It's the end of the world as Dr. James Dobson knows it

We apparently are not alone in having a prophet.

Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family also seems to have a bit of clairvoyant talent - or at least a time travel machine. This sixteen page letter, itemizing every Obama repercussion from talk radio to child pornography was written (or will be written?) in 2012 by "A Christian."

Now, it's a little late now, and for that I apologize. If only more voters would have been made privy to this letter prior to voting for Barack Obama, we would be spared so many awful things. So far, the predictions have come true. Senator Obama is now President-elect Obama, after all.

First, understand that a vote for Barack Obama means a new far-left democratic majority in the U.S. Supreme Court. The three conservative justices left are going to be called "originalists" because, unlike liberals, they adhere to the original meaning of the Constitution. These "originalists" argued, in vain far too many times it seems, that their job as Justices is to interpret the Constitution, not come up with heretical new laws. That's the job of the heretical liberal Congress.

So, if you ever wondered how the world would come to a crashing end, Dr. James Dobson and Co. would like to enlighten you:

1. The most far reaching transformation of American society came from the Supreme Court’s stunning affirmation, in early 2010, that homosexual ‘marriage’ was a “constitutional right that had to be respected by all 50 states because laws barring same-sex ‘marriage’ violated the Equal Protection clause of the U.S. Constitution…This was a blatant example of creating law by the court, for homosexual ‘marriage’ was mentioned nowhere in the Constitution, nor would any of the authors have imagined that same-sex ‘marriage’ could be derived from their words.

Huh. I didn't know marriage was mentioned at all in the Constitution.

2. The Boy Scouts no longer exist as an organization. They chose to disband rather than be forced to obey the Supreme Court decision that they would have to hire homosexual scoutmasters and allow them to sleep in tents with young boys.

Forced to seek out homosexual scoutmasters. I can just imagine any interview that may go on:

"So. Are you gay?"

"Duh, of course."

"Hired."

"So, what are you doing Friday night?"

Come on! This would ask that a person NOT discriminate based on sexual orientation - which, sorry, should be the case.

And besides all of that, why is it okay to imply a homosexual man would try to get it on with "young boys"? Are we really intent to perpetuate this myth that all gay men are pedophiles?

Wow.

I mean, I get it. You wouldn't allow a grown man to sleep in a tent with young girls. You'd have the adults (all of them) sleep in...that's right, different tents. Not necessarily for the protection of the kids so much as for the protection of the adults as well. Easy enough. Moving on.

3. Elementary schools now include compulsory training in varieties of gender identity in Grade 1, including the goodness of homosexuality as one personal choice.

I still don’t get this. Should we instead continue to pretend homosexuality doesn’t exist? The schools, and I know this because my husband is going through the end process of becoming a teacher in California, understand how important it is to be a safe place.

Not talking about it in the schools won’t help. The schools need to help children understand and respect people, and you should too. Now, I don’t know that we’re going to have a conversation like this going on, but I mean, “A Christian” from the future seems to think it's likely, so I guess we can’t totally rule it out:

“Here’s Jack and Jill. They have ‘traditional’ sex.

“Here’s Dan and Dean. They have really cool ‘gay’ sex. It’s pretty awesome, actually. You should try it sometime. Here are some pictures!”

No.

This is more about respecting different people. And uh, if you live in California, you do have the right to opt your child out of comprehensive sex education. If your state doesn't allow it, you can work to have that changed. America is pretty cool that way.

4. The Freedom of Choice Act also reversed the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, so infants can be killed outright just seconds before they would be born.

I think this is a nod to the "present" vote Obama gave as a Senator - uhm, yeah. Like he said, it was already law that you couldn't do it, and he didn't want to compromise Roe v. Wade. Me thinks Focus on the Family shot itself in the foot here.

And really, does anyone really believe this will happen? Anyone?

...
You might be surprised to read what will happen regarding Iraq, Russia, Iran, and Israel (Tel Aviv gets bombed, apparently. Huh)
...

5. Euthanasia is becoming more and more common.

Because Obama decided to introduce Universal Healthcare, after all, and it really sucks. Old people are thought more and more to have a duty to go home and die. I'll bet this news would thrill Dr. Kevorkian who could just set up practice specifically for speeding up the process.

6. Gas costs more than $7 per gallon, and many Democrats openly applaud this, since high prices reduce oil consumption and thus reduce carbon dioxide output.

