At first glance it’s logical to question the parallelism and connection between two seemingly disparate things.  Bear with me though, to see if you might not agree.

World War I was halted in the late Fall of 1918.  For the next six months a conference of nations took place in Paris, ending with the Treaty of Versailles, a document that re-drew borders of European countries, defined reparations paid by some nations to others and some opine, planted the seeds for World War II a mere two decades later.  To the later there is, to this day, some conjecture.  There is little argument, however,  that the losses of WWI moved all nations to reticence regarding capricious or swift entrance into another such devastating conflict.  Germany eventually was moved to a conquest and destruction mentality by the despotic Adolf Hitler, but that is a story for another writing.

As Roosevelt ran for his unprecedented third term as U.S. President in 1940, Britain was under seize of the Blitzkreig attacks by Germany.  Notwithstanding this or the appeals for assistance by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, an isolationist view was held by many if not most in the U.S.  The feelings were so strong that to insure re-election, Roosevelt had to promise that as President he would not take the nation into a “foreign” war.  The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, changed the isolationist view of citizens and Congress alike and the U.S. was no longer an observer of the conflict but a willing and aggressive participant.

The U.S. went blindly into the 2008 election season, wooed by the emotional oratory of a little known, experience deficient, community organizer who promised “change.”  Now, some two years later, all but even the most die-hard liberals and socialists are terrified at what this “change” has wrought.  And some liberals are looking at the situation in a similar manner as the Watts riots of a few decades ago when the rioters finally looked at the situation and saw, too late, that at their own hands they had destroyed their own homes and neighborhood.

If Obama had not been elected, we might have rocked along, enduring the indifference, stupidity, thievery, and self-serving actions of most lawmakers without there being a call to arms of the thinking electorate.  It seems that there was a dearth of this educated and thinking segment of the population in the previous election.  The early, post election,  discussions about the leftist turn of the government turned to angry shouts and ultimately to ACTION.  The Tea Party came into being and is permeating the fabric of the nation.  The Tea Party is, in my view, a misnomer.  It is really not a party at all, but a grass roots movement of citizens who are sick and tired of working hard only to see elected officials mismanage, take, give away and otherwise squander our national assets and way of life.  A listing of the grievances against Obama is too long to print.  Everything from taking over private companies, the appointment of 35 non vetted, non accountable czars, many of which have fascist and communistic leanings or alliances in their history, the non enforcement of laws and lie after lie,  only touch the tip of this malevolent iceberg.

So, if the “sleeping giant” that is the U.S., awakens as it did in December of 1941, and moves back to a nation that rewards productivity and the traits on which this Nation was formed and does not reward the opposite, Obama’s effect will be the modern day epitome of Pearl Harbor.  If so, then TORA, TORA, TORA!

In doing research for a book I hope to have out before year’s end,  I have been struck by the way two world leaders recognized the awesome power of Almighty God as they,  in the Fall of 1941, prepared for the escalated  WWII battle that was to soon come. I have found myself longing for the leadership of our country and others over the globe to do likewise.

FALL 1941.……Roosevelt had been elected for an unprecedented third term less than a  year earlier.  Churchill had been Prime Minister of Great Britain since May 10 of that year.  In the ensuing three months, Hitler’s forces of the Third  Reich had over-run the whole of Western Europe  and mercilessly battered the island of Britain with nightly bombing raids.

In early August, 1941, Roosevelt and Churchill had a top secret meeting off the coast of Newfoundland aboard HMS The Prince of Wales.    The U.S. had not yet entered the war but had provided assistance to the British. In addition to discussions of how and if the U.S. might ally with England, they agreed on the eight tenets of what they wanted the post war world to look like.  The agreement reached would later be deemed “The Atlantic Charter” by Churchill in his address to Parliament on August 24, 1941.

