."

Friday, 06 November 2009

That's Better

Ack! It's Friday! And I love it. But not when I don't know it's Friday, because then I don't know I'm supposed to love it. All yesterday, I felt like it was Wednesday. So needless to say, Friday came on me a little unexpectedly. What's left of my Friday, I'm going to love it. Because it's Friday.

I can get that way with a lot of things. I'm so busy with all of this that I forget to appreciate that. Or my mind is so consumed with this right now that I can't think about that right now. That might be so much better than this. So why don't I give this a rest and concentrate on that? Just like that. There! That's better!

So today, I encourage you to focus on that. Don't worry about this because this will worry about itself. Look at that. Get into that. Don't forget about that. That works. That does it. Because that's so much better than this. And that's that.

Romans 1:15 "That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel..."

Thursday, 05 November 2009

A Victory Worth Celebrating

Well, the Evil Empire won the World Series last night, which means Facebook is flooded with, "THE YANKEES WON THE WORLD SERIES!! 27 BABY!!!" Oh, please. Half of the people saying that couldn't name the Core Four. Or even have any idea what I'm talking about.

But I tell you what, someone I'm rooting for right now is Abby Johnson -- a 29-year-old Planned Parenthood director who stepped down from her position after watching an ultrasound of an abortion. Not many news sources are reporting that part. They're saying she saw an ultrasound of a fetus and resigned. Specifically, what she saw was an ultrasound of an abortion -- she watched a child get sucked out of the womb. As she saw the child "crumple," she knew what she was doing was killing children.

Having joined the Coalition for Life, Johnson, who was once "extremely pro-choice," has been very vocal about how Planned Parenthood works: "Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money -- we've got to keep these abortions coming. It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers." As a result, Planned Parenthood strikes back, filing for a restraining order to keep Johnson from talking.

Planned Parenthood is stupid. No, really -- bias aside, they're being really dumb. If they weren't filing for a gag order, Johnson would be a hot topic for a while and fizzle out. She'd remain a prominent figure in conservative circles, but she wouldn't be in the mainstream. Because they have filed a restraining order against her, her story is going to be around for even longer. That's apart from the glaringly obvious -- by filing a restraining order, Planned Parenthood is making it evident that they have something to hide.

I'll say they do. Doctors that perform 30 to 40 abortions a day at $500 to $1000 a pop? Why not spin that ultrasound monitor around and let the mom see exactly what Johnson saw during an abortion? Have the father of the child in the room and make him watch it, too. (That's one of the things about abortion. Three-quarters of all abortions are women who aren't married. If men were being held more accountable for their actions, there would be fewer abortions.)

Johnson's experience is one that reinforces the impact of a program called Project Ultrasound. One of our local pregnancy centers in my area is a part of that program. The radio station I work for did a lot to get the word out about it last year. Click on the link to find out more details.

Alright, you Yankees fans. You can have your fun. But it's not nearly as victorious as Abby Johnson's conversion from "extremely pro-choice" to very pro-life. She taking a stand against the abortion industry, and that's one empire more sinister than the boys in pin-stripes.

1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, oh death, is your victory? Where, oh death, is your sting?"

Tuesday, 03 November 2009

Love Anxiety

November 2nd, 1999, right at the clock chime of 7:00pm. Ten years ago last night. That's when I said "I love you" to a girl for the very first time. Strange how I remember that. I wish I didn't, because it was such a waste. She replied, "Are you sure?" Uh, that's not how I wanted my first "I love you" to be. "I love you, too" would have been a better answer. Sure, it's pretty typical, unoriginal, traditional -- but it works. And it's not what I got.

About a month later, while I was sick, she cheated on me with a guy named Rene (pronounced "ruh-NAY"). That guy would later become my roommate. No, we didn't become friends and then become roommates. We just happened to get paired in the same dorm room together. This is soap opera kind of stuff, but this is the kind of thing that always happened to me. One friend of mine has said, "This doesn't happen to normal people." Another friend said of my experiences, "If it happened to anyone else, I wouldn't believe it."

I have been in a number of disastrous relationships. Some have been really nice and turned into deep friendships that continue to this day. But the majority of them have been a nightmare. I once dated a girl who was a model, and after the relationship abruptly ended, I learned that everything she told me was a lie except her first name and her phone number. Oh, and she also killed her roommate's rabbit. Yeah, like something out of Fatal Attraction.

