A Tragic Anniversary & A Law That We Christians Need To Help Get Changed

February 26, 2012.

Does that date mean anything to you? Be very sure that on this date, in the state of Florida, a 17-year-old Black teenager was killed that particular awful night. That date changed his family's life forever. This date outraged an entire community as this teenager became the poster boy for generations of oppression, inequality and institutionalized racism that the election of a Black President has by no means eradicated. That date greatly heightened our national awareness of a controversial law, wherever each of us may stand on this law. Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are in this world and this culture affects us, we can't excuse ourselves from our responsibilities to speak up for those whose voices have been silenced.

Why the Controversy of Racially Charged Cases?

I know that this George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin, polarizing case, has been politicized. I know that many of you, my fellow Christians, are aware of this very high-profile case but decline to speak to it out of a desire not to "get political" or to avoid "playing the race card." But it is intellectually dishonest to duck the social evil of racism, or to deny that it still remains institutionalized and affects everything, including the criminal justice system. This case is not about one teenage boy but is an icon for centuries of oppression, racism and inequality. Possibly taking note of George Zimmerman's acquittal of murdering Trayvon Martin, months later, a software developer saw a car full of Black boys and heard very loud music playing; Michael Dunn allegedly had an ugly verbal argument with Jordan Davis, another 17 year old Black boy. If you were following this most current case, you know that it all escalated into Dunn shooting 9 times into that car of teens, Jordan Davis included. You will know that the trial resulted in convictions for the 3 surviving boys but no verdict on the murder of Jordan. Why is it so tough to get murder convictions when victims are viewed as suspicious? Ought we, as Christ-followers, be concerned and involved?

What Is Stand Your Ground, Anyway?

You may or may very well not know what Stand Your Ground laws mean. It has taken two racially charged cases to bring nationwide attention to these laws. I know many people in and even out of the Christian community have priorities other than following, much less speaking out on, such cases. But these cases and others like them matter. Why? Both these cases and many others they are just examples of, put the Stand Your Ground law in the spotlight. What is Stand Your Ground? Simply put, the Stand Your Ground law is an extension of the right to use deadly force when our lives are in danger. Stand Your Ground extends legitimate self-defense; in states where it is law, citizens, wherever they are, have the right to use deadly force if they simply perceive that they face a threat of death or serious bodily harm AND they do not have to retreat from this "perceived threat" but can exert deadly force. The opposite side of a Stand Your Ground case, Marissa Alexander, shows that Stand Your Ground isn't even applied equally to people groups. Marissa, a Black mom of three, fired a few warning shots against her allegedly abusive spouse, with two of children being in the line of fire. No one was injured, but Marissa was not allowed to use her desired Stand Your Ground defense. She was sent to prison for 20 years. Why do we need this law, anyway? What is the problem with this, especially as we ponder the principles of Scripture concerning not rendering evil for evil and pursuing peace?

What About Stand Your Ground?

We Christ-followers have always approved legitimate self-defense when ours or another's life are in imminent danger. Scriptural principles would seem to allow self-defense when we know that ours or another's life is in immediate danger. Lawful wars are a HUGE example of this. But Biblical principles favor the pursuit of peace, self-control, nonviolence and turning the other cheek. Stand Your Ground, with its granting permission to people to act on their suspicions and prejudices and to "exert deadly force," runs counter to Jesus' call to pursue peace, to turn the other check, and to not resist evil. These principles run directly counter to Stand Your Ground laws, which encourage loss of self-control, giving into anger and hate, and render evil for even PERCEIVED EVIL! Thus, how can we who are committed to following the Prince of Peace, if we ponder this, support Stand Your Ground laws? The two high-profile cases I have mentioned, not to mention many others, do not even involve ACTUAL dangers to Zimmerman or to Dunn, but PERCEIVED threats to the lives of these two individuals. Stand Your Ground is not a Black issue, either. Recently, a Caucasian shot and killed another Caucasian over texting and flinging popcorn in his face. In his arrest, he claimed Stand Your Ground (the case has not come to trial).Stand Your Ground does not support the Biblical call to pursue peace with all people and to exert self-control! So, what are we Christ-followers to do?

