Strawberry Mountain Climb

Recently my son, Josh and I took a hike into the Strawberry Wilderness. This is a picture of Strawberry Lake below us, with the John Day Valley beyond.We went to spend some time together, talk, camp and enjoy the great outdoors. We also went to climb Strawberry Mountain. This is what Stawberry Mt. looks like from Prairie City as you drive through the John Day Valley.
We camped at Strawberry Lake and had a very nice time. The weather was perfect.On our climb up the mountain we came to several interesting sights. This is Strawberry Falls as Strawberry Creek tumbles down the mountain side.We came upon an old run down log cabin that is beginning to collapse. We decided to have lunch there. It was certainly a much needed break for this old duffer.
Here's our first view of the top of the mountain.Once I saw the top of the mountain, I knew we were going to make it. There were times when it was very difficult and arduous, but we just kept plodding along. But when I saw the peak, I knew we could do it.

I just kept thinking of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:14, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." With that thought in mind, with my "eyes on the prize" I just kept pressing on toward our goal.

And eventually...WE MADE IT!The only thing missing was...THERE WERE NO STRAWBERRIES any where!

I hope you have all been having a great summer. Now we can feel the fall coolness creeping in a little cooler each night. Soon it will be winter.

But for now it's time to watch the Ducks and Beavers play football...RIGHT?Love in Jesus,
Roger

Summer Fun!

Sherrill and I have had time to travel and enjoy the summer. We have done several things this summer.
In July we visited our kids in Creswell for their 4th of July Celebration.We did the usual thing with all the kids lighting fireworks in the street.We went to a friend's wedding in Harrisburg, OR. Notice the fireworks here too, it was a July 4th weekend wedding.
We did something a little more daring by going whitewater rafting on the McKenzie River.
This is our good friend, Lee Richardson, enjoying his time with us on the river.In August we went to a couple of class reunions,
Roger's 40th Class Reunion of Lebanon High School was held in Lebanon, OR, where I had the awesome opportunity to help lead a worship service with many of our classmates. A lot of my classmates have become Christians. We worshiped in song together in the park, I shared some of my personal testimony of how I came to be a Christian. Then several other classmates shared their personal testimonies. It was an awesome time!While in Lebanon, we got to stay with our oldest son's family, Josh and Jessica and kids, who live in Albany.Sherrill's 35th Class Reunion for Junction City High School, was held in Junction City, OR. She had a great time. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there.
Sherrill and I also vacationed in Bend, taking in the beautiful weather, a nice relaxing city, and doing a little hiking in the surrounding area. This was on the trail to Green Lakes in the Three Sisters Wilderness. This is on the trail near Tumalo Falls, just outside of Bend about 10 miles. A very nice park.And then the most out of the ordinary thing we did this summer...We took a helicopter ride!
Here's what the Helicopter looked like.Here's Sherrill riding along.And some of the sights we saw along the McKenzie River.All in all it has been a great summer, with lots of fun, adventure, and family.

Love you all,
Roger

What Christians Want Out of Life

As a Christian, what do you want out of life? What are you hopes, prayers, expectations, and aspirations?

A new study released this week by The Barna Research Group reveals that different types of Christians want different things out of life. The survey, which was based on a random sample of 1,003 adults in May of this 2008, asked the participants to rate 19 possible outcomes in life in terms of personal desirability. The preferences were then analyzed according to 12 overlapping but distinct segments of Christians. For example, Evangelical Christians, who are born-again and possess specific theological and social views, were the only group where a high percentage (90%) listed as many as six of the 19 future-life possibilities as being very desirable. The six outcomes this group chose were:

* Having good physical health.
* Having a close personal relationship with God. —
* Having a clear purpose for living. —
* Living with a high degree of integrity.
* Having just one marriage partner for life.
* Being deeply committed to the Christian faith.

The goals that were chosen by only 1 percent of Evangelicals were "achieving fame and recognition," and "having a comfortable lifestyle.”

Other findings of the research:

* Those who see themselves as Christian, but not born again, were less than half as likely to say that being active in a church or being deeply committed to the Christian faith were very desirable.

