Social Conservatism Is Not Important

Is this the best approach to end abortion? I am thinking about this issue as Rick Santorum, poster boy for social conservatives, leads in a statistical tie for first place in Iowa and next week is the New Hampshire primary. “But, Dennis,” I can just hear you saying, “How can this not be important?” Yes, it is important in many ways. Late term abortion is a blight on the nation. There have even been cases that I would describe as infanticide. But abortion and other social issues are not issues that can be solved by politics. 

Do you really think that a state like California is going to vote to ban abortions? Is a state like New York going to pay any attention to any Federal law banning it? Are there enough anti-abortion voters to elect 2/3 of the Congress and the state legislatures to pass a constitutional amendment? And even if it did pass, why do we think anyone in the liberal states will pay attention to it? We happily ignore the constitution as it is. Will the Supreme Court ever overturn Roe v. Wade? I think the answer to all these questions is no. (An historical note: the original Roe decision still banned late term abortions.) 

In the historical section of the Bible the various kings are listed. Often the king’s reign is summed up like this: he was a good king but allowed the high places to continue. Why did the king do this? The high places were a direct threat to the authority and control he had over the central sanctuary. I am sure the reason was the king felt he could not do anything about it. 

The high places were a combination of brothels and centers of cultic worship. The idea was to signal the gods by sympathetic magic to have sex by having cultic sex with prostitutes—both male and female, both heterosexual and homosexual. The idea was that unless the gods had sex there would be no rain. Usually the initiates were slaves raised to that life with the male babies often being castrated in infancy. 

While there were attempts to abolish this practice—King Josiah was the most successful—these attempts ultimately failed. At the end of Judah’s political independence the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 8 describes the temple: 

 ⁵ Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of lust.

 Typical Household Asherahs⁶ And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

(Note that in verse 5 I replaced the NIV’s jealousy with lust. The Hebrew can go either way. It is not certain what the image of lust is, but it is probably an erect phallus or a asherah used as an idol in temple prostitution—done right in the temple of God.)  

Only after the destruction of Judah did the people’s hearts change as they returned from exile. The prophet Jeremiah predicted this in chapter 31:

 ³¹ ”The days are coming,” declares the LORD, 
   ”when I will make a new covenant 
with the people of Israel 
   and with the people of Judah. 
³² It will not be like the covenant 
   I made with their ancestors 
when I took them by the hand 
   to lead them out of Egypt, 
because they broke my covenant, 
   though I was a husband to them,” 
            declares the LORD. 
³³ ”This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel 
   after that time,” declares the LORD. 
“I will put my law in their minds 
   and write it on their hearts. 
I will be their God, 
   and they will be my people. 
³⁴ No longer will they teach their neighbor, 
   or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ 
because they will all know me, 
   from the least of them to the greatest,” 
            declares the LORD. 
“For I will forgive their wickedness 
   and will remember their sins no more.”

This was fulfilled on the return from exile in Babylon. (This passage is also a prediction of the reformation that the early church brought to a corrupt political religious establishment of the first century.) 

It took a thousand years for the people of God to eliminate cultic prostitution. Hopefully it will not take that long for our current cultural malaise to be healed. Note that it took the destruction of their nation, and exile to Babylon. Only when they left Babylon were their hearts changed. 

Will our nation need to be “destroyed” before we, as a group, leave “Babylon”? I hope so, if that is what it takes—but I am guardedly pessimistic that America can avoid this by repenting before our destruction. 

If America can repent, it will not be through politics. It will be through the preaching of the Gospel. 

Remember the proverb:

A man convinced against his will,

Is of the same opinion still. 

Politics can, by force, change the outer appearance. Only repentance, and only God, can change hearts.  

The TSA Has Gone Too Far, But ...

One idea that I have periodically addressed is the idea of templates—often called world views. Such templates are needed for normal everyday life, but we all need to understand that they have limitations. Often the various templates we use are in tension with each other. A good example where my templates are in conflict is the TSA. 

I really have no desire for a guard to examine my genital area. Nor do I want to be irradiated by a machine that may cause health issues later. If this type of machines does not have issues, then why do the dental technicians leave the room when they x-ray your teeth? I have little concern personally for the machine that examines me as I seldom travel. I do wonder about the safety of frequent flyers and for the TSA guards themselves. 

My three templates that come into focus on this issue are the personal freedom issue, the safety issue, and there is even a Biblical issue.

I am not comfortable with the lack of respect shown to personal liberties and the constitutional right to avoid unnecessary searches. This is a widespread problem in our society. An example is even when the police have a proper warrant for searching, they do not announce themselves—shouting “THIS IS THE POLICE.” Instead they whisper—”This is the police.”  It seems that we frequently hear of the police trashing someone’s house, without any respect for the individual or their possessions. 

However, I think most of us will acknowledge that the police function needs to be utilized. Even most anarchists want a police function. They just prefer it to be private. 

I became acquainted with a Moslem professor because we frequented the same coffee shop/bookstore, and we had each married Russian women. His take on being searched and profiled was interesting. “I want to be searched and profiled because I am a Moslem.” He explained that someone with his background was more likely to be a problem on a flight. He wanted to be safe too! 

Finally, we need to think about what Jesus said on the issue in Matthew 5. 

³⁸ ”You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ ³⁹ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. ⁴¹ If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.

The Roman government could require that one bear a burden for about one mile. (The Roman mile being slightly less than our modern mile.) Jesus is suggesting that if you are in such a situation to go two miles. This is where the phrase “going the extra mile” has its origin. So if the TSA asks you to remove your shirt, remove your pants also-er, well maybe not. But certainly we can react with politeness to what they are doing. So even if we think the average TSA person is evil; even if we think our rights are being abused—we can go the extra mile. 

Arson

You may have heard about the multiple arsons that occurred in Los Angeles. 39 separate fires apparently set by one person, now in custody.

Here is one photo:

If one man can do this much damage, how much damage can hundreds do? My advice to the powers that be, while there need to be cuts, do not cut food stamps. 

You Have Been Detained

Stolen From Boing Boing. 

Update on Monday, January 2, 2012 at 8:39AM by [Positive Dennis]

Be sure to look at the original site Tom the Dancing Bug for more fun cartoons. 

New Years Superstition

It is said that whatever you do on this day, you will do thoughout the year. I expect you will be reading and hearing a lot of politics over the next year. This is my New Years curse to us all. 

"I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."--Sen. Barack Obama, June 3, 2008