Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Biggest Lie in History



The Biggest Lie in History 
Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law Part 1
By Daniel Shultz

           

            The original sin of Adam and Eve was based on their false belief that they would not die if they disobeyed God.
But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Since this original sin so many people have fallen prey to the same sin: That if they merely assert their position of independence from God’s law that they will face no repercussions for their actions. In this sinful rebellion from God’s law man seeks to usurp God’s position of judge of what is right and wrong.

Monday, July 29, 2013

The Gospel and the Law.


When are we to preach the Gospel?
By Daniel Shultz

            The lack of a clear Gospel message has ruined many a church. From liberal mainline churches to modern mega churches the Gospel is getting less and less about the clear biblical truth that through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ our sins will be forgiven to some nebulous concept of a “relationship with God.” Whether it’s through a "special purpose" that God "gives us" or a focus on God’s love over His holiness, wrath, and justice the result is always the same, the Gospel gets lost. It goes away and with it goes any sense that the Christian can have of true peace.
      

Thursday, May 2, 2013

The Government and Freedom of Religion.


    The Pentagon has since put out a statement retracting the earlier statement about proselytization, but I feel that this article accurately describes the absurdity of making the proclamation of God's truth illegal in the United States.

            I awoke to the news on May 1st that if I continue to practice my religion in the military I could potentially be court-martialed for doing so. (read about it here) The news that pentagon officials are considering banning military member, including chaplains, from exercising their right to free practice of religion and free speech by banning so called “proselytization” has shaken me to my very core. The very fact that an American citizen might be barred from practicing a peaceful part of their religion is so abhorrent and anti-constitutional that it causes me to wonder just how far our country will fall into absolute idiocy before it gets a clue.
            The most famous settlers of the United States were the pilgrims; these religious refugees were fleeing persecution from the government-sanctioned Church of England. Theses persecutions included fines for not attending Government approved churches, imprisonment for leading alternative church services and in some cases execution for the leaders of illegal churches.
            When the founders of the United States wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to guarantee the freedom of every American Citizen they made sure to start out the Bill of Rights with the words “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. The persecution of those who disagreed with the government sanctions including the government sanctioned church was something that these men knew a lot about, they had even seen the destruction that a governmental church can wreak on liberty when it happened in North America. Including the persecution by the very churches that had fled England’s persecution, which had led to many states passing laws against such persecution apart from the Bill of Rights. The founders of our country were well aware of the problem of elevating one system of beliefs above that of another and how quickly it can lead to tyranny.
            It’s sad to see this fundamental part of our country’s history become so easily forgotten or purposely cast aside. I have no doubt in my mind that these new proposals banning “proselytization” are elevating one system of belief over another. The secular humanistic viewpoint has become the normative viewpoint for the government and this possible ban is exerting the authority of that system of beliefs above the beliefs of other religions.
            As a Protestant Evangelical Christian it is my solemn conviction that there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ, and that it is in him alone that man can be saved from their sins. Because of my strong convictions it has been and will be my desire to tell others about how God has offered forgiveness in Jesus Christ. I have served in the military for 5 years, had these rules been in place during those five years I could have been charged with a crime dozens if not close to a hundred times. Within the past three months had these rules been in place I could have been charged with at least six different instances of proselytization.
            This ban is a ban on the free exercise of my religion. In the New Testament Jesus himself commanded his disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations…” and he also said “repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His [Jesus] name to all nations…” It is my duty to my God to carry out his commands including the command to proclaim the good news of forgiveness of sins to the entire world. While serving in the military I have seen the need for people within the military to hear this good news, and because of this need I had been planning on staying in the military in order to carry out this tenet of my faith and showing my love for my fellow military members. With this new anti-legislation I am effectively made a criminal and the free practice of my religion is made into a criminal act violating the very principles on which this country was founded. I am put in a position in which I have to choose between violating the laws of my country and violating the laws of God.

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Our Gang: Norman 'Chubby' Chaney


Our Gang, Remembering Those Around Us.
By Daniel Shultz

            Norman Chaney, better known as Chubby a member of the Little Rascals’ Our Gang film shorts, died in 1936 at the age of 21 due to complications from surgery to correct the glandular ailment that caused his trademark childhood obesity. Before the surgery he had weighed over 300 lbs. while only growing to be 4’7” tall. For over 76 years Norman’s grave remained unmarked. Despite appearing in 19 Our Gang shorts Norman was paid relatively very little for his contributions to the film world and when he died his mother was too poor to afford to buy a headstone. 76 years later an online fundraising campaign purchased two headstones, one for Norman and one for his mother.
            This sad story ultimately has a satisfactory conclusion, but it isn’t hard to see that those who profited off of Norman and the other child actors of his day should have done something to honor him. The “Our Gang” shorts didn’t stop filming until 1944, after Norman had died and were helmed by the same man during their entire production.