Stephen L. Bloom, author of "The Believer's Guide to Legal Issues," is a Christian attorney with more than 20 years experience in private practice. He is a frequent speaker and writer on Christianity and the law, a Lecturer in Management and Business at Messiah College, and a Consultant to the Stewardship Foundation of the Central Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. He is a legal columnist for Good News Daily, the former host of the “Practical Counsel – Christian Perspective” radio program, and the founder of the Estate Planning Council of Cumberland County. Steve has been actively involved in the leadership of numerous community and ministry organizations, including his church, where he serves as a Certified Lay Speaker. He is a longtime member of the Christian Legal Society.
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Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord builds the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. - Psalm 127:1
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Christian Legal Insight on GOD UNPLUGGED - A Radio Interview with Stephen Bloom, Esq.
By admin | November 12, 2008
Need encouraging Christian insight on a real life legal situation you face? Looking for genuine peace in the midst of legal confusion? Wonder whether you’re getting cheated by your lawyer? Click the button below to listen in as Christian Attorney Stephen Bloom, author of The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues, joins host Amy Hammond Hagberg for a fast moving interview on her GOD UNPLUGGED radio show:
During each episode of GOD UNPLUGGED Amy Hammond Hagberg chats with famous authors, actors, athletes and recording artists about their faith. The 30-minute show airs live every Thursday at 8 p.m. Central time (9 p.m. Eastern, 7 p.m. Mountain, 6 p.m. Pacific). You can listen live online or listen to the archived show any time 24 x7 by going to www.blogtalkradio.com/Godunplugged. You can also hear the recorded show on the homepage of Amy’s website www.HesReal.com.
In addition to writing The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues, Stephen Bloom is a Christian lawyer with more than 20 years experience. He’s a frequent media guest, speaker, and writer on Christianity and law, a Lecturer in Management & Business at Messiah College, and a Consultant to the United Methodist Stewardship Foundation of Central Pennsylvania. He’s also a legal columnist for Good News Daily, a contributing writer at crosswalk.com, and the former host of the “Practical Counsel - Christian Perspective” radio program.
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Good News on the Law: Can President Obama Change the Supreme Court?
By admin | November 9, 2008
By Stephen L. Bloom, Esq.
(Stephen’s latest Good News on the Law column from Good News Daily)
It’s no exaggeration to say that the lives, liberty, and property of Americans (especially the lives of millions of unborn Americans) rest in the hands of the nine Justices of our Supreme Court. With stakes so high, will the election of Barack Obama bring sweeping change to the delicate balance of power on the nation’s top court? Will the rise of President Obama inevitably usher in a new Liberal majority of Supreme Court Justices?
With so many hot issues coming to a head, will our high court soon be dominated by a new wave of Obama-appointed pro-abortion, pro-union, pro-gay-agenda, pro-affirmative-action, pro-redistribution-of-wealth judicial activists? Will gun rights, private property rights, religious speech rights, and other cherished Constitutional freedoms be swept away in an overwhelming tide of new Supreme Court Justices arrogantly legislating secularist intolerance from the bench? As our new President, can Barack Obama fundamentally change the direction of the Supreme Court?
Surprisingly, the answer may be “No he can’t!”
To find out why not, let’s take a quick look at the current make-up of the Court. As things stand, the nine Justices are precariously divided: four Liberals leaning to the left on most issues, four Conservatives leaning to the right on most issues, and one “swing vote” oscillating between the two factions. So, on the surface, it wouldn’t take much to tip the scales. Maybe even just one new appointment would do the trick for President Obama. But this is where it gets interesting.
Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life, and they typically remain at their posts until infirmities of old age drastically interfere with their abilities. In our history, we’ve had Justices who stayed on the Court through strokes, blindness, cancer and a host of other grave maladies. In other words, barring unforeseen tragedy or accident, we can safely assume that few of the current Justices will voluntarily retire during the next four (or even eight) years. Chances are, there simply won’t be many Supreme Court vacancies for President Obama to fill.