The Sunday service aboard the British ship on August 10, was a regal one, packed with both emotion and resolve and deeply spiritual.  Both men knew full well the state of the free world on that day but neither knew, nor could they imagine, exactly what the years to follow would bring.  Emanating from their heritage and faith, Roosevelt an Episcopalian and Churchill, as he referred to himself, a “buttress” rather than a “pillar” of The Church of England each felt the necessity of calling for Divine help in this time of global need.  Churchill prayed the following prayer penned years earlier by George Wallace Briggs, Canon of Worcester and former chaplain of the Royal Navy.

“Stablish our hearts. O God, and strengthen our resolve, that we fight not in enmity  against men, but against the powers of darkness enslaving the souls of men; till all enmity and oppression be done away, and the peoples of the world be set free from fear, to serve one another; as children of one Father, who is above all and through all, and in all”

Three Christian hymns were sung on that day.  Roosevelt selected the Naval hymn “Eternal Father Strong To Save.”  Churchill also felt the importance of the meeting and agreement between him and Roosevelt and wanted something special to punctuate the service.  He determined that the Christian anthems “O God Our Help In Ages Past” and “Onward Christian Soldiers” would be sung on board the Prince of Wales on that day because, as he later said on a BBC radio broadcast;

“We sang “Onward, Christian Soldiers” indeed, and I felt that this was no vain presumption, but that we had the right to feel that we serving a cause for the sake of which a trumpet has sounded from on high. When I looked upon that densely packed congregation of fighting men of the same language, of the same faith, of the same fundamental laws, of the same ideals … it swept across me that here was the only hope, but also the sure hope, of saving the world from measureless degradation.’

The deep melodious sound of servicemen and world leaders singing in unison the words of these heart rending hymns as a prayer for protection in the battle that was raging and the many that would come, wafted over the eerily still waters and chill of that historic Fall day.

Years later, as he thought of the events of that day Churchill said;……..“Every word seemed to stir the heart. It was a great hour to live.”

We can and must learn from history.  Men and nations that do not are doomed to repeat the errors and avoid profit from the successes of our forefathers.  WWII was a pivotal time in World history.  God saw fit to sustain us through very perilous times…..but not without significant sacrifice.  I hope and pray that both the words uttered and that actions taken in today’s critical  twenty first century will soon be focused on the “Author and Finisher of our Faith” as were those on that day in August of 1941.

PLEASE PASS THIS ON and LET US HEAR FROM YOU!

My Dad was a well educated extremely wise man…….with little formal schooling.  He did graduate from high school but not without difficulty resulting from a serious illness that kept him out of class a lot and almost cost him his life.   His primary learning was from life experiences.   As an acute observer of people and their character, his learning was not limited to his own experiences but took  full advantage of the experiences of others.  As the youngest of four widely diverse children, reared by a strict and devout Christian mother and a  kind, quiet, hard working but somewhat detached father, he had an interesting classroom in his own home.

Dad was also the consummate pragmatist,  learning from his mother and father….and out of extreme necessity resulting from an economic condition bordering on poverty.  He said that he only had enough clothes to attend high school because as an R.O.T.C. participant he was allowed to wear his military uniform three days a week.  He also wore underwear made by his mother from flour sacks.  This was made worse because the sacks were from a common brand of the day… “Tube Rose Flour” .  Imagine a boy dressing out for gym class and revealing undershorts adorned with red roses.

The depression hit just as he was attempting to enter the workforce so the practical education in frugality learned from his “hard scrabble” childhood continued into his teens and later. Married in the waning years of the Great Depression his life strategy, developed through a quarter century of struggles, was pretty well formed……protect and love your family, work hard, be honest, give to others, save for tomorrow and be wise.

Men in the 20′s and 30′s seemed to almost universally develop the bad habit of smoking cigarettes.  My Dad was no exception.  Later in life my Mother told me a story about Dad.  As a 3 pack a day Camel smoker, he was pretty well hooked on this nasty habit.  He walked in from work one day and saw me, barely old enough to walk, with a small pencil stub in my mouth, pretending to smoke a cigarette.  Mom said it hit him so hard that he walked straight to the garbage and threw away a newly opened pack and a freshly opened carton.  He told her, “I can’t raise my son and smoke these things too.”   He never smoked another cigarette as long as he lived…..44 and a half years.  He taught us by EXAMPLE.  He patterned the life he taught with words.

