Original Project 9-12/Tea Party of the Lehigh Valley PA - The Unofficial Blog

National Prayer Breakfast, before the President spoke...

2012-02-07T20:19:00.000-05:00

Immediately before the president spoke at last week's prayer breakfast the speaker, Eric Metaxas, made some pointed comments.

“Keep in mind that when someone says ‘I am a Christian’ it may mean absolutely nothing,”
“You think you’re better than the Germans of that era? You’re not,”
“Whom do we say is not fully human today?”
“God is not fooled.”

What others are saying about it:

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/290393/president-prophet-obama-s-unusual-encounter-eric-metaxas-mark-joseph

http://www.worldmag.com/webextra/19142

http://www.dennyburk.com/eric-metaxas-in-rare-form-at-national-prayer-breakfast-2/

A must read...

2011-12-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

A remarkable read, even more remarkable that it's in this month's National Review. Basically saying the same thing that many of the conspiracy-minded folk have been saying but leaving out the nutty conspiracies. It's fraud, bi-partisan buying of politicians, & crony capitalism. And it's very well written.

Repo Men
From the December 19, 2011, issue of National Review.

Here’s what Wall Street doesn’t want: It doesn’t want to hear from Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann or even Newt Gingrich, or suffer any sort of tea-party populism. It wants you rubes to shut up about Jesus and please pay your mortgages. It doesn’t want to hear from such traditional Republican constituencies as Christian conservatives, moral traditionalists, pro-lifers, or friends of the Second Amendment. It doesn’t even want to hear much from the Chamber of Commerce crowd, because those guys are used-car dealers and grocery-store owners and for the most part strictly from hick, so far as Wall Street is concerned. Wall Street wants an administration and a Congress — and a country — that believes what is good for Wall Street is good for America, whether that is true or isn’t. Wall Street doesn’t want free markets — it wants friends, favors, and fealty.

Read the whole piece at National Review Online

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:49:00.002-05:00

My "RINO" rant

2011-12-24T12:42:00.000-05:00

The term "RINO" is long overdue it's retirement...

A few years ago the Republican presidential nominee was often labeled as a "RINO". The head of the RNC was called a "RINO". If the standard-bearer and the head of the party do not conform to somebody's idea of what the party should stand for, who is at fault, the person using the label or the ones receiving it?

Anybody who uses the term RINO has an imaginary false ideal of what the party stands for. If the party is led by RINOs and behaves like RINOs then the term RINO is a fiction held by the person that's using it. He is paradoxically despising how the party behaves while continuing to give it cover by using this term which holds out some mythical standard for "true" Republicans.

Every time we use that term it's like Jacob Marley forging another link in his chains. The chains that binds us to this myth. Stop calling them RINOs - call them Republicans. Let them proudly wear the Democrat-lite results they produce (because party platforms and talk are cheap) and let the party be known for these results, not the conservative myth we want to believe. Then those who use the label will realize that they are the RINOs and really do not fit into the party that they think is their's.

This is the message that the Tea Party faithful need to hear (and are beginning to hear) - judge by their actions on issues, not their words and supposed ideals. Once the electorate follows this one simple principle the party will respond... or disappear.

Educate yourself about the state of education in America

2011-11-30T22:13:00.001-05:00

What Is Constitutional Conservatism? - Yuval Levin - National Review Online

2011-11-24T22:52:00.001-05:00

Interesting article at NRO

...the Left’s simultaneous support for government by expert panel and for the unkempt carpers occupying Wall Street is not a contradiction — it is a coherent error.

How can the "progressive" left be for rule by panels of experts and their regulations (Healthcare, etc..) and yet embrace the incoherent populism of the Occupy movement? And how does constitutional conservatism fit in?

What Is Constitutional Conservatism? - Yuval Levin - National Review Online

Bailout students, not banks!

2011-11-20T13:48:00.000-05:00

But it's just another version of the same swindle...

You're Invited to our November General Meeting

2011-10-30T17:41:00.000-04:00

Tea Party vs OWS

2011-10-27T18:29:00.000-04:00

Click on the picture to see full size readable version

Found at the Greater Boston Tea Party website.

Thou shalt not covet...

2011-10-25T22:36:00.000-04:00

Just why are "the 99%" (that's what the Occupy Wall Street crowd calls themselves) so obsessed with the 1% that they affix all blame on? Could it be covetousness? The green-eyed monster, envy? They will deny that when asked, at least the ones I asked did.

But don't their demands and actions look like a lust for what other people have?

This blog at REDSTATE looks into it...

Education Reform Workshop

2011-10-19T21:43:00.000-04:00

Variation on a popular Venn diagram going around

2011-10-15T10:14:00.013-04:00

The original Venn can be found here:
http://howconservativesdrovemeaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-vs-tea-party.html

The usual disclaimer is in effect - these are my opinions and not necessarily those of the local Tea Party group.

An online view of the PowerPoint

Government Venn

The above presentation is available for downloading in different formats here:

Congressman (retired) John Shadegg discusses how we got into this mess

2011-09-17T23:07:00.000-04:00

From the "Everything You Wanted to Know About 'Obamacare' (but didn't know who to ask)" workshop put on by the Lehigh Valley Coalition for Health Care Reform at DeSales University, September 17th.

Sarah Palin has something substantive to say...

2011-09-09T13:25:00.000-04:00

Here's something I never thought I'd post - A link to an article in The New York Times by a reporter who's saying,

"So here is something I never thought I would write: a column about Sarah Palin’s ideas."

That's in The New York Times.

And HERE is the text and the video of Palin's speech.

A tip o' the hat to Ken Sturzenacker for the links

American Exceptionalism Explained

2011-09-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

“He's a man”

2011-09-04T09:30:00.008-04:00

Today I'm going to begin by telling a story. It's something I read many years ago...

Today's post is in*"Sunday Sermonette" form.

*This is a private blog, and does not necessarily always reflect the views of the Lehigh Valley Project 9/12 Tea Party Group. For more about the nature of this blog please read "What is this?"

...in a small tract, from InterVarsity Press I believe. I can't find it anywhere so I've had to recount it from memory.

It's about a Jewish survivor of the holocaust who was liberated from a concentration camp at the end of the war and had the opportunity to attend the war crime trial of the Nazi who was responsible for the hell on earth that he had endured. It was a very anxious time for him, he had never before laid eyes on the man that he grew to hate as he watched his family and friends perish. He was surrounded by friends as the defendant was ushered into the courtroom.

What happened next was unexpected by everyone. Our survivor, upon seeing his tormentor for the first time, left out a loud gasp and then began crying, sobbing uncontrollably. “What is wrong?” asked his friends. “Are you frightened? You don't have to be scared, we are here with you and he can't hurt you”. “No, it's not that” was the reply between sobs. “Then what is it?” said his friends. “HE”S A MAN” was the answer. Everyone looked at each other, “What does that mean?” “HE”S A MAN” was the only answer he could give, repeating it over and over into almost a wail as the tears and sobs continued and his entire body convulsed. He was inconsolable and it wasn't till later that he could explain himself.

You see, during all that time spent in the concentration camp he had an image in his mind of the monster responsible for his daily waking nightmare. You see, it wasn't a man he was expecting, but a monster. But what came into the courtroom was a man, shackled in chains and dressed in ill fitting prison garb. A man trying to look defiant and proud, but in reality had only the hangman's gallows to look forward to. “So he was a man” said his friends, “why would that make you cry as you did?” “You don't understand” he replied, “I AM A MAN ALSO... in him I saw myself, I saw all of mankind and what horrible evil we are ALL capable of.” And then the tears returned...

Our survivor was granted a view of reality, the reality of sin and the fallen nature of man, that most do not receive. And as he received it in an instant, it was almost too much to bear. It is as if he had lived out the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, beginning as one who was indifferent to the sin in his own heart, but fixated on the monsters imagined around him. Only to have that come crashing down when he saw that the monster was a man. From self-righteous Pharisee to self-loathing publican in the twinkling of an eye.

Last month Pastor's sermon presented us with a unique view of Matthew Chapter 2, a story of another “monster”. For those who weren't here, Pastor gave an account of King Herod the Great's slaughter of the children in Bethlehem from Herod's point of view. The King is informed by the Magi that the future King has recently been born, his own court confirms this and says that it would have happened in Bethlehem, as foretold by the prophet. Herod's children or grandchildren do not fit the description, so in his mind this is literally the equivalent of a palace coup! What is a good father to do but protect that which is rightfully his family's inheritance?

You see, if a monster is a man, he thinks as a man. He thinks like you or I could think. The monster has a reason for his actions, it is what he sees as the appropriate response. It's protecting our family, it's killing the scapegoat, it's whatever we find important above anything else.

There's a proverb that the philosopher holds to that dates back to antiquity. “Know Thyself” was one of the sayings inscribed in Apollo's temple at Delphi. Socrates is quoted to have said that, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I contend that these high sounding words in themselves would not have prevented our monsters from doing monstrous things even if they abided by them. By what measure do you examine yourself? If you hold to none, or if you're “open-minded”, you're really only holding yourself to a standard of your own making. Another saying, a bit more modern and humorous says this:

“The nice thing about standards is that there are so many of them to

choose from.”

The Christian has one standard. Later this morning we will participate in The Lord's Table and pastor will read these words of the Apostle Paul.


“But

let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and

drink of that cup.”

To know why His body had to be broken, why His blood had to be shed, to know all this first... is to begin to be able to truly examine oneself.

Introduction to the Constitution

2011-08-30T22:34:00.000-04:00

"Introduction to the Constitution" is a series of lectures brought to you by Hillsdale College, the publishers of "Imprimus". It is free (you are offered an opportunity to make a donation) but you must register for the series of webcasts.
You register here:
http://constitution.hillsdale.edu/

Here are some details taken from their website:

Dr. Larry Arnn, President of Hillsdale College, delivers a series of lectures on America’s founding documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This course is free to all who register.
Series begins September 15 at 9 a.m. with Hillsdale’s Second Annual Constitution Day Celebration, broadcast live via webcast. This even features Congressman Paul Ryan and political commentator Charles Krauthammer, along with other speeches and panels on topics related to the Constitution. If you are unable to watch the live webcast, the event will be archived for later viewing.
Every Monday thereafter, a new lecture video featuring Dr. Larry Arnn will be available for viewing. You can also watch the previous week’s session using our video archive.
You will log-in to view the webcasts at constitution.hillsdale.edu

Everything You Wanted to Know About "ObamaCare" (But Didn't Know Who to Ask)

2011-08-29T19:57:00.000-04:00

The Lehigh Valley Coalition for Health Care Reform

proudly presents a free Constitution Day Educational Workshop

Everything You Wanted to Know About "ObamaCare"

(But Didn't Know Who to Ask)

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Saturday, September 17, 2011

1 to 5 p.m. (Doors open at Noon)

Gerald White Pavilion of the University Center

on the campus of DeSales University

2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034

Expert Presentations, Q&A, Breakout Sessions, Exhibits

Health care professionals, policy experts,

grassroots advocates, and legislative leaders

will explain how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA),

also known as "ObamaCare," affects every American

Topics include:

The Nuts and Bolts of "ObamaCare"

How "ObamaCare" affects Personal Liberty, Health Insurance,Health Care Choice, and the Uninsured

How "ObamaCare" affects Families, Children, and Seniors

How "ObamaCare" affects Medicare, Medicaid, Taxpayers, and the Deficit

How "ObamaCare" affects Businesses, Workers, Job Creation, and the Economy

How "ObamaCare" affects Doctors, Patients, Quality of Care, and Access to Care

How "ObamaCare" affects States

Efforts to Repeal and Replace "ObamaCare" and much more

This event is sponsored by a coalition of concerned citizens and businesses,

grassroots advocates, and health care professionals, including:

Docs 4 Patient Care (www.docs4patientcare.org)

Association of American Physicians and Surgeons - AAPS (http://www.aapsonline.org)

The Galen Institute (www.Galen.org)

Heritage Action for America (www.HeritageAction.com)

Americans for Prosperity - Pennsylvania (www.americansforprosperity.org/pennsylvania)

The Black Ribbon Project (www.theblackribbonproject.org)

M.D. News (www.MDNews.com)

V.S.A.S. Orthopaedics (www.vsas.com)

New World Aviation (www.NewWorldAviation.com)

Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry (www.pachamber.org)

Pennsylvania Commercial Action Network - PA-CAN (www.pa-can.org)

The Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights (www.aynrand.org)

and the

Lehigh Valley Coalition for Health Care Reform

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Look for us on Meetup, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!

