Rancho Miller

With a Focus on the Family official announcing that he has no problem with a judicial appointment also being homosexual, it becomes apparent why Africa or other developing nations have to send missionaries to the U.S. — because the church here has lost its moorings.

Brannon Howse of Worldview Weekend boldly confronted FOTF spokesman Bruce Hausknecht over a statement he made that one’s sexual orientation shouldn’t matter when appointing a judge. FOTF has traditionally been at the forefront of calling for application of biblical values to public life.

Here’s part of Howse’s reaction:

There is no hope of reclaiming America if we cannot reclaim the church. We cannot reclaim the country if Christian leaders and organizations do not embrace sound public policy based on a Biblical and Constitutional worldview.  Sadly however, the criticism will not go to FOTF in large numbers as it should, but it will come to me. Why? Because the majority of Christians in America are an inch deep and a mile wide because theology, doctrine, reason and logic no longer matter to a post-modern church that is intoxicated with feelings, emotions, non-judgementalism and Christian celebrities. Thus, whenever any member of the remnant dare question any “popular” author, personality or organization, the fur flies. [Emphasis mine.]

This devotion to feelings and emotions over truth so easily found in the American church is exactly what we’re dealing with when confronting President Obama’s policy regarding court appointees. He wants them to have empathy — feeling. Never mind competence or a thorough understanding of constitutional law.

If Obama really wanted a U.S. Supreme Court justice with empathy, he should have picked this lady!

Or maybe this one.

North Carolina Blue Cross/Blue Shield planned some spots that show national health care in a negative light, but pulled them after Nancy-Ann DeParle, Obama’s “health care czar,” pressured the company’s CEO.

This is completely inappropriate and shows the incredible chutzpah of the Obama administration. This is a chilling effect on free speech by the government. It is an interference of free enterprise (not that we should be surprised by that). It was bad enough when the White House fired GM’s CEO, but the auto industry set itself up for that when it accepted government money.

To top it off, here’s the arrogance of DeParle:

“He said, ‘Well, Nancy-Ann, those aren’t ads. Those were just going to go up on a website,’” DeParle said in an interview in the Old Executive Office Building. “He’s not doing it now.”

What’s next? The White House gets wind of a sermon critical of Obama and calls up the pastor to put the screws to him?

Yes, I know this is written by Karl Rove, whom many people consider less lovable than Darth Vader, but he’s right on the money about Barack Obama’s utter flip-flops between campaign promises and actual governance. The man (in this case Obama) can’t be taken at his word. But Rove also makes the great point that Obama just wasn’t ready for this level of government.

Mr. Obama either had very little grasp of what governing would involve or, if he did, he used words meant to mislead the public. Neither option is particularly encouraging. America now has a president quite different from the person who advertised himself for the job last year. Over time, those things can catch up to a politician.

From here:

Four New York men were arrested Wednesday in connection with an alleged plot to blow up area Jewish centers and military targets. The plot, however, was foiled by undercover agents. …

The FBI said the Muslim suspects were angry and full of hate for America.  

As the controversy over Barack Obama’s invitation to speak at Notre Dame’s commencement — which he did on Sunday — has grown in recent weeks, one voice has been noticeably missing: Bishop Daniel Jenky’s.

Jenky, whose pro-life bona fides are not in doubt, is the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, which crosses the central part of Illinois. He also is a fellow and, thus, a member of the board of directors, of the University of Notre Dame. He spent many years at Notre Dame and in South Bend and has a confessed strong attachment to the school.

All of which would have given his denouncement of the pro-abortion, profoundly anti-life U.S. president’s appearance at Notre Dame that much more impact. Problem is, that denouncement or even veiled criticism never came.

At least one member of the Peoria diocese has expressed his disappointment. In “An Open Letter to Bishop Daniel R. Jenky,” John Telthorst, a grad student at the University of Illinois, writes that

Despite asking the members of your diocese to take a stand for the Gospel of Life, you have failed the Diocese of Peoria and The University of Notre Dame.

