Making Life Work

By: C. Roderick Martin



    “Let them bring forth and show us what will happen; Let them show the former things, what they were, so we may consider them, and know the latter end of them” (Isaiah 41:22 NKJV).

    There is little doubt if we are to know what will happen to this country, we must look to the past, specifically, to ancient Israel.

    One may question if we are indeed the direct descendants of the “Lost Ten Tribes,” but there is little debate that we are spiritual Israel. Biblical history gives us detailed accounts, confirmed many times by secular history, of Israel’s fate when the people disobeyed God.

    God is predictable, he does not change; he is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. In Deuteronomy...

By: C. Roderick Martin

    Given the looming March 20 deadline, at which time Greece must pay 160 billion dollars to debt holders, political leaders throughout Europe are desperately searching for a solution. Each week, news reports claim they have found a solution, only to find hopes dashed the following week. Why should we care if Greece defaults?

    Greece is one of 17 countries formed from the European Union (27 countries) that comprise the Eurozone. Established January 1, 1999, the Eurozone uses one currency— the euro. Most of the remaining European Union countries are obliged to join once they meet certain criteria. Currently, the following countries make up the Eurozone: France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg,...

By: C. Roderick Martin

    European and American politicians continue to put off making the difficult choices required to avoid a financial meltdown, the likes of which the world has not seen. To date, the actions taken amount to little more than, “kicking the proverbial can down the road.” I liken these politicians to a man jumping off a 100-story building, falling 98 floors, and yelling, “Nothing has happened to me yet!” In the years to come, many will look back on this period with great regret and say, “We should have known.”

    When the dogwood first buds, we know spring is near. A red sky in morning means bad weather is coming. When the morning dew turns to frost, is winter not imminent? Did not Christ say, “When the fig tree’s branch...

From Ronald L. Dart's Born to Win program notes.

    Cops nationwide rank methamphetamines the number one drug they battle today. It has surpassed marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, and usage is growing by leaps and bounds. It takes people to highs they have never before experienced, and then it destroys them—physically, mentally, and morally.

    How fast is it growing? Take the town of Towanda, Pennsylvania—a little town of 3000 people. No one there had ever heard of the drug until a cooker/dealer set up shop there. Five years later, the police have identified at least 500 people who are using or cooking the drug in the county. And they don’t know about all of them. The US Attorney says the actual tally is probably “significantly worse” than...

From the Program Notes of Ronald L. Dart. Written by Allie Dart.  

    Because of the things that have happened in our lives during the past 16 months, Ron and I decided to read through the Book of Job for our nightly Bible study. We’re learning well that Job did not wear A Mask of Evil. He was a righteous man, yet God allowed him to suffer. It’s been interesting to see how Job’s friends probably weren’t the encouragement he had hoped for, but they dragged out the magnifying glass, so to speak, to try to find ways where Job had missed the mark.     Throughout this most difficult trial, we’ve had many very supportive friends for whom we are very grateful. But, the same as Job, there have been those who have somehow felt it their duty to, frankly,...

From the Program Notes of Ronald L. Dart

    There was a time when I thought anti-abortion people were a little too cute in calling themselves, “pro-life.” I don’t think that any longer. I have come to the conclusion that it was precisely the right term to use—at least it is the right term for Christians to use.

    The real issue is much bigger than abortion. To some degree, the issue is clouded by the terminology. For example, “choice” is not the opposite of “life,”as in “pro-choice vs. pro-life.” The opposite of life is death.

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19 NIV).

...

By: Ronald L. Dart     I happen to be reading right now the second volume of Churchill’s history of the Second World War, titled, "Their Finest Hour," and I am left with the depressing sense that this is far from our finest hour. I had previously read "The Last Lion," William Manchester’s fine biography of Churchill, but as I read the man’s own words, his wartime memos and actions, I have a growing appreciation for his leadership. And for the importance of communication in time of war.