Live Streaming Video will be available - check our website for details

FREE and open to the public

Please reserve your free seat online:

www.meetup.com/lehigh-valley-coalition-for-health-care-reform

or call toll free: 1-888-698-4111 (Line 1)

For more information, email ObamaCareEvent@aol.com or call 1-888-698-4111 (Line 2)

DeSales University Campus Map- www.desales.edu/assets/desales/CampusMap/DSUmap708.pdf

A response to Joe Hilliard

2011-08-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer

This blog and the articles in it are my opinions and not those of the Lehigh Valley Tea Party or it's executive board. This post is my response to the resignation letter of Joe Hilliard, reproduced below with my comments in the bold colored font.

- Wayne Schissler

Dear Fellow Patriot,

It has been three weeks since that ridiculous attempt to remove me from the Lehigh

Valley Tea Party organization.

Yes, when I saw the charges I thought they didn't have a chance. But sometimes people act on principle, not a guaranteed outcome.

First, I would like to thank the membership for their overwhelming support and the solid rejection of the effort. I had no idea how things would turn out but felt obliged to make a stand and make my arguments to the membership.

When you won the only thing I could think of was, “Well, at least we still have Joe Hilliard to kick around”. Figuratively of course. Just looking on the bright side of things I was.

Since then, I have been engaged in a lot if thinking and listening to advice from friends and other advisors.

Must be nice to have advisors. I'm left to winging it pretty much solo...

There is no doubt that a portion of the membership will continue to advocate that we must “support” candidates and become more involved in elections.

Since support is prohibited by our by-laws I would tell these members that they must be in the wrong organization. Of course you are saying “support” with the scare quotes around it so I guess that “support” can be defined by you in any way you please to use it.

Since the start of the Tea Party movement it seemed quite clear that most members understood a simple premise - electing the “right people” is not a solution to our problems.

Hmmm... that's a nice assertion you have there. I can agree to it in principle because putting your trust and loyalty in people is often a recipe for disaster. I know from recent experience where I've seen loyalty abused by the spreading of lies and the assigning of false motives on people's actions and statements. It wasn't a pleasant thing to experience. But it has motivated me quite a bit lately...

This model has been followed for many decades. Even when the “right people” had total control of Washington D.C. or Harrisburg, government grew, spending grew, and debt grew. To date, even the Republican majority in the House of Representatives has been a major disappointment. The budget fight accomplished nothing and they broke their promise to cut $100 billion of spending. The debt fight produced yet another commission to do the job our elected officials should be doing. The only concrete action on ObamaCare was a bill that actually EXPANDED ObamaCare and Republicans in the House voted for it.

Someone who knows much more on that subject than both of us appears to differ with your assessment:

http://lvtp.org/forum

The great success of the Tea Party has been to shape public opinion about various issues and forcing politicians to deal with such issues because we educated our fellow citizens. Who, other than a few political geeks like me followed national debt increases five years ago? Our great power is the fact that both parties now have to deal with facts instead of political spin. Do you really think the Republicans are standing tough because we are praising them or because they are worried about us?

I think that lesson was learned when DC was flooded by protesters on 9-12 and at the Kill the Bill rally. Political pressure works. It works especially well on politicians that have to worry about the next election. Hhmmm...

Elections solve nothing. Remember the great hope for Scott Brown? Remember the historic election in the House? Now we hear that we all have to wait for the “next election”, then real things can happen…. Of course, then we will hear, “But we can’t risk losing our majority in the next election, so we have to act cautiously…”

I'm not sure where you're hearing this except from your exceedingly fertile imagination.

Changing public opinion to set new expectations and demands on our elected officials is the only sure method to produce great reforms.

It is certainly important to do that. And as a result of that changed public opinion if an elected official does not conform to it he will become un-electable.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Our government rests in public opinion. Whoever can change public opinion, can change the government…”

He also said, “Public sentiment is everything… He who molds opinion is greater than he who enacts laws.”

Ronald Reagan simplified the concept when he said, “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”

And the great economist, Milton Friedman, was once asked if a “throw all the bums out” election was needed (sometime in the 1970’s). His comment was profound -

"People have a great misconception in this way. They think the way you solve things is by electing the right people. It's nice to elect the right people, but that isn’t the way you solve them. The way you solve things is by making it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right things!"

Milton Friedman said, “politically profitable” - gee, what does that mean? Couldn't have anything to do with an election, could it?

Those who advocate that we must focus on electing the “right people” will continue to be frustrated by politics because this is the hamster wheel we have all been running on for decades. It is time to hop off. After all, isn’t doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results the very definition of insanity?

Question: If we, as individuals, are not interested in electing the better candidate (Mr. Right never comes along) and “hop off” how does Milton Friedman's politically profitable pressure get applied? That's not a rhetorical question Joe, I want an answer!

Not only that, but you will open up the door to heated conflicts in the future. The most obvious answer is to look at the last congressional race. Who should we have supported? Towne, Dent or Benol? If we simply say all three, what is the point? And that would not be acceptable to the most ardent supporters of each individual. Then will the LVTP do what the Republican Party does and merely choose candidates who “can win” regardless of their principles or voting record?

Strange, you are recounting the last local congressional race and then asking how we would handle it. The same as we did last time, the LVTP does not endorse or support. Your nonsensical argument is over a situation that does not exist.

Some advocate that we should just “acknowledge” members. Commissioner Browning qualifies as an Associate Member. He raised property taxes 16%. Should we “acknowledge” him? Then the LVTP will be in the game of determining that only certain members who share our values should be “acknowledged”. That will lead to some heated debates in the future.

Again you are raising a strawman argument. IF the group would like to somehow acknowledge it's members that have gone the extra mile and have decided to become involved in the political process it not would pick and choose which ones to list, but list all with a strong disclaimer (caveat emptor). A sample: http://i231.photobucket.com

Many more hazards could be explained. But, once the door is opened, the LVTP will lose effectiveness for two main reasons:

Once the LVTP “supports” or “acknowledges” certain candidates it will lose credibility with many in the public and with the media. Our credibility was based on our willingness to be impartial with politicians regardless of their party label. This will be lost as the LVTP is viewed as just another political hack organization shilling for certain candidates.

2) The LVTP will be consumed by the election process. Every election year for the last twenty has been the “most important election ever”. Each year a majority of time, effort and argument will be focused on candidates and the election instead of issues.

And again, what are you talking about? LVTP does not support. You have used this strawman of an argument as a bludgeon over and over but it's still a strawman and a non-sequitor.

And a note for those candidates who are desperately trying to change the focus of the group to become involved with campaigns – if you think such “acknowledgement” will win the election for you, you have probably already lost your election. Candidates win elections, not organizations.

You are absolutely correct there Joe. A blind squirrel does occasionally find a nut!

Based on all of these factors, the LVTP will be consumed by this debate for the next 3 – 5 months and there will always be an effort by those who wish to make the LVTP into an electioneering organization.

You mean based on all the strawmen and non-sequitors that you have set up.

I cannot waste any more time because we are in the middle of a historic political era. The fundamental nature of our government is being decided. And it is being decided by the people, not politicians. Our current situation is similar to the independence debate, the proposed Constitution, the abolition movement, and the civil rights movement. All were great advances of liberty.

Please, by all means, don't waste your time on us. But maybe you could first answer a few questions for us:

We have been virtually silent for the last nine months because of a petty squabble because a few cling to the failed belief that electing a few more of the “right people” will solve our nation’s problems.

Ahhh, here we are. At the heart of the matter. Joe, who was constantly bringing these matters to the board? Who was it Joe? Who wouldn't let the board function because they where constantly accusing others? Do you know Joe? Who is it that characterized every question or request from a member that touched on this matter as an assault on the organization or themselves? When hearing a question from a member at a general meeting, who on the executive board made a big deal about it and even thought that who they sat next to was relevant? Who would act like that Joe? Please explain who was tying the board in knots over THEIR petty squabble and inability to rationally deal with the matter without demonizing members. Anytime you're ready to answer these questions Joe, this post will be here with it's comment section waiting for you.

Therefore, I have decided with several other people to focus my energy, effort, and skills on another effort which will, hopefully, yield a far greater impact on public opinion about fundamental issues. We must shape public opinion to set new expectations of government, local to national, in order to accomplish our goals. A new organization has been established which will focus on strategic plans and well planned tactical initiatives to fundamentally reform government at all levels.

Any organization with you on it in a leadership position should be avoided like the plague. IMNSHO

Because of this, I hereby resign from the Executive Board of the LVTP and as a member of the LVTP.

I hope all of you continue this great patriotic struggle to renew limited government in our country. For those of you who believe that electing the “right people” is the answer, I wish you luck. We can always use a few more in government. However, for those of you who understand that we must shape and change public opinion to force elected officials to implement fundamental reforms, please stay in touch. We will have much to do! It is the latter course of action that produces fundamental change in society; not merely changing a few names of those who sit in elected office.

Goodbye Joe.

“Poverty does not create our social problems, our social problems create our poverty.”

2011-08-24T06:04:00.001-04:00

General Meeting this Friday

2011-08-03T22:41:00.000-04:00

“What Would Jesus Cut?”

2011-07-31T14:22:00.001-04:00

“What Would Jesus Cut?”... really? Today's post is in *"Sunday Sermonette" form.

*This is a private blog, and does not necessarily always reflect the views of the Lehigh Valley Project 9/12 Tea Party Group. For more about the nature of this blog please read "What is this?"

Today's message will be on current events. Back in May the current event message was about a prediction of an impending scheduled “End of the World” scenario that a radio preacher had proclaimed. Well, we're still here and ready to endure another end time event, though this one is an expected financial melt down of man's own making. It's the end of the world... again.

