My Utmost

Oh my goodness! The conversation is heating up. Tempers are beginning to flare. I don't believe I have ever seen a political party more divided. Everyone wants the same outcome (I think) but no one can agree how to get there.

I am talking about the Trump vs. NeverTrump campaigns to win the White House in November.

Simply speaking, Donald Trump won the nomination fair and square. He participated in the primary process and won - hands down. There were no missteps; no questionable means to get there. No one is arguing that. So truthfully, I don't really know why we are even having this "discussion". It is actually closer to a war than a discussion. And I suspect it will get much worse as the election draws closer.

I have thought about writing about this "war" for some time. But people are so adamant on both sides, I really don't think anyone's mind will be changed. Each side believes what they believe and for both sides, it is a matter of conscience.

For me, it is just so very difficult to understand how the NeverTrumpers fail to see that not voting for Donald Trump will most certainly give us Hillary Clinton. And if they do understand that, why are they ok with that?

I have studied, I have dialogued. I think I have read just about every article that has come out about both stances. No one  from the NeverTrump side has done anything to convince me of their argument. In fact, I feel like I can successfully poke holes in their position. But I am convinced I cannot reach them.

In the last few elections, there has always been a "spoiler" that has come along to destroy and divide the conservative vote. Sometimes the spoiler was successful in aiding the Democrat into office (i.e. Ron Paul and Ross Perot) and sometimes the spoiler was not and Republicans held it together..

Yes, I know. Conservatives generally accept that Ross Perot was a spoiler, but for some, to believe that Ron Paul was a "spoiler" is a tough pill to swallow. However, the truth is the Ron Paul campaign had such support up front, that even though he only garnered about 6% of the vote, it was enough to give us Barack Hussein Obama, both in 2008 and in 2012. How? The early momentum was lost. The beginning momentum to get behind a candidate and thereby influence others to come along side is imperative for a win. In both 2008 and 2012 this was never allowed to occur. And in the end, some of those Paul supporters voted for a third party candidate, and some stayed home. That led to a much higher percentage than the 6 percent that voted for him. Those voters that simply stayed home, was enough to sway both elections in 2008 and 2012.

So. Did we learn from that mistake? Apparently not. Because the NeverTrumpers, are heading down that same path.

"I will stay home." "I will vote 3rd party." "I will NEVER vote for the lesser of two evils!" these "conscience voters" rail against the winner of the primary election. How in the world do they not see that their stance is going to give us Hillary Clinton? And how is their conscience ok with that is what I want to know.

Instead, why aren't we helping Trump find his way? It is our job has citizens to influence and steer elections!

Let me explain here that I am a Christian. The whole reason I participate in politics is to preserve our religious freedom and the nation that I believe our Founders created only by God's design. In my mind, to not participate is to not be a good steward of what God has given us. It is that simple. I vote. I write letters to my congressmen and letters to the editor of my local paper to influence others and do what I believe is the minimum of what God expects us to do.

For starters, let's take "the I will never vote for the lesser of two evils" argument. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  Jeremiah 17:9 Bottom line: EVERY election is about voting for the lesser of two evils unless Jesus is on the ballot. It is that simple. And we can say this about Trump: at least he understands what difference it makes that 4 men were left to die in Benghazi. Now, in my opinion, that whole incident was evil!

Further, after much discussion and searching, I think I finally figured out why SOME refuse to vote for Trump. It is because they hold a world view that there is another chance to correct all that has gone awry. They hold a different world view. They have a different hope. There are those that believe we are NOT near the end of the world. That the world will get better before Jesus returns and we are here to help make it so. They are "Dominionists" or "Kingdom Now" believers. But I am afraid that belief is NOT Scriptural. Regardless, their world view allows for another chance, rather than seeing this election as crucial. They don't see 4 more years of Obama/Clinton policy as finishing off what our Founders created. I do; and here is why:

Michelle Bachman - former Congresswoman and Senator from Minnesota - explains it all in the video below that I have included. It is a matter of demographics. If Hillary gets elected she will change the demographics of our nation by allowing amnesty and even more illegal immigrants to enter our nation. These immigrants almost without fail vote democratic. They will be obligated to the democratic ticket. The demographics will change so much that we will never have a Republican President again. Please listen. In my opinion, this is probably the most important reason we have for voting for Donald Trump.

http://go.cbn.com/12195

We also have the WWJD argument. What would Jesus do? Who would Jesus vote for?

