Wondering about the meaning of Obama's 'change'.

Marietta Daily Journal
June 1, 2008
By Nelson Price
Columnist

As a child did you ever play the enthralling game, "I Wonder Why"? Our expanded knowledge that resulted in good choices came from playing it. By playing it great minds have opened frontiers of progress for our society.

If we ever quit playing it, we stunt our intellectual development and fail in our exploration for answers. Our choices then are made without proper insight.

I wonder why we don't play it more often in the political arena. Play it with me regarding presidential candidate Obama.

I wonder why he changed his given name from Barry to Barack Hussein.

I wonder why he said he had a great-uncle who helped liberate the Jews from the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz when it was the Russians who freed them.

I wonder why he referred to his father as a "freedom fighter" in Kenya when he was part of the most desultory and iniquitous government ever in that country.

I wonder why upon coming to America Barack has added to his Illinois senatorial and campaign staff followers of Nation of Islam leader the Rev. Louis Farrakhan.

I wonder why he remained a member of a church that published the Hamas Manifesto in its church bulletin.

I wonder why the national press has given him the authority to determine what issues are not to be discussed simply by saying they aren't.

I even wonder why I wonder why.

Why question these things? Perhaps it is a concern growing out of years of observing the use of the word "change." It is a two-sided coin. It is best to have it defined before being caught up in such an enigmatic concept.

There are parallels to this happening in nations that have been disastrous. Reference to countries where a charismatic engaging speaker has captivated a nation and led to its demise is one of the topics not to be referenced.

Of course were it not for change, the nation of America would not have emerged on the world stage. Change can be very good, but it needs to be defined. The concept of America was well defined in the minds of the colonists and eventually codified in our Constitution.

In math constants are essential to solving problems. The many variables are given value by the constant. In our national life the Constitution is our constant.

Change away from those values is a threat to the value of the constant. For variables to be virtuous there must be a proven constant.

I wonder why a presidential candidate would proclaim he would give $834 billion taxpayer dollars to the United Nations for use in Africa in Muslim-controlled countries. I wonder how we should value that in light of our constant, the Constitution.

Change can be very good, but before agreeing to a change, get to know what the change is going to be. Wonder about it.

I was just wondering. Join me. We might find the answers to be encouraging. We might - but we might not. I wonder.

The Rev. Dr. Nelson L. Price is pastor emeritus of Roswell Street Baptist Church. His Web address is www.nelsonprice .com.

(You may not care for the messenger, but you can't deny the truth in his message. I say wake up people and smell the coffee! VN8)