In a recent political magazine there was a full page ad that declared in large bold print “God is Watching – The moral measure of any budget is how it treats the poor”. It was placed there by group that calls itself Biblical and Christian with an ecumenical spirit. Earlier in the year they placed a similar ad emblazoned with the slogan “What Would Jesus Cut?” and they even promoted the wearing of “What Would Jesus Cut” bracelets. They are part of a coalition of church groups calling themselves the “Circle of Protection” which holds prayer vigils and fasts while lobbying our representatives in Washington DC.

Not to be outdone there is a counter group, also ecumenical, that bills itself as a Judeo-Christian think tank. If you read their core principle statements you will find their mission acknowledges the sinfulness of Man and the necessity of God ordained government to maintain the rule of law. From their site:

---

The ubiquity of sin, however, requires that the state be limited in its power and jurisdiction. The persistent reality of sin requires that we be skeptical of all utopian "solutions" to social ills such as poverty and injustice.

---

So we have these vocal, popular, worldly representatives of the Church just as divided over the proper role and extent of government and how that's reflected in the budget as our politicians are. And both groups will point to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans, chapter 13:

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. 5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.

The first group will point to the phrase that refers to the civil authorities as a “minister of God” and then read Isaiah chapter 10, where woe is proclaimed on a nation that deprives the needy and plunders it's orphans. And every verse that references caring for the poor comes into play also.

The second group will point out that Romans speaks to the worldly authority's job of restraining evil, not promoting poverty programs. And caring for the poor is a commandment to individuals, not governments. They will remind us of what the prophet Samuel said about desiring a strong king, that he will take and take from everyone until eventually as we read in 1 Samuel, chapter 8:

Verse 7 - "and you yourselves will become his servants."

One of the leaders in this debate put it well when he said:

“The debate over the application of the core teachings of the Christian faith began when Jesus was presented with a Roman coin containing Caesar’s image. In that moment, the Lord drew both a limitation to the legitimate power of the state and a distinction between it and the supreme authority of Almighty God.”¹

How people and governments have responded to this distinction has taken many different turns in the millennia following Christ's illustration of it. You see, it's not whether to help the poor, but how should they be helped. I'm not going to answer that question for you, I'm sure you already have some opinion on it.

The most cogent statement I've heard on this whole matter is one that I happened to hear by chance, if there really is such a thing as chance. Driving home from work on Friday I was listening to a Jewish talk show host on the radio making a brief comment on the idea going round that slashing the budget it “not Christian”. He simply said that to be Christian is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and then began to reference the creeds and beliefs of the early church. His point being that believing one thing or another about the federal budget has little to nothing to do with being “Christian”.

And he's right.

And it's also not the end of the world, just yet...

http://blog.acton.org/archives/23658-rev-sirico-not-whether-to-help-the-poor-but-how.html

Everything You Wanted To Know About...

2011-07-30T17:46:00.000-04:00

The Lehigh Valley Coalition for Health Care Reform
Proudly Presents A Constitution Day Educational Workshop

Everything You Wanted To Know About "ObamaCare"

(But Didn't Know Who To Ask)

1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, September 17, 2011
On the Campus of DeSales University
Center Valley, PA

Health care professionals, policy experts,
and REAL PEOPLE will explain how the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA),
a.k.a. "ObamaCare," affects every citizen

Expert Presentations, Breakout Sessions,
Exhibits, Panel Discussion, Q&A

Sponsored by a coalition of concerned citizens and businesses,
grassroots advocates, and health care professionals, including:

Docs for Patient Care (www.docs4patientcare.org ),
The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons
(www.TakeBackMedicine.com ),
The Galen Institute (www.Galen.org ),
and the
Lehigh Valley Coalition for Health Care Reform
(www.meetup.com/Lehigh-Valley-Coalition-for-Health-Care-Reform)
(Sponsor list is incomplete)

FREE and open to the public— Live Streaming Video
www.meetup.com/Lehigh-Valley-Coalition-f...form/events/27077301

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Economic Freedom & Quality of Life

2011-07-30T09:33:00.000-04:00

"Who could have confidence with what's going on in Washington?"

2011-07-24T16:31:00.001-04:00

"Everything in business is confidence," Davidowitz says. "You lose confidence and businesses can't deal with that [and] who could have confidence with what's going on in Washington?"

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"Eventually the American taxpayer will get so fed up with these bunch of morons in Washington — Republican and Democrat — they are going to demand we take real action with real numbers; cut thru the crap and start dealing with this debt and we can do it," - Howard Davidowitz

True Liberty

2011-07-03T07:30:00.006-04:00

"Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" - what does that really mean. Today's post is in *"Sunday Sermonette" form.

*This is a private blog, and does not necessarily always reflect the views of the Lehigh Valley Project 9/12 Tea Party Group. For more about the nature of this blog please read "What is this?"

The Liberty Bell, in Philadelphia, has become an Independence Day symbol and tradition says the ringing of it summoned the populace to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.

The bell was not actually called the Liberty Bell until the 1830's when it then became a symbol for the abolitionist movement. Before that it was simply referred to as the State House bell.

The bell has the following inscribed on it, "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof". That is a fragment of a verse from Leviticus 25 verse 10 which reads:

And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

It is certainly easy to see how a bell with a verse proclaiming a “Jubilee”, a year where every man that is enslaved is returned to his family can become a symbol for the freeing of the slaves. What is harder to understand is the concept of Jubilee year where land that was sold would revert back to it's original owner after 50 years. In verse 23 we read:

The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine, for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

To us that sounds like a system where nothing could ever be accomplished with every property sale being a futile endeavor. To the contrary though, if you read the entire chapter you will see how the land was supposed to be valued in proportion to it's closeness to the next Jubilee year. You were in effect leasing the property while at the same time maintaining its continuity within it's particular Hebrew tribe. There were even rules that allowed for what we would consider normal property ownership within the bounds of walled cities. In this way the foreigner or proselyte without a tribe could live and function in the land of the chosen people.

What we would like to concern ourselves with is the concept of liberty and how it could be granted to those in bondage to slavery. Waiting for the Jubilee year was not the only option for being set at liberty, in the same chapter verses 47 and 48 we read:

47And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family:

48After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:

Here we have the concept of the kinsman redeemer able to secure liberty for the kin who is in bondage to an outsider. It is here that we learn that our redeemer must share our humanity if we are to be redeemed. Job spoke about this redeemer in the passage where he says:

Job chapter 19

25For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

26And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

We know this redeemer to be Jesus Christ, yet future for Job and there to be the kinsman to redeem him in the flesh.

What is the nature of this liberty? The Hebrew word for liberty found in Leviticus is also found in the beginning of Isaiah 61:

1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD...

You may recognize these as the words that Jesus read in the synagogue in Nazareth, at the beginning of his ministry. After reading from the Isaiah scroll Jesus then said:

Luke 4:21b ...This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

True Liberty is to be found in Christ.

The same Hebrew word translated as liberty is also found many times in Jeremiah 34. When the city of Jerusalem was besieged by the Chaldean army the prophets had made known God's displeasure in the people's failure to observe the sabbath year by not setting to liberty the Hebrews who were in bondage to their fellow Hebrew masters. The people then repented with King Zedekiah, making a covenant with the Lord to proclaim liberty and free all their servants, but the liberty was short lived and the people had repented of their repentance and re-enslaved their own people.

Jeremiah 34 verses 15-17:

15And ye were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

16But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

17Therefore thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

“I proclaim a liberty for you” - in other words God has emancipated them from His care and they are at liberty to suffer at the sword, pestilence, and famine. Liberty outside of the word of God, outside of Christ, the liberty of the world is not true freedom, but a snare.

John 8:36
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

You're invited to our July General Meeting

2011-07-01T14:22:00.001-04:00

Our guest speaker will be Adam Kissel from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

Adam Kissel graduated from Harvard University and from the University of Chicago, where he served as Student Liaison to the Board of Trustees and earned a master's degree from the Committee on Social Thought. His academic interests include the history and theory of liberal education, the history and theory of rhetoric, and rhetoric's relationship with philosophy. He also has served as a professional editor for Nobel laureate James Heckman and for faculty in a variety of disciplines.

Before joining FIRE, Adam was a director of the Lehrman American Studies Center and the Jack MillerCenter for the Teaching of America's Founding Principles. With Sharon Browne he wrote a Faculty Rights Handbook in 2007. Since joining FIRE, he has spoken about individual rights on college campuses in California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. In 2009, he won a First Prize in education reporting from the National Education Writers Association.

Guest Speaker:

Adam Kissel

From the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

Date and Time

Friday, July 8th

7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

View Larger Map

IMF cuts U.S. growth forecast, warns of crisis

2011-06-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

Headline from a recent Reuters news story.

The International Monetary Fund cut its forecast for U.S. economic growth on Friday and warned Washington and debt-ridden European countries that they are "playing with fire" unless they take immediate steps to reduce their budget deficits.

While speaking about the lack of leadership in dealing with our debt problems Jose Vinals, director of the IMF's monetary and capital markets department said, "You cannot afford to have a world economy where these important decisions are postponed, because you're really playing with fire."

Just as startling, Vinals said, "If you make a list of the countries in the world that have the biggest homework in restoring their public finances to a reasonable situation in terms of debt levels, you find four countries: Greece, Ireland, Japan and the United States."

Read the whole story HERE.

Memorial Day Parade - Small Town America, 2011

2011-05-30T17:36:00.001-04:00

Click here for more pictures

The Great Disappointment

2011-05-22T13:47:00.001-04:00

Not particularly having to do with the Tea Party or Lehigh Valley but certainly one of the main topics in the news this week. It's in *"Sunday Sermonette" form. There is "nothing new under the sun"...

*This is a private blog, and does not necessarily always reflect the views of the Lehigh Valley Project 9/12 Tea Party Group. For more about the nature of this blog please read "What is this?"

Today I'd like to read from Daniel Chapter 9 verses 24 &25:

24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place.

25 "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

This was the message that Daniel received from Gabriel concerning his prayer and supplications over the fate of Jerusalem. The decree to rebuild the temple, which was yet future for Daniel, was issued by Artaxerxes I king of the Persian Empire in the year 457 BC. Seventy weeks meant seven times seven years or 490 years. So Daniel was given the reassurance of knowing that in the future Jerusalem would be rebuilt and that after almost 5 centuries the Messiah would appear.

Is it any wonder then that during the first century AD there was an expectation of the appearance of the Messiah. When our Lord was about to make His triumphal entry into Jerusalem we read in Luke 19 verse 11:

...because He was near Jerusalem, ...they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

Neither was the message of Daniel lost on readers in subsequent centuries. The fulfilled prophecy of portions of Daniel has stood there as a testimony to all who would consider the merits of God's word. But what other prophecies are locked within these visions that Daniel had? This is a question that some cannot resist and at the beginning of the 19^th century many found irresistible. During this time many sober, otherwise doctrinal believers, had believed they had found the true meaning behind Daniel 8 verses 13&14, reading from there:

13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?"

