Lesser of Two Evils

According to a recent survey[i], 46% of Americans polled said that they will be voting for the “lesser of two evils” this presidential election.  Since it seems to be the most prevalent comment I’ve heard, I’m not surprised in the least.  And while I completely understand the rationale behind the thought, the notion is troubling.  Laying aside all political loyalties, social concern, or even emotional motives, this issue boils down to the simplistic truth that choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.

Let me speak to Christians.  If we hold to God’s Word as all truth, we must admit that “lesser evil” is still “evil”.  We are told in Romans 12:9 to “abhor that which is evil.”  In I Thessalonians 5:22 we are told to “abstain from all appearance of evil.”  Proverbs 8:13 states that “the fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way.”  And Ephesians 5:11 tells us to have no fellowship (or partnership) with the “unfruitful works of darkness.”  Instead believers are to “reprove” (admonish or rebuke) evil.

Voting is a privilege as well as our Christian duty, and I would never tell a person who they should vote for.  But I will exhort my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to prayerfully consider what your vote will stand for.  A fellow blogger made the statement that in 1933 Germany the two most “electable” parties were the Nazis and the Communists.  Then he asks a pointed question.  “For which of these did German Christians have a ‘civic duty’ to vote?”

It has been said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.   I believe that it is foolish to expect different results in our country until God’s people change their ways (repent) and begin to stand firm on truth.  When Christians step away from absolute truth and blend right and wrong with relativism, or try to cover up black and white issues with shades of gray, we are in danger of God’s judgment.  The Bible is filled with antithetical laws: good or evil, black or white, saved or unsaved, right or wrong, heaven or hell, narrow way or broad way, foundation on solid rock or sandy foundation, righteous or unrighteous, God’s children or the children of the devil, etc.    May our faith and practice once again line up with this truth.


A Christian’s Response to the Upcoming Election

My last post talked about consequences and I am afraid that this next election will hold grave consequences.  So what should a Christian’s response be to the upcoming election?   It appears that our options for voting are between current President Obama and Mitt Romney.  I’m not even going to address the President’s policies these last 3 ½ years.  Let his actions speak for himself.  I’m also not going to address that fact that Mitt Romney is not a career politician (which I believe is a great asset) or his apparent values.  Laying all political, financial, and moral views aside, I want to address something different.  Should a Christian vote for a candidate who is not a Christian?

Regardless of how the media likes to spin the issue, the truth from God’s Word is that, “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20).  Evaluate for yourself the “fruits” produced by our current President who strongly supports the murder of innocent babies and homosexual marriage.

So I ask the next question.  Is Mitt Romney, a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Christian?  While I cannot know his heart, I can look at the Mormon religion as a whole.

The Institute for Religious Research has a page on the Mormon religion (http://mit.irr.org/mormonism-christian-2) that explains the basic beliefs of Mormons.  Below are a few, but not all, of Mormon beliefs.

  • Many gods made the world (Abraham 4:1-31)
  • God the Father was once a man (LDS Church teaches that Jesus Christ, humans, angels, and fallen spirits including Satan are all eternal beings that were never created and that are all spirit brothers and sisters. In particular, Christ and Lucifer (Satan) were two spirit brothers; Christ supported Heavenly Father’s plan while Lucifer did not.)
  • Adam’s sin was “a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us” (Book of Mormon—2 Nephi 2:14-26; Book of Moses 5:10-12)
  • Mormonism teaches that a person must become worthy in order to obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life in the presence of God the Father through obedience to all the commands of the LDS Church (Book of Mormon—2 Nephi 25:23;
  • LDS Church teaches that the Bible has been corrupted, is missing many “plain and precious parts,” and does not contain the fullness of the gospel (1 Nephi 13:26-29)
  •  LDS Church teaches that faithful Mormons who fulfill all of their spiritual, moral, and ritual obligations can eventually attain the status of gods, beings of the same essential nature as God the Father ruling over their own worlds. “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be” (Lorenzo Snow, in Presidents of the Church: Student Manual [2004], 88, 90; Gospel Fundamentals [2001], 201; Gospel Principles [2009], 275-79; Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith [2011], 71).

The Mormonism Research Ministry has compiled this list. (http://www.mrm.org/god-of-mormonism)

  •  The god of Mormonism is one of many gods.
  • The god of Mormonism is not self-existent.
  • The god of Mormonism is not transcendent.
  • The god of Mormonism is not immutable.
  • The god of Mormonism is not eternally God.
  • The god of Mormonism is not incorporeal.
  • The god of Mormonism is not omnipresent.
  • The god of Mormonism cannot dwell in the believer.
  • The god of Mormonism is not omnipotent.
  • The god of Mormonism does not forgive completely.

In his famous “King Follett Discourse” Joseph Smith (prophet, teacher, and leader of the saints) taught,

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. That is the great secret… [Y]ou have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you…”

According to www.mormon.org in addition to the Bible, Latter-day Saints accept the following books as scripture:

  • The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, a record of God’s dealings with the inhabitants of ancient America (2000  BC – 400 AD).
  • The Doctrine and Covenants, a collection of revelations and inspired declarations given for the establishment and regulation of the Church of Jesus Christ in the last days (1830 AD – 1978 AD).
  • The Pearl of Great Price, a selection of revelations, translations, and writings of Joseph Smith.