I realize I'm not a registered Democrat, but as a liberal leaning heretic, I'm all for $7 a gallon gas. I was getting a little too excited - if you know what I mean - the day we paid $4.70 for a gallon of gas here in California - so close to $5 a gallon! SO CLOSE!

7. As a result, all radio stations have to provide equal time to contrasting views for every political or policy-related program they broadcast by talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity…and broadcasters like Dr. James Dobson. Every conservative talk show is followed by an instant rebuttal to the program by a liberal ‘watchdog’ group. Many listeners gave up in frustration, advertising (and donation) revenues dropped dramatically…Conservative talk radio, for all intents and purposes, was shut down by the end of 2010.

We're going to force conservative talk radio out of business for...offering the other side? I hate it when that happens.

Now, I know some of you might be waiting to hear about how electing Obama will lead to legalization of child pornography. It is not on the .pdf version of the document, but it is on this document. Why it's gone on the other version, I don't know. But it's worth reading. I really hope this isn't what people think.

8. In addition, law enforcement officials can no longer stop the distribution of child pornography, after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the such distribution violated freedom of speech and interstate commerce laws.

Yeah. I don't get this one either. Maybe it was deleted in the .pdf document because it's just so ridiculous. At least I hope so.


Of course, the letter concedes,

Christians share a lot of the blame. In 2008, many evangelicals thought Senator Obama was an opportunity for ‘change,’ and they voted for him. They did not realize Obama’s far-Left agenda would take away many of our freedoms, perhaps permanently (it is unlikely the Supreme Court can be changed for perhaps 30 years. Christians did not realize that by electing Barack Obama – rated the most liberal U.S. senator in 2007 – they would allow the law, in the hands of a liberal Congress and Supreme Court, to become a great instrument of oppression.

But, I mean, Dr. James Dobson wouldn't really want the Supreme Court majority to belong to ultra-conservative right wing Republicans, would he?

Would he?

As a last note, I'd like to offer this quote from Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian, regarding the 1800 election between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams:

"The other side - the Adam's people - said [Jefferson] was a 'howling atheist'...they said if he won, that rape and incest and murder would be taught in schools. Finally this Connecticut newspaper apologized in 1993."

Everyone's a prophet.

Projecting Racism

I've gotta wonder.

The more I hear people spew their diatribes about how those who voted for Barack Obama voted purely, or at least mostly, because he is black the more I want to ask why it's such a point of focus for so many.

Seriously. I swallow a scream down about every time.

People! Stop listening to John McCain, Sarah Palin, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh (to think I used to listen to that man), and Karl freaking Rove. If you honestly believe Fox News is "fair and balanced," I've got a couple bridges to sell you. To nowhere.

When I was investigating the church, a common quip was "You don't go to a Chevy dealer to find out about Ford."

The same applies anywhere else. You don't go to radical conservatives to find out about Barack Obama. It transcends stupidity, to be honest.

I really wish people would afford Obama's supporters with a bit more intelligence and discretion than "you voted for him 'cause he's black." I also appreciated Limbaugh's lovely summation of Colin Powell's endorsement: "It's all about race!"

Gee, thanks, Rush. And everyone else who echoed his sentiments.

It makes me wonder who, exactly, is thinking a little too much about race.

Hmm?

I have followed Obama for two years. I considered voting for McCain until he allowed someone to stick a hand up his butt and a tie a couple strings on his extremities.

It has nothing to do with gender or race, but rather quality of character, ideas, courage, and dignity. Toward the end, McCain proved to me he had nothing on Obama. Nothing.

Just for the record, I've had it with people saying they're scared of Obama. Should I reverse the race card and insist they're scared because he's black? Would that be fair? Absolutely not.

But I will suggest that perhaps some of it, if not all of it, has more to do with ignorance. As a busy people, we're prone to believe anything we hear and not do the research to back it up. We look at white men in suits and ties and assume they're conservative. We hear one, a former prisoner of war, say that his opponent is a closet socialist, and people agree because it sounds good, sounds right (damn liberals!), and it comes from...wait. A politician.

Since when did we trust what politicians say, again?

Look inside yourself and ask why you voted McCain if you did. Was it because he's Republican? White? A war hero? Old? Because your parents did, your church did?

For most of us, this isn't about race. I know for some it absolutely is, just like there were people who would've voted for Hilary just because she's a woman. People want history to happen in their lifetime. It's understandable, but hardly the best reason.

