A Letter About a County Fair Selling Beer!

This year for the first time one of our county fairs chose to sell beer during its session at the beginning of September. As could be expected there were numerous responses to this issue as Cambria County in central Pennsylvania placed itself on the cutting edge of making a family oriented event one in which beverage alcohol would be available. County fairs are rather numerous in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and have always had a strong emphasis on family with activities involving persons of all ages. The one thing held in common by them was the fact that no alcoholic beverages would be available and the consumption of such beverages was absolutely forbidden on the premises. But that is obviously changing. It may be that there are others such as Cambria County that are doing this as well, but at this point in time I know of none.

Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh just took the step to sell beer recently shortly before closing for the season. It also over time has prided itself on being "family oriented."

A legitimate question can be raised -- can such institutions really claim to be "family oriented" when alcoholic beverages are available for purchase and consumption of the same takes place on the premises?

Below is a letter that was sent to two local newspapers on the Cambria County Fair choice to sell beer. I do not know if the letters were published. I am taking the position that they were not until I hear otherwise. The one always called me to verify that I had written the letter and since I did not receive a call, I assume they did not publish it.

Letter is as follows:

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Editor:

Cambria County Fair officials have made the choice to sell beverage alcohol at the fair this year. In an attempt to defend this action, one official said that they will have it under complete "control." He failed to elaborate on how they plan to control it after persons with the alcohol in their system leave the fairgrounds.

After 53 years in the ministry there is absolutely nothing positive that I can say about beverage alcohol. It has ruined more lives and destroyed more families than any other issue with which I have had to deal over those years. National statistics also are quite negative when it comes to destruction and loss of life caused by beverage alcohol.

A question for those Cambria County Fair officials: how would you like to conduct the funeral for an exceptional high school student who was cut down, along with his girl friend, by a character with alcohol in his system who was driving at about 85 MPH? He was driving with a suspended license due to previous conviction for drunken driving. To add great insult to injury an unscrupulous lawyer who had abandoned all ethical and moral standards in his practice got the killer off on a technicality!

Greed has a wide variety of ways in manifesting itself with end results summed up in words such as tragedy and disaster! It may seem we are getting away with something for a time and will come out on top in the end, only to discover too late in eternity the choice made was a very deadly mistake!

Still contending at www.crrange.com, blogging at http://cdharriger.blogspot.com and warning at www.crrange.com/USACoffin.html

Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor

The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a crying for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. --- Isaiah 24:7-11

President Obama: An Expert on Majoring on the Minors!

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama waded into the politically treacherous gun control debate on Sunday, calling for reform of rules to prevent attacks like the one that wounded an Arizona congresswoman two months ago.

Obama, in an opinion piece published in the Arizona Daily Star, said some 2,000 people had perished from gun violence in the short time since a gunman in Tucson killed six people and shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in the head.

"Every single day, America is robbed of more futures. It has awful consequences for our society. And as a society, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to put a stop to it," he wrote. --- News release on the internet on March 13, 2011

It is nothing short of a tragedy that 2,000 people have been the victims of gun violence since the shooting spree which took place in Arizona a few weeks ago. The president is exploiting the incident and is pressing for controls to reduce the number of circumstances involving use of guns and loss of human life. Obama claims he supports the right of citizens to possess weapons as based on the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But does he really?

Anyway, his priority on the issue of guns can be legitimately questioned as well as his attempt to establish his case by quoting a statistic of the loss of 2,000 lives by shootings since the Arizona incident.

Let's begin with loss of lives due to alcohol usage -- drinking and driving causes over 25,000 deaths on the highways each year, but one figure released by the NHTSA was 43,443 for the year 2005. Total alcohol related deaths in a year's time is in the range of 100,000, which would include highway fatalities! If you do the math you are talking over 8,000 in a month or over 16,000 in the same amount of time that President Obama harps about 2,000 gun related deaths! Now is he doing anything to curb the use of alcohol so that this carnage will be reduced -- is he showing the same zeal as he is about the gun related deaths around the country? Maybe he is a little slack because he does like his beer as has been well documented! So don't hold your breath until he shows equal enthusiasm for alcohol "control" as he does for gun control.