As a young 11 year old boy I was tempted by Jimmy, a 13 year old influential friend, to go up to the “Woodbine Woods” on the periphery of my neighborhood where he was going to teach me to smoke.  He had stolen cigarettes from his father who, coincidentally, worked with my father.  The two men had talked, so Dad figured out what was going on….how I don’t know…but he did.  On the back porch one hot July day Dad said he would like to make a deal with me.  He said “if you will wait until you are 21 years old before you smoke your first cigarette, I’ll buy you all the cigarettes you can smoke for the rest of your life.”  I weighed the options…..being a big boy and going along with Jimmy or running the risk of ridicule with a big monetary carrot only 10 years away.  I took his offer and we shook on it.  I would have never lied to Dad at all cost, so I lived up to the bargain.  As the days went by it was easier not to succumb to the smoking temptation.  I made it to 21 and never did smoke.  As a matter of fact, I still haven’t, over 5 decades later.  Dad was pretty smart.  He taught us through his WISDOM to utilize appropriate challenges to encourage proper behavior in his children.

I could relate numerous other examples of Dad’s consistent and wise example through a life well lived.  I have found his lessons to have wide and deep application much beyond the singular application in which he used them.   He and Mom established a great legacy for my brother, sister and me.  I hope and pray that I am able to pass it along to my children and grand children and beyond.

Happy Father’s Day Dad……you done good!

The day has arrived.  Our President, BHO, is meeting tonight over a cold beer with Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and  Cambridge police Sgt., James Crowley,  who arrested Gates a week ago for creating a public disturbance and resisting arrest.  Gates further claimed racism against  Sgt. Crowley and Obama escalated the rhetoric when he “opened mouth and inserted foot”  by saying the officer acted stupidly even though he, Obama, admitted to not knowing the facts.  There is so much wrong with this situation it is hard to know where to start in dissecting it.

First, I’m quite certain that it is wrong to show youth that the way to deal with a problem is to sit down with alcohol and discuss it.  I haven’t heard this brought up in any discussion but I believe it is worth a mention.

Secondly, I see no upside for Sgt. Crowley in this meeting at the picnic table.  By all accounts he acted entirely appropriately and legally in his arrest of the angry professor.  Therefore, it seems to be all downside for him.  Rumor has it that Gates is expecting Crowley to apologize for racism.

Thirdly, where is Obama’s apology for his actions here?  He has apologized to every country and two-bit dictator around the globe for the US causing everything from tooth decay to the made up issue of   “man made global warming.”   He has not, however, apologized for his terming Crowley’s arrest of Gates as stupid.  BHO did his usual dance around the facts by saying he could have “calibrated his words better.”   This is his best “I didn’t inhale” imitation of Bill Clinton.

Fourthly, where is the apology to and commendation of Lucia Whalen, the Cambridge resident who placed the 911 call when she observed Gates breaking down the door of the house that turned out to be his own?  She has been excoriated and accused of racism in her call and subsequent statements.  Both of these have been proven to have been false accusations.

These instantaneous cries of racism in many situations involving multi-racial encounters is patently outrageous.  When asked by the 911 operator, Ms. Whalen said the person breaking into the house looked “kind of Hispanic.”  She never said black.  She simply reported what she saw in as definitive a manner as possible.  We are approaching a situation where if we describe an automobile wreck we can’t identify the color of the car without offending someone.  If we say red, indians and Russians will scream.  If we say blue, depressed people will whine.  If yellow, cowards will cower in the corner and whisper their disapproval.  If we say black the outcries will be so loud as to cause Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton , the ultimate professional racists, to come forth in an instant with their rhyming rhetoric.  I’m sick of it!

The real racists in this matter are Obama and Gates.  One played the race card and the other trumped it.  This is the pattern we see developing all to frequently.  Let’s just call it what it is!

