Politics

So what would a conservative Mennonite care about mere earthly politics? And why?

Good’s Stores and the American Flag

Google alerted me to this story:

Controversy is surrounding a popular general store in Lancaster County because of its decision to not sell American flags.

A number of viewers have contacted News 8 about this decision, wondering if it was true.

News 8 asked employees of Good’s Store about the decision. They said that the owners are of the Anabaptist faith, which includes Mennonites and Amish. Their beliefs follow the teachings of love your enemies and non-violence.

But that statement is not good enough for some of Good’s customers, like Mary Elen Rice, of Holtwood.

She thinks that Good’s should sell the flags no matter what the owners believe.

“They were persecuted from wherever they came from for their religious beliefs. So, they came here for their freedom,” said Rice. “So, they should be proud to be an American, and the flag represents America as far as I’m concerned.”

Rice said that she vows not to shop at Good’s again.

The owners said that they accept any consequences of their faith and respect other people’s viewpoints, but they will not sell the flag.

I strongly and heartily and publicly commend Good’s Stores for their stance on this issue.

I have a question for them, though. The story above is headlined this way by WGAL: Local General Store Stops Sale Of American Flags.

To the folks at Good’s — Is that headline accurate? Having formerly sold American flags, have you discontinued selling them? (Maybe they will reply in the comments below!)

Canada: Hate Speech Law Unconstitutional

More good news (I guess) on the freedom of speech front:

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on Wednesday ruled that Section 13, Canada’s much maligned human rights hate speech law, violates the Charter right to free expression because it carries the threat of punitive fines.

The shocking decision by Tribunal member Athanasios Hadjis leaves several hate speech cases in limbo, and appears to strip the Canadian Human Rights Commission of its controversial legal mandate to pursue hate on the Internet, which it has strenuously defended against complaints of censorship.

It also marks the first major failure of Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act, an anti-hate law that was conceived in the 1960s to target racist telephone hotlines, then expanded in 2001 to the include the entire Internet, and for the last decade used almost exclusively by one complainant, activist Ottawa lawyer Richard Warman.

[…]

All sides seem to agree, however, that the stage is set for pitched battle in federal court, where CHRT rulings can be appealed. Another less likely outcome is for Parliament itself to repeal or amend Section 13, a law that even supporters say needs updating in the age of the Internet.

Source: National Post — Hate speech law unconstitutional

Steven Anderson: Wrong, Wrong, Wrong

So Pastor Steven Anderson prays for President Obama’s death, huh?

Here’s an excerpt of the above story. What Biblical commands and injunctions is this guy violating anyway?!

Pastor Steven Anderson said he and his congregation have received death threats after a controversial sermon earlier this month.

“Guns are a great deterrent,” said Anderson. “We haven’t had any violence because people know if they come down here swinging a baseball bat, we’re ready to protect ourselves.”

On August 16th, Anderson delivered a sermon titled “Why I Hate Barack Obama.”

In it, Anderson admitted he prays for the president’s death.

It is a position he reiterated Sunday.

“If you want to know how I’d like to see Obama die, I’d like him to die of natural causes,” said Anderson. “I don’t want him to be a martyr, we don’t need another holiday. I’d like to see him die, like Ted Kennedy, of brain cancer.”

Then there’s this from Fox News:

He called his message “spiritual warfare” and said he does not condone killing.

[…]

In Anderson’s controversial sermon, delivered at his Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe before Obama arrived for a speech in Phoenix earlier in the month, the pastor said he wants the president to “melt like a snail” with salt on it.

“I’m gonna pray that he dies and goes to hell when I go to bed tonight. That’s what I’m gonna pray,” he told his congregation.

So, what do you say? Which New Testament rules for Christian living is Mr. Steven Anderson disobeying?

Let’s compile a Christianity 101 lesson outline for him (and for us) on this subject. Maybe after we get something together here, I’ll post it as a separate post called “A Biblical Sermon Outline for Steven Anderson” — or something like that. And link to it at some free sermon outlines web site.

Meanwhile, I call on God’s people to pray for the President. Pray for God’s protection over President Obama and his family. Not only that, pray for God’s blessing on them.

(Just so you know, right now I can’t think of any part of President Obama’s agenda as I know it that I would call righteous. But that’s not what this post is about!)

Ireland Blasphemy Law

One of my friends from Hopewell Mennonite Church recently moved to Ireland. So this story caught my attention this morning:

Ireland’s new blasphemy law labeled return to Middle Ages

The Irish government plans to bring into force a new law in October that critics say is a return to medieval justice.

The legislation, aimed at providing judges with clear direction on the 1937 Constitution’s blasphemy prohibition, imposes a fine of up to 25,000 euros – about $39,000 – for anyone who “publishes or utters matter that is intentionally meant to be grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby causing outrage among a substantial number of the adherents of that religion.”

Police with a search warrant will be able to enter private premises and use “reasonable force” to obtain incriminating evidence.

Military Internment Camps

In the USA???

American concentration camps…for American citizens???

In his piece More On Internment Camps, Chuck Baldwin (whoever he is), quotes some other guy:

“When I first heard the FEMA Prison Camp conspiracy story, it seemed ridiculous and paranoid at face value. But when I finally dug in to research it, I started by searching for the origins of the rumors, and found to my surprise that nearly all of the legal foundation and precedent for such a plan does in fact exist.”

That other guy (as I recall) had this to say at the end of his own piece on the subject of FEMA concentration camps:

FEMA Prison Camps

We choose to elect politicians who don’t want us to bring water bottles onto planes, because (for better or for worse) that’s what’s important to our society right now. I don’t remember anyone electing a politician who wants to throw millions of Americans into prison camps. To make effective electoral decisions, you need to maintain a healthy skepticism, and not go off the deep end and suppose that every Halliburton contract is a slippery slope leading to Americans being gassed in military concentration camps. If you see barbed wire around a train yard, consider the possibility of other explanations (like the train company doesn’t need stuff being stolen) before you conclude that the Illuminati are out to kill you.

So what’s the truth?

How should I know?!

But, if nothing else, it’s an interesting story that includes a conspiracy theory, American concentration camps, and the Illuminati.

We report; you deride. 😆

New “Speed” Limit

I just learned that Mexico decriminalized small-scale drug possession:

Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday — a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government’s grueling battle against drug traffickers.

Prosecutors said the new law sets clear limits that keep Mexico’s corruption-prone police from shaking down casual users and offers addicts free treatment to keep growing domestic drug use in check.

“This is not legalization, this is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty,” said Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the attorney general’s office.

The new law sets out maximum “personal use” amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities no longer face criminal prosecution.

Espino del Castillo says, in practice, small users almost never did face charges anyway.

I think this is dumb.

But I’ve been wrong before.

On the other hand, they have decriminalized small amounts of driving in excess of the posted highway speed limit. For which I’ve been glad.

But that kind of speed is different than the kind featured in the story above.

Above all, love God!