* Protestants were twice as likely as Catholics to say that working in a high-paying job was highly desirable as a life goal.

* By a margin of between 9 and 16 percent, Protestant Christians who attend a mainline church were less likely than non-mainline Christians to say that being personally active in a church, wanting a close personal relationship with God, or wanting to be deeply committed to the Christian faith were highly desirable.

Isn’t it interesting what a broad perspective we get on what is important to Christians when we poll Christians from every background across the nation. This is why it is important for those of us who are identified as “born again evangelicals” to continue to hold true to the Word of God, and read the word of God so that we know how to live our lives with a Biblical Worldview, and not let the world influence us too much.

The Bible says in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will." The only way you can confidently know God’s will is to read the Bible.

Don’t let the world mold you into its shape and way of thinking, only let God do that; then we will be faithful Christians who are not swayed by the world’s opinions, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Eph. 4:14-15). Let’s be mature Christians, becoming more like Jesus every day!

May the Lord bless you as you choose to live for Him!

Yours in Christ
Roger

For a complete report, visit www.barna.org

Prayer at City Council Meetings

The question has been addressed at the Baker City Council meetings whether or not an invocation should be allowed when the participant prays "in the name of Jesus." I plan on speaking to the Baker City Councilors this evening, and this is what I plan on saying:
*********************************************

Prayer in the City Council

Prayer is important at every level of life, not just within religious institutions, or religious circles, but in every aspect of human activity. That certainly includes the human activity of government.

Prayer has always been important to the government of the United States of America, not just as some sort of ritual, calling on some kind of generic god or imaginary power beyond, but as a sacred opportunity to call upon the Creator and God of the Holy Bible. Government is sanctioned by the Bible, and we are instructed there that God establishes all governments. He is in control of all governments, but He honors and blesses only those governments that look to Him for guidance and protection.

This country was established on the prayers of men and women as we relied upon the strength and power that only God can give. This country has continued to be one of the most blessed countries in the world (if not THE most blessed) because we look to the God of the Bible, as He has appeared to mankind in the man, Jesus Christ, as our guide and shield.

From the very beginning of this nation the congress established the official position of chaplain for the Congress and the Senate of the United States of America. The first Senate, meeting in New York City on April 25, 1789, elected the Reverend Samuel Provost, the Episcopal Bishop of New York, as its first Chaplain. During the past two hundred and seven years, to this very day, all sessions of the Congress and Senate are opened with prayer, strongly affirming our faith in God as the Sovereign Lord of our Nation.

I appeal to the city council today as you address the question of praying to open your city council meetings, to consider the words of Benjamin Franklin at the Constitutional Convention in 1787, when he said, “In the beginning of the contest (the Revolutionary War) with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered… do we imagine we no longer need His assistance?”

I ask you to answer that question posed by Ben Franklin so many years ago, “Do you imagine for one moment that we no longer need the guidance and assistance of God Almighty as we conduct and oversee the affairs of mankind, even in our own little corner of the world called Baker City, OR? I believe we do need his instruction and guidance. I believe we do need the wisdom that can only come from God our Creator. That is why I call on Him, and why I believe those who are believers in Jehovah God, and His Son Jesus Christ call on Him. Intelligent people who are given the responsibility to lead and direct others look to God for His wisdom and guidance.

Finally, regarding prayer “in Jesus Name.” When you invite someone to pray here in this meeting hall you are inviting them to pray according to their conscience. If you invite a believer in Jesus Christ, he/she will pray in the name of Jesus. If you invite a Muslim they will pray in the name of Allah, if you invite a Buddhist to pray, I don’t really know for sure, but I would suspect they will pray in a way according to the teachings of Buddha.

I would not feel excluded if you invite people of other faiths to pray at this meeting. That is what makes America great: tolerance of different religious beliefs, not exclusion or suppression, but equal opportunity and freedom of expression. So my prayer is that you will not do away with your invocation to start each meeting, rather you will look for ways to give equal representation to the religious community that actually resides here in Baker City, and, in the name of freedom, allow people to come and pray according to the teachings of their faith, according to their conscience.

Gratefully Yours, and His,
Roger Scovil,
Pastor of Baker City Christian Church

Know What Your Bible Says!

