Judy Bowman, On The Journey

If you don't know Pete Singer, you need to find out about him. He's a professor of bioethics at Princeton University and a top adviser to President Obama on the Affordable Care Act or "Obamacare" which was recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Professor Singer's influence on your future healthcare options can't be over-emphasized. He has strong opinions on how you should be cared for in your doctor's office. He's a proponent of something called "utilitarian bioethics" which traces its roots to the 19th century principles of John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. But it is Mr. Singer who brought their ideas into the 21st century.......and into your doctor's office. What Mr. Singer believes can be learned in his book Practical Ethics (2011). I'll try to summarize it for you: Morality doesn't come from God but from giving as many of us as possible what we want and need. Think about that. Who does the giving? The government. And what does the government give? What we want and need. The government decides what we want and need and gives as much of it as possible to as many of us as possible. Taxpayers earn money through hard work, pay taxes to support government programs and government planners like Mr. Singer decide who needs what and then give to those they think are in need.

Scary? You don't know the half of it. For Mr. Singer, the world is a vast "problem" and people like him who are in positions of power are charged by the government to solve these "problems" by judicious "distribution of resources." In other words, all of the "stuff" in the world is like a big pie and there are a fixed number of available slices. Mr. Singer wants to give the slices to those people with the highest chance of contributing back to the pie through their work. That means healthy young people should be given more resources than the sick, the old, the disabled, or children. It's like social triage. Medical decisions would be made logically on the basis of each person's total future productive value and "happiness." All these judgments would be left up to people like Mr. Singer, who are obviously so much smarter than the rest of us. In his 1977 book Ecoscience: Population, Resources, Environment, Mr. Singer writes that "...one teenager is equivalent to saving fourteen 85-year-olds," This is the morality of one of Mr. Obama's top advisors on health care. He goes on to say that ": killing a newborn baby is never equivalent to killing a person." Note that a newborn isn't a person. And that he isn't talking about abortion, as horrible as that is. He's actually talking about killing a newborn infant. He calls this a "post-birth abortion." I call it murder, as the law does. In my opinion, he's one of the most dangerous men in America because he has the confidence of our President.

This world view believes there is no God, no objective truth, no sense of the value and dignity of each human life. I'm talking here about the intrinsic value, not the "bioethical" value assigned to a life by someone like Mr. Singer. Anyone not seen as valuable by him should be allowed to die. Medical resources would be rationed by panels of government experts who would determine if your surgery or medication would make you more "valuable" to society. If the panel didn't find you worthy of treatment, you'd be allowed to die or even assisted in committing suicide. The disabled or elderly or infants would be classified as "nonpersons." It sounds like a science-fiction nightmare, but this is what is being taught at universities around our country. And Mr. Singer is advising our President.

I don't know about you, but I don't want Mr. Singer deciding who lives and who dies. I don't believe most of America would agree with his world view either. So we have to do our homework and we have to stand up for the value and dignity of every human life. I believe that God has created us in His image (Genesis 1:26) and that He sent His only Son to save us and bring us back to Himself (John 3:16). I believe that it is God Who creates us in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13) and from the moment of our creation until the moment of our natural death, we live in His care, in the palm of His hand (Isaiah 49:16). I believe Jesus calls us to care for and protect "the least" of our brothers and sisters (Matthew 25:40). Our Catholic faith has always taken care of the sick and the poor among us. Our Bishops have made it clear that we will not stop our ministry despite the HHS mandate. To cease protecting human life is to cease to be Catholic, and to cease to be the Bride of Christ. I believe that God loves Mr. Singer just as much as He loves you and me. So I believe it's my duty to pray for his conversion and to do all that I can to be an example of Christ' love to those "nonpersons" that Mr. Singer would like to eliminate. I plan to be an abundant "waster" of resources to help others, in whatever way I can. Let's remember the charity of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta who cared for the sick and the dying with such love and compassion. May her example lead us to defend and protect every human life, without exception.

"At the end of this life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in.' " -Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

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Charlotte McGuffey, Salem Baptist Church

Sunday was homecoming at Salem. We had a large number of visitors and former members throughout the day. It was so good to have our former pastor, Rev. Glenn Cavin and Stella with us. They were such a blessing to our church during their time here. We were happy to see several members of the Roy and Willie Mae Bryant family, the J.C. and Alice Ware family and the John and Mattie Scoggins family. There were 6 of the 8 remaining Scoggins siblings present in the afternoon. There were a number of folks from Coppinger Cove in Marion County where Mike Teague had pastored until recently and he and Joyce were excited to have them with us. All are invited to come back any time.

Bro. Tommy Johnson and the choir did a great job with the music. The choir special was “The Family of God” with “Plenty of Room in the Family” and the ensemble sang “I’ve Been to Calvary” which went along with Bro. Mike’s message.

We had lunch following the morning service. The tables were loaded with delicious food of every variety. If you didn’t get enough to eat, it was your own fault as there was lots of food left over. The New Liberty Boys sang for us in the afternoon and did a superb job.

We extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Lucy Plemons who passed away last week. She was the wife of Edgar Plemons.

Happy birthday to James Trew on July 27 and happy anniversary to Charlie and Pat Bates on July 23. We are still missing Charlie following his surgery but hope he will be back with us soon.

