UN Speech Falls on Unborn Ears

President Barack Obama addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations on Wednesday. It was his first such address, and was a speech that the President himself acknowledged was significant on many levels. Talking (not to mention screaming, blabbering, and driveling) heads of every medium and political persuasion have flooded all 113 cable news channels, each of the 2.1 million political websites, and both remaining newspapers with a glut of expert, fair-and-balanced opinions. If you are one to consider and draw conclusions from national and international events, it is likely that your opinion has been formed, reinforced, tied with a ribbon and placed on your living room mantle in the time since the President's address. Well, no--who am I kidding? It was probably formed before the speech was delivered.

With a straight face, I would request that the reader temporarily forsake as many political presuppositions as possible, and engage with me in what I find to be a worthy exercise. Consider with me, first at face value, selected portions of the President's speech. Then, below I will ask you to re-read them in light of a particular position on which President Obama has shown a clear history of consistency.

Below are word-for-word excerpts from the transcript of the speech (as presented at CNN.com). I have tried to precede each paragraph with enough contextualization so as to maintain the integrity of the President's message. I have changed certain words to boldface for reasons that will be apparent in my comments below.

Speaking in the context of the "Second Pillar of Our Future, the Pursuit of Peace":

"That effort [to end conflicts around the world] must begin with an unshakable determination that the murder of innocent men, women and children will never be tolerated. On this, no one can be -- there can be no dispute."

Speaking of children in Israel afraid to sleep at night because of the threat of ever-present violence:

"These are all God's children. And, after all the politics and all the posturing, this is about the right of every human being to live with dignity and security. That is a lesson embedded in the three great faiths that call one small slice of Earth the Holy Land. And that is why -- even though there will be setbacks, and false starts, and tough days -- I will not waiver in my pursuit of peace."

In the section discussing objectives that the President deems imperative to solidifying a global economy which advances opportunity for all people:

"And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights, for the student who seeks to learn, the voter who demands to be heard, the innocent who longs to be free, the oppressed who yearns to be equal.

[one paragraph later]
But that does not weaken our commitment. It only reinforces it. There are basic principles that are universal. There are certain truths which are self-evident, and the United States of America will never waiver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny."



Taken at face value, the above statements would hardly spur even the most tongue-jerking "Political Consultant" to dispute or debate. There is nothing in the above text to suggest from which source or political party the words originate. There is nothing in the speech that almost any political figure wouldn't say given the same position, podium, and pre-written political verbage to recite.

But we do know the source of these words, and I think that it's worth considering some of the ideals behind the speaker. I think it will be beneficial for the reader to view the above boldfaced statements through the lens of President Obama's position on Abortion.

It is no secret that the President's voting record and Presidential campaign speeches identify him as strictly in favor of legalized abortion. There is, in fact, little room for discussion on the matter. A quick Google search of "Obama's position on abortion" led me to this itemized presentation of the President's own words and votes on the issue of abortion. The complete list can be found HERE . (Disclaimer: I cannot speak to the credibility or potential sensational nature of www.ontheissues.org as I've never used the website before)

Considering that the excerpts presented above were delivered by a President who has repeatedly voted in favor of legalized abortion (even partial birth), and has not confessed anything resembling a biblical perspective regarding the beginnings of human life, I find the boldfaced statements above to be at worst hypocritical and hollow at best.

Is the following a fair alteration to the President's promise to the General Assembly? "And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights, for the student who seeks to learn, the voter who demands to be heard, the innocent who longs to be free...unless, of course, the innocent in question is an unwanted child still within his or her mother's womb."

How about this? "There are basic principles that are universal. There are certain truths which are self-evident, and the United States of America will never waiver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny. But let me clarify: The only "people" who have such a right are those whose life is not dependent on an umbilical cord for survival."

This? "These are all God's children. And, after all the politics and all the posturing, this is about the right of every human being to live with dignity and security. That is a lesson embedded in the three great faiths that call one small slice of Earth the Holy Land. At the risk offending the other great faiths, consider Mary, the Mother of Jesus, who 2,000 years ago exercised a woman's God-given right to choose."

But the quote that appears first in the speech is the one that I find most telling. It is a fine thing to claim that "the murder of innocent men, women, and children will never be tolerated." I hope that the United States never knows a time where her President would not stand by such a statement with actions as well as words.

An easy way to measure the effectiveness of a judicial system is to evaluate how it treats those who cannot speak for or defend themselves. Any politician who claims to have no tolerance for the murder of "innocent" human beings cannot at the same time approve of the current prevalence of abortion in this or any nation. The President's words to the UN in this regard are inconsistent with the biblical concept of justice.


