Taking A Stand: Embryonic Stem Cell Research

"...and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path. Your statutes are wonderful; therefore I obey them." Psalm 119: 128-129

"If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would for the first time in our history be compelled to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos." President George W. Bush

"Unfortunately, because of the stubbornness of one man — President Bush — these people continue to suffer as they wait" Diana DeGette, D-Colorado

As maligned as our president is these days, George Bush has done something to remind me why I admire him and why I voted for him. He stood up against Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, further supporting his assertion that this legislation "crosses a moral line that I and many others find troubling." I can't agree more.

In cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's health, I agree that abortion may be the only option. But otherwise it is immoral. Period. There is nothing you can say or show me that would justify it - not even the harvesting of embryonic stem cells.

"A woman should have the right to control her own body," is something I've heard argued, and I totally agree. With all the preventative measures out there - for both women and men, there's really very little excuse for an unplanned pregnancy. The problem these days is that too many people are not willing and able to take responsibility for their own actions. And parenting a child is an immense responsibility.

Another concern is that the harvesting of embryonic stem cells could encourage some women to get pregnant for the sole purpose of providing stem cells. They would essentially prostitute themselves to the health care industry who in turn would likely pay them as little as possible.

Stem cell research does not require embryonic stem cells. Just as it is no longer necessary to kill a rabbit to determine a pregnancy, it is also not necessary to terminate a human life to harvest stem cells. Duh! There is plenty of material out there. Embryonic stem cell research is just another way to justify abortion.

Stem cells offer us hope to potentially cure many dreaded diseases. I'm all for that. But stem cells do not have to be embryonic.

I have one of those dreaded diseases myself. I have type-II diabetes. I expect it will be my ticket to heaven sooner or later. So what? Even Lazarus - whom Jesus raised from the dead - eventually died again. We all die, and stem cell research isn't going to change that.

Too many people have already sacrificed their lives for my physical needs and my freedom. Indeed, Jesus sacrificed his life for my very soul.

Personally, if it ever becomes practice, I will ensure any medical directive of mine clearly states that I will not allow the life of a human embryo to be sacrificed in order to save mine. If such measures are taken against my wishes, then those medical personnel better hope it doesn't work. Because when I get better, I will sue the crap out of them.

Do you think President Bush is being stubborn? Do you think I am being stubborn? Fine. But know this - some things are right and true whether you believe in them or not. I've made my stand.

Blacksburg: Reflections On A Tragedy

Is it my imagination, or does it seem like the flag has been flying at half-mast a bit too much lately? Sure, it's to be expected now and then - like when former president Ford died. But not when it's a senseless tragedy like what happened at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia on Monday.

Of course there are always the questions as to why. But when it comes down to it, if I were alone in a room with Cho, I don't think I would ask why - his words would be meaningless. There is no justification whatsoever for this wasteful and hideous act of evil. Perhaps I would share the good news of redemption through Jesus Christ - at least give it a try. But it's too late now anyway. Satan has claimed another soul and Cho was probably honored that evening by "having dinner with Hitler" as I like to put it.

I would also call NBC on the carpet for even considering to air this insane man's manifesto. Again, it is pointless and provides no added value to our society whatsoever. The materials sent to NBC should have just been turned over to the FBI - period. Because of NBC's irresponsible handling of these materials, others may now be emboldened to follow Cho's footsteps and perhaps - God forbid - try to top him. Although all the news outlets are showing it, I think NBC should be singled out for boycott of all their programming and sponsors, at least until those who decided to air Cho's rantings are fired. After all, Don Imus fired for less (and I'm not trying to minimize the effect of his inappropriate comments or discount the response to those comments).

So who's all to blame? Do we blame the psychologists who did little or nothing to treat Cho's mental illness? Do we blame our medical system which no longer institutionalizes the criminally insane? Do we blame the lax gun control laws that allow people like this to purchase weapons? Or do we blame strict gun control laws that disallow security personnel to carry the very weapons that could have dropped this animal before he snuffed out 32 lives? Was Cho's upbringing not strict enough? Or too strict? Do we blame those who did not reach out to Cho? Or do we blame the disease that made him so unapproachable to those who tried to reach out?