What’s going to be achieved by the tippling triangle on the White House playground?  Who knows!  It may only serve to mute the discussion of Obama’s attempt to hijack our medical system.  Personally, I’d like to see them strap it on and have a full on pugilistic donnybrook.  My money is on Crowley!

I’m not sure how or even when it started. I’m fairly certain that it was not my initial objective to do what I ended up doing.   As time went on, however,  I realized how easy it was and what I could achieve for me, my family and some close operatives who were loyal to me.  Through the years more and more people came to trust me and cast their lot with me and the team I had created.

I began small, at a time when there was economic difficulty in the nation. Little did I know that this difficulty would persist and grow even more intense, but it did.   I found that I could use these growing financial problems to my advantage.  My position of influence further allowed me to bring people….my people…into the fold.

I began by influencing my own people, those within my affinity group because they trusted me.  Some of us looked alike, some didn’t.  I didn’t have to “toot my own horn”, others did it for me.  But when needed, I was able to use a calm soft spoken demeanor to “close the deal.”   My reputation began as a flicker and grew to a raging fire.  Soon I was known world wide and able to attract  small amounts of money from politically unknown individuals and massive amounts from the most wealthy and influential across the globe.

People wanted to get close to me.  I allowed it at first but eventually I had to pullback somewhat to protect my ruse.  Oh yes, I talked to people from all segments of politics, business and finance, but I had my own agenda which I had to obfuscate to protect myself.  I listened but had no intention of  helping them understand my objectives and thereby having my plans derailed.

I had “currency” in widely diverse circles.  Currency, the ability to trade one thing for another,  comes in many forms.  Power, influence, beauty, wealth,  notoriety, fame…they are all currencies traded on the world’s virtual interpersonal exchanges every day.  In ways I wanted some of all of them but two were more important than the others.  I ultimately obtained both.

To get them I had to use people.  Did it bother me?  At first yes,  but the aphrodisiac of obtaining my currency of choice removed any concern I had.  I found that if you promised people to deliver what they wanted and initially did so, they would flock to you, begging to be included in the inner circle.  This feeling was not necessarily what I sought in the beginning, but it felt so good that it was worth saying whatever I had to say to keep it flowing.  Keeping these promises was unsustainable,  but if that ever crossed my mind I summarily dismissed it.

It was hard to deliver on my promises at first.  Looking at history and the devastating outcome achieved by those who tried to do what I was doing, made me a little skeptical of succeeding.  But as I proceeded, it became easier to gather capital from unsuspecting sources.  Then I realized that I could easily gather money from one group, give a portion of it to my investors and supporters and my personal currency would continually increase.

Eventually my supporters and peers put me in a position of great influence and on an even wider platform from which to expand my operations.  I was called on to help society by policing my peers.  Hard to believe now isn’t it?  Even when elevated to this position there were many who warned that I was a phony.  A few even showed the public and authorities the evidence but they all turned away from these  undeniable facts.  Eventually the crescendo of applause and accolades were so great that I found myself at the top of the world defined by my currency of choice.

Looking back on what I did and the devastating results,  I realize that I was a thief.  I stole different things from different segments of those who trusted me.  From some I stole money pure and simple.  I stole what they had worked hard to achieve and accumulate for sustaining life and retirement.  For some this was a mere rounding  error in their wealth picture.  For others it was a wipe-out because it caused their business to implode.

Those from whom I stole only money are probably the fortunate ones.  Those from whom I stole self respect, in what ever form, are probably those most devastated.

From some I stole the will to go on because of the inability to recover either emotionally or financially or both.   From most I stole some of their belief in themselves and their ability to evaluate people’s motives.   Some had a glimpse of the lies but turned a blind eye to the clarity of the snapshot they saw.

From some very worthwhile charities I stole the ability to perform the uplifting work for which they were designed.  The greed for accumulating  my own currency allowed me to take from groups helping those in actual need.  From all of society I stole something and that will probably be my mark on history.

I eventually found that delivering on my promises became more difficult.  World events, financial markets and then public sentiment for me began to erode and I…………………!