Imagine that a house in your neighborhood was burning. Imagine that it burst into flames at midnight while all the residents were inside. Every able person would rush to respond to the fireman who proclaimed "We must rescue the family, regardless of how much of the house is lost!" The response personnel would be regarded heroes by all as they pulled men, women, and children from a house that otherwise would have been their death.

Yet how different we would regard the same leader in crisis if he had instead called out, "We must rescue the family in the burning house--except for the people trapped in the basement! Although it is possible to save them, we must only save those above ground!" He would unanimously be discredited as a barbarian and would probably be removed from the scene so as to not be a hindrance to the rescue.

Is it any different when a politician (of any nation or political party) boasts of the life-saving efforts and relief projects championed by his administration while remaining resolute in the belief that death should be a legal destiny for an unwanted unborn child?

I am more than a little grieved to be reminded that the billions of dollars which have been put to AIDS relief in recent years (a Bush initiative), have come from the government of the same nation that has perhaps never been more committed and invested in the murder of American children.

My interpretation of President Obama's message to the world: "Applaud us and love us for saving the family members on the first and second floors, but don't dare ask us to save those burning in the basement."

Rosie's Records

We have recently inherited the record player and accompanying collection of records that have belonged to Becca's dad since his days in the U.S. Navy. To my knowledge, these were not itemized portions of my father-in-law's will, nor has he been diagnosed with terminal illness. It seemed to me that we were perhaps helping de-clutter his house, and Becca and I were thrilled to bring them home. As we loaded them into our Pilot, his only parting words were, "Don't ever sell them. I'll take them back if you don't want them anymore."

Each of the record sleeves, presently sorted, cataloged, and stored in milk crates below our stereo, brings with it a distinct odor of cigarette smoke; a price tag also clings to half a dozen of them. Of much greater significance are the memories that are amplified in my wife's mind when the needle lands softly on her father's old vinyl discs. While she can't conjure up stories tied to specific dates or past events, nearly each record refreshes a distinct tone or hue of the recollections of her childhood.

We have inherited more than just what others would put out at a yard sale. We have inherited more than music, a hobby, or antiques. We are, in receiving and playing this record collection, helping to preserve the soundtrack of two generations of Roszels.

Below find the complete catalog of the records that until recently belonged to Mr. Maurice Roszel:


Aerosmith - Get Your Wings
Air Supply - The One That You Love
Air Supply - Now and Forever
Air Supply - Hearts In Motion
The Alan Parsons Project - Eye In the Sky
The Alan Parsons Project - Ammonia Avenue
Ambrosia - Life Beyond L.A.
April Wine - First Glance
April Wine - Harder...Faster
April Wine - The Nature of the Beast
April Wine - Animal Grace
April Wine - Power Play
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile
Bachman Turner Overdrive - Four Wheel Drive
Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full of Blues
Bob Seger - Night Moves
Bob Seger - Nine Tonight (Live)
Boston - Third Stage
Bruce Hornsby - The Way It Is
Bruce Springsteen - The River
Bruce Springsteen - Born In the USA
Bryan Adams - Cuts Like a Knife
Bryan Adams - Reckless
Chicago - VIII
Chicago - X
Chicago - Hot Streets (2)
Chicago - 16
City Boy - The Day the Earth Caught Fire
Dire Straits - Love Over Gold
Don Henley - I Can't Stand Still
Donnie Iris - Back On the Streets
Donnie Iris - King Cool
Donnie Iris - No Muss...No Fuss
Eagles - [self titled]
Eddie Money - [self titled]
Foreigner - [self titled]
Foreigner - Double Vision (2)
Golden Earring - Cut
Golden Earring - North East West South
Huey Lewis and the News - Sports
The J. Giles Band - Freeze Frame
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Jackson Browne - Hold Out
Janis Joplin - Cheap Thrills
Jefferson Starship - Winds of Change
Jefferson Starship - Red Octopus
Jethro Tull - Thick As a Brick
Jethro Tull - Stand Up
Jim Croce - I Got a Name
Jim Croce - Photographs + Memories (Greatest Hits)
John Cougar - American Fool
John Cougar Mellencamp - Scarecrow
John Cougar Mellencamp - Big Daddy
Journey - Infinity
Journey - Departure
Journey - Escape
Kansas - Drastic Measures
The Kinks - Low Budget
LeRoux - Last Safe Place
Manfred Man - The Five Faces of
Meat Loaf - Dead Ringer
Meat Loaf - Midnight at the Lost and Found
Men at Work - Business as Usual
Men at Work - Cargo
The Moody Blues - A Question of Balance
The Moody Blues - Out of This World
The Moody Blues - Long Distance Voyager
Pat Benatar - Precious Time
Phil Collins - Hello, I Must Be Going!
Police - Ghost in the Machine
Quiet Riot - Metal Health
Ray Stevens - Even Stevens
REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity
REO Speedwagon - Wheels Are Turnin'
Roy Head - Same People
Sammy Hagar - [self titled]
Sammy Hagar- Street Machine
Steam - [self titled]
Styx - Lady
Stxy - I
Supertramp - Breakfast In America
Turtles - The Battle of the Bands
Uriah Heep - Salisbury
Uriah Heep - Look at Yourself
Uriah Heep - Demons + Wizards
Uriah Heep - The Magician's Birthday
Uriah Heep - January 1973 (Live)
Uriah Heep - Sweet Freedom
Uriah Heep - Wonderworld
Uriah Heep - Return to Fantasy
Uriah Heep - The Best of
Uriah Heep - High and Mighty
Uriah Heep - Innocent Victim
Uriah Heep - Firefly
Uriah Heep - Head First
Wishbone Ash - Number the Brave
Wishbone Ash - Hot Live
Yes - 90125
ZZ Top - Eliminator (2)

A. Wilbur Meshel - The Love Songs of
Barry Manilow - [self titled]
Barry Manilow - Tryin' to Get the Feeling
Barry Manilow - This One's For You
Bill Cosby - Himself
Buck Owens & His Buckaroos - If You Ain't Lovin'
Captain & Tennille - Love Will Keep Us Together
Dawn's New Ragtime Follies (f/t Tony Orlando) - Say, Has Anybody Seen My Gypsy Rose?
Dr. Goldfoot & the Girl Bombs - [movie soundtrack]
Dolly Parton - Greatest Hits
Eddy Arnold - The Best of
Glen Campbell - Greatest Hits
The Great Groups - [compilation]
High Voltage - Supercharged Hits of Today [compilation]
Joe Jackson - Night and Day
Jim Nabors - By Request
Kelly's Heroes - [movie soundtrack]
The Mariachi Brass! - Hats Off
Neil Diamond - Song Sung Blue
Perry Como - Golden Records
Original Rock N Roll Hits of the 60's Vol 16
Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer [soundtrack]
Sandler & Young - Love Stories
Snoopy's Christmas
Sound of Music [movie soundtrack]
The Super Record of Super Heroes
Telestar - Apollo 100 (20 Pop Classics)
Tom T. Hall - Greatest Hits
The War of the Worlds - Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of

Why I Shoot Film

Most of what I know about photography I owe to Camp Susque. The same faded instructional posters and 30-minute lesson that hoards of Susque boys and girls have received was to my 12-year old self in the basement of Hemlock Hall what F = m(a) would later be to my teenage counterpart in high school Physics.

I had to look over my shoulder to be sure no grown-ups were in the room when the counselor took the lens completely off the body of the old Pentax and showed us how the shutter works. I had a hard time remembering how to say the word aperture, but it's function made perfect sense--it was just like an eye's iris! It was a blank-white-page-and-sharp-No. 2-pencil-kind of feeling when he said that we could take pictures in the dark if we just held the shutter open for a full minute. Finally, I almost uttered "Why didn't I think of that," when he taught us about the 1/3 rule for composition. There was treasure everywhere, and I only needed my eyesight and a roll of film to claim it as my own.

The statistician in me wonders how many rolls of film I have sent away for development in my life. The purist in me knows all the reasons why I still send film away for development and why I still don't own a digital camera. Below find a few:


- Film came first. Well, at least it's an older photographic process. I will never advocate a return to pinhole cameras, but I do generally impose a healthy sense of skepticism and hold my tongue whenever I hear someone try to convert me to anything new-er, quick-er, or more convenient. "Newer" is hardly ever "better" in my mind (this is probably related to at least one of the reasons that I never fully relax in a church with a "worship team").

- Film can be inconvenient. Shots can be destroyed and utterly lost if the back of the camera pops open. Prints can be ruined if someone walks into your darkroom. Granted, these things have never happened to me, but the danger is still ever-present and haunts my dreams.

- Shooting film is more difficult. There is far more pressure to capture a shot the first time when shooting with film. One can't delete and re-shoot a poor picture with film; the image permanently occupies a frame on a roll of 24 forever. No one with a digital camera is limited by the price of a roll of film. I consider it partially a matter of personal discipline to consciously engage in activities that are deliberately more difficult.

- Shooting film feels more artistic. Shooting color film feels kinda organic. Shooting black and white film makes one feel artsy. Shooting black and white film in Central Park makes one feel irresistible to really cute girls from dairy farms in Susquehanna County.

- Digital cameras have given otherwise poor photographers the illusion that they are good photographers. Even more pitiable, it has caused many people to believe that they enjoy taking pictures. Taking good pictures is not easy, nor should it be made easier for a mass of people whose only qualification is that they can afford to pay to remove another human element from their automated lives. New parents can take 72 pictures of their firstborn trying to walk, and come away with two interesting pictures of the event. This will not deter them from posting all 72 pictures on Facebook, however.

- Film produces better prints. Given two prints of an identical scene, I can always pick out which photograph was taken with a digital camera and which was film. I always prefer the film print.

- Empty film canisters make convenient cases for foam ear plugs.

- Waiting for film prints builds patience. I still love dropping a roll of film in the send-away bin at Walmart. I love writing "Wednesday after 10 a.m." on the slip and waiting until four days pass. I love stopping at Walmart on Wednesday after 10 a.m. to pick up my pictures. For the purposes of this essay, I will pretend that I don't mind how many times the clerk needs to check the same six drawers of picture envelopes before she finds my envelope (right where it should have been). I love paying for my pictures without knowing how they turned out. I love walking through the parking lot dying to know how they turned out. I love sitting in my truck for 15 minutes looking at every print at least three times and finally knowing how they turned out. I curse my mistakes and rejoice in my victories. I delight in Delayed Gratification.

- I liked Chemistry better than C++. I can't explain exactly how film exposed to light will produce an exact replica of an image (and with dead-on colors!), but I'm even farther from being able to understand how a computer can imitate the process.


I choose film because it's harder, it's less convenient, and it makes me wait. I reject digital because it's more automated, foolproof, and (I feel) sterile. The above does not necessarily sanctify me, but I do believe that it contributes to the process. Give film another try--it may make you a better person.

Something to Share With Those In Need

The command to work is one of the Creation Ordinances, given to Adam before the Fall. The Lord said, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Genesis 1.28) It is a command to all people of all times. Throughout Scripture, the fruit of a man's labor is repeatedly credited as a blessing from the Lord. "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain." (Psalm 127.1) John the Baptist knew that "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven." (John 3. 27)

Because of the Fall, God placed a curse on all Creation. Evidence of the effect of the fall on our Labor is obvious to the farmer, homemaker, artist, CFO, etc. No one disputes God's declaration that thorns and thistles, sweat and pain will accompany our work until we die. "By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, til you return to ground," (Genesis 3.19) are some of God's exact words to Adam.

Yet despite the curse--thorns, sweat, pain and all--there is incentive to work. There is great incentive even to work hard. Proverbs is full of admonishment/warnings relating to work. The good worker described in this book of wisdom is he who plans, is diligent, cautious, ambitious, etc. It is not a guarantee that one's work will be met with plentiful physical return, but one is not a fool to expect it. Understanding that it is the Lord who grants (and therefore also withholds) all things, our Savior declared that it is just a right for a workman to receive wages that are fitting to his efforts (Matthew 10:10, Luke 10:7).

There are at least three reasons we are to work. Simply stated, one is to provide for our own physical needs. The second is to provide for the physical needs of our family. These are reasons that do not need to be expounded upon, for even pagans do them (1 Timothy 5.8). A third reason we are to work is so that we will be better able to share with others. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, taught those in the Ephesian church to "do honest work with [their] own hands, so that [they] may have something to share with those in need." (Ephesians 4.28) This aspect is one to be expanded upon for the purposes of this essay.

Who are "those in need" and what am I to share with them? How am I to share with them? There are myriad examples listed in Scripture of men/women/groups in need, and almost just as many examples of how their needs were met. A sample is below.

- In Luke 10 we read how the Good Samaritan provided for an the critical needs an enemy. He acted out of love toward a victim and was not coerced.
- The Israelite people were commanded to not reap their fields right to the edge, nor to glean what was left in the field after harvest. This was a way to provide for the poor and sojourner (Leviticus 19.9, 10)
- The Gentile churches took up an offering for the Jerusalem church, which was in poverty.
- In Matthew 5.4 (and Luke 6.30), Jesus commanded his disciples to "give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
- It is clear that it was the practice of the early church to care for widows. The office of Deacon was established primarily to care for the physical needs of the church of Jesus Christ.

