The Republican Party of Texas Convention

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

I wish I had taken the time to write down my experiences sooner, but I feel like I’m still catching up on everything I didn’t do that weekend.  Life goes on and doesn’t stop to let you catch up.  I went to the Republican Party of Texas state convention as a delegate from my district for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  It was an interesting experience.  As expected I did lots of voting, but I think I did a lot more learning.  I have a lot more to learn, and I look forward to the opportunity to do so.

I don’t think i know anyone who loves to go to meetings.  I’ve had a theory for some time that there comes a point at which adding participants to a meeting begins to decrease the effectiveness of that meeting inversely as more are added.  Being in a meeting with over 6,000 people hasn’t done much to challenge my theory.  There’s no intelligence test before someone takes a microphone, and there’s no test of parliamentary procedure knowledge.  I have to credit our chairman, Steve Munisteri, for handling the madness well.  I’ve heard it was actually better than in previous years.  Maybe there is something our local chapters could do to educate delegates a little better before they hit the floor.

Another thing I learned is that the real decision making happens in the committees.  That’s true at both the state and local levels.  It is the local resolutions committee who decides what makes it to the district level conventions, and it is the platform committee who decides how much of that ends up the platform that we all end up voting on.  Though anyone can submit changes from the floor, there are practical limits to how much of what is presented can be changed. 

We have a very good platform.  I would have changed a few things, but there’s nothing there that I can’t abide.  Therefore, I am not bothered much by the way things went, but I suspect a lot of others might be.  By the time we got to the platform we were in a late session.  I didn’t check the time but I figure it was around 10:00 p.m. before we even got started.  We fussed over the immigration plank changes for most of the remaining session time, then someone moved we accept the whole thing as written, including the changes we just made.  The motion was seconded and and overwhelmingly affirmed.  Thus, what the committee did went largely unchallenged.

The caucuses were interesting for other reasons.  We elected various people to represent us in different ways.  The positions are fuzzy to me now, but I remember thinking that sometimes the reasons given by people who spoke for a particular nominee were specious.  I suppose I understand rewarding the party faithful.  I’m glad they are thought of as nice people.  I would certainly appreciate testaments to their character.  If the job carries some prestige and doesn’t require much else, I can even support sending someone to do it out of appreciation or good will.  However, if they are being asked to represent me, I want more relevant information.  I want some assurance that they are going to vote the way I would vote.  That’s the idea of representation.  Some of those were committee picks.  Others were nominated on the spot, though not necessarily without forethought.

There again I see the importance of the committees.  A delegate selection committee at the district level was responsible for naming the slate of delegates in the first place, though again anyone could have applied at our local convention and I seem to recall that a couple did.  at that level all that is required is that you breathe and vote Republican, but this should be our first line of defense against influences that are contrary to what we say we stand for.

I found the whole process intriguing.  Unless they decide to run me off I’ll be back again next time and hopefully take a greater roll.  If you have the time and the will, what has come to be called the “grass roots” is the place to be.  We complain about the intrenched party leadership, particularly at the national level.  If all we do is complain we are going to continue to be disappointed.  Texas is a pretty conservative state.  We’re probably never going to be entirely satisfied with what comes out at the national level, but if we don’t work to change it, we never will. 

If you agree that our country is headed in the wrong direction both economically and socially and that we must turn around quickly and completely, I hope you’ll join me in the fight.  I don’t know what form that will take even for me.  I don’t believe many of our traditional methods work so I am reluctant to perpetuate them.  I believe we’ve got to come up with ways to build relationships before our message will be heard.  I don’t know about you, but calling me in the middle of dinner or interrupting any part of my day for that matter to give me a sales pitch makes me less likely to buy.  That’s the opposite of what we want.

Now I speak to Christians specifically.  We can’t fix this with politics.  That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do what we can in the political arena so that conditions are as favorable as possible for the triumph of good over evil, but it does mean we’ve got to do more.  We live in a country that is governed (at least by design) by its citizens.  If we are corrupt, then our government will be corrupt.  It falls to the ones who know the Truth to share that Truth at every opportunity.  If we hope to save our nation, then God must save its people first.  We are His messengers.  In all that we do, let us never lose sight of that commission.  Otherwise, nothing else we do will matter.