As I watch this and other world events unfolding before me, I submit to you the root cause of the world's ills. This is not a God-fearing world. We live in a generation that goes about its business as if there is no God with whom to be accountable. As if there is no God to judge them. As if there is no God at all.

It is better to depend on the LORD than to trust mortals. - Psalms 118:8

If God is so good and loves us so much, how can He let this sort of thing happen? That's a valid question, for which I have a valid - if also simplistic - answer. We are all God's children, and God created each and every one of us with a free will. Instead of robots that obey His every beck and call, we are to make our own choice to love God. And it's that free choice that makes our love of God truly genuine.

Yet there are others that choose not to love God. They don't respect God's creation, and they don't respect God's children. They don't care who gets hurt. They just go on and live their lives as if God doesn't exist.

What we saw Monday was a clash of values. And 32 people innocent of the charges leveled by an insane animal were killed in the crossfire.

It is time to mourn again. I leave you with this link to the Virginia Tech homepage which has a fitting tribute to their fallen students and faculty.

The Don Imus Scandal: Can We All Just Move Ahead?

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked him, "Lord, how often do I have to forgive a believer who wrongs me? Seven times?" Jesus answered him, "I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy times seven." Matthew 18:21-22

Let's face it. When Don Imus made his derogatory remarks about the Rutgers women's basketball team last week, he was an idiot. His comments were unacceptable. Period. And I think it was right for his radio show to be suspended. And I think it was perfecly alright for Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson to call Imus out.

I've never heard Don Imus' show. In fact, I never even heard of Don Imus until this whole thing came out. I don't know anything of his character or his beliefs. I have heard a recording of the comments he made on the infamous broadcast, and I agree they were distasteful as they were polorizing.

I also know that Don Imus has apologized profusely for his comments and has thrown himself at the mercy of the public, those he directly offended, and his staunchest critics. Don Imus has figuratively nailed himself to a cross for his offense. Which is more than anyone can say for former Arizona governor Evan Mecham, a horse's ass who made similar racial slurs on a daily basis without apology.

And now Imus has been fired. That is certainly the perogative of his employers; the loss of listeners and sponsors is probably enough to justify Imus' termination.

But is that enough to make the likes of Sharpton and Jackson happy?

To these Christian leaders, I would ask now that they step up to their faith. Imus has apologized enough already. Are they willing to forgive? And if you forgive seventy times seven, have you really forgiven the first 489 times?

Call to Discipleship

I have a friend at church whom I don't always see eye-to-eye with. And I'm sure I annoy her at least as often (if not more) than she annoys me. Yet while I don't always agree with her (and I choose to agree to disagree), we have some really profound spiritual moments together.

She has had some real struggles with her health for the last several years, not the least being the breast cancer which started her whole struggle in the first place. I saw her today as she was walking by, and since I hadn't seen her for a couple of weeks (when I'm sure I annoyed her last), I motioned for her to come give me a hug.

Turns out she really needed that hug, the kind that says, "I'm so grateful for this safe, comfortable place because I'm not okay." She just found out that her cancer is back. As we held each other much longer than your typical casual hug, her tears flowed and she shared how she dreaded the stuggle. She said she was tired of fighting. "I know you are, honey," was the only response I had. It was the only response appropriate for that moment. I think it spoke volumes.

So today was obviously one of our profound spiritual moments together. So pray for my friend.

False Prophet Identified

"At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. See, I have told you ahead of time." -Matthew 24:23-25

Take a good look at the picture on the right - this is exactly what Jesus warned us about. This is a false prophet. This is a false Christ. Sounds crazy?

Meet Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, a pastor in Miami who claims to be Jesus Christ incarnate. And he has the number 666 tattooed on his arm. Now that's odd. And the scary thing is that a lot of people believe him.