This information does not even touch on all the false beliefs of the Mormons.  Check it out for yourself.

http://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/Mormons.html

http://bible-truth.org/arelds.htm

http://cnview.com/on_line_resources/are_mormons_christian.htm

So, it is clear that the god the Mormons worship is not the True God of the Bible.  It is also clear that they do not worship the true Christ who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). Nor do they uphold the true Word of God.

So here is the dilemma.  If we have two unbelievers running for president what do we do?  How do we vote?  Let me answer that question with this one.   Are there only two choices?  As a Christian I believe that I should not only vote in each election, but that I should pray and seek out God’s will.  So, would God give His children the choice between two unbelievers?  Would God want us voting for an unbeliever?  Would God not give His children a way to make the right decision?  We might be tempted to cast a vote for an unbeliever because it is the “lesser of two evils.”  We might be tempted to lay aside the candidates faith or our faith and focus on the politics. But as a Christian I cannot separate my faith from my vote.  My faith is not what I do; it is who I am.  My conscience tells me that I would be wrong to vote for an unbeliever, regardless of the circumstances.  You see, God always gives His children the ability to do what is right.  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Co 10:13)

 It was John Quincy Adams that said, “Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”  So it looks like that over the next few months I am going to be doing some research on other 3rd party candidates, trusting that the God of the Bible is sovereign and knowing my conscience is clear.

More School?

bus

The Drudge Report (www.drudgereport.com)  has an article this morning (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090927/ap_on_re_us/us_more_school)  about the President wanting longer school days and a longer school year, curtailing summer vacation. “Challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom”, he said earlier this year. Obama says American kids spend too little time in school, putting them at a disadvantage with other students around the globe. Really? I will not argue that American children are behind in academics when compared to children around the world. But I draw the line there. The last thing children need today is more time away from their families. Already, many children are being trained and indoctrinated by the world system for 7-8 hours, 5 days a week. When they do get home they are overwhelmed with activities, sports and homework. Several years ago a friend called asking for suggestions with her boy. She was having trouble keeping him motivated in doing his homework. I asked her how much time he on average spent doing homework each evening. She said he gets home at 4 p.m. and does homework until dinner time and then sometimes 1 to 2 hours after dinner each night. The child at the time was in 3rd grade. My comment was simply, “If I had just spent 8 hours “learning” and then had to come home and do another 3 to 4 hours of homework, I probably wouldn’t be motivated either.”

I realize that it has become common practice to hand your child over to the government from an early age, but is this really what we need? Psalm One gives a beautiful comparison between the blessed man and the wicked man.

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.”

Notice that the blessed man does not walk in the counsel of (take advise or learn from) the ungodly. Nor, standeth in the way of (abides with) the sinners. Nor, sitteth in the seat of (continually dwells with) the scornful (those who scoff at or mock). Dr. Voddie Baucham, in Family Driven Faith says, “Contrary to popular opinion, there is no such thing as amoral education. All education teaches and shapes morality. It is impossible to separate one’s view of God, man, truth, knowledge, and ethics from the educational process. Every day that our children sit behind a desk, they are either being taught to know, love, and obey God or they are being taught to love and obey someone or something that has usurped God’s proper role.” He goes on to say, “Let me be clear – I applaud men and women who God has called to teach in government schools. These people are front-line warriors, and they need to be right where they are. However, there is a big difference between sending fully trained disciples into enemy territory and sending recruits to our enemy’s training camp. If we do the latter, we shouldn’t be surprised when they come home wearing the enemy’s uniform and charging the hill of our home while waving an enemy flag.”

An “Obamanation”

obama

Last Sunday while we were having our fellowship lunch after the morning worship service one young lady shared with me what she had written in her notes during the service.  As my husband was preaching about things that are an abomination to the Lord something in the way he spoke caused her to write down the phrase “Obama Nation”.  I’m afraid that there is more truth to this statement than many people in this country are willing to admit. 

President Obama has now declared June 2009 to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month.  Our President is celebrating and encouraging an act that is an abomination in God’s eyes. (Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Lev 18:22) Not only is this act an abomination in God’s eyes but something that by Old Testament Law is a deed worthy of death.  (If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Lev 20:13)  

 Does your heart ache for our country?  Are you weeping over the condition we are now in? Is there righteous indignation burning within your soul?  When will the Christian brethren say enough is enough?  When will men of God preach out against the unrighteousness that abounds in this country?  When will we fall to our faces, mourn over our sins, and cry out for God to save us?  Perhaps when we ourselves seek after righteousness and holiness?  It’s hard for the Christian community to take a stand against homosexuality when most professing “Christians” endorse the very act.  You may ask, just how are Christians endorsing homosexuality?  Let me answer that question with others.  How many Christians support companies who openly promote homosexuality?  How many Christians listen to music performed by known homosexuals (American Idol contestants, for example)?  How many Christians watch television programs and movies that support the homosexual lifestyle?  Don’t tell me that professing Christians in this country are not endorsing homosexuality.                     

True believers must call out to God and seek His face.  If we continue on this path our country is headed for destruction.  Do you think it’s as bad as it’s going to get?  Let me suggest that it will get much worse.  A generation ago in this nation the act of homosexuality was a disgrace but now it’s paraded out in the open.  Now our leaders take pride in the very act.  If the Lord tarries what will our children and their children witness?  If you want to know just read Leviticus 20:15-16.  It’s coming, it’s an abomination, and this is what we can expect from an “Obama Nation”.