Just remember, there are people who voted for John McCain because he was the white guy. It's safe, it feels good, etc.

I just happen to believe there's more racism from those who cry "racist!" than people want to recognize. Just like sexism. How many of you are honestly scared a little of Muslims? Mexicans? Gay people?

This is a rhetorical question, but I think it's an important one. I think it's only human to have some kind of -ism within you. I do. The first thing to do is recognize it so you can fight it. Remember that God loves everyone, black and white, bond and free, male and female. Sometimes people decry ideas and people with zeal because they are trying to distract from their own prejudices.

If this hits home, and I imagine it should with most people, then we need to work on that.


http://www.barackobama.com/

Wheat and Tares and Gay People

This has been an interesting test for the members of the church I believe. It has shown in a great respect who has faith in the prophet of the Lord and a personal testimony of the truth of the church and who does not. I believe it is impossible for anyone to understand the full implications of what may have happened if 8 was put down. Hopefully we will never know, for when the Lord speaks through his servant the Prophet, it's serious and the consequence of not heeding that council is always serious. I believe there was prophecy fulfilled with the reaction of some of the members of the church. The Lord is separating the wheat from the tares.

-- Deseret News reader comments: LDS official lauds work for California's Prop. 8

How nice of this person - and so many others - to think so.

I wonder if the faithful felt the same way about the Prohibition
About Civil Rights
About Blacks and the Priesthood.

Just gotta wonder.

I can't help but think that those people might represent more of the "tares" than some of those who voted against Prop 8.

Tares: The word denotes darnel grass, a poisonous weed, which, until it comes into ear, is similar in appearance to wheat.

In other words, a person who isn't who they say or pretend to be. They look like wheat, but they aren't.

Might I enlighten you to the fact that those against the Church often like to regard members as tares? We resemble Christians, but in the end we're really the anti-Christ.

Yeah.

I have to admit - this crap really picks at my conscience. I resent that. It picks even more when people throw the "the guilty taketh the truth to be hard" scripture at me.

You don't know what I've gone through.

Am I a tare? Seriously? A person who lives according to what her gut tells her - a gut that, so far, hasn't misled her?

Yes, I'm angry about a few things with the Church. I've had some experiences in past years to make me question a few things. I put the Church and some of its members on such a high pedestal, thinking they were perfect and could do no wrong. I've made this mistake with people before. Every single time, that person or thing proves itself to be fallible and, depending on the heighth I gave it, it has fallen. Hard.

You think the Church is perfect? I say it's not.

You think your leaders are perfect? They're not.

I say the second you put anything on a pedestal is the second you tempt it to prove to you it is not worthy of it.

When I investigated the Church nine years ago, I was told only to pray about everything I was learning, and I would know the truth of it for myself.

Does baptism nullify this concept? You might think so the way some people act. So many are quick to accept any calling that comes their way without thought. I've received callings before I didn't feel were absolutely necessary. That doesn't mean you should turn them down, you should absolutely check your motives in saying no, but lightning doesn't always strike. It's good to serve.

It's better to be sane while serving.

I turned one down a few years ago. I was brand new in the ward in a brand new city, alone all of the time with three little ones in a small apartment, and was swiftly called to the nursery. I was about to have a mental breakdown over constantly being alone with my own kids six days a week, and now the nursery?

But he's the bishop, right? He should know. He's prayed about it. He receives revelation...right?

Not always. In this case I'm certain he acted as a human being heading a ward desperate for a new nursery worker. Here comes a young mom who knows kids - why the hell not?

Some callings are not given in the spirit of revelation.

After some serious struggle, a talk with a husband who thought at the time you always accept callings, and an emotional breakdown, I told my bishop no. It was empowering. That was a revelation.

Yes, there are times when we should have a blind faith in our leaders and just do. It's like if my kids were about to cross a busy street. They may not see it or understand it, but they need to stop the minute I yell STOP!

But where is growth and confidence and true understanding if it does not come from within? Otherwise we are merely robots, without brains, and perhaps after a while, even without hearts. We do what we are told and only what we are told without question.

That sounds like a really awful existence to me. It's a safe one, to be sure, but if we don't give thought to anything, then what is that faith? It's nothing.