Gender Selective Abortion

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

Last week, everyone except the alphabet networks was talking about a couple of videos released by prolife group Live Action. They show Planned Parenthood advising a woman on how to get an abortion after determining the sex of her unborn child. The staffer stated that it was not the place of Planned Parenthood to question the reasons why the abortion was wanted. (I’m paraphrasing.) The resultant outcry got the attention of Congress, where a bill banning the practice of sex selective abortion was introduced and defeated.

When I first saw the headlines coming across my Twitter feed, I had two thoughts. Is this a problem in the U.S.? By standing on this issue, are we diminishing any other equally invalid reason to murder an unborn child? Then another troubling question occurred to me. By attempting to know the motivation of an act, are we not as conservatives acting hypocritically? When hate crime legislation is introduced, we say that a crime is a crime and it is not the government’s business to read the mind of the perpetrator. Is this any different? Thus I am not as incensed as some that a few Republicans, including Ron Paul, did not vote to pass this law.

I don’t know how much of a problem it is here. Certainly the motivation that makes it so common in China and other eastern nations to prefer boys to girls is not as strong here. But whether the mother prefers a boy or a girl, why is this motivation better or worse than any argument of convenience that is used to justify the murder of the innocent?

I think I understand the motivation behind tackling this issue in this way. We want to stop as many deaths as we can. It may be hoped that the horror of gendercide would unite liberal and conservative alike in the effort to stop it. Maybe we might save a few. I understand taking “baby steps” to limit the tragedy of abortion in any way that we can. Maybe that is the only right thing to do under the circumstances.

Having said that, I think we need to ask ourselves whether the actions we take will in fact lead us to the ultimate goal. Abortion should be outlawed, with the possible exception of immediate danger to the life of the mother. We have murdered over 53 million children since Roe v. Wade. That’s almost five times the number of people killed by Hitler. How it is that God has delayed so long in judging us for this I do not know. While we argue over motivation, more children die. I realize we can only do so much within the confines of law, but let us not lose our focus. The slaughter of innocents must stop whatever the intent of the killer.

Sick People in a Sick World

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

This story saddens me, but I guess it shouldn’t surprise me.  We already advocate killing in the name of compassion.  Why would maiming be off limits?  If we don’t hack them up we’ll tell them we’ve got just the thing to help them out, and psychiatrists and pharmaceutical companies will have a new revenue stream.

What they most likely need is a spiritual deliverance.  My heart goes out to this man, and I pray he finds Jesus before he manages to get himself dismembered.

Determined to Amputate: One Man’s Struggle With Body Integrity Identity Disorder | Fox News

It’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to lose a limb. But for people living with Body Integrity Identity Disorder (BIID), it’s a burning desire that haunts them every day of their lives.

My First Week with the iPhone

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

This may be short, because I’m writing it from the iPhone. On the other hand it may be long because I’m writing it with dictation. It seems to work pretty well, but it is not without problems. I just had to rewrite a sentence, taking out weird HTML tags. I’m also having some trouble with editing, though I’m sure I’ll get better at it. Cursor positioning seems to depend on which way you’re moving. I’m sure there will be mistakes in this post that I missed.

Now that I’ve used one I highly recommend the iPhone for any blind user who needs a smart phone. There is no comparison with Android. Ice Cream Sandwich is supposed to be better, but I don’t think it will touch this. Not every app works. Developers still have to mind their manners, but your chances are much better because of Apple’s controlled environment. I almost wish I had switched carriers to get one sooner.

Weekend To Remember

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

Here’s my very rough first attempt at a video blog entry.  I just wanted to see if I could do it.  With practice it could be done better, but I’m not sure if there’s much reason to do so.

The Next Step in My Political Initiation

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

For the last few months in my local TEA Party, we’ve been talking about the upcoming elections and how we should be involved in them. Though we are expressly non-partisan, our views are most closely represented by the Republican Party, so that is where our discussions have been focused. We were taught about how the process works, how voting is done, and how our precincts function among other things. Each time we met volunteers would be called for as various needs were brought up. I sat there taking it all in, not sure how or even if I wanted to get involved on the party level.

