Does It Really Matter What Truth Is?

What is truth? Philosophers have asked that question for centuries. Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked Jesus the same question. What is truth?

In recent years the question has changed. Does real truth exist? Is there absolute truth? Is your truth the same as my truth? Does it really matter what the truth is?

When you go to the bank and ask for your bank balance, do you want the truth? Do you want your truth or the bank's truth? Does it really matter what the truth is?

Imagine that you are in a severe car accident with your family. When you wake up in Recovery, you ask about your spouse and children. Do you want the real truth? Does it really matter what the truth is?

Modern philosophy says that what's true for you may not be true for me; what is really meant is that your perception of truth is different from my perception of truth. In this world there is only One Truth. Everything different from that One Truth is someone's perspective on truth. But eventually perspectives will be compared to the One Truth.

That's what is beginning to happen in climate change science (formerly global warming science). Actually, climate change is not science at all; a leading advocate for climate change studies readily admits it.

Recently, Christian British blogger, Kevin McGrane uncovered quotes from Mike Hulme. Mr. Hulme is founding director of Tyndall Centre and Professor of Climate Change at the University of East Anglia and has prepared climate change reports for the British government, the European Commission, and the United Nations.

Hulme explains that climate change science is not "normal" science, but post-normal science. Post-normal science discards conventional methods of scientific discovery, and advances a pre-determined political or social agenda.Hulme acknowledges that post-normal "scientists", himself included, are not searching for truth, they are searching for power.

Or take the recent Arizona Immigration Law. Dozens of people, from politicians to entertainers to clergy, have publicly condemned the law only to later admit that they have not read it. It's hard to believe that they really care about finding the truth. If they do care, how can they criticize something they haven't read?

In the 1981 movie, Absence of Malice, Paul Newman's character debates truth with Sally Field's character. They come to the conclusion that something can be true but not accurate; certain facts are true but they don't tell the whole story. At least twenty years ago we were concerned with accuracy. Today, in many ways, we will trade the truth we know for the lie that we want to believe. In the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Rome, he calls that sin.

"They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised."

I can trade juicy information about my neighbor; it's not really gossip. Really?

We can spend our way out of debt. Does that even make sense?

I can commit adultery; it won't really hurt anyone else. Does it really matter if that is true?

God is truth. Everything that is true flows from who God is. Everything that is untrue is opposed to God. At the core of everything we call "sin" is a transaction; we trade truth for a lie. Then we act on that lie and not on the truth.

When we act on a lie, disregarding truth, we sin and there will be consequences. When a church acts on a lie, ignoring the truth, it sins and there will be a cost. When a nation acts on a lie, closing its eyes to the truth, it sins and there will be a price to pay. But, does it really matter?

I believe it does matter. We must be people who seek the truth wherever it leads. We must be churches who are obedient to the truth whatever the cost. We must be a nation who believes that there is real truth, values that truth, and acts on the truth.

Do you know the truth? Or does it really matter?

Questions or comments? Write curt@smdcog.org

You can find me on FACEBOOK at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719). Here's a link to my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/) Thanks for reading!

Revisiting The Warning Sign of Columbine - Eleven Years Later

Published in the New Castle Courier-Times, April 10, 2010

April 20th marks the eleventh anniversary of the warning sign of Columbine. Do you remember the shock following that day of horror? Everyone was seeking answers that at first glance appeared elusive, but could be found in what the Founding Fathers called Natural Law.

Scripture lays the foundation for Natural Law: ". . . since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Rom 1:19-20 (NIV)

C. S. Lewis talked about it in "The Abolition of Man". Lewis maintained that every culture has a basic understanding of right and wrong. His book was a response to an effort by some educators to undermine a belief in Natural Law and to establish a secular understanding of morality.

Lewis believed that Natural Law should be taught to every generation so that these 'first principles' could enlighten the intellect, and restrain the animal nature of a person. Much of what Lewis wrote echoed our Founders.

"I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes and take so little pains to prevent them. We profess to be republicans, and yet we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government; that is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by means of the Bible; for this divine book, above all others, favors that equality among mankind, that respect for just laws . . ." Benjamin Rush - signer of the Declaration of Independence.

"Why then, if these books for children must be retained, as they will be, should not the bible regain the place it once held as a school book ? Its morals are pure, its examples captivating and noble. The reverence for the sacred book, that is thus early impressed, lasts long; and, probably, if not impressed in infancy, never takes firm hold of the mind." Fischer Ames - suggested the wording for the First Amendment.

"The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scripture ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evil [that] men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible." Noah Webster - the Father of American Scholarship and Education.