To me there is a simple answer to that question, as well. He would want us to vote for the candidate that is most aligned with Biblical principals and stances.

Personally, if I didn't vote AGAINST Hillary Clinton, I would be sinning. Because I believe so very strongly that she is out to destroy what God inspired our Founders to construct. Obama very clearly said he wants to fundamentally transform our nation. He has a good start. Hillary wants to continue in this same path. If they want to continue down this road, they are seeking to destroy what God has done - if we truly believe God created out nation. And I do.  I believe what Jesus would require of ALL of US, is to vote for candidates who are aligned most closely with what God expects. I don't know how any Christian can vote for someone who supports abortion. I don't know how any Christian can vote for someone who is against traditional marriage. I don't know how anyone can vote for someone who has betrayed Israel, or who has intentions of betraying Israel. I don't know how any Christian can vote for those whose policies keep poor people in despair or tied down to a government that offers no chance of bettering themselves. It is really that simple. I think Jesus expects us to educate ourselves on Biblical principals and find the candidate most closely aligned with His Word.

There are party platforms, carefully outlined. Those platforms are as different as night and day. If we don't like the candidate, we absolutely must stand for the party platform! We must show and even garner support for that platform that holds us to the higher standard.

Oh and then there is this...(and I apologize in advance if this is a bit harsh, but there are a lot of relevant facts here) From actor Kevin Sorbo's Facebook page:

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Kevin Sorbo

 

"I guess some people need another fact check. What I'm about to tell you are only the facts - historical facts, not rumors, not hearsay just plain undeniable facts.

(This is only a small percentage of a much longer list)

Of the two candidates running for president:

• Only Hillary Clinton was caught lying to congress.
• Only Hillary Clinton was fired from a job for being unethical.
• Only Hillary Clinton ordered the deletion of over 30 thousand emails after she was ordered to hand the server containing them over to the Feds.
• Only Hillary Clinton got the rapist of a teenage girl off on rape charges and then laughed about it during an interview.
• Only Hillary Clinton lied to the American people about Benghazi.
• Only Hillary Clinton lied to the American people about her emails.
• Only Hillary Clinton lied about being under sniper fire after landing in Bosnia.
• Only Hillary Clinton lied about actually lying to the American people.
• Only Hillary Clinton was involved in “Cash Cow “
• Only Hillary Clinton nationally belittled her husband's sexual harassment (and rape) accusers.
• Only Hillary Clinton is a career politician.
• Only Hillary Clinton will not release her speeches to Goldman Sachs and other banks.
• Only Hillary Clinton is tied to Monsanto.
• Only Hillary Clinton was labeled “Extremely careless “about national security by the FBI.
• Only Hillary Clinton said she will raise taxes on the middle class. Surprising right? Watch the speech.
• Only Hillary Clinton benefited from the DNC rigging an election. Bernie never had a chance.
• Only Hillary Clinton had to return stolen items from the White House.
• Only Hillary Clinton said the Benghazi victim's parents were lying.
• Only Hillary Clinton wants you to vote for her based on her gender.
• Only Hillary Clinton has been investigated by the FBI and found to have put national security at risk.
• Only Hillary Clinton made congress and others spend millions and millions of tax dollars having hearings and investigating her to find that she lied, that would not have been spent if she would have simply told the truth in the first place! Fact - all facts!
• Only Hillary Clinton regularly cussed out and belittled her Secret Service detail.

But you are going to vote for her because.... you don't like Donald Trump? That is insane!

I will never understand how any moral person in good conscience could vote for this woman."

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I love that Kevin is not afraid to be "political" when in his profession people are punished or ostracized for a conservative stance! Good for him!

