Lee Hartman 

 

Managing Editor

LHartman3@cox.net 

 

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June 2009 blogs:

 

Tiller’s life and death an enigma

 

George Tiller was an enigma.  He was reportedly one of only 3 doctors in the nation that would perform late-term abortions after 21 weeks of pregnancy, even up until the day before the mother’s due date, according to Tiller himself.

 

Yet he was a long-time member of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wichita, and served as an usher there. His wife sang in the choir.

 

This man who personally ended more American lives than the Vietnam war –  upwards of 60,000 – was apparently accepted, admired and revered by members and officials of his church.

 

The man who performed so many grisly, bloody “procedures” himself met a bloody, grisly death. “Whosoever sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed,” I have heard some people quote recently.

 

Tiller made millions ending the lives of the preborn, and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Kathleen Sebelius and other pro-life opponents over the years. He was able to consistently avoid successful prosecution for breaking Kansas law.

 

I guess I always thought those who supported abortion rights were uninformed, and didn’t realize what was involved, or else just hadn’t given it much thought. The fact that the people in his church accepted him as a member and a participant in the services, and spoke of his caring and loving manner, well, I just don’t understand how they could be right there in the center of things and not realize what was happening.

 

But for doctors who know exactly what is involved, and know that it is a human life – a baby – but say that it doesn’t have “personhood” and therefore can be torn limb from limb and have its brains sucked out, well, they just have to be evil, don’t they?

 

Isn’t that what they said about slaves, that they were human, but didn’t have “personhood?” When will this farce end?

 

Followup on Carrie Prejean

 

It seems like Miss California Carrie Prejean has faced more than her share of controversy since she spoke out in favor of traditional marriage between one man and one woman.

 

After the initial hailstorm of criticism, it seems everyone was digging to find embarrassing pictures to use against her. Some were found among modeling photos taken at various times.

 

Miss Prejean says that racy photos of her that were released on the web were merely an attempt to belittle her Christianity. Some were taken when she was a teenager modeling lingerie, she said, and others were taken between poses without her knowledge and were not authorized photos. She says she wanted to be “covered up, on the top and on the bottom” in all her pictures, and had been clear in those instructions. In response to criticism that the position she put herself in shows a lack of good judgement, Prejean responded:

 

“I am not perfect, and I will never claim to be. But these attacks on me and others who speak of traditional marriage are intolerant and offensive. I am a Christian, and I am a model. Models pose for pictures, including lingerie and swimsuit photos.”

 

Other Christian leaders came to her defense, saying that if only perfect people are allowed to speak out on their faith, then no one would be speaking out. They praised the fact that, even though she may have made some unwise decisions earlier, she had the courage to stand firm on her faith when the opportunity presented itself. They stressed that this is an example of how ordinary people can stand up and be bold in confessing their faith, regardless of prior history, and God will honor it.

 

It’s hard to understand all the venom used against this young woman, just because she voiced an opinion which happens to be held by the majority of Americans, including President Obama.

 

Thanks to her for demonstrating Faith in Action, and showing that faith is a verb, not a noun. We can take a lesson from this.

 

 

 

May 2009 blogs:

 

Do the right thing

 

I know, it’s the title of Mike Huckabee’s book. But before that it was part of my personal motto, ending with “and let the chips fall where they may.” But now I am seeing some others who seem to believe it as well.

 

It seems like Miss California Carrie Prejean came along just at a time when we really needed someone to set an example. She came along at just the right time when we were wondering if anyone was willing to take a stand and not compromise their values. A time when too many people are going along to get along. A time when even some churches are compromising the gospel in order to fit into the culture.

 

In a split second, this young lady made a snap decision to put God first, do the right thing and let the chips fall where they may. She spoke her mind boldly, and it cost her an earthly crown.

 

But it is a far different crown she has her eye on, a far more valuable and lasting crown. She made her choice, and God blessed it. She has already gained so much more than a Miss USA crown has to offer, and her future looks brighter still. She has been on every TV and radio program you can think of. She has spoken to large groups of people all over the country, including 10,000 students at Liberty University, where she has been offered a full scholarship to law school.

 

She has now become a spokesperson for godly marriage, and an example for people all over the country who want to stand up for what’s right. The message is clear: Do not be afraid, have hope, trust in God and He will come through for you.

 

What they meant for evil, God has used for good. Don’t you just love it?

