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Home Archives for Christianity and Faith

5/28/2009 By Ben 2 Comments

San Diego Petty Tyrants: Pay Out the Nose for Permit to Host Bible Study

From Fox News, a reminder that the federal government has nowhere near cornered the market on petty tyranny: Pastor David Jones and his wife Mary have been told that they cannot invite friends to their San Diego, Calif. home for a Bible study — unless they are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to San Diego County. "On Good Friday we had an employee from San Diego County come to our house, and inform us that the Bible study that we were having was a religious assembly, and in violation of the code in the county." David Jones told FOX News. Wow ... simply wow. Just a friendly reminder that we need fellow liberty-loving citizens representing us at all levels of government. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General, liberty, PPC, property rights Tagged With: Bible study, citizens, code, cornered, David Jones, federal government, Fox News, government, levels, liberty-loving, market, pastor, petty tyranny, religious assembly, reminder, San Diego County, violation, wow

5/18/2009 By Ryan Leave a Comment

Two Problems with Hate Crimes Laws

A hate crimes bill has passed through the US House (H.R. 1913) and is now before the Senate (S. 909).  Basically, a hate crimes bill makes not only actions done against others criminal, but also the motives behind the actions. The bill in question would make it an extra crime to commit crimes against people due to a hatred of their sexual orientation (includes homosexuality, pedophilia, being normally married, etc.), or a number of other things (such as race and religion).  I would like to suggest two basic problems with hate crimes legislation: 1. The hate crimes bill/concept breaks one of the fundamental principles of our country, equal intrinsic human value: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Cultural Conservatism, General, National Politics, PPC

4/23/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

On Socialism and Ron Paul: Two Timely Essays for Lovers of Liberty

A quick-hit double-link in the form of two recent essays I recommend as timely and relevant reading for thoughtful lovers of liberty: "The Welfare State and the Meaning of Life" by Greg Forster, whose work I have come to know through his excellent research and analysis of school choice issues, but in this case makes a strong moral case against socialism "Ron Paul's Secession Lies on Video" by libertarian lawyer and thinker Tim Sandefur, a college classmate of mine who delivers a remedial lesson in United States history and the Constitution to the Congressman and former presidential candidate ... It's one thing to speak up loudly against federal overreaches and for a renewed respect of the 10th Amendment, it's quite another to call for … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Cultural Conservatism, General, History, liberty, National Politics, PPC, property rights Tagged With: 10th Amendment, analysis, articulate, critical times, discerning, essays, federal overreaches, Greg Forster, History, lawyer, lesson, libertarian, lovers of liberty, moral case, reading, recommend, remedial, research, Ron Paul, school, secession, socialism, Texas, thinker, thoughtful, Tim Sandefur, U.S. Constitution, unilateral, union, welfare state

4/20/2009 By Ben 7 Comments

Posting “a think on Cleve Tidwell”

So yesterday I receive this verbatim email message from a mysterious "Victorila Rasheem" (all errors of spelling and syntax preserved):I think taht your website should do a think on Cleve Tidwell. Most say that he has the support of most if not all of the major donors in the state. Also much of the grassroots is excited for him and is backing him to be the senator for colorado. I do not know if Dick Wadhams found him or not but if he did it was a good find because he is a good candidaet and wiill win. He is a very good speaker and will be at most events when he is senator because he will represent people in Colorado. Also, he has not spoken with the press so whatever you might hear if anything is probably just their way of trying to create … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, My Life, PPC, Random and Miscellaneous Tagged With: actual effect, bizarre, blogger, campaign contribution, claims, Cleve Tidwell, coincidence, Colorado, coloradovoterinthesenaterace@gmail.com, comment, disavow, drop a line, email message, errors, far-fetched, hopes, insult, intelligence, meaningless, motive, mystery, Nigerian benefactor, post office box, publicly, quasi-candidacy, random, scheme, spam, spelling, state legislature, supporters, syntax, tactics, testify, tracking down, undermine, Victorila Rasheem

4/18/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

The Principled Politician Brings True Tale of Colorado Statesmanship to Life

It's been awhile since I've done any sort of book review. But having just completed Adam Schrager's The Principled Politician: The Ralph Carr Story, it seemed an apt time to change that. Those who won't want to miss this book include students of Colorado history, fans of the World War II era (especially the home front), and anyone interested in a sadly forgotten inspirational story that seems foreign in today's all-too-jaded and polarized world of politics. As introduced to readers in The Principled Politician, Ralph Carr (1887-1950) -- Republican governor of Colorado from 1939 to 1943 -- was a rare model of statesmanship. Fittingly, he held deep admiration and adulation for our nation's 16th president Abraham Lincoln. He recognized the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Book Reviews, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, History, Random and Miscellaneous, World Events Tagged With: Abraham Lincoln, absence, absolute, accessible, account, Adam Schrager, administration, admiration, adulation, all-too-jaded, Americans, ant-Japanese, book, book review, burdens, Carr Street, circumstances, citizens, Colorado history, commitment, constitutional rights, cost, demigod, devastating, disagreements, domestic terrorism, elected officials, engaging, era, essential, ethnic origin, ex-governor, exhibits, fans, fiscal responsibility, flawed, forgotten, fresh, frustrations, happen, History, home front, humane, hysteria, inspirational, intimately, invasion, Japanese-born, lessons, liberty, limited government, major theme, marble man, maxim, model, narrative, national origin, nationwide, originally researched, overreaching, paean, passions, Pearl Harbor, poignant, polarized, political career, politics, power, principles, public opinion, question, quirks, Ralph Carr, rare, recognition, refusal, Republican, respectfully, responding, sadly, sense of humor, statesmanship, steadfast, story, students, The Principled Politician, ultimately, vindicated, World War II, written