As the election draws closer, I suspect the dialogue will become even more harsh. I suspect there will be apathy and disgust; cheating and double-dealing. We are in for a rough couple months, I am afraid. But I saw a quote this morning that really encouraged me. The quote was, in fact, in regard to fighting World War I. But I think it is a truth for every war, every battle we will ever fight. It was written by a young man who died in battle during that war. A journal that held every desire of his heart was found on his possession. It read:

"America must win this war....I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone."  Pvt. Martin Treptow

Oh, if only we ALL had that attitude!

But The Truth Is...

Oh my gosh! How does one NOT respond to this?! This showed up in my newsfeed today, on Facebook. I wasn't really surprised. I know there are those that believe these things. I have been paying attention. That doesn't mean these "truths" are correct. Neither does it mean, there is simply a difference of opinion. Each of these items in the above meme are stated as facts. Simply put, they are either true facts or they are false facts. It really doesn't matter what one believes or what ones' opinion is. One is either right about each of these facts, or one is wrong.

The thing that each of these "facts" have in common (and the only thing) is they are each supposedly about what the government has told us. The "they" pronoun used here is our government, and according to this, "they" are out to get us. "They" are giving us false information, for whatever reason. They don't tell us why. But they allude that it is information to our detriment; therefore, "they" must be out to get us!! Without a doubt, this comes from an anti-government source. Now, in my opinion, we can easily argue certain administrations are more harmful to our nation than others. But this "anti-government suspicion" that is growing in our nation is more than finger-pointing at a particular administration. This anti-government rhetoric that "they are out to get us" is more dangerous than anything else ever will be. Allow me to explain. But first let's go through each of these statements.

~"The sun will give you cancer." Too much sun, does cause skin cancer. This has been a proven fact for years. There is just no two ways about it. But also true, is the fact that "the sun does generate Vitamin D which is good for us." Specifically, Vitamin D is good for bone health. But to say "exposure to the sun will prevent cancer because it generates Vitamin D", is more of a stretch than it is to say "the sun will give you cancer". The sun offers Vitamin D which we all need, but if you spend too much time in the sun, the opposite is true. It is that simple. There is a balance: Everything in moderation. The government is NOT out to get us because they advised to be careful of too much sun. Too much sun can also cause heat stroke. How about that?

~"Sunscreen will protect you from cancer." Certainly, too much sun can cause skin cancer. Not many would argue that. It has occurred over and over and over. But even if it hadn't been such a prevalent outcome of too much time in the sun, putting on a little sunscreen to keep from getting a bad, painful sunburn never killed anyone. Again moderation and common sense. There are no proven statistics that show sunscreen causes cancer. In fact nothing used in moderation has ever been proven to cause cancer. Certainly, chemicals aren't good for anyone, but when monitored and used appropriately, they aren't the monster some would have us believe. As an example, outlawing DDT gave us a different set of problems than for what it was outlawed. This is a prime example of something that was effective when monitored, but brought illness from an onslaught of mosquitoes when taken away. And it was our government that did that.

~"Terrorism is a major threat." Well, yeah, it is! "Al Qaeda is the CIA and your government is the major threat." Oh, gosh. Yes, I know! People actually believe this. Of all the quotes above, this one is the worst. Never mind that this idea was first brought to us by radical leftists trying to sway an election. THINK! People!!! If we do not identify the enemy and call them by name, how will they ever be defeated!! Why would we want to believe our government is behind terrorism rather than believe there are radical Islamist that want to kill us. Yeah! All those bombings and beheading of Christians as well as mutilation of young women is really all about the CIA. God help us. And may I interject here, there is such a thing as "satirical websites" that are literally mocking those that choose to read and believe things as ridiculous as this. These sites are only after the most exposure they can possibly come by. Afterward, they simply say they are a "satirical" website. This claim/disclaimer is presented in order to prevent lawsuits due to their blatant lies. Are there some who truly believe that we should fear our government over radical Islam? Yeah, there are! And they are on the political left. The truth is this idea almost always comes from an anti-colonial attitude about an Imperialistic (in their view) America.