 

There’s another brave and principled lady who recently took a stand. Mary Ann Glendon is the Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and served as United States ambassador to the Holy See from 2007 to 2009. She was to receive the Laetare Medal – described as Notre Dame's highest honor – in recognition of her outstanding service to the Roman Catholic Church and society.

 

But she didn’t like the idea of sharing the dais with pro-abortion President Obama while he received an honorary degree from Notre Dame. She didn’t think it sent the right message. She believes “that Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles and that such persons should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”

 

She also didn’t like that her award was being touted as bringing “balance” to the event, to those who were concerned about awarding Obama an honorary degree.

 

So she politely declined the prestigious award and any participation in the ceremony.

 

Can you believe these two brave and faithful ladies? They are demonstrating Faith in Action. They are showing that faith is a verb, not a noun. They are a great example for us to follow.

 

 

Tea Parties

 

I attended the Topeka Tax Day Tea Party, and there were a lot of good folks there. I mean, good ol’ everyday, common, ordinary good people, who are just fed up with the way things have been going in this country – and want to do something about it. You could tell from the signs that people have had enough: enough taxes, enough bailouts, enough deficits, and enough being taken advantage of. I saw one sign with one of my favorite quotes: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” And that’s exactly what’s happened in this country over the last few decades. It’s happened in our government, in our schools, in our culture and even in some of our churches. It seems like the “bad guys” are winning. And a lot of people are saying enough is enough.

 

Rest assured, this movement is not over. People are tired of things being turned upside down, tired of “good” being called “evil” and “evil” being called “good.” Tired of the immoral and greedy crowd having it their way. Tired of the “politics” and the “partisanship” and the “gridlock.” There’s a growing block of people who are thinking “It’s time to take action, and do something about it.” But God knows it took a long time of doing nothing for things to get this bad. And it’s gonna take a long time of doing a lot to get things back on track.

 

I pray we haven’t waited until it’s too late to take our country back. 

 

 

 April 2009 blogs:

 

 Topeka going down the Wrong Road?

 

I’m wondering if just maybe the powers that be are letting the streets get worse on purpose, just so voters will okay the sales tax increase. I just attended the press conference where it was announced that the Topeka Independent Business Association and Americans for Prosperity have joined forces to oppose the tax increase. They raised a lot of good questions, like why is the tax set to raise $160 million, when the road repairs only take $34 million? What’s gonna happen with the leftover $126 million?

 

They think a tax increase would be the Wrong Road for Topeka to go down, and even formed a website, WrongRoad.com (with videos and everything), to enlighten taxpayers about this tax burden and how it would stifle economic growth.

 

I say the city has not been a very good steward with our tax money, so why give them more? And the sales tax hurts the poorest citizens more than anyone. I don’t know about you, but I’m T.E.A. – Taxed Enough Already! Here’s one NO vote, and on April 15th, you’ll find me at the Topeka Tea Party at the Postal Annex on Lower Silver Lake Road at 5:30 pm.

 

 March 2009 blogs:

 

A great day for Kansas, a sad day for America

 

What do you think about Sebelius leaving Kansas? I don’t know whether to cheer or cry. This must be how Arizonans felt when Janet Napolitano was picked for the cabinet. Sebelius has been so bad for women and the pro-life movement, vetoing even common-sense bills meant to keep abortion centers clean and safe. And her sell-out to the global warming scam has really hurt the Kansas economy. I will be glad to see her leave. But to have her in charge of the Dept. of Health and Human Services…….well, it’s just one more tip of the scale as our federal government leans the wrong way towards socialism and lack of respect for life and liberty.

 

This just in….

 

Frank Turek is coming back to Topeka! If you heard him at the C5 luncheon, you’ll be as glad as I am to hear that! He will appear at the October C5 Luncheon. I was blown away by the turnout at the first C5 Luncheon! Dr. Turek was fantastic and the fellowship was great! I think this is gonna be great for Topeka. There’s no end to what this organization can accomplish, and new people are joining every week. I look forward to the next monthly luncheon on March 12th at the Holy Grounds Café in White Lakes Center, sponsored by the Holy Grounds Café. Get your reservations in now by calling 408-5250

 

 

A self-fulfilling prophecy?

