Author: jetbrane

I am a Pastor of a small Church in Mid-Michigan who delights in my family, my congregation and my calling. I am postmillennial in my eschatology. Paedo-Calvinist Covenantal in my Christianity Reformed in my Soteriology Presuppositional in my apologetics Familialist in my family theology Agrarian in my regional community social order belief Christianity creates culture and so Christendom in my national social order belief Mythic-Poetic / Grammatical Historical in my Hermeneutic Pre-modern, Medieval, & Feudal before Enlightenment, modernity, & postmodern Reconstructionist / Theonomic in my Worldview One part paleo-conservative / one part micro Libertarian in my politics Systematic and Biblical theology need one another but Systematics has pride of place Some of my favorite authors, Augustine, Turretin, Calvin, Tolkien, Chesterton, Nock, Tozer, Dabney, Bavinck, Wodehouse, Rushdoony, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, C. Van Til, H. Van Til, G. H. Clark, C. Dawson, H. Berman, R. Nash, C. G. Singer, R. Kipling, G. North, J. Edwards, S. Foote, F. Hayek, O. Guiness, J. Witte, M. Rothbard, Clyde Wilson, Mencken, Lasch, Postman, Gatto, T. Boston, Thomas Brooks, Terry Brooks, C. Hodge, J. Calhoun, Llyod-Jones, T. Sowell, A. McClaren, M. Muggeridge, C. F. H. Henry, F. Swarz, M. Henry, G. Marten, P. Schaff, T. S. Elliott, K. Van Hoozer, K. Gentry, etc. My passion is to write in such a way that the Lord Christ might be pleased. It is my hope that people will be challenged to reconsider what are considered the givens of the current culture. Your biggest help to me dear reader will be to often remind me that God is Sovereign and that all that is, is because it pleases him.

Above My Pay Grade

Recently, in an interview with CEO Rick “Saddle sore” Warren, B. Hussein Obama responded to a question asking, ‘when life begins,’ by saying,

“whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.”

First notice that Obama is a typical American in as much as he has compartmentalized truth. The idea that one can answer the question to life from either a Theological lens or a scientific lens indicates that he believes, in a Thomistic fashion, that there are two paths to truth.

Second, consider that Obama has had no problem coming to conclusions on other “above my pay grade” issues. For example, Obama has concluded that the polar ice caps are going to melt from the carbon footprint left by men. As such he has determined that we must save the planet. So, coming to conclusions that are “above his pay grade” on ecology in order to save the planet are perfectly acceptable but coming to conclusions on embryology above his pay grade in order to save babies are not.

Third, consider that this is all smoke. Obama has answered the question on when life begins and he has done so with precise specificity. For B. Hussein Obama life begins with a parent’s choice. When Obama, as a Illinois state senator, voted against what would later be known as the “Born-Alive Infants’ Protection Act” he declared to God and man his answer to when life begins.

Indeed, Obama in his vote that determined that life begins when a parent determines life begins voted to redefine the current legal definition of the beginning of life from “life begins when a child is living outside the womb to life begins outside the womb unless the parent went into delivery wanting the child dead. If the parent went into delivery wanting the child dead then it is impossible, by definition, for life to officially begin.

Obama, with his opposition to legislation that would have provided protection to babies who were targeted for abortion but who were born alive, was trying to expand the rights of abortion from the right to have an attempted abortion to the right to have an successful abortion — even if the aborting has to happen post live delivery.

Fourth, if such a decision really is above his pay grade then prudence would require to give the benefit of doubt to what he doesn’t know to not be life. A man who was truly humble about his lack of knowledge on such a life and death subject would be careful to err on the side of caution. Obama is lying on this issue to protect his Presidential aspirations.

Obama wants to be President and telling the truth is the only thing that is above his pay grade.

Rutherford Wasn’t Infected With R2Kt Virus

[Magistrate’s to punish idolatry, as keeper of two tables of the law].

“And this is the cause (I conceive) why great Divines have said the object of the Magistrates power as a Magistrate is the externall man, and earthly things, because he doth not in such a spirituall way of working, take care of the two Tables of the Law, as the Pastor doth; and yet the spirituall good and edification of the Church in the right preaching of the Word, Sacraments, and pure discipline is his end. It is true, whether the blashemer professe repentance, or not, the Magistrate is to punish, yea and to take his life, if he in seducing of many, have prevailed, but yet his end is edification, even in taking away the life; for he is to put away evill, that all Israel may feare, and doe so no more; but this edification is procured by the sword, and by a coactive power, and so the Church power and the kingly power differ in their formall objects, and their formall ends.”