And an inside view of the demographics of the Court reveals that the two most likely vacancies are seats held by two of the most Liberal Justices: Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, who is 88 years old, and Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is 75 years old. Stevens is said to be spry for an octogenarian, but Ginsburg is known to have experienced some severe health problems. Over the last eight years, both have doggedly remained on the bench in the apparent hope that President Bush would be replaced by a Democrat. So, if widespread speculation is accurate, Stevens and Ginsburg will be the initial retirees, making President Obama’s first two picks Liberal-for-Liberal replacements merely maintaining the existing balance on the Court.
The other two Liberals are Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, age 70, and Associate Justice David Souter, age 69, both just slightly younger than the oldest Conservative, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, who is 72, and the swing vote, Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is also 72. Of these four, persistent suggestions have emerged that the Liberal Souter is the most eager to retire. Obviously, he would prefer to do so during a Democratic presidency. So if President Obama gets a third pick, it will likely once again be Liberal-for-Liberal, simply maintaining the status quo.
The remaining three members of the Conservative block are practically youthful by comparison with their peers. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is only 60, Associate Justice Samuel Alito is only 58, and Chief Justice John Roberts is only 53. Each would appear to have many years of active service ahead of him.
While President Barack Obama may hope to impose real change on the Supreme Court, the good news for Conservatives is that he probably can’t. Make no mistake, the 2008 election represents a missed once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a Republican President to have established a decisive generational realignment on the Supreme Court (because the three probable retiring Liberal Justices could have been replaced with Conservative strict constructionists, creating a 7-2 or even 8-1 pro-life, pro-family, pro-constitution scenario). And certainly, President Obama will have a major impact on the federal judiciary through his appointment of activist Liberal Judges to the lower courts during his term in office. But, when all is said and done, it’s very likely that the Supreme Court at the conclusion of the Obama Administration will look almost exactly like the evenly split Supreme Court of today.
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The Silver Lining of Life Under the Obama Administration - My New Top Ten List!
By admin | November 5, 2008
An orginal Top Ten list by Stephen Bloom, for your post-election amusement…
10. Smoking is cool again
9. Sort of like living in France, but without the annoying French
8. Broccoli Obama - mmmmmm!
7. No need to return those tools you borrowed from your neighbor
6. Really getting to know the Bidens
5. Conveniently fighting terrorists right here at home, instead of way over there in some nasty foreign country
4. Nancy Pelosi is no longer the most powerful Democrat
3. For some reason, Europeans now think we’re smart and impressive
2. It’s not Bush’s fault anymore
1. Obama + four years = Sarah Palin 2012
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Don’t get cheated by your lawyer!
By admin | October 28, 2008
By Stephen Bloom, Esq.
(reprinted from Stephen’s Good News Daily column Good News on the Law)
Too many Christian clients are getting cheated by their lawyers. And it’s not because lawyers are dishonest or taking unfair advantage. No, it’s not even something lawyers are doing intentionally. And, surprisingly, many of the cheated clients don’t even realize they are victims. But they are. Allow me to explain.
Suppose you’re a Christian believer facing a common legal situation. You aren’t sure what to do, so you make an appointment to see a lawyer. You present the facts and circumstances and the lawyer listens carefully, considering all aspects of the problem. The lawyer thoroughly researches the relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and all the applicable judicial precedents. In due course, legal counsel is provided, along with the lawyer’s bill. You accept the advice, pay the fee, and proceed accordingly.
How did you just get cheated? No, it isn’t the amount of the fee you paid. After all, Abraham Lincoln himself, the very prototype of the honest lawyer, said “A lawyer’s time and advice are his stock in trade.” So the fee isn’t the problem. You got exactly what you paid for.
So how did you get cheated? No, the advice wasn’t erroneous. It accurately applied the law to your particular scenario and would put you on solid ground with any court. The lawyer performed competently and capably, meeting every professional standard.
But yet, you got cheated. How? What was missing? If you received quality legal counsel for a fair price, what more could you possibly want or expect?
Well, even many Christians are surprised to learn that God’s Word, the Bible, offers a rich array of relevant and practical wisdom on common legal situations. And, as a Christian, if you find yourself wrestling with a real life legal dilemma, but your lawyer doesn’t offer you the benefit of God’s full counsel on the situation you face, aren’t you at a disadvantage? Aren’t you missing something important? Aren’t you being cheated?
