C3 Report: Volume 3 Issue V (May 2010)
Contents:
- May C3 Lunch Meetings
- Activities or Actions Worth Pursuing (Selected)
- Recommendations on the Five Statewide Propositions
- “Politics and the Nature of Man” Good News Etc. Article for May
- Minute Ministry Tip #2
- General Interest: Book Read In April
- Information – Assistance Offer
- Contact information
A warm welcome to new subscribers to the C3 Report: Jonathan, Marie, Lynn, Inki, Don, Erin, Sherry, Jeff and John.
May C3 Lunch Meetings:
- 25th of May (Tuesday) -
- 27th of May (Thursday) -
Activities or Actions Worth Pursuing (Selected)
20 May: Mission Valley Christian Fellowship. All are invited to attend a “Citizens of the Book Salt & Light Ministry” review of the candidates and propositions on the June ballot. Forum begins at 6:30 p.m. at 4698 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite A, San Diego 92120.
21 May: Christian Executive Officers (CEO) Breakfast. Pastor Brian Hendry from Zion Christian Fellowship will be speaking on "Godly justice and the current status of the Judicial system”. Go to www.christianexecutiveofficers.com or rsvp at: 619.463.2745 or e-mail rsvp@christianexecutiveofficers.com for this important presentation. Breakfast will be at the Handlery Hotel, 959 Hotel Circle North in Mission Valley beginning at 7:00 a.m.
24 May: San Diego Superior Court Judges Forum. Rancho Del Rey Church in San Marcos (1740 La Costa Meadows Drive, Suite 200) is holding a Judges Forum beginning at 7:00 p.m. This is a critical event to get to know the candidates for the four contested San Diego county Superior Court seats. Contact Christopher White for more information (760.547.4885)
24 May: Last day to register to vote in the 8 June Primary!
8 June: Election day for those that do not vote by absentee ballots. Typically only half as many vote during the Primary as vote during the General Election. Let’s change that.
16 June: Closing arguments are to be made before Judge Walker in the Proposition 8 battle. Continue to pray for a just ruling, and seriously consider donating to support the Prop 8 legal defense team by going to: www.protectmarriage.com
20-21 July; 21-22 September. WallBuilders Congressional Pastors’ Briefings in Washington D.C.
Now: Family Values Voter Guide. Available for view or printing at http://www.familyvoterinfo.org
Now: “CPEDG” Invite. I conduct a small “Cultural and Political Engagement Discussion Group” at Grace Bible Church the 1st & 3rd Saturdays at 0900 am, and the 2nd & 4th Sundays at 12:15 pm. If you’d like to attend, contact me (frankkacer@hotmail.com) for information on approach and content
Local Tea Parties: For East County Tea Party time and place, go to http://www.eastcountyteaparty.org. For Ramona Tea’d time, place and topics go to http://www.ramonatead.com/
Recommendations on the Five Statewide Propositions
If you would like this information to be sent separately to you, just request it.
Kacer’s Call
(8 June 2010 California
General Guidelines - How I approach Propositions (Do’s & Don’ts):
- Do: First read the Summary, Analysis, Actual Text, then the Arguments for and against
- Do: Ask yourself if this is a proper role of government
- Do: Ask yourself if this is the right thing to do, who it benefits, and the consequences
- Do: Determine what principles apply (Biblical, conservative, practical)
- Do: Apply common sense; come to tentative conclusion – find position of those I trust
- Don’t: Rely upon organizations by name only (many sound good but are deceptive)
- Don’t: Wait until the last day to do your research (spread it out over time)
- Don’t: Support government going into future debt (some rare exceptions)
- Don’t: Allow rare circumstances to overly influence you (“rare cases make bad law”)
- Don’t: Support anything that’s too complex to completely understand (obfuscation)
Note: “(C)” following Proposition Number indicates a State Constitution change; (S) a Statute change
Prop 13 (C): Property Tax – New Construction Exclusion: Seismic Retrofitting – Support (Yes)
Concerns: None foreseen at this time
Consider: Restrains government from arbitrarily changing earthquake retrofit requirements to allow re-assessments solely for revenue generation purposes. Safety is a valid governmental concern and should not entail penalty (taxation) when required (Rom 13:3-4)
Prop 14 (S): Top Two Candidate Open Primary Act – Oppose (No)
Concerns: Allows all voters to vote for ANY congressional and state elective office in Primary. Candidates must reach entire electorate (costly); political conventions will be needed to select, endorse & promote party favorites to membership. Special interests will still influence front runners (ads, mailings, precinct ops). No-Party (or preference) designation will obscure what candidate stands for & remove party alignment (Prov 14:8). 3rd Party candidates & write-ins removed from General election, guarantees major party candidates unopposed (no protest vote other than not voting)
Consider: Anyone can vote for any candidate now (register with party of choice). Increased participation is doubtful. Minority voice removed from General election (Prov 18:17). No write-in candidates allowed (Prov 28:12). Primary will benefit less fragmented political party (fewer competing candidates equals less fragmentation). Who does this initiative benefit?