I don't know why Prop 8 is such an issue for me. I think some of it is due to how much of an issue the Church and its members have made it. It's the realization that lies were perpetuated in its name. Prejudices were not shut down. Nobody worked to de-mystify things. All we did was put in our life savings (yes, one family put in $50,000) to work against homosexual couples who just wanted to marry. It was the realization that the Church worked against Prohibition and many in the Church were against the "negro" movement for civil rights.

Do I think I could be wrong here in my vote? Absolutely. But I have to live with myself. I already know of at least one person who voted "yes" and is now kicking themselves for it. Why are they doing that? They followed the prophet, right? Right. But they didn't believe it.

Remember, faith is the belief in things not seen, as we so often love to quote.

I am not a tare. I am who I say I am. I didn't pretend to vote yes and then voted no. I'm not pretending to be something I'm not. At least I'm trying my best to not be. And I hate that I feel I must defend myself.

Enough with the judgements. Those who insist they are wheat and then go home and spread lies and hatred through their words or lack thereof are not who they say they are. People who have no problem getting up on their own pedestals are the ones who will eventually fall.

A little humility, please? Less judgment upon those you do not know - even those you do know? While in the end it is the person's decision on what they do, your self-righteous rhetoric only serves to push people away.

So just shut up already.

Our Supposed Monopoly on Morality

My head hurts, and it's not from headaches this time. It's from continually banging my head against the desk, wall - I even banged my head against Eric's during prayer last Sunday (guess what we were praying about? Yeah. My 'amen' was absent then, you'd better believe).

A couple of things have occurred in the last few months that have caused me to think, caused my shoulders to turn into brick. Read these comments:

"Well, non-members just don't have morals."

"In my opinion, there are good people who are non members."

A good friend of my husband and mine said the first one, and, coming from a non-member family, I about jumped down his throat.

The second quote was said in a recent Relief Society meeting. While I'm glad she thinks so, the idea that she had to qualify her statement at all angered me. The idea that anyone would disagree with her, that she would think anyone would is just beyond me.

Of course there are good people who aren't members! I'd dare say better than some.

And of course not everyone thinks this, but that there are even a few is far too many.

I want to expand on something I wrote in my entry entitled Charity. You may remember my story about going to the San Francisco Giants game with a few friends and noticing a man rummaging through the garbage dumpster. My friend went back, grabbed some food out of the car, and gave it to him while I was trying to get past him as fast as my little legs could take me.

What I left out, on purpose, is what happened as she gave the food to the man.

Another man approached at the same time and handed the guy a can of beer. I had a couple of different, immediate reactions to this:

1) Is this okay?
2) How cool.

Is this okay?

It was a can of beer, and I thought about the teachings I had growing up about not giving a beggar any money because he or she might run out and get drunk or high off of it. I also thought, with my nose rather high in the air, "Wouldn't something else be far more beneficial to this man than a can of *gasp* beer?"

Almost as quick, I realized it was more than okay, it was a wonderful gesture of respect.

Something strong flitted between the two men. A can of beer, outside our church, is more than a can of beer. It's a way men bond. It's a show of respect. It's not immoral for a lot of people to drink beer, and might I dare say that it's not necessarily immoral period to drink beer. Latter-day Saints don't because (a) it's potentially addictive (b) not so good for you, or (c) because the Word of Wisdom says not to and we want to go to the temple.

Does this doctrine make us better than anyone else? No!

I almost wonder if this stranger's offer of beer was somehow better receieved than the Twinkies my friend gave him. Though I'm certain both were appreciated beyond measure, the beer was a way, almost, of patting the guy on the back. It was almost a way of saying "I don't think any less of ya, here. Have a beer."

I know it might be kind of difficult for some who haven't been around people who drink often, and honestly it's a little weird for me anymore. My family drinks when they get together, though. Nobody gets drunk, they just have a couple beers and wine with their Thanksgiving dinner.

There are good people outside the Church. There are amazing Penecostals, Baptists, Catholics, Buddhists, Sikhs...and yes, even Athiests and Agnostics. I have met some of the most amazing people who don't subscribe to our beliefs, some of the most humble and respectful people ever. People some in our Church would be blessed to meet.

Just like conservatism doesn't have a monopoly on what is good and moral, neither does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

If you think we need to be better in our missionary efforts, if you wonder why more people aren't jumping in the baptismal fonts, I'd like to submit the idea that perhaps we sometimes think we're better because we know something more, something different, and anyone else who doesn't is below us.

That isn't love.

Even the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve would agree with that.

The Wait for Eight

Arizona's already passed their version. Florida, too.

