Ground Shattering In God We Trust Religious Liberty vs Nihilism

There are law enforcement agencies on local levels throughout the United States of America who are increasingly choosing to post "In God We Trust" on their vehicles via decals.  Other venues are also being employed to visually declare allegiance and through who's authority and power we owe all our happiness and life's pursuits.  Many choose to be offended by this and continue to inflict legal action.  However, at the core it is un-American to make this a legal issue or even to legislate against someone using their judgement to recognize that Higher Power.  Not just law enforcement but public officials are also heeding the internal cries of our Forefathers and recognizing that Power this country was literally built upon.

Hear and read this:

To be offended is a choice.  It is not possible to have this condition inflicted upon you.  It is a choice.  Therefore,  to be offended is an inner problem and not external.

"In God We Trust" is charged with breaching the separation of church and state.  However, this is not the case.  I know it because our Founding Fathers have said it.  There are scores of quotes from noted George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and even the controversial James Madison encouraging the acknowledgement of God in all things especially where government is concerned.

May I offer a quote from George Washington:

"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

Because "to be offended" is a self-reflective decision I don't want to delve too deep into how proclaiming the belief in God does not establish for the state a religion.  Nothing I say will convince the offended otherwise.  What I will say is a comment that piggybacks on the highly important quote from Thomas Jefferson.  Referring to the Virginia Act of Religious Freedom he states:

“Where the preamble declares, that coercion is a departure from the plan of the holy author of our religion, an amendment was proposed, by inserting the word “Jesus Christ” so that it should read, “a departure from the plan of Jesus Christ, the holy author of our religion”; the insertion was rejected by a great majority, in proof that they meant to comprehend, within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Gentile, the Christian and the Mohometan, the Hindoo, and Infidel of every denomination.”

What this epic quote tells us is that even the authors of our most revered national documents intended to impress upon the people, and their ongoing posterity, the importance of recognizing God. Yet, they took steps to not capsulize who God was. This is key!! They knew it was important for the pursuit of happiness, the continuing order of a people and the humility of a liberty-given people to be anchored in that Higher Power - however you believe that Higher Power to be! You can believe God to be spirit. You can believe God to be corporeal. You can believe in the Trinity. You can believe in three separate and distinct members of the Godhead. You can believe that God is blue (yes, this is an established belief especially in south Asia). You can be more modern and believe that God is a flower or even a shoe. Our Founders did not force a given outline of who God was. That was inspired so as to ensure true liberty for all Americans to worship as they see fit.

Since I love George Washington let me offer another quote of his from 1782 to a protestant church in Kingston:

“Convinced that our Religious Liberties were as essential as our Civil my endeavors have never been wanting to encourage and promote the one, while I have been contending for the other…”

I will say this though you may never see it ever as plainly as I will state here.  I say this being an avid student of the Founding Fathers of the United States.  

It is my belief that you cannot truly effectively govern in this country, as was intended by our Fathers, without a basic principle belief in something greater than you - something to whom you are accountable to.  

That statement alone should draw some ire but I stand by it.

In my observations of government, and the men and women who've held posts within, it is evident that without this basic ideal to live by it is next to impossible to govern a people equally.  When your accountability only goes as far as the nameplate on your door it is inevitable that temporal or carnal agendas will intercede in the discharge of your authority and power.  You will begin to not see "the people", but instead live your days as a respecter of persons.  That's just the way it is.  Period.

What manner of man ought we to be?  As Americans, what principles should we live by?  Many things have come into play that have brought our people into a state of apathy and nihilism.  No longer do we burden ourselves with the "good of the people."  Instead and often for favor of voting blocks, we succor and diaper select groups.  Little by little, when the majority becomes disenfranchised chaos and disorder ensues.  From within we cleft and divide often with harsh and bitter walls.  

When this happens the silent yet powerful shame occurs:  The value of life is diminished.  

People begin to focus on personal agendas, entitlements and the things that make them "offended."  They seek not for hard work unto happiness.  In fact, they see no benefit in work at all.  They forsake all effort in accountability and a belief in God - hence the plague of any people called nihilism.  

"In God We Trust" draws contention from those hearts that have been divinely touched by that statement, but will not acknowledge or admit to it.  Were it not so there would be no contention.  In this simple phrase breathes the living outreach of our Founding Fathers.  In this simple phrase lives the secret to happiness - that being religious liberty.  

I offer you another quote from me that will also harden hearts against me.

