Religion, Sex, and Politics

Late last week, in our Federal government, the House passed the Waxman-Markey Bill, which is popularly known as "Cap and Trade." Sadly, despite a deluge of contacts urging its defeat, our representative, Tom Periello, voted for it. Even more ridiculous, the 1200 page bill was not available for reading prior to the vote. Only the 300 page amendment was available. So our representatives (the term itself is now a farce) placed upon the shoulders of the people a host of government regulations and expenses they had not even bothered to study. THIS IS CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.

One business journal suggested we call it what it is: The "Tax on Electricity" Bill. This bill drastically raises taxes on energy, which will obviously get passed down to the consumer - that's you and me. The cost of the goods and services we buy will go up. The cost of electricity will go up. The cost of living will go up for all of us at the very time that so many Americans are making less and struggling.

In addition, the bill contained some chilling signs of further government intrusion into our fast-fading freedoms. One provision (remember, this has already been passed by the House) requires that, before you can sell a home, Federal Inspectors must be allowed to do an energy audit. And they will require you to upgrade windows, insulation, appliances, and anything else that does not meet their new standards for energy efficiency.

So when Grandma wants to sell her home and use the money for a nursing home, the government may require that she first spend $10,000 of her savings to bring the home up to their standards. This used to be handled through agreements between buyer and seller. Now the Federal Government is intruding into what kind of refrigerator or furnace you have before you can sell your home.

Imagine, a parent passes away and the children inherit an old farm house. They want to sell it, but the furnace, the 45 big windows, the wall and attic insulation, the appliances that have been serving that parent for decades are judged inadequate by the government inspector. (Have you ever had to deal with a government inspector? It can be maddening, but I don't have space here for the stories.)

So now, the children have the old farmhouse, and cannot sell it until they come up with the $50,000 it will take to bring it up to the standards imposed by the inspector. (God help you if the inspector happens to see an "offensive" campaign sticker on your car before the inspection.) But the children don't have $50,000 to pay before receiving their inheritance. So what happens to what was supposed to be a gift and blessing from their parents?

Knowing that, if you default on your loan, the bank may have to pay for those upgrades, the cost of a home loan for you (or your children) will certainly go up drastically. Because you know the bank isn't going to take any risks now.

Remember how our President PROMISED us that his policies and plans would only raise taxes on the richest Americans? What a liar. The richest Americans are the only ones who will be able to afford the kinds of cost of living increases that this bill will inflict on us all. The poorest Americans are the ones who will be hurt the most by the higher costs of living, the greater difficulty in home ownership, the reduced value of their existing homes that probably do not meet federal efficiency standards, etc.

Thankfully, we do have the possibility of stopping this legislation from passing the Senate and becoming law by writing, calling, faxing, and/or emailing our senators. I certainly will.

Remember what triggered the revolution that created our country? ...a reaction to an overbearing central government which was taxing its citizens and abridging their freedoms beyond reason. I'm just sayin'...

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1134522/how-will-cap-and-trade-effect-your-real-estate-business-

It sounds like the title of a movie (definitely an independent film), but something with Johnny Depp in the lead would have been much less troubling. Our new President confronted an international hostage situation last week in his role as Commander in Chief. The results: Captain and crew are safe, three of the pirates were killed, and the fourth who was aboard a US ship seeking medical attention and also negotiating the ransom, was taken captive.

I must say that I appreciate that the President has not, in my observation, politicized the crisis or the rescue. They were very quiet on the front end, and didn't seem interested in taking bows on the back end. That, to me, demonstrates respect for the people involved and the gravity of the situation. So many politicians now will turn even the most tragic of situations into a campaign commercial. I do appreciate greatly that the President didn't do that.

I am also appreciative of the skill and carefulness of our military who were on the front lines of the resolution of this crisis. I am sure that doing what they felt was needed was not just physically and mentally demanding, but emotionally difficult for those involved.

It disturbs me to hear that the estimated age of all four pirates is between 17 and 19 years. It reminds me that, when I get frustrated with the state of affairs in our own country, I need only look around the world to find places of intense desperation. Handing your teenagers automatic weapons to risk their lives for ransom money, knowing that they will have to threaten the lives of others to succeed. Assuming a successful robbery, even after you get your big payoff, what do you have left, other than pure physical survival? What does your life mean if it is only sustained by threatening the lives of others?

I don't want to sound Polyanna-ish or preachy or fomulaic, but it's just another reminder of how desperately our world needs the inside-out transformation that comes through Christ. If the compassion and mercy and peace of our Savior were turned to permeate those who rule Somalia, and those who walk the streets of Somalia, what a different place it would be. What a different life they would have.

It reminds me just how important our church's ministry to children in South Africa is. It reminds me of the importance of the mission work we do through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to address hunger, poverty, and spiritual lostness. And it reminds me of the importance of faithfully being a channel of God's mercy and compassion right here at home.