It's 8:20 western time, Oregon's polls have only been closed for 2o minutes. But according to many websites, Obama has basically won. I voted for Bob Barr, the Libertarian. I secretely cheered for McCain. I don't really agree with anything Obama stands for. But I truly think that in one way tonight, in one major way, America is victorious.
Tonight I was talking to my mom on the phone and I told her that I thought people liked Obama just because he was black. I also downplayed the fact that he would probably be the first black president. My mom, as she often has, humbled my ignorance. She explained to me how she grew up in the 60s as a teenager, and how she watched Martin Luther's speeches. She watched segregation end. She watched how many people were ignorant, horrible racists in that time. Then she said sonething along the lines of: "Andrew, I don't agree with anything Obama stands for either. But I am not going to lie, when he gives his victory speech tonight, it will be a tear-jerker for your father and I. I fought against racism back then, and I never imagined in my lifetime that this country would progress enough in that way to have a black president."
So tonight I give a congratulations to Obama, that he was courageous enough growing up to go against the grain for his race and head into politics. I praise America that we are (mostly) past the blind racist bigotry of yesterday. Today is not the day to complain about the bad I think Obama will bring. Today I am looking at the good. I saw Jesse Jackson crying on TV, as someone who has watched racism in the past and fought against it, and I say "Thank you God that blacks are no longer hated in America, may we progress in other ways too!"
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Ten bands to listen to if you think the Portland music scene is about Everclear and the Decemberists:
-Elliot Smith (indie/folk)
-From Ashes Rise (punk/hardcore)
-Tragedy (hardcore/crust)
-The Physical Challenge (currently called I Quit - hardcore)
-The Dead Unknown (metal/hardcore)
-It Prevails (hardcore/melodic metalcore)
-Inked in Blood (metalcore)
-His Name Shall Breathe (folk)
-Life and Limb (hardcore)
-Defiance (street punk)
Some other fun bands from Portland(ish): Unrestrained, Believing in June, Brutal Fight, Belmont Academy, Stick to Your Guns, Deal Victoria, Countdown to Life, Six Bullets, A Decade 'Til Dawn, American Me, A Hope For Home, Broadway Calls.
-From Ashes Rise (punk/hardcore)
-Tragedy (hardcore/crust)
-The Physical Challenge (currently called I Quit - hardcore)
-The Dead Unknown (metal/hardcore)
-It Prevails (hardcore/melodic metalcore)
-Inked in Blood (metalcore)
-His Name Shall Breathe (folk)
-Life and Limb (hardcore)
-Defiance (street punk)
Some other fun bands from Portland(ish): Unrestrained, Believing in June, Brutal Fight, Belmont Academy, Stick to Your Guns, Deal Victoria, Countdown to Life, Six Bullets, A Decade 'Til Dawn, American Me, A Hope For Home, Broadway Calls.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
life
sorry if my last post was extreme. I am not voting for Obama or McCain, I am done with politics or political discussions right now!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Is Barack Obama like Martin Luther King?
People are saying that Barack Hussein Obama is comparable to Martin Luther King. He is charismatic, he is black, he wants change, and he talks about God.
Anyone familiar with the passions and stances of King would understand that he would be disgusted with Obama's policies. King stood for true justice, love, and mercy. He believed that men and women should be judged not by their skin color but by the content of their character. He believed that the marginalization of members of society was evil. His love and justice was fueled by the glory of Jesus Christ. Read King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. He believed that justice was necessary was because it right. "The urgency of now."
I was listening to a speech of Obama's, and he stole the phrase the "urgency of now" from Dr. King, referring to the "change" that he wants. Obama may stand for some good changes in society. But underlying that is the fact that he is the most liberal politician on the issue of abortion to ever run for public office. He believes in infanticide:
http://www.dennyburk.com/?p=2359
Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, 5 years before Roe vs. Wade. King's love for people would not put up with Obama's disrespect for the most vulnerable and helpless members of society - unborn children and babies (yes BABIES, he believes in partial birth abortion and infanticide). So-called "choice" kills about 3700 babies every day in the United States of America. There have been 4,000 U.S. soldiers that have died in the Iraq war. The war is important, but if I may borrow a phrase from Dr. King, "the urgency of now" issue in this country is abortion. Now is the time to stand up against it and not vote for public leaders that believe in infanticide. Now is the time to change.
Photographic evidence is considered one of the most valid forms of evidence. It has fueled civil rights, and it has helped people see the atrocities of the Holocaust and of different wars. Here is a picture of a murdered ("aborted") baby at 22 weeks (around 5 1/2 months).
http://abort73.com/HTML/I-A-4-photos22.html
Anyone familiar with the passions and stances of King would understand that he would be disgusted with Obama's policies. King stood for true justice, love, and mercy. He believed that men and women should be judged not by their skin color but by the content of their character. He believed that the marginalization of members of society was evil. His love and justice was fueled by the glory of Jesus Christ. Read King's Letter from Birmingham Jail. He believed that justice was necessary was because it right. "The urgency of now."