De Jesus preaches that there is no devil and no sin. I don't know what Bible he's preaching from, but the New International Version has a combined 466 specific references to "devil" and "sin," as well as 46 references to "Satan." And that's not including other references to the devil including "serpent," "beast," "evil one," etc. That's a lot of references to something that doesn't exist (did you know that cats are not mentioned in the Bible? yet they exist!).

Satan is the Great Deceiver, and perhaps the biggest lie he perpetrates is that he doesn't exist. Trust me, he does.

But wait, it gets even more twisted. Not only does De Jesus claim to be Christ incarnate, but also the antichrist! How can he be both?

Then there's the matter of the "666" tattooed on his arm. While the number 666 is associated with the devil, De Jesus claims it's all just a misunderstanding. Well, let's see. Revelation 13:18 states: "This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast [the devil], for it is man's number. His number is 666." Sorry, there's no mistake about this verse; 666 is associated with Satan. Unfortunately, De Jesus' followers do not have the wisdom to discern that. In fact, De Jesus thinks the antichrist is a great guy.

De Jesus also preaches, "The Antichrist is not the devil; he's the being who replaces Jesus on Earth." True. The Antichrist is not the devil. 2 John 1:7 says, "Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." But when Jesus ascended into heaven, he was not replaced by deceivers. The work of Christ was placed in the hands, feet, mouths, and hearts of his followers. Nor did Jesus leave us in a spiritual vacuum after he left, for he promised us in John 14:26 : "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

De Jesus - I wonder if that's his real name, or one he concocted to ease his deceit? But one thing is sure - he is an antichrist in the true definition. He shmoozes his congregation along the path of evil. They hear what they want to hear. He exploits their ignorance. By telling them there is no devil and no sin, they have no God to fear. In the end, he will only lead them - and himself - to destruction.

How do they allow this to happen to themselves? How do they allow this inherently evil man to control their very souls? Quite simple. They don't know their Bible. And Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda knows this.

If you wish, check out the full story on CNN.

Meanwhile, I close with this passage: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." - 1 John 4:1

In other words, get into the Word, my friends. The Bible is your best protection against scheisters like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Joseph Smith, and Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda.

Keep watch, my brethren. Be vigilant.

Nobody's Perfect - But That's Okay

Some convicting words I heard in this morning's sermon:

"Raise your hand if you're perfect." No hands went up. "Raise your hand if you would like to be more Christ-like." Most - if not all - hands went up.

See, here's the thing. If you're not perfect and you want to be more Christ-like, that means you've got some work to do on yourself. I know I do. But that's okay. The Bible is full of instruction on how to be a better person.

...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ♦ Romans 12:2

Film Review: The Nativity Story

S and I went to see The Nativity Story yesterday. Aside from a few Scriptural inaccuracies in the timelines presented, it was a beautifully made film.

Positive reactions
The locations (in Italy, near where The Passion of the Christ was shot) were breathtaking. The hard lifestyle these people had to endure was portrayed quite realistically. The cast itself was quite diverse - a young New Zealander playing Mary, a Guatemalen playing Joseph, an Irishman playing Herod the Great, an Iranian playing Elizabeth, a Sudanese playing the Angel Gabriel, and an Israeli (from Nazareth!) playing Mary's mother! The musical score was also outstanding; you can hear motifs from familiar Christmas songs (including Silent Night in Latin at the end) throughout the movie, but it doesn't scream Christmas either.

Constructive feedback
As I stated, there were some inaccuracies with the timeline when compared to the Bible story of the Nativity, which unfortunately serves to perpetuate some of the myths we have regarding the birth of Jesus.

