Was Jesus a Socialist?

As a past candidate for office, I was invited to meetings by the group that calls itself ISAIAH. They preach the need to raise taxes for every imaginable sob story under the sun. When I attended my first ISAIAH meeting I was at first impressed. One after another a person would get up to speak on behalf of their cause. Each and every one of them a noble cause but as the meeting went along I realized that these people were missing the point of charity.


I recall that when I ran for state senate in 2006 many of us candidates were invited to their meeting at St Peter's Church in Mendota. Many candidates were asked to stand up and address the gathering of people. They were to tell us how they would address the issues brought up in the meeting. Everyone of them, from Peter Hutchinson to Obi Sium had little of substance to say. I was thankful that us state senate candidates were not asked to speak. I would not have pleased the crowd.

If given the chance to speak that night, the first thing I would have said was, "Would you please raise your hand if you have taken in a Hurricane Katrina victim. Would you raise your hand if you have given the single mother on your street a ride to work when her car broke down, or watched her child when she could not afford day care."


I would continue by saying, "I believe that it all begins with the man in the mirror. If we have a concern then get up and get to work rather than force others to finance your dreams thru higher taxes. This is not charity."


This last fall I was again invited to a meeting at River Center. After this meeting I now realize that ISAIAH is the religious left at its worst. Their "noble" causes have expanded to include such extreme positions as immigration reform, not real reform, but just let every one stay. Reparations to blacks. I have never owned a slave and I have never known a slave so I would just as soon keep my tax money. One white gentleman even spoke of feeling guilty for being white!


Having to sit through speech's by Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar and Margaret Anderson Kelliher wasn't to bad but what irked me was when Senator Hahn was cut short during his speech on limited government. As the day progressed it became apparent that it was standard operating procedure to cut off the conservatives. I almost got up and walked out.


So I bring all this up because of the following article I read this evening. In my opinion the author gets it right about charity. It is from an article on http://godsipod.com. This, and an interesting side note can be read here,
http://godsipod.com/christian_podcasts/israel_anderson/files/was_jesus_a_socialist.html

By Israel Anderson

A popular Christian author wrote recently about Yeshua being a Socialist. At one point in his book, he says he is often a labeled a Communist, and kinda laughs it off, but doesn't reject the label.

If you have read my story on my personal website, IsraelAnderson.com, you would know that I grew up in abject poverty. I lived on the streets for 2 and half years from 14 to 17. I know what it is like to be very needy. So I have a perspective the comfortable Church kids writing best sellers do not. I didn't choose to go sleep in slums with the homeless to open my eyes to another world, that was simply my life.

So it may surprise you, that I see Socialism as wrong and totally contrary to Yeshua's Kingdom. Those who claim Yeshua was a Socialist, fail to understand the voluntary nature of charity. What our Lord wants is free and liberal giving of our prosperity, our time, our love. Charity, not Socialism is what Yeshua advocates. When men are reliant upon a ruling authority, they become slaves to that authority. But Yeshua came to set us free. Freedom, liberty, these are ideas Yeshua espoused to His followers. And Yeshua talks all the time about a monetary system that is nothing other than a free market.

But Socialism frees no one, it destroys a person's spirit. It traps them in a system that is near-impossible to escape from. It destroys the courage and strength of the man who would otherwise be forced to rise out of their poverty, by seeking work and making something of himself. It was the free enterprise system that empowered me to change, not Socialism, in fact it was government hand-outs that kept me on the streets for so long. Change, does not come from politicians. If we have not even learnt much already, then God help us.

Socialism purports to support the poor, say that 3 times really fast, but does so at their expense, and the expense of those being forced through the threat of violence and further loss of their freedoms and property. Socialism takes the property of another person and redistributes it as "they" see fit. When this is done by individuals, we call this larceny, theft. When Government does it, we call it taxation, either through a direct tax or an inflation tax caused by the printing of money that is backed by nothing. But the size or the scale or the word we use does not change what it is, it is still theft. The result of Socialism is an irresponsible society crippled by a sense of entitlement. So it's ironic, that when we steal we're called a thief and sent to jail, but when a man in a suit and big smile steals, he's called a politician and sent to the seat of government.

