Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 129, No. 41, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 22, 2011 Page: 4 of 20
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PAGE 4A
Is Jesus a crummy thief?
Radio DJ misses apocalypse, again
r I ihe very fact that you
I are reading this means
A there was most likely
not a rapture, unless there is a
Polk County Enterprise stand
somewhere in heaven, or if
all of the newspaper vending
machines around Livingston
have miraculously been
saved during the life-ending
earthquake that according to
Harold Camping will destroy
the world.
Camping, the 86-year-old
co-founder of one of the largest
Christian radio stations in the
world, has deemed 6 p.m. May
21, as the precise time of the
rapture where Jesus Christ will
come back "like a thief in the
night to steal, to kill, to destroy
those who are in spiritual
nighttime... and that include
all the people in churches,
they don't want to listen to the
fact that God has given us this
new information.”
There are a few things in
this statement that are very
difficult to believe if you have
read the Bible. And by “very
difficult" I mean impossible.
The Bible does, in fact, say
in 2 Peter chapter 3 that Jesus
will come like a thief. Verse
10 of that chapter says, "But
the day of the Lord will come
as unexpectedly as a thief.
Then the heavens will pass
away with a terrible noise, and
the very elements themselves
will disappear in fire, and
the earth and everything on
it will be found to deserve
judgment.! NLT)”
I have never stolen
anything. Never been arrested
for burglary. But if 1 was
going to steal something, I'm
relatively sure that I would not
plan the heist on a day when
everyone was expecting me
to. People who are worthy of
the title "thief" don’t go out on
rooftops the day before the job
and shout their plans. Based
on what we see in scripture,
Jesus excelled at everything
he tried. So why does Harold
Camping think Jesus is going
to be such a terrible thief?
God makes it very clear
m this verse that the time
of Jesus’ second coming is
not for us to know. Thus the
part of the verse that says
“unexpectedly" and the entire
analogy of the thief.
Other verses that clearly
6
AUSTIN GODDARD
Polk County Enterprise staff
refute the possibility and
necessity of us knowing when
Jesus will return to Earth are
Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32
and Acts 1:7 to name a few.
This isn't the first time that
Camping has attempted to
predict the second coming of
Christ. In September 1994,
Harold sang the same song
on his radio program and,
as I'm sure you’ve figured
out. his guess was a little off.
Camping said that he made a
mathematical error but feels
sure his most recent guess is
correct. If you were wondering
how Camping arrived at this
date, you can find a detailed
description on his website
www.ebiblefellowship.com.
Harold did not go to college to
be a mathematician.
There are a ton of people
who have attempted to
predict Jesus’ second coming
and so far they all have the
same success rate as Harold
Camping.
Not only does God say that
we are not going to know when
he will return, He also says
it’s not any of our concern.
We are supposed to serve Him
as long as we exist. 2 Peter
3 17-18 says “Therefore,
dear friends, since you have
been forewarned, be on your
guard so that you may not be
carried away by the error of
the lawless and fall from your
secure position. But grow in
the grace and knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To him be glory both
now and forever! Amen.”
The bottom line is we don’t
know when Jesus will return.
And if you have faith in God
that shouldn’t be a problem.
i wutDNaeR a ike
GOPers twist and shout on health care
In the Doghouse of Amorously
Indiscreet Politicians
pi
m
Letters to the Editor Policy
The letters may be written on any subject or issue of
general interest. Letters must be accompanied by a name
and mailing address and will be subject to editing for
grammar, punctuation, spelling and length. Letters must
include a telephone number for verification. We will
not publish the telephone number.
Readers should keep their letters brief and to the point.
Each letter should contain no more than 650 words. Let-
ters exceeding that length will be subject to editing or
withheld from publication.
Letters will also be subject to editing for libelous state-
ments and commercialism. This column is not meant as
a forum for political candidates, although we welcome
comments from the public concerning campaign issues.
Letters may be submitted in person; mailed to “Letters
to the editor,” Polk County Enterprise, P.O. Box 1276,
Livingston. TX 77351; sent by fax to (936) 327-7156 or
sent via e-mail to polknews@gmail.com.
f ■ the best thing about
the upcoming 2012
A election is that the
ominous “Obamacare” was
a Republican idea. But now
since this alternative to
Hillarycare was signed into
law by a (gasp) Democratic
president the GOP has been
trying to peg as a radical so-
cialist Kenyan - Republicans
now have to be against their
own ideas.
