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The Breathtaking Arrogance of Reporters

By Laura on February 22, 2007

Bloggers always seem to gripe about the MSM, and it’s certainly fair to say that for the most part, I despise journalists. What was once an honored profession and an institution that made America great is now an ongoing performance art piece entitled “Hubris.”

This article about Helen Thomas’ dislodgement from her front row seat at White House press conferences is illuminating:

As for how she thinks the next White House will handle the press, she said, “I think reporters should pin down the candidates and get them to almost sign on a dotted line that they’re going to give regular news conferences. It’s the only institution in our society where a president can be questioned on a regular basis. If he’s not questioned, he can operate solo, as a dictator.”

It amazes me that a woman of her age and experience could believe such a ridiculous premise. Our founding fathers provided checks and balances. It is Congress and the Supreme Court who have the power from preventing a President from becoming a dictator. The press may assist in the functioning of those checks and balances – they publicize information, people contact their representatives in Congress and demand action – but the press is not the fourth branch of government. Their power is taken, not granted.

Although I don’t believe it was intended, the Frontline series News War includes interview after interview to drive the point home. This interview has a telling quote where Bill Keller describes his motives in becoming a serial exposer of classified government programs:

[There are] several reasons for writing about it, but I think the main one, again, is this context: the concentration of executive power. This is a program that was taking place without the kind of congressional oversight that you would normally expect. There were some members of Congress who knew about it; there were quite a few members of Congress who normally would have been apprised of a program who did not know about it. … [emphasis added]

In this quote he’s referring to the Times’ exposure of the SWIFT program, which used to help us “connect the dots” by tracking terrorist financing. The Times’ ombudsman later admitted that the program broke no laws and perhaps it wasn’t such a “swift” idea to expose it. “Sorry” isn’t good enough, and while the ombudsman may have expressed regret, Keller certainly has not. It is clear that he would do it again, given the chance. There is no excuse for this. No laws were broken by the programs Keller exposed, and they were succeeding. Congress had been notified; just evidently not to Keller’s satisfaction. I don’t think anyone expects the media to kowtow to any administration. But neither do we expect it to take the arbitrary position against one that Keller admits having.

Having elevated themselves to such a position of authority, the press has an obligation to not be partisan or arbitrary, and to exercise sound judgment. That they refuse to do so has earned them the disgust of the majority of Americans. A recent Zogby poll has revealed that 71.4% of Americans are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism. 55.4% describe blogging as “important to the future of journalism.” While 85.3% of people describe “professional journalism” as important to the future of journalism, “citizen journalism” is also described as important to the future of journalism by 74.4% of the people surveyed. 65.4% of people believe that traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from their news, where only 23.6% believe it is not.

The inevitable result of their hubris is that the media is talking themselves out of their jobs. While this may serve the cause of justice – they don’t deserve their jobs anymore – it doesn’t serve the American people. We need a free press to aid – not replace – our constitutional system of checks and balances. The situation can be salvaged if they would just return to their original mission: to deliver facts impartially. It will be a tragedy if they do not.

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"Pain is a magnet for God's love."

By Laura on February 21, 2007

I’m reposting this. I originally posted it on October 23, 2005 – a month after Katrina changed everything. We made out pretty well – only about $15,000 in wind damage. Many houses in our neighborhood flooded, and the waterline was less than an inch from the bottom of our door. We “lost” many friends who are still stuck in the cities where they evacuated, and we know people who really did lose family and couldn’t even recover the bodies. Our church had about twelve feet of water in it, and had to be demolished. Many churches just folded; we are lucky enough to be sharing space with another church so we meet on Saturdays now. Our calendar has been reset. For example, yesterday was our second Mardi Gras since Katrina. Everything is changed. And it often hurts.

A month after Katrina, we had a guest pastor – Brent Detwiler. After his sermon, I wrote this post, and one phrase really stayed with me. He said, “Pain is a magnet for God’s love.” I can’t describe how much that affected me. It still does.