Before I tell you the rest of the story, tell me who you think I am!

Note from “Crash” aka “Uncle Bud”……..Please post your answer (or answers)  and possibly a couple of reasons why you chose this person or these people.  THANKS!

The “_____ Bill”  currently being debated in both house of Congress is also being argued in homes, offices, on cell phones and in virtually every venue where there are two people together in our country.  I leave its name blank because I hardly know what to call it.

Spending Bill…yep that’s true.

Borrowing or Debt Bill….A trillion today amounts to a total repayment of about 4 times that much when you include interest.  Think about a 30 year home loan.  The borrower pays between 3 to 5 times the cost of the house, depending on the interest rate, in interest on that debt.

We could call it other things such as; Pork Bill, Democratic Payback Bill, Charge Our Children Bill, Wealth Redistribution Bill….we could go on and on but it wouldn’t help.  There is one way to look at it that I believe is logical, clear and accurate.  An analogy might bring the view into perfect focus.

Most of us have, at some point in our life, have sought to lose weight.  What if you went to the doctor with the burgeoning obesity problem and in his discussion asked you a few questions to gain a perspective on your condition.  “Tell me about your diet”, he asks.  You tell him that  your diet includes heavy ingestion of fats; ice cream, butter, sour cream (you hate baked potatoes but they hold more sour creme than anything you know), snacks, etc.  “What about physical activity” he then inquires.  You relate to him that you have always hated exercise and find yourself watching hours of TV.   But the changer is quite heavy so you are working the bicep on your right arm.  You haven’t walked, much less run for years.   Lift weights….you’ve gotta be kidding.

Much to your surprise  he says; “that’s great!”   “What I think you should do to lose weight, lower your choloestrol and regain a healthier physical condition is………” You hang on his every word.  He is an expert who supposedly knows the field of wellness and you know that he will give you the right answer.   “……continue to eat a high fat diet, do not add exercise to your regime, as a matter of fact you should become as sedentary as possible”, he says.   You are initially excited, even gleeful, until you realize that his plan for you is designed around the very habits that got you to your overweight, unhealthy condition.

Economically our nation got to this abysmal financial state by…..EXCESSIVE BORROWING  AND SPENDING BEYOND OUR MEANS…..individually and collectively as a nation.   Does that sound familiar?  That is the “PErpetual Spending and Obligations Bill“, that is about to be foisted upon us.   It can be called PESO for short because a peso may be all we have left when this is over.    The phoney witch doctors are doing their dance and spreading the smoke.  Tell me when we should feel better.

From the day he announced his candidacy for the presidency in Springfield, Illinois until his inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama has systematically and continuously compared himself to sixteenth President,  Abraham Lincoln.   For the life of me,  I can’t see even the remotest resemblance.  Lincoln was a reluctant public servant, responding to the repeated urgings of his friends to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives before subsequently being elected to the Presidency.  Obama, on the other hand, seems to have been targeting the office since his first election to the Illinois House,  spending little time actually being a U. S. Senator after being elected to the post, choosing to spend the majority of his Senate time running for President rather than represent his constituents in Senate chambers.

A more accurate comparison to another U.S. President might well be to Franklin Roosevelt.  Rosevelt, the only president to serve more than two terms,  was first elected 1n the Fall of 1932, three years into the Great Depression that began in 1929 and served from 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945.  The stock market had declined over 90% from the high on September 3, 1929 until the low on July 8, 1932.

During his presidency, Roosevelt enacted numerous public works projects, the most famous of which was the W.P.A. (Works Projects Administration).  There is quite a debate over the efficacy his actions with the preponderance of the evidence pointing to the conclusion that his actions prolonged the depression instead of solving it.   WW II, which the U.S.A. refused to enter, in opposition to the appeal of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill,  finally joined allied forces in the fight against Hitler’s Nazi regime after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.   This attack is credited with turning public sentiment regarding entering the war and providing the economic stimulus which brought about the post war boom that helped our country escape the throes of the depression.  At that, the DJIA didn’t rise to its pre ’29 Crash level until 1954, 25 years after the peak.