I have some good news, and I have some bad news.
The good news is that Americans are deeply religious — this according to a study by Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. The study revealed that 92 percent of Americans believe in God and 74 percent believe in life after death. The bad news is that most Americans don't feel their religion is the only way to eternal life — meaning that most Americans do not know the fundamental teachings of the Christian faith as taught by the Bible.

The teaching of the Bible is that a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only road to eternal life, but the Pew study showed that 57 percent of evangelicals believe many religions can lead to eternal life. Are you surprised?

That pretty well answers the question of why it is so difficult to to teach absolute truth in American society today. It seems that the majority of Americans prefer a "feel good" message over the message of basic biblical truth.

Recently, the news was full of a story related to a speech Barack Obama gave in June of 2006. Dr. James Dobson took exception to some statements Obama made in reference to a selection of biblical passages the Senator used in connection with public policy.

First let me point out the good things that Obama said in his speech (quoting from the Washington Post).

Obama took on the liberals "who dismiss religion in the public square as inherrently irrational or intolerant" and "caricature religious Americans...as fanatical." He went on to say: "Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square...To say that men and women should not inject their 'personal morality' into public policy debates is a practical absurdity. Our law is by definition a codification of our morality, much of which is grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition."

Way to go Obama! But then he said...

"And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is okay and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount -- a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let's read our Bibles now. Folks haven't been reading their Bibles."

He is certainly right about the importance of reading our Bibles and understanding, and knowing what the Bible says, but Dr. Dobson was upset that Obama seemed to be intentionally fusing the teachings of the Old Testament with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament, contrary to the Christian belief that many of the Old Testament laws and practices were rendered obsolete by Jesus' teachings. Dr. Dobson went on to say, "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own worldview, his own confused theology"

Then Obama made this comment regarding the pluralistic, democratic society we live in...

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. What do I mean by this? It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, to take one example, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."

Dobson paraphrased this comment by saying, "What he's trying to say here is...unless everybody agrees, we have no right to fight for what we believe."

The differences of opinion on crucial issues such as gay rights and abortion have divided these two national figures, but it is obvious that each of these men represent a segment of society that believe what they believe.

Is James Dobson right in his assesment, or is he mistaken, I wonder, what you are thinking? There was a time when evangelicals were mostly on the same page, but, sadly, that does not appear to be the case anymore. I wonder where all of this will eventually lead.

I fear that where we are headed is that the church will become more and more tolerant, compromising the absolute truth of the Bible — and, in time, the church will be in chaos — and eventually the church will become impotent. Evangelicals must stand firm on foundational principles and teaching of scripture.

I pray that I am mistaken about a future compromising church, but what do you think? I would really like to know how all of this sets with you. Please insert your comments below, or e-mail me at rscovil@bakercitychristian.org.

"Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is" (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV).

Be blessed and be a blessing. --Roger

Know Your Candidates

As I said last week, I believe it is the responsibility of Christians to be involved in the political process. As Christians we are citizens of heaven, but we are also citizens of the state and government in which we live. As the Bible says in Romans 13:1, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God" (NIV). Or as the Message paraphrase translation puts it, "Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen."

One of our responsibilities as a good citizen is to take part in the political process of choosing our leaders. When we opt out of participating in the selection process, or even running for politicaloffice ourselves, we leave the whole political process to unbelievers. That is going completely against biblical instruction that says we should be making a positive impact on the culture in which we live.

So with that being said, I feel we should get to know, first of all, our candidates running for President. Voting should not be about just casting a vote for my political party, or who's the best looking are smoothest talker. We need to know what our candidates believe, what they are saying about the issues that concern us, and how they have voted in the past, which tells a lot about where they stand on the issues. With the knowledge we acquire, we should weigh a candidates position against the teachings of scripture, and then pray about who we should vote for, asking God for wisdom in the process.

We also need to keep in mind, as President of the United States, we are not seeking to elect a person to be the pastor of our church, yet, on the other hand, we should seek to elect a person who comes closest to honoring a biblical worldview (that is seeing the world through the lens of God's word).