As believers in Yeshua, let's give deep critical thought to this important issue as we consider the direction we may be heading as a people right now. It is a voluntary virtue to provide charity to another, stealing is never the answer. And when God said, thou shalt not steal, He meant it. If Charity is not voluntary, it is thievery, it is moral hypocrisy and as history well shows, it fails every time. The responsibility for my neighbor, is mine, not the governments. It's time for us, the Body of Yeshua, to take back the reigns of charity, and that means we need to see the world differently. We need to be people of action, care and concern for each other. If we don't, God will give us the government we deserve, and as history has well shown, Socialism will destroy us.

My Scriptures for today.

Matthew 25:34-36 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, my Father has blessed you! Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. for I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. 36 I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
and
Exodus 20:15 & 17 Thou shalt not steal. and Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors possessions.

Reduce Senators Per Diem to the Same as That of Representatives

On January 12th 2009, during the adoption of temporary joint rules, Marty Seifert motioned to amend the rules so that senators would receive the same amount in per diem as that of representatives. This would save taxpayers about $150,000.00 between now and the end of session in May.

Sertich (DFL) motioned that this be refered to the rules committee. I must point out here that during my campaign my opponent Rick Hansen would always deny any responsibility for the amount of per diem he took. It is a common practice to blame the "Rules Committee" and pass the buck.

Representative Kohls accused the majority democrats of referring motions back to committees to pass the buck, avoid responsibility, and avoid any discussion on uncomfortable issues. This kind of activity allows the democrat majority to avoid a floor vote so they can claim to be off the hook to their constituency. The canned response you will commonly hear is, "The Rules Committee did it, I had no roll in it."

A predictable start to the 2009 session began in a typically partisan fashion. Roll call was taken on the Sertich (DFL) motion to refer to the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration as it is officially known. The vote, 66 yeas and 60 nays. Good old boys Rick Hansen and Joe Atkins voting in the affirmative like the liberal party hacks they are.

This activity continued. The same thing happened to an Anderson, S. amendment that would require the House and Senate postage budget to be reduced 15%. Sent to the Rules Committee.

And so it went for several other motions designed to reduce the size of government or reduce the burden on the taxpayer. The passing of a Sertich (DFL) motion to refer to the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration. No accountability. No guts. No brains.

Chicago's Mayor Richard Daley once said "The voters have spoken, now they must be punished." I for one have had enough punishment. The economy is crap. I am unemployed. Taxes keep going up. Our elected officials take no responsibility for their actions or they pass the buck. If I didn't love Minnesota so much I would probably move to South Dakota.

MESSAGES TO GOVERNOR PAWLENTY

The Civic Caucus is a non-partisan group that conducts discussions and surveys on public policies within Minnesota. They conduct weekly meetings and share the information from these meetings via email along with a questionnaire. Recipients of these emails provide input to the issues important to our state on any and all issues that we are confronted with. This input is from a broad cross section of citizens.


Recently we were asked to provide input for what is called "Messages to Governor Pawlenty," which was forwarded to the Governor in the hope that he will use this input in his upcoming State of the State Address. The responses to this were all over the map, things such as legalizing marijuana and raising taxes all the way to responsible fiscal leadership and more balance between state revenue income and expenditures.

Here is a sample from Senator Dave Durenberger,

Before I switched from the Governor's race to the Senate in 1978 I went to D.C. to find out why I should from members of the Senate who had been Governors. I wanted to change the role of government and they said I might but only if I followed the money and the spending power to its national source. I became ranking GOP on Intergovernmental relations subcommittee and then chair until I left for another committee and IGR was dropped. The National Governors were a force in getting Reagan to propose a "new federalism" which failed because of the political power of counties and cities.

History is repeating itself. Obama will do a stimulus package and all the local governments in America have hired two senators (ex IL) and a congressperson to carry letters to Santa in Washington. The Tim Pawlentys of the NGA are doing little/nothing to focus the President on national purposes and state accountability and capacity.

As we are proving once again, in our historic credit crisis, one important purpose of a national government is a healthy national economy as a foundation for the income security of its citizens. In which local markets play by national rules. Full employment and realistic income protection. Tax policy that relies less on taxing income, wages, and the savings/investments they make possible than on the goods and services we produce.