 

    Churchill had a political opposition in Parliament, but when the bombs started falling they formed a national unity government in which the participants laid aside party politics for the sake of the nation. As I read, my raw admiration for the British people...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever. (Jeremiah 25:5 KJV)

    If you are inclined to blame political leadership for all the wrong in our country, you need to rethink it. Sometimes political leadership is nothing more than a reflection of the people it represents, and that is especially true in a representative republic such as ours.     In the last chapter of II Samuel, King David makes an appalling mistake. At the time he is a powerful figure in the Middle East. He has conquered lands as far away as present-day Iraq and beyond. He has friendly relations with the Lebanese to the...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Once the trees went forth to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us!’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness with which God and men are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come, reign over us!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the vine, ‘You come, reign over us!’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ Finally all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come, reign over us!’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you are anointing me as king over you,...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    And He’s not a Democrat either. From what I know of the Man, he has better things to do than to align himself with various factions vying for political power. Ultimately, he has all of that in abundance anyway.     It’s instructive that even though Jesus held many positions in common with the Pharisees (resurrection of the dead, acceptance of all the Hebrew Scriptures and not just the Torah, belief in angels), he never once identified himself as a Pharisee. It is also instructive that he socialized with people from all backgrounds and factions, including Pharisees (Luke 11, John 3), Samaritans (John 4), people from Herod’s household (Luke 8), Roman soldiers (Matthew 8), Gentiles (Mark 7), fisherman (Matthew 4), publicans...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Doris Kearnes Goodwin in her book Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream makes the following observation about the Johnson White House:     What is clear is that this continual concentration on conspiracy squandered a large amount of energy. The worse the situation in Vietnam became, the more Johnson intruded his suspicions and fears unto every aspect of his daily work. Conversations with Cabinet members would begin with the question, “why aren’t you out there fighting against my enemies? Don’t you realize that if they destroy me, they’ll destroy you as well?” Discussions on legislation would be interrupted by diatribes against “the critics”. Private luncheons and dinners would be dominated by complaints about “traitors....

By: Lenny Cacchio

    What the people of Nineveh must have thought when Jonah strolled into the town! After three days and three nights with a fish’s digestive juices working on him, his skin was blanched and bleached, wrinkly and covered with sores. Seaweed twined around him a time or three, and clothes were likely ragged and torn if he had any at all.     Imagine if a prophet in such a condition walked into your town and proceeded to pronounce the judgement of God on you. I would wager you would write off the old boy as some kind of religious crank. Who wouldn’t?     Well, the people of Nineveh wouldn’t. They listened to this strange looking prophet and his message because God in his wisdom knows how to reach people. The people of...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    America is a strange mix of Jerusalem and Babylon. So states the late Richard John Neuhaus in his book American Babylon: Notes for a Christian Exile. While acknowledging the religiously aware nature of the nation’s founding and of its citizens, he reminds us that “America is Babylon not by comparison with other societies but by comparison with the radically new order sought by all who know love’s grief in refusing to settle for a community of less than truth and justice compromised.”     This, our union, is less perfect than the more perfect one that the Constitution envisions, and hence the people of God are in a foreign land. But if exiles we are, then what is our role as the people of God in a foreign land? ...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    One time Jesus told a strange parable.  It’s often referred to as the Parable of the Unjust Steward.   The parable is about a fellow who is about to lose his job because of a bit of chicanery.  He learns of his imminent termination, but before the pink slip arrives he goes to his boss’s customers and renegotiates the terms of their contracts in a way immensely favorable to the customers and much to the detriment of his boss.   Of all things, instead of condemning the unjust steward, the owner of the business commends him for his shrewdness!  With other people’s money this character was buying himself some favors that he could cash in at a later time.  

    Reasonable people wonder how Jesus could use the metaphor of a...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    A little game of Jeopardy here.  The answer is …. “No.”  The question?  “If Jesus were alive today, would he be a Republican or a Democrat?” In Jesus’ world he could have joined any number of movements or parties.  He even had the opportunity to be the world’s leading political figure (Matthew 4:8-11) that could have brought in, albeit temporarily, a modicum of order and peace. Had he chosen, he could have been a Pharisee.  These theological conservatives were the prominent sect that by and large controlled the synagogues.  They were avid advocates of the law.  They were teachers, scholars, and scribes, believed in the resurrection, and accepted the Scriptures as God’s revelation to his people.  They were more interested in theology...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    When John F. Kennedy entered the White House, he set upon a course of bringing the best and the brightest into his administration.  We can debate whether or not he succeeded, but we certainly should not begrudge him the attempt.  With the system we have, a President and indeed the federal government as a whole have the obligation to find the best people they can.  So if you walk around Washington, DC today, you will find a lot of bright, capable people populating the place.