Obama finds himself in the precarious position of and stated desire to out Roosevelt Roosevelt.  His spending package currently being debated in both Houses of Congress and who’s public acceptance is dropping like a rock contains considerable public works components which cannot even be ready to use funds for many months.  This could serve to fuel the current decline in jobs rather than create them and also inhibit the potential turn around in the stock market.

A wise politician once said that “if we don’t learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.”  Let’s hope and pray we will not repeat the 1930′s.  It seems that hope and prayer are the only tools we have left to fight this innane bloated power grab of liberal politicians since the Democrats have the votes because “they won” as Obama asserted to Eric Canter (R-VA) in the oval office a week ago..  Prayer is a formidable tool.  Let’s use it!

I’m in a serious quandry over this issue of racial division or racism or racial equality or whatever the politically correct term for the relationship, or lack of same, between the the black and white races is currently.   I thought we had just elected a man of mixed race, with a white mother from Kansas and a black father from Kenya, as President of the United States and all should, therefore, be well between the races.  It seems that the Black Rap World got a different message.  The  inhabitants of this world are using the recent inauguration of President Obama  to work their followers into a foul mouthed frenzy of adulation and euphoria coupled with the trashing of all who do not share their distorted activities and world perspective.  I suspect that saying “foul mouthed frenzy” and “rap”  in the same sentence is the epitome of redundancy but the situation seems to call for it.  Their actions certainly indicate a heightened level of racism is in the air.

Black rappers Jay-Z and Jeezy rabble roused a screaming, jeering out of control crowd at an inauguration ball on Tuesday night by shouting multiple racial epithets and declaring that their President was now black.   They used the “W” word….that would be Whitey to refer in a denigrating manner to those whose skin is not black.  They used the “N” word…….you know that one, it is the one that blacks can use to describe themselves but whites cannot.  But blacks can use the “W” word to describe anyone in the white race with no fear of retribution or recrimination.  Go figure!

For Obama to have won the Presidency as he did a number of things had to happen.   White voters who went for Obama were in one of three segments.  Either they voted for him because he was black, in spite of the fact that he was black or were agnostic as to his race and voted for him because they thought he was the better candidate.  There is ample data to indicate that the racially agnostic vote was the greatest reason.  Blacks went overwhelmingly for Obama thinking that he was the better candidate and that he was black.  There is, likewise, significant data to show that they went to the polls in much larger numbers than ever before because of the racial issues present in the race.  I don’t blame them for this at all, just stating what seems to be fact.  If it were not for this fact, Norm Coleman would, doubtless, be the Senator from Minnesota and not be embroiled in a battle to keep his seat by fending off one of the biggest kooks in America today, Al Franken.

I have a plethora of questions about this and I hardly know where to start.  First, is racism really on the decline in America as the election would indicate, or has there been a resurgence of it?   Is racism a one way street?  Can the black race be racist?  Interesting questions for a people struggling with numerous financial, socio-economic, political and spiritual issues.

Obama’s election would indicate that whites put aside racial prejudice to vote for him.  If that is the case, then I applaud them.  I did not vote for him, but it had nothing to do with race but had everything to do with his policies which I think will take our country in a socialistic direction.  I must admit that I have been pleasantly surprised by what seem on the surface to be more centrist actions than his campaign rhetoric foretold.  Time will tell if he  maintains this more mainstream stance.  If he does, then the black race will probably be as mad and a hatter because he didn’t fulfill their extremist liberal desires.   The rapper’s tone, language and arrogance would indicate a high level of expectation for special treatment that may or may not come.

Obama’s meteoric political rise and subsequent election should put to rest the commonly espoused black belief that there is a ceiling on how high anyone of any race can rise in our society.  Only time will tell whether this belief will hold or if it proves to be rejected and fleeeting.  I’ll bet Bill Cosby will have an easier time drawing a crowd and less catcalls than his message to his race has drawn recently.  Racism….regression or resumption…..we’ll see!