Private insurance policy that uses national rules to restore competitiveness to insurance markets so as to minimize the "catastrophic" role that social insurance must play. Especially as this relates to health care access and to supportive services for persons with disabilities. Public assistance (welfare) will remain a joint national-state responsibility because of the wide variations in tax capacity and public equity commitment of the states to our citizens.

As our nation ages and the global economy changes, the northern states are gradually losing their taxing capacity to the south. Sam's Clubbers who live in these states and depend on them for access to quality jobs and public services are either dependent on more public assistance or on jobs in the south. They are left to pay off pension, health and disability insurance promises made in the healthy era to persons who "took early retirement" so they could "spend their kids inheritance" in FL or TX or AZ. That's why we need a new national income security policy to replace the antiquated promises made to the "greatest generation" before our children and grandchildren have to rely on them.

We also need better from state government. Education and infrastructure is what states and local governments can do best. Reform of education at all levels is a must public purpose of state leaders which Governors like Rudy Perpich and Arne Carlson led on decades ago. Transportation, energy/environment, public safety and recreation, and, critically today, housing policy are part of our infrastructure.

In our federal system the interstate commerce clause of the constitution does not require Congress to build highways and bridges. It does require Congress to set national policy on resource and health protection from energy production, but not how best it's achieved. Minnesota citizens spoke to that in the Legacy Amendment to our constitution this fall and to their willingness to tax themselves to assure healthier lives for us and future generations.

You can read the more from Messages to Governor Pawlenty at,
http://civiccaucus.org/RespSummPawlentyLetter.html

Check out the Civic Caucus at,
http://civiccaucus.org/

GOP Future - A Call for Leadership‏

This was sent to me by my friend Don Lee of Eagan.

An open letter to the GOP and its leadership:

Who will stand against the stampede being orchestrated by our president elect? A GOP response is called for, and should be delivered quickly. Barack Obama and the "Party of Free Stuff" want us to throw fiscal caution to the wind, and give him enough power to solve all our problems.

Our response should be emphatic: we are a strong people, capable of solving our own problems. We should state clearly that Mr. Obama's New Deal is a bad one.

Mr. Obama says that the "era of profound irresponsibility" must end, but his policies will take irresponsibility to new heights unless the Republicans stand up to him.

Mr. Obama says that our economy rests on trust. But his plans will destroy the trust that the whole world places in our financial system and our legal system. To spend money we don't have is little more than counterfeiting. Borrowing money that we cannot or will not repay is little more than theft. Money is not a bit of paper. It is a promise and a commitment. It represents the promise of one of us to redeem it for something of value. Twisting the law to enable people to break their commitments encourages irresponsible behavior and breaks trust.

Barack Obama paints a pretty picture of a world where all problems are solved, where every American's needs are met, and the planet is saved by carefully targeted government expenditures. This is wonderful campaign rhetoric, but in the real world, things have costs. The costs will not be born by the president and the 535 members of congress, but by the sweat and sacrifice of taxpayers and their children.

The emperor has no clothes, but most Americans have not yet noticed. It is up to the GOP to remind them that for every responsibility we surrender to Washington, we lose a little bit of our freedom.

Barack Obama tells Americans that they cannot solve their own problems. He thinks we need him to take control, change the rules, and run more of our lives. This is an insult to our long history of independence and personal responsibility. We need the Republican leadership to remind us who we really are.

Sincerely,


Don Lee
Eagan, MN

Celebrating John Brandl & His Uncommon Quest for Common Ground

On January 28, at 4:30 PM at the University of Minnesota Humphrey Center, please join six of Minnesota's strangest bedfellows as they talk about government's proper role in the currently troubled economy in the ecumenical spirit of a remarkable scholar, public servant, and friend.

This will be the first of an annual gathering in celebration of the late Professor Brandl's rich and generous life in which speakers, for one day anyway, seek to bridge differences by civilly ushering away -- both Stage Right and Stage Left -- disagreements that may be more assumed than central.

