Voice in the Wilderness

Pointy-hatted Band of Merrymakers are "for" Proposition 2

I read with angst this story about the Klu Klux Klan holding a rally on Saturday, November 5 at Austin City Hall (what a perfect combination: the state's most dysfunctional group at the state's most dysfunctional building).

The pointy-hatted band of merrymakers will be holding forth in favor of proposition 2, the Texas Marriage Amendment. This event “for” proposition 2 may be the best PR weapon the heretofore inept anti-prop. 2 campaign has yet acquired.

I am for proposition 2 for a number of reasons. But, I am grieved that the KKK has insinuated itself into the prop. 2 debate. Here is a group whose website endeavors "to warn of the dangers of interracial mixing", sullies the name of Jesus Christ with racism, proffers anti-semitism, scathingly and revoltingly disapproves of interracial marriage, and resembles left-wing blogs that launch racist attacks against black conservatives.

Their rhetoric is a restless evil, full of deadly poison and is itself set on fire by hell. It is the embodiment of the foulest and most soul-destroying hatreds that has ever darkened and stained the pages of the web. With their tongues, they praise our Lord and Father, and with it they curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.

I am saddened that the KKK has decided to go forward with this event, which will erroneously associate the reputation and philosophy of the KKK with the otherwise moral and sensible proposition 2. I pray that God would send a thunderstorm to prevent this event from happening.

I've been reading with great distress of the riots by young Muslims in Parisian suburbs, now spreading to other parts of the country.

Last November, I blogged on the dramatic demographic shifts in old Europe and their portent for coming strife. Back then I said,

"The Muslim worldview (at least the more strident flavor which seems to be in effect in most Mid East nations) assumes there is a Supreme Being and that this being directs followers to spread the faith, by violent means, if necessary. People adhering to passive, "Live and let live" secularism simply have no ethical basis or spiritual strength to resist determined fanatics. Europe must return to the loving and powerful God of the Bible and the Great Commission zeal of the Lord Jesus Christ to forestall a dark future. "

Now, nearly a year hence, the darkness is upon France's doorstep and it grieves me greatly. Like other conservatives, I've occassionally joked about French passivity and double dealing. But I take no pleasure in the spectacle that is now unfolding across the pond. I pray this will spark a revival and return to the true God of the Universe by our Old World kin.

Dieu Protege La France!

Update: On the topic of radical Islam, Victor Davis Hansen once again nails it. Money quote:

"Meanwhile, Westerners far too rarely publicly denounce radical Islam for its sick, anti-Semitic, anti-female, anti-American, and anti-modernist rhetoric. "

You don't say? Denouncing radical Islam would require a moral standard against which to judge it and the moral strength to announce said judgment. We need to regain the moral clarity to call a spade a spade. But where can such moral vigor be found? Read the whole post.

I didn't until about a month ago.

Then, yesterday, I attended the Blogging Enterprise conference in Austin. It turns out that blogs and RSS syndication can be used in many ways to enhance communication within enterprises and between companies and customers. Furthermore, blogs can also punish organizations that stumble (ala CBS News or Kryptonite Bike Locks). Click here to read my full summary.

As you can see from the post below, the first Voice in the Wilderness co-blogger, Cindy Ellis, is on board. God willing, others will soon follow. I expect there to be a horde of people trying to get posting access after Cindy tells them all how fun it is.

This is the first of what I anticipate will be several changes that will increase the reach and ability of VitW to proclaim the Gospel and hold forth on the biblical worldview of culture, politics, public policy, media, theology, bioethics, geosecurity, counterterrorism, economics and partner dancing.

In other news, the new TV spot promoting the Texas Marriage Amendment is available here. You've got to "hand" it to them, it's a pretty powerful spot.

Finally, I've put all the resources I've developed so far on the Texas Marriage Amendment in at the top of the right nav bar.

This is still new to me in a lot of ways. Travis has invited me to post to this blog. It's kind flattering to know that someone wants to hear your views - and humbling to a degree. This is just a brief intro so you'll know who I am when you see my posts.

I grew up in a small town in rural Kansas - by small I mean 500 people - where most people are pretty conservative - and I include myself in that although I have the feeling I may be a little more moderate now than I was in my younger days. I have a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Kansas State University with a double major in advertising and public relations. I did a year of graduate school in advertising and some post-baccalaureate studies in education at UT.

After working at UT for several years in the Wasserman Library at the School of Public Affairs, and in the Registrar's Office, I left UT to work for the TX Higher Education Coordinating Board, which is where I've been for the last 6 years. I work with student loans and student loan repayment assistance programs. Because I was the first one in my family to get a college degree, I firmly believe that anyone who wants a college education should be able to get one.

I've started my own blog called "The Land of Awes (Oz) at http://aweslife.blogspot.com/ I figure that since I'm not in Kansas anymore (sans Toto), I must be in Oz. You'll find that my posts both here and on my own blog site will reflect my Judeo-Christian world view.

As an aside, I may be sporadic in posts for a while as I leave tomorrow (11/2) for a 2 week study tour in Israel, where I really will be in the wilderness part of the time. The study tour is led by Rob Harrell who is the Sr. Pastor at First Evangelical Free Church where I am a member.

I look forward to sharing with whoever else is out there, and getting your feed back as well.

Shalom for now!

Arguments Against the Texas Marriage Amendment are Poorly Worded

A common meme bouncing around the Texas blogosphere and media is the insinuation that proposition 2, the Texas Marriage Amendment, is “poorly worded” and would put traditional marriage itself in jeopardy. So, let’s have a look-see at the text of the amendment and see what this kerfuffle is really about (Click here to see the full amendment language).

" (a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.
(b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.”

Opponents say that section b is “poorly worded”; claiming the restriction on “legal status identical or similar to marriage” could invalidate all marriages in Texas. Attorney General Gregg Abbott is on record declaring, “In my legal judgment as Attorney General of the State of Texas, this argument is wholly without merit,” (click here for a full copy of his statement).

First, the Attorney General says state courts are bound by legislative intent and cites the legislative intent of proposition 2 to safe guard traditional marriage. Personally, I also have a hard time visualizing 100 Texas House and 21 Texas Senate Members, many of whom are practicing attorneys and social conservatives, voting for a resolution that would make Texas a big hippy commune.

Attorney General Abbott, who has successfully argued before the US Supreme Court, goes on to say

“The plain language of Proposition 2 does not reflect any intent to annul traditional marriage. …Traditional marriage – between ‘one man and one woman’ – is not ‘identical or similar to’ marriage; it is marriage.”

I believe the correct, legal term for this finding is “D’uh!”

Another way to look at this language is to consider identical twins, Tommy and Terry. They look the same and sound the same. However, they are two, separate beings and may, in fact, have very different ambitions, gifts, desires, experiences, beliefs, and values. Tommy is identical to Terry, but Tommy is not Terry.

Of course, all the talk about the amendment being “poorly worded” from Margot Clarke and other homosexual activists is just a ruse to confuse voters. Instead of engaging the issue head on and making a case for why legalizing alternative forms of marriage could be a good idea, prop. 2 opponents resort to contrived robocalls.

Though, I also suspect that those holding to the “poorly worded” stratagem are simply groping about for a compromise position that reconciles conflicting desires. On one hand, they want to appear open minded and tolerant to their liberal friends. On the other, they know legalizing alternative forms of marriage is a bad idea for many reasons. The “poorly worded” maneuver enables them to be both for and against prop. 2.