Let's Be Part of the Solution

First of all, we need to educate ourselves about Stand Your Ground laws and what they are. Below You will find sources for this. We need to work on changing hearts, one person at a time. This is not about gun control; I'm all for gun rights if you can handle this responsibility. We should oppose racism wherever we find it and, above all, be models of peacemaking, self-control, love and understanding. We should, if we can, be involved in changing the Stand Your Ground law, which can save lives. Changing this law will get rid of a law that is redundant, encourages violence, has unclear language and is not even applied equally to all people groups. Above all, we need to fight against it because it violates the command "Thou shall not kill" and the call to be peacemakers. Doing these things will ensure that Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, and other victims of Stand Your Ground laws, have not died in vain.

What would Jesus do?

Stand Your Ground Laws Are Linked to Increase in Homicides

Legal Blog (With Stand Your Ground Articles)

Please Sign This Petition.

The above photo of Trayvon Martin is courtesy of a Justice For Trayvon Facebook page and can be found here.

Is President Obama the Enemy of Christians?

President Obama

I have noticed, virtually all online, a disturbing trend among some in the Christian community. It is a campaign based on fear and a likely misreading and misinterpretation of the Scriptures. It is a trend that has been with us for awhile, and is well-meant, by Christians who sincerely believe that they are serving Christ and "warning the brethren." I'm talking about those among us, brothers and sisters in Christ, who have sincerely believed that been in "the last days of the anti-Christ." Currently, there are a number of believers who are sincerely convinced that our current President, with his Affordable Care Act, is "ushering in the age of the Biblical Anti-Christ and the Mark of the Beast." But are we dealing in facts?

What is the Fear and Alarm About?

It is an old story that we Christians oppose two of President Obama's two issues that he supports. These are "abortion rights" and marriage "equality for Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender (GLBT) people. Why is he defending the rights of people, we wonder, who have adopted a lifestyle that, according to both the Old and the New Testament, is wrong and not according to God's plan for marriage or procreation? Many in the Christian community also believe that this President enables "lazy, unmotivated people who refuse to work," through his support for government programs that serve as "safety net entitlements" for people who have declared that they are too poor or disabled to seek employment. But these concerns only scratch the surface of Christian opposition to this President. More and more sincere Christians have looked at the President's signature legislation, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, and have studied its supposed provisions in light of prophecies in Revelation. Conclusion? According to them, and to this website, this current President is "ushering in the Biblical Mark of the Beast" and is the Anti-Christ. Yes, we should take this seriously, as this involves our eternal destinies. You may be one of those so concerned. But would you be correctly identifying your enemy?

Should We be So Alarmed?

So many in the Christian community believe that this President is actively seeking to destroy us Christians and the values that we hold dear. I have been seeing this alarm more and more, especially online and among brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of us may disagree with his policies on matters, especially on abortion "rights" and GLBT "rights" as we should. Though President Obama has confessed to Christian faith and has produced official documents of his citizenship, many believers insist that he is a Muslim President and was born in Kenya. What is what amounts to hysteria and the alarm that this President is our enemy and evil incarnate? Yes, I agree that the policies and provisions in legislation he proposes or signs are weak in some areas that many Christians value, especially toward Israel and in worldwide human rights abuses of Christians. If you are one of those who views our current President as the enemy of Christians and even the Anti-Christ, realize that this same label has been given to other public figures that people have not liked, including Hitler, former President Clinton, and now our current President. This is because they have had some traits of the Biblical Anti-Christ, which is not necessarily bad. Especially if you talk about charisma or valuing tolerance. President Obama does support something of a "big government." Yet does he propose the "one world government" that the Anti-Christ will usher in, according to Scripture?

What Should We Focus on?

I see so many Christians believing, and spreading the word that we are truly "in the last days." We forget that our brothers and sisters in Christ, in every generation, have declared that they were facing "the end times." In the early part of Acts, before He ascended to His Father, Jesus said that we were not to focus on, or try to figure out, when we were in the last times. This would include, I think, to point to any individual and slap the Anti-Christ label on the person and just because we disagree with them or dislike them. Revelation prophecies, like all Scripture, center on Israel, not the United States or Western Europe! Most Biblical narratives and prophecies are set in the Middle or the Far East. The other side of the world. You can search the book of Revelation and study it for yourself. We should focus on letting God form us into people who will be ready, at any given moment, for the Second Coming of Christ. He Himself said that no one knows the day or hour of His return. This gives us the answer of what our focus should be, right?

Is President Obama the Enemy To Be Feared?