14 He said to me, "For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored."

A certain William Miller, an American preacher, was convinced that the 2,300 days were years that had begun being counted after the same decree mentioned in Daniel 9. And after that time transpired, in 1843 or 4, it would be the end of days. For decades beforehand he had preached and published the news of this and had developed a following of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands on both sides of the Atlantic. Of course the appointed days came and went, and when the last possible day of reckoning passed it was called “The Great Disappointment”.

Here are some quotes from members of the Millerite movement,

“Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced before. It seemed that the loss of all earthly friends could have been no comparison. We wept, and wept, till the day dawn.” And this, “it is a dark day here--the sheep are scattered--and the Lord has not come yet.”

And of course they had to endure the taunts of their neighbors.

What followed “The Great Disappointment” was the birth of many different movements. Instead of owning up to the failure, an entirely new narrative was placed over the meaning of the prophecy. It was no longer the “end of days” but the beginning of the end. Christ returned, but not quite as expected or where expected. And on top of that other false doctrines began to be attached to these excuses, legalistic sabbath keeping, soul sleep, a denial of an eternal hell - and as time went on different heresies and cults sprang from this failed prophecy.

Getting back to what happened to William Miller, the lead proponent of the movement. Even though history tends to refer to him as the “Father of Adventism” he did not entertain any of the false doctrines or excuses that had attached themselves to his failed date setting. In fact it can be said that he was honest and forthright in owning up to his error and there is good reason to believe that he now in the presence of the Lord.

Of course this has happened all over again just this week. We can pray that the spirit of Mr Miller, a humble repentant one, wins the day for most of the people who have gone through this current “Great Disappointment”. And although we may not personally know any of these disappointed ones we will certainly come across their scoffers and taunters. Let it be an opportunity to remind them that anyone can meet the Lord at anytime – do they really think they are ready?

Not facing up to the most predictable economic crisis in history

2011-05-19T17:56:00.000-04:00

Senator Tom Coburn has penned an article titled, "Why is the Senate stalling on the debt debate?" You can read it online here at the Washington Post.

It's a pretty damning indictment on the dysfunctional Senate.

Voters’ Guide on the Proposed Sale of the Gracedale Nursing Home

2011-05-11T22:06:00.000-04:00

From The Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/Tea Party Group:

We have asked proponents of the sale and those against it to answer a list of questions designed to help voters better understand the issues involved. The questions are intended to solicit basic facts that a typical Northampton County resident needs to make an informed decision on the referendum.
We are presenting responses side-by-side, in an easy to read format so voters can decide for themselves the future of the county’s nursing home.

You can read the whole thing HERE

A Blessed Resurrection Morning to All

2011-04-24T08:04:00.000-04:00

True charity does not spring from...

2011-04-23T10:40:00.001-04:00

True charity does not spring from government bureaucrats.
Rather, it comes from the desire to do the right thing.

The Lehigh Valley 9-12/Tea Party making the news at Heritage Action for America

Glaring Contradictions

2011-04-22T14:04:00.000-04:00

There they are, staring us in the face. Things that make you go hmmm...

The same people who are telling us that "We're not broke" are at the same time demanding an increase in the Federal debt ceiling.

So... how you doin'?

2011-04-15T17:46:00.000-04:00

Imagine you pick up your ringing telephone and the person on the other side politely asks if you would like to participate in a survey. "Sure, why not?", you say and then you're asked one of the following questions:

“In general, would you say that your health is excellent, very good, good, fair, or poor?”
“Thinking about your physical health, which includes physical illness and injury, for how many days during the past 30 days was your physical health not good?”
“Thinking about your mental health, which includes stress, depression, and problems with emotions, for how many days during the past 30 days was your mental health not good?”

After you take that survey and it becomes a dim memory other people are tabulating the answers and using them as the statistical base of a nationwide study. You should have been more careful how you answered, you may have just increased your taxes. Yes, if you're not feeling well there's a politician out there ready to use it as an excuse to initiate a solution.

The answers to those three questions are the basis for fomulating statistics in the following three areas:

Poor or fair health.
Poor physical health days.
Poor mental health days.

Those three statistics, along with one other statistic - low birth weight, are used in calculating the level of morbidity in a survey area. Usually when you hear the word morbidity you would think of "morbidly obese" or of someone who is constantly missing work due to chronic bad health. That is not the case here, adult body weight or work loss days do not make up this statistic. The majority of the morbidity ranking is based on your survey answers in that phone call.

So you could have a low birth weight rating that is about average but if enough people answer their phone poll negatively you will end up with a high morbidity ranking. That is the case with Northampton county, our morbidity ranking consistently stinks. So please, when you get that call, paint on a smile and look on the brighter side of life!

So why does any of this matter? Why would a survey that is so obviously subjectively weighted according to the mood or temperment of the respondents mean anything in the real world? The answer lies in who makes use of these surveys, policy advocates and political wonks.

That morbidity rating is presented as an "ironclad case" by a policy advocate for the formation of a bi-county health board in this article on the local Patch news service. Then that article is picked up by another writer as proof positive that we need to vote out the "pro-morbidity" politicians that oppose the health board. Read it here. But no one reading these articles knows what goes into formulating this very subjective morbidity ranking. But now you know.

So your cranky answer on that phone survey gave one set of politicians an excuse to create a program and caused another group to be labeled "pro-morbidity". You really need to be more careful of what you say on the phone when somone asks, "How you doin'?"

Note:
The survey results are found HERE. Poking around that site on the individual rankings will give you all the information about it found in this article.

Where did the money go?

2011-04-08T06:22:00.000-04:00

Local website explains why the budget woes for all the local school districts happened this year and not previously when the economy first took it's downturn. "Where did the money go?"

Reality Check on Deficits and the Debt

2011-04-04T22:55:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday...

2011-04-03T18:45:00.000-04:00

It's Sunday, often referred to by Christians as the Lord's Day.

This post is in reaction to something I read on another blog. It was someone who felt they had to point out that there were Sunday morning sermons on this blog, a blog associated with the Lehigh Valley Tea Party. It went on complaining about right wing extremism along with the usual nonsensical boilerplate that accompanies such blathering.

First let me point out that since January, when lvtp.org was launched, this ceased being the official web presence of the Lehigh Valley 9-12/Tea Party. I changed the "about" page to explain that change and appended the text in the link below the banner to include the word "Unofficial".

But really, why does it matter? If I posted an article on the lvtp.org website, here, or anywhere with references to the Bible and a belief in God and Christ why would some people consider it wrong, extreme, or in bad taste? Nobody is forcing you to read it, you're always a click away from something else. The criticism that was leveled on the other blog wasn't even specific to what was in my posts, it was simply the fact that it was a sermonette that he apparently found so troubling that he felt the need to share.

So what's the problem? I'm open to constructive criticism.

Eat the Rich!

2011-04-01T19:00:00.002-04:00

It's Sunday Morning

2011-03-27T09:12:00.000-04:00

Last in the series of Sunday morning messages for March.

Good Morning.

In Genesis 3 we read of God and Adam in the garden:

11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"

12 The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate."

In 1^stSamuel 15 God commands

3 Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"

… and later in verses

13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have carried out the command of the LORD."

14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

15 Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed."

In Matthew 25 Jesus says:

41"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

---

45"Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'

46"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

And finally, while speaking about the doctrine of hell in a book that came out this month, a popular author and pastor writes:

“This is misguided, toxic, and ultimately subverts the contagious spread of Jesus’ message of love, peace, forgiveness and joy that our world desperately needs to hear.”

“No one can resist God’s pursuit forever because God’s love will eventually melt even the hardest hearts”

Adam, instead of giving a direct answer points to the “woman whom You gave to be with me”. King Saul diverts from his disobedience by claiming to have “spared the best... to sacrifice to the LORD”. Today it's fashionable to deny God's wrath so as to spread the “message of love, peace, forgiveness and joy”.

They are all diversions to sidetrack, sometimes called a “red herring”. The term refers to the idea that a pungent smelling fish would throw tracking hounds off the scent. That's what we do when we change the subject or don't directly answer someone in conversation.

Don't look at my disobedience, look at somebody else, look at something good that I'll do. Don't look at God's wrath or His justice, it's His love that will sell the books. Don't look at me, let me blend in with the crowd, let my faults and sins look no worse than everybody else.

If we would read further in Genesis we would see that after Adam points to Eve she then deflects to the serpent. None of it does any good though and the results of sin are meted out to the guilty.

In 1^st Samuel Saul's disobedience is seen for what it is and the prophet answers the king in verse 22:

22 Samuel said,
"Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

As for the pastor with the unorthodox beliefs he may be fooling himself and his flock but of course he can't fool God.

We can see it all around us in life, the politician specializes in obscuring and deflecting, the child cries, “Not me!”

So not only is it important to be on the look out for those red herrings that others may try to trip us up with, it's crucial that we don't let ourselves be deceived by our own imaginations and defense mechanisms. Don't let the world become your red herring that's there to take attention away from you.

We do can do this with our minds fixed on Christ, by giving no heed to the natural man, by confessing our sins and shortcomings to Him. Allow Him to be not only the light of the world, but a light to examine yourself.

"I'm fine with the cuts, now get a spine like Gov Walker!"

2011-03-20T21:51:00.002-04:00

On Friday at DeSales University the Lehigh Valley Tea Party in partnership with Freedom Works ran a townhall discussion forum on SB1, the school choice bill currently in the PA state senate.

Coverage by channel 69 WFMZ is can be found HERE

Proponents for school choice who are split on their support for the bill showed up to debate if the bill goes far enough in giving parents and children enough options. The meeting began with clips from the movie "Waiting for Superman" documenting how poor families in Washington DC depend on a lottery system to get their children into the better schools.

The first panel discussion took on potential solutions to what ails the public school system.

Special guest speaker Deneen Borelli, who serves on the board of trustees with The Opportunity Charter School in Harlem, New York described how the NAACP is "fighting to keep failing schools open" instead of helping to get children out of failing schools.

One of the most vocal and energetic panel members was Simon Campbell, a School Board Director from the Pennsbury School District in Bucks County. He had a list of recommendations for the legislature in Harrisburg to end what he called, "the massive corrupting power of the teachers unions". He culminated his talk on the frustration that the school district experiences with it's inability to cut wages by aiming a broadside at Gov Corbett and his budget cuts. He said, "I'm fine with the cuts, now get a spine like Gov Walker!" Again and again throughout the evening the theme returned to the need for school boards to reign in costs and that can only be done after Harrisburg changes the rules that schools operate under.

During the SB-1 forum discussion State Senator Mike Folmer defended the limited scope of the bill saying, "We do not have enough money for a universal voucher". Matthew Brouillette of the Commonwealth Foundation spoke to the political reality we face and the fact that, "One election does not a revolution make". More at the Commonwealth Foundation

Most of the case for not going with SB-1 was made by columnist Chris Freind. He often referred to the attempt at statewide school choice in 1995 that failed to pass by a mere three votes and how the political landscape is more favorable now. The current bill under consideration is tailored to help only the poorest families and he argued that a comprehensive bill is needed to bring accountability and competition to all schools. More at the FreindlyFireZone.com

Everyone agreed that a more active role by the senate leadership and the Governor would be needed to pass a bill that would have a greater effect on the states education system. To that end everyone was encouraged to contact their state legislators. All the local state legislators were invited to come to the townhall event but only Senator Folmer, from the Lebanon County area, came out.