Liberty is not a right nor is it something you are entitled to.  Liberty cannot be legislated but can be trampled.  Liberty is a privileged path toward happiness.  Liberties are the venues and bounds given for a people to experience wider fields of choices - as they begin to view on our trek.  Liberty is the most powerful gift to ensure personal and family happiness, yet is the most fragile unto utter loss when broken.

Liberty is what dusts us when the banner waves.  It cannot be seen, yet is true and real nonetheless.  It values and magnifies life in all its stages.  Hence, when a people flirt with nihilism we forsake liberty.  When we forsake liberty - amen to the people.

Instead of shunning the proclamation of "In God We Trust", let us first look inward at why we may be offended.  Change comes from within first before we can have a hope of it changing a people.  However, when we try to change a people when we personally feel no accountability toward something greater we surely cause harm to that people and nation.

This is all food for thought and I challenge anyone who may be offended to first look inward at what may be wrong.  The golden rule I live by is that when you point the finger, there is always three pointed back at you.

Campaign of Conscience Shenandoah Iowa 2015 Let the Water Flow

Few know the relationship between an elected official and the constituent.  That relationship starts when the elected official is the candidate and the constituent is the voter.  The connection goes much deeper than marking the box and, with enough marked boxes, a term of office gets to be served.  People tend not to trust government whether local, state or federal.  Federal I can understand.  State I can even understand.  However, you should at least be able to trust your local officials.  You should know them - you voted for them.  This article will examine this God-ordained relationship between the people and those whom they've elected to make decisions that affect the entire community.

Do you know how many questions I was asked about politics or local issues during my first term campaign for Councilman at Large?  Absolutely none!  I will grant you that this may be, in part, due to the small population in comparison to the larger metro areas like Omaha or Des Moines.  Issues are everything there and seldom are the fond small town feelings that people may have one with another.  I will also grant you another truth.  I was uncontested in my first election.  This had saved me the humiliation at the time of being smeared and mocked.  Still, not one question asked.

Not many people know me in person but know me in name.  I highly advocate a non-public life for myself, but when I am public it is due to a compelling of the heart and conscience to make a difference.  This outreach of mine into the community and world over the past 15 years has earned a moderate degree of trust in my judgement.  This trust of the people is something I treasure and I draw upon that strength to foster informed decisions in this elected post.

In truth I prefer to be a recluse.  Anxiety plagues me to great extents.  When I do reach out into the community I do so because I am compelled to do it.  I've tried to live by the edict that if your conscience tells you to do something then you better do it.

I bring all this up because there are deep issues affecting the city of Shenandoah.  There are issues in every community but obviously my concern is with this one.  Distrust will always be on the rise with controversial issues and that's to be expected.  We have a new multi-million dollar water plant being constructed, and there are serious issues that have slowed progress.  This has led many to question the judgement of the City Council and even the contractors.  Again, to be expected, yet how to heal is my direction.

I would ask taxpayers all across the fruited plains of the United States of America just one favor to consider.  You always have the right and responsibility to question with boldness.  That doesn't mean to be contentious but rather question - in clear and resolute language.  It is your hard-earned tax dollars and you have the right to know how it is being spent.  Yet, I would ask for a degree of reservation in judging how your elected officials vote on any issue in your community.  Right now you are looking at this with your head kinked and thinking, "huh."  Grant me this opportunity to explain what I mean.  This will expand on the relationship between the elected and the constituents.

Why do we elect people?  To what are we electing them?  Is it to just fill a post that the government says needs to be filled?  These are serious questions we should all ask ourselves.  We should be electing the willing to office that they may discern information and make good decisions for the greater good.  Content to be discerned includes information that is not readily available or known by the public.  The media can only report so much, but how an official makes a decision in the end depends highly on information gathered outside Council chambers.  Its not hidden information but rather bits here and there that help form judgement.

Serving on the City Council  involves much more than showing up at the public Council meetings.  I'm not sure about other communities but here each Council member is assigned as a liaison to multiple boards and commissions.  This provides continuity to the fabric of the community.  This is where the meat of issues is brought up and tendered.  This is where old subjects are discussed and new ideas are born.  It is also here that the magic of the official/voter relationship lies.  This is where you, as a taxpaying voter, place your faith and trust in your official that discernment will be used to form a good decision.

It is never fun to see decisions made for your community that you view as incorrect.  Harsh feelings tend to be fostered and the disconnect widens.  Likewise, it is also not fun as an elected official to make decisions that you know many will not like.  The one eternal fact of life as an elected official is that it is impossible to please everyone and it is irresponsible and unproductive to try.  The votes sustain that the people trust you to use your good conscience to form decisions that affect the whole.