Then let's consider the real "biggie" when it comes to violence and loss of human life which makes lives lost by gun violence fade quickly into a far away background. On average about 25,000 human lives are violently snuffed out each week in this country -- they are the unborn children whose "mothers" (term used very loosely) have chosen to have them murdered before they are born! The president wholeheartedly sanctions this United States' version of "holocaust" and vehemently opposes any effort to try to restrict the practice of destroying unborn children at any age.

No, in his vision (which struggles to even get to the end of his nose) the 2,000 lives lost as a result of gun usage is the priority thing -- loss of life as previously mentioned which totals a huge number in a year's time does not matter at all -- in fact, the total of unborn children destroyed comes to over a million in a year's time!

"Every single day, America is robbed of more futures. It has awful consequences for our society. And as a society, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to put a stop to it," says President Barack Obama. OK, how about we start with alcohol "control" and the ending of violent mutilation and murder of thousands of unborn children every week of the year? We all know the answer to that one, do we not?

As great as this tragedy is, the greater tragedy lies in the fact that this president and his supporters in the U. S. Congress are so blind and so ignorant that they fail to realize that Almighty God is going to make His response to this massive shedding of innocent blood -- certain things that have been happening may well indicate that the preliminaries have already begun!

"Lord God, raise up a leader for us who will be as dedicated and determined to do Your will as was Joshua in times long, long ago." (See Joshua 1 in the Old Testament of the Bible for a portrait as to what a leader of a nation should be).

Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. --- 2 Kings 21:16

Do You See the Red Flags Flying When Hollywood Jumps on the Bandwagon?

Hollywood's A-list was out in force at a fundraiser for Barack Obama with stars including Leonardo DiCaprio helping to amass an estimated USD 9 million for the Democrat's White House campaign. A dinner in a Beverly Hills mansion costing about 300 attendees USD 28,500 each also attracted director Steven Spielberg along with a bevy of actors such as Jodie Foster and Tobey Maguire, and comedian Chris Rock, reporters saw….. Singer-actress Barbra Streisand crooned at a USD 2,500 per-head reception at the swanky Beverly Wilshire hotel after the dinner, where the stars ate goat's cheese, roasted potatoes, filet mignon and asparagus. --- from Internet news release of September 17, 2008

Do you see those red flags flying – in fact, it’s like a sea of red waving in the breeze, is it not? Why are they there? Didn’t you know? Hollywood is jumping on B. O.’s bandwagon – it’s like a mass stampede!

It was reported on September 17, 2008 that B. O. attended a fund raising event at a Beverly Hills mansion in which those present paid $28,500.00 each to be in the presence of the Democratic presidential candidate. Later in the evening Barbara Streisand sang at the Beverly Wilshire hotel where many of the Hollywood elite were present. Again, raising money to help B. O. get into the White House in January 2009 was the objective.

It is estimated that 9 million dollars came into the Democrat Party’s pocketbook in these two gatherings and if so, would set a fund raising record for one night.

Why mention of the red flags – a kind of warning to us citizens in the republic of the U. S. A?

Keep in mind the following about the Hollywood bunch:

• they have made more than a tid-bit amount of contribution to the moral corruption of our culture by their example of playing musical beds and conceiving children out of wedlock accompanied by drug and alcohol abuse! All this amounts to a ton of grist for the rag sheets at check out counters which are gobbled up by people of all ages.
  
  
• they have manufactured what is supposed to be “entertainment” which is packed full of excessive violence, sexual immorality, and foul language including almost non-stop usage of the infamous “f” word!
  
  
• by lifestyle and life accomplishments in their works they have had an extremely negative impact on our culture, especially our youth and children. It’s been like feeding the young a daily diet of poison with the final result being their destruction.
  
  
• philosophically, these people have egos which make Mt. Everest look like a tiny mole hill by way of comparison and a world view which intentionally ignores the claims and call of a holy God Who created this mighty universe for His pleasure and purposes. If they took those claims and call seriously, the example they set and the work in which they are involved would be as different as a bright sunny day is from night at the midnight hour!
  

There are those who would quickly try to defend Hollywood to a point by saying there are some who do not live as described above and there are some who are involved in the producing of G-rated films etc. Granted, there a very few who may fall into this class, but it’s a bit like giving me a drink with a lot of arsenic and strychnine in it – you tell me those two ingredients are in the drink, but also quickly add that there are some vitamins also in the mixture and these are good for me! Thank you, no, but I don’t believe I will be helped because there are a few “good” things in such a deadly drink!