Amazingly, in the wake of Columbine, most people ignored the conclusions of the Colorado State Board of Education:

"Finally, we must remember, respect, and unashamedly take pride in the fact that our schools, like our country, found their origin and draw their strength from the faith-based morality that is at the heart of our national character . . . Today our schools have become so fearful of affirming one religion or one value over another that they have banished them all. In doing so they have abdicated their historic role in the moral formation of youth and thereby alienated themselves from our people's deep spiritual sensibilities. To leave this disconnection between society and its schools unaddressed is an open invitation to further divisiveness and decline."

Natural Law is just as real as the laws of physics and we ignore them both at our own peril. The inalienable rights described in the Declaration of Independence are based on a belief in the Laws of Nature and Nature's God. If Natural Law is rejected, then our rights disappear as well. If Natural Law is discarded, rights could be granted or removed at the whim of whoever holds political power.

Ideas have consequences. This nation was birthed because of a common understanding of Natural Law and an acknowledgement of a Creator. If we abandon Natural Law and reject the idea of a Creator, there will be consequences as well. If we fail to teach the laws of Nature and Nature's God, we will continue to experience events like Columbine. But do we really need another warning sign?

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There Is No Such Thing As a Free Dog

There is no such thing as a free dog. Our family discovered that three years ago. We received a curly-haired, black bundle of joy called Teddy as a Christmas gift - absolutely free . . . or so we thought. Three years later, he has become the beloved beta-male of the Ferrell pack, but he has come with a price.

We feed him and take him to the vet. We purchase flea, tick, and heartworm medicine monthly. We purchased a cage for use while he was house trained and a series of ceramic bowls for him to sleep in. I don't know why he liked sleeping in ceramic bowls, but every few weeks he grew out of the old bowl and needed a larger one.

Eventually he grew out of his small cage and we purchased a bigger one. Now he sleeps on top of it and dreams of being Snoopy chasing down the Red Barron! Add up all of the toys, snacks, food, medicine, collars and leashes, and we could put a good down payment on my daughters' college education. There is no such thing as a free dog.

In addition, we have lost some of our freedom as a family. When the 'pack' travels and stops at the Speedway or Wal-Mart, we can't all go inside; someone says behind with Teddy. When we travel without Teddy, we find someone to take care of him while we are gone. We cannot go too far away or for too long, because Teddy must be cared for. We can no longer play card games on the living room floor because Teddy lays down on the discard pile. He just wants to be the center of attention.

While I dearly love our little fuzz ball, if we had known the expense and the loss of certain freedoms we may have thought longer before accepting the 'free Christmas gift.' We may have recalled the words of Christ, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?"

Unfortunately, our nation seems to have made the same mistake 'the Ferrell pack' did, only on a grander scale. The idea of universal health care is wonderfully exciting! No more pain, no more sickness, no doctors performing unnecessary tonsillectomies in order to buy a new yacht; or so the rumor goes in Washington. But have we counted the cost? Do we have the money to pay for this 'free gift?' Have we listened to sound advice from scripture?

Scripture teaches that a blessed nation "lends to many nations but will borrow from none." How does that square with our position as a nation? Scripture says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Yet we have clearly given up our freedom of choice in exchange for the illusion of security. We are advised to "defend the cause of the weak and fatherless," yet we have affirmed legislation that will provide funding for abortions, unaffected by any Executive Order.

Over just a handful of decades the church has accepted the idea, an idea that was foreign to the founders of this great nation, that faith has no place in the public square. And Christians, in particular, cannot and should not try to influence political thought. God save us from our own ignorance! There is no such thing as a free dog, and there is no such thing as free health care. Freedom itself isn't free; it was given to us by our Creator and defended with the blood of hundreds of thousands of men and women who laid down their lives so that we could experience freedom.

If the events of the past few weeks stand unchallenged, we may come to love and appreciate our new-found security. But at what price? We have exchanged the gift from our Creator for the gift from our government. We have exchanged our freedom for security. But at what cost?

There is no such thing as a free dog.

Questions or comments?
Write curt@smdcog.org

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Forgotten US History and the Church

Would it surprise you to know that George Washington refused to call anyone a patriot who worked to remove religion and morality from public and governmental life?

What would you say if I told you that the United States Congress tried to import 20,000 bibles from Europe, but then decided to endorse a version printed in America and recommended that version to every American?

Did you know that 27 of the 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution had seminary degrees?

Each of these statements are true, but they have been cleanly scrubbed from our history books and from our public memory.

If you become a student of pre-1900 U.S. History, you might be surprised at how influential Christianity has been in the foundation and maintenance of the federal government. Christianity was not only foundational to the United States, it was strongly promoted by many of the Founding Fathers, sometimes using government funds to advance the faith.