Secular legal advice is fine, as far as it goes. It can even be very helpful in gaining a preliminary understanding of the matter at hand. But for the Christian believer, secular legal advice alone can never be enough. There are eternal consequences at stake and higher purposes that must be properly considered. And for this, only God’s advice is sufficient.
As a lawyer who has searched the Scriptures for insight and guidance on contemporary legal issues, I’ve discovered that God’s counsel invariably leads us toward peace, restoration and reconciliation. It is through the application of God’s Word that we can often find the true joy and abundant life that Christ offers to those who choose to follow him. On the contrary, I’ve discovered that secular legal counsel alone, devoid of God’s wisdom, often leads into a bitter cycle of destroyed relationships, greed and selfish dissatisfaction.
So, for Christians encountering the law, choosing to engage a lawyer who thoroughly integrates Biblical perspectives into the legal counsel they give is essential. Don’t let yourself get cheated!
As a prospective client screening potential legal advisors, don’t be afraid to ask blunt and penetrating questions. Lawyers can take it! Probe and discuss until you are satisfied that your lawyer is not only professionally competent, but is also someone who shares your Christian beliefs and values and can reconcile those beliefs and values with their practice of law. Ask how they apply and infuse Biblical wisdom into the advice they render. Ask them to share their testimony of salvation. Ask them to demonstrate their knowledge of Scriptures that speak to issues of the law.
If the notion of cross-examining your own lawyer seems too intimidating (although it really shouldn’t be – after all, you’re about to embark on an important and expensive journey with this person, with potentially life-changing consequences), then perhaps you can simply provide them with a copy of this column and ask “What do you think?” I’d be very surprised if that doesn’t provoke an illuminating reaction (which might be anything from a hearty “Amen!” to a bewildered “Huh?”). Either way, you’ll know where you stand!
And if even that seems like too much to ask, you can always do some pre-screening of your own. For example, investigate what causes, charities and faith-based organizations your lawyer serves and supports (many lawyers have websites with this sort of biographical information listed). Or contact the Christian Legal Society (www.clsnet.org) to see if your lawyer is an active member (The Christian Legal Society is the largest organization of Christian lawyers and requires its members to sign a statement of faith). A little legwork in this type of basic research will go a long way in helping you identify a lawyer who shares your morals and values.
Christians are being cheated by their lawyers every day. Don’t let it happen to you. You will pay a lot of money for the legal representation you retain, and your life will be impacted in many ways by the nature of the legal counsel you receive. Make sure you are getting the whole counsel of God.
(Stephen L. Bloom is a Christian lawyer serving clients throughout Pennsylvania. He wrote “The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues” (Living Ink Books) and frequently speaks on Christianity and law. Please note: This column contains generalized information only and is not intended as a substitute for the specific legal advice of your own attorney.)
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Good News on the Law: Congress Can’t Repeal Law of Supply and Demand
By admin | October 2, 2008
Christian lawyer Stephen Bloom’s October “Good News on the Law” column from Good News Daily:
There’s a meltdown in our credit markets. Headlines scream with news about banks, insurance companies and investment firms crumbling under financial pressure. We worry about rollercoastering values in our retirement accounts and annuities, and we fear for the safety of our bank deposits.
Meanwhile, in Washington, D.C., our government runs in frantic circles, proposing plan after plan to “fix” the problems and “solve” the crisis. But let’s stop for a moment and take a deep breath. What’s really going on here? What, if anything, should the government be doing about it? And what about the rest of us? What should we be doing?
In addition to practicing law, I’m blessed to serve on the faculty in the department of management and business at Messiah College, teaching courses on contemporary economics, the economics of social issues, and personal finance. I’ve been fascinated with the mysterious workings of our economy since my undergraduate days at Penn State, where I earned my degree in agricultural economics and rural sociology, with a resource economics option. As a Christian believer who views our economic environment through the dual lenses of academic interest and real life business experience, I’d like to offer some helpful perspectives and insights.
First, it’s important for us to understand where this whole credit crisis came from. Some are blaming Main Street; some are blaming Wall Street; and some are blaming those inside the Washington Beltway, but actually the blame belongs squarely with all three.