    But keep in mind that if these people populate Washington, it means that they are no longer in your community, and are perhaps thereby (as a wit once remarked) raising the average IQ of both places.

And that’s one of the drawbacks of having...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    "Common Sense" was Thomas Paine’s pamphlet from Revolutionary days written with the intent of convincing reluctant colonists that rebellion against the King was not only permissible, it was also a duty.  Paine’s frequent reference to Scripture is remarkable, especially because, as a Deist, he rejected the inspiration of Scripture as the Word of God.  That’s a lesson about propagandists:  they can be fundamentally dishonest people who will say whatever it takes to get the rest of us to agree with them.       Having said that, propagandists can serve an interesting function for the historian.  Propaganda has a better chance of achieving its desired impact if it repeats back to people what they are already thinking, even though...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Recently I attended a series of seminars on team building.  One of the lessons was borrowed from Patrick Lencioni’s book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable.  Here are the five dysfunctions along with a short explanation.

1.      Absence of Trust.  An unwillingness to be vulnerable within the group or ask for help when needed.  Not open about mistakes and weaknesses.

2.      Fear of Conflict.  Incapable of engaging in unfiltered and passionate debate of ideas.

3.      Lack of Commitment.  Team members do not buy in or commit to decisions.  They may feign agreement in meetings.

4.      Avoidance of Accountability.  Hesitation to call peers on actions and behaviors that may be counterproductive...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    In times of crisis, American political leaders from time to time have called for a day of prayer, and sometimes even a day of fasting and prayer.  The Pilgrims did it.  The Puritans did it.  In 1746 the settlements in New England did it when the French fleet threatened them.  Shortly thereafter a storm destroyed the fleet.  

    In Revolutionary times, Civil War times, and even as recently as 2003, political leaders called for such observances.  Various religious groups periodically call their congregations to days of prayer, and there is even a National Day of Prayer every May that Congress authorized in the 1950s.  

    God gave the nation of Israel a national day of prayer and fasting.  It is commonly known...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on him? - John 7:48

Are you going to believe me or your own eyes? - Groucho Marx 

    I hate to admit this, but after a major political event I am more fascinated by the journalistic commentary that follows it than the event itself.  That might be because so many political events and speeches are yawners reminiscent of college Speech 101.

    But I’m also interested in other people’s take on what happened, even though it might remind me of Groucho Marx’s line at the head of this column:  "Are you going to believe me or your own eyes?"

    Jesus had the same type of press.  He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the multitudes, and taught a new...

By: Lenny Cacchio

The house of representatives...can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as the great mass of society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together. It creates between them that communion of interest, and sympathy of sentiments, of which few governments have furnished examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny. James Madison, Federalist No. 57, February 19, 1788

    We can presume that Madison’s concept as expressed in Federalist No. 57 was a view that most of the Founding Fathers espoused.  But none of them invented this noble idea.  Its roots are embedded in...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36).  Of course it isn’t.  If it were, we wouldn’t have among other things a protracted and painful presidential election campaign that further exposes the fault lines in our national landscape.

    No candidate is the perfect combination of the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, and the fighting spirit of David.  Nor should we expect such.  The best we can hope for is a government that provides us with security, some basic services, and fair adjudication of laws while not infringing upon our freedom to pursue our God-given purpose and talents.

    Sadly, not everyone sees it that way.  Some theories of government emphasize redistribution of wealth.  Some...

By: Lenny Cacchio  

    "Don’t sell your birthright for a bowl of red soup."  That little allegory might be hard to understand, but it should be a part of our cultural literacy.  It’s based on a story in the book of Genesis, where twin brothers became rivals and vied for supremacy.  In ancient times, the older brother was entitled to the family birthright, but in this story the younger brother through savvy and deceit talked the older one in a moment of hunger to give up his birthright for one bowl of red soup.

