Genesis

1 - Sure, why not talk about political topics in church? As a body of Christians mostly wanting religion to play an important role in American public life, why not help provide moral and spiritual guidance on the great issues of our day, eventually shaping conscience of what is a pretty apathetic America? It sure would be better than getting information from misleading political ads or 2:30 news packages that can't begin to cover the entire story. We can't go so far as endorse candidates but I think a dialogue about the topics might be educational.

I usually don't mind Rush all that much. He kind of reminds me of my Mass Comm Law professor in that he sometimes says the completely offensive thing that gets people talking however, I'll make a judgement that he's gone a bit too far with his statements about Michael J. Fox. Sure Fox is an actor, but to suppose that he "acted" his tremors to play to the favor of voters sympathies is just mean-spirited. Obviously Fox has a vested interest in stem-cell research and honestly, if I were faced with a devastating illness at such a young age, I might be grasping at any research straws regardless of the moral implications. Maybe?

Of course I say that knowing very little facts about stem cell research and human cloning or the effect of these bills and others have on our constitutional rights and setting precident for the future shape of our country and our culture. But that's what irritates me about political commercials. How many people watching those things are going to go to Fox News or somewhere else to learn more or are they just going to take a side base on whomever gave the star endorsement or whomever has the most inticing argument?

But isn't all this similar to what we talked about this past sunday. If we are going to go "all in" and walk in God's will shouldn't we be equally vocal in culture with the facts supported with Biblical truth? I understand enough to know that playing around with embryos and cloning is messing with God's order and the idea that we might be giving people a license to do more than just research with cloning just scares me.

Personally, I have Mike Hatch, Gov. Pawlenty, Patty Wetterling and Michelle Bachmann to thank. They have driven me away from watching tv for the next several weeks.

 (Comment this)

2 - To support the idea of "talking politics" in church I'll also throw this out: Did anyone hear Michelle Bachmann at the Leadership Forum this past fall? Quite sincerely, I didn't really have that strong of an opinion on the whole Gay Marriage Ammendment (I know that's bad but well, it's the truth) until I listened to her arguments while sitting in the Genesis Sactuary that night. In fact while I understood the whole loving the sinner, hating the sin part of it - I didn't see it really affecting me one way or another. (Comment this)

3 - Stem cell research in and of itself is not bad. It is distroying human embryos that I have an issue with. So I would not want them to ban adult stem cell research. Cloning is a whole other topic. Not a good idea at all!!
I am a republican but Rush went way to far by saying MJF was faking his symptoms!!! He is doing nothing for the cause by being a jerk. Parkinsons is serous, for those with it and the families who love them. He probably turned undecideds off and lost votes for the republican candidate.
Perhaps politics don't belong in church. But discussing moral issues must be talked about. Pastors should not tell you who to vote for, but tell you what the Bible says about the issues. From that, we can decide for ourselves. (Comment this)

4 - How hard it would be to be a scientist? You know that you have a way to clone dna and perhaps more easily recreate the scenarios for reproducing cells that illustrate huntington disease or alzheimer's or parkinson's and in every grand scheme of things you are trying to do the greater good for fellow man. You have the gift of all of this knowledge but where do you draw the line? (Comment this)

5 - I haven't been following this story very closely. But, I did hear on the radio that Fox has confessed to not taking his drugs so that his symptoms would be emphasized during congress hearings in the past. I also know that with film you pick what is shown and what isn't. Even if his symptoms flare up and stop, they most definitely and deliberately chose a flare up instance to show the world.

Just a personal soap box. Why is it that we should care so much about the messed up life of the millionaire tv star and in turn care nothing about the millions of lives that are lost to find his cure? What is wrong with the world? We really are in need of a Savior! (Comment this)

6 - Ah, the power of the media. That is sad if it is true that Fox wouldn't take his medication to help some sort of sympathy vote in a hearing.

Are we furthering science to find a cure just for him or the thousands of people who have his disease and other devastating disease like alzehiemers or juvenille diabetes etc? I'd like to think I care about finding cures for cancer or parkinson's just because it is terrible that people need to suffer. He's just visible because of his celebrity and in a 30 second commercial it is easy to exploit celebrity to a cause than show a bunch of strangers with similar symptoms. Why did his opponent use Patricia Heaton to share her views?

Does wanting to pursue this science mean I don't care about lives being lost? Are scientists playing god by creating lives in their laboratories? I'd like to think I know the answer to this, but I'm not really sure.

 (Comment this)

7 - I like Michael J. Fox as an actor (except maybe Back to the Future III) I have seen him on several interviews lately and his tremors are pretty pronounced, that said I whole heartedly agree that the power of editing allows us to only see what the director wants us to see and sadly our culture does place a huge reverance on celebrity.

What irritates me the most about politics and these political ads is that in 30 seconds or a minute they pretty much don't tell you a whole lot and make it seem like the republican or democrat agenda is the reason these problems exsist and if you vote one way that suddenly the issue will be solved. Maybe I just don't have a whole lot of faith in the political process but in saying that it also makes me sad because the freedoms granted to me and my lack of faith make it really easy to not really care about what politicians are doing.

When you allow experimentation on one human life, regardless of how developed, to save the life of another, you're getting into very dangerous territory. Maybe I'm going a bit too far however can't you just imagine if we allow cloning, someone will grow a clone of themselves in order to harvest body organs from them? Or we start growing clones because livers and hearts are hard to come by and by golly uncle joe needs a heart transplant. (Comment this)

8 - I know there are some churches out there who choose not to talk about "politics" or anything that could even come close to being political - abortion, gay rights, EMBRYONIC stem cell research, etc., even some things less "political" but still controvertial in the Christian world such as divorce, remarriage, the process of election, God's foreknowledge, end times, etc. But I believe these things are addressed by God in His Book.

I think our "churches" have a responsibility not only to preach but to teach. What is said about these things in the Bible? How should we witness to people of non-Christian religions? How do you approach a pro-choice (anti-life as I like to call it) person and persuade them to listen to pro-life arguement and get them thinking?

Churches and leaders should be equipping us to go out into the world - our workplace, our school, the shopping mall, the gas station, etc. - and make the case for Christ.

How do I take a stand on these issue? How do I refute a pro-choice activist without building up walls? How do I openly talk about the issue of gay marriage and gay rights without turning someone off to the Gospel?

Is war okay? How am I going to talk to the Jehovah's Witness as he knocks on my door? I mean really talk to them and witness to them. Not just the oh, I have a church.

These are issues that affect us all every day. Not everyone's passion is the same, but everyone should have passion.

In answer to your question, Pastor Ben, yes!!!!!! I think our churches should be preaching on these things. There is more to God than just his love. There is His wrath, His justice, His calling, His instruction, His anger, His judgment, His perfect way. We all need to be equipped to go out into the world - into our own backyards - and be missionaries for Christ.

Keep preaching and keep teaching!!!!!


 (Comment this)

9 - Kim.... I couldn't have said it better! I agree with all you wrote. We need to know what we are armed with when we are attacked from all these issues and knowledge is key. Preach on Pastor Ben!!!! (Comment this)

10 - This hasn't anything to do with the michael j. fox thing other than a sad commentary on the news and maybe the greed of our society.

As I was having my hot chocolate this morning I ran across the following news article on Yahoo: link here
The person is putting the letters up on eBay! I just find that so terribly sad. (Comment this)