It's Sunday Morning

2011-03-20T09:30:00.002-04:00

Week 3 in Sunday Morning messages.

Good Morning.

“Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People” is a phrase we often hear when people discuss tragedies and misfortune. And we see enough of that around us lately, don't we? There is something inside us that feels an injustice has been perpetrated and an explanation is due when trouble happens for no apparent good reason to innocent people.

“When Bad Things Happen to Good People” is the title of a best selling book by Rabbi Harold Kushner that was first published in 1981. I read it back in the 80's expecting to find some insight into the question. What I found were insights into the author's view of God.

Rabbi Kushner had the heart wrenching experience of watching his young son die from illness, a personal tragedy that caused him to rethink everything he had been taught about God and God's ways. In the book he recounts the story of Job and then gives us his rational behind the suffering in the world.

Kushner lays out the choices that he feels an innocent person facing trouble has when pondering the injustice that has befallen them. Those choices are:

God does not exist.
God exists but is not good, or
God exists and is good but is not all powerful.
There is no 4, or 5. If you're waiting for one...

He only sees these three options because an all-powerful, good God that allows suffering is inconceivable to him. Here is a case of man limiting his reason by refusing to acknowledge the whole word of God. In the end the rabbi goes with number 3, God is good and suffering exists therefore God cannot be omnipotent. For him a Job that is good yet suffers, is an impossiblity with an all powerful God that is good. He does credit God with giving us the strength of character that sees us through times of trouble. But man's free will, the laws of nature, and even random acts of chance are all outside of the influence of Kushner's God.

When I began working on this talk I realized that I did not have my copy of the book at hand, I had either gotten rid of it or had packed it away somewhere in a box. So I decided to go online to read up on what other people have said about the book to make sure my own two decade plus recollections were correct.

I shouldn't have been shocked at what I found, but it was still disconcerting. The vast majority of reviews gushed over this book, after all it was a best-seller. One person found this book to be “life-changing” and even commented that, “This is the only satisfying explanation I have ever heard of the suffering in our world.” I had almost suspected that my memories were faulty but fortunately I found a few detailed reviews that contrasted the rabbi's views with the Biblical belief of a sovereign God.

I also found that these sorts of writings fall under the title of “Theodicy” - from the Greek words for “God” and “Justice”. It is the study of God's all loving, all knowing, and all powerful traits in light of the evil and suffering in the word. Often that study will center on man's own reasoning alone with no recourse to the word of God.

That term, “Theodicy”, was coined in 1710 by a philosopher who was responding to a skeptic's work. He did reconcile the suffering and evil in the world with the goodness and omnipotence of God by coming to a rather startling conclusion, he claimed that... this is the best of all possible worlds. It's a startling conclusion when you look at all the suffering, evil, and injustice so prevalent in our world. It also carries no comfort in itself. In fact saying that, “This is the best of all possible worlds” to someone who's suffering is likely to earn you an icy stare, if not much worse.

But which concept is closer to the truth, the rabbi's or the philosopher's?

Outside of belief in scripture, the thought that God is on His throne and is in control carries no more comfort than the idea that this is the best of all possible worlds. But in the context of the promises of God, when we take them into our heart and believe on them as the Word of God, all things are possible.

So when we read in:

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

we can take comfort and even joy in this world.

And because of this we should never let our reason function apart from God's revelation but let our reason always be subject to it.

Support your Congressman

2011-03-14T19:10:00.001-04:00

Being a United States Congressman must be a very stressful job with constituents, lobbyists, and special interest groups all vying for your attention. It must be doubly hard during times of budget constraints. People can be passionate and unrelenting for their causes when they think the government should aid them in their endeavors. One man's special interest group is another man's passion.

We're no different in our passion, concern for the future of our country and the tidal wave of crushing debt that is on the horizon. Forty cents out of every dollar that the federal goverment spends is borrowed money. Think about that, how is that sustainable?

That is why we would like to ask our Congressman, Charlie Dent, to stand firm against spending and to roll back the debt that is robbing our children's future. The Tea Party, 9-12'ers, Americans for Prosperity, and other groups are unique constituencies in that we do not want anything from the government other than to expect it to live within it's means.

There's a rally in Allentown on Tuesday at noon to support Charlie in standing firm against runaway spending and for those who can't make that there is an online petition to sign.

Ron Paul: The real culprit of this is the Federal Reserve & their money machine

2011-03-13T22:20:00.001-04:00

It's Sunday Morning

2011-03-13T09:30:00.003-04:00

Continuing with what was started last Sunday...

Good Morning.

Last week we looked at how it's important to keep God's word in it's proper place when exercising our reason. Man tends to be guided by his senses and his own imagination and will pay heed to those who have gone before us and have left their knowledge behind. How much more then should we also value what revelations we have from God and have that stored in our hearts.

Now I have to confess, the verse in Isaiah that I had quoted last week:

Isaiah 1:18
"Come now, and let us reason together,"
Says the LORD...

was not something that jumped out at me the first time I read it. It was brought to my attention about 25 years ago by a gentleman in my apartment who was trying to convince me to his way of thinking.

You see, he wanted to show that God is not unreasonable and does not expect us to believe unreasonable things. God wants to reason with us. Now that all sounds very reasonable... doesn't it?

Here was his point. He pointed to my young son and said, “He is your son and he is not you, is he?” Then pointing to me, “You are his father, you are not him, correct?” And in conclusion he said it would be unreasonable to expect God to utilize the terms Father and Son in scripture and expect them to be understood in any way different than they are in common usage among men. So he continued, “This Trinity doctrine, this 'Jesus is God', it is all man's doing. It's all made up to enslave people in believing mysteries and fables. Ask any priest about the Trinity and they'll tell you, 'It's a mystery'!”

Well, he appealed to my reason didn't he? And to my senses as well, because there was my son in front of me. And did he not also appeal to the Word of God by quoting a verse that said that God wanted to reason with man? Where was he wrong?

Here... If you are going to appeal to the Word of God do not imagine you can just point to one separate verse apart from the whole and ignore the rest if it doesn't suit you. This is not a strange principle. If a science researcher conducted an experiment and simply threw away the data that didn't jive with his thesis his work would be considered fraudulent.

So what is it that my guest was leaving out that was contrary to his idea of the reasonableness of God?

We do not have the time here to go through all the verses in the Bible that point to the Deity of Christ or the concept of the Trinity but I think there are a few that will specifically speak to the “Father-Son yet one” controversy.

We can read, speaking of God in:

Job 9:8
Who alone stretches out the heavens
And tramples down the waves of the sea;

-and-

Isaiah 45:24
Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone,”

And speaking about God's Son we read:

Colossians 1:16
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.

-and-

Hebrews 1:10
And, "YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;

I'm sure you can see it. God the Father stating in the Old Testament that He creates all things and does it alone. And yet creation is also said to be the work of the Son's hands. Two doing the same thing while one claims to do the work alone either makes for liars or somehow the two are also “one”. The premises found in scripture that each are the creator gives rise to the conclusion that both are the one God. This is just a rudimentery beginning of seeing how the Godhead exists, there being much more to it to explore.

But this illustrates how something that sounds reasonable does not nessecarily mean it is fully reasoned out or true to the Word of God.

Do not let your reason function apart from God's revelation but let your reason always be subject to it.

Support your public sector union!

2011-03-11T13:57:00.000-05:00

Business Matters... and integrity does also

2011-03-10T22:20:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago the WFMZ (channel 69) show, Business Matters, recorded a show on National Healthcare with host Tony Iannelli, and guests, Jon Getting – Activist & Blogger, Dr. Anthony Dippolito – Surgeon, Jude-Laure Parisien – Activist, and Donna Rovito – Lehigh Valley Tea Party. Also there was a live studio audience with members from the LV Tea Party participating.

The show can be watched online here:
http://www.wfmz.com/video/27097955/index.html

You can watch for yourself and decide who had the better arguments, but I think Jon's wishing for a time machine so he could "say all the awesome points" he thought of after the taping of the show is pretty telling. I think it was pretty awesome when a nurse who actually read the bill tried asking the panelists, that complained that Americans don't know what's in it, a question. Turns out they didn't know what's in it either. Or their total lack of an answer for why large businesses and unions are getting exemptions from the administration.

On a sour note, at the end when Donna was supposedly given the "final word" and began responding to previous comments by pointing out that Social Security was passed in a bi-partisan fashion the other panelist can be heard saying, "Actually not true". Then at the very end the host, Tony Iannelli, repeats that to make sure that everybody heard, in effect, Donna being called a liar. For the record, an overwhelming majority of Republicans in both the House and Senate voted in favor of Social Security when it was passed in 1935. The vote totals are right here on the Social Security website.

Nobody likes being called a liar.

Why Social Security is NOT solvent until 2037

2011-03-07T18:40:00.000-05:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It's Sunday Morning

2011-03-06T09:30:00.007-05:00

I've been lax in my posting this past month, other duties and life in general has intruded.

Time for something completely different.

This Sunday, and for the rest of the Sundays in March I would like to include a short Sunday morning sermon, or sermonette, of about 5 minutes length if it was being read out loud.

Good Morning.

Today I'd like for us to examine a verse in the first chapter of the prophet Isaiah. The book of Isaiah is full of some of the most compelling verses in scripture, but before all that we read in the first chapter:

Isaiah

1:18"Come now, and let us reason together,"
         Says the LORD,
         "Though your sins are as scarlet,
         They will be as white as snow;
         Though they are red like crimson,
         They will be like wool.

This is addressed to Israel and their failings but it certainly speaks to everyone that is a sinner (which is everyone) and prepares the reader to learn of God's ultimate sacrifice that will make our sins “white as snow”.

But how, how can I and the LORD, the Creator of all that is, “reason together”? For me, that has been a challenge to comprehend. So often in scripture we are told that His ways are not our ways, and that there is a way that seems right to a man but that it leads to death. So how could I possibly be expected to exercise right reason when dealing with the Creator? It seems too incredible, too lopsided of a meeting, for me to conceive.

A few months ago we had a study on the first chapter of the Gospel of John and there is where we may find an answer. In that study the meanings behind the Greek word “Logos”, translated into English as “The Word”, were brought out and examined. It is obviously where we get our word “logic” from. It's meanings include thinking, scientific reasoning, and revelation. In that study we learned that the ultimate reality in the universe is related to reason, rationality, and logic.

Further in the first chapter of John we learn that this Word, this Logos, is called the true light that enlightens every man.

John

1:9 “There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.”

This Logos, the reasoning and rationality that enlightens every man, is not a different kind of logic than the divine Word. It literally is that Word! There is only one logic, one rationality, and that comes from above. Here we may have a clue as to what it means to be created in the image of God. In the garden Adam immediately exercised that rationality by being able to converse with God. Being able to understand and utilize language is a purely rational function.

So we should be able to take some comfort this fact, that not only did Our Lord walk among us as a man but his essence or light abides with us all.