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the supposed "wall between church and state", authorized payment of funds by the United Sates to the Kaskasia Indians to help them build a church. He also approved seven years of financial support out of the government's coffers to pay for a priest! So how does this square with Jefferson being the creator of the concept of the separation of church and state?

By the way, the words "separation", "church" and "state" cannot be found in the First Amendment, the Constitution, or any other official founding document.

Why is it important to discover, recover and remember this information? Because the founders of this nation understood that a republic, like the United States, would never work, and would eventually fail if the People rejected morality and a Judeo-Christian understanding of God.

John Adams, the Second President of the United States and a crafter of the Declaration of Independence, stated, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other [people]."

Unfortunately, there has been a consistent attack on the public demonstration and declaration of our faith for several years, sometimes by people who have sworn to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution." There are even some, in the highest offices in the land, who think that the constitution is fundamentally flawed and that we need to break free from its basic limitations.

However, the Constitution was written and designed to list a handful of things that the Federal Government had the power to do. Any authority, action, or power, other than those things specified in the Constitution, was to be determined by the States or the People. In short, it was intentionally designed to limit the power of the Federal Government. Modern political thought seeks to limit the People and give power to the Government.

The church has an opportunity to speak into this culture and remind it of the moral and religious foundation of the nation. No one else will do it. And when we do, we will not be wrapping the church in the American flag. Instead we will be wrapping America in the truths found in Scripture.

Truths like, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

"For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure."

"Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts."

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. "

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

Consider these parting words of George Washington: "Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness."

Questions or comments? Email me at curt@smdcog.org


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How Do You Love?

New Castle Courier-Times Article for Saturday, February 13, 2010

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. . . Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. - 1 John 3:10, 18

While New Castle slogs through the heaviest snows of the winter season, I am in Florida with my parents. My father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and my local congregation has graciously allowed me to travel to Florida and help them navigate the trailhead of this new and uncertain journey.

As I learn about Alzheimer's and what is required of their caregivers, I'm realizing that my mom will not be able to walk this road alone. She will need respite from providing care. She will need sleep and good health. She will need a shoulder to cry on and friends who will listen. In short, she will need a loving community of support.

But the passage I began this article with, from John's first letter to the churches, leaves me with a nagging question: are our churches, in truth, loving communities of support?

I know we say we love each other. We say we are praying for each other, and prayer is certainly not passive or useless, but I wonder if that is the extent of our concern.

Some friends of mine were in the final days of a pregnancy when the first of these two snow storms rolled through Central Indiana. I know people were praying for them, but what they really needed was a snow plow. Two individuals offered to provide a snow plow, but fortunately my friends didn't need the snow plow; baby Cohen came between storms.

A pastor friend and his family is walking through the dark valley of the shadow of death and I know there are thousands of people praying for them, but is anybody providing care for them? I know of some that are.

Other people in this community are grieving the loss of a loved one and prayers have been said and continue to be said for those who grieve, but is anybody expressing their love for those who grieve in deeds and not just words?

DC Talk was right several years ago when they released a song called "Luv Is A Verb". Love isn't something we say, it's something we do. Love isn't something we feel, but something we WILL. Remember the classic wedding vows? For better or worse; in sickness and in health?

In better and healthy times it is easy to FEEL love. But in sickness and worse times we often must WILL ourselves to love.

This passage from 1 John challenges me. Am I truly loving or do I just say that I am loving? John is really saying, "Let your actions speak for themselves. Shut up and show that you love each other."

How do we know that Mother Teresa loved the people she ministered to? It's not because of her sermons or speaking ability. We know she loved the people of Calcutta because she gave her life for the dying and destitute of Calcutta. She didn’t have to say anything.

A friend of mine plowed my driveway three times this year, without me asking him to do it or expecting me to pay for it. I know he loves me and my family. My church gave me several days to travel to Florida so that I could express my love for my parents. I know that my church loves me and my family.

The question that haunts me today is, "If people only looked at what I did, and ignored what I said, would they think that I love them?"

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and it is Sunday, a day when we celebrate the Author of Love. As we gather in our churches, will we heed John the Apostle's words? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Any questions or comments? Write me at curt@smdcog.org

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An American Journal In the 21st Century - Thursday, January 14, 2010

Thursday, January 14, 2010 - A new foundation Is being laid for at New America. Those who truly understand this new foundation have hidden it in the 2000-plus pages of the Health Care bill being re-written in Washington D.C. Here's something you need to know about that new foundation.