This event is being co-sponsored by the Center for the American Experiment, Growth and Justice, Minnesota 2020, The Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, the Citizens League and the Minnesota Free Market Institute. RSVPs to Britt Drake at the Center for the American Experiment. 612-338-3605. See Invitation here.

The Toilet Bowls

The Toilet Bowls
Michael Ramirez

The Last of The Kennedy Dynasty

This is just too good to pass up!

As soon as cancer was found, I noticed the immediate attempt at canonization of old Teddy by the main stream media.. They are saying what a "great American" he is. I say, let's get a couple things clear & not twist the facts to change the real history.

1. He was caught cheating at Harvard when he attended it. He was expelled twice, once for cheating on a test, and once for paying a classmate to cheat for him.

2. While expelled, Kennedy enlisted in the Army, but mistakenly signed up for four years instead of two. Oops, the man can't count to four. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, former U.S. Ambassador to England (a step up from bootlegging liquor into the US from Canada during prohibition), pulled the necessary strings to have his enlistment shortened to two years, and to ensure that he served in Europe, not Korea, where a war was raging. No preferential treatment for him like "he" charged President Bush received.

3. Kennedy was assigned to Paris, never advanced beyond the rank of Private, and returned to Harvard upon being discharged. Imagine a person of his "education" NEVER advancing past the rank of Private.

4. While attending law school at the University of Virginia, he was cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was clocked driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood with his headlights off after dark. Yet his Virginia driver's license was never revoked. Coincidentally, he passed the bar exam in 1959, amazing!!!

5. In 1964, he was seriously injured in a plane crash, and hospitalized for several months. Test results done by the hospital at the time he was admitted had shown he was legally intoxicated. The results of those tests remained a "state secret" until in the 1980's when the report was unsealed. Didn't hear about that from the unbiased media, did we.

6. On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts. At about 11:00 PM, he borrowed his chauffeur's keys to his Oldsmobile limousine, and offered to give a ride home to Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign worker. Leaving the island via an unlit bridge with no guard rail, Kennedy steered the car off the bridge, flipped, and into Poucha Pond.

7. He swam to shore and walked back to the party, after passing several houses and a fire station. Then two friends returned with him to the scene of the accident. According to their later testimony, they told him what he already knew, that he was required by law to immediately report the accident to the authorities. Instead Kennedy made his way to his hotel, called his lawyer, and went to sleep. Kennedy called the police the next morning and by then the wreck had already been discovered. Before dying, Kopechne had scratched at the upholstered floor above her head in the upside-down car. The Kennedy family began "calling in favors", ensuring that any inquiry would be contained. Her corpse was whisked out-of-state to her family, before an autopsy could be conducted. Further details are uncertain, but after the accident Kennedy says he repeatedly dove under the water trying to rescue Kopechne, and he didn't call police because he was in a state of shock. It is widely assumed Kennedy was drunk, and he held off calling police in hopes that his family could fix the problem overnight. Since the accident, Kennedy's "political enemies" have referred to him as the distinguished Senator from Chappaquiddick. He pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a SUSPENDED SENTENCE OF TWO MONTHS. Kopechne's family received a small pay out from the Kennedy's insurance policy, and never sued. There was later a n effort to have her body exhumed and autopsied, but her family successfully fought against this in court, and Kennedy's family paid their attorney's bills... a "token of friendship"?

8. Kennedy has held his Senate seat for more than forty years, but considering his longevity, his accomplishments seem scant. He authored or argued for legislation that ensured a variety of civil rights, increased the minimum wage in 1981, made access to health care easier for the indigent, and funded Meals on Wheels for fixed-income seniors and is widely held as the "standard-bearer for liberalism". In his very first Senate roll, he was the floor manager for the bill that turned U.S. immigration policy upside down and opened the floodgate for immigrants from third world countries.

9. Since that time, he has been the prime instigator and author of every expansion of and increase in immigration, up to and including the latest attempt to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. Not to mention the Pious grilling he gave the last two Supreme Court Nominees, as if he were the standard bearer for the nation in matters of right. What a pompous ass.

10. He is known around Washington as a public drunk, loud, boisterous and very disrespectful to ladies. JERK is a better description than "great American".