 

Many advertisers are cutting back. You can see it in the reduced number of pages in the Metro Voice and in other media. But is it a self-fulfilling prophecy? If businesses cut back on advertising and work force, aren’t they bound to see a decrease in business? Will all this negative talk cause even more to pull back and reign in? Look around and you’ll see some businesses are expanding and new businesses are starting up. I believe the ones that keep promoting and seeking out customers will be the ones that succeed in the long run, just as it happened in the last big recession.

 

Polls

 

I have been pleasantly surprised with the outcome of some recent polls. How about you? I invite you to let us know how you feel. Go online to see more poll results and vote in the polls on our website.

 

 

February 2009 blogs:

Thanks for the memories

Thanks to some Christian heroes for standing up for their values and moral judgement when the majority of the public was against them. Thank you Phill Kline. Thank you President Bush. Your stand for Biblical principles and a Christian worldview will not be forgotten. As time goes on, I believe more  people will see the wisdom in your decisions. If only more Christians would stand up against secular pressure, perhaps we could change our country’s trend toward a culture of death, back to a culture of life, and return to the Biblical standards our country was built on.

 

Check out our new improved website!

We have been working on our website to make it better. We have more changes in the works. We want it to be state-of-the-art for you! You’ll find extended versions of the stories we print, as well as more stories we didn’t have room for. Our event calendar, classifieds and more will be there! Plus, we will be able to update the news between print dates, bringing you breaking news in a more current fashion. Check it out at www.metrovoicenews.com!

 

What recession?

These are tough times. People keep telling us that. Advertisers are cutting back. You can see it in the reduced number of pages in the Metro Voice this month. But is it a self-fulfilling prophecy? If businesses cut back on advertising and work force, aren’t they bound to see a decrease in business? Let’s hope local businesses don’t overreact to all the bad news, to the detriment of us all. Look around and you’ll see some businesses are expanding and new businesses are starting up. Next month we’ll highlight some of the good news in our local area that we don’t hear so much about. Maybe things aren’t as bad as they seem!

 

Did you hear………

I’m excited about the new C5 – Capital City Christian Chamber of Commerce! I can’t wait to hear Dr. Frank Turek speak at the C5 Kickoff Luncheon on Feb. 19th.  This could be the start of something big for Topeka. There’s no end to what this organization could accomplish! Be a part of it!

 

Arrogance online

I was reading comments on the internet the other day, and a fellow wrote that he didn’t want any part of a god who was so arrogant that he would send people to hell just because they made the wrong choice and didn’t accept him. He was also upset with the idea that his nine-year-old son might be condemned because he didn’t teach him about God. And he didn’t like the general intolerance of religion. 

I get so fed up with these people who don’t like what the Bible says, so they just reject it or try to change it, or they pick and choose which parts to believe.  I just couldn’t help but respond. Here’s what I wrote:
”Too bad that God's rules don't meet with your approval. Talk about arrogant! Get a clue: He's God, and you're not! He gets to make the rules for His creation. Your nine-year-old gets to make his own choice, just like you do. He doesn't have to get his information from you, the Bible says he who seeks God will find him.
God is loving, but also holy & just, so evil must be dealt with. Far from condeming anyone to hell, He reluctantly allows people the choice to go there by rejecting Him. He has gone so far as to sacrifice His Son, Jesus, to provide a way for us to join Him in Heaven. Talk about love! What more could He do?
I guess you could say that all religions practice some form of intolerance. Don't you do the same out of love for you son, or do you let him do whatever he wants?
While organized religion is flawed, because all humans are flawed, it's our best hope for a good life here on earth. But what we all need more than religion is a personal relationship with Jesus. I hope you find that.”

 

January 2009 blogs:

  

You can’t please everyone

 

A few church leaders have called to say they are not interested in receiving the Metro Voice, and don’t want to promote their church activities in it, because they think our “slant” is too conservative. And that makes me very sad. Usually it comes down to our speaking out about abortion and the homosexual agenda. They would prefer we not address those controversial subjects. But no matter how you “slant” it, abortion and homosexuality are wrong, not because I said so, but because GOD said so in His Word.

 

When we try to educate and inform our readers about groups or candidates that support abortion, homosexuality and other things that cannot be supported by a Christian worldview, these folks say we are “too political.”

 

These people choose to ignore all our pages of church and community events, local news, missionary news, financial advice articles, non-profit news, reports on Christian businesses, new products, seminars and conferences, Christian concerts, Bible studies and support groups, movie and book reviews, and all the rest – and focus in on a couple “politically slanted” articles. They seem to be more interested in pleasing man than pleasing God. I spend a lot of time in prayer for these people. After all, it’s not about the number of people we attract; it’s about staying true to God’s Word.

