Disturbing Questions

Ron Bourque

Description

Although we've always had problems, this massive downward slide seems to have started right after Roe vs. Wade! Could this be more than just coincidence? Is it possible God has stopped Blessing America, despite the popularity of the Irving Berlin song, since our acceptance of legalized abortion?

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Christian theology

Informations

• Publié par: First Edition Design Publishing
• Date de parution: 13 septembre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781937520212
• Langue: English

Extrait

Disturbing Questions

Has God Stopped Blessing America?

2 nd edition

Ron Bourque
Copyright 2005, 2007, 2008 Ronald J. Bourque

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except for brief quotes used specifically within critical articles and reviews.

ISBN 978-1-937520-21-2
Published by First Edition Design eBook Publishing
September 2011
www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com



PUBLISHED By: Father’s Press (PRINT)

Father’s Press, LLC
Lee’s Summit, MO
[phone]
www.fatherspress.com
Ron Bourque's Disturbing Questions is a must read for anyone concerned about the future of our country and one's own children. Ron traces the downward trend of the U.S. economy and our place in the world with corroborated facts and validated documentation. You may not like what you read, but you cannot dispute the portrait of an American economy and society at the crossroads—can we remain great and keep our leadership position in the world, or will we be relegated to second class status?
While Ron openly admits he has written Disturbing Questions from the perspective of his Catholic upbringing, regardless of your own beliefs and religious faith, Ron will get you thinking and will stimulate you to action.
Further, in a helpful appendix, Ron provides some right-on career tips to help business people succeed in a world where lay-offs are common place, regardless of your performance. I highly recommend Disturbing Questions.

Tom Raffio,
President & CEO
Northeast Delta Dental

It is refreshing to see a writer who looks at the consequences of the loss of millions of members of our communities. I believe that abortion is the cause of many of our problems from the loss of workers and consumers to the damage done to women both psychologically and physically, with the resultant strain on our medical facilities.
These are messages that are difficult to get out to the public. It is good to have a book that recognized the long-term problems of abortion on our country’s economic and social health.

Wanda Franz, Ph.D.
President
National Right To Life Committee

Ron Bourque, in his book Disturbing Questions , presents a fresh, intelligent, hard-hitting investigation and analysis of what the economic consequences are to our society when millions of future citizens have been invisibly exterminated. No one in all the years since Roe vs. Wade has asked these questions and it is time that it happened! This book will give you pause to reconsider the unrecognized outcomes of abortion!

Vicki Thorn,
Executive Director
National Office of Post-Abortion Reconciliation & Healing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC. Used with permission. All rights reserved. No portion of this text may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible with Revised New Testament and Revised Psalms © 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
To the millions of unborn babies who never had a chance to
show us what they could do or what they might become.
Acknowledgements