Last week I wrote about Barack Obama (see the posting below for June 19th). This week I would like to take a closer look at John McCain. So let's look at his position and statements on the same list of issues I addressed in the article on Obama.

Abortion:
In a 2008 speech John McCain described himself as decidedly pro-life:

I am pro-life and an advocate for the Rights of Man everywhere in the world, because to be denied liberty is an offense to nature and nature's Creator. I will never waver in that conviction. Our liberty will not be seized in a political revolution or by a totalitarian government. But, rather, as Burke warned, it can be "nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts." I am alert to that risk and will defend against it, and I will be encouraged in that defense by my fellow conservatives.¹

McCain gets a 0% rating by the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL), indicating a pro-life voting record.² However he gets only a 75% rating from the National Right To Life Committee, which the group says indicates a “mixed record on abortion issues.”³ They’re no doubt referring to McCain’s previous statements about abortion, including a 1999 declaration that he didn’t support repealing the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision:

“I’d love to see a point where Roe vs. Wade is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support (the) repeal of Roe vs. Wade, which would then force women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.”⁴

Since then, a McCain spokesman has said that the Senator “has a 17-year voting record of supporting efforts to overturn Roe vs. Wade. He does that currently, and will continue to do that as president.” McCain has also supported the following statements:

1. Abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest, rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered.

2. Prohibit the late-term abortion procedure known as “partial-birth” abortion.

3. Prohibit public funding of abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions.⁵

McCain has also voted “Yes” on a bill requiring parental notification in the case of minors who get out-of-state abortions, and requiring that parents be involved in abortion decisions involving their minor children.⁶

Gay Rights:
McCain has advocated leaving the issue of gay marriage up to the individual states, and voted against a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage when it came up in the U.S. Senate. The Arizona Senator also voted "Yes" on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996.⁷ That vote prohibited marriage between members of the same sex in federal law, and provided that no state be required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. It also defined marriage as “between one man and one woman.”

On a related issue, the Arizona Senator also voted "No" on extending the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation, and also voted against prohibiting job discrimination based upon sexual orientation.⁸

John McCain gets a 33% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, which the organization says indicates a “mixed record” on gay rights.⁹ The HRC describes itself as the largest national gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization with more than 700,000 members.

During the June 3, 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College, McCain said he supports the military’s “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy regarding gays in the armed forces:

We have the best-trained, most professional, best-equipped, most efficient, most wonderful military in the history of this country, and I'm proud of every one of them. So I think it would be a terrific mistake to even reopen the issue. The policy is working. And I am convinced that that's the way we can maintain this great military. Let's not tamper with them.¹⁰

Budget, Jobs & the Economy:
Addressing the question of the recession, McCain says the government must stop out-of-control spending:

Out-of-control spending is what caused the interest rates to rise. It causes people to be less able to afford to own their own homes. We need to stop the spending. And the way we can get our budget under control is to have strong, fundamental fiscal underpinnings.¹¹

McCain also promises to veto all pork-barrel bills and publicly call out big spenders. The Arizona Republican also voted in 2005 to increase the minimum wage to $7.25 over a two-year period¹² and voted "No" on restricting employer interference in union-organizing.¹³ McCain supports making the Bush tax cuts permanent, but admits that financially these are tough times.
McCain has been criticized for not being well-versed on economic issues and has made contradictory statements regarding his grasp of economic issues. During a 2008 GOP debate, McCain said he was “well-versed” in economics and was a part of the Reagan Revolution:

I was there just after we enacted the first tax cuts and the restraints on spending. I was chairman of the Commerce Committee in the Senate, which addresses virtually every major economic issue that affects the US. I'm very well versed on economics. That's why I have a strong team around me that respect my views and my vision. And I have been a consistent fighter to restrain spending and to cut taxes. And my credentials and my experience and my knowledge of these economic issues, I think, are extensive. And I would match them against anybody who's running.¹⁴

Despite McCain’s assertions, he admitted in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on November 26, 2005, “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated." He apparently repeated those comments in a December, 2007 interview with the Chicago Tribune which quoted McCain as saying, “The issue of economics is something that I've really never understood as well as I should. I understand the basics, the fundamentals, the vision, all that kind of stuff."¹⁵

Universal Health Care:
John McCain opposes a mandated universal health care system and says he thinks affordable health care can be made available to all Americans without such a system. McCain rejects government-run systems such as those in Canada and in Europe and says he doubts they would succeed in the US. McCain says the U.S. has the highest quality of health care in the world and he wants to preserve the quality of that care and at the same time stop the skyrocketing costs. Unlike the Democratic proposals that have been floated by both Hillary Clinton and BarackObama, McCain says his system depends on the individual and the marketplace. Among his ideas:

• making recipients of health insurance much more responsible in health-care costs.