    Jacob and Esau were the two brothers’ names, and the account is in Genesis 25:29-34, and it reads like this:

    Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished.  He said to Jacob, "Quick,...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    In his book Deliver Us from Evil, Dr. Tom Dooley relates a punishment the Viet Minh inflicted upon their countrymen for listening to evil words.  The Viet Minh were the predecessors to the Communist Viet Cong of the Vietnam War.

    Says Dr. Dooley of some of their victims, "Each of them had a big scar where an ear should have been.  I remembered that in the Roman Catholic province of Bao Lac, near the frontier of China, the Communist Viet Minh often would tear an ear partially off with a pincer-like pair of pliers and leave the ear dangling.  That was the penalty for the crime of listening to the evil words.  The evil words were the words of the Lord’s Prayer."

    At my first reading of this account, I was shocked...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Getting frustrated with things in general is a normal response to much of what we see in this old world.  I’m no exception, and as I told someone not long ago, "You and I should run for Congress, and we’ll solve everything once we get there."

    That, of course, is not true.  First, we could never be elected in today’s political environment, and secondly, we must not be naïve about the power of the establishment.  I’m reminded about a not-so-obscure prophecy in the Book of Revelation the interpretation of which has been horribly skewed.  Brace yourself, as I am about to give you a different understanding of this passage:

    "Then the angel carried me away by the Spirit to the desert.  There I saw a woman sitting...

By: Lenny Cacchio

The book Morning Coffee Companion, a compilation of Sabbath Morning Companion essays, is now available through our publisher and Amazon.com. You may also order a copy through your local bookstore.  Enjoy a daily devotional alongside your favorite cup of joe.

Link:  Morning Coffee Companion

    What is this thing called charisma? Why do people follow a charismatic leader? The word charisma is a Greek word often translated in the New Testament as "gift". More precisely, it can refer to a divine endowment or miraculous faculty. King David undoubtedly had some divine endowments relative to leadership. Strong men naturally followed him, even risking their lives...

By: Lenny Cacchio  

    In this column some time ago I quoted one of the great political minds of the 20th Century and what he had to say about political campaigns and propaganda.  The man was a genius for his time, understanding how to manipulate crowds and win support without revealing one’s true agenda.  I call him a genius – and he was – but  in many ways he was an evil genius, for he used his understanding of human nature to manipulate the electorate and mold the culture in his own image.

    In this election cycle it would do us well to revisit the man’s writings in which he revealed early in his political career how he would gain support for his movement.  He put it this way:  

    "The receptive powers of the masses are very...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. – Lord Acton

    It is a challenging task to remain humble when people tell you how great you are. Look at the leaders of Israel, many of whom began as humble servants, but who later battled and sometimes lost the war with their egos.

    Moses, who was called the meekest man on earth, one time lost his patience and struck a rock for water, shouting, "Must we fetch water from a rock for you?" In thus doing, he claimed the credit for himself, and not for God.

    King Saul, the reluctant first king of Israel, came to crave his position and power so much that he ceased to obey God and his prophet, seeking his own ways.

    King David, called...

By: Lenny Cacchio

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.  (Psalm 118:9)

    In the first volume of his World War II memoirs, Winston Churchill reports a remarkable admission by Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, who served in that office from 1935 – 1937.  When challenged for not taking rearmament of Britain seriously in the face of growing threats from the Continent, he replied in Parliament with a remarkable admission of his true motives:

    I put before the whole House my own views with an appalling frankness. … You will remember that at that time [the time of the election] there was probably a stronger pacifist feeling running through this country than at any time since the war.  You will remember...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    In a recent article about George Schultz National Review’s  Jay Nordingler describes a snippet of his interview with this former Secretary of State:

    "At Schultz’s side is an illuminated globe, and this prompts me to ask him about a test he would give to new U.S. Ambassadors.  ‘They’d been through all kinds of exams and so on – confirmation – and I’d say to them, "Well, there’s just one more test you have to pass. … You have to walk over to that globe and demonstrate to me that you can identify your country."  And, inevitably, they would point to the country to which they had been assigned’

    "The correct answer of, of course, was the United States – that was their country.  And Schultz’s moral was, ‘Never...