4/17/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

A Chance for Denver Tax Day Tea Party Protestors to Clarify the Record

Update, 9:40 AM: Rossputin has a more thorough and comprehensive debunking of the ProgressNow nonsense. It's simply a must-read. Also, Joshua explains the "astroturfing" myth and why the Left is pushing it. Here's a shock: the local Soros-funded Lefty media hack is completely misrepresenting the Tax Day Tea Party here in Denver and as a nationwide movement. What else would you expect? Mike Huttner has to earn his keep from the sugar daddy somehow. The vapid silliness coming from ProgressNow includes: Selectively finding the few offensive signs of the common sense-challenged out of thousands to paint the crowd with a broad brush of ignorance and hatred (here's a video that helps give lie to this tactic) Parroting discredited CNN … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, liberty, PPC Tagged With: astroturf, clarification, CNN, common sense, corporate, courteous, Denver, George Soros, grassroots, hatred, ignorance, Lefty, media hack, Mike Huttner, misrepresenting, movement, nationwide, offensive signs, partisan attack, Peoples Press Collective, press release, ProgressNow, public figure, response, silliness, spoke, stereotype, sugar daddy, talking points, Tax Day Tea Party, transparent, vapid, video

4/16/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Tax Day Tea Party, Colorado

Update VI, 4/16: Here are some pictures taken by Jimmie H. Butler at yesterday's rally in Colorado Springs. Re-posted with permission: Update V, 4/16: My brother-in-law has a great set of photos from yesterday's Denver event. Slapstick Politics has begun to post video from the well-attended festivities at the West Steps of the Capitol. Rossputin has some "Post-Tea Party Thoughts" that includes photos, video, and an interactive poll question. Here is a great site that is tallying attendance reports from Tea Party events all across the country. I've already notified the site operator with a few reports from Colorado locations he hadn't yet received. Update IV, 10:00 PM: Over at Free Colorado, Ari has a good … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, clean government, Colorado Politics, Education, Fiscal Policy, General, Labor, liberty, National Politics, PPC Tagged With: advice, After the Tea Party, blogger, budget, Colorado, compelling, concerned, constituents, debate, Democrats, details, disturbances, doorstep, El Presidente, follow-up, Getting Connected in Colorado, lawmakers, Lefty, legislative calendar, links, majority, mourn, Night Twister, Pinnacol, printable, pro-liberty activist, protest, rally, Randomridge, reasons, resource, Rocky Mountain Alliance, state house, Tax Day, taxpayers, Tea Party, theft

4/12/2009 By Ben Leave a Comment

Happy Easter

From the New American Standard version:Luke 24:1-9 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened that while they were perplexed about this, behold, two men suddenly stood near them in dazzling apparel; and as the women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, Commemorative, General, liberty, My Life

4/10/2009 By Ben 1 Comment

Good Friday

Time to put politics aside for the next few days. First, serious reflections on Good Friday (all passages from the New American Standard Bible):Matthew 27:45-46 Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?" 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. John 19:28-30 After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished, in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Christianity and Faith, General Tagged With: acknowledging, all-important, Bible, cross, crucifixion, Good Friday, Monte Canfield, New American Standard, reflections, Resurrection, Savior, Scripture, third day

3/30/2009 By Ryan 5 Comments

Hello Colorado Blogosphere!

My name is Ryan Morgan and, at the kind request of Ben, I will be guest posting from time to time on this blog.  A 21-year-old resident of Arvada, I was home educated and have a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration (focus in general management) from Thomas Edison State College.  I am a developer at a small software firm. I am a Bible-believing Christian, not associated with any particular denomination, but with an experiential belief in forgiveness of sin solely through faith in Jesus Christ's blood atonement at Calvary and His resurrection from the dead. I am a conservative first and a Republican second.  I believe in limited, effective government; adequate (strong) national defense; and laws based on Biblically moral … [Read more...]

Filed Under: blogging, Christianity and Faith, Colorado Politics, Commemorative, Cultural Conservatism, General, liberty

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About Me

Ben DeGrow
Grateful and growing Christian, devoted husband and father of 3, public policy analyst, returned to Michigan by way of Colorado, conservative writer, lifelong learner, Detroit Tigers fan.

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