“NY-23: Republicans promise conservative philosophy, but offer few specifics - North Country Public Radio” plus 1 more |
| Posted: 08 Sep 2010 04:07 AM PDT  Doug Hoffman (L) and Matt Doheny (R) talk briefly before their second and final debate in Saranac Lake (Photo: Brian Mann) In their final debate last night, Republicans Matt Doheny and Doug Hoffman both claimed to be the true conservative running for congress in the 23rd district. The two men, who hope to unseat Democrat Bill Owens, promised to shrink big government and cut taxes.
Doheny agreed, calling Federal deficits "an outrage" and promising to be "the difference maker" in Washington. But asked repeatedly to name deep cuts that might affect government programs and services here in the North Country, both men declined to offer any details. Hoffman and Doheny suggested that the actual leadership in cutting government would come from other lawmakers and their party's leaders. "I will have help in making decisions like that," Hoffman said. "One person can't do it," Doheny agreed. "There's a lot of us who are going to be new down in Washington and I can assure you we're going to go through that budget line by line." One of the few tense moments during last night's debate came when NCPR asked Doheny and Hoffman to clarify what they mean when they say they are pro-life and oppose abortion. Both men declined to specify any penalties that a woman or doctor should face if they perform an illegal abortion. "I have never said that I was going to become a congressman to make abortion illegal," Hoffman said. He argued that the courts, not Congress, should settle the matter of abortion rights. "I never said in public that I thought it should be made illegal," he repeated. "I've said that I am pro-life. The courts have made that decision. If it gets overruled it's going to be a court decision for how they do it." Matt Doheny says abortion shouldn't be allowed after the first trimester of pregnancy and has called for bans on so-called "partial birth" abortions. But he, too, declined to specify what penalties should result if someone performs an illegal abortion. "I think I will get a 100% pro-life rating," he said, but added, "In terms of your specifics there, I certainly haven't addressed any of those issues." During the hour-long debate in Saranac Lake, the two Republicans agreed on most issues. Both men support continued subsidies for farmers, continued government spending at Fort Drum, and more Federal spending for programs and infrastructure on the US-Canada border. The Republican primary is set for next Tuesday. Democrat Bill Owens is running unopposed. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Philosophy Lite: God often brings good out of evil - Victoria Advocate Posted: 17 Sep 2010 02:55 PM PDT By Raymond Smith We live in a world in which good and evil co-exist. Everyone knows this, but the fact that escapes some people is that good can come out of a bad experience, especially if people look for the profit that can come from it. Augustine, one of the greatest leaders of the early church, said, "God judged it better to bring good out of evil, than to suffer no evil to exist." There is a saying that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. In this broken world, it is remarkable that those who got off on the wrong foot often find they can become far more than they ever imagined. One of the best examples is John Newton, author of the hymn "Amazing Grace." During a life-threatening storm at sea, he sought and found the Savior who changed his life. Here is his testimony: "Once an infidel and libertine; a servant of slaves in Africa: was by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith He had long labored to destroy." Jack Murphy and a friend stole the J.P. Morgan jewel collection from the display cases of New York's American Museum of Natural History. It was called the largest jewel heist of the 20th century. Apprehended in Florida, he spent 20 years in the Florida prison system. He was led to Christ by Chaplain Ray and is now totally involved in the Bill Glass Prison Ministry, setting many an inmate on the road to spiritual freedom. There are many other cases of important people who have a similar testimony. You probably have heard of some or know someone personally who had this experience. Most of the people who had these dramatic experiences were brought to their knees by some traumatic situation in their life. Why is it that some of us can't get serious about our relationship with God until something bad happens to us? C.S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain." When God gets our attention, we can begin to see things more clearly. We realize that this world is passing away, but God's Kingdom is forever. By prioritizing life's values, we can begin to see that eternal truths are what really matter. Our materialism is simply a distraction. God in His mercy has shown us that everyone's life can count in in spite of failure. When King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband, Uriah, killed, he paid dearly for that sin, and yet the ancestry of our Savior came through Bathsheba. The testimony of sinners who turned their lives around by the power of the risen Christ is heart-stirring. Everyone thrills to see a loser become a productive citizen. There is none so bad that God cannot redeem that life and make it count. Raymond F. Smith is a deacon at Fellowship Bible Church in Victoria and President of Strong Families of Victoria. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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