For the person who gives some thought to the issue – what Hollywood gets excited about, and is willing to pour millions of dollars into an “agenda,” is it good for us or will it lead to ultimate disaster further down the road?

"You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice." --- Exodus 23:2

The Annual July Ritual in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!

According to recent figures from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 9,200 people were treated in emergency rooms across the country in 2006 as a result of the mishandling of fireworks. Children ages 15 and younger account for 36 percent of all fireworks injuries. --- from front page article, “Playing it safe on the Fourth,” of Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, July 3, 2008

It’s that time of year again in Pennsylvania. If you are not a resident, then you don’t know how our noble state seeks to save us from ourselves over the 4th of July holiday. The media people bend over backwards to give their “expert” assistance in this endeavor.

We are exposed to lengthy and graphic details about the dangers of fireworks. We are informed of the laws prohibiting private use of certain types of explosive fireworks – e.g. like little Ralphie shooting his eye out with a BB gun in “A Christmas Story,” so we’ll be losing an eye or both of them, losing fingers and/or getting burned with those deadly fireworks! We are strongly urged to leave fireworks alone and let the “professionals” do the pyrotechnics stuff.

See how simple it is and how our Commonwealth and mass media have our best interest at heart?

However, there is a major, major problem of the first magnitude in all this – dare I suggest there is really more than a tad of hypocrisy going on here?

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is in the business of selling alcoholic beverages – you know, some really hard and powerful stuff such as Jack Daniels and other varieties having a high content of alcohol. In addition to its direct selling of such beverages, Pennsylvania also issues licenses to establishments to sell beverage alcohol to customers while collecting a lot of revenue in the process of such activity – but never enough revenue to cover all the cost of damage, destruction and death resulting from the ingestion of such liquids!

And the Commonwealth has greatly expanded its gambling operations in recent years with permitting the start up of casinos and all the trappings that are a part of such financial blood letting! In the matter of the casinos, the state does not own them – it simply “oversees” and supposedly “regulates” them while reaping a harvest of taxes. It continues to own and operate its lottery which has been touted as a great success. Anyone want to tally the widespread devastation in personal lives which has taken place due to this "activity?" That in addition to the corruption which takes place among officials and a criminal element wanting to get its fingers into this luscious pie!

Now then, just a simple question – to what extent does the Commonwealth give warnings and the mass media provide details about the mass destruction, ruined lives, grief and sorrow, and shattered families resulting from Pennsylvania’s “business” operations as it engages in sales of beverage alcohol and gambling? Do we get a daily report on all who have been victimized by such trafficking on the part of our state -- it always helps to have photos which seems to be a specialty of the mass media! Rest assured that there is more than an eye or two or a couple of fingers lost in this mass assault on citizens and their families in the Keystone state!

Will the governor and an obese legislature ever face reality in this matter? Not likely, as their only message (and warning) is, “Don’t you dare light that firecracker – we’ll fine you and possibly give you some jail time!”

All to which the mass media folks, such as the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat, will say a hearty, “Amen! and Amen! We’ll do it again next year so that the good people of Pennsylvania will be reminded – watch out for fireworks – they’re very dangerous and you could get hurt!”

Let's see now -- what was that word to which we made reference earlier -- hypo... something or other?

"Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" --- Matthew 23:24

Penn State University Continues to Build on a Foundation of Notoriety!

.....The ceremony will be held March 29 at the HUB-Robeson Center. State College Mayor Bill Welch, who said he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA), will preside over the event. It is the first event of LGBTA's Pride Week. "I'd have no problem performing same-sex marriages, but it's not legal," Welch said.... --- from a Penn State campus news organization reporting on a scheduled commitment ceremony to be held for homosexual and lesbian couples on March 29, 2008

Penn State University continues to add to its list of accomplishments for top entry in the Notoriety Hall of Fame! In the central Pennsylvania region the news diet as it pertains to Penn State University is a steady stream of stuff that makes a cesspool smell like a rose!

Here are the kinds of things we are told as they unfold at the school which has a well known coach named Joe Paterno and a football team which has some members who have done more than their share in tarnishing the image of the school:

• Penn State football team players involved in brawls with various charges brought against them for such conduct
  
• sexual assaults
  
• underage drinking and arrests on that basis
  
• assaults, which often are connected to use of beverage alcohol -- seems the alcohol flows practically unrestricted around the university!
  

