Answer John McCain's Question on LinkedIn

[John McCain Volunteer Staff]

John McCain just posted the following question on LinkedIn!!

What is the biggest challenge America faces?
Our country is faced with challenges as we enter into the 21st century. I am prepared to effectively deal with these challenges and lead our country as President on Day 1. Please let me know what you view as the biggest challenge America faces and how you would like your President to address this challenge.

http://www.linkedin.com/answers/government-non-profit/government-po...

[James Carder]

My obligation is only to express the truth as God has revealed it to me...after that, I am under no obligation to anyone but God and am free to brush the dust from my clothes and go my way. I have been doing just that for 30 years, but in particular the message I first delivered on abortion has not changed in the slightest in all that time. The only thing that has changed is that the nation has slid backwards.

Unfortunately, when it comes to spiritual matters, the majority of people usually fall away...because the path ahead has become too straight and narrow for them.

But again, what did Christ say? '...Many are called, but few are chosen...'

Democracy is actually a very dangerous thing when placed into the wrong hands, especially if your name happens to be Pontius Pilate or Herod and you are willing to let the mob have its sway over the fate of an outspoken man.

This is one reason why I decided to become a Republican at an early stage of my political and spiritual development.

I believe in the 'rule of law' and in the protection of the most innocent and vulnerable of society, which begins with the unborn.

You will probably see, if you study history, that the best decisions have always been made by men that feared God rather than by the unruly majority of the people.

Unfortunately, when a leader is weak, so usually are the people under a democracy because the natural inclination of the masses is to take the least painful path to self fulfillment which is not always the best way that builds character willing to accept like a child the judgment of God.

Thus in 30 years a nation has degenerated and this story now has passed before all who have spiritual eyes to see that even more is coming.

Jer:26:18: Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion (was) shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem /shall/ become heaps, and the mountains of the house as the high places of a forest.
Jer:30:17: For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Jer:31:6: For there shall be a day, that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.
Jer:31:12: Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Jer:50:5: They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.
Jer:50:28: The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple.

A Moslem friend from Syria has just reminded me to tell you folks that the scriptures of the Bible were written from the Middle East.

But again '...No prophet is without honor, except in his own home and amongst his own people...'

So, how can my fellow Americans be blamed for their unbelief in the Holy Word of God?

Alas! God has already forgiven you.

And, I think it's a miracle that took 30 years to bake.

But the nation must repent or its moment will be lost and the judgment
will be even more severe.

This is the TRUTH.

And yes, you are right...I don't like to stick my neck out this way. I would rather go and keep running like Jonas.

It's funny...I was told not long ago by someone who made a comment about one of my posts on the Internet:

"How does it feel to be in the belly of the beast".

Well, 'no more'.

[Jim]

So I must ask, how happy are you with the republican party, and why would you vote for John McCain? They've had almost unopposed control of all three branches of government for most of the last seven years and all they've managed to do is dig us into a level of dept we may not have a way out of, involve us in a war we may not be able to extricate ourselves from and they've done nothing to forward your agenda of criminalizing godlessness or wickedness.

I'm surprised that this blog has so quickly reverted to religion, especially given it's original premise, but I fear that is the problem the republican party faces at every turn. If McCain is to stand any chance in November it will have to be, in part, because he can either control or distance himself from it.

In closing all I can offer is that your interpretation of scripture, while it may prove worthy in your eyes, is not a universal interpretation. Man has been studying and interpreting the bible since the books to be used were selected, and the discourse over the Old Testament goes back even further. A great many men in history have claimed that their interpretation was the most accurate and as often as not have used it to justify war, oppression and imperialism. Wars in the name of God are no less insane if they're perpetrated by Muslims than they are if they're perpetrated by Christians.

Jim

[www.mccaingooglegroups.com]

Eloquently put, however nothing more than a cop-out. I feel quite strongly with all semblance of circumspection it did little more than destroy your argument.

[James Carder]

This is why it is said that 'religion and politics' don't mix. Unfortunately, it is the spiritual convictions we have that mostly govern the things we do in the forefront.

Maybe the best thing, for the sake of avoiding argument, is to be true to onesself and not discuss with others what drives you.

In many ways it only leads to sadness and more strife.

Anyway, I've said my piece on abortion, I'll not bring it up again.

Not for a long, long, time.

[Jim]

Ha! You're right! The topic shifted, I didn't like where it was going, and I reacted. I would have done better to stay on point.

In truth I tend to be more quietly religious. As a cancer survivor I've maintained a very close a personal relationship with God. I just see God a little differently than some. In my experience God has been all love, but he's also had an incredible sense of humor! But he's also smiled on my life. Because my life has been so blessed I get put off by talk of fearing God.

That said, let me apologize if I've offended anyone. Stay active, and stay concerned. We've been given an incredible country, an incredible planet and an incredible time to be alive. This next election is one that will have great significance to everyone on the planet - and certainly a great deal to everyone who lives or wants to live in this country.