By: Lenny Cacchio  

    The developing story of the 2008 Presidential election should not be as surprising as many are depicting it.  The fact is, the frontrunners in the two parties have made a point of bringing civility into the political process, and if they succeed, it would be a good thing.   Most of us are tired of the 20 of political discourse consisting of charges and innuendo that are better left to the tabloids.

    If the indications from the campaign are to be taken for what they seem to be, the candidates who are faring the best are those who claim to be above the usual political fray.  The electorate seems to be tired of the fighting and yearns for the rhetoric of unity and mutual respect.

    We’re seeing the beginnings...

By: Lenny Cacchio

The church is making a big mistake if it ignores its mandate to be salt and light to the world at large.  To be truly successful as the people of God, the church must reach a level of cultural literacy in order to understand and engage the world around it.  I am listing here my list of top ten books that in my opinion should be in every Christian’s tool box.

Democracy in America (Alexis de Tocqueville.)  This 19th Century Frenchman’s insight into the root of American greatness is a reminder that our nation grew because of the greatness of our people and our voluntary associations.   A large overreaching government had nothing to do with it.  That principal applies to the church as well as the nation. People of the...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Hold your nose and vote!  I can identify with that sentiment, for I have done it more than I care to remember.  But what are the alternatives?   1.      Don’t vote at all.   2.      Vote for someone who has no chance of winning in order to make a moral statement.   3.      Get involved.  Work on a campaign for someone you can gladly support.   Better, run for office yourself.   I can make an argument for any of those options, but because I have no desire to be active in party politics, nor do I care to forfeit my franchise (and effectively give half a vote to people and causes I reject outright), I go on holding my nose and punching my butterfly ballot for a less than ideal candidate.   I have accepted that this...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Since 1921 our nation has recognized November 11 as a day to honor those who have served in our nation’s armed forces.  Originally designated Armistice Day as a memorial to the end of World War I, Congress renamed it Veteran’s Day in 1954 in to recognize the service of all veterans.

    Thomas Jefferson was right to acknowledge that our rights and freedoms come from God and are a gift of God, but Marine Corps Chaplain Dennis Edward O’Brian made a salient point when he said, "It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.   It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.  It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.  It is the...

By: Lenny Cacchio

President Harry Truman wished for a one-armed economist because his economic advisors were always saying, "On the other hand …".     Someone once asked economist Milton Friedman, the Nobel Laureate, what the stock market was going to do, and he replied, "It will go up, it will go down, and it will go sideways, but not necessarily in that order."

    Professor Friedman was wise in his retort, for no one really knows what the market is going to do.  On the other hand (beg pardon), it sure would be nice if someone had convictions about something these days.   Too many people are hesitant to take a moral stand on anything for fear of being called intolerant, arrogant, or  a bigot.  Even nominees for the Federal bench are...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Dinesh D’Souza is an author and political pundit whose newest book is entitled What’s So Great About Christianity. Note that the title does not end in a question mark. Noted atheist Christopher Hitchens recently appeared on stage with D’Souza to debate the question of religion. 

I was able to view an eight minute clip, and while I do not know how D’Souza fared in the entire debate, I do claim disappointment in how he dealt with on of Mr. Hitchens’ challenges.

Hitchens claims that the Church aided and abetted the rise of Fascism in the 20th Century. People such as Franco and Mussolini were practicing Catholics and had reached various agreements and accommodations with the Vatican regarding their policies and activities....

By: Lenny Cacchio

    "There is nothing new under the sun," wrote Solomon.  That’s what I thought when reading Jim Bishop’s book FDR’s Last Year.   Bishop relates some of the difficulties Franklin Roosevelt had with Congress as his Administration drew to a close.

    According to Bishop, FDR’s enemies painted him as a "rich man who had betrayed his own class with crushing taxes; a liar who had promised the mothers of America when he asked for a third term: ‘I hate war!   I promise you, your sons will not fight on foreign soil.’  GOP leaders never tired of reminding the people that Mr. Roosevelt was spending $312 million every day on the war and that it was ‘his war – he enticed the Japanese to attack.’   Mr. Roosevelt had begun to prepare the...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    One hundred years ago my Grandfather Cacchio stepped off a boat at Ellis Island and made the trek to the village of Reynoldsville, Pennsylvania.  Thus began the history of an American family.