Prop 15: (S) California
Concerns: Makes current campaign/election laws even more burdensome & complicated. Favors incumbents (incumbent success high already; campaign full time not fund-raise; use office visibility). Funding work-a-rounds still possible (attack issues only; massive funds at end of campaign (no time to adjust)). Will not remove influence on non-participants. Taxes legitimate lobbyists (charities). Allows legislature to apply to all elections. Removes use of donor visibility to see who candidate is beholding to (John 3:20). Purpose of the law (actual text) has very little correlation with actual content
Consider: Government (through taxes) will be pro-actively supporting incumbents, ensures continuance of existing imbalance for some time. Government regulation is restraint on the elective process, encouraging less visible activities
Prop 16 (C): The Taxpayers Right to Vote Act – Support (Yes)
Concerns: Current law allows local government “Community Choice Aggregator” approaches to take over private “Investor Owned Utilities” market without local voter approval. Expansion of government electricity service being considered in many cities/counties. Private competition should be encouraged, not government control/takeover (Rom 13:3-4). Government incapable of showing restraint – either in use of power or limiting fiscal indebtedness (presumption James 4:13-14)
Consider: Measure doesn’t limit access to green sources of power (good stewardship Gen 1:28; 2:15). Allows voters to decide if public debt is allowed for startup/expansion of government utilities (2/3 super-majority; like other tax increases) (Prov 15:22)
Prop 17: (S) Continuous Coverage Auto Insurance Discount Act – Support (Yes)
Concerns: CA Insurance Commission approves all rates & allowable discount factors (subject to Prop 103 of ’88), restricts free market principles. Current continuous coverage discount options are non-transferable. Claims of “surcharges” and discrimination not credible, without transferability increased competitiveness and consumer benefit reduced. “Optional” basis by insurer overlooked – not a mandatory discount factor.
Consider: Government should inform consumer on options/issues (public service), not restrict and manage entire industry (Rom 13:3-4); also ensure equal treatment (Lev 19:35-36) only. Measure provides option CA currently prohibits, but caveat emptor applies. Encourages personal responsibility(maintaining insurance) to gain cost savings (2 Thess 3:10)
My Recent Good News Etc. Article (May):
“Politics and the Nature of Man”
Often as I engage Christians and non-Christians, the discussion comes to the point of my asking: “Do you believe man’s nature is fundamentally good or evil?” The answer reveals any true understanding of the gospel and how a person can hold indefensible positions on important issues, such as the role of government.
If man’s nature is basically good, it follows that someone becomes corrupt through external forces. If raised properly, a child’s natural “goodness” will mature and rise above ignorance, intolerance, and bigotry. In other words, they’re perfectible. Parents are suspect if they discipline their children (harming natural goodness), or bias them towards moral standards. Ultimately, the individual becomes the judge of everything. Government then, as an extension of man’s good nature, becomes an irresistible tool to enshrine values into the next generation (moral relativism; benevolence; perfectibility). Being morally good, government knows what’s best for others and how to take care of everyone. In the extreme, “good” people and “all-powerful” government can justify any ungodly action by claiming the greater good will result. A woman’s liberty to choose; judging someone else’s quality of life; indulging in harmless pornography or sexual perversion; no fault divorce; government redistribution of wealth and rationed health care, unilateral disarmament; these all become “good” because government is good. Naturally, any criticism then becomes not just misguided but dangerous.