 

We don’t expect all our readers to agree on everything. After all, we serve all congregations in the community. But we can’t start shunning each other over one or two things we disagree on. We have to be able to dialog with each other, and to work together on the things we do agree on.

 

It is the duty of all Christians to point out to each other when some of us may have gotten off track. I will quit this job before I agree to remain silent about anything God says in His Word. I am not ashamed of the gospel, or any part of the Bible. It’s God’s Word, and we must revere it whether we like certain parts of it or not.

 

I thank all those who continue to support the Metro Voice with their advertising dollars, and it is our pleasure to assist in promoting those organizations as we battle together to spread God’s message, and bring Christian news and views to the community.

 

 

God wins this one

 

I received an email the other day telling me to go to MSNBC’s website and vote on whether to keep the words “In God We Trust” on our currency. I had to go and see how the vote was going. Well, after casting my vote, I was surprised to see God was winning the vote by 83 percent to 17 percent, even on that most liberal of news sites.

 

 

Yes, I’m still concerned about the election results

 

An acquaintance of mine, who has somehow managed to reconcile the Democratic platform with his Christian faith, and who had apparently tired of hearing my warnings about the effect of liberal policies, asked me after the election, “Well, did you notice that the sun still came up the next morning?”

“Yeah,” I replied, “But they haven’t taken office yet!”

 

I guess what’s most upsetting to me is that fine Christian candidates lose elections, in favor of candidates who don’t support Christian values, and it can only happen when people who call themselves Christians don’t vote Christian values. I can understand other Christians having more liberal views than me, but not when it comes to obviously unbiblical views. I’ll bet God’s mad about that, too. But I’m not losing any sleep over it. God still reigns. My conscience is clear, and we all will have to answer to God for our actions.

 

I just hope conservatives will learn from their mistakes and regroup, because I really believe that history shows that it’s the conservative policies that make our country prosper. If they had taken better care of the trust given to them, the liberals wouldn’t have taken over. But there are still some good people in Congress, and that’s something to build on. And this is not just a Democrat/Republican thing. Anytime the Democrats embrace Christian values, I’ll back them. And there are some good Democrats who I’m hoping will start to make a change in that party. It’s not about politics, it’s about policy!

 

 

Here’s an idea

 

On my kitchen table where I have my morning coffee sits a dark blue, gold-embossed coffee mug, given to me by Shari Weber, former Majority Leader of the Kansas Senate. But I don’t drink out of it.

As Shari noted, like your legislator, you can’t put it in the dishwasher to clean it. So it sits there as a reminder to pray for my Representative and Senator by name, and for all our government leaders. Maybe if we all do that, it will make a difference in how they are able to deal with the serious problems we face in the coming year. Good idea, Shari.

 

 

Final thoughts on prayer

 

And now, some thoughts gleaned from the writings of Kerry Messer with Missouri Family Network: Let’s also pray for Biblical unity.We are not talking about sitting around the camp fire holding hands and singing.  We are referring to true Biblical unity; a desire to honor Christ should drive us to stand together for the edification of the body of Christ.  A new year resolution to Christ-likeness is a commitment to the whole body of Christ - that is to the church universal and all those who are a part of the body.  We can all work together in unity, and in the process, they will know us by our love.

 

But remember… unity at all cost is not Biblical unity… its compromise! 

 

Pray that neither we nor our elected officials would be driven by personal agendas, special interest groups, or partisan politics, but by a passion to see Jesus Christ glorified in deeds.

 

Pray for wisdom.Knowledge and wisdom are two completely different things.  Knowledge is something that anybody can learn.  Facts, dates, and figures can be learned from just about anywhere.  But true wisdom can only come from one place - Christ Himself.

 

Pray that God would grant all of us Godly wisdom and discernment as we strive to become a better reflection of His image.

 

Lee Hartman is the managing editor of the Topeka/N.E. Kansas edition
of the Metro Voice newspaper.

 

 

  

 

Lee Hartman 

Managing Editor

LHartman3@cox.net 

Check the expanded menu to see past blogs.

These are my thoughts. We'd like to hear yours!

Scroll to the bottom to leave your comments on any of these topics.