Now comes the latest blunder of blunders -- a "commitment" ceremony to be held on campus for couples who practice sodomy or lesbianism! One news release indicated there will be 3 male couples and 3 female couples. State College Mayor Bill Welch will conduct the ceremony for them at the HUB-Robeson Center. The mayor has been quoted as saying that he supports the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and its allies (LGBTA).

A couple of the males involved in the ceremony spoke of receiving strong support from the community and throughout the campus. They are both doctoral students at Penn State. One said, "We just want to show the public that we're just like any other committed couple who loves each other."

There will be a protest gathering at the same time as the ceremony is taking place. It has been organized by Gary Dull, pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Altoona.

Already a large number of petitions have been submitted in protest of the commitment ceremony. But Mayor Welch has indicated his intention to go ahead with the ceremony in spite of the protesting that is taking place.

This is but one of many unfolding events across the entire nation indicating the progress which has been made by those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda. With a lot of highly intelligent people, lots of financial support, effective strategic planning, masterful waging of psychological "warfare" and successful infiltration of the educational system and mass media these people are much nearer their goal of forced acceptance of their "way of life."

Those of us who still choose to believe that God's boundary lines for acceptable sexual intimacy is limited to a male and female within the covenant of marriage are finding our ranks diminishing. Perhaps in part due to an unwillingness by some to live with the negative labels of "homophobic," "mean-spirited," "unloving," "unchristian," etc. For those supporting the sodomite/lesbian agenda, this aspect of the psychological warfare is proving to be quite effective!

It is also very possible that some have capitulated and gone along with the strategy of "dialog" -- we sit down and discuss how we can agree to disagree, thus creating a "loving" environment and a "positive" attitude -- which translates into "live and let live!"

A few would agree -- probably very few -- that we are witnessing the predictions of Jesus being fulfilled before our very eyes -- He said that the human race would regress to the point that it would be like a rerun of the days in which Noah lived before the judgment of the flood and the days of Lot when he lived in a city by the name of Sodom!

And you know what? I'm not going to cite the book, chapter and verse numbers on that -- if you want to verify it, it's in the Bible SOMEWHERE! You know, that Book which gathers dust by the inch in many, many homes across this republic!

As for Penn State, will it qualify for an entry in Guinness World Records for doing more to gain notoriety than any other university has ever done?

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!......... And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. --- Isaiah 5:20; Romans 1:28-32

Sue Gun Makers? How About More Destructive Products Which No One Wants to Mention?

"Democratic mayoral nominee John F. Street announced yesterday that if elected, he would sue gun manufacturers for flooding the markets with guns that fall into the hands of criminals and children.

Standing with State Rep. Dwight Evans, a former Democratic mayoral candidate who made guns the centerpiece of his primary campaign, Street said the suit also would take manufacturers to task for not providing safety locks on guns and for 'misleading advertising as to the safety of guns in the home.'" --- part of a news release "gem" from out of the past in a city in south eastern Pennsylvania which is representative of the gun control crowd that is determined to save us from ourselves -- the disease with which they are infected has spread throughout the country at large!

Common sense would dictate that if you are in the timber business and you are going to cut trees down and sell them, you don't go for a sapling about 4 inches in diameter or so -- sure would take a big pile of them to load a Peterbilt powered log truck! No, you concentrate on those trees that are at least 15 inches or so in diameter at the base -- preferably you are in an area where the trees are even larger than that -- the more inches, the more gold that will be put in the treasure chest!!

So we have these people that take fits like a dog frothing at the mouth when someone shoots someone or a number of persons. In such a frenzy the cry goes out to get rid of the guns, etc. And the media help to publicize these things most effectively.

How about we start with the big timber first? How about we get rid of all alcoholic beverages or at least sue the manufacturers of such products? Anybody out there man enough or woman enough to dig up all the deaths in a year's time in this country that are the result of drinking alcoholic beverages and compare those numbers with how many have been shot by firearms? Let's start with those killed in auto accidents by drunk drivers. But there are other circumstances in which someone took a few drinks of booze, and then in a rage killed somebody -- yes, they may even have used a gun -- but then again, maybe it was a knife, a meat cleaver, a hammer, or a ball bat! Or the drunk who stomped another guy to death in a bar room "confrontation" as happened years ago in the area where I was born and raised.

