All posts by Dr. Charlie Self

Voices I Miss

August 21st, 2017 |

There are voices of our lifetimes that stay with us, from the terrible tones of evil persons to the resonant sounds of beautiful songs and words that inspire. Here are some voices of my lifetime that are either retired or enjoying eternal rest. I miss them:

Billy Graham: Evangelist and Global Statesman.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
Vin Scully, the voice of the Dodgers for 67 years.
Mr. (Fred) Rogers: “Won’t you be my neighbor?”
The “voice” of the melancholy wisdom: Charles M. Schultz, creator of Peanuts.
Laurence Olivier’s mellifluous tones transported the hears on stage and screen.
Campbell McAlpine, mentor and prophet.
Joy Dawson, teacher extraordinaire.
Walter Cronkite, CBS News: “And that’s the way it was…”
Ronald Reagan: infusing hope
My mother saying, “I love you.”

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Defending the West

August 14th, 2017 |

I desire that all others enjoy the opportunities, privileges and rights I enjoy. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is not a guarantee of outcomes, but a call for access and justice for all. Life is not a zero-sum game. There is room for all to fulfill their callings and develop their capacities.

Our deeply flawed President is correct when he challenges all lovers of freedom to consider the structures and values that contrast the best of the West with the totalitarian threats of Islamicism and radical global-secularists.

I am not defending the egregious actions and words of our leader(s).

I am asking that all of us look deeply into the first principles of virtue-based liberty and take responsibility for the moral and spiritual condition of America and Western Europe.

From the French Revolution to today, we see the tragic effects of removing reverence for the Almighty and replacing it with elitist scientism and technocracy.

I am NOT aiming to reify a prior age, but crying out for humility, reflection and renewal…and liberation from the anger, fear and hatred that spoils discourse and debate.

 

 

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Celebrating Our American History and Hope

August 7th, 2017 |

The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 2, 1776 and signed by John Hancock on July 4, with most of the other signatories penning their names on August 2. In celebration and for reflection, I offer the following insights that flow from this Declaration and the later Constitution and Bill of Rights. These are our founding documents.

We are still catching up to the promises of the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration of Independence and Constitution declare that human rights are God-given natural rights. Governments exist to protect our rights, NOT bestow them!

“Let’s freedom ring…”
Today, I am appreciating the words and works of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. When asked about freeing the Blacks, he said that his cause was about freeing ALL people…and saving the soul of White America from the scourge of racism.

As we rightly celebrate our nation’s birth, let’s ask the Almighty for full liberation from hatred, injustice and prejudice. People of every class, gender or race or religion are made in God’s image and endowed with inalienable rights.

“Proclaim liberty throughout the land…”
May God help us relearn civil conversation, principled debate and good-faith progress toward justice in all our political circles.

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The Issue of our Day: Human Identity and Dignity

July 31st, 2017 |

Human identity and dignity is the central issue of our day. Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 21-22 frame our design and destiny:

The image/likeness of the Triune God;

Stewards of Creation, cultivating the world and welcoming and next generation;
Male and Female equally human – and single or married – called to worship and work;
From the Garden to the New Jerusalem, God desires to dwell with us and for us to delight in Divine glory and offer the fruit of our creativity.

And this dignity and identity is sealed forever by our Immanuel, the With-Us-God, Jesus our Lord. His Incarnation, Life, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Return…are all as a fully human being who is God and would rather die than life without us.

Let’s be fully Pro-Life, from conception to coronation, caring for the vulnerable, cultivating capacity and cooperating for good.

What it means to be human – male and female- is the issue of our day.

 

 

 

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Positive Politics, Part 2

July 24th, 2017 |

Dear Republicans:
Will you make history or miss another moment and pass the problems forward?
Courage, humility and unselfish love compels action. Please begin negotiating and passing bipartisan legislation that benefits the most people possible.

You may never get the extreme Left to join you, but there are persons of conscience and common good that want to refine healthcare, improve infrastructure, secure our borders and transform immigration.

Please create budgets that move us toward debt reduction. If you care about efficiency and ethics, please transform systems so resources get to the people that need them. You were elected to create a new environment in Washington, D.C. Simplify tax laws, stop currying favor with lobbyists and making side deals.

We just endured 8 years of opaque contempt for dialogue. Please do not make the same mistakes. Forge friendships across every aisle.

Regardless of your distaste or support for the President, you have a moral obligation to bring legislation for signature. “Open covenants openly arrive at…” should be the norm, including laws the average person can read and understand. President Reagan and Speaker O/Neill negotiated. President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich were not friends, but came the closest to a balanced budget since 1967.

It just takes courage, humility and love for the American people.

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