Lately I’m in a good deal of physical pain, and only sleeping about four hours a night. Naturally this ripples out into everything else; it’s hard to work, hard to cook, clean, or do much of anything. But pain is still a magnet for God’s love. I’ve tried to be very open about my struggles in my walk with God. These last few months have been a dry time.

Since Katrina, in the midst of all the pain and the changes, there have been major blessings. Not least of which is the fact that we’ll be rebuilding our church bigger and better. And I’m learning to bless this pain, and recognize the benefits of it. It’s making me slow down. It’s stopping me from focusing on all the minutiae. In this spiritual slump that I’m in, God is right here with me, holding me up in every way. The pain slowed me down enough to recognize that fact. And that is a huge comfort.

__________________________
What is comfort? A big screen TV, a plush Barcalounger, your favorite movie and a large bowl of popcorn? The macaroni and cheese your mom used to make, or a gooey chocolate cake? My personal favorite, 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets on a Select Comfort bed with a dual control electric blanket?

Definitions of “comfort” on the Web:
1. a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
2. a feeling of freedom from worry or disappointment
3. ease: a freedom from financial difficulty that promotes a comfortable state
4. give moral or emotional strength to
5. lessen pain or discomfort; alleviate
6. consolation: the act of consoling; giving relief in affliction

Of the top six definitions, three have to do with physical comfort that we rest in, and three have to do with receiving, or delivering comfort, including emotional and physical comfort.

As Christians, we should view comfort not as a circumstance or a condition, but as a gift, or an act. In 2 Corinthians, it says “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, He comforting us in all our trouble, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in every trouble, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. And if we are troubled, it is for your consolation and salvation, being worked out in the endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer; if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is certain, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the consolation.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-7)

What did Paul know about comfort? Well, of the first three definitions provided above, not too much, that is, not much after the road to Damascus. He knew quite a bit before then, he was a man of stature in the community and I’m sure lived a comfortable life, even if he wasn’t a slave to it. But of definitions four through six, Paul was a bona fide expert.

Comfort, in the passage above, is defined this way:
G3870
παρακαλέω
parakaleō
par-ak-al-eh’-o
From G3844 and G2564; to call near, that is, invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation): – beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), intreat, pray.

G3874
παράκλησις
paraklēsis
par-ak’-lay-sis
From G3870; imploration, hortation, solace: – comfort, consolation, exhortation, intreaty.

Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted.Matthew 5:4

Our troubles are an invitation to draw near to God. His comfort calls us near; troubles help us hear the call and give us the motivation to answer it. We can always pray for thorns to be removed, as Paul did, but we MUST rejoice when He chooses for the thorns to stay, because it is for our benefit – to draw us closer to him. We must allow the thorns to have the intended effect – to draw us nearer to God, which ultimately glorifies Him and shows His power.

Brent Detwiler of Sovereign Grace Ministries delivered the sermon yesterday, and one of the many things he said that really stuck with me is that pain is a magnet for God’s love.

“For this reason, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in troubles, in persecutions, in distresses on behalf of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) In our weakness and affliction, we become stronger in our faith, because we see once again that we are pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down yet not destroyed. We are better equipped to minister to other people after these times of great suffering that we endured and came out not just okay but praising His name. Our chief purpose is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. The sufferings of Christians who are comforted by God, glorify Him.

As Brent said, when trouble came, Paul said, “I delight” not “I renounce” or “I bind” or “I rebuke.” I can only pray that I will do the same, and continue to look for the day when “God will wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain; for the first things passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Filed Under: Christian Living

Al Gore Advocates Fondling Terrorists

By Laura on February 20, 2007

MORE proof that liberals love terrorists! When Al Gore was Vice-President, he wanted to fondle a terrorist’s butt!

Okay, not really. I just couldn’t resist the over-the-top WND style headline and slant. It’s actually that rare occasion where I like something Al Gore said.

Seriously.

Granted, I still think the man’s a lunatic, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. On this occasion, he was spot-on correct and I wish every single politician we have took the same attitude.

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The Tiny Percentage of Radical Islamists

By Laura on February 19, 2007

I’ve posted before on the fact that out of a billion or so Muslims, only a tiny percentage are terrorists or terror-supporters.