~"Diet products are more healthy." Truthfully, I have never heard this refrain. It is actually usually all about the weight loss being more healthy rather than the diet product being a healthy alternative. But no, I wouldn't touch "diet" anything with a ten-foot pole. There are however, those that need diet products due to medical conditions such as diabetes. They should not be deprived of diet products in moderation, because someone else is afraid of them. If one is diabetic, diet products might be essential to ones' life at certain times. It is up to the individual, however, to learn that some products are worse than others. Aspartame is one that should be avoided by all. Common sense might be helpful. But no...no one is out to get us.

~"Annual mammogram scans will prevent breast cancer." Yes, they will! I am the most surprised that this point is even argued. Mammograms have, in fact, saved countless lives. My mother-in-law being one. No one said anything about demanding an annual mammogram. The truth is, the time frame of recommendation has been adjusted over the years, seeking to protect us from too much radiation. Yes, it is our government that has done that - changing guidelines, periodically, with each new bit of information that is revealed. Please do not be so foolish to believe having a few mammograms in your life is going to give you cancer. The truth is, more often one could save your life!

~"Vaccines will protect you." Argued with, "Most vaccines contain Thimerosal (mercury) and that will kill you..." Oh my goodness, the debate on this one!!!!! Started from a leftist agenda, by the way, (Robert Kennedy, Jr. being one) that basically used this argument to turn citizens against their government. The truth is Thimerosal was removed from vaccines over 10 years ago, due to the debate over this product. That true fact doesn't seem to stop people from using this argument, anyway. The truth is, there is no proof one way or another that vaccines will hurt you. Yes, there are incidents that have had a bad outcome that we can point to, with every medical procedure. NOTHING is ever fool proof. There will always be something that could happen detrimentally when it comes to medicine. That is why we call it "practicing medicine." That doesn't mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. Lives, too numerous to mention, have been saved by vaccines. Ever hear of an iron lung? Ever seen one lately? No, I didn't think so. Thank God for the polio vaccine. Know anyone who has had Small Pox, in recent years? NO! Thank God! Let go of your preconceived ideas and do some research. YES! There are SOME unnecessary vaccines. COMMON SENSE goes a long way.

~"Fluoride will protect your teeth." "Fluoride is poison and it will give you cancer....." Oh good grief. If you are worried, DON'T use Fluoride!!! Fluoride certainly isn't a life and death matter. But the government out to get you?? Come on!

Here is a conspiracy theory for you! And something that I think most harmful of all. What if these so called facts are all from a leftist agenda that simply wants to turn you against your government? I am not saying we shouldn't be watchful of those in government; we certainly should!! Neither am I saying that there is no one who is purposely trying to destroy are government, or use certain authority against us. There are some who certainly are! BUT!! If we are that distrustful of our government, most often we will fail to act!! We will buy into the mantra, that "It doesn't do any good anyway." And "The government is too powerful, we can't do anything, anyway." "Why bother?" "The government is out to get us!!! Why should I participate?" What if all these suspicions are all about getting you to hate your government and cause you to become politically inactive?

You don't think that can happen? It absolutely has happened and it started with the Timothy Leary's, Bill Ayers' and the Saul Alinsky's of the 1960's. "Don't trust anyone over 30." "Cops are pigs". "Turn on, tune in, drop out ."And the mantra can go on and on and on with examples. They all hated our government.

Therein lies the real danger. Inactive, distrusting, suspicious, give me an excuse, citizens that lambaste our nation while spreading false facts are what frightens me! Those who don't believe in effecting needed oversight, (while only rarely using change) are the "they" that scare me most. Those that hate our government and thereby our nation are our worst enemy. Al Qaeda is not our CIA. Leftists denying radical Islamists might be. Those trying to get to you "right where you live", with false facts about health and the best way to take care of yourself and your families, might in reality be the explosives waiting for your misstep.

I want truth and nothing but the truth, and I respect myself enough to get it. You should, too. The truth does NOT lie in any one's opinions or suspicions.

 

God Bless America

God Bless America...'nuff said.

Enjoy!