I couldn’t agree more. Jenky attended this year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C., and has spoken out on other occasions about the need to protect innocent life. Yet, when it came to criticizing his alma mater, he failed. Many other bishops spoke out about a Catholic university inviting one of the worst anti-life presidents to speak at its graduation — but not Dan Jenky.

Neither, from what I can find at its Web site, has the diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Post, even addressed the controversy. That’s not surprising. The bishop is the publisher and controls what’s printed. As usual, Jenky’s way of dealing with something is to ignore it, pretend it isn’t a problem. His communications policy is to not communicate. Now he’s training the diocese’s main communications tool to follow that practice. 

So, what’s the problem, Dan Jenky? Why did you send the message to your “flock” that it’s OK to remain silent when it’s convenient? What about all those men who followed you at the recent diocesan Men’s March? Are they supposed to follow you in this regard? If you have been working behind the scenes regarding the Obama invitation, as some have indicated, then explain why you chose to take that path instead, and what message that sends your diocese, as well.

If I have missed something, if you did speak out and it just didn’t get publicized, I apologize and retract everything I’ve said. But if I haven’t missed something, then shame on you.

My personal health care reform involves a fairly simple approach: going without health insurance.

That’s blasphemous to most Americans, especially those who lay sleepless at night worrying about the 50 million (or 46 million or 47 million or 47.5 million — the inaccurate numbers vary depending on the media source or politician) people in the U.S. who don’t have health insurance.

Well, don’t cry for me, universal coverage advocates.

For 0ne thing, instead of insurance, I’ve joined (and work for) a direct-sharing ministry called Samaritan Ministries International. Members send money to other members to help them pay the costs of their medical services. Nothing’s guaranteed; that’s where the God part comes in. We trust one another to meet our needs because of the commitment we’ve made as followers of Christ. I’m also a member of SMI’s Save to Share plan, meaning I’m covered beyond $100,000, and its Motor Vehicle plan.

For another thing, I’ve started seeking out alternative approaches to health care and haven’t been disappointed. For one thing, SMI offers a health reimbursement account and a flexible spending account to employees. These are pre-tax dollars that can be used to pay for medical, dental, vision and other health-related needs.

Today, I had a great experience with another type of alternative approach to health care. After hacking my way through another morning with an annoying cough, I decided enough was enough. I drove a few blocks north to Family Quick Care, a “pay-in-full-at-time-of-service” storefront. Walking in without an appointment (which FQC doesn’t accept, anyway), I was directed to a keyboard, where I typed in my personal information and clicked my way through a symptoms chart.

In a couple minutes, a nurse took me into an exam room, where she quickly determined I have bronchitis. Sitting at a PC, she submitted prescriptions for me to the Wal-Mart next door. I was in there for no more than 15 minutes, maybe as few as 10.

After paying a $39 tab at Family Quick Care, I drove to the Wal-Mart, which had already filled part of my prescription. I walked out 10 minutes later with antibiotics ($4) and an inhaler ($48.75).

I drove back to work and dropped copies of the receipts into the basket for FSA reimbursements.

I had, in less than an hour, accomplished what probably would have taken me all day to do otherwise by calling my family doctor and being put on hold before I could make an appointment for later in the day at his office across the river, where I would have likely waited for 10 minutes to an hour past the appointment time.

And it was all done for $91.75, including office visit and meds — at least $10 less than an office visit at my OSF Medical Group would have cost and for much less than a monthly premium would have cost.

An ESPN story on LeBron James’ MVP award showed the confusion about “family” in our society:

The setting was fitting for James, who earlier this year had the words “Loyalty” and “Family” tattooed vertically along his rib cage. …

With his longtime girlfriend, Savannah, and their two sons sitting up front, James thanked his family, friends and former teammates during a touching speech. Promising not to cry, he spoke fondly of his mom, who struggled to raise her only son.

For James and his “longtime girlfriend,” that’s not “family.” It’s fornication. And their remaining unmarried will do nothing to help those two sons and their understanding of “family.”