Bought and Paid For: How Money Hijacks American Democracy

August 12, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

The question is simple: Should we allow our democratic process to be determined by money? Last month, I wrote about the hijacking of American democracy. One primary means this hijacking occurs is with money. Whether it be corporate dollars or powerful lobbies (often, these two go together), the power of money to influence elections is quite evident. In that post, I noted that AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is one of the most powerful lobbies in American politics. In... Read more

What if we loved our neighbors even when we disagree?

August 5, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

It is fundamental to the Christian worldview that all persons are made in the image of God and are beings of inherent value. Tragically, many Christians seem to conclude that if a person does not act or believe as they do, which is assumed is in accord with some divine will, they somehow lose that inherent value. This is nothing short of shameful. I am convinced that the “Image of God” includes the task, or the mission, of imitation. We... Read more

What if being Pro-Life begins with ourselves?

August 1, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

What if we could sit back and cry “foul” to all the things that we believe to be wrong, yet do so in such a way that we don’t actually have to do anything? Win-win! It is easy to sit back and complain about all the problems in the world. It is something else to get up and do something about them. Everything would be better if everyone else would get their acts together and be like me! But what... Read more

The victors write history: Have we also been duped?

July 29, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

At the close of this post, I will raise several questions. Among them is, “Could it be that the US’ “endless wars” of the past several decades have not been about our national security as much as they have been about furthering the objectives of the military-industrial complex? The victors write history This might be an obvious statement, but I suspect that most people don’t consider this. My experience is that most Americans think of history as history. What we... Read more

Fantasy Football & the Bible Drafting the Best Understanding

July 25, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

So, it is that time of year for those who play fantasy football. Over the next month, we will listen to podcasts, scour the internet, and peruse all sorts of Fantasy Football resources in preparation for the day! The day is, of course, the day of our fantasy football draft. What if I were to say that we should read our Bibles like we were preparing for a fantasy football draft? In the league I play in, we no longer... Read more

Will it be a terrible day for the US? We must demand peace!

July 24, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

By now, you are well aware that on October 7, 2023, Israel endured its worst attack since the holocaust. As a response, Israel began what many knew then was going to be a devastating response. Many voiced support for Israel’s response. After all, they have the right to defend themselves. They must eliminate Hamas so that there will never be another October 7. I expressed concern that Israel’s response would exceed reason in that first week. I stated then that... Read more

How Propaganda is Destroying America’s Democracy; part 2

July 18, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

Did you know that on June 23, 2024 (the Eastern Orthodox Pentecost Sunday), on a beach in Sebastopol, Russia, US cluster bombs killed 4 civilians (including 2 children) and injured hundreds? It should be noted at the outset that cluster bombs are considered some of the most brutal weapons ever invented in modern warfare. They were outlawed at the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Cluster bombs explode in the air and release large numbers of “bomblets,” spraying an entire area,... Read more

What happened to American democracy?

July 11, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil . . .” (1 Tim 6:10). Sure, America is a democracy. However, over the next several posts I would like to suggest that it isn’t as rosy as we might believe. It is commonly believed that American democracy is the best form of government and that America has a responsibility to spread democracy to the world. This conviction is so ingrained in our society that one is... Read more

Isr-Gaza: All is not quiet on the western front; it’s worse

July 8, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

Time seems to have lulled us into a state of apathy or complacency. Some of us have seen the horrors of what is taking place in Gaza, and we have had to turn away. Others have tuned it out altogether. But we cannot do so. People are dying. I don’t care for a minute if you are pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian. War is not good for anyone. Except for those in power! NB: Beginning this week (July 11, 2024, 5:00 PST/8:00... Read more

Two kids a day is two too many: Understanding Isr-Pal #2

July 1, 2024 By Rob Dalrymple

I have pleaded throughout the past 9+ mos that we endeavor to view the war on Gaza from the perspective of innocent women and children—be they Israelis or Palestinians. The death of one child, one young person, one grandmother, one father, or one sister is too many. In my last post, I began to ask: “Why don’t we look at this war from the perspective of the oppressed?” Over the course of several posts, I intend to point out that... Read more