• Addressing wellness & fitness.

• Giving every American family a $5,000 refundable tax credit so they can go anyplace in America to acquire the health insurance policy that best suits their needs.

• Letting Americans keep any money they’ve got left over and letting them invest it in a health savings account.¹⁶

McCain also supports tax-free medical savings accounts and tax credits, and has come out in favor of a Patient's Bill of Rights, including appeal mechanisms when claims are denied, and the right to sue when claims are denied. He also wants to see expanded eligibility for tax-free medical savings accounts, limits on the amount of punitive damages awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits, expanded prescription drug coverage under Medicare and tax credits to individuals and small businesses to offset the cost of insurance coverage.¹⁷

Homeland Security and Immigration: John McCain touts the strength of his record and experience in the area of the military and homeland security as his main strength for becoming the next Commander-In-Chief:

I've spent my life in national security issues. I've taken unpopular stances because I knew what was right. Back in 2003, amid criticism from my fellow Republicans, I spoke strongly against the Rumsfeld strategy, which I knew was doomed to failure and caused so much needless sacrifice. I advocated very strongly the new strategy that some Democrats have called the McCain strategy--which it is not. And I believe that this strategy is winning. I know the conflict. I know war. I have seen war. I know how the military works. I know how the government works. I understand national security.¹⁸

McCain also voted "Yes" on reauthorizing the Patriot Act and extending the FBI’s authority to conduct roving wiretaps and access business records through at least December 2009.¹⁹

On immigration, McCain would deport the 2 million illegal immigrants who committed crimes. He says despite humanitarian concerns, he’s committed to carrying out the mandate of the American people, which includes securing the borders as a national security issue.²⁰ The Arizona Senator has done an about-face on a 2006 immigration proposal he sponsored, now saying he no longer supports the measure that included a pathway to citizenship for illegals already in the U.S.:

We will secure the borders first when I am president. I know how to do that. I come from a border state, where we know about building walls, and vehicle barriers, and sensors, and all of the things necessary. I will have the border state governors certify the borders are secured. Then we will move onto the other aspects of this issue, including prosecuting employers who hire illegals to the fullest extent of the law.²¹

Summary:
John McCain is an enigma. Conservative on national security and immigration issues, he raises eyebrows from members of his own party over some of his views and votes on social and economic issues. Columnist Robert Novak may have said it best:

There is probably less enthusiasm for McCain at the grass roots of the Republican Party than we have seen for a Republican since Bob Dole in 1996. McCain definitely has not made his peace with all the conservative elements of the Republican coalition.²²

Consider the positions of John McCain, then the positions of Barak Obama, pray about it, seek God's face, and then vote for the one you feel supports a Christian worldview the best. We can't always find the perfect Christian person for the final candidacy of President, but we can, as a Christian people, vote for those who adhere the best to the principles, values, and moral standards of God.