I have not always been happy with the Republicans, particularly at the national level. Yet when it comes time to vote, where else am I going to go? I believe there are more than enough principled people in the Republican Party that we can move it in the right direction rather than try to form something entirely new that doesn’t have any real power. We can only do that by participating in the process.

So when the call went out once more for delegates to participate in the local district convention and go to the state convention in June, I decided to at least investigate the possibility. This is the place where the party platform is created and where state party leaders are chosen. I began asking questions of people who had been involved. I looked at the online material provided by the Texas Republican Party. I watched a mock district convention video they have on the site. The only remaining concern I had was based on that video. They agreed not to read resolutions since they were visible on screen. What if something like that was done in my district? What if printed material was presented that I could not access? I wanted to be able to make informed decisions and I didn’t really want to put the hard-working organizers to more trouble making accommodations for me. I went ahead and asked the question. No definitive answer was forthcoming, but it turned out not to be a problem.

I was encouraged to come, so I filled out the delegate application sent to me via email and ended up at the district convention. Everything was read aloud, and I am sure I could have requested any clarification I needed. A couple of times I almost got up the nerve to speak out on something, but there was no need. I think next time I’ll be more likely to do that. From time to time proceedings would be interrupted by a candidate for office swinging through on his or her multi district convention campaign run. This is common and provides a way to get some exposure to lower level candidates you might not know anything about otherwise.

I will be involved at this level from now on, and I think I’d like to be part of the resolutions committee. That’s the first stop for anything that someone wants on the platform. In a couple of months I’ll be going to the state convention, and I’m looking forward to the experience. I think this is the right approach rather than trying to start something entirely new. If you haven’t read the platform, go here and do so. I can’t speak for other states, but in Texas we’re on the right track. When I read the platform I decided I wanted to be part of keeping it that strong.

Honestly!

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

I don’t know what your experience has been, but I have found that if someone feels the need to tell you that they’re honest you should be on your guard. An expectation of integrity seems to be woven into our being. Yes, we’re all born in sin and lying comes naturally, yet we have to learn mistrust. We expect that others are telling the truth until we discover that sometimes they don’t. We just know there’s something wrong with that, at least when someone else does it.

Whether you grew up in a Christian family or not, you were probably taught that lying is bad. In time you also learned that maybe sometimes it was not so bad. Maybe sometimes it’s even good. Is that so? Are there circumstances where being less than completely honest in word or deed is acceptable and even right, or might Jesus be calling us to a higher standard? How do we handle those situations in life that seem to demand that we stray from truth? Is honesty only about what we say?

This Sunday, I’ll be preaching at Bartimaeus Baptist Temple. I will be talking about how the concept of integrity is woven throughout the scripture from beginning to end, but we can get a clear picture of how Jesus would answer our questions just by looking at what He said. First, He says that He is the truth in John 14:6. If He embodies truth, then following Him requires pursuit of truth. Emulating Him means practicing truthfulness.

He also told us where lies come from. He says of Satan in John 8:44, “…He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Come and join us this Sunday as we explore how to live our lives with integrity. I’m looking forward to it. Honestly!

Easter Ham

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

I’ve only recently come to understand that ham on Easter is a well-established tradition. It wasn’t so in our family, and not I suppose with the people we knew. Maybe it just never came up. Having had a particularly good ham at church yesterday, I thought I would do a little research.

The answers I found were varied. Those disinclined to credit religion with anything say that it was simply coincidence. Pigs were slaughtered at about that time and there was no way to preserve the meat, so they ate it. Those who are particularly critical of Christianity or who see racism under every rock claim it was a slap in the face of Jews, who do not eat port and who celebrate Passover at roughly the same time. The anti-pagan crusaders among us add it to the list of things we shouldn’t do because of their pagan origins. Heres the sanest article I found, much of which makes sense to me.