Samuel Rutherford ** 1600 – 1661, The Due Right of Presbyteries or, A Peacable Plea, etc. Lon 1644. p. 398

[Deut. 17; Magistrate’s to read the law].

” It is true as King hee is oblieged to read continually in the booke of the Law of God, Deut. 17. and to know what is truth, what heresie, in so farre as hee commandeth that Pastors preach sound doctrine, and that as a Judge hee is to punish heresie.”

ibid., p. 429

[Punishment requires witnesses for all Old Testament crimes which are perpetual as to equity].

” It is clear the question must be thus stated, for all the lawes of the old Testament (which we hold in their Morall equitie to be perpetuall) that are touching blasphemies, heresies, solicitation to worship false Gods and the breach of which the Godly Magistrate was to punish, command or forbid onely such things as may be proved by two or three witnesses, and which husband and wife are not to conceal, and from which all Israel must abstain for fear of the like punishment. Deut. 13.8,9,10,11; Deut. 17.5,6; Levit. 20.1,2,3,4,5. But opinions in the minde, acts of the understanding, can never be proved by witnesses and such as neither Magistrates nor Church can censure.”

Samuel Rutherford, A Free Disputation Against Pretended Liberty of Conscience etc… (Lon-1649). p. 47

Note how Rutherford believes in the laws equity but he doesn’t use the word ‘equity’ to disestablish the continuity of the case law.

DNC — Night # 1 — Teddy’s Pharmaceutical Advertisement & Michelle’s Personality Tummy Tuck

The Democratic Convention on its first night was dedicated to an inspiring speech from Chappaquiddick Ted Kennedy and a speech from Michelle Obama intended to round off her rough edges.

Teddy’s speech was as simple as you would have expected from somebody who has terminal brain cancer. His appearance is a great advertisement for the ability of drugs to keep a man on his feet. The importance of Kennedy’s speech was not in what he said but merely in his presence. Kennedy is the bridge to the Liberal Democratic past and he served his purpose tonight by reminding Democrats of their glory days in the staged political drama that was orchestrated this evening.

Michelle Obama’s speech however was a bit more strategic for the Democrats generally and for the Obama’s particularly. Michelle, in this election cycle to date, has come across like a bitter and angry harridan. Tonight, was the attempt to give Michelle Obama a personality tummy tuck. Instead of comments about the meanness of America we heard about Michelle profess her love for America. Instead of Michelle’s hard shell we got to see Michelle the doting wife and loving Mommy. Indeed, were we to believe the picture presented tonight by Michelle we would conclude that she’s probably just like Jackie Kennedy was back when Jack was President.

Michelle also spent a great deal of time communicating how much she is like middle America.
Remember middle America? They are the people who cling to their guns and religion when they feel threatened according to her husband. Anyway … Michelle repeatedly communicated that she is just like all those White Blue collar people who Barack couldn’t convince to vote for him in the Democratic primary.

Naturally, the whole evening was staged and produced like some Broadway play. Further, it was characterized by the kind of syrupy sentimentalism that Americans have come to love in place of rational thought. The speeches were given to stir emotions while avoiding the intellect. In this way the speeches were a good deal like the kind of preaching one can find in most Churches in America on any given Sunday at the worship hour. As such the sentiment was not only in content but also in delivery. Several times during Michelle’s speech there were clear indications that she was trying to cough up some tears.

The closest to substance in the speeches tonight was when Michelle Obama, speaking in reference to her husband, said,

That’s why he’s running– to end the war in Iraq responsibly, to build an economy that lifts every family, to make health care available for every American, and to make sure every child in this nation gets a world class education all the way from preschool to college. That’s what Barack Obama will do as President of the United States of America.

Americans should realize the amount of taxation it will take to “make health care available for every American” while at the same time funding a world class education from 3 years of age to 22 years of age. Naturally, if the State attempts to insure these realities we can be confident that America’s health care will become substandard and our education will become worse then it already is. (Yes, I know it is hard to believe that anybody could make our Colleges more imbecilic but never underestimate the ability of the State.) In these statement Michelle revealed once again the Marxist nature of the Obama vision.

The first evening of the DNC was all sentiment and no substance. This is fitting since America is increasingly becoming a nation that likewise is all sentiment and no substance.

David Dickson — Reformed Guy Who Couldn’t Teach At Escondido

[Chapter 20; Of Christian Liberty, Quest. IV; Magistrate to punish by the law].