Politicians who are already
adept wafflers and wrigglers
are shadowboxing with their
pre-Obama-Administration-
selves. It’s a very avant garde
off-off-Broadway production
sponsored by Koch Industries
and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
Yes. Weird, but totally worth
watching.
In 2009 Former Speaker of
the House Newt Gingrich mer-
rily made the talk show rounds
denouncing Obamacare as
“rationing.” During the health
care reform debate he warned
Americans of those “death
panels.”
Yet what about the conserva-
tive-maligned individual man-
date? Turns out Newt touted
it as a shiny Republican idea
- the gleaming hope of the na-
tion - a superior proposal to
anything the Clintons could
ever come up with in 1994.
But now he’s against it. Well,
kind of against it. This week
on Meet The Press, David
Gregory pressed Gingrich on
this very issue. The politician
said, “Well, I agree that all of
us have a responsibility to pay
TINA DUPUY
— help pay for health care...
I’ve said consistently we ought
to have some requirement that
you either have health insur-
ance or you post a bond...”
Gregory then asked, “But that
is the individual mandate, is it
not?”
Gingrich’s answer, “It’s a
variation on it.”
So Newt agrees with
Obamacare unless it’s called
Obamacare. Then he’s against
it. Because it’s Obamacare...
and that’s secular socialism
according to the thrice-mar-
ried author.
Then there’s former
Governor of Massachusetts
and current resident of San
Diego Mitt Romney, who last
week went to the University
of Michigan and opened with
how his brother attended their
rival Michigan State. This is
akin to going to New Jersey
and starting with. “Trenton
is great! My sister lives in
Manhattan!” Romney should
have quit while he was ahead.
As governor, Romney
signed a bill in Massachusetts
for what ended up being the
model for Obamacare. But
now he strangely must de-
nounce Obamacare, so he
says he'd repeal and replace
it...presumably with a similar
version of Obamacare he’ll
then be for. It’s indeed a diffi-
cult stance to take. His speech
became a game of Semantic
Twister where he sprinkled
in words like, “freedom,”
“dreams” and “innovation”
into a lesson about the OOP’s
BFF, the Tenth Amendment.
This coincided with the fifth
anniversary of Romneycare in
Massachusetts.
Romney’s law is popular in
his state. People who live un-
der the dreaded Obamacare
model — like it. It’s not perfect,
but neither is the highway sys-
tem, and we don’t talk about
repealing and replacing that.
“It’s difficult to see how
an acknowledged success in
Massachusetts can become a
presumptive failure nation-
ally,” said Duvall Patrick, the
state’s current governor. “But
you know, this is more about
politics than policy.”
Speaking of policy: What is
the new Republican idea on
health care? Is their new idea
to kill their old idea? That’s not
actually an idea. And “leave it
up to the states” is a plan like
“it’s there” is an atlas.
But perhaps the most tone-
deaf unapologetically obtuse
thing said by a Republican
politician on health care comes
from newbie Senator Rand
Paul who, at a hearing of the
Senate HELP Subcommittee
on Primary Health, announced
anyone who believes in uni-
versal health care is advo-
cating slavery. Yes. Slavery.
Because a right to health care
would mean poor U.S. doc-
tors (the highest paid doctors
in the world) would be con-
scripted along with (according
to Paul)...janitors.
Really? Slavery?
Ask anyone who’s ever been
middle-class under age 65 and
found themselves sick if they
feel free. Ask anyone who’s
ever stared at a pile of medical
bills wondering if bankruptcy
is the only answer if that isn’t a
form of indentured serfdom.
Senator Paul’s namesake Ayn
Rand collected Social Security
and Medicare. She knew her
medical expenses could cost
more than she made writing
books. So tor all the bloviating
about the evils of government
- the fantasy fiction writer
who inspired selfishness and
elitism had a deathbed conver-
sion to socialized medicine.
I believe there are atheists in
foxholes. And, apparently, lib-
ertarians on Medicare.