I’d like to thank my almost literary agent, Ken Lizotte of Emerson Consulting, who lost interest in this project after some research, but had the uncommon decency to pass on a lead he was unable to use.
That lead was Mike Smitley at Father’s Press! We hit it off quite well in a phone conversation. Mike was willing to consider me even though I’m Catholic and he’s Protestant.
We Catholics have made a number of mistakes over two millennia, and some of the Protestant Churches were born out of protest. Even worse, relations between our various churches have not always been good, often acrimonious, and sometimes even worse.
Nonetheless, I tried to write this book speaking, not of our differences, but what we believe in common, and Mike was willing to take a look after I explained my approach.
So I sent him the manuscript. He called a few days later and said, “I want to publish this book, even if you don’t change a word. I’d publish it as it is!”
I asked for a little time to update the graphs with the very latest numbers and adjust the commentary to reflect any significant changes. No problem, Mike was easy to work with, a real gentleman.
I’d also like to thank a couple of ladies, who shall remain nameless to avoid causing them any embarrassment. They provided much of the inspiration for this book. So many good people just don’t understand. Who can blame them with all the misinformation circulating nowadays?
Additionally, I’ve been fortunate to learn from many people throughout my career. Some were very famous and accomplished like W. Edwards Deming, Ph.D. – one of the Americans who taught the Japanese how to build such high quality products. Others were comparatively simple, perhaps working on a manufacturing line or some other endeavor.
Some were my students. It’s incredible what you can learn about a subject when you try to teach it to someone else…
And of course, there is my family. We were so fortunate to have such wonderful parents and grandparents. I am one of seven children, and I’ve learned from all of them, even though I’m the oldest. I’m fortunate to have twenty nieces and nephews, and yes, I learn from them as well.
But most of all, and I hesitate to say this, but this book could never have been written without some Heavenly help. I’ve always been afraid of people who attribute their efforts to help from above because it implies they can’t possibly be wrong. That is not at all what I’m trying to do.
Although I think I’ve had help, I don’t know how good I am at listening. I’m afraid some of my own imperfections, and there are many, may have found their way into these pages, and for that I apologize.
On the other hand, there were too many times when I was just led to things I wasn’t even looking for. Whether it was a person on the phone offering to research something for me for free or someone else providing a helpful hint, some of the observations in this book are just too brilliant for me.
And so I’d like to thank my Heavenly Friend for all His help. I’d like to think the best parts of this book come from Him, and any lesser parts come from a guy that still isn’t that good at listening, even though he tries.
I hope you find this helpful and may God bless you for taking the trouble to read it.
Table of Contents

- Preface
-I. Whatever Happened to The American dream? – Scenes of Today
-II . The Real Economy – If you can’t find a job, this may be why.
Figure 1. U.S. Balance of Trade – Goods & Services.
Figure 2. U.S. Running Balance of Trade – Cumulative Totals.
Figure 3. U.S. Foreign Trade – Goods by Category.
Figure 4. U.S. Foreign Trade with Selected Countries – Top 5 Deficit Countries.
Figure 5. Compensation Costs in Selected Countries.
Figure 6. The Value / Cost Pyramid.
-III. The Energy Crisis
Figure 7. U.S. Oil Production & Imports
Figure 8. U.S. Gas Prices vs. % Imported
Figure 9. Top 5 Oil Exporters to The U.S.
-IV. Our Future – Our Debt
Figure 10. Public Debt of The U.S.
Figure 11. Per Capita Public Debt.
Figure 12. Top 10 Categories in The Federal Budget 2008.
Figure 13. Consumer Price Index.
-V. Our Truthless Society
Figure 14. The Normal Curve with Producer and Consumer Tendencies.
-VI. The Life You Save Could Be The Next Beethoven , George Washington or Mother Teresa
Figure 15. Reported Abortions.
Figure 16. Reported Abortions – Cumulative.
Figure 17. U.S. Crime Rates.
-VII. Our Leaders
-VIII. So What’s Really Behind All The Terrorism?
-IX. So Where Do We Go From Here?
-Appendix I – Organizations Actively Involved in Preventing Abortions
-Appendix II – Some Practical tips on Career Management
Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom

God of my fathers, LORD of mercy.
you who have made all things by your word

And in your wisdom have established man
to rule the creatures produced by you,

To govern the world in holiness and justice,
and to render judgment in integrity of heart:

Give me Wisdom, the attendant at your throne,
and reject me not from among your children;

For I am your servant, the son of your handmaid,
a man weak and short-lived
and lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws.

Indeed, though one be perfect among the sons of men,
if Wisdom, who comes from you, be not with him,
he shall be held in no esteem.


Now with you is Wisdom, who knows your works
and was present when you made the world;
Who understands what is pleasing in your eyes
and what is conformable with your commands.

Send her forth from your holy heavens
and from your glorious throne dispatch her
That she may be with me and work with me,
that I may know what is your pleasure.

For she knows and understands all things,
and will guide me discreetly in my affairs
and safeguard me by her glory;

-Wisdom 9: 1-6, 9-11
Preface

I’ve worked as a consultant helping organizations improve performance for a number of years. One of the things I have learned is that the right questions are often more powerful than the answers!
In problem solving situations, one of the most difficult endeavors is to get people to properly define the problem. In fact, a properly defined problem is often nearly solved.