In my humble opinion, this current President is not bent on actively trying to undermine or destroy the Christian community. He may support or sign policies that we disagree with as Christians, and he may show himself weak in areas where we would like to see strength. Many Christians have taken it upon themselves to call for prayer for this President's soul, though he has confessed publicly to Christian faith. But can we know the President's, or anyone's, heart? For sure? Though we are called to judge people based on outward behavior, we can never know, for sure, where they stand in their salvation, nor are we asked to make that call.

What do you think?

President Obama and the End Times

Is President Obama the Anti-Christ?

The above photo is courtesy of MorgueFile, is by "omdur," and can be found here.

Not A Valentine's Day Message But the All-Time Greatest Love

It's that time of the year once more. It's not an official holiday, but it's day that is set aside for lovers. Retail stores love this time of the year because of the business this time means for their profits. Dentists love it because all the candy purchased means more business and more profits for them. Like Christmas if maybe not as much, it raises our expectations of our conduct and those of others. When I was growing up in St. Louis, MISSOURI, I would get upset if I didn't get as many cards as my peers, and I felt left out. This day was for "the popular kids." At any age, it supposedly causes us to ponder love and its meaning. But quite a few people find this day irrelevant to them or even hurtful. This especially includes many single people and those in bad marriages, and those who are too poor to participate in its festivities.

What Is Love, According To Culture?

You know what time I'm referring to. Valentine's Day. We're flooded with commercials to "buy that perfect gift" to "make your Valentine feel special." Commercials show tempting, tasty, and calorie-laden treats and call on us to "show our Valentines our love" by giving them these treats. Never mind that these treats are filled with empty calories and little or no nutritional value. Never mind that answering the call to "get that perfect gift" may set the giver up for credit card debt. What IS love? Today, our culture equates it with sex. Our popular songs extol love but, nine times out of ten, the love that they refer to is "eros," which is sexual love. According to most of these songs, the ultimate show of love is sexual intercourse. This message, as we parents are painfully aware, is not lost on our children and teens. Getting the message effectively, many think that to "be loved" that they need to offer their bodies to their boyfriends or girlfriends. Culture equates love with giving material things, which is just a part of love. Culture is correct in lauding parental love as well as phileo," which is love between friends. Yet the mood of holidays like Christmas and Valentine's Day pressure and even heap guilt on people to purchases gifts that they may not even be within their means, including for children, friends, and spouses. What kind of love is that?

How Does God Define Love?

We who are Christians know that God and Scripture do not define love as culture does. It did not require Valentine's Day, and even the re-telling the history of St. Valentine, its namesake, to define real love for us Christians. We know that, especially in the New Testament, God gives us commands to love: "Love God with all your mind, your heart, your soul, and your strength," "Love your neighbor as yourself," and even, "Love your enemies"! These are not the world's ideas of love! God defines love as a verb, something not that we feel but something that we do. He considers it as a sacrifice of ourselves, of our time, our convenience, our pleasure, our comfort, our money, our reputations, or even of our lives. Love is, as we Christians know, hard stuff. It's not easy and it's not fun, though it's rewarding. Because our culture pounds it into us that "if it feels good, do it" and because of our self-centered, fallen natures, practicing love God's way is tough. I think each of you would agree with that! Loving is tough, because it involves death to ourselves, denying ourselves, carrying our personal crosses, and following Christ. Loving God's way is tough, even in our homes. Correct?

God's Own Example

We Christians know that we have the perfect Role Model of this kind of self-sacrificial love. Even more, we are the objects of this self-sacrificial love. His. We know that if it were not for His sacrifice of Himself in His Son, we would not have eternal life, in this world or in the life to come. It's impossible to outdo Him in self-sacrifice, when, In Christ, He came to His creation, lived a perfect life among His imperfect creation, died a horrible death in between two criminals, and returned to life again. This all meant sacrifice for Him. His comfort. His convenience. His reputation. His life. He gave up His heavenly wealth temporarily, to make us spiritually rich. He "became sin," dying in our place, so that God can treat us as though we had lived His perfect life! This, brothers and sisters in Christ, is love. And we are called to show this kind of self-sacrificing love for all the people in our lives, our family members and relatives, our friends and acquaintances, strangers, and even our enemies. Our work is cut out for us.