However, it is not just violent death at issue here as a result of the consumption of alcohol. It is impossible to calculate the damage done when families are abused in many ways by a member who has to have his or her booze, marriage break-ups, loss of employment, property damage, injuries due to fighting, rape and molestation -- are you getting the picture here?

Add it ALL up and the gun problem quickly fades into the background -- now the "big timber" dominates the scene! But nothing will be done, in part because most are unwilling to face reality on this, such as the politician mentioned at the beginning who shot his mouth off about suing gun manufacturers. Suing the makers of alcoholic beverages would be unthinkable to him and others of his breed!

Further, nothing will be done because:

• too many politicians like to have their own little (or big) nip on a regular basis -- so while some would be willing to sue the gun makers, they would never sue the booze makers!
  
  
• too many parents also like their booze and keep it around the house and then wonder why their little tykes get into trouble for drinking and "partying!"
  
  
• media executives would not want this deadly menace eliminated because they get tons of money in revenue from advertising -- ever watch a NFL game and observe who are big advertisers during those hours?
  
  
• at least some states would not want the stuff banned, such as my home state of Pennsylvania which is in the business of selling hard liquor and wine for profit!
  

But the day will come when it will be ended -- the booze business will be out of business, just as noted elsewhere in this blog, all politicians will no longer hold office -- you don't believe it? How about consulting the Creator of this universe about the matter and listen to what He says and ask Him precisely what His future plans are for this world!

With that I rest my case!

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" --- Revelation 11:15

Prayer Is Also a Weapon -- Use It!

Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. --- Psalm 141:5

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. --- James 5:16-18

The concept of prayer for a large number of people consists mainly in seeking something from God -- it boils down to asking God for blessings and if one is in some kind of "crisis" dilemma, then you ask God for help and that He would get you out of the trouble in which you find yourself.

Some may go a bit further and say that we ought to give God thanks and express gratitude for good things He has granted. At that one special time of the year, in between a turkey dinner and a plethora of football games, we may be reminded to pray a bit and offer up an expression of gratitude!

Prayer is much more than what has been mentioned, and that includes use of prayer as a "weapon." Note the statements in Psalm 141 as mentioned above -- about praying against the "deeds of the wicked." Then we are informed of one person who did this very thing -- Elijah prayed that it would not rain and for 3 1/2 years God turned off the spigot when it came to rain events in the northern kingdom of ancient Israel. Its king was Ahab with a rather notorious wife named Jezebel -- she was a good missionary -- she brought all her heathen deities with her when she married Ahab and Baal worship was widely promoted and accepted -- perhaps the people were excitedly proclaiming the fact that now they were a "diverse" people with different ideas about belief systems and worship just as has been happening in the mainline denominations today -- you hear a lot about celebrating "diversity" in the United Methodist Church at the present time!

Ahab confronted Elijah and accused him of causing trouble in the kingdom -- it's a fascinating encounter -- I'll let you hunt it up and see what adventures Elijah had as he used prayer as a weapon.

There is a lot of wickedness in our culture and even big name people can be a part of it -- they live it and actively promote it at times! So pray "against" them -- that God will return upon their heads the "fruit of their doings!" This last expression is Biblical by the way -- you can see references to it from time to time.

Try that approach for instance with the guys who mutilate and murder unborn children! Or with elected officials who act more out of self-interest and self-preservation than they do for the interests and well being of the citizens they are supposed to represent! Or with those in the entertainment industry with their repulsive display of immorality and ungodly influence upon our young folks! And don't forget other ways those who are wicked in their ways have a destructive influence on our young -- those who traffic in drugs and alcohol -- those who influence the young with "music" (term used loosely) laced with lyrics encouraging immoral and violent conduct -- those who teach our young that we have "evolved" from lower life forms rather than being a special creation, with each person known and identified by God before conception in the womb and for whom there is a special place in God's overall plan for His creation. This last problem on origins is to be compared to an intellectual cancer which is out of control in the majority of educational institutions throughout the U.S. starting at the elementary level and continuing all the way through the graduate school level!

And just maybe with the resulting calamities that come about, there may be some who will actually repent of their wickedness and seek the mercy and forgiveness of God so wonderfully offered in and through His Son, Jesus Christ!

But we also are sobered with the historical record that in Elijah's case, it didn't do any good -- the kingdom continued down the slippery slope toward impending judgment and ultimate collapse. It doesn't exist anymore.