But they ’ re play i ng Semantic
Twister. Now, right hand red.
Copyright 2011 TinaDupuy.
com. Tina Dupuy is an
award-winning writer and
fill-in host at The Young
Turks. Tina can be reached at
tinadupuy@yahoo.com. This
column has been edited by the
author. Representations of fact
and opinions are solely those
of the author.
POLK COUNTY
ENTERPRISE
TEXAS PRESS T
j ASSOCIATION I
[_ j
ALVIN HOLLEY, PUBLISHER
Telephone Number 936-3274357
(USPS 437-34#)
WEBSITE: www.EastTexusNews.com
E-MAIL: Advertising: enterprisefn'easttexasnews.com Newsroom: polluiews0gnuil.eom
< ’in itiation im ulattonti eastteiuMiewieoni. Emend as Periodical Matter at the Poet Office at Livingston TX
Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, firm or corporation which
may appear in this newspaper will be gladly corrected upon being brought to the attention of the publisher.
Opinions expressed in columns are those oif the writer and not necessarily (hone of this newspaper Opinions
expressed in editorial ate those of the Enterprise POSTMASTER: Periodical postage paid at Livingston, TX.
Please send address changes to PO. Box 1276, Livingston. Texas 77351.
To report ,\ (LmaKud/nrnsini; paper nr In report ,i Imiki n mikIu^ machine ( dll c\t 105 |
Civil liberties
abused
A gain the assault on
zYthe 4th Amendment
continues. This time it comes
from SCOTUS themselves
ruling on a case from
Kentucky. They have ruled 8-
1, that’s right 8-1!, that police
do not need a warrant to break
into your house if they hear
sounds of evidence being
destroyed, smell illegal drugs,
or in an emergency. Let’s
look at these individually;
The if thing...if I had a
million dollars, if she only
said yes. if I had gone to
college. See, if is a very big
subjective word and leave
a hole as big as Texas for
interpretation.
Smelled drugs... How
many times have you thought
you smelled something, but
it was not there. There is no
way to prove or disprove this
when it goes to court. Yep.
There’s that Texas sized hole
again.
Emergency thing... Law
enforcement can claim an
emergency foranything. Even
knocking on the door can be
the “emergency”. Below is
what was in the SCOTUS
decision paper.
“A resident need not
respond, he added. But the
sounds of people moving and
perhaps toilets being flushed
could justify police entering
without a warrant, he added.”
Wow! Sounds of people
moving and perhaps the toilet
flushing. Someone getting up
to answer the door is “sounds
of people moving”. #3 for
the Texas size hole.
Remember that 8-1 ruling.
I was shocked to read who the
dissenting judge was. It was
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The uber liberal judge. She
said “Police officers may not
knock, listen and then break
the door down,” she said,
without violating the 4th
Amendment”
As you read this, think about
all the other civil liberties that
have been taken, infringed
on and just plain out abused.
Remember, you can exercise
the Liberties that God gave
you and were reaffirmed in
the Bill of Rights at any time.
The Government cannot
take away your rights. You
must choose to give them
away.
Rich Timm, III
Livingston
Response to
Tim Clay
T"Near young and
-L/impetuous brother, Tim
Clay:
Do you not agree that a
simple phone call to vent
your anger and discuss your
concerns about a matter
would have been much more
productive than to, in the
public arena, attempt toslander
the character of two men of
God who have proclaimed th
Gospel of Christ more year
that you are old? (May 8,201
“Letter to the Editor”).
Human error is the suspec
in the incorrect scriptur
reference number in question
My computer save record
indicate they were correct o
my submitted manuscript.
Tim, by going public, yo
probably don’t realize it, bi
when you publicly accused a
elected, sitting church paste
of lying (with all his untruths
and myself, a retired ministei
you committed “libelou
statements.”
Your former Pastor and
will attempt to schedule
meeting with you in the nex
few days.
Incidentally, I like the ne\
“Biblical” phrase you create
— “Easy Believeism,” It has
certain “ring.”
Sincerely in his service,
John Hollifieli
Author, Food for Though
Livingstoi
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Reddell, Valerie. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 129, No. 41, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 22, 2011, newspaper, May 22, 2011; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth659967/m1/4/: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.