2015 - Paul Stanley

Where Is Israel on Evangelical Christian Voters’ List of Priorities?

Note: I wrote this article for Jewish News Service with the help of my friend and fellow writer, Bethany Blankley, who I am indebted to for her knowledge and fearless research skills. Seventeen Republican presidential candidates are vying for the support of evangelical Christian voters from the swing states of Ohio and Florida, to the cornfields of Iowa, to the small towns of the Deep South. Within the varied spectrum of 2016 election issues such as the economy, immigration, and health care, do evangelicals highly prioritize candidates’ positions on Israel and the Middle East? Major evangelical leaders in America are saying, “Yes.” “Studies show us there are approximately 90 million Christians in America who consider their beliefs to be evangelical,” Tony Perkins—president of the Family Research Council (FRC), a Christian education and lobbying group—told JNS.org. “Of that number around 9-10 percent have what we call a ‘biblical worldview,’ in that they believe what the scriptures say pertaining to Israel. That’s a large number of voters who can definitely make a difference in a primary or general election.” Perkins said, “Among core evangelical voters, Israel is easily one of the top 10, maybe even the top five issues when considering who [...]

By Paul Stanley|2015-08-28T03:34:16-05:00August 28th, 2015|My Blog Post|Comments Off

Removing the Confederate Flag May Solve Political Issues, But Removing ‘Hate’ and ‘Meanness’ Will Take the Body of Christ

The Confederate battle flag, honored by some who value their southern heritage and vilified by others who see it as nothing but a symbol of deep-seeded racism, finds itself once again at the center of a storm after Dylann Roof shot and killed nine people during a bible study in Charleston, South Carolina last week. But will lowering a flag be enough to penetrate the roots of hate and vile acts that cause death because of skin color or religious beliefs? There’s a lot to tackle here and debating whether a flag carried by southern troops over 150 years ago should be removed from the capitol grounds in South Carolina or from the official state flags of Mississippi and Georgia is not an issue I’m concerned with addressing now. That issue will and should be decided by voters and elected leaders in their respective states. There have been two well-written pieces, one by Russell Moore and another by David French that make valid points on both sides and reading each should provide a better perspective from which to formulate your own opinion. Yet the issue of a flag is keeping us from focusing on the larger and more repressive issue [...]

By Paul Stanley|2015-06-24T21:12:52-05:00June 24th, 2015|My Blog Post|Comments Off

Resurrection and Renewal: Why I Wish Easter and the Opening Day of Major League Baseball Were Always on the Same Day

The meaning of Easter brings renewed hope to Christians that through the resurrection of Jesus all is right in our fallen world. And you’re a baseball fan, the opening day of Major League Baseball gives even the most loyal Chicago Cubs fan hope there is a chance for a World Series Title in 2015. Oh how these two days are made for each other. Before I go any further please don’t think I’m equating a man-made sport with the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. That’s impossible for many reasons, the first being that Jesus is the Son of God who lived a perfect and sinless life on Earth for 33 years and is the one and only path to eternal life. Since mankind fell in the Garden of Eden, Jesus has been the only glimpse of perfection our planet has ever seen. Baseball, like all other sports is far from perfect, although a nine-inning no-hitter comes awful close. For my friends who believe that football and basketball are the end-all-be-all, relax. I’m not discounting the excitement of SEC college football in the “Grove” as Alabama and Ole Miss take the field on a crisp Saturday afternoon, the magic of [...]

By Paul Stanley|2015-04-08T08:57:27-05:00April 7th, 2015|My Blog Post|Comments Off

Whatever Gerry Finney Has, I Want Lots of It

About two weeks ago while playing tennis on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon I met Gerry Finney. What happened as a chance meeting left me walking away from our encounter a few hours later wanting what this guy has – and lots of it. Over the past few months I’ve heard Gerry’s name brought up many times. “Gerry is a great guy,” said one mutual friend. “Have you heard Gerry and his band play around town? He’s a great musician,” remarked another. “Hey, did you hear the news? Gerry has cancer - again,” I heard yet another person say. Cancer, that’s a bad word. Especially when the phrase “again” is used which means there has been a “before” and as cancer goes, that’s not good. Cancer is that scary word that stops most of us in our tracks. Cancer, yeah, that’s bad stuff; really bad when you hear the term “stage four” as a preface. Really freaking bad when you hear the word lymphoma attached to it. You may be wondering why I want what Gerry Finney has. Do I long to have stage 4 lymphoma? No I don’t. I hope I never hear a doctor utter that phrase to me. [...]

By Paul Stanley|2015-03-25T03:18:54-05:00March 25th, 2015|My Blog Post|14 Comments

Forgiveness: A Lenten Reflection

Many of you know my son attends Christian Brother High School, an all-boys Catholic School in Memphis. As a protestant, it's been an interesting experience for him and a blessing for our family too. Each day during Lent the school sends out a daily reflection with commentary from teachers, staff, alumni and friends. All have been excellent but yesterday's caught my attention given the topic was forgiveness. Ah, forgiveness. It's what we encourage others to do and ask for from others when we've messed up or offended someone. It's also that incredibly difficult process we struggle with when someone has done something to us of such major proportion that we justify our decision not to forgive as righteous. It sounds and feels good but as I read scripture, that's not what Jesus commands of us. In discussing this very issue over lunch with a friend yesterday they asked if we were expected to forgive even when the offending party has never asked for it or for that matter, believes they've done nothing wrong. I encourage you to read the message below but in my interpretation of scripture, my response was "yes." We are commanded to forgive even when forgiveness is not sought. [...]

By Paul Stanley|2015-03-11T23:47:11-05:00March 11th, 2015|My Blog Post|Comments Off