Continue to remember Buck Blevins, our cancer patients, Janice Watkins with back pain, the elderly and those who work out in the heat.

Marie and Lori Massengill enjoyed the concert by the Mountain Cove Boys and the Watkins Family at the depot recently.

Our hearts were saddened to learn of the home going of Robert “Bob” Belcher of the Boynton community. He was a long time active member and leader of Boynton Baptist Church and was affectionately known as the “candy man” as he loved to share candy with everybody. Our sympathy to his wife, Mary and children, Joy and Bobby and their families.

Our Vacation Bible School will be held July 23 – 27. Phyllis Johnson would like to meet briefly with the workers after church next Sunday.

Don’t forget our 5th Sunday night singing on July 29 featuring the group Right Path that is a bluegrass group. Everyone is welcome to join us.

Margie Stringer, North Whitfield Baptist

I know everyone is thankful for the good rain we had off and on all last week. I just wanted to stand out in it.

We had a really good day on Sunday. The Lord really blessed. We had two to join the church Sunday night.

Fred Hooper really needs your prayers. He’s been in the hospital three weeks and he has a lot of health problems. Dewey Hooper is in the hospital too. He had surgery last week.

My grandson, Harley and his wife, Felicia, and the two boys came by to see us last Monday and then they took Eddie back to Mac’s and spent the night. Eddie is not feeling well at all. Dale had a few rough days last week too. They both have doctor appointments this week. Really help us pray for them. Mac is trying to look after Eddie.

Alex Stringer had something wrong with one of his fingers. It got infected and he went to the doctor on Sunday.

Pray for Linda Brinkley, she is still having a rough time. On last Monday she and Ken had a new grandbaby. It was another little girl and she has been named Emma Rileigh. Nancy Westmoreland is a little proud of this baby girl too.

Glenda Hasty’s mother is in the hospital with some serious problems. Edna Allen fell this week and was taken to the hospital. I think she is doing okay now.

I am starting three days a week with therapy. They’re hoping it will help my walking.

Bro. J.T. Sanders preached at Welcome Hill last Wednesday night. Bro. Richard Comer preached at our church but I missed them.

Pray for our sick folks in our church and in the community.

Stevie Powell died last week and he lived at my old home place. Our sympathy goes out to that family.

Lucille Brinkley is still in the Woodale Nursing home in Dalton. William Weaver is in the hospital at this time and I understand he may be coming home with hospice. I haven’t heard from Daisy Quarles in a few days but pray for her.

Pray for our daughter, April, she is having a lot of back problems and is not even able to work right. If the therapy doesn’t help they will be doing surgery.

Continue praying for Jerry Clark, he will be having surgery soon. Harriet still comes by a time or two a week. They moved from beside us across the road on Wright Circle. We sure do miss them. Their son-in-law, Leroy Andrews, really needs your prayers. He is very sick.

We got a call from Mike that Mary Cummings has had a stroke. I believe she went to Erlanger.

Emma Jo Davis, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church

This week is our Vacation Bible School so this will be a busy week for all the workers. This begins at 6:30 until 9 p.m. each night. Friday night will be family night. We would love to see the parents and grandparents of all of the children on that night. There will be a time of fellowship after the program in the Fellowship Hall for everyone. Pray that we will see some young person saved in this VBS.

We were glad to have Bro. Robert and Jerry Burket, with us on Sunday.

They are missionaries to the military in England. Bro. Burket preached in the Sunday evening service a message we should all take to heart. God has a Plan, nothing catches Him by surprise. Our worries are in vain because God has a plan for our lives. So lets trust Him for the dark days ahead.

We were happy to see Bro. Donald Self in the evening service. The church were he Pastors had homecoming on Sunday and did not have an evening service. We were glad to have him back home with us.

Our Silvey Family Reunion was well attended on last Saturday. In fact it was almost too large for the Fellowship Hall at Keith Baptist Church. But we appreciate the church letting us use it. Garland Nance invited some musicians to play and sing for us that were very good. A big thanks to Garland for taking care of the needs of the reunion. Bill Silvey is still working on the family history. I thought he had given up but he hasn't yet.

Our Homecoming at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church will be August 5th. We would love to see lots of the former members of the church come and be with us on this special occasion. We are to have Bro. John (Jeep) Mitchell preaching for us in the morning service, he is always a blessing. So if possible come be with us and hear Bro. Jeep, if you can't come for the service come have lunch and fellowship later.

We were sad to hear of the death of our oldest member, Carl Blair of Ooltewah. He was 103 years old. We send condolences to his family.

There are still several on our prayer list: Ellie Pitts, Louise Clark, Billy and Katherine Headrick, Denise Phillips is back in the hospital, Norma Headrick, Jimmy Blassingame, Bernice Orr, Johnny Chapman, Benny Wilson, Kim Owens, Susie McNish, Doris Pitts, Jan Elliott, our Military, our Missionaries and our Nation.

Happy Birthday wishes to Jason Pitts, Carolyn Denton and Calvin Headrick, July 19. Chad and Justin Holcomb, July 20. Carly Diver, July 21, Anthony Petty, July 25.