Raw Deal

The first time I heard the name Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was to star in a movie, Raw Deal. The local movie studio wanted to use one of my buildings as a filming location. It was then that I was told about this up-and-coming movie star, bodybuilder, and politician.

In 1939, Schwarzenegger's father was one of Hitler's “brown shirts”. In a 1970 interview by a national publication, Schwarzenegger disclosed that Hitler was one of his heroes. Somehow, Arnold married into the Kennedy clan, and a more unbelievable somehow, he became Governor of California. Like several other politicians, (Jesse Jackson, John Edwards, etc.), the terminator-governator became the impregnator of one of his staff members (Mildred Baena), and now he admits to having a child with her. This 14 year-old son is the youngest of his five (admitted) children. Of course, Arnold, like Jesse and John, apologized for his dalliances.

It is only when an innocent child is involved that we learn these things. If an illegitimate child were involved in the fornication-adultery of every politician, every professional athlete (Tiger Woods, Wilt Chamberlain), the world's population would be much larger. When I was young, there was a famous Ivory soap advertisement (99% Pure), few of us can claim purity on any level.

The only girl that I honestly knew to have an illegitimate child was Agnes. When I was in school, pregnancy of an unmarried girl was a very rare thing, you just never heard of it. Agnes was in my class, a friend, “wearing her apron high”, she talked to me about her problem, the stigma, the condemnation by her family and friends. She knew what it was like to wear the “scarlet letter”.

There was a young, “cute”, conqueror of females throughout the county, he was called William the Conqueror like the British warrior before him. “So cute, no girl could deny him, every girl just wanted his attention.” Agnes said to me, “I just knew he loved me, and this was my way of keeping him. You will never know how heartbroken I was after I had given him my most precious possession. He acted like he didn't know me.”

In today's world perhaps she would have had the option of an abortion, not so back in the 40's and 50's. Agnes gave birth to a son who took her family name, and from everything I know—and I never saw her after I left for college—her son was fine in every way. He was my youngest brother's friend in school (my mother had one son after her other three children were almost grown).

Agnes, recognized my mother at the beauty shop where my mother went each Friday. Agnes, who had married a widower and helped him raise his daughter, became a very good friend to my mother. She asked my mother if she remembered “her indiscretion”. My mother assured her that she did not sit in judgment of anyone. That she loved the son of Agnes regardless of his parentage, because he was a friend of her son, my brother. My mother told Agnes that God is not threatened by sin, that God is not shocked by anything. The tragedy of America, and the shame throughout the world: any country or society that kills its young, whether red, yellow, black, or white; God's chief creation, all precious in His sight.

For many years, via shortwave—but he is on 66 radio stations—I have listened to Family Radio on occasion, which in 2008 was worth $100 million. I understand the world-wide radio station and its programs are owned by Harold Campen, an 89 year-old engineer, who answers questions about the Bible on a program called The Bible Forum. It is an amazing expose of Biblical knowledge, he has memorized most of the Bible. In addition to his nightly radio broadcasts from his headquarters in Oakland, California, he lectures across the country and has a tremendous following, I understand that his ministry is 60 years old.

Mr. Campen and his followers have predicted the Rapture of the church this Saturday, May 21st, 2011. I have heard and printed out their mathematical calculations. He has previously predicated the end of the world in 1994, but said he made a mistake in calculations. One man in New York has spent his life savings ($140,000) putting up large billboards warning the public about the end of the world; people around the world are preparing for the event. Of course, the unbelievers, the pretenders, the imposters, and even those of us with the courage of our faith believe that “not even the angels in heaven know the time.” (Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32)

Clinical death is the end of the world for the unbeliever, it is truly a raw deal for anyone who has never accepted the grace and mercy of our redeemer, Jesus Christ. Clinical death, at any time is a good deal for the born-again, saved, believer in Jesus Christ. 85 years ago, there was one mosque in America; today, there are 3,000 mosques and thousands of Muslims in America, who like the billions of Muslims around the world, believe Christianity is a religion of blasphemy...that all non-Muslims are infidels, to be killed. In Western Europe, there are more Mosques than churches.

A Muslim can never be an American citizen because a Muslim cannot pledge/swear allegiance to the Constitution of the United States. Islam is the only religion in the world combining spiritual and secular beliefs.

Today, we are hearing much about the “mighty” Mississippi, all winter there has be historic snowfall, ice packs in the northern river now melting and flowing into the Mississippi. In 1957, the Mississippi River was 65 feet above flood level.

The beauty of the Christian faith, raw deals or good deals, plenty or famine, death or disaster, whether Christ returns this year, next year or a thousand years from now: all are already dead except those who have life in Him. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)