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The Biblical Examiner
An Examination of Biblical Precepts Involved in Issues at Hand

April, 2002, part three

[This issue is a some later than the s-mail copy. Between the s-mail and this posting or e-mailing, we have made two 600 mile tripes to VA from IN with Rider trucks. They were long trips, and we will detail them in the next mailing. Anyway, we are moved, and now are trying to play catch up on our web activities.]

As usual, the following (4-02) is more than I can place in one file, so it is split up into several files.

PART ONE
Last issue
Dedication
Character First, a personal account
A Letter
Misplaced Christian Allegiance

PART TWO
AntiChrist Messianic Judaism
What is Messianic Judaism
55 Ways you can help Israel
Missionary David Livingstone, the secret of his success
The Undressing of America
Good as Gold: Biblical money in a modern world

PART THREE
HomeSchooler

HOMESCHOOLER

Articles by Dr. Paul Cates, unless otherwise noted.

TAKE NOTE

Have you felt like giving up lately? A growing number of pastors and Christian educators have been writing to me in recent months telling of their concern for folks who are simply giving up, including themselves. One pastor called and said, ''I see my people trying so hard to cope with problems in their marriages and pressures in their personal lives. Just when it seems victory is within reach, they stumble and fall. Good, honest Christians are so often overwhelmed by guilt and condemnation it causes despair. And when they can't live up to their own expectations - when they fall back into sin and get involved - they decide to give up. Few know how to pull out of a moral tailspin."

Positive thinking won't make their problems go away. The cup of pain, the hour of isolation, and the night of confusion were all part of the Master's lifestyle. Paul said, "For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened" (2 Corinthians 5:4). I doubt we could even count the great numbers of Christians who groan in secret because of the burdens they carry. If you pulled back the facade from every great preacher and every admired personality, you would find moments of deep depression. Doubt creeps in and Satan whispers, "Nothing works. Faith in God doesn't produce results."

Every Christian on this planet reaches that crisis point at one time or another in life. David, overwhelmed by the evil in his heart, cried out, "Awake, why steepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off forever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression." (Psalm 44:23, 24)

Christian - does it amaze you that great men of old faced the same battles you and I face today? The Bible says, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings', that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (I Peter 4:12, 13)

The first absolute is - God really loves me (You)...... and one of them (sparrow) shall not fall to the ground without your Father." (Matt. 10:29) The second absolute is - It is my Faith that pleases Him the Most. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Hebrews 11:6). The Bible says,"Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness" (Romans 4:3).

What do I do when temptation rolls over me like a flood? When my inadequacies overwhelm me and I see the reflections of my weaknesses? Give up? Quit? Never! I bring to God all I've got left faith in Him! I may not understand why He seems to take such a long time to intervene, but I know He will. He will keep His word to me.

I am convinced Satan wants to rob you and me of our one thing - faith. He really doesn't want our morals or our good deeds or our dreams. He wants to destroy our faith and make us believe God has forsaken this earth.

He loves us and wants to have us keep on trusting. So we will accept that love and keep our faith strong. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee" (Isaiah 26:3)

P
raise The Lord! One Judge ...

CONTROLLING JUVENILE CRIME

Arrested after assaulting an elderly woman and stealing her handbag, the 16year-old Maryland youth appeared before the judge of the juvenile court expecting the customary lecture and perhaps a light probationary sentence. The smirking youth got a jolting surprise. Instead of getting off lightly, the 16-year-old was sentenced to spend three weeks in the county's adult detention center where common criminals are confined.

The sentence was handed down by Judge Vincent Femia of the Prince George's County Circuit Court. He has been sending juvenile offenders to jail as a lesson. And the lesson seems to be making an impression on many of the errant youngsters.

The 16-year-old purse-snatcher, for example, had spent only one of his three weeks in jail when he wrote Judge Femia a letter begging for "mercy" and promising that if released, he would, in his words, "work seven days a week and go to school at nights." The youth told the judge that "after six days and nights I am about to go crazy. I could cry - if I had ever known this was going to happen I would not (have committed the assault)."

As might be expected, some of the Maryland county's civil rights champions have denounced Judge Femia's sentences as too severe. But Femia is standing his ground. In fact, he has served notice that juvenile violators from eleven to eighteen years of age will be sentenced for up to 30 days depending on the seriousness of the crime for which they have been convicted.

Judge Femia says he is determined to correct what he calls "the carnival atmosphere of the Juvenile Court and juvenile justice in general." "Somebody," says the Judoe. "has got to establish the fact and get the word out that juveniles cannot gel away with criminal conduct. And that's my job. If I have to be the community ogre, so be it." Femia says he's ordering the jail terms only for youths he thinks will benefit from "shock treatment." In any case, he felt something had to be done, however unorthodox.

Prison is not the only penalty meted out to the juvenile offenders. In one recent case, Judge Femia offered a 17-year-old who was charged with lying to a police officer a choice between seven days in jail or live strokes of a belt from his father. The youth chose the latter punishment. And Judoe Femia stood outside the room to make sure the five belt licks were administered. With juveniles now committing a majority of many serious crimes in America, Judge Femia's exam le appears deserving of a fair trial.

In Defense of Home Schooling

By Cheryl Son
23618 - 124th PI
Trevor, Wisconsin 53179

My heart is still pumping very loudly after reading the article in the Chicago Tribune's "Parade." I couldn't believe my eyes.

Could this intelligent writer be so biased that her clear thinking is blurred? Marilyn vos Savant of the "Parade" is listed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" Hall of Fame for "Highest IQ." She knows nothing about me, yet she thinks she can write about the intelligence of my home schooling my children.