Practical Implications for Us

We know what to do! We may not know the specifics of each situation and what to do, but we know that we are called to do the most loving thing in each situation. Get up in the middle of the night to clean up the vomit of an ill child or listen to a distraught teen. Do the dishes for your wife or build up your husband. Obey your parents or willingly help with the chores. Hug a loved one. Be there for your friend. Refrain from passing on a juicy story about an absent party. Go directly to the person you're upset with and deal with them in love. Forget a grudge against a person who has hurt you. Encourage a depressed person. Give sacrificially to a cause that touches you. Take a call in the middle of the night from an upset friend. I can go on and on. Though many of these things cost no money, they always cost us something, and involve a measure of sacrifice from us. But none come close to the sacrificial love that God showed in Christ when He came to Earth, lived as one of us for over 30 years, and died for us. We know what love is!

Whether you celebrate Valentine's Day or not, my best to you in Christ!

Lisa DeSherlia

History of St. Valentine's Day

St. Valentine

The above photo is courtesy of MorgueFile, is by "Melodi2" and can be found here.

Christians Address Obamacare

Congress 

It is signature legislation on which every person, Christian or not, holds a strong opinion. It is law, based on what is considered, by many of us, to be a basic human right and one that the government owes us access to. We have been told things about it that make it seem a wonderful blessing or, on the other hand, a sinister threat. It has provoked, and continues to cause, much national debate. This law, nicknamed, bears our President Obama's name. We either love it or we hate it.

What Is Affordable Care Act?
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare, its nickname, has divided the US before it officially became law. It had been planned years in advance. Even then, many of us were crying, "Repeal Obamacare now!" or "Pass it now to cover all the ininsured!" Insurance companies and employers were required to cover employees. An individual mandate was designed as an incentive to get all covered Americans to buy affordable health insurance through signing up for the ACA. According to your view of what the government's role in providing access to health care should be, you either heartily support the ACA or strongly oppose it. The ACA is based on the core belief that access to health care is the basic human right of every person. If you see health care as a privilege that should remain privatized, you will not support the ACA. This holds true, whether you are in the Christian community or not.

Why is the Affordable Care Act Dividing Us in the US?

Most of us hold strong opinions of Obamacare. If we support it, it's because we hail its positive if imperfect safety net for most of the five million uninsured Americans, formerly unable to access any health care. They could not access health care because of lack of health care coverage through employment, or because they did not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. Supporters hail it as a safety net for young people who can stay on their parents' plan up until age 26, and because insurance companies were required to cover Americans with pre-existing conditions. Those of us who oppose the ACA do so because we fear that it constitutes a "government takeover," that will "take away our liberties." Opponents claim that many uninsured people are healthy people who "do not need health care access yet." Above all, most of us who oppose the ACA fear that it will affect our insurance coverage, whether we have private insurance, are enrolled in a HMO, or use Medicare or Medicaid. The many recent glitches in the ACA website have discredited the ACA and aggravated the already existing opposition of many. But so many in the Christian community object to the ACA based on concerns beyond these, and I have seen posts speaking to this on Facebook.

Christian Concerns About the Affordable Care Act

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I know that many of you don't support Obamacare. I know that many of you object because of what many of us see as moral problems. First of all, the ACA promises to make "women's reproductive health care" accessible to all women covered by the ACA. We know that this term is a euphemism for birth control devices, not only for wives but for every female of any age who requests them "in consultation with her doctor." Worse, though it's unclear (to me) that it indeed does so, the ACA may make "affordable abortions" accessible to any female who wants to "terminate her pregnancy." A growing number in the Christian community believe that the ACA includes a mandate to get human microchip implanting, which they see as the future "Mark of the Beast" that sets the stage for the appearing of the anti-Christ. I have heard and read Christian alarm calls that "the end is very near" and that "this anti-Christian" legislation is proof. I've read about some of these objections and, as well as what human microchiping would do. Yet no evidence exists of any human microchip implantation mandate as part of ACA. Yet I know much fear exists of the ACA in the Christian community.

How Should We Deal With This? All of us should educate ourselves about Obamacare before we pass judgment on it. This holds true no matter who we are. Below you'll find resources that give the facts about the ACA. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we should concern ourselves with any moral problems we see in the ACA. We can contact our legislators to include a "religious liberty" clause which lets any health care provider decline to provide birth control devices or abortions, based on faith-based objections. The ACA is law, and fighting against it, if you oppose it, wastes time and energy that could be better spent supporting nonprofits that serve girls and women facing crisis pregnancies, or that serve troubled teens.

I'd much rather shout out for what I'm for than rail against what I may detest. How about you?

Healthcare.gov

Healthcare.gov

Obamacare Facts: Dispelling the Myths

The photo at the top of this post is courtesy of MorgueFile, is by "earl53" and can be found here.

Is the Biochip the Mark of the Beast?