References:
1 Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008
2 NARAL website 03n-NARAL on Dec 31, 2003
3 NRLC website 06n-NRLC on Dec 31, 2006
4 Ron Fournier, Associated Press Aug 24, 1999
5 Project Vote Smart, 1998, www.vote-smart.org Jul 2, 1998
6 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act; Bill S.403 ; vote number 2006-216 on Jul 25, 2006
7 Bill HR 3396 ; vote number 1996-280 on Sep 10, 1996
8 RSLevinson.com "All Things Queer", review of 2008 gay issues Jan 1, 2007
9 HRC website 06n-HRC on Dec 31, 2006
10 2007 GOP debate at Saint Anselm College Jun 3, 2007
11 2008 GOP debate in S.C. sponsored by Fox News Jan 10, 2008
12 Fair Minimum Wage Act; Bill H.R.2 ; vote number 2007-042 on Feb 1, 2007
13 Employee Free Choice Act; Bill H R 800 ; vote number 2007-227 on Jun 26, 2007
14 2008 GOP debate in Boca Raton Florida Jan 24, 2008
15 FactCheck.org on 2008 GOP debate in Boca Raton Florida Jan 24, 2008
16 2007 Republican primary debate on Univision Dec 9, 2007
17 National Political Awareness Test (NPAT) Nov 7, 2004
18 2007 GOP debate at UNH, sponsored by Fox News Sep 5, 2007
19 Motion for Cloture of PATRIOT Act; Bill HR 3199 ; vote number 2005-358 on Dec 16, 2005 20 2008 Republican debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley Jan 30, 2008
21 2008 Republican debate at Reagan Library in Simi Valley Jan 30, 2008
22 Evans-Novak Political Report, June 3, 2008

This article was adapted from an article by Dave Ficere on Christ's Church of the Valley website. It can be found at www.ccvonline.com.

A Christian Citizen Votes!

I believe that it is the responsibility of every Christian to live in this world, reflecting a Biblical worldview in all aspects of life; that would include participating in the political process of selecting a leader for our nation (Presidents as well as Representatives, Senators, Governors, etc.). I don't believe we should be complaining about the direction of our country if we aren't actively involved in selecting our leaders.

Sometimes people feel that politics is "dirty" or "shady," or we feel that as Christians we end up compromising our values when we get involved in the political process. But I believe that is THE problem in our country today. As Christians we need to do all we can to bring Biblical values to bear in our nation; not just in church on Sundays, but in every area of our culture we should be impacting those areas with Biblical values and a Biblical worldview; education, government, legislation, and world affairs.

Therefore I am going to share with you some commentary I have been reading about these two candidates running for President of the United States of America. I am not going to take sides, I simply want to present what I know to be true about each candidate, so that we can make an informed decision about these candidates. After informing ourselves about the political and moral views each of these candidates hold, we need to seek the Lord in prayer, and ask Him to guide our decision in selecting the one we should vote for.

So let's examine the views of the two major candidates, taking an in-depth look at the opinions and voting record of Democratic Senator Barack Obama and Republican Senator John McCain on several key issues.

This article is fairly long, but I hope you stick with it. Regardless of your preconceived notions about each candidate, I would hope, for the sake of being fully informed, you would read these two articles in their entirety. Let's give BOTH candidates a fair consideration, instead of just putting political tags on them, such as as "conservative or liberal", or "Republican or Democrat."

Barack Obama
First, this week, let's take a look at Barack Obama regarding his position on several key issues, values and political views.

Abortion:
While admitting that there is a moral dimension to abortion, Obama calls himself pro-choice and overwhelmingly votes that way. He received a 100% rating on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 and 2007 from the National Abortion Rights Action League ¹ and a 0% rating from the National Right to Life Committee. In 1997, while serving in the Illinois Legislature, Obama voted against SB 230, which would have banned partial-birth abortion, and against a 2000 measure banning state funding for abortions. ²

Obama has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will likely make preserving a woman’s right to chose a priority as president. He also supports expanded access to contraception, health information and preventive services to reduce unintended pregnancies. The Senator’s plan is clearly outlined on his website:

Protecting a Women's Right to Choose : Obama will make safeguarding women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn that decision.

Reducing Unintended Pregnancy : Obama will work to reduce unintended pregnancy by guaranteeing equity in contraceptive coverage, providing sex education, and offering rape victims accurate information about emergency contraception. ³

The Illinois Democrat has also voted to uphold Roe vs. Wade, saying “abortions should be legally available in accordance with Roe,” ⁴ has voted "No" on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions ⁵ and has voted "Yes" on providing 100 million dollars to reduce teen pregnancy by education and contraceptives. ⁶ Obama has also sponsored legislation providing contraceptives for low-income women, and co-sponsored a bill to ensure access to and funding for contraception.