The President's first choice for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle. After losing his re-election bid in 2004, Mr. Daschle wrote a book about his view of the condition of healthcare in America and his desire to see it improved. The book is titled "Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis".

In the book, Daschle argues for a single-payer (government controlled) healthcare system. Daschle concedes that pushing for a single-payer system in the United States would be politically problematic and that it would indeed result in socialized medicine. On March 3, 2008 Daschle said in a Huffington Post article, "I have proposed a Federal Health Board that would be a foundation from which we could address all" healthcare problems.

About a year ago, Tom Daschle had to remove his name from consideration for the HHS post because of reports of inappropriate financial dealings and tax issues. The President then selected Kathleen Sebelius to head the HHS, but the administration was still committed to the blueprint found in Tom Daschle's book - a single-payer system with a Federal Health Board that controls it all.

In the current House Bill H.R. 3962, Section 241 (a) it reads: "There is hereby established, as an independent agency in the executive branch of the Government, a Health Choices Administration". The newly created Health Choices Administration is responsible for "the establishment of qualified health benefits plan standards under this title, including the enforcement of such standards".

This is the "foundation" that Tom Daschle was talking about. In his book, Daschle states that this board should be modeled after other nations like Great Britain. "In Great Britain, for example, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which is part of the National Health Service (NHS), is the single entity responsible for providing guidance on the use of new and existing drugs, treatments, and procedures." So how does it work in Great Britain?

Let's look at the explanation found on the website for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE):

With the rapid advances in modern medicine, most people accept that no publicly funded healthcare system, including the NHS, can possibly pay for every new medical treatment which becomes available. The enormous costs involved mean that choices have to be made.

It makes sense to focus on treatments that improve the quality and/or length of someone’s life and, at the same time, are an effective use of NHS resources . . .

To ensure our judgments are fair, we use a standard and internationally recognized method to compare different drugs and measure their clinical effectiveness: the quality-adjusted life years measurement (the ‘QALY’) . . .

A QALY gives an idea of how many extra months or years of life of a reasonable quality a person might gain as a result of treatment (particularly important when considering treatments for chronic conditions) . . .

Generally, however, if a treatment costs more than [$32,290 to $48,435] per QALY, then it would not be considered cost effective.

In other words, medical treatment under the proposed healthcare system will come down to a mathematical equation based on cost effectiveness and an arbitrary judgment on your anticipated quality of life and how many years you have left.

Why should you care?

Regardless of what the "talking-heads" say on television, the final decision on your health care choices will be made by the Health Choices Administration. That decision will be a cost-based decision (i.e. is it worth the cost for the United States Government to approve payment for this treatment?). The question for you is, is the proposed healthcare system worth giving up your freedom to make your own health care choices?

What can you do? Here are four ideas. If you have more ideas, please send them to me so that I can pass them along in future journal entries.

1. You can write or call the offices of your Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen. Ask them to explain the Health Choices Administration and on what basis, this newly created government agency will be making decisions for you.

And don't stop with just one phone call and one letter or email. Contact your representatives weekly or twice a month. At the very least, your representative will know that you are watching.

2. You can pass this journal entry on. It is the first of many. Hopefully it will educate and stimulate a good and noble people to action; the very same people described in the constitution as "We the People . . ." You are free to make copies and distribute them by hand or 'snail-mail.' Please make sure that the last paragraph of this journal is included with your copies so that individuals can contact me with comments or questions.

If you forward this in e-mail form, please remove the "FW:" from the subject line. Many people delete Email Forwards without even opening them up. Also, take the time to e-mail it to one or two individuals at a time. You are encouraged to send this to everyone in your contact list, but many spam filters block emails that contain too many addresses in the "To:" box.

3. Organize a trip to your representative's office (local or in Washington D.C.). By carpooling you can share the expense while making a stronger impact by arriving in greater numbers. By the way, if you haven't done so already, you should make at least one trip to D.C. in your lifetime. Go to the memorials; read the inscriptions on the walls; examine the statues and paintings. You will discover a strong Godly heritage, clearly on display and quite possibly forgotten by your representative.

4. If you are a person of faith, pray. Pray fervently for your nation and for her leaders. Pray daily or hourly. Pray for a good and noble people to wake up and take action. Pray also for those who wish to reshape America in a Progressive image - pray for their safety and protection, but pray that their efforts will be thwarted.

My name is Curtis Ferrell, and this is An American Journal In The 21^st Century. You can find additional journal entries at http://clfnotes.blogspot.com. You can contact me at American_Journal@sbcglobal.net. If you do not wish to receive these journal postings, please email me so that I can remove you from my contact list or click here: Remove

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