Statistics are an interesting thing because they can sound good when Mr. Obama says that 9/10 Small business won’t be affect by his tax increases. The problem is that these small businesses don’t make up 90% of the workforce, the reality is 50% of all businesses with 20-249 employees will see their tax burden will increase. So the small businesses that create the most jobs will feel the impact of the Obama tax plan and either be forced to make up that bottom line by passing on that cost to the consumer (inflation) or cut expenses (jobs). So in an already difficult economy we create inflationary pressures and/or reduce the workforce. It makes absolutely no sense and no economist is going to say this will stimulate growth and middle-class workers are going to be thrilled with that extra $800 refund when they lose their job.

While we are on the economy and jobs, go ahead and look up the Employee Free Choice Act which Obama has said he will see to it that it gets enacted as law. It simply does away with secret ballots when voting in unions, so every employee exposes themselves to intimidation tactics by union sympathizers. Hmmm “Free Choice”. I would be interested to see what happens to the manufacturing jobs in this country if Obama paves the way for a union resurgence in America. But hey we’ll have free health-care and be doing our part for our fellow man by sending money to Washington!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122455021772252457.html

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NzAxZmUzNTQxMTIyY2MwNWU0MGYyYmZiM2EyYjg5M2I=

unless you are suggesting I that I am on board with “the whole Osteen prosperity gospel”…then yes I am angry at you and will kick you in your old knees the next time I see you.

So do you believe that the example of Acts speaks only to the church? I don’t. If I believe anything about the Bible it is that it speaks to everyone – governments, individuals, churches. Reading Acts again today, I was reminded of what a truly radical document that book is. It seems like we focus on the small minutiae and miss the larger picture. Do you remember Jesus’ response to the question of the most important commandment? The call to care for one another is real and evident. As Micah has pointed out, many times, choosing a politician is not the only choice that matters and it’s never enough. We are called to higher action, that much is evident.

I guess fundamentally, I don’t think it’s just government telling you who to help. I think God does as well. We must recognize who our neighbors are and love them. That’s everyone – including those whom we see as underserving. This is an area where I need a lot of work. I have divided the world into those that I like and those I don’t for too long and I have been ruled by anger far too much the past, I don’t know, 8 years? I need to stop.

I also don’t think God’s blessings can be counted in terms of money or material things. To me they are family and connections. I’m just not on board with the whole Osteen prosperity gospel I guess.

And I am interested in helping out. If there’s anything I could ever do to help you and your family, financially or otherwise please let me know in all seriousness. I guess the point that I want to make in terms of government sponsored health care is this – I could send you every dime I have and it probably wouldn’t do much to dent your health care costs (for one thing it wouldn’t be that many dimes) For a much smaller investment from all of us though it wouldn’t even be an issue.

I can tell that you are getting angry so I’ll probably sign off.

Best

-m

And yes, we were on the Bible Bowl team, and I thought that Acts was talking about the church not the government. I’ll go back and read that again to make sure.

And Micah is right, I don’t believe the money I earn or the house I have is “my money”, but I believe I am called to be a steward of God’s money…and having it taken by the government, is in no way being a good steward of His blessings.

And Matt, I know being healthy is not a choice…we are living that out everyday…I am not hostile toward helping someone out…I am hostile to government telling me who I have to help out.

And if you are so interested in helping folks out, as you say, then please start sending me money each month to pay for medicine my wife needs…don’t wait for Obama to do it…start the Hope and Change now. Let me know if you need my address . I won’t hold my breath.

Ultimately, it comes down to who you believe. I beileve that Barack Obama is a good man and that he is honest. He has surrounded himself with smart capable advisers (I mean really, Austen Goolsbee is not exactly a wild-eyed Marxist) I don’t believe that he has a secret plan to revise the tax code so that you have to pay more. It doesn’t make sense.

For what it’s worth, I watched Obama’s encounter with Sam the Not Plumber. Putting aside Sam’s general dishonesty (he is in no shape to buy any business, let alone the imaginary 280,000 dollar a year plumbing empire he told Obama about), I thought it was a pretty standard politician/citizen rope line encounter. Obama will raise the marginal tax rate on those who make more than 250K,. He was trying to put that in the best light possible.

As far as Health Care – I just am at a loss for words. You speak about being healthy as if that is some sort of choice. It isn’t. Tragedy can befall at any moment, and the results can be devastating. And I do not understand your hostility to the idea that you will be helping some one else or someone else will be helping you. I think we were on the same Bible Bowl team when we studied Acts, yes? Acts 2:46 describes how the early church members lived together and had “all things in common” and “divided all their goods as each had need.” I don’t think that the Bible is calling us to be communists, but I think there is a clear call to recognize our responsibility to each other. The clearest way I can see to that end is this issue of Health Care. The US ranks 37th on the WHO rankings of health systems. We have higher infant mortality rates than any industrialized nation in the world. (incidentally, we also spend more per person on health care than any other nation in the world, so not only is our system insufficient and immoral, it’s also expensive!) Wouldn’t you rather have France’s health system (#1 on the WHO rating) where you have guaranteed coverage for everyone, cradle to grave, , far greater levels of customer (patient) satisfaction, and it costs less? That seems like a no brainer to me.

But at several points, I’ve been almost persuaded to vote for Obama, not because I think Obama is the answer to all ills, but because of what most Obama supporters talk about. It is nice to see people actually talking about mutual responsibility (which is so much better than the non-existent personal kind), about caring for the least of these, and striving for peace, and other things Jesus talks about. Plus, I think it means something to vote for a black man. And no, that’s not racist, and no, I won’t discuss it further. So, I’ve come close.

Seriously: if voting is nothing else but an act of self-interest, then it is actually immoral. I’ve never argued that voting is immoral before, and for good reason; I know of people in my own family who vote morally.

But we should speak truthfully: if voting is nothing but self-preservation and self-interest, than it’s immoral. I’ll give you an example: here’s a phrase no Christian is allowed to say: “my money.” And yet, here’s a phrase lots of Christians say when they talk about voting (and voting for John McCain specifically): “my money.” It pollutes the way we thing about discipleship, because it causes us to ascribe worth to the wrong things.

And nobody’s gonna convince me to do that.