Gay Rights:
Barack Obama says he doesn’t believe being gay is a choice, but has angered some progressives with his pragmatic stance on marriage. During Congressional debate, the Illinois Senator opposed the Federal Marriage Amendment to ban gay marriage nationwide, and came out in support of allowing individual states to decide the issue. Declaring that he “personally believes that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Obama at the same time has strongly supported civil unions. In doing so, he has argued that it’s a way to protect equal rights without officially endorsing gay marriage. ⁷

In explaining his vote against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Obama said that he supported a strong version of a civil union bill to give gays the “same rights that are conferred at the federal level to persons who are part of the same sex union. He vowed to fight hard to make sure that those rights are available.” ⁸

Clearly, for Obama the issue is one of civil rights more than one about marriage or traditional values. In a debate on Gay issues in August of 2007, Obama clarified his stance:

My view is that we should try to disentangle what has historically been the issue of the word "marriage", which has religious connotations to some people, from the civil rights that are given to couples, in terms of hospital visitation, in terms of whether or not they can transfer property or Social Security benefits and so forth. I would continue to support a civil union that provides all the benefits that are available for a legally sanctioned marriage.⁹

While not totally equating gay rights with the battle over civil rights, Obama says he does see some parallels.

Budget, Jobs & the Economy:
On the issue of the budget, jobs and the economy, Obama tends to look toward government regulation, rather than the free-market economy to solve some of the economic challenges facing the country. He voted to raise the minimum wage to $7.25 per hour over a two-year period, and to involve the government to correct areas in which he says the free-market has failed.¹⁰

Obama pins much of his plan for getting the U.S. economy back on track on ending the war in Iraq. He says the 12 billion dollars spent per month on the war effort can be put to use at home in areas such as economic growth and universal health care.

Among his specific proposals are tighter regulation of the credit card and mortgage industries, cutting $150 billion dollars in tax savings for the wealthiest Americans and strengthening union and worker's rights.

Overall, Obama seems to reject the traditional free-market vision of government. In a 2005 commencement address, he described the conservative philosophy of government as a program to:

Give everyone one big refund on their government, divvy it up by individual portions, in the form of tax breaks, hand it out, and encourage everyone to use their share to go buy their own health care, their own retirement plan, their own child care, their own education, and so on. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society. But in our past there has been another term for it, Social Darwinism, every man or woman for him or herself. It's a tempting idea, because it doesn't require much thought or ingenuity. ¹¹

Rather than embrace the free-market approach, Obama prefers to see the power of the state as something that can serve the public interest.¹² Obama also says we can eliminate tax credits that “have outlived their usefulness and close loopholes that let corporations get away without paying taxes.” ¹³

Universal Health Care:
Although Hillary Clinton is usually identified with the issue of Universal Health Care, BarackObama says he supports the concept too:

I believe in universal health care. Every expert has said that anybody who wants health care under my plan will be able to obtain it. President Clinton's own secretary of Labor has said that my plan does more to reduce costs and as a consequence makes sure that the people who need health care right now, all across America, will be able to obtain it. And we do more to reduce costs than any other plan that's been out there. ¹⁴

As with other issues, Obama prefers a government-based, rather than a market-based, solution to health care issues. He writes in The Audacity of Hope that:

Given the money we spend on health care, we should be able to provide basic coverage to everyone. But we have to contain costs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

The market alone cannot solve the problem--in part because the market has proven incapable of creating large enough insurance pools to keep costs to individuals affordable. Overall, 20% of all patients account for 80% of the care, and if we can prevent disease or manage their effects, we can dramatically improve outcomes and save money.

