Like I said I would work on a book report for Character Makes a Difference. I did start reading it last night. For my first report I will set up the seen.
The book was originally published as Character is the Issue in 1997. It has been updated to include Hurricane Katrina and other current affairs. Even though it was originally wrote a few years ago it is still relevent. Character is the same yesterday, today and tomorow. He wrote it in 3 parts; Part 1: Character in the Furnace, Part 2: The Need for Character, Part 3: Selected Speeches & Commentary.
Mike starts off with an introduction about character. The first paragraph goes like this, "Responding to questions regarding his personal character, President Bill Clinton once told his audience that 'character isn't the issue.' Yet our character defines the world we live in. Our government, welfare programs, schools, and everything else in our lives are shaped and directed according to our character. It's claimed that 'you can't legislate morality,' but, in fact, every law in the country is a reflection of our moral values. We have laws against murder and stealing because we believe they are morally wrong. We used to have laws against abortion in most circumstances. When our moral values changed, the laws changed with them."
He goes on to talk about the character of those we elect. My favorite quote from the Introduction is, "And their character depends on you." He gives great encouragement to those who are bummed about the direction of the character and morality in the country, that there is something that can be done.
Truly, his story about how he got into politics is amazing. He was a Baptist preacher who felt God giving him direction to enter the political arena. Yet, he was a Republican living in a highly majority Democrat state. His reasoning for getting into politics was that he had the same values and character as his fellow Arkansans. Many of these Arkansans felt disillusioned that government didn't care about them.
He gives an explanation to the different sections in the book. The first is how character can overcome many crisis'. The second part is about why character is important and how both good and bad character can have positive and negative impacts in one's personal life. Then the third part is his previous speeches that show how character is directly related to public policy.
He ends off the Introduction inspiring readers to use their character in everyday aspect of one's life. Then he inspires his readers to be proud to proclaim their faith.
I will be blogging more on this book report within the next few weeks. So pull up your chair to the fireplace and get cozy as I make a virtual cup of coffee or hot chocolate for you. And enjoy the reading and atmosphere. And God Bless from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan!
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