Yet, as psychotic as some of these girls have been, there's been one common denominator in all of them... Me! Not that I'm saying I'm the reason things were always so crazy. But then again, maybe I am. You see, the only person that could have prevented all that unnecessary heartache was me. If I'd not been so careless with my heart, I'd not have been treated so carelessly.

There is a lot of emphasis placed on sexual purity -- remaining sexually abstinent until marriage, which is very important. Despite some stupid choices, I have managed to remain a virgin. However, not as much emphasis is placed on emotional purity. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." That doesn't mean we should be walled up against emotional penetration. It simply means the heart is a pool; be careful who you allow to wade in it.

You may have heard it said that when you have sex with someone, you're also having sex with all of their previous partners. The same can also be said of the heart. Whoever you give your heart to, that person has to contend with everyone else you've given your heart to. You will also be giving them all your scars and hurts, too -- parts of you that have been tainted by avoidable relationships. Don't you want to give the one you love the best of yourself? Then don't give it to those who have not earned it and don't deserve it. What should be preserved of the body should first be preserved of the heart.

Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything..." Okay, let's stop there. What does that mean? It means do not be anxious about anything! Don't just jump right in! Don't throw your heart into something without checking it out first like I did with all those silly relationships! I could have avoided so much just by waiting, being a little more discerning, getting a better idea what that person was like before I gave them a part of me they weren't going to take care of. Don't be so careless! Remember that "love is patient" (1 Cor 13:4).

As Paul was saying, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." A peace beyond our wildest dreams. That speaks so much into our tumultuous relationships. How many of us get into relationships hoping they'll meet some need in our hearts? Perhaps we're looking for peace in the wrong place. It comes first from God.

My advice to you -- and take this from a decade of hard learning -- is to guard your heart, don't be anxious, and trust in God. Do those things, and I promise you it will lead to the most fulfilling relationship you could possibly have.

Song of Songs 2:2 "Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens."

Monday, 02 November 2009

Farewell, Dr. James Dobson

This past Friday, Focus On the Family sent out a press release announcing that Dr. James Dobson was going to be leaving the airwaves in February. He's been the host of the Focus On the Family radio program ever since he founded the organization in 1977. In all that time, he's never taken a salary. The 73-year-old Dr. Dobson had previously resigned from his positions as President and CEO so that Focus On the Family would be able to live on without him. Now he is stepping away from the popular radio talk show to ensure it too will continue.

When I read the news, I cried. I knew this day would be coming soon, but that didn't make it any easier. I've been listening to Dr. Dobson my whole life. (I got to that sentence and teared up again.) I still listen to him almost every day. I've never had a close grandfather figure in my life. Dr. Dobson has been like my grandpa. His advice and sound teaching -- through his books, talks, and over the airwaves -- have been invaluable to me. And I know he's touched millions over the course of his illustrious career. He has changed lives in a powerful way for the kingdom. I'm one of them.

I am a Focus On the Family baby. My parents raised me according to the advice given through Focus, and I have listened intently to that information as well. I grew up a huge fan of Adventures In Odyssey, McGee & Me, The Last Chance Detectives, and now as an adult listening to Focus On the Family. When the day comes for me to be a husband and a father, I know the things I have learned from that ministry will be a helpful guide.

I've done some things in the past with Dr. Dobson's son, Ryan. We've been on two tours together in the midwest -- with him speaking and my band providing the music. Ryan is one of the most awesome people I've had the chance to "hang" with. We even went bowling together! But Dr. Dobson himself I've never met. I hope some day I'll be able to meet him. But hey, if not in this life, I know I'll be able to meet him on the other side of Heaven's gates.

Dr. Dobson will continue to record new broadcasts of Focus On the Family up to February. I imagine doctors Jim Daly and Julianna Slattery will take over as hosts at that point, along with co-host John Fuller. And Dr. Dobson will still make appearances, I'm sure. He's also not using the word "retirement" to describe his next venture. He will still continue to make his voice heard in the public square.

But for me, it's still going to feel like I'm moving away from a close family member to not be able to hear him almost every day like I have my whole life. Dr. Dobson, thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for what you've given me and the million others like me. We are a generation who have been influenced by your teaching and by the wisdom God has given you. Of course, no wisdom has been more important to me than what I've received from my mom and dad, but even they would give you credit for the advice they've received on how to be good parents.

God bless you on your continued mission for Jesus Christ, no matter where He's leading you next. You've been a hero of the faith to us all.

2 Timothy 1:13 "What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus."