Author Archives: MzEllen

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Who is Ali Jawad?

As presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain touches down in Michigan today for a fund-raiser and town hall meeting in Oakland County, some leaders in metro Detroit's Arab- and Muslim-American community are demanding an apology from the Arizona senator.

The leaders said Monday that they are insulted that McCain's campaign severed ties with political activist and businessman Ali Jawad, the founder of the Lebanese American Heritage Club.

And who wants what?

A group of Arab-American and Muslim leaders said Monday they want John McCain's campaign to apologize for cutting ties with an Arab-American businessman serving on the GOP presidential candidate's Michigan finance committee. (emphasis mine)

What about it?

Schlussel said among her concerns about Jawad were two federal cases involving him and his company: He was convicted in 1997 in U.S. District Court in Detroit for insurance fraud and sentenced to probation. His company was convicted the same year of mail fraud and was ordered to pay more than $250,000 in fines and restitution.

She also alleges that he has met with Hezbollah leaders and Hezbollah-allied members of the Lebanese parliament on two trips to Lebanon.

"John McCain did the right thing by asking Ali Jawad to leave," she said.

And?

For his part, Jawad said he wasn't forced into resigning. He asked to be removed from the committee after receiving two calls from the McCain campaign inquiring about the allegations and questioning his "integrity and loyalty to this country."

Ok...McCain should apologize...McCain did the right thing...BUT...Jawad wasn't forced to resign!

The story also says:

We do not want a president who makes a decision ... based on false information," said Osama Siblani, president of the Arab American Political Action Committee and publisher of the Arab American News. "This is an insult to every Arab-American and Muslim American in the country."

MY TAKE:

1) Schlussel has been involved in many political scuffles and anything she writes should be investigated (meaning both her sources and her content). If you take her word for an accusation such as this one - you might get hung out to dry.

2) Jawad is a convicted fraud.

3) If every political campaign weeded out all of the convicts (such as this one)...the political arena would be a much different place.

4) If there are suspected ties to Hezbollah, they should be investigated...if the ties are not there, act accordingly. If they are not, act accordingly.

5) If Jawad asked to be removed from the committee based on mere questioning...that does seem like a smoking gun.

6) Either way, he was not removed by McCain. He asked to be removed. Is an apology in order? If the questioning were only following up on rumors - no.

Following up on rumors like this one is what a responsible campaign does.

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"Total Depravity" matters.

It matters because if there is some little bit of good in us, then we can somehow try to earn our salvation.

Mormons say, "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we saved, after all we can do." (II Nephi 25:22) - emphasis mine

Total depravity matters, because if we can earn our salvation, there is no need for a savior.

We are not just a little "sick", so that we can get better and so attain salvation.

No - we are DEAD in our sin. We can no more walk toward our own salvation than Lazarus was able to walk out of his tomb before Christ called him.

It is not until we understand the depth of our sin that we can fully understand our need for our Saviour.

It is not until we see how bad we are, that we see how good God is.

How Deep The Father’s Love For Us

Words and Music by Stuart Townend
©1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music

How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He would give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross
My guilt upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powr's, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

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The Dugger family is expecting their 18th child - due New Years Day.

This family was the object of (I'll say) "rage" when #17 came along. Ironically, the (I'll also say) "scorn" came from the "pro-choice" camp. That was when I stopped calling that political movement "pro-choice" and started calling it "pro-abortion".

It seems that they approve of "choice" right up until the point you make a reproductive choice they do not approve of.

"choice" means that a family has a choice. If they choose to have 17 18 children - that is their choice.

Eighteen is housefull of kids...and this is a family full of love.

I have two children. I would happily, gladly, thrillfully, willingly, you name the positive feeling...get more.

If it were physically possible (for a variety of reasons it is unlikely) I would have another. Eighteen? Most likely not. But for the Duggers, any "pro-choice" person who criticizes...is not pro-choice. They are pro-abortion, since that is the choice of having 18 children is not one that is "approved".

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We all have one - a heart that is steeped in rebellion. Reformed theology calls is "the total depravity of man".

We see in in children; for many of them "mine" and "no" are among the first words they use.

We see it in teenagers when they learn that they have wings and start to use them - many times in rebellion instead of freedom.

We see it in adults when we observe the "nine you're fine, ten you're mine" rule of speed limits.

I see it in myself. I sleep with a CPAP and I hate it. Most mornings I wake up with the mask laying next to my pillow and a vague recollection of ripping it off my face in the middle of the night. Why? Because I DON'T LIKE IT!

We see it rebellion against parents, against government, against laws, against doctors, against physical limitations.

And it all stems from a rebellion against God.

John Piper writes: When we speak of man's depravity we mean man's natural condition apart from any grace exerted by God to restrain or transform man.

Total depravity does not mean that all people are as bad as they could be - it means that every part of every person is steeped in original sin. Our minds, our will, our emotions, our body - everything. It is all affected by sin.

Scripture tells us of the nature of man.

The heart is deceitful

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

People are slaves to sin

Romans 6:20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

There is nobody who is righteous.

Romans 3: 10-12 "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."

We do not accept spiritual things

1 Cor. 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

We are dead in sin

Eph. 2:4-5 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (v.3)

Why are we all thus?

herefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— (Romans 5:12)

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I am (constantly it seems) reorganizing categories, or posts into categories.

Anyway, I ran into a couple of posts on polygamy (and there might be more, but I'm starting early and working this way).

At first, it was in the "religion - not Christianity" category, but I'm not all that sure that it's strictly a religious issue, since there are cultures that practice polygamy that have nothing to do with religious reasons.

So I put it in the "politics" category - I have a feeling that we'll be seeing more of the issue and it's not going to be a religious issue (although religious groups will be driving the question). No, it will be a political hot-potato.

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From Marc Ambinder:

1. Florida and Michigan. Clinton, not Obama, is identified with the cause of seating those delegations. Since FL and MI won't decide the nomination now, Clinton has every reason to push for a negotiated settlement. It way well be that Clinton refuses to officially drop out until she is satisfied that the voices of Florida and Michigan are heard.

Here's the thing: Michigan and Florida spoke loud and clear, it's just that Clinton doesn't want to listen.

Here is what the voices said:

  • We know the rules
  • we don't care.
  • we've been told the consequences of breaking the rules
  • we don't care.
  • we know that our delegates won't count if we move up the primary
  • we don't care.

Let us not whine at the consequences when we discover the parties were serious about the rules.