But please ask your candidates to answer the questions that are important to you, and if they don't answer, keep asking. For me those questions are about the economy. Why? Because when America is strong she leads the world through soft diplomacy. The world looks to us as an example of what can be. When we're strong economically we can help make life better for our citizens, and we tend to be more generous with others around the world.

Good luck to all of us in November!

Jim

[James Carder]

Jesus loved the sinner but hated the sin. His unconditional forgiveness is wrapped with the notion that people must repent to be saved...not continue in their sins and argue with God about it. He also said that many are called, but few are chosen.

Your agument is the basic problem that I see with the feminist movement in America.

The devil handed it an apple and they ate it.

Keep in mind that 'even the enemies of God love each other.'

There is the love of God and the kind of love sinners have for each other.

My views on abortion have not changed in 30 years but unfortunately the Party and the nation have fallen away since then.

Yes, the nation is in a sorry state...but it's nothing that can be argued with God about.

One must be careful about who's side one is on.

And not to be self-deceived with a lukewarm notion of what Christ is all about.

True love does not let a child to whatever he wants.

As a father, you should know about this.

As far as living in the Middle East as a Christian is concerned...remember, '...if a man's ways please God, even his enemies will are at peace with him...'

I don't have much contention with the Islamic community and there are even practicing Christians here...all tolerated in this society.

At one point I even had a soul tell me that I had the 'protection of Allah'.

Every religion has its fringe elements...if you will recall what happened in Waco, Texas, at Ruby Ridge and with Jim Jones...and, there are plenty more to mention.

So, I need not go into explaining why Osama Bin Laden, Al Qaeda or the Taliban exist in Islam.

[Don Castella]

I believe the biggest challenge America faces is the threat of WMDs falling into the hands of terrorists. It seems likely that they would use them against America or other free countries, particularly in the West. Such an attack could dwarf 9/11 in its potential for death, injury and destruction.

The price of freedom is vigilence. I trust that john McCain understands and acknowledges that repsonsibility.

[James Carder]

Oh, I believe that the 'internal' challenges ('the spiritual challenges) are the biggest threat, for with those do most men fail; it's after the fall that one's demise usually comes at the hands of enemies.

[James Carder]

I reassert that 'the spiritual challenges' are the biggest threat, for with those do most men fail; it's after the fall that one's demise usually comes at the hands of enemies.

The United States is in a lot of trouble. We need to get our own house in order before taking on any more 'enemies'...otherwise, we are going to find ourselves on the wrong side of righteousness which will inevitably lead to more severe consequences at the hands of enemies and the ultimate demise of the nation.

Remember the story of Samson and Delilah.

Remember this prophesy by Jesus:

M't:12:42: "...The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here..."

I'm going to also remind you of the words of Gerald Ford, who said as the first planeload of refugees arrived from South Viet Nam after the fall of Saigon:

"We are in a lot of trouble".

That was over 30 years ago.

The depths of that 'trouble' is becoming more and more defined everyday.

We must get our spiritual house in order or else we will be overwhelmed by our enemies.

It is as simple as that.

The message has never changed.

[James Carder]

As you imply...'the enemy is already within the gates'.

The events since 9/11 reminds me a lot of Tet of 68 in Viet Nam, when Charlie came to town...and then melted away into the populace.

The Viet Nam War was technically over after Tet of 1968, only we wouldn't admit it.

South Vietnamese society had been infiltrated...and it was only a matter of time before the whole infrastructure would come tumbling down...as it did.

Granted, there were the military excursions into the countryside from 1968 to 1975 to bomb and root out the NVA and to keep the North Vietnamese at the negotiating table.

But, it was all in vain because by 1968, we had already failed internally to protect South Viet Nam.

Charlie had proven quite clearly that he was capable of 'knocking on the embassy doors' and continued to do so even after the collapse of Saigon in 1975. This is one of the fears that the current Administration has with Iraq, if we were to suddenly abandon our mission there.

Because of our financial dilemma, I don't believe that we could afford another human tragedy in Iraq like that which ensued after the Fall of Saigon.

Certainly because of this factor, I don't believe that we are in a position to pursue a similar confrontation with Iran as we have done in Iraq. The humanitarian crisis that could certainly ensue would require an even greater commitment by America.

Morally, I don't think that we could win a battle with the Iranians and I don't think our nation could financially survive another occupation situation like Iraq and I believe that if we invaded Iran, the Iranians would be even more tenacious and dangerous to us than the Iraqis.

They are not Arabs; many of them are well-educated and loyal to their culture. They are Persians who have survived for ages in an Arab World. The Arabs are about 'Bedouin' culture, while the Iranians are about an ancient and proud civilization...a culture that is reminiscent of an empire of its own.

I think that taking them on would be similar to taking on the North Vietnamese ...except you can be guaranteed that the Iranians will have the technology and force-of-arms to deal with an American invasion of their soil. Their 'fangs' will not have been removed as they were removed from Saddam by the UN prior to our invasion of Iraq!

I still think that it is best that 'we get our own house in order' before taking on any more combat military obligations in the region of the Middle East.

And, I think that history 'demands' that we get our own house in order before picking on other societies for whatever reason we think we should be doing so...