Yes, those of us on Main Street had a role in causing the problem. It was regular folks who bit off more than they could chew, buying homes on shaky credit and extracting every last penny of equity through endless refinancing. And too many who borrowed against their homes knew very well that the mortgages would be difficult to repay, but they borrowed anyway. And many of the lawyers, title companies, appraisers, inspectors, real estate agents and loan officers involved with these toxic transactions knew very well that something wasn’t right, but they held their noses and accepted their fees and commissions and did the deals anyway. So yes, some blame belongs on Main Street.
And certainly, Wall Street played a huge role in taking a modest problem and transforming it into a global nightmare, by buying and then leveraging many of those questionable Main Street mortgages into bizarre new financial instruments that ultimately put the entire financial industry at risk.
In short, the players on Wall Street, in their sophisticated human wisdom, figured out they could very profitably sell investors not only bundled interests in the mortgages themselves (“collateralized debt obligations”), but also hedges against the failure of these same mortgages (“credit default swaps”). And, in their greed, they sold so many of these credit default swaps that they exceeded the values of the underlying mortgages by factors of up to 60 or 70 times.
To use a simple analogy, it would be like an insurance company selling fire insurance on my house not only to me, but also to 60 or 70 of my neighbors! When my house burns down (now much to the delight of the whole neighborhood), every neighbor collects a claim for the full value of my home from the insurance company, and the insurance company faces financial disaster. And this is exactly what happened to the big Wall Street firms when the mortgages they had sold and “insured” started going bad. Now they owe everyone in the neighborhood (because of all the credit default swaps), and they simply don’t have the money to pay! So they are falling like dominoes.
And, last but not least, we have the Washington Beltway. While the greed on Main Street and the greed on Wall Street both contributed to the mess, it was the misguided policies of our federal government that made it all possible. Because it was Washington, starting in the 1970’s, but accelerating especially in the 1990’s, that literally forced banks to start making home mortgage loans to people who would ordinarily never qualify for such credit.
First enacted under President Carter, and later modified by aggressive new regulations under President Clinton, the Community Reinvestment Act was used, in the name of equality and fairness, to lawfully require banks to lend to folks with bad or no credit history. This effort was enhanced and encouraged by government sponsored entities Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which served as middlemen in the lucrative pipeline pumping a steady flow of these risky mortgages from Main Street to Wall Street. So, essentially, the Beltway crowd decided that economic reality could be ignored and the ability of a borrower to repay was no longer a relevant factor in deciding whether that borrower should receive a home mortgage loan!
Well, the reality is you can’t ignore economic reality! You can’t repeal the law of supply and demand any more than you can repeal the law of gravity! Now, economic reality has arrived. Many of the mortgage loans on Main Street are not being repaid. The borrowers have defaulted and their homes are in foreclosure, as real estate prices fizzle. And, on Wall Street, that fizzle has become an explosive storm, thanks to the overleveraged credit default swaps, as financial institutions around the world find themselves hopelessly short of liquid assets. And, inside the Washington Beltway, the politicians seem once again convinced they can suspend economic reality by passing laws. Bail-outs or rescues or whatever titles they use, the government is attempting to change the basic economics of the situation through legislation. But more laws are not the answer and cannot solve the problem!
We are blessed to live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world during its wealthiest era. It is no coincidence that our prosperity has arisen in the context of our abiding commitment to free market capitalism. Other countries have tried other economic systems, everything from communism to socialism to fascism, and none have measured up. The human toll of these alternative economic systems has been tragic and horrific. While the free market is not a perfect system, history has shown it to be the best way to bring about the most good for the greatest number of people. And to operate correctly, the free market must embrace both risk and reward.
In the Great Credit Panic of 2008, it appears that Washington is now trying to pass laws to protect the very people who made the most unwise decisions from the downside risk of their irresponsible actions. If the government requires the rest of us to insulate the greedy players on Main Street and Wall Street (and inside the Washington Beltway) from the consequences of their own failures, it will only encourage more of the same morally hazardous behavior and we will all suffer. The problems will fester and grow worse over a longer period. The government cannot permanently fix an economic problem by passing laws that say we must ignore economics.
The free market has the power to work the problem out, as it always does. There may be short term pain for many of us, but there will be long term health. We may need to tighten our belts and increase our faith. It might be a rough ride. But the alternatives are unthinkable. And, in my humble opinion, the last thing we need are any more laws!