With the money saved through increased preventive care and lower administrative and malpractice costs, we would provide a subsidy to low-income families and immediately mandate coverage for all uninsured children.¹⁵

Unlike Hillary Clinton’s plan, Obama would not mandate coverage for everyone, except children, who would have to be covered. Obama says his plan will create a system so attractive that people will want to sign up for it. Nonetheless, look for more government bureaucracy under an Obama presidency. The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and create rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible.¹⁶

Homeland Security and Immigration:
According to his campaign literature, Obama wants a world without nuclear weapons, but will maintain a strong deterrent as long as those weapons exist. He promises to take steps down the long road toward eliminating nuclear arms and seek dramatic reductions in stockpiles of such weapons and material.¹⁷

Because of the Iraq war Obama believes the U.S. is no safer now than we were after 9/11. He says the war has “fanned the flames of anti-American sentiment (and) allowed us to neglect the situation in Afghanistan.”¹⁸ He has also stated that, because of the Iraq war, Al Qaeda is stronger now than at any time since 2001, and poses a significant threat that has to be dealt with.”¹⁹

Obama has changed his position on the Patriot Act several times, in 2003 he promised to oppose it, then he voted for it in 2005. Later in 2005 he voted against ending debate on the issue, a position equal to opposing it, but then in March 2006, voted for the Patriot Act reauthorization.²⁰ It's hard to say where he stands at this time.

Obama is also on record as opposing the detaining of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo, and as wanting the facility closed. In addition he does not believe the President has the powers to authorize secret surveillance of terror suspects, would not allow U.S. citizens to be detained as enemy combatants, and believes the U.S. must reach out in dialog to Muslim extremists.²¹

Obama also favors stronger border security and requiring undocumented workers to go to the back of the line for citizenship behind those who have applied legally. Saying the American people want fairness and justice, Obama calls the idea of deporting the 12 million illegals “ridiculous” and not something law enforcement resources should be involved in. Instead, he favors what he calls comprehensive reform by way of the “Dream Act”. That legislation allows children of illegals to grow up as Americans and received a higher education.²²

On the issue of a border fence, Obama favors a community-by-community approach, saying: “There may be areas where it makes sense to have some fencing. Having borders patrolled, surveillance, deploying effective technology, that's going to be the better approach.²³

Summary:
According to a review of voting records conducted by the National Journal, Barack Obama was listed as the most liberal Democrat in the United States Senate during 2007. After ranking 16th and 10th in 2005 and 2006 respectively, the Journal says the Illinois Senator’s voting record shifted even further to the left in 2007.²⁴

With what he has already said, it is fair to assume that an Obama presidency will increase the size and scope of the federal government and increase taxes on individuals and families. Also, as president, Obama will probably be in a position to appoint one or more Supreme Court justices, giving the High Court a leftward tilt that would impact social issues for many generations to come.

Next week we will take a look at John McCain.

References:
1 NARAL Voting Record, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org, Jan. 1, 2008
2 The Improbable Quest, John K. Wilson, p. 147-148, Oct. 30, 2007
3 Campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change,” p. 35-36, February 2, 2008
4 1998 Il State Legislative Political Awareness Test, July 2, 1998
5 Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act, Bill S. 403, vote number 2006—216, July 25, 2006
6 Appropriation to expand access to preventative health care services, Bill S. Amdt 244 to S Con Res 18; vote number 2006-75, March 17, 2006
7 The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p. 114-115, October 30, 2007
8 2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues, August 9, 2007
9 Ibid
10 Promise to Power, by David Mendell, p. 248-249, August 14, 2007
11 The Improbable Quest, John K. Wilson, p. 155, Oct. 30, 2007
12 The Improbable Quest, John K. Wilson, p. 155, October 30, 2007
13 “The Audacity of Hope,” by Barack Obama, p. 187-189, October 1, 2006
14 2008 Democratic Debate, Cleveland, Ohio, February 26, 2008
15 “The Audacity of Hope,” by Barack Obama, p. 183-185, October 1, 2006
16 Campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change,” p. 6-9, February 2, 2008
17 Campaign booklet, “Blueprint for Change,” p.50-55 Feb 2, 2008
18 Source: 2007 AFL-CIO Democratic primary forum Aug 8, 2007
19 Source: 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Democratic debate Jan 21, 2008
20 FactCheck.org on 2008 Facebook/WMUR-NH Democratic debate Jan 5, 2008
21 Boston Globe questionnaire on Executive Power Dec 20, 2007
22 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin Feb 21, 2008
23 Ibid
24 National Journal, January 31, 2008

This article is from, "Fusion" a cyber newsletter found on Christ's Church of the Valley website, www.ccvonline.com, byDave Ficere, a news writer and former radio personality.