Ron's Random Ruminations

So, as we come to the end of another lazy-hazy summer month, I'd like to give you my take on a few new items from July.

I don't know about you but I'm already tired of 2008 Presidential campaign. It's still a year and half away from now. I think part of this feeling stems from my belief that Conservative Christians were fooled into voting for Bush, not once by twice.

I can recall top Conservative Christian Leaders like, Dr. James Dobson, Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell strongly encouraging Christians to vote for George W. Bush.

I read numerous opinion pieces from those on the so-call Religious Right telling us how it was our duty to vote and in many cases how we should vote.

Now, with another election around the bend, I'd like to say to all those folks I've mentioned above, "Fool me once shame on you! But fool me twice, shame on me!"  I'm not buying it this time around. If, after my prayer before God, I don't believer there is a conservative candidate running in the race, I won't vote.

Harry Potter Hoopla
Is there any wonder who's captivating the world?

English Author J.K. Rowling, of the famed Harry Potter series, posted staggering numbers in book sales with the release of her latest record-breaker book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. At last take, it's said that the Potter series has sold a staggering 340 million copies. Now compare that to the number of Bibles sold (250 million copies) over that same time period. Says a lot about who we are as a people, does it not? It's all about the manna baby!

Do you recall how Rowling says she got the idea for Harry Potter?  I'll quote her directly. She says," I was traveling back to London on my own on a crowded train, that the idea for Harry Potter simply fell into my head."

Now here's a "hmmm?" moment.  Any Christian worth his or her own salt knows that the adversary is the prince of power (or ruler) of the air.  (Ephesians 2:2) And as such, he tirelessly works to supplant God and faith in His word. He does this by planting evil thoughts and temptations in weak human minds. No? Read The Screwtape Letters by another English author, C. S. Lewis.  So, I'm not saying, but I wonder where or who Ms. Rowling's idea really came from?

Faith and Fathers
So tell me something new already.

American family scholars Loren Marks and David Dollahite, of the School of Human Ecology at Louisiana State University, recently published the results of their scientific study of the family. According to professor Marks, "Research, ours and that of the past, indicates that religious involvement tends to have a positive influence on father-child relationships."

No kidding!

Marks goes on to say, "married couples who are actively involved in the same faith tend to have stronger, happier marriages and this impacts father-child relationships in a positive way."

Whoa! What a revelation! I could have told you all this without the expense of time and money used in this study.  Just read the Word of God.