“Do not lastly the Lutherans, Anabaptists, Arminians, Quakers, and all sort of Hereticks, and Sectaries err, who maintain, ( under the pretext of Christian Liberty) that the Civil Magistrate, is not obliged in duty, to punish any man with the sword, for errors in doctrine, but that they ought to be tolerated, and suffered, providing such persons as own them, do not trouble, or molest the Common-wealth? Yes: By what reasons are they confuted? … The Lutherans, Anabaptists, Arminians, and other sectaries are confuted? (1) Because, it is evident, from many examples of Godly Magistrats, who did extirpat Idolatry, and inflict punishment upon Idolaters, as did Jacob the Patriarch, … Of Asa, who decreed that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel (according to the law of God; Deut. 13.9.) should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man, or woman; 2 Chron.15.13….(4) It is evident from the office of the Magistrat, who is the Minister of God against them, that do evil, and beareth not the sword in vain: Rom. 13.3,4. (5) Because, it is expressly commanded in Scripture, that punishment be inflicted upon Idolaters, even by the nearest relations. If then, the Father may kill the Son, may kill the Daughter, the Husband the Wife of his bosom: and if one brother may stone another brother with stones, that he die, for being Idolaters; much more may the Civil Magistrat do this; Deut.13.6 to the 13 verse; Deut.17.2 to the 7 verse; Lev.24.16 (8) Because, Ezra did esteem it, a great favour and blessing of God, conferred upon the Church; for which he thanked God, that had inclined the heart of Artaxerxes, to publish a Decree, for the punishment of those, that did not observe the Law, whether it be, (saith the Text) unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment; Chap.7.23,25,28 “.

David Dickson 1583-1663, Truth’s Victory Over Error. Edin. 1684. pp. 157-162

[WCF. chapter. 23; Of the Civil Magistrate Quest.1. Magistrate; Power of sword].

” CHAP. XXIII. Of the Civil Magistrate. Question 1. Hath God armed the Civil Magistrat, with the power of the Sword, for the defence, and encouragement of them that are good, and for the punishment of evil doers? Yes. Rom.13.1,2,3,4. I Peter 2.13.14. Well then, do not the Socinians err, who maintain, that it is not the duty of the Civil Magistrate, to punish the guilty with death? Yes. By what reasons are they confuted? (1) Because, GOD hath expressly commanded, that transgressing Idolaters be put to death; Deut.17.7. Deut. 19.21. (2) Because, it appertains to the office, and duty of the Magistrate, to punish the guilty with death; Rom. 13A I Peter 2.14. (3) Because, the capital punishment of evil doers makes others stand in awe, and fear to offend; Deut. 13.11 Deut. 19.20:…”

ibid., p. 206. Dickson further cited Exod. 21.12. The use of Case law confirms that by “evildoers” in Romans 13, is meant transgressors of the Law of God.

[WCF. chpt. 23 Quest. II. Civil magistrate; punishment of blasphemies, etc.]

” Quest.II. Is it the duty of the Civil Magistrate, to take order, that all Blaspemies, and Heresies be suppressed, all the ordinances of God duely settled, administered, and observed; all abuses in worship, and discipline reformed, all Idolaters, Gainsayers, and other obstinate dissenters, be obliged and forced to quite their tenets and opinions, and conform themselves to the true worship , and service of God, according to his law? Yes (5) Because, whosoever blasphemed the name of the Lord, was surely put to death; lev.24.16….(6) Because, the supream magistrate is Custos utriusque Tabulae, a keeper of both tables of the law of God. as well the first Table, which relates to Religion, and our duty to God; as of the second which relates to righteousness, and our duty to our neighbour. If then, he may punish evil doers, who offend against the second Table, and force and compel them to obedience, by the sword of justice, which God hath put into his hand, much more may he punish Idolaters, and Blashemers, who offend against the first Table, and force and compell them to obedience:…”

ibid., pp. 210-211. Dickson uses an afortiori argument (from the lesser to the greater), which depends on a belief in the right of the magistrate to punish 2nd. table crimes. Thus the Christian may be a Civil magistrate.. ” (3) Because, the Magistrate exercises, and executes Gods judgements; Deut.1.17.”p.212

If People Believe This Stuff We Deserve To Die As A People

Classical Agitprop

What are we to expect next?

45 second Commercials trying to convince us that McCain wants to protect our borders and limit imperial overreach?

Or maybe commercials trying to convince us that the two parties are really quite different?

Or best of all…

Maybe somebody will be so shameless as to make a commercial trying to sell us on the idea that ministers have enough intelligence to make us take what they say or recommend seriously?

It is all so embarrassing.