That the word Easter has pagan origin is really not in dispute. It is also well known that the Catholic Church adjusted celebration of “Christian” events to coincide with pagan festivals. The author of the article I linked to make good points about worshiping God in the ways which He has set out. I will be giving that more thought, but I will not condemn my brothers and sisters who genuinely worship the Lord on these days or who use the term Easter. I choose generally not to. The term is too closely tied to the worship of a pagan fertility goddess going back beyond the time of Israel’s nationhood and serving as a snare for them, diverting them from the worship of the one true God, Yahweh.

As for ham, what I thought I might find but didn’t was symbolism related to unclean foods and the acceptance of the Gentile. Jesus Himself pronounced all foods clean (Mark 7:18-19.) The Lord would then use this as a symbol for the acceptance of the Gentile in the vision He gave to Peter just before they came calling at the place where he was staying (Acts 10.) Peter went with them, preached the Gospel, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. So eating ham on Resurrection Sunday might be seen as a celebration of our acceptance into the family of God. That’s definitely how I will think of it from now on.

Are there Victimless Crimes?

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

The short answer is “no,” but it requires explanation. I would put so-called victimless crimes into two categories. The first would be those commonly trotted out as such; examples being drugs and prostitution. The second are those that may be said to have no moral component at all, resulting from the violation of laws that in fact do cause harm, often being agents of victimization.

A crime is generally understood to be the breaking of law, so we need to consider why law exists. We have laws because we are naturally lawless. Unconstrained, we will tend to do whatever suits us, considering others only so far as we have determined that to be in our best interest. If we were all carbon copies of Jesus, law would be largely if not entirely unnecessary. It is because we’re not that He had to come show us how to live and pay the ultimate price to redeem us.

Laws protect us from each other, and yes, from ourselves. That leads to more questions. How much law do we need? Who sets the standard by which the law is made? Who says what is right and what is wrong? What constitutes harm to others or harm to oneself? Does harm to oneself really affect only the individual? If the answer to the last question is no, how far can we go to protect the individual from himself under the banner of protecting others?

I observe three perspectives from which to answer these questions. One that we all seem to be able to agree on to one degree or another is that of the society as a whole. How does the individual’s behavior affect society? Depending on one’s inclination the answer to that question may differ. One says that the use of controlled substances is a personal matter that harms no one else and that the blight we blame on drug use is really caused by its criminalization. The other points to the family breakdown, neglect, accidents, and death related substance abuse. One argues that they’re going to do it anyway so we should take away the incentive for criminals to profit from it. The other says if we make it easy more will do it and society will be burdened by the side-effects.

The second perspective references a moral code. We recognize that not everything one might choose to do has a right or wrong to it, but we always apply the test. In so doing we often find that fewer things than one might expect will lead us back to a question of morality. Benefit to society is seen as flowing from the moral choice rather than dictating it.

The third I will call the sociopathic perspective. All of us must deal with it at some level. Because we are lawless by nature, we tend to favor those things that we think will benefit us the most. Often we cloak our selfish desires under the mantel of the other two. We may not even be conscious that we’re doing it. Remove a finite standard, and this is all we have left. Too often we take this with us to the polls, voting for that which seems most likely to give us what we want.

If we want it badly enough we’ll have it regardless of the consequences. We’ve all heard that prohibition didn’t work. I submit that it didn’t work because we really didn’t want it to work. I find it ironic that we’re headed in the same direction with marijuana, the smoking of which does far more damage than tobacco, while we continue to turn the screws on tobacco smokers.

As long as God permits flawed humanity to govern itself, we will not have satisfactory answers to these questions applied throughout our societies. There is only one measure by which our actions are rightly judged, and that is the truth. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Until He is the unquestioned king of this earth, all we can do is strive to see as much of His truth applied as possible under the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Our government was uniquely fashioned such that we are free to make that effort. It is not only our right, but our duty to make good use of this divine gift. If we do not apply it, even what we have will be taken from us (Matthew 25:14-29.)

Adrift

The Lion's Roar Posted on by

Adrift in a sea of loneliness and despair
There is no land in sight. Why should I care?
This ocean of tears I made. It is my place to drown in it.
Perhaps when that day comes, peace will yet be found in it.