Ron Paul’s Endorsements

(Video is 4:20 long. Click video to play)

Ron Paul at the All American Debate

If you are wondering who this Ron Paul guy is, if you are wondering why he deserves your support and your vote for President, I’m not sure I can point you in a better direction than his performance at last night’s All American Presidential Forum debate on PBS.  (Though reading this and this would be great, too.)

This had to be the most well run, informative, and interesting debate to date — and Ron Paul put in his best performance. He proved much more knowledgeable than all the other candidates, he was passionate yet level-headed, well-spoken, and — most of all — he was right, time and time again on a wide variety of issues.  (For a decent review of the debate at large, see this Baltimore Sun article.)

Here are the clips of Ron Paul at the debate. (Warning:  the soundtrack is slightly off-time with the video feed and is poorly edited in many respects, which is annoying.  My recommendation is that you click play and then listen to it in the background. UPDATE:  I’ve replaced the original videos I posted here with a much better version.  The  soundtrack is still off, but this one is more cleanly edited and includes many of the questions for context.)

B(l)ogged Down

I’ve blogged, more or less, for three years now.  I’ve learned during this time that there are three critical elements needed for blogging — of any sort or quality — to even happen:  One must 1) have time, 2) possess energy, and 3) give a damn.  Often two of these are related; i.e.  to blog,  one must #3 to #2.  And certainly, if one lacks #1 and #2, he must have a lot of #3 to find ways to overcome these other areas.  But most often, when blogging just isn’t happening much, it’s b/c #1 and #2 trump #3.

Don’t ask me what my excuse is right now — it differs day by day and hour by hour.

Sign the Ron Paul Registry

Please join me in demonstrating that the growing support for the lone constitutionalist running for president — Ron Paul — is real, by signing the Ron Paul Registry.  I’m #4978.

Ron Paul at the “Values Voters” Debate

I still lack time to blog as normal, but I thought I’d post this YouTube video of Ron Paul’s closing statement at the Values Voter Presidential Debate that was held Monday.  His four minute summary of his governing philosophy to a heavily Religious Right audience was near perfect (save for the closing sentence — he needs to work on anticipating his closing better as he runs out of time):

(Video is 4:13 long. Click video to play)

For further reading, I recommend my past posts:

• ‘Will Ron Paul Be the Candidate of the Christian Right?’
• How the Christian Faith of Ron Paul Informs His Politics

A Redistributionist Plan I Can Support

Here’s a cool note from the Yankees-Blue Jays game last night:

New York’s Johnny Damon provided a light moment in the sixth, retiring Rios on a fly ball for the final out, then giving the ball to a fan seated in the front row in left. The fan responded by giving Damon a $20 bill. Damon took the money, ran further down the line, then handed the bill to a young child.  

It’s Not How Much *I* Love God…

One difference between popular Roman Catholic practice and the Reformation is that the former believes (whatever way you want to mix it up with other things) that we get to heaven based on how much *we* love God. The latter understands that we get to heaven based on how much *God* loves us. And He loves us because He loves us, period.

That said, I also believe that there are myriads of Roman Catholics who will be rejoicing with me in heaven, because God is merciful. Otherwise, I would have no hope of being there.

(original context)

Ron Paul, Ron Paul!

This just in: Frank Sinatra endorses Ron Paul! 

Well, maybe not really (he’s in no condition to do so, after all) — but a Sinatra tribute singer does, and has shown his enthusiasm for the one constitutionalist in the campaign with this fun song.  (Okay, it is a bit corny, but it made me smile — I hope it does you, too):

(Video is 3:15 long. Click video to play)

Bonomo on Un-Catholic Baptists

It is likely to be a few more weeks before I am able to get back to my normal blogging practices, so I apologize again to my readers.  In the meantime, I am pleased to post the following “guest blog” from my friend and brother in the Lord, Jonathan Bonomo, who originally posted his thoughts as a comment in the context of this thread over at Green Baggins.  (NOTE: I have just posted an update and clarification of intent from Jonathan at the beginning of his article.  I would merely like to add an “Amen!” to his additional thoughts.)

First, as way of introduction, like Jonathan, I spent many good years as a Christian as a member of a “Reformed” Baptist congregation.  One of the issues that ultimately led me to reexamine my credobaptist-only convictions was my growing study and concern for the catholicity of the church.  As Jonathan strongly hints at in his article here, Baptist ecclesiology is inherently anti-creedal — which will perplex my Baptist brothers who do recite the Creeds as part of their regular liturgy.  Nevertheless, Baptist and congregational polity denies any real authority beyond the local congregation, and I was struck by the impossibility of any real catholic unity nor formulation of say, the Nicene Creed — so critical to defining the bounds of orthodoxy — if this form of ecclesiology had ever held sway the first 1600 years of Christendom.  (Indeed, as Jonathan writes, the Baptistic system — which is held by all denominations and independent churches that deny paedobaptism — is in important aspects, just the polar opposite error of Roman Catholicism.)  Read the rest of this entry »

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