So, shake the dust off that weapon and be sure to use it every day -- you have to keep working at it because it's virtually impossible to fully identify all the wickedness which exists within a republic known as the United States of America! But sensitivity to what God has revealed in His Word about the patterns of wickedness and enlightenment provided by the Holy Spirit, we will be able to see more clearly where it is concentrated and then pray against it!

In a sense we who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord find ourselves surrounded by the "lions" of wickedness in a variety of forms -- and we are constantly pressured to go along with the ungodliness of our culture without objection or saying something that may "offend" somebody! Nonsense! Get out that weapon and use it -- see what great things God can and will do -- if He shut the mouths of hungry lions in the presence of His servant, Daniel, He can bring all manner of chaos into the lives of those who live and promote the ways of wickedness!

And a PS: Do you remember what happened to that bunch which conspired against Daniel with the result that he was thrown into the lions den? They and all the members of their families were pitched into the den and this time the lions had a feast -- God allowed them to gorge themselves. Yes, wickedness does pay off, but not in a very pleasant way ultimately!

It is time for You to act, O LORD, for they have regarded Your law as void. Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, yes, than fine gold! Therefore all Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I hate every false way. --- Psalm 119:126-128

How Long Until We Bring in the Prostitutes?

Your princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, and follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them.......Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain.......The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.
--- Isaiah 1:23; Ezekiel 22:23; Psalm 12:8

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is quite a state in which to reside -- I am starting to get a bit of a handle on it since I've lived in it for a few decades. The exceptions were when I was in South Carolina for a few months learning to work for Uncle Sam and that work continued later in North Carolina. And a few years after that I and my family lived in Kentucky for a while.

I can remember a time when there was no such thing as a sales tax nor a state income tax nor an occupational tax nor a state operated lottery -- oh, there's a bunch of stuff that didn't use to be in the Keystone State a long time ago!

But politicians are a peculiar breed -- tax revenues are never quite sufficient, so new means of raising revenue is always on their agenda, whether publicly disclosed or not. Often it really doesn't become public knowledge until we wake up one morning and discover the critters did it again -- a new way to get more money out of the citizens and then those special times that they increase their own personal fortunes in the process!

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has devious means of raising money -- it's been in the liquor business for a long time. Then once in a while even "officials" sometimes are given to lamenting that so much destruction of property, injury, grief, and death result from use of these alcoholic products sold by the state!

The state is also in the business of gambling with the establishment of a lottery years back. And in recent months due to politicians giving enthusiastic support, we now are getting the slot machines up and running full speed. A news announcement today indicated the opening of the fifth casino in PA in Washington County (southwestern corner of the state). Now get this -- when finished the casino will contain more than 1,700 slot machines in an area the size of a football field! Whew -- watch those quarters and nickels roll!

Serious investigation has shown again and again that gambling ruins lives just as surely as addiction to drugs and alcohol -- but it brings in the revenue our politicians say is needed. Gambling is also a magnet for organized crime as well -- so who knows, except God Himself, what kind of money passes under the table from someone to another someone for special favors and whatever!

Since our politicians insist that we have to resort to gutter level activities to raise revenue, how long will it be before we bring in the prostitutes for further financing of a state that has about the most top heavy legislature of all 50 states?

Never, you say? Don't bet on it (yes you can place a bet already in PA!)! Sooner or later a politician will be willing to be the point-man (or woman) and say we need to get more revenue ("I haven't had a raise in salary since last year!") and this is bound to be a gold mine! After all, it works for the state of Nevada! So how about setting up a "Rooster Ranch" in Harrisburg PA?

Those of an older generation can remember when the spiritual, moral and ethical climate of our country with its individual states was much, much healthier than it is now. There have been a number of groups and institutions which have contributed to the decline over the years, not the least of which have been elected officials at the state and federal levels in particular!

Will there soon be a 180 degree turn-around -- a widespread sense of the need to seek the mercy and forgiveness of a holy God? Honest confession spreading among leaders and citizens that we have really messed things up and slapped God in the face with our defiant spirit of rebellion? That we have trampled His righteous standards underfoot in our mad quest for amusement and gratification? A thorough housecleaning in government and churches with the holiness of God and full obedience to Him as the goal to be sought and sin in every manifestation as the thing which has to be expelled?

What say you?

"O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets." --- Daniel 9:8-10