But for us being rational does not mean always being perfect in our thinking, for even our parents in the garden were led astray by deceiving words. So how much more must we, now with a fallen nature, need to be constantly on our guard to think aright and not be swayed by wrong thinking?

So are we back to where we began? How does my fallen nature ever hope to commune with the Lord in this “reasoning together”? Maybe the answer is staring us right in the face, back in Isaiah, if we just exercise a little “right reasoning”. For if we are not reasoning together with God, then we are reasoning apart from Him. By just exercising my thoughts will the I ever realize that my sins are as scarlet and that they can be as white as snow? No.

So the question should not be, “How can I reason with the all-knowing Creator of all there is?”, it should be, “How dare I reason without Him?”

Here is a piece of poetry that I had written down into my notes from a Bible study many years ago. It was one of the “seeds” that led to this study in right thinking.

“Use your gift of reason while it still prevails -

and use you gift of faith when the realm of reason fails”

Or, in other words, do not let your reason function apart from God's revelation but let your reason always be subject to it.

May the word of God take precedence in all the facets of our lives.

The March general meeting - you're invited.

2011-03-04T06:12:00.001-05:00

Our General Monthly Meeting for March:

Date and Time

Friday, March 4th
7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

View Larger Map

Video of a Tea Party meeting

2011-02-14T05:18:00.002-05:00

Curious about what goes on at a Tea Party meeting?

We always try to find interesting speakers and February's speaker did not disappoint. And fortunately we captured it on a digital camcorder.

The video of our speaker, Oleg Atbashian, a writer and graphic artist from the former USSR, is now up on the website of the Lehigh Valley 9-12 Tea Party Group.

Or, as the comrades say...

Movies for the Masses

Have you seen this?

2011-02-07T19:10:00.000-05:00

Eternal vigilance. Learn more at:

lehighvallyteaparty.org

Local coverage of our last meeting...

2011-02-06T19:28:00.001-05:00

at patch.com
For the non-satirical coverage.

Red Square Takes Pennsylvania By Storm!

2011-02-05T12:33:00.001-05:00

Today's blog post comes to us from the http://thepeoplescube.com. It's their coverage of last night's meeting.

Red Square Takes Pennsylvania By Storm!

Posted by

Comrade Whoopie

2/5/2011, 11:41 am

Comrades, it is with great joy that I report victory in Red Square's long march to capture the People's hearts and minds in Pennsylvania. He rode into town to throngs of cheering supporters and after a lite snack set right to work executing his brilliant battle plan of conquest.

As you can see the proletariat were eager to hear his words thanks to the efforts of our media tools who waged a relentless three day effort to incite the masses. The crowd was estimated to be in the hundreds.

During the lecture many proles were moved to take notes and his speech was punctuated with cheers, laughter and applause as he spoke of the past glories of Socialism and the progressive world of next Tuesday to come. He concluded his speech to a rousing standing ovation.

After his speech many questions were asked and it would have gone on all night but for the self serving needs of the Kulak landlord who demanded we vacate the premises. Even so the People refused to be bullied and lined up to purchase his ground breaking seminal work on Socialism.

As you can see the People's Director was very successful in redistribution the wealth.

Among the crowd were some of our loyal comrades. Here we see Red Wayne and his wife suitably attired in the uniform of the Collective.

Afterward our little circle of agitators, provocateurs and conspirators retired to a secret location to drink to our success and listen to Red Square lay out his plans for future campaigns and the eventual subjugation and unification of the nation under his benevolent leadership. Here we see your faithful organizer receiving an award from the People's Director for service above and beyond the call of duty and Komrade Kofkey discussing the Spring offensive which is in the planning stages.

End of communique.

(Now get back to work, those beets won't dig themselves)

http://thepeoplescube.com

Ronald Reagan @ 100

2011-02-05T00:18:00.000-05:00

President Reagan 1981 Inaugural Address

You're invited to our February General Meeting

2011-01-26T22:07:00.004-05:00

From the Lehigh Valley Project 9-12 Tea Party Group website:

We are in for a really interesting experience at the February Monthly meeting on February 4th at the Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township at 7pm. Our speaker, Oleg Atbashian, is a writer and graphic artist from the former USSR. Born and raised in Ukraine, he used to be a teacher, a translator, a worker, a freelance journalist, and at one time a propaganda artist, creating visual agitprop for the local Party committee in a Siberian town. In 1994, he emigrated to the USA hoping to live in a country that was ruled by reason and common sense. Ironically, he now lives in New York City. He is the creator of ThePeoplesCube.com, a satirical website where he writes under the name of Red Square.

Read more at the new LV 9-12/Tea Party website...
Listen to Oleg with Bobby Gunther Walsh on WAEB 790 at 8:45AM on Wednesday, February 2nd.

Written and illustrated by

OLEG ATBASHIAN

who saw the worst of both worlds

and lived to tell the tale

Guest Speaker:

Oleg Atbashian

author of "Shakedown Socialism" and the genius behind The People's Cube.

Date and Time

Friday, Feb 4th

7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

View Larger Map

Northampton County's controller running for re-election

2011-01-23T15:58:00.001-05:00

Today the Patch local news service posted that Stephen Barron, Northampton County's controller, has announced on Friday that he will seek re-election.

No story on this run for re-election can be considered complete without these quotes from this past summer when Mr Barron tried to meet with the T-Mobile vice president.

“Please remind him if he needs anything from Northampton and Lehigh county, we’re going to remember this day and we’re going to make sure that that will be part of any negotiations.”

"I'd also like you to think about why you didn't meet with one of the local elected officials here in the Lehigh Valley and how that could benefit your company..."

The videos are on YouTube:

Mr Barron wasn't elected to lobby for the unions or attempt to use his title to influence Lehigh Valley employers. His actions reflect poorly upon himself and the county that voted him into office.

For these actions Northampton County Council on September 2nd voted 8-1 in resolution to condemn & repudiate Barron's comments and notify T-Mobile that he has no authority to represent the county.

Beginning in 2012 the Controller's salary will be $65,000. Anyone else interested?

Note: A tip o' the hat to Bernie O'Hare of Lehigh Valley Ramblings for his coverage of this story last summer.

Social Justice vs Fairness

2011-01-22T11:58:00.002-05:00

I recently read an article that pointed out that the accepted concept of fairness is not exactly the same as the concept of social justice. It stated that in general when something is considered unfair it is usually because some rule has been violated whereas within the framework of social justice an unfairness can be perceived without a definite rule being broken. This is something that I've noticed when examining my own feelings on the matter of wealth distribution. When someone is upset that a large percent of wealth is concentrated with a small percentage of the population I find myself thinking, "So what? As long as the wealth was gained legitimately and no one was robbed or cheated what does it matter? If a law was broken, don't complain about the distribution of the wealth, go after the law-breaker!" Apparently my sense of fairness is not as developed as the practitioner of social justice is.

Now I've heard the term "social justice" many times and thought I knew what it meant but just to make sure I did a little research on the term.

The simple definition:
The fair distribution of advantages, assets, and benefits among all members of a society.

Some sites that elaborate more on the meaning:
http://www.reachandteach.com
http://www.justphilanthropy.org
http://www.sociologyguide.com

Cornel West's social justice wants the love to flow so that poor people will have the same dignity as investment bankers: http://www.colbertnation.com

Many of the explanations of social justice seem quite reasonable, like insuring equal treatment and opportunity for all people. And helping the poor and making sure no child goes hungry. All admirable goals. Abolition and woman's suffrage are also attributed to the spirit of social justice by some.

Then there are a multitude of other social justice issues that are included, such as:

Environmental Justice
Immigration Justice
Reproductive Justice (which seems to be at odds with Pro-Life Justice)
Healthcare Justice
Gender Justice

Apparently you take the issue that matters to you and append the word "Justice" to it to make it a pressing social concern! Some of these issues are very debatable and divisive (like Reproductive Justice) and others seem to revolve around degrees of concern/enforcement, such as care of the environment (better gas mileage or ban the internal combustion engine?).

All of this, as issues taken up by various associations and groups that tackle these things though their own efforts are not a problem for most of us. It's when other peoples vision of "Justice" are looking to be implemented by governmental action that our attention is grabbed. After all, the term "Justice" implies enforcement, does it not?

An article by Michael Novak on Friedrich Hayek's feelings on social justice can be found at www.firstthings.com. There we find this statement:

"The minute one begins to define social justice, one runs into embarrassing intellectual difficulties. It becomes, most often, a term of art whose operational meaning is, “We need a law against that.” In other words, it becomes an instrument of ideological intimidation, for the purpose of gaining the power of legal coercion."

That in a nutshell is my same concern when we see someone pointing out some perceived injustice that has occurred through no breaking of the rules. More from the same article:

"Hayek made a sharp distinction, however, between those failures of justice that involve breaking agreed–upon rules of fairness and those that consist in results that no one designed, foresaw, or commanded. The first sort of failure earned his severe moral condemnation. No one should break the rules; freedom imposes high moral responsibilities. The second, insofar as it springs from no willful or deliberate act, seemed to him not a moral matter but an inescapable feature of all societies and of nature itself. When labeling unfortunate results as “social injustices” leads to an attack upon the free society, with the aim of moving it toward a command society, Hayek strenuously opposes the term."

Is inequality of results "an inescapable feature of all societies and of nature itself"? Shall the poor be with us always? Or more to the point... is government capable of dispensing this highly subjective sort of justice without itself being unjust?

__________________________________________________

More on the philosophy of social justice can be found by reading the works of John Rawls.

__________________________________________________

I would be remiss to not at least mention the spiritual dimension behind this sort of "justice". In Deuteronomy 15 you will find specific commands to alleviate poverty in the land. Again, on a personal or voluntary group association level there is no problem here, in fact it's laudable. And to a degree some will say that certain aspects of Deuteronomy are already found in our anti-poverty and bankruptcy laws. Where the difficulty lies is in the implementation by non-believing government officials. The Biblical morals we trust government to enforce, such as "Thou Shalt Not Steal" or kill, are quite straight forward and subject to little interpretation. But determining who is poor, how they shall be helped, & by who is a chore that requires a case by case judgement lest the entire enterprise becomes subverted. Different people will come to this chore with different agendas and we have seen above how the entire concept of social justice is ripe to be expanded into every aspect of life, much of which could be argued carries us far from a Biblical viewpoint.

Point is, if we are to point to the Bible as the authority for implementing social justice then we must be also be prepared to accept Biblical instruction on selecting Godly leaders.

Oh my goodness, the rich have...

2011-01-17T06:10:00.000-05:00

more than other people!

Shocking? No, after all, the definition of rich is someone having an abundance. If everyone had precisely the same amount of wealth or goods the word rich wouldn't even exist. So when we say the rich have "more" we are engaging in a tautalogical statement that's redundent and really conveys no information beyond a definition of "rich".

Why am I taking the time to go over this? Because I've come to a very basic realization about the rhetorical tactics of those who call themselves "progressive". More often than not, whenever there's an issue on their radar screen it includes a statement about some perceived unfairness of the rich having something that others do not.

It's a formula that begins with, "The rich have more or better..." followed by the issue which can be just about anything:
Healthcare
Internet connections
Housing
Transportation
Food
Power
Influence
Entertainment
Lawyers
Etc, etc, etc,... just fill in the blank.