He’s defined in many ways; ultimate hedonist, lecherous lothario, purveyor of porn, publisher of sex, astute businessman, cultural icon and father of the sexual revolution of the 60′s. More recently, in an attempt to resurrect a dying empire, he has cast himself as the center piece of a love rectangle in a TV reality type show which includes 3 aspiring centerfolds who are also successful bimbos.  In so doing he has become an aging joke. There’s some or a lot of truth in each of his well earned monikers, but none of them adequately defines the complex simplicity of Hugh Hefner.  Far be it from me to be able to diagnose what multiple psychologists have been unable to define for 6 decades but I’m going to give it a shot nonetheless.

During this period of examining Hefner and his actions, the age old question of cause and effect has often been applied to him and the sexual revolution.  Was he a major player in society’s changing view of sexual mores or was he a result of the change?   The answer….probably a little bit of both.  As it relates to Hefner himself, the operative questions are; ”how did he develop this distorted worldview and why did it happen?”   As it relates to society, the significant question is, “what effect has this worldview and its resulting actions had on our society?”

I read with interest and pity, an interview of Hefner in the L.A Times by Geoff Boucher on January 4 of this year.  There it was….the answer to how and why Hefner developed his distorted worldview of love.  He is quoted as saying…“Everything I learned about love, I learned from the movies.  The reality is because I was not shown affection, I escaped into an alternate universe, and it came right out of the movies.  Love for me is defined almost exclusively in terms of romantic love as defined by the films of my childhood.” He went on to say; “The movies, other than family, were the major influence of my childhood.”

Hugh Marston Hefner was born in Chicago in the Spring of 1926.  As a young boy the post-depression movies depicting increased sexuality and promiscuity of the flapper era were the objects of his developing mind and desires.  “…..I think my fascination with blonds is directly connected to the impact that the platinum blonds had in the movies of the 1930′s.  Jean Harlow, Alice Faye, all those Busby Berkeley showgirls….you can’t go wrong.  Well, you probably could but what fun.” And with the declination of our society, clearly visible in current mores portrayed on TV and in the movies, one can see the effect of a perpetual distortion of true love on our culture.

One could spend years studying Hefner’s life, but I’m not sure what the value of such an analysis would be.  Of greater value is measuring the impact love, or lack of same, can have on a child and how broad the resulting impact can be on subsequent generations.

If kids today are deriving their definitions of the key components of positive human behavior from what they see in the media and its players, our society is in a free fall from something substantially more destructive than our current economic woes. Exhibitionistic Brittany Spears, self defined bisexual Lindsey Lohan and mental midget Paris Hilton are a few components that form the focal point of an entertainment industry run amok.  How sad and terrifying it is to contemplate the effect of these current icons and their peers on our future.

A complete college curriculum could and probably should be developed on the difference between the three definitions of love, eros, phileo and agape. Phileo is the love of two one brother or friend for another.  Eros is the romantic love which Hefner has used to define his life.  Eros has a specific and important role to play in human behavior and sexuality.  Contrary to Hefner’s view, God’s Word says that this love, eros, is designed for one man and one woman as an expression of love in marriage.  Agape is that all consuming love, ultimately measured by the willingness of someone to die for another…or many “anothers” as Christ did for all who believe in and accept Him.

Love is such a small word, with such large and different meanings that define all of life.  We had better teach our kids to dissect and use properly each component of this great word.  Hefner missed it and look what happened.

Everyone seems to be all atwitter over Rick Warren having been asked by President Elect Obama to give, aka pray, the invocation at the Inauguration on January 20th.  The twittering is raised to a crescendo when the discussion centers on what he might say as he speaks to God before the Nation and the World.  Before discussing what he might say, let’s take a gander at the factions in the multiple non neutral corners of this social and theological donneybrook.