The Timeline as Presented in the Film
King Herod, acting the part of the paranoid ruler, is well aware of the prophesies regarding the Messiah and is troubled by them. Meanwhile, the three magi (wise men) determine that the King of the Jews will be born in Judea and his arrival will be signaled by a star. They also determine that three planets will be in conjunction and set out for Judea in time for the conjunction - a time when the three planets will appear to be one star. On the way to Bethlehem they pass through Jerusalem and they meet with King Herod; he, too, is looking for the Messiah. The king sends them on their way and requests that they send word of the Christ's location so he can worship him, too (of course, he has no intention to worship him, but to destroy him). The magi arrive in Bethlehem and follow the star right to the manger as if they knew right where to go; they arrive shortly after Jesus' birth and the shepherds who came to worship also.
In the film, we see the magi make a stop and then head on to Bethlehem as if they knew exactly where they were going, and arriving at the manger shortly after Jesus is born and the shepherds arrive. Meanwhile Herod sends a detachment of troops to Bethlehem to destroy the Christ Child. But Joseph has his dream warning him to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt, and they get out of Bethlehem in the nick of time before the soldiers begin killing all the baby boys. Later we see the wise men approaching Jerusalem and thinking perhaps they shouldn't return to Herod.

The Timeline as Presented in Scripture
From Matthew 2:1-18:

• The magi arrived in Jerusalem after Jesus was born (v. 1).
• The magi had no clue where the king of the Jews was born - they had to ask around (v. 2). All they knew was that it was in Judea; it's only natural that they travelled to Jerusalem, the capital of Judea. This got Herod's attention, so he asked the chief priests and the scribes about the prophecy. Quoting from Micah 5:2, they in turn replied: Bethlehem. (v. 3-6)
• When Herod met with the magi, he inquired of them as to when the star had first appeared (v. 7) and sent them on to Bethlehem. This indicates that the magi had already seen the star rather than anticipate its arrival.
• When the magi set out for Bethlehem, the star they had seen went ahead of them and stopped over where the Christ was (v. 9-10). This implies that their guiding star had disapeared, only to reappear when they started out for Bethlehem. Also, this star didn't obey the laws of physics - it didn't move across the sky with the rotation of the earth.
• The magi arrived at a house, not a stable (v. 11). Remember, the manger was a momentary necessity, but living in a stable was not.
• The magi were warned in a dream not to return to Herod and chose to return to homeland by another route (v. 12). This dream occurred before they left Bethlehem.
• Herod realized he was outwitted by the magi and ordered the killing of all the boys in Bethlehem under the age of two, based on the time given by the magi for the appearance of the star (v. 16). How long did it take for Herod to realize the magi had gone AWOL? I don't know, but it think it would have been plenty of time for Joseph, Mary, and Jesus to get a head start. It also implies that Jesus could have been nearly two years old at this point.

From Luke 2:21-38:

• Jesus was circumcised when he was eight days old (v. 21)
• Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem to present him in the Temple when the time of their purification was completed (v. 22). According to Jewish Law, a woman who has given birth to a son is considered unclean for 33 days after the circumcision, and may not enter the Temple until she is purified (Leviticus 12:3-4). This would place the family in Jerusalem 41 days after Jesus' birth.
• The Holy Spirit had revealed to a man named Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. (v. 25-33) He was led to the Temple by the Holy Spirit and was present when Joseph and Mary arrived with Jesus - and he recognized the Messiah.
• Anna, a prophetess in the Temple, also recognized the Messiah as such (v. 36-38)

In the above timeline, the young family was able to travel to Jerusalem and back unnoticed by Herod. And even if they immediately returned to Bethlehem, this timeline runs at least 42 days (six weeks). The magi could not have possibly arrived in Bethlehem before Jesus was six weeks old.

So no quick, dramatic getaway from Bethlehem.

Other Considerations
The Bible does not say that there were three magi; there were three gifts. We also don't know their names. We do know there were at least two magi - the Bible refers to them in the plural. If there had been a fourth magi, he'd probably have felt stupid for not bringing a gift. Legend assumes three magi because of the three gifts - and it makes the most sense. Works for me.

There is no Biblical prophecy regarding a star signaling the birth of the Messiah. There is only the reference that the magi were guided by this star. We don't really know how they figured out the meaning of the star - I would chalk it up to the Holy Spirit's leading these men to the Messiah - both physically and spiritually. God works that way, you know.

So that's my take on The Nativity Story. Just go in knowing what the Scripture says. But it is a wonderful movie, nonetheless.