E-mail from a Listener
Following is an intelligent e-mail from a listener about responsible protestation. For a reminder of the difference between what he describes and the irresponsible protests going on, for example, in London today, see this other post.
Here’s the e-mail:
—————–
Barry –
Love what you’re doing – I try to listen most every day unless my 4-year-old daughter insists I put on “her music”.
You may have read this poem called Protest before; this was written back in 1914 but still is so true for today’s struggles – the first line is often misattributed to Abraham Lincoln and/ or Douglas MacArthur, but this is the full poem. This should ring out to those individuals stating that we should not be speaking out against what Obama is doing to our country and fully chastising his agenda. I agree completely that we should pray for our leaders and I agree that all is in God’s hands – BUT, I do NOT believe that God expects us to lay back and do nothing when such atrocities are happening right before our eyes.
My major concern is – how do we do anything as individuals to speak up? My republican representatives mainly feel the same way I do, but they are not being listened to by the majority. Obama and the democrat majority proclaim they were elected to do these horrific deeds of: killing babies, raising our level of debt held by the public to 82% of our GDP by 2019, and bringing about socialism / fascism / communism to America – and that’s just in the first few of months of Obama’s presidency. They may truly feel that what they are doing is for the good of the country, but they are not looking at the consequences.
Barry, I could go on for hours about the frustrations I have with this administration, but all it seems I CAN do to change any of this is pray. I speak to as many people as possible about what is really going on and many say “just give Obama a chance”. That’s when the frustration really builds….
I appreciate what you do and look forward to your show.
PROTEST
To sin by silence, when we should protest,
Makes cowards out of men. The human race
Has climbed on protest. Had no voice been raised
Against injustice, ignorance, and lust,
The inquisition yet would serve the law,
And guillotines decide our least disputes.
The few who dare, must speak and speak again
To right the wrongs of many. Speech, thank God,
No vested power in this great day and land
Can gag or throttle. Press and voice may cry
Loud disapproval of existing ills;
May criticize oppression and condemn
The lawlessness of wealth-protecting laws
That let the children and childbearers toil
To purchase ease for idle millionaires.
Therefore I do protest against the boast
Of independence in this mighty land.
Call no chain strong, which holds one rusted link.
Call no land free, that holds one fettered slave.
Until the manacled slim wrists of babes
Are loosed to toss in childish sport and glee,
Until the mother bears no burden, save
The precious one beneath her heart, until
God’s soil is rescued from the clutch of greed
And given back to labor, let no man
Call this the land of freedom.Poems of Problems
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Chicago: W. B. Conkey Company 1914
D G from Fort Worth
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What a travesty to feel that President Obama is responsible for the last 2920 days or 8 years, he has been President for about 70 days and already we are headed for doom according to the naysayers most of which claim to be faith-filled evangelical christians. One would think that the current president is single handedly responsible for abortion. What did the former president do to outlaw abortion? Could someone please tell us one piece of legslation handed down by the Bush administration to end legalized abortion? One would think that the current president wanted to pass costly legislation to stabilize the economy, the republicans whined and cried when Bush allegedly inherited a recession from President Clinton, so what are those of you doing now, when we really have a recession, and are probably heading for depression which was ultimately caused by the last eight years, remember the slogan “the buck stops here!”. In response to the poem, this is not 1914, this is now, but the sentiments placed here are represenative of those who lived in 1914, keep those people in their place, those of the wrong race, those who have no choice,those have no voice, but your voice People voted for Mr. Obama because they were tired of being lied to about being threatened by terrorists,two wars, and overstretched military and etc. those being lied to by so-called conservatives who were and are liberals for their own cause, and conservative when it comes to others that try to rise above certain ceilings whether glass or class. So yes we voted for change and I for one stick by the decision to support President Obama. Another legisaltion question, Didn’t President Bush sign a stimulus package into effect before he left office? and besides that legisaltion, could anyone name three pieces of legislation president Bush passed or initiated to help stimulate the U.S. economy during his eight years of leadership?
Regarding Foster A Allen’s comment:
I think I understand now. Tell me if I’ve got this line of reasoning right:
Premises: “Bush was wrong. Clinton was wrong. Other Bush was wrong. Reagan was wrong. And Carter was wrong.”
Conclusion: “Therefore either Obama is right or it is at least wrong to say Obama is wrong.”
That makes sense to me.
Nothing during this presidential term is going to make sense to you. I think you are mad or at least questioning God for allowing “this presidency to happen.” I noticed that you failed to answer the questions posed, so here are a couple of the last ones listed.
Didn’t President Bush sign a stimulus package into effect before he left office? and besides that legisaltion, could anyone name three pieces of legislation president Bush passed or initiated to help stimulate the U.S. economy during his eight years of leadership? What did the former president do to outlaw abortion? Could someone please tell us one piece of legslation handed down by the Bush administration to end legalized abortion?
Your listeners like your Socratically formed questions only because they don’t dig and delve, or beg the questions very well, so when you answer the pointed questions, i will answer your questions.
Also it is not a case of being right or wrong, out of the three president’s listed in your response. Which were ordained by God? and which were apparently disdained by God? Being a theologian you know the answer. All were ordained by God, now for the big question, which presidency blessed the nation? Clinton’s of course, so you do not know what God is going to do with the Obama presidency, just like you did not know that a just and loving God would allow Obama to be elected.
Pray for our leaders,
don’t try to slay our leaders.
because God is in this,
and He is working this out for your good.
I do listen to your show daily, it’s a good show. Keep up the good work, you do stimulate thought amongst your body of believers. But everybody all 66 million supprters of the president wanted change, so we support our president with prayer, and faith in A divine God who is sovereign.