What I believe dogmatically has nothing to do with why I think David Jeremiah is an opportunist. However knowing that his organization resigned from the ECFA after a financial investigation does. It is disappointing to see so many people these days using religion for their own political and/or financial gain. Particularly when they are associated with a church whose religious dogma comes from the same book that mine comes from.

You are correct. It is my opinion. So let me pull out your exact statements which have formed this opinion.

"You're Paying For The Obama Phones"

"The Obama cell phone plan"

I want to add that I do have a problem with social welfare. Karl Marx said "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" and I happen to think that the first part of that motto is as important as the second, if you want a real socialism.

Most modern socialists seem to read Marx' statement as "from those dumb enough to work to those clever enough to take".

Modern socialism is as much a caricature of authentic socialism as the capitalism today's socialists want to perceive is a caricature of the real world.

First let us put a misunderstanding out of the way: I don't care whether the phone is a mobile phone or a landline and in my anecdote it didn't make a difference because I had neither (which is why I took the bus to the post office to make calls).

Second, I do think that a phone is a luxury.

Third, it is the usual strategy of liberals to excuse social welfare by referring to the disabled, elderly or single mothers. Well, here is a surprising proposal: if you want to help the disabled, elderly and single mothers, create a program for THEM (include single fathers) and replace the general social welfare system with that program. That would even mean more money for those groups while costing the rest of us less than the current program.

Fourth, I don't think there is anything about being elderly that entitles someone to free goods. Everyone grows old. It's not an accidental disaster afflicting some people, like disability.

Fifth, there is a difference between being against a certain wasteful way of helping the "needy" and refusing the help the "truly needy". In my experience those who argue against social welfare are also more willing to give voluntarily. I wonder if anyone has statistics?

The "truly needy" live outside the United States and western Europe. I am all for helping them.

Then please don't use the term "truly needy" to refer to people who have American citizenship or a work permit and are certainly not nearly as poor as the majority of people living on this planet.

Being an elderly disabled single mother in America might be a nightmare for an American, but for most of the world it is a dream.

My flat mate is a student from a third world country.

Here! here!  Thank you for voicing sanity about the stupidity of Americans, especially the ruling class.

Today in my local paper I read quite a lengthy article entitled:  "Federal program buys cell phones for the poor" written by Scott Canon from McClatchy Newspapers. 

In the article he wrote:

"A cell phone in every pocket.  And for growing numbers, it's free. "

"It's a sign of the times," said Nicholas Eberstadt, a researcher at the conservative American Enterprise Institute and author of "The Poverty of The Poverty Rate." 

"Roughly one in 10 American households qualifies for a direct phone subsidy.  In a fast growing number of states, that equates to a free cell phone." 

In the article he writes that cell companies are seeing this as a way to scoop up hundreds of millions of dollars in business.  More than 2 million poor people have been given free phones and cell service. 

This access appears to be drawing more low-income families into the program and to the marketplace of carriers like TracFone and Sprint.  These companies stand to increase their profits even more by selling minutes to the poor BEYOND what the government provides. 

Between 2008-2009 spending on the phone program grew by nearly $179 million.  Phone subsidies for low income families are projected to rise $200 million plus more this year and total $1.2 billion.  This is huge money. 

Even the advocates for the program admit this is a jaw dropping idea. 

In 1984 under a Democratic Congress and the Reagan administration they agreed to establish this program.  Only back then it discounted phone bills of poor families which amounted to about $10 a month per family for thier landlines. 

That is not what is happening today.   Now instead of paying a reduced rate for a landline they pay nothing agreeing not to go over their monthly allotment of minutes.   It's now available to families in 25 states and is going to become nationwide soon. 

"Were able to create a profit off it.  We created the business model off of the $10 subsidy," said Jose Fuentes director of government relations for TracFone."

Part of the reasoning behind this is to help families to control their budgets. 

Isn't that nice? 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

You just got done telling me you don't like opportunists (neither do I) but you just picked one of the biggest one out there.  You did not know this?  Rick Warren is one of the guys responsible for the seeker friendly churches.  One of the other ministers involved in this type of ministry came out recently admitting this was a mistake. 

Check for yourself.  Rick Warren hired a marketing firm to market his book "Purpose Driven Life."   He's one that the strongest of Christians stay away from.  At our church we took all those books out of the library. 

The ones listed above in my last posting are just a few of the most Godly preachers we have today.  I especially think R.C. Sproul and John MacArthur are the best we have today. 

But if you like market driven, seeker friendly guys than yes, Rick Warren is your man.  But it makes no sense in what you just told me about not liking opportunists. 

I am very much against peddling the gospel making merchandise of it like so many do today.  So we agree there but am still shaking my head over your liking Rick Warren.  Have you read his book?  Have you noticed that he uses diff versions of the bible in it to make it say what he wants it to say even using a paraphrase bible (which is not scripture) which sounds nothing like the original Hebrew and Greek. 

Now as far as the "end is nigh stuff" is concerned...the preachers are only doing what they are supposed to be doing.  Warning us to be ready.  If you know or recall from the OT, the prophets  were warning Israel of impending danger.  But Israel, instead listened to the Rick Warren's of their day (teachers who tickle ears)  and chose not to believe in the end time stuff.  By then Israel was divided into two nations, the North and the South.  The Northern tribes had certain prophets warning them and so did the Southern tribe have thier prophets warning them.  The Northern tribe was taken into exile by Assyria exactly as warned by the prophets and the Southern tribe was taken into exile by Babylon exactly as their prophets foretold about 100 years later. 

One thing is certain hell is truth seen too late.  These men of God speaking of end times are helping us by telling us these things.  They are preaching the truth.  They are holding our arms up so to speak.  We need to heed and listen, not tell them to go away which is exactly what the people of Israel did to the prophets of their day.  Read the book of Jeremiah some day. This is history repeating itself over again.   

Free cell phones....