Published 12:00 am Friday, December 6, 2013

Prepare yourself for “reverse stimulus.”
Beginning next year, the average family in America will be losing spending power by some staggering amounts:
Increased insurance premiums of $2,500.
Increased deductibles of $2,000 and more.
Increased co-pay amounts 20-30 percent higher.
Increased time and expense to travel to fewer “network” providers.
These numbers are somewhere near the middle of the ranges reported for the Affordable Care Act.
It may be much, much worse.
Government programs never cost less than predicted.
If adding money to the pockets of consumers stimulates the economy, what do you think taking billions and billions of dollars out of their pockets will do?
Get ready. “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet”!
— Charles E. Baker
Trinity
Regarding gay marriage:
Congratulations on your assessment that God unconditionally and universally loves all, the state has no moral obligation regarding morality, and marriage is now a non-religious process. Since God is apparently irrelevant to the issue and the state should endorse our preferences, why the laws against polygamy? Shouldn’t a man be able to have multiple wives or vice versa? Why should marriage be restricted to two people? God will love us regardless and the state shouldn’t care.
But why stop there? Let’s advocate group marriages and spread the love around. Then again, why not term marriages? Let’s contract to be married for, say, one year without any repercussions afterward. Wouldn’t some fraternities and sororities love that concept — a one-year term group marriage that ends at the end of the school year? Get your tax deduction since the state doesn’t care and have a swell orgy of a honeymoon. While we are at it, given your presuppositions, why not do away with bestiality laws? Perhaps not call it marriage but at least make it legal. After all, neither God nor the state should care because no real harm was done.
Welcome to the slippery slope where people define morality, and nothing is justifiably off limits.
However, what you forgot is that God remains a righteous and holy God, and he alone defines sin and true morals. Certainly, God is infinite mercy, grace and love, but is also at the same time infinitely righteous, holy and pure. You see, it doesn’t really matter what you think or how people vote. God’s standards remain. Reread the first chapter of Romans to get a clearer picture of how God applies his righteousness to human sin. Then back away from the slippery point of no return.
— Rev. John B. Kahl
Richfield