So far they have just given us the tautology, defining rich (they got more!) within the subject that they are concerned with. It's the next step that's the crucial one, it's sleight of hand worthy of a professional magician. With the magician you don't concentrate on the patter, you carefully watch his hands. Here it's the words themselves that are the deceiving hands. Or, more acurately, the lack of words! Something is left unsaid, a step is skipped, and the conversation goes merrily onto the "solution" phase.

Solution for what? All I heard was that the rich have more of something.

Here is what I propose. Before you, me, or anyone gets roped into arguing about a supposed problem or unfairness I say, "Stop, do not skip the step, make clear exactly what the problem is!" Tell us plainly.

Then we'll discuss, once we know what the issue is.

Why are we having this conversation?

2011-01-15T16:43:00.004-05:00

It has been a week since the tragic shooting in Tuscon.

Now that there hasn't been found a single link of "vicious political rhetoric" having influenced Jared Lee Loughner* those who have linked it with his actions have to be asked bluntly... why are we having this conversation? Why this one-sided accusation over the supposed dangers of political rhetoric?

I know the answer... it's just another phase in the continuing war of character assassination.

Ever since it's inception, the Tea Party (and anyone associated with it) has been the recipient of accusations of racism, radicalism, hatefulness, greediness, of being brain-washed by talking heads and media outlets, and of being "bought and paid for" astro-turf. This current situation is just more of the same. That the accusations came out within minutes of the shooting, before anyone knew anything about the shooter, illuminates that their need to smear outweighs their concern for the truth.

I could ask, "Have you no shame?" but it's becoming more and more obvious that of course they don't. This is the world we live in today. Those who hurl the false accusations behave as though they have the high moral ground while good people whose main concern is for the future financial soundness of their country suffer every sort of slander from them.

In a way we have exceeded Orwell's vision of 1984. Instead of an all controlling government that's engaging in constant propaganda we have a free press and blogosphere that does it.

At least that's the way I see it. How about you?

_______________________________________________

* All the current evidence points to Loughner's obsession with his congresswoman and depraved mental state began in 2007. In 2007 there was no Tea Party movement and no presidential candidates yet selected for the 2008 elections. If you want to see the "vicious political rhetoric" from that time I could direct you to websites that chronicled the "Bush = Hitler" and "Snipers Wanted" mentality of the time.

More from The New York Times
and Reason

_______________________________________________

Fame Through Assassination: A Secret Service Study

Introducing the new Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/Tea Party Group website

2011-01-08T10:14:00.001-05:00

Introducing our new website.

More public content. More user friendly.

Come on over!

"The text is confusing because it written over 100 years ago..."

2011-01-01T12:07:00.002-05:00

Update - Some reaction from the blogosphere:

Ezra Klein made the biggest mistake that can be made by a liberal — progressive — socialist — communist — no labelist — whatever the heck they call themselves on the 31st of the month.

He was being honest.

He does not believe in the Constitution.

He is cynical about it and he projects that same cynicism onto those who disagree with him.

Another waste of our taxpayer money

2010-12-31T17:58:00.000-05:00

A comment from our website forum, reposted here:

For those who don't know, the state has contracted with an American-Israeli private intelligence company to provide weekly threat assessments to PEMA(Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency) and state and local law enforcement.

The entire 2009-2010 archive is located at publicintelligence.net.

I searched the all the reports and no LVTP activities were listed, although there were many PA "tea party" events listed.

A typical comment in the report for tea party events:

****** ANALYSIS ****** T/I/W Rating: LOW-to-MODERATE

ITRR Analysts’ Note: Expect the above events to conform to conditions of a legal protest, although ITRR has no current information regarding needed police permits. No illegality, violence, vandalism or other rioting is expected. Law enforcement personnel will primarily be called upon to provide crowd control and manage possible counter-protests.

Nonetheless, a small chance exists that more radical anti-government elements will be inspired to "direct action" targeting government offices. In addition, confrontations between Tea Party protesters and their opponents on the sidelines of the events may escalate into physical conflict.

All in all, after reading these briefings, my conclusion is we as taxpayers are being ripped off by this so called intelligence company. It probably takes one person 2 hours on Google to put these together. They all talk about events 2-3 months in the future and repeat them every week until after the event, just to make the reports longer and make it seem like they are earning their money. The analysts "notes" are copy-pasted verbatim everywhere. Disturbing to me is the comment about "needed police permits". Another waste of our taxpayer money that could be better saved.

I wonder how may law enforcement hours are wasted across the state each and every week reading this nonsense. I hope it just hits one desk and then gets tossed in the shredder.

You're invited to our January General Meeting

2010-12-31T10:10:00.000-05:00

Guest Speaker:

Paul Saunders

speaking on:
"The Rise and Fall of Altruism, Collectivism, and Statism"

Date and Time

Friday, Jan 7th

7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

View Larger Map

Have we reached convergence?

2010-12-30T22:42:00.004-05:00

Definition of CONVERGENCE
1: the act of converging and especially moving toward union or uniformity

If there's one thing I've always heard conservative, libertarian, and tea party types agree on it's that they would rather see their money go to the charity of their choice and not where the government wants to put it. Now there's a trio of Ivy League professors that have sort of stumbled onto the same concept and are doing something about it.

Meet GiveItBackForJobs.Org

There you can read about how unfair the extension of the Bush tax cuts are and learn how to "... set the country moving toward a just prosperity." This is done by estimating you income for 2011 and using their calculator to figure how much more tax you should have paid if the tax cuts expired. Then you promise to send that amount to the charity of your choice! And with that they then, bursting with pride say:

We can, in this way, begin to redeem candidate Obama’s promise that

“we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

The amazing thing about this whole episode is that instead of asking us to send the money to the US Treasury, common sense had kicked in and the money is going to be sent where it can do some real good.

James Taranto put it this way when commenting on this stunning achievement by the professors from Cornell and Yale:

"Given the intellectual handicaps under which Hacker, Hockett and Markovits operate, they can be very proud to have figured this out."

A "tip of the hat" to Taranto's Best of the Web for uncovering this advance in academia!

PS - there's really no convergence here, I was just foolin'

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas everyone!

2010-12-25T10:22:00.004-05:00

$2 Trillion debt crisis threatens to bring down 100 US cities

2010-12-22T21:32:00.000-05:00

Overdrawn American cities could face financial collapse in 2011, defaulting on hundreds of billions of dollars of borrowings and derailing the US economic recovery.

According to an article in The Guardian.

From the article:

New Jersey governor Chris Christie summarised the problem succinctly:

"We spent too much on everything. We spent money we didn't have. We borrowed money just crazily. The credit card's maxed out, and it's over. We now have to get to the business of climbing out of the hole. We've been digging it for a decade or more. We've got to climb now, and a climb is harder."

Valley Watchdogs keeping tabs on wasteful spending

2010-12-21T22:47:00.001-05:00

A letter to the editor in yesterday's Express Times.

Bravo for your Dec. 9 editorial rebuking the latest in a perennial string of what it called “atrocities against taxpayers” perpetrated by local governing boards.

We in the Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/Tea Party Group couldn’t agree more. Our Founding Fathers left it to citizens to hold government at every level accountable for its actions and this year our Tea Party made great strides in demanding common sense, responsible policies from our elected representatives.

Growing numbers of our “Valley Watchdogs” have been attending local meetings, speaking out on a wide range of community issues and keeping our neighbors informed of government actions in our communities. These patriots have stood up for taxpayers on issues such as the privatization of Gracedale, the budget process of the Lehigh County, the need to control spending in the Saucon Valley School District, and most recently, shining light on the Northampton Area School Board’s quiet plan to let an energy company install solar panels on school property.

The Valley Watchdogs are active throughout the Lehigh Valley, but we need more of them. You can lend your voice to the growing national chorus for sensible government by joining our Valley Watchdogs Program to make positive contributions to America's future.

MAT BENOL
Chairman
Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/ Tea Party Group
Palmer Township

Neighbors of Easton: Meet Your Local Tea Party

2010-12-04T11:38:00.001-05:00

A local blogger has taken the the time to attend last night's General Meeting and write down her impressions:

Neighbors of Easton: Meet Your Local Tea Party

You're invited to our December General Meeting

2010-11-19T13:44:00.001-05:00

Guest Speaker:

Ken Sturzenacker

financial advisor, economist, journalist, curmudgeon and former chair of the PA Libertarian Party.
His latest article in the Morning Call can be found here.
He promises to demonstrate the futility of Social Security and challenge us on cutting the national debt.

Date and Time

Friday, Dec 3th
7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

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Lame Duck Voting --- payback to supporters and generational theft?

2010-11-14T10:40:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow, November 15, the PA legislature is being called back into session to vote for a pension bailout measure - HB 2497. This is not facing up to the problem but just kicking it down the road for future generations to deal with.

~~Concerned citizens may want to call their State Representative now.~~

From the Commonwealth Foundation:

Pennsylvania's largest public pension plans-Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) and State Employees Retirement System (SERS)-are severely underfunded. But instead of reforming the defined-benefit pension system and paying down these liabilities, House Bill 2497 would defer pension payments and increase the unfunded liability by tens of billions of dollars in lost investments and interest. Simply put, HB 2497 is generational theft-forcing our children and grandchildren to pay for Harrisburg's fiscal irresponsibility.

13 Reasons to Oppose HB 2497
Union Campaign Cash for HB 2497

Update:

HARRISBURG, PA — The Commonwealth Foundation expressed disappointment with today's passage of House Bill 2497, which defers significant pension costs on to future generations while failing to adequately reform the state's largest defined benefit pension systems.

How Did Lawmakers Vote on HB 2497?

LV Project 9-12/Tea Party in the News

2010-11-12T06:21:00.000-05:00

A story in the local newspaper, The Morning Call.
Read it here.

“The rest of the world is looking more like the tea party...”

2010-11-05T16:06:00.000-04:00

Who would say such a thing? “The rest of the world is looking more like the tea party,” is that just crazy talk from some right-winger?

No, that quote comes from Kenneth Rogoff, currently on the faculty of the Harvard Department of Economics and formerly the chief economist at the International Monetary Fund and an economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

Mr Rogoff was quoted in an article about the President's upcoming overseas trips to global economic summits. It's in reference to the fiscal austerity measures that are being pressed for in Europe but resisted by the Obama administration in this country.

So the next time somebody talks about those crazy destructive "fiscal responsibility" ideas of the Tea Party - send them to Europe.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB40001424052748703805704575594540016000482.html

Will your dollar be worth less after today?

2010-11-03T16:40:00.001-04:00

No, this isn't about the election aftermath.

It's about the Federal Reserve and their decision announced today to infuse $600 million into the economy in an attempt to stimulate it. It's referred to as "quantitative easing" and not everyone agrees to it's effectiveness. Many think it will lead to inflation.

Read about it here:
http://www.forbes.com/

and here:
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/

VOTE!

