Learning From Our Past, Repealing Healthcare Reform & Balancing The Budget: A Lesson From Massachusetts

Last week my home state (Oklahoma) became the 28th state to challenge the constitutionality of the individual mandate provision of the federal health care act. The fact that over 50% of the U.S. states are challenging the legislation in federal court pretty much shows where the American people stand on the issue. The question is, will it work?

We last visited this topic when discussing the Alien and Sedition acts signed by John Adams in 1798. The legislation was both racist and oppressive and obviously is no longer in place. For that, we can think the state of Massachusetts.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison saw the Alien and Sedition acts as being unconstitutional. Therefore Jefferson wrote a resolution for the state of Kentucky and Madison for Virginia declaring the unconstitutionality of the law and that their states had the right to not obey the law. However, Massachusetts saw the big picture and took a very unpopular stance.

Massachusetts made its own resolution stating to Kentucky and Virgina that all the states had agreed to the constitution and were thus bound to it. It went on to say that it wasn't up to the individual states to determine if something is constitutional or not. Imagine 50 different states today with 50 different interpretations of the law and the right to deem it constitutional or not. It would be complete anarchy.

Sure Oklahomans, along with 27 other states, have a legitimate beef against the government but what they're doing is very different than what Kentucky and Virginia did in the late 1700's. These states today are drafting legislation that will ultimately lead to judicial review. That my friends could be the way out of this mess we're in.

In 1803 the U.S. Supreme Court claimed the right to decide if a law is unconstitutional or night. It was at that point in time that our young nation saw the three aspects of the American government that our forefathers had put in place begin to function. It was President Adams and Congress (executive and legislative branches) that brought these unfair acts into law but it would also be the judicial branch that would repeal them. We owe that thanks to a man named John Marshall. We'll get to him in the next post on this topic.

Watch Out For False Prophets In Sheep's Clothing - Need An Example?

Three times in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus warns us to keep watch for false prophets. He also addresses it in the Gospel's of Mark and Luke. In Matthew 7, Jesus says they will appear in sheep's clothing. Meaning they'll attempt to come across as something they are not...say for example a Baptist Church.

¹⁵ “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? - Matthew 7:15-16

For years now the group that calls themselves Westboro Baptist Church has thrived on

turning people away from the message of salvation and the Body of Christ known as the church. They are the ones who show up at the funerals of fallen soldiers and slain children with a message of hate.

Unfortunately this is the view of the church that America is seeing today but it isn't in any way a picture of the Gospel or the church as defined by the Word of God. The Gospel is a message of hope not hate. Is God opposed to sin? Absolutely He is but there is no standard of degree when it comes to a sinful nature. Sin is sin in the eyes of God! That's why Jesus told us to consider the "plank" in our own eye before pointing out the "speck" in someone else's eye.

Note that Jesus said that they (wolves) would be known by their fruit. Compare the message of hate spread by the Westboro group to the message of love spread by Christian missionaries who live among people stricken with AIDS or in the slums of any major city ministering to the destitute, broken and social rejects. These people sacrifice their rights to travel to another country or their comforts to be among the indigent. Then there's the group from Kansas that preys on the families broken and mourning in order to use their tragedy of a lost loved one to spread hate. You tell me which of the two bear the fruit of Christ?

Take a quick look at what the Apostle Paul said to the church of Ephesus in regards to their behavior.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. - Ephesians 4:29-32

Yes, homosexuality is a sin. The Bible is clear on that point. However, hating homosexuals (Something that God DOESN'T do) isn't the answer and the Bible is clear on that as well. You know what else the Bible says is a sin? Unwholesome talk, bitterness, slander, lack of compassion and all forms of malice. I guess the folks at Westboro are more interested in the "specks" than the "planks." That my friends, is another mark of the deceiver. Be very careful in connecting this group with anything that is Godly or the Body of Christ. Because clearly they're not!

Learning From Our Past, Repealing Healthcare Reform & Balancing The Budget: We've Been Here Before

A clear line was drawn in the political sand last year when Congress passed the Health Care Bill. Elections in November were a clear indication from the American population that the act of legislation was neither appreciated nor wanted. Now as the 112th U.S. Congress convenes with a Republican House majority its clear that the agenda is repealing the health care bill and balancing the budget. This isn't the first time we've faced legislation passed by Congress that the general public disapproved of and thought to be unconstitutional. Looking back through our past we may find a road map that leads to a repeal through the democratic process.

In 1798 John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition acts. Racially motivated the Alien acts made it extremely difficult for foreigners (particularly Catholics from France) to gain entrance and citizenship into the United States. They also gave the president the authority to removed anyone he so desired from the country if he "thought" them to be dangerous.

With such an controversial law in place (many people were fleeing to the U.S. to escape from France's revolution) and the public outcry rising up against it the Sedition act allowed for anyone to be imprisoned for speaking out against the government. There would be no exception to this law either as journalists, the grandson of Benjamin Franklin and even a U.S. Congressman were all locked up for being violators.

Thomas Jefferson had these laws in mind when he wrote, "I know not which mortifies most, that I should fear to write what I think, or my country bear such a state of things."

The Alien and Sedition acts are no longer laws of our country because they were in direct violation of Constitution of the United States. In the same way the new health care law violates the Constitution in two ways.

1. imposing a new mandate on individuals to obtain health insurance or face a penalty and
2. imposing on the states new costs by expanding Medicaid, which is a federal-state program.

So, how will the bill be reformed? We'll get to that in future posts but these two unconstitutional acts of Congress provide the road map we need.

Comedian In The Making!

My 9-year old son comes to me and ask, "Dad, do you know what kind of sneakers a chicken wears?"

Me: "No, son. I have no ideas what kind of sneakers a chicken wears."

My Son: "Ree - BAWK!!!"

Why Not Me?

I first started blogging as a hobby in April of 2005. Since then I've written about sports, religion and politics. In five years of writing about my world I've never really taken the time to write about me. I'm not saying that I'm anything special though because I'm certainly not.

However, my wife and I have been married for almost eighteen years. We have four kids ranging from a freshman in high school to a 13-month old baby. I'm a pastor of a small church. I coach high school football, basketball and baseball. I'm working on two book projects and am a strong Conservative Republican. You bet I some good stories to share!

Opinions? Yes, I'll share them! Stories? You'll get those too. This is my blog and my life. I hope you enjoy it!