In one corner, wearing a pair of lace trimmed silk shorts with a rainbow enblazened above  the Versace logo is Barney Frank, Democratic House Member from Massachusetts.  No stranger to political infighting or mud wrestling,  Mr. Frank is all too willing to lisp eloquent on matters of spirituality regardless of his lack of interest in or understanding of the subject.  Remember,  in the 1980′s,  Frank  had male prostitute  Steve Gobie, who he had met through  a personal ad in  magazine for gay men, move in with him.  In addition to his personal “relationship” with the lawmaker, Mr. Gobie ran a “call-man” service out of  Frank’s apartment.  The House Ethics Committee reprimanded Frank for consorting with a known prostitute and he apologized to the House.  Larry Craig….yes the Larry Craig of bathroom stall fame in 2008….led a failed attempt to have Frank removed from the House.  Frank also has an ongoing relationship with a highly paid and key executive at Freddie Mac,  an entity overseen by the House Financial Services Committee which Frank Chairs.  These activities certainly compromise his credentials as someone to whom we should listen on matters of faith and spirituality.  Regardless, Frank says that he is disappointed in Obama for giving Warren such an elevated position because Warren has said some things about gays that have offended Frank greatly.  To him tolerance means full acceptance of his viewpoint.

Frank’s thoughts are shared by most left leaning political types and virtually all anti Christians that I have heard comments from…save one.  Lanny Davis, the ultra liberal, but civil speaking, attorney who spent virtually every night during the Clinton-Lewinsky saga defending Clinton and his actions on talk TV,  defends not only Obama’s choice of Warren to pray at the inauguration but Warren himself.  He is outspoken about being diametrically opposed to Warren’s views on abortion, gay marriage (a misnomer because marriage is defined as between one man and one woman), and Proposition 8 in California among other things.  But, he states that Warren has been quite civil in his conversation on the matters above and has even given both time and money in service to gays themselves.  Warren makes the Biblical distinction between the sin and the sinner.  Mr. Davis doesn’t go so far as to agree with the distinction but does praise Obama for choosing Warren.  Davis says that Warren not Obama is the one going extremely far out on the limb of controversy by opposing those of  his conservative supporters who feel Warren should have rejected the invitation to “cavort with the opposition” so to speak.

Many of the  opinions I have heard from the Christian community have been that Warren should have refused the invitation by Obama.  The common concern seems to be that Warren is selling out on core beliefs.    I have not heard James Dobson or Chuck Colson speak on this issue.   Gary Bauer,  Founder of Campaign for Working Families and former Republican  Presidential candidate,  says that he feels Obama is attempting to use Warren’s popularity and noteriety but supports Warren in his acceptance of the invitation to pray.   Tony Perkins,  articulate,  intelligent and doctrinally sound President of the faith based Family Research Council,  strongly supports Warren for his acceptance and looks forward to how Warren may be able to have influence on Obama and his liberal positions.

So much for covering the corners of this pugilistic encounter.  Not one to back away from this sparring match,  I’d like to weigh in with a few points I believe are worthy of consideration.  I believe Warren has been given a tremendous opportunity.  He has been granted a key role on probably the biggest stage in a century.  The key is not that he has the role, the key is how he uses it.  He must not be swayed by the political or social ramifications of what he might pray.  He must, and I believe he will, recognize and lead listeners to know that he is praying God’s truth to God Himself and we are simply listening in on the conversation.  I believe he should praise God for who and what He is.   He should state a recognition of the sin of idolatry, murder and separation from Him by our collective nation and pray earnestly for God’s mercy in granting us time to return to Him.  Further, he should pray wisdom and discernment for Obama in leading our nation.  In no way should he compromise the Truth in any manner.  He should remember that Obama has stated unequivocally that he believes in abortion and same sex unions and the acceptance of homosexuality.  These are in opposition to Biblical truth and Warren should not even come close to supporting Obama’s positions.

Warren is not only intelligent he is, I believe, a committed believer with a big picture view.  Time will tell how he handles the opportunity he has before him.  Rather than jousting verbally  about whether or not he should be praying on this occasion we should be praying that he will be God’s messenger on that day and that all who hear will know that they have heard something from God’s heart and that they, Obama and our Nation will never be the same.