However, if man’s nature is basically evil, then it needs to be restrained for everyone’s wellbeing. Proper discipline in raising children becomes essential, while education should equip the next generation to be productive members of society while adhering to God-given moral standards for the benefit of everyone. Proper law, order and self-restraint become necessary in individual lives, the family, neighborhoods, and throughout government. Since history proves absolute power corrupts absolutely, government must be restrained to its proper role (Rom 13:1-5), consistent with God’s Biblical standard, not man’s fickle heart (Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-12).
Most non-Christians I’ve met, and unfortunately many Christians, believe man is fundamentally good. This not only trivializes the truth of the gospel, it accepts a relativistic post-modernism that denies the very need for the gospel. Is it any wonder many Christians are befuddled how our government has become so anti-Christian? Without an objective understanding of the sinful nature, it’s virtually impossible to understand the irrational hatred of God’s goodness and His truth, much less see the wickedness of one’s own heart. The battle over our culture and nation is fundamentally a battle over one’s worldview and understanding of the nature and need of man. If a sinner thinks he’s basically good and undeserving of God’s wrath, he becomes self-righteous and disparages those with the truth. Everything he touches will eventually become corrupt and an enemy of God in one form or another. When so many Christians misunderstand this battle, they become unwitting accomplices’ in growing the very government that reflects man’s sinful nature and wants to be man’s “savior”.
The political battle around us is a shadow of the spiritual warfare struggling for the soul of our nation (Eph 6:12). Consider how you would answer the question I posed earlier. Did the fall of man seal our fate (Gen 2:16-17; Rom 5:15-19)? Does God’s grace give us a new, holy nature through faith in the only Savior – Jesus Christ, and Him crucified and resurrected (Rom 5:8)? Remember this as we engage the man-centered worldview that’s trying to destroy the only worldview that has eternal power and hope (Col
Minute Ministry Tip #2:
Be Careful of Your Sources. In our fervor to keep people informed on the latest wrinkle concerning politics, radical efforts to silence Christians, egregious legislation, new revelations about our elected leaders, or whatever the issue of the day is – we need to be careful about its accuracy. I have a personal policy of not forwarding anything to a general audience unless the information is well sourced (referenced) and verifiable. Our credibility is on the line anytime we forward information, so a little care up front can keep us out of embarrassing trouble later. Snopes.com used to be helpful, but there are more and more liberal biases coming out in its treatments – caveat emptor.
General Interest - Book Read In April:
“Lord of All – Developing a Christian World-and-Life View”: by D. James Kennedy and Jerry Newcombe (2005) (299 pages). I enjoy Dr. Kennedy’s writing style – it is down to earth, clear, and easy to read. Like so many, this book does an excellent job of pointing out the contrasting messages of a Biblical world-and-life view from the world’s destructive secular/naturalistic view. He also demonstrates how far much of Christendom has fallen into the world’s way of thinking and the need to regain the truths of scripture in each of six spheres: family, church, school, nation, humanity and the world. Where it falls somewhat short is how the transformational aspect of our salt and light mandate can actually be developed and applied to the world around us.
“Pastors Pulpits & Politics – The Case For Clear Biblical Moral Teaching”: a publication of the Western Center for Law and Policy (2010) (26 page pamphlet). An excellent resource for pastors to better understand the legal freedom’s they have in equipping their church members to be cultural salt and light, and in addressing “political” issues. The Biblical undergirding for addressing the moral/political concerns of our day is very well threaded throughout. You can get copies by contacting WCLP at 760.747.4529
Information – Assistance Offer:
Do you have a pastor or ministry leader that’s receptive to establishing a Christian Citizenship (or Salt & Light) Ministry in a legal, Christ-honoring, Biblically balanced way? I’d love to take them to lunch to discuss how to go about it in a reasonable way.
Contact Information:
Frank Kacer
Executive Director of the Christian Citizenship Council (C3) of San Diego
C3 is a 501(c)3 organization, serving the Christian community since 2004
As always, if you wish to be taken off the distribution list, just let me know.
C3 Vision Statement
“The Christian Citizenship Council of San Diego
(Matt 5:13-16; 16:18; 22:39; Jer 29:7)
“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan”
(Prov 29:2)
posted by Frank @ May 20, 2010
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