I was listening to a speech of Obama's, and he stole the phrase the "urgency of now" from Dr. King, referring to the "change" that he wants. Obama may stand for some good changes in society. But underlying that is the fact that he is the most liberal politician on the issue of abortion to ever run for public office. He believes in infanticide:
http://www.dennyburk.com/?
Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968, 5 years before Roe vs. Wade. King's love for people would not put up with Obama's disrespect for the most vulnerable and helpless members of society - unborn children and babies (yes BABIES, he believes in partial birth abortion and infanticide). So-called "choice" kills about 3700 babies every day in the United States of America. There have been 4,000 U.S. soldiers that have died in the Iraq war. The war is important, but if I may borrow a phrase from Dr. King, "the urgency of now" issue in this country is abortion. Now is the time to stand up against it and not vote for public leaders that believe in infanticide. Now is the time to change.
Photographic evidence is considered one of the most valid forms of evidence. It has fueled civil rights, and it has helped people see the atrocities of the Holocaust and of different wars. Here is a picture of a murdered ("aborted") baby at 22 weeks (around 5 1/2 months).
http://abort73.com/HTML/I-A-4-photos22.html
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Summer School
I'm in my second class of summer school right now. We just finished a test and I'm on break. Yay!
I haven't written in my blog forever. I kind of want to start one or two new blogs, one focusing on theology and the other on music and music reviews. I want both to be there for discussion and sharing of opinions. The music one would focus on punk, hardcore, metalcore, emo, indie, folk, alt-country and rap. I'm thinking about just writing reviews on albums I like or dislike and getting people's opinions and suggestions for new music. The theology one would be more of a forum of discussion among people I know.
Let me know what ya'll think?
I haven't written in my blog forever. I kind of want to start one or two new blogs, one focusing on theology and the other on music and music reviews. I want both to be there for discussion and sharing of opinions. The music one would focus on punk, hardcore, metalcore, emo, indie, folk, alt-country and rap. I'm thinking about just writing reviews on albums I like or dislike and getting people's opinions and suggestions for new music. The theology one would be more of a forum of discussion among people I know.
Let me know what ya'll think?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
God
Yesterday and today I read my Bible a lot. I'm not saying that to sound like a good-old Christian boy, I am just saying that God led me to reading it a lot.
I think often times we truly, truly underestimate the power and truth contained in the Bible. It truly is God's Word. It guides, strengthens, empowers, and grows. It shows us how we need to change. It contains the mystery of the gospel of God and the greatest secret in the world. As Paul says in Ephesians and Colossians, the gospel was a mystery that was hidden for ages but then revealed to them, and it continues to be revealed to all mankind always, even us in 2008.
I love that most of the Bible God shows himself to us through narrative.
The Bible is also so powerful in it's description of love. Paul writes in Ephesians:
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."
Everything that God does flows from his love. I John states that GOD IS LOVE. He is the definition of true love. God is not love in the sense that we can define what love is and then push that on God, he is love in the sense that his nature encompasses all that is truly love and by that , by experiencing him through people and his Word and by his change in our lives, we know true love. We know love by experiencing true sacrifice, by seeing what Jesus did and why he did it. We know love by observing the Trinity interact in John. We know love by reading the pages in the Bible. We know love by seeing people love others. We know love by seeing anything good in this world. We know love by knowing God, we know God by truly receiving his loving transforming mercy and grace.
This isn't supposed to be preachy. It's what I've been thinking and experiencing. God is good. Run to his Word and be changed by it, and then help change other people's lives.
Andrew
I think often times we truly, truly underestimate the power and truth contained in the Bible. It truly is God's Word. It guides, strengthens, empowers, and grows. It shows us how we need to change. It contains the mystery of the gospel of God and the greatest secret in the world. As Paul says in Ephesians and Colossians, the gospel was a mystery that was hidden for ages but then revealed to them, and it continues to be revealed to all mankind always, even us in 2008.
I love that most of the Bible God shows himself to us through narrative.
The Bible is also so powerful in it's description of love. Paul writes in Ephesians:
"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."
Everything that God does flows from his love. I John states that GOD IS LOVE. He is the definition of true love. God is not love in the sense that we can define what love is and then push that on God, he is love in the sense that his nature encompasses all that is truly love and by that , by experiencing him through people and his Word and by his change in our lives, we know true love. We know love by experiencing true sacrifice, by seeing what Jesus did and why he did it. We know love by observing the Trinity interact in John. We know love by reading the pages in the Bible. We know love by seeing people love others. We know love by seeing anything good in this world. We know love by knowing God, we know God by truly receiving his loving transforming mercy and grace.
This isn't supposed to be preachy. It's what I've been thinking and experiencing. God is good. Run to his Word and be changed by it, and then help change other people's lives.
Andrew
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