As I type this, I find out now California has joined the throng.

After ensuring an Obama win *dance* I went to check the news on our very own Prop 8. What I found around 9 o'clock last night that it was, with 11% of the precincts reporting, passing with 55% to 45%

I used to wonder how I'd feel if that proposition passed, being stuck between that stupid rock and a hard place, but last night I realized that I wanted it to fail, how sad it made me to think it wouldn't.

It was like wondering if I'd get to my polling place, stand there and stare at the ballot, wondering what the right thing to do was.

That didn't happen. I voted without a second thought.

I know I don't need to tell anyone this; it's really none of your business, and it's none of mine to know how you voted unless you care to tell me (or I already know).

But my reaction to the early news last night surprised me, and the news this morning saddens me. The only thing I can think of is that this thing is so headed for the U.S. Supreme Court.

My heart just dropped though. I know, Bad Mormon! But these are people's lives we're voting on. Good people. Good people who only want good things. Good people who don't want to affect our religious beliefs, only to be entitled to their own beliefs, to be entitled to live as anyone else.

In a good faith effort to understand, I went to my bishop on Sunday and tried to see if I'd been missing anything. My bishop is an unapologetic supporter of the cause, and he's been working tirelessly with members of my ward to pass this thing. Though I don't know him very well, I consider myself a decent judge of people and I trusted him (unlike my last bishop...).

I told him I struggled with understanding, that I wanted to do the right thing. Please tell me why this is the right thing.

My gut told me going in this wasn't going to change my mind, and it didn't. I told him most everything I've told you. He asked me why I voted for Prop 22 back in 2000. I think he was expecting a "because the prophet said so" kind of answer, but the truth was that back then I didn't know what the Prophet said (I was very green in the church), I grew up in a Republican household, my mom was for the Prop and I wanted to please her and prove that the Church was good, and well, aren't all LDS Republican? Don't all Christians vote against gay marriage? Isn't acting on homosexual tendencies wrong? I wanted to be good.

I think my answer threw him off, but he was respectful of it. I didn't want to get into a debate with him. I told him it bothered me that so many seem to think I'm going to get ex'd or something for being against this prop. He said he wouldn't put it against me if I was against it. It was between me and the Lord.

It was nice to hear. Though I wasn't looking for his blessing, it was nice to hear, and I wanted to be able to tell you all that too.

Maybe I went in to speak with him as more of a reporter, but anyone who knows me knows I don't treat things of this nature flippantly.

I voted no.

And I hoped with everything in me it fails - the fact that we voted on a person's right to marry just makes me sick. It makes me wish I would have done more to stop it. That I'd have responded to the person who regarded the proponents as "the moral majority."

But I felt too alone and too scared to do more. Even up until yesterday.

Damn.

He won he won he won!!!!!

It was barely 8 o'clock in the evening here in California when Obama was projected winner - not even 8:30 when McCain offered his concession.

People are crying. I'm ecstatic.

333 electoral votes and counting. "Landslide" doesn't even begin to describe this.

Now the idea I and so many others had of having to stay up late tonight, chewing off our fingernails in a repeat of 2000 seems silly.

Barack not only got the blue states, but key red states as well.

He nabbed Pennslyvania almost right away. Then Ohio. And just some minutes ago, Florida.

Hope always wins.

Vote for Barack Obama

Just voted for Obama - I feel amazing.

I know a lot of you are tired of this election and cannot wait for tomorrow morning, but I'm totally jazzed up and can't help but think I could've done or said more. I hope I've said and done enough.

If you haven't voted yet, please go with your gut. Go with hope, not fear. Go with a man who knows what its like to start near the bottom and work his way to the top. Go with a man who put off school and a decent income ($1ok a year) to work in the inner Chicago neighborhoods to help the less fortunate have a better life. Vote for a man who had a single mama. Vote for a man who knows what it's like to not have daddy around. Vote for a man who understands race both black and white - far better than McCain ever will. He's experienced it. He knows. Vote for a man who will tax fairly and use those tax funds for the greater good and not to make the rich richer. Vote for a man who believes in investing in our future. Vote for a man who will fight for you. Vote for a man who is focused and determined, who hasn't compromised his ideals and values for political expediency. He is who he is, and as long as we've known him that has not changed.

Vote for a man who not only believes in himself, but in all of us to make the change necessary to bring this country back to life.

BARACK OBAMA 2008