2010-11-02T05:59:00.001-04:00

In Pennsylvania, the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Use VotesPA.com to Prepare for Voting on Nov. 2nd

2010-10-27T21:54:00.002-04:00

Pennsylvania voters can use the Department of State's voter education Web site, VotesPA.com, to prepare for the Nov. 2nd general election. The VotesPA.com Web site offers a broad range of information to improve voters' experiences at the polls.

VotesPA.com provides pertinent voter information, such as video demonstrations of electronic voting systems, a polling place locator and a registration confirmation tool. The site's Election Day assistance tool allows voters to print their own one-page information sheet that lists their polling place, directions and what to bring to the polls.

To confirm your registration on the site, scroll down to "Register to Vote", click on "Confirm Your Registration" and then on " voter registration database. " Voters can also call 1-877-VOTESPA (868-3772) or their county board of elections for current registration information. County contact information is listed on VotesPA.com.

If you do not appear to be registered, contact your county board of elections immediately.

Pennsylvania law requires voters to present identification the first time they go to the polls or if they have moved to a new polling place. Newly registered voters who show up on Election Day without ID will be permitted to vote using a provisional ballot, but this option should be used only as a last resort.

Approved forms of photo identification include:
Pennsylvania driver's license or PennDOT ID card,
ID issued by any Pennsylvania agency or U.S. government (e.g., passport),
U.S. Armed Forces ID,
Student ID, and
Employee ID.

If a voter does not have photo identification, they may use a non-photo identification that includes their name and address. Approved forms of non-photo identification include:
Voter ID card issued by the voter registration commission,
Non-photo ID issued by Pennsylvania or federal government,
Firearm permit,
Current utility bill,
Current bank statement,
Current paycheck, and
Government check.

For more information about voter rights, responsibilities, and preparations, visit VotesPA.com or call 1-877-VOTESPA (868-3772).

Meet and Greet the candidates event this Friday

2010-10-20T20:07:00.002-04:00

Updated 10/21/10 5:30 PM

All PA Senate and General Assembly candidates will be invited to meet and greet their constituents on Friday evening (10/22/10) between 7PM and 9PM.

Here's a list of those candidates that so far have confirmed they will participate in our Meet and Greet event this Friday (7pm-9pm) at the Chrin Community Center.

Here is the latest on those candidates attending.

Pat Browne (R) – State Senate 16th District

Richard Orloski (D) - State Senate 16th District

Matt Connolloy (R) - State Senate 18th District

Lisa Boscola (D) - State Senate 18th District

Bob Mensch (R) - State Senate 24th District

Justin Simmons (R) – General Assembly 131st District

Dave Moloney (R) – General Assembly 133rd District

Joe Emrick (R) - General Assembly 137th District

Charles Dertinger (D) - General Assembly 137th District

Rex D'Agostino (G) - General Assembly 183rd District

Eleven candidates have not yet returned our calls but their names will be added to this list if they indicate they will be attending.

Candidates are encouraged to bring their campaign literature and to be prepared to answer questions pertaining to those important issues impacting Lehigh Valley residents.

This is an excellent opportunity to prepare yourself to make an informed decision come November 2nd.

Bring your neighbor.

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Candidate Evaluation Report - Nov. 2nd General Election

2010-10-13T19:13:00.004-04:00

To see our Candidate Evaluation Report for the Nov. 2nd General Election CLICK HERE. Updated 10/15/10

Also: How well did the individual candidates respond to our inquiries for information and did they sign a pledge of fiscal or constitutional responsibility? We have the answers RIGHT HERE.

The evaluation, developed by the group’s Candidate Action Committee, provides responses from candidates appearing on the November 2 general election ballots in Lehigh and Northampton Counties on their positions on taxes, government spending, and fundamental principles of the U.S. Constitution. Some excerpts from the report:

There were two questionnaires sent out to all candidates, a long comprehensive questionnaire and an abbreviated one more recently sent out to those candidates who did not return the original questionnaire. Those who have still not returned either questionnaire are duly noted on the response sheets.

THESE CANDIDATE EVALUATIONS SHOULD BE REGARDED AS A WORK IN
PROGRESS. Revised reports will be issued as such additional data warrants (and a link to updated reports will appear here on this blog post)

Caveat Lector (Let the Reader Beware)
This analysis is a subjective process bolstered as much as possible by fact or, at least, evidenced-based indicators. The candidates’ answers to the questions are what they are, and ideally truly indicate the political philosophy the candidate brings to the issue in question. The strength of the validity of the answers based on our research varies with each candidate and even among the different issues within each candidate’s responses. We urge you to focus more on the pattern of responses rather than any specific answer, and for those candidates for whom you are seriously considering to represent you, please confirm your judgment with your own research on the merits of each candidate.

November Monthly Meeting... you're invited

2010-10-08T18:27:00.002-04:00

We always like to see interested people coming out to our monthly meetings, but we do much more than have monthly meetings. Here's a list of some of the things going on within our organization during the month of October:

Book Discussion--The Federalist Papers
2nd Amendment Team
Ayn Rand Discussion Group--"Capitalism, The Unknown Ideal"
Northampton County Precinct Meeting
Meeting - Energy and Environment (Cap and Trade) Team
Health Care Action Committee Meeting
Meet and Greet Your Lehigh Valley Candidates
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our General Monthly Meeting for November:

Guest Speaker:

Ken Matthews
on why the role of the Tea Party remains unchanged after the November election.

Date and Time

Friday, Nov 5th
7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

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Candidates should be prepared to discuss real cuts in budget

2010-10-05T23:20:00.000-04:00

An opinion piece in The Morning Call that is one of the BEST pieces on the current economic disaster that we all face.

"Movement of the Moment Looks to Long-Ago Texts"

2010-10-03T22:19:00.002-04:00

That's the title of a story in Friday's New York Times. Of course the "Movement of the Moment" is a reference to the Tea Party movement. But what about those "Long-Ago Texts"? Are the tea partiers delving into the ancient works of Aristotle or Cicero? Or maybe closer to our era with Adam Smith and John Locke?

No, what this author is talking about are the works of Bastiat, Rand, and Hayek. Friedrich Hayek received the Nobel Prize for economics in 1974 and died in 1992. Ayn Rand published her works up to the year of her death in 1982. I guess Frédéric Bastiat was truly ancient, dying in 1850 the same year he published his most famous work, The Law. That's 63 years younger than the U.S. constitution, but then who reads that anymore?

This is one of those instances where an author's work tells us more about herself than the subject that she's trying to illuminate. Curiously enough the author, Kate Zernike, shares a 2002 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. I wish she would explain what the point is with this concern for "long-ago texts". Truth and good literature used to be timeless, nowadays I guess it comes with an expiration date like a carton of milk.

It gets even better though... in the course of her article she quotes a Senate candidate from Wisconsin using the term "rule of law". According to Ms Zernike that is:

"Hayek’s term for the unwritten code that prohibits the government from interfering with the pursuit of “personal ends and desires.”"

"Rule of Law" is a basic foundational concept to western civilization. It does come from those "Long-Ago Texts", Aristotle wrote about it. It is a prime example of good ideas being timeless. But apparently that concept wasn't taught at the journalism school.

A tip of the hat to National Review Online's The Corner
John J. Miller
and
Jonah Goldberg

The Constitution Is 'Weird'

2010-09-29T18:09:00.000-04:00

It makes one wonder why members of Congress take that silly oath to "support and defend the Constitution" when they are sworn into office...
An article from the Cato Institute

October Monthly Meeting... you're invited

2010-09-23T17:48:00.000-04:00

Election of
Board Members


Date and Time
Friday, Oct 1st
7:00PM

Location: Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township
4100 Green Pond Rd Easton, PA 18045 610-252-2098
How to find us "Enter through building on Rte. 22 side and turn left at first corridor. Our room is about half way down on the left hand side."
Price: $1.00 per person to pay for the room

View Larger Map

Original Project 9-12/Tea Party of the Lehigh Valley PA - The Unofficial Blog

National Prayer Breakfast, before the President spoke...

A must read...

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!

My "RINO" rant

Educate yourself about the state of education in America

What Is Constitutional Conservatism? - Yuval Levin - National Review Online

Bailout students, not banks!

You're Invited to our November General Meeting

Tea Party vs OWS

Thou shalt not covet...

Education Reform Workshop

Variation on a popular Venn diagram going around

The original Venn can be found here:http://howconservativesdrovemeaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-vs-tea-party.html The usual disclaimer is in effect - these are my opinions and not necessarily those of the local Tea Party group. An online view of the PowerPoint

Government Venn

Congressman (retired) John Shadegg discusses how we got into this mess

Sarah Palin has something substantive to say...

American Exceptionalism Explained

“He's a man”

Introduction to the Constitution

Everything You Wanted to Know About "ObamaCare" (But Didn't Know Who to Ask)

A response to Joe Hilliard

“Poverty does not create our social problems, our social problems create our poverty.”

General Meeting this Friday

“What Would Jesus Cut?”

Everything You Wanted To Know About...

Economic Freedom & Quality of Life

"Who could have confidence with what's going on in Washington?"

True Liberty

You're invited to our July General Meeting

IMF cuts U.S. growth forecast, warns of crisis

Memorial Day Parade - Small Town America, 2011

The Great Disappointment

Not facing up to the most predictable economic crisis in history

Voters’ Guide on the Proposed Sale of the Gracedale Nursing Home

A Blessed Resurrection Morning to All

True charity does not spring from...

Glaring Contradictions

So... how you doin'?

Where did the money go?

Reality Check on Deficits and the Debt

It's Sunday...

Eat the Rich!

It's Sunday Morning

In Matthew 25 Jesus says:

"I'm fine with the cuts, now get a spine like Gov Walker!"

It's Sunday Morning

Support your Congressman

Ron Paul: The real culprit of this is the Federal Reserve & their money machine

It's Sunday Morning

Support your public sector union!

Business Matters... and integrity does also

Why Social Security is NOT solvent until 2037

It's Sunday Morning

The March general meeting - you're invited.

Video of a Tea Party meeting

Have you seen this?

Local coverage of our last meeting...

Red Square Takes Pennsylvania By Storm!

Ronald Reagan @ 100

President Reagan 1981 Inaugural Address

You're invited to our February General Meeting

Northampton County's controller running for re-election

Social Justice vs Fairness

Oh my goodness, the rich have...

Why are we having this conversation?

Introducing the new Lehigh Valley Project 9-12/Tea Party Group website

"The text is confusing because it written over 100 years ago..."

Another waste of our taxpayer money

You're invited to our January General Meeting

Have we reached convergence?

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas everyone!

$2 Trillion debt crisis threatens to bring down 100 US cities

Valley Watchdogs keeping tabs on wasteful spending

Neighbors of Easton: Meet Your Local Tea Party

You're invited to our December General Meeting

Lame Duck Voting --- payback to supporters and generational theft?

LV Project 9-12/Tea Party in the News

“The rest of the world is looking more like the tea party...”

Will your dollar be worth less after today?

The original Venn can be found here:
http://howconservativesdrovemeaway.blogspot.com/2011/10/occupy-wall-street-vs-tea-party.html

The usual disclaimer is in effect - these are my opinions and not necessarily those of the local Tea Party group.

An online view of the PowerPoint