    Forty years and eight children later he learned how to sign his name (he couldn’t read and his name were the only words he ever learned to pen), and it was only then that he could become a citizen.

    He was a part of the great immigration of 1880 – 1920, but unlike today the United States of America had a confidence about its core.  People really believed that this was a good and great country, and that people who moved here should adopt its language and its core values.

    The next generation, the generation...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Let’s admit that politicians flip flop, and they often do it because of the expediency of the moment.  But these people are people just like we are and therefore subject to human weaknesses.  We can say we expect better from our duly elected officials, but we have what we have and often we have the leadership we deserve.

    At the same time, what looks like a flip flop might not be a flip flop.  Sir Winston Churchill, who many would say was more statesman than politician, began his political career as a Tory, switched to the Liberal Party, then between the two world wars flip flopped back to the Tories.

    Ronald Reagan as governor of California signed pro-choice legislation into law, but after consideration became...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    I am a proponent of immigration, but only of the kind that follows the rules.  I’m not just speaking of the rules of the country.  Those are important rules too, although those rules seem to be too porous for proper enforcement.  Rather, I am talking about an ancient law that is surprisingly wise in its intent and application.

    The books of Exodus through Deuteronomy are very much a codification of the basic law of an ancient nation.  They contain hundreds of civil laws and judgments that clearly pertain to an ancient culture, but quite often would be impractical to apply literally to a 21st century culture. 

For example, there is an interesting tidbit from the civil code found in the book of Deuteronomy: “You...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    If I were President, the first thing I would do is resign because I would probably be impeached anyway.  I am sure I would be accused of combining church and state even though technically I wouldn’t be.

    For if I were President, one of my first acts would be to call a National Day of Prayer and Fasting.  It wouldn’t be just a National Day of Prayer.  We have one of those, and for those few who participate, it has become an hour of prayer and music.

 

    I would make my day a real day of prayer by doing it the old fashioned way :  I would add back the fasting part.  And I would make it during the week and request all non-essential services be closed so that people could devote themselves to prayer, soul-searching,...

By: Lenny Cacchio  

    "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none.” (Ezekiel 22:30 NIV)

 

     The midterm elections are now over, and most Americans, I presume are glad to have these full-fledged biannual rectal exams behind us.  Once again we were subjected to the notion that unless [insert your candidate’s name here] is elected, it will the end of Western Civilization as we know it.  

 

 

 

     I used to muse at those alarmist political ads and would write them off as the propaganda that they are, but sadly there is a sense of foreboding among our populace these days that recognizes...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Shortly after the 2004 elections, I spoke with a despondent elderly gentleman who didn’t know me as well as he thought he did.  “This isn’t the same country I grew up in,” he said.  He was bemoaning the fact that social conservatives had gotten their way.  “I see no difference between them and the Taliban.” 

    I was so taken aback by this that I flat-out didn’t know what to say.  I am clearly a social conservative and some might argue a member of the religious right (though I doubt they would accept me given my unorthodox theological views), and yet I have no desire to string infidels up by the neck from soccer goals.  In fact I would fight till exhaustion for the ACLU’s right to proclaim their opinions, though contrary...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18 KJV)

    If I were to ask you what a good mission statement for our country would be, could you recite one?  Likely you could come up with one with a little thought, but the fact that it takes some thought is symptomatic of the problem.      At critical times in our history, leadership has provided a unified vision around which the nation could rally.  Ronald Reagan had his shining city on the hill, borrowed from John Winthrop’s City on a Hill sermon.  Lincoln had his "last best hope of mankind" message.  Roosevelt spoke of a rendezvous with destiny.  Jefferson had his inalienable rights.  Woodrow Wilson wanted to make the world safe for democracy.  Emma Lazarus...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    Americans have a penchant for not appreciating their heroes and giants until they are no longer with us. Abraham Lincoln (various called a buffoon and a baboon), Harry Truman ("to err is Truman"), Ronald Reagan ("a madman") all found honor in the generations that followed.