I solicit the help of the reader to provide an instance in Scripture where a government was charged with the responsibility of caring for the poor, the widow, the orphan, or the sick (teaching the children is another topic for another day). The wisdom and foresight that the Lord gave Joseph helped the nation of Egypt to feed the "whole earth" (Genesis 41.56, 57), but at a price. It is presumed the nation of Egypt made obscene profits as a sole result of the leadership and shrewdness of a righteous man (it is also interesting to note that the line of the Messiah was preserved at the same time).

Is caring for those in need not clearly the responsibility of the family primarily, and believers secondarily? If the needs of the poor, widow, orphan, or sick are not being met by these two people groups, does the government even have a say?

There are many in this nation who are clamoring for the US government to take over the existing system by which the sick (and well) are cared for. If legislation is passed which dictates how much of the wages of which I am worthy are to be used to fund the medical care of my countrymen, I will be forced to pay it. We as believers are commanded to "be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." (Romans 13.1) The government to which the Roman church was subject happened to burn Christians as human torches. If I must pay taxes to fund a socialized system of health care, I concede that there are far more difficult acts of submission. Furthermore, Jesus commanded the Jews of His day to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22, Mark 12, and Luke 20--listed three times, perhaps so as to quell any objection!)

My desire, simply stated, is for the US government to

1) Leave decisions regarding the payment for health care for in the hands of individual citizens,
2) Leave decisions regarding the amount of health care received in the hands of individual citizens,
3) Provide greater incentive for private citizens (both believers and pagans), to provide health care for those who cannot afford what is necessary for life,
4) Clean up a judicial system where frivolous lawsuits abound,
5) Stay out of the steroid issues in Major League Baseball (sorry, unrelated)


In short, I wish for Caesar to only ask for what is Caesar's, and to stay out of realms where God has not charged them with responsibility or authority.

Thoughts on Matthew

I have owned the New Testament on CD for several years. I've recently uploaded all 20 discs to my iPod and have been listening to them on my way to work. Because I am more a child of my generation that I am proud to admit, my attention capacities are limited. As such, I try to make it through three chapters twice during my morning commute. I've made it through Matthew and am halfway through Luke.

It has been interesting to hear the Word read without being able to see verse notations, paragraphs, or footnotes. I'm not ready to claim that it is a more elevated experience, but it has been easier and more enjoyable than originally anticipated.

I am also surprised at how many things have pricked my ear as "new" or noteworthy or puzzling. If a covenant child knows any part of the Scriptures, it's the Gospels, right? How can anything be "new" to a pastor's kid? I at all times have a pad of Post-It notes in my truck, and I have been writing questions/thoughts (dare I say, meditations?) as I listen. Below find the Matthew collection:


1) In Matthew 6, right after The Lord's Prayer, Our Savior says, "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses." This is a hard saying.

2) In Matthew 8, it is recorded that Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion. How can it be that Jesus, who is fully omniscient God, marveled? Doesn't marveling imply that He was surprised or that He heard a response that He did not expect? Is this a proof text for the humanity of Christ?

3) In Matthew 9, Jesus tells the Pharisees to "Go and find what this means..." He commands them to search God's Word for truth, and to discern the right and proper meaning. Jesus does not tell them to be more genuine or to seek a more earnest experience as a means to achieve a relationship with God. He commands them to read, study, and discern what pleases God based on the God's own written revelation. He commanded them to have right doctrine!

4) How are the words of Jesus about the fasting of His disciples related to His words about new/old wine and new/old wine skins? They are collected as one thought in Matthew 9. Is it an old covenant/new covenant thing?

5) Is the fact that Jesus was accused on being a drunkard (Matthew 11) a proof text for the validity of drinking alcohol?

6) How am I to reconcile that Jesus was crucified on a Friday and rose on a Sunday with what Jesus says in Matthew 12: "For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth?" I only count two nights, no?

7) In Matthew 19, Jesus says "...in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Are we to know for whom the twelve thrones in heaven are reserved? If 'those who have followed me' is correctly interpreted as the Disciples/Apostles, is it not also widely held that Judas will not be in heaven? Who then is the twelfth? Paul was appointed an apostle, but so also was Matthias--that makes thirteen.

8) Why does the Roman Catholic church allow its members to call priests "Father?" Our Lord insisted that the disciples not call any man on earth their father, and forbade letting others call them teacher in Matthew 23.

9) In Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the signs of the end of the age. In verse 24 he says "For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect." To me, this verse confirms both the doctrines of Election and of Perseverence of the Saints (or the "U" and "P" of TULIP, for those of you keeping score at home). Not only does Jesus refer to his people as the elect (chosen), he says it is impossible for them to lose their salvation (even in the "end times")!