Let's not allow the spin doctors make this jerk a hero -- how quickly the American public forgets what his real legacy is...and you just know it's all BUSH'S fault!

Hold onto your Wallets: The Legislature is Back in Session Today!

From The Taxpayers League of Minnesota

The Minnesota state legislature is back in session starting TODAY. With a $4.8 billion dollar deficit, state legislators and Gov. Pawlenty face some tough decisions. The Governor has already said that he wants to solve the deficit by reforming government and not raising taxes in this challenging economy. DFLers majorities in the House and Senate say all options must be on the table (code word for tax increases). Hold on to your wallets! It's going to be a bumpy ride!

Keep an eye on your legislators by visiting these websites:

• Find contact information on your State Senator and State Representative.
• Watch legislative committee and floor hearings here.
• Follow bill introductions here.
• As always, check the Taxpayers League website for the latest updates on protecting your tax dollars! Forward the eUpdate on to your friends and family and tell them to sign up too.

Permit-holding gun owners don’t threaten parks

The gun control groups are raising a fuss over a new law that allows concealed carry permit holders to carry their guns in national parks. They make the same old argument that the streets, or trails in this case, will run red with blood. This issue was made in Florida years ago and more recently in Minnesota when uniform, shall issue carry laws were passed. The facts speak for themselves, in Minnesota the concealed carry law had no impact on crimes committed or crimes prevented.


From The Record Searchlight
Redding.com, Redding Ca.

Our view: The law-abiding folks with concealed carry permits are not going to spark a crime wave at the campgrounds.

Nobody could expect gun-control advocates to like rules that make it easier to carry concealed weapons. It's just not in their DNA.

But the reaction by some opponents of a U.S. Interior Department rule allowing concealed-weapons permit holders to carry in national parks is just out of touch with reality.

The Brady Campaign, which is suing to block the rule, said it would "jeopardize the safety of park visitors." Sen. Dianne Feinstein wrote in a an Op-Ed that "park visitors expect a safe and enjoyable experience - not loaded guns and stray bullets."

Nobody wants to see shootouts over campsites at Manzanita Lake, but is there any evidence that permit holders are likely to engage in such dangerous activity? By definition, they're law-abiding citizens who've paid fees and subjected themselves to fingerprinting and background checks.

Shasta County is a gun-friendly place, where about 2,500 residents hold active concealed-weapon permits from the Sheriff's Department - a very high number, by California standards, for the size of the county. Even still, Sheriff Tom Bosenko said Friday that he couldn't recall a single gun-related crime by a permit holder in over 30 years. "We issue them to responsible people," he said.

The people to worry about are the ones who carry concealed weapons without a permit, whatever the law says. And frankly, park rangers don't search cars at the entrance stations. They don't stop and frisk backpackers. Compliance with the law is largely on the honor system. Parks are as safe as they are mainly because crooks don't like camping.

Hikers have little reason to pack a firearm in Lassen. And, heck, who wants the extra weight?

But if they're inclined to do so, amply vetted concealed weapons permit holders are the last people we need to fear.

Our view: The law-abiding folks with concealed-carry permits are not going to spark a crime wave at the campgrounds.

Take the Civic Literacy Quiz

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has created a quiz to prove how dumbed down the U.S. population is with regard to basic civics knowledge. You can take the quiz by clicking here.

According to ISI, their survey results reveal that Americans are alarmingly uninformed about our Constitution, the basic functions of our government, the key texts of our national history, and economic principles.

• Less than half of Americans can name all three branches of the government.
• Only 21% know that the phrase “government of the people, by the people, for the people” comes from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.
• Although Congress has voted twice in the last eight years to approve foreign wars, only 53% know that the power to declare war belongs to Congress. Almost 40% incorrectly believe it belongs to the president.
• Only 55% know that Congress shares authority over U.S. foreign policy with the president. Almost a quarter incorrectly believe Congress shares this power with the United Nations.
• Only 27% know the Bill of Rights expressly prohibits establishing an official religion for the United States.
• Less than one in five know that the phrase “a wall of separation” between church and state comes from a letter by Thomas Jefferson. Almost half incorrectly believe it can be found in the Constitution.