I understand that most people don't understand. I have never wanted to defend my position or reasoning for my decision. I am still in the process of formulating my philosophies of home schooling. Whether to test or not to test. What style of learning is best for my child. Whether to grade or not to grade. What curriculum to teach.

The questions are endless. And that's only the questions in my own head. Then my parents and in-laws start the questions. Other family members don't know whether to commend my efforts or to condemn my stupidity. Then outsiders begin asking questions. Not only do they ask me if I am hindering my child's social outcome, they also direct questions to my 5-year-old son: Shouldn't you be in school? It's so nauseating! So here I am, doing what I didn't want to do. Trying to explain to folks why I decided to home school.

Miss Savant in her article questioned the motives of the parents who are teaching their children in home school. Half the world would not be reaching their potential because they are wasting their time teaching their own children. What kind of logic is that?! I am wasting my potential by spending time with our kids!

I am beyond irritation at the media's bias. I am laughing now at the thought of her ignorance. This highly respected person has no clue. She has no clue that God has been taken out of our schools, and that is the motivation of most home-schoolers I know. I want what is best for my child. I am no different than any other parent in that respect. I just know the answer to that question: What is best for my child'?

God is what is best. And that means that I home school because my children would get Anti-God at public school. My children will never be confused about whether the world was created by God as taught in their Sunday School on Sunday AND on Monday through Friday in home school. They would never find that in the public school system.

My husband and I have developed a strong conservative home where God is involved in every aspect. That includes school. I think the most memorable part of my day is that the beginning of each day we pray. My kids at 5 and 3 don't pray the "Now I lay me down to sleep" prayer or the "God is great. God is good" lunch prayer.

They know who President Bush is, and they pray for him and the wisdom he needs on a daily basis. They pray for Baby Melody, a preemie baby in the Green Bay, Wisconsin area. They know that the Olympics are ending tonight (Sunday. February 24). That means they can mark that off as answered prayers. They have been praying for the safety of the athletes, that God will get the honor and the glory from the city of Salt Lake City, where religion is big, but God is not there. THAT is precious in God's eves as well as this mommy's heart. I thank God every day that He has given us this opportunity.

To Miss Savant, I say my potential is being challenged every day. Home schooling is not a cake walk. It is hard work. I am glad God called me to this mission field. He challenges my faith every day. I have to be on my spiritual toes every day because my children's destiny is at stake: I am with them 24/7. When they see me slip, it makes them question why they should become Christians. Most days I am overwhelmed. But God shows me one step to take at a time, and we end up with a good home school day, most days.

(Editor's note by Thomas Williamson: If home schooling parents are wasting their potential by staying at home to teach their children, as Miss Savant says, and could be more productive doing something else, then what about all the teachers and administrators in our government schools?

Are they not also wasting their potential, and could they not find something better to do with their lives, than to spend their time teaching children the principles of atheistic secular humanism, evolution, safe sex, how to use condoms, suicide education, gay and lesbian studies and the other rubbish that is promoted in many government schools nowadays?

If government schools were closed down, it would free up these folks to do something better with their lives. Then we could educate our children in private schools or at home, just like when our country was founded, before the government schools were invented.

James Dobson and Pat Buchanan are urging parents in California to withdraw their children from the public schools there, to spare them from the homosexual brainwashing in those schools. A mind is a terrible thing to waste - our kids need to be studying reading, writing and arithmetic, not sodomite propaganda.

One other thing - a lot of the folks who are "pro-choice" on abortion are "anti-choice" when it comes to the matter of how we educate our kids after they are born. They believe we have the right to kill our children, but not to home-school them.)

What Is Freedom?
What Is Bondage?

''Freedom is a debt we owe our children, left unpaid, this indebtedness can only result in bondage.''

What Is Freedom?

1 . Freedom is the parental right to keep your children in the home until they are at least 5 years of age (When both parents must work, parents still retain the right to choose where their children will stay, without governmental intervention.)

2. Freedom is the right to discipline your preschool children as you feel best, both in the home, and through a "substitute parent" during the time both parents are at work when absolutely necessary. (Does your state already dictate that babysitters or child care workers may not employ any type of spanking or hand slapping, even with the parent's permission?)

3. Freedom is the right to teach your children good moral values, with you retaining the right to instruct your children in what is "good" and what is "moral".

4. Freedom includes the parental authority to make decisions for your children, with this right surpassing your children's rights to decide how to behave.

5. Freedom is the right to choose what religious beliefs should and should not be taught to your children.

What Is Bondage?

Bondage is the opposite of freedom. Could parents ever lose the above mentioned rights? Is the groundwork already being prepared to fake away some or all of these freedoms? Don't you owe it to your children to find out?

Have we ever, in a civilized society given to one person (the mother) the complete legal right to kill another (the baby) in order to solve that first person's personal problem?

The U. S. Supreme Court has excluded an entire age group of humans from legal personhood and with it their right to life.

They used as partial justification for allowing this killing, the argument that the unborn is not yet capable of "meaningful life," were not "persons in the whole sense." (Roe V. Wade). It is no coincidence that euthanasia is being recommended for those who no longer have "meaningful existence."

How long will it be before other groups of humans will be defined out of legal existence when it has been decided that they too have become socially burdensome?

SENIOR CITIZENS BEWARE
MINORITY RACES BEWARE
CRIPPLED CHILDREN BEWARE

Once the decision has been made that all human life is no longer an unalienable right, but that some can be killed because they are a social burden, then the senile, the weak, the physically and mentally inadequate and perhaps someday even me politically troublesome are in danger.

It did happen once before last century you know. Remember Germany?

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