I would remind elected officials everywhere to discipline themselves and govern worthy of that trust.  Govern with a true conscience devoted to the people in whom you provide selfless service.  On the balance side of the spectrum I would hope to remind the people to question their representatives with boldness.  Yet, anticipate an answer agreeable with the fact that you may not have information that you've placed in the trust of your elected official.

There is a huge responsibility on both sides of the balance that all may be edified in their prosperity.  Your vote is an outward expression of faith and trust in the candidate's conscience and ability to discern information.

For three years I've been adamant of not running for reelection.  However, in counsel with scripture my conscience compels me to run again.  My campaign is a "Campaign of Conscience."  With difficult decisions made and yet to be made in Shenandoah, right now is an opportunity to remind and instruct all of us of what our Founding Fathers intended for our Republic.

I would ask all voters to revive your faith in your conscience at the time you marked the box.  I would ask all elected officials to draw from that faith that you may be sustained with a sound conscience commensurate with your discernment of important information.

This, I believe, is the magic of America - learning to live in order, while expanding and magnifying our liberty to pursue happiness.

Mine is a Campaign of Conscience - Let the Water Flow!

Increase Signal Strength Bars

Most of us use electronic devices whether Smartphones, Ipods or whatever.  These require an invisible signal strength which we sometimes aimlessly wander around the house or community searching for more signal strength bars.  Yet, in our oblivious pursuit for signal strength in order to be globally connected is our attention misguided?

With that last sentence I've already lost 80% of you at best.  That's fine.  Me don't care.  I do, however, care about those few who are humble enough right here, right now, to receive this little message.  I was in receipt of a quote today that was rather profound for all to hear.

"Too often we are concerned about the signal strength of our electronic devices rather than the signal strength we are receiving from the Holy Ghost."

I'll make this post as brief as possible so all who read this can quickly disregard it and get back to your lives.  Not too many years ago we didn't have Internet-ready phones.  Not long before that we didn't have convenient cell phones.  Before that not many satellite phones.  During that time landlines that had the all-too-fun for kids curly cord in the home prevailed.  Before that there was the huge box wall phone that had a speaker you held to your ear that had a not-so-fun straight cord and you talked into a hole in that box.  Before that was probably telegram and Morse Code.  It continues on back with more simple and archaic forms of communication.  Still, the disbelief of our time is that not long ago we were not hopelessly addicted to our electronic device.

Now, how many of us are so consumed with our attention being on that of everyday life?  Are we too concerned about how people view us on Facebook and adjust our posts accordingly?  Do we blog or tweet on Twitter stupid and useless information all to uphold a face to people that we have a life?  Are we not in such a hurry to access the latest world news so that our cup of despair can be regularly filled with doom and gloom and hopelessness in the world?  In essence, are we not consciously or unconsciously eroding our very foundation of our integrity and who we ought to be?  Duh, for most of us there can be only one answer - yes!

Let us use logic and reason as so many people today claim for their own advanced humanity.  You've engulfed your entire belief and faith in that which you do not physically see.  You know it exists because you are able to be satisfied with the lollipop of information and useless communication, and because you see how many bars or signal strength you have.  It's called Wi-Fi!  Along with this modern marvel vast increased numbers claim that there is no God or Supreme Power.  Yet, if you know anything of what the faithful claim about the Holy Ghost you would know that it is something not physically seen yet, if you're humble, can govern your actions and thoughts accordingly unto a daily and lasting happiness.  In comparison, the more humble and teachable you are the more spiritual bars you have.  Thus your foundation of who you are, your happiness in your daily interaction with people, the quality of your communication, and your assured knowledge of a Supreme Power shores up and firms your foundation of integrity.

I do not post this in vain.  I am also on Facebook, Twitter, maintain this blog and seek after world news via electronic means.  However, acknowledging my own fault is the first step in tempering and balancing it.  Being teachable and tearing down the walls of false pride is the first steps to discerning what decisions are right and which are wrong.

Don't be ignorant and stupid in proclaiming there is no God just because you can't see Him.  You can't see your Wi-Fi signal strength except by the number of bars you have.  How can one possibly discount higher forms of signals from something greater than we ourselves?

Reflect on your own lives and purposely discipline yourself by shutting off those electronic devices every now and then.  Get out and physically contribute to the world around you.  Provide selfless service and seek to gain 5 bars of excellent signal strength that'll make you happier than all the apps in the world. :)