    Another famous American, while afforded a degree of respect these days, is still overlooked by many who have yet to understand the full depth of his intellect and world view.  Sadly, where he stood on the social issue closest to his heart is either misunderstood or bent by his presumed heirs.  I am going to quote from his own words.  See if you can guess who this man was.

    "Some things are right and some things are wrong, no matter...

By: Ronald L. Dart

    In reading one of the big three news magazines this week, I came on a point and counterpoint presentation between Bob Barr and Charles Krauthammer on the NSA eavesdropping issue so much in the news. Bob Barr made the case that what the president did was wrong. Krauthammer made the case that it was necessary.

    What was of special interest to me was that Barr argued cogently and solely on the basis of the legal issues. Whether he is right or not would have to be settled in court. But Krauthammer made his case on specific examples of what has been done and...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    I know we don’t sing it this way, but the anthem ends in a question: “Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” That’s a question, not an exclamation, and it reverberates down the ages as a question to each generation of Americans.     The star-spangled banner indeed yet waves, but it waves only because the land of the free has been the home of the brave. This is my home because I value every shred of freedom that the Constitution protects. Where else in the world can a woman speak aloud proclaiming her disgust with a government that is bound to protect her right to make such statements? Where else in the world can a person provide for his own physical protection,...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    On a recent tour of the internet I was aghast at the revisionist view of the blundering exploits of a certain Neville Chamberlain of Great Britain. Chamberlain was the Prime Minister prior to Winston Churchill, and he believed that Adolph Hitler could be bought off with pieces of someone else’s real estate. He proudly called the policy of putting a slice of Czechoslovakia under the Nazi jackboot “Appeasement”, and he congratulated himself for bringing home “peace in our time.”

    Some well-meaning people actually believe that Chamberlain’s policy failed not because it was based on a flawed theory, but because the evil Winston Churchill sabotaged it. Supposedly, if Chamberlain’s view had prevailed, World War II would have...

By: Lenny Cacchio

Things aren’t always as they seem.     General Ulysses S. Grant owned slaves. Robert E. Lee did not. Republican President Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency and Affirmative Action. A larger percentage Republicans than Democrats – in both houses of Congress -- voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.     Even the devil can appear as an angel of light, and it’s evident from the Gospels that the disciples failed to see clearly the light of Jesus until some time after his resurrection.     Two of them approached him about sitting on his right hand and his left in the kingdom, showing among other things how little they grasped what the kingdom is all about. To them such a place seemed like a position...

By: Lenny Cacchio

    These are days that require our best. Though for some time there has been no attack on our homeland, dangers to our freedom and security are real, and many sense a general unease over the course of events. We see a growing proliferation of nuclear know-how and capabilities among nations whose intents and purposes are not ours. We see a diminution of our national wealth through increasing trade deficits and the transfer of jobs and productive capacity overseas. Communists and oil sheiks finance our government deficits, and our porous borders invite the importation of criminals and terrorists. The terrorist attacks on our troops and the Iraqi people seem to continue unabated and there is no end in sight.     Recent reports indicate...

By: Ronald L. Dart  

    Should it be closed down? Should we care? I have a problem with the growing chorus calling for shutting down the Terrorist detention facility there. So far, I have heard none of the political types suggest what we should do with these very dangerous men. I don’t see how we can possibly let them go. And I worry a lot about second guessing the very able men who are managing this situation.     It is legitimate for senators and congressmen to ask the defense department any questions they want. There is no need for them to ask the questions on the front page of a newspaper. Why do they do that? Politicians are publicity hounds, but when they do this, they aren’t considering the consequences of doing it in time of war.    ...

By: Ronald L. Dart  

This isn’t a Republican vs Democrat thing; it’s about senior Democrats who are so over-invested in their hatred of a passing administration that they’ve signed on to the nuttiest slurs of the lunatic fringe. It would be heartening to think that Durbin will himself now be subjected to some serious torture. Not real torture, of course; I don’t mean using Pol Pot techniques and playing the Celine Dion Christmas album really loud to him. But he should at least be made a little uncomfortable over what he’s done -- in a time of war, make an inflammatory libel against his country’s military that has no value whatsoever except to America’s enemies. Shame on him, and shame on those fellow senators and Democrats who by their refusal to...