June 19, 2006: “The problem is that even though only a small percentage of people who declare themselves Muslim actively want to fight us because they say their faith compels it, the numbers involved are huge. For example, after the London bombings last summer, a survey of UK Muslims was taken. Only 5% thought that more attacks were justified. This sounds like great news until you do the math. Unfortunately 5% of Muslims in the UK means 80,000 people thought more attacks were justified. If only 5% of the 5% were actually willing to act on that feeling of justification, that’s still 4,000 jihadis in the UK alone. Considering how few managed to successfully attacks us on 9/11, I’d say that’s cause for concern.”

July 16, 2006: “A July 4, 2006 Times Online article revealed that “13% of British Muslims think that the four men who carried out the London Tube and bus bombings of July 7, 2005, should be regarded as “martyrs”.” Believing that more attacks are justified, and believing that those who carry out attacks are martyrs are roughly equivalent. (If you are a martyr, it follows that your cause was just; otherwise you are referred to as a terrorist or a criminal.) From 5% to 13% in a year. 13% of 1.6 million Muslims is 208,000. Again, holding to the idea that only a tiny minority of 5% would act on those beliefs, 5% of 208,000 is 10,400.”

Now we have this article at Jihad Watch [emphasis added]:

Fully 12% of Muslim Canadians polled by Environics said the alleged terrorist plot — that included kidnapping and beheading the prime minister and blowing up Parliament and the CBC — was justified. Predictably, the CBC managed to find a talking head — in this case York University sociology professor Haideh Moghissi — who dismissed this disturbing revelation. “It’s really negligible that 12 percent feel that the attacks would be justified,” said Moghissi. “I don’t think it even warrants attention.” Clearly, other news agencies and those who put the poll results on the CBC website agree with Moghissi. But just how “negligible” is 12% of 700,000 people. Well, if Moghissi knew arithmetic like she knows denial, she’d know if this poll is accurate, 84,000 Canadian Muslims think it’s justifiable to behead our democratically elected prime minister and blow up the very symbol and centre of our democracy!

Again, guesstimating that of the 12% who approve, only 5% might be willing to actually act on it, that gives you 4,200 Muslim Canadian jihadists.

What if we figure that only a tiny percentage of those willing to act could actually be effective? Of those estimated who are willing to act, let’s guess that 5% are smart enough, have the connections and the ability to come up with an effective plan and carry it out.

That would mean in England, there are 520 effective jihadis. In Canada, 210.

Nineteen people took down the World Trade Centers.

The bible commands Christians to judge those within the church, not those without it. In other words, if you profess Christianity, your doctrine and behavior is the subject for legitimate criticism from other church members, and you can even be expelled from your church fellowship.

For it is no business of mine to be judging those who are outside; but it is yours to be judging those who are among you; As for those who are outside, God is their judge. So put away the evil man from among you.
(1 Corinthians 5:12-13)

Fred Phelps and his vile followers are not welcome in any mainstream church, conference, organization or anywhere else. They have been soundly rejected by the Christian community. In the same manner, Muslims have the first responsibility to clean this tiny percentage out of their “house.” They are the ones best equipped to do it, and they are the ones whose reputation is being harmed by these people.

Instead, we get CAIR.

I wrote in Islamic Neighborhood Watch that “It may not be “right” or “fair” that of a billion or so peaceful Muslims, a tiny percentage are killing thousands, costing billions, and ruining the reputation of all. But it is not more right or fair that all of us in civilized society bear the burden for that tiny percentage.”

We can continue to kill terrorists, and it’s an excellent stopgap measure. But until rank-and-file Muslims stand up for their faith that they keep reassuring the rest of us is so moderate and tolerant, then terrorism will continue. If they had any intellectual honesty at all, the whining about Islamophobia and “backlash” would stop, and they would expel the terrorists and terror supports from their ranks. If these people do not represent Islam, and do not practice it, then there is no excuse for protecting them. It’s time for Muslims to step up, if they are honest about their faith – or is what they’re serving up just more taqiyya?

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