Cloud Nine Higher

And, thankfully, this process did not await the outcome of the upcoming election and the possible inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021. And it should not. Predictably, the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on September 18 produced an appropriate outpouring of honor and tribute. It also produced the normal political rhetoric on judicial ideology and hot button issues such as abortion and immigration that come before the high court from time to time. All too often, the federal courts have fallen victim to the politics of the day.  In 2016, a Republican-controlled Senate left the Supreme Court with an even eight for nearly a year when President Obama's nominee Merrick Garland was not brought before the Senate for a confirmation vote. President Trump took office and nominated Neil Gorsuch, who was confirmed in a matter of months. An even number of justices leaves open the possibility that legal precedent will be set at the appellate circuit level if no majority can be accom...

And the more we try to separate our Creator from our God-given desires, the worse off we are. No, I am not an expert in religion. I graduated from a Church of Christ/Christian university in Nashville and am proud of my legacy at Lipscomb.   I sat in an academic Bible class most every day of my college career. I have taught Bible classes now and again through the years and know a lot about the Bible. I am active in my current Sunday school class at Woodmont Hills Church. But to say that I know everything about God's teaching on sex would be a stretch. But it's also not necessary to qualify me to publish this blog/magazine. I practice daily in the Juvenile Court for Davidson County. So I regularly see the dark, sinister side of love relationships.  When I was growing up, divorce was heavily frowned upon in my church. Shamed. Preached against as adultery. Is divorce good? Certainly not. But, as I know first hand, the legal process now protects both spouses from economic hard...

As the Presidential election draws near and early voting gets underway, one thing seems certain: Joe Biden will win the popular vote. And this may be a meaningless consolation prize in a race that I believe is trending toward a comeback electoral college win by President Donald Trump. The phrase "October Surprise" comes up now and again in association with Presidential politics. It was first coined in 1980 by an optimistic but cautious Ronald Reagan, who suspected that Jimmy Carter would negotiate or attempt again to force release of the Iranian hostages to tilt what was thought to be a close election until the last few days before it happened.  The term can now be applied to any last-minute occurrence that could tip the balance of votes. In this instance, it means electoral votes. Democrats can take little comfort in the fact that they have won the popular vote in six of the last seven Presidential elections. Just ask Al Gore and Hillary Clinton what it feels like to win the...