(Stephen L. Bloom is a Christian lawyer serving clients throughout Pennsylvania. He wrote “The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues” (Living Ink Books) and frequently speaks on Christianity and law. For information, visit his website www.IsThereALawyerInTheChurch.com. Please note: This column contains generalized information only and is not intended as a substitute for the specific legal advice of your own attorney.)
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“Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues” Goes Global
By admin | September 16, 2008
Stephen Bloom recently discussed The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues as a featured guest on The Harvest Show, an internationally syndicated live daily TV program with worldwide coverage through LeSEA Broadcasting. Click the picture to on right to view the episode (Stephen’s segment begins at the 43:23 minute mark).
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Book Review: Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues “Highly Recommended” by Pulpit Helps Mag
By admin | July 25, 2008
The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues is favorably reviewed in the August, 2008, issue of Pulpit Helps Magazine. “The author gives practical advice on a number of issues,” notes reviewer Glen H. Jones, writing in the magazine’s Pastors’ Library literary section. “[Author Stephen Bloom’s] legal calling is geared toward Christians who must often face conflicts between the law and their Christian profession,” he continues, rating the book “highly recommended” for all readers.
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Believer’s Guide Book Tour 2008 - Update #11: The International Christian Retail Show
By admin | July 20, 2008
Steve’s Update: The International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) is the major annual event for Christian publishers and retailers, where industry professionals from around the world get together to learn about new releases and renew friendships. I was blessed to be invited to ICRS 2008 in Orlando, Florida, by the publisher of The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues, AMG Publishers (Living Ink Books). It’s an awesome opportunity to help spread the powerful healing message of my book! Above, posing with my some of my wonderful new AMG family (from left, Amanda Donnahoe, me, Trevor Overcash and Joe Suter) at our ICRS display.
During ICRS, I was interviewed about my Christian perspective on everyday legal situations by eCounseling.com (top left), CrossWalk.com (top right), Body Builders Television Network (bottom left), and WMBI Radio (bottom right).
I had the pleasure of meeting all kinds of fascinating and amazing people at ICRS, even some old friends like Nashville-based Christian music artist and speaker Paige Armstrong (left) and her mom (right). Paige was doing vocals with the Christian band Saline a few years ago when my son was their sound engineer, so it was especially exciting to run into her at ICRS as she stopped by with other upcoming young artists on the iShine LIVE tour.
Another ICRS highlight was my official AMG Publishers - Living Ink Books sponsored author’s signing for The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues. It was a busy hour and I signed almost 100 copies for retailers and other Christian leaders. These folks will take the book’s powerful healing message on common legal situations to the ends of the Earth! 
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Christian Lawyer Shares God’s Healing Counsel on Real Life Legal Issues: Listen Now
By admin | July 10, 2008
Click each of the links below to listen in as Stephen Bloom, Christian lawyer and author of The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues, shares insight on God’s healing counsel for real life legal situations as recorded during a few of his many recent appearances on radio stations and networks around the country:
Crosstalk program on VCY America Network (July 7, 2008).
Impact News FrontPage program on The Path/CDR Radio Network (scroll to July 7, 2008)
FamilyNet Mornings program on SIRIUS Radio Channel 161 (search to July 1, 2008)
Northland Notebook program on WWJC 850 AM (scroll to June 26, 2008)
Save America Ministries Viewpoint program on WGGM 820 AM (scroll to June 23, 2008)
Lay Renewal Ministries Encounter program on KSIV 1320 AM (scroll to June 13, 2008)
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Christian Foundations of a Free Nation: Independence Day “Good News on the Law”
By admin | July 3, 2008
Christian lawyer Stephen Bloom’s July “Good News on the Law” column from Good News Daily:
What does it mean to be an American? What does our nation really stand for? Why, even though some people around the world claim to hate us, are we still the place where so many from so many other places dream of living?
There’s no doubt that God has blessed the United States of America in an awesome way, and that he continues to do so. But with so much anti-Christian spin dominating our secular media and educational institutions, many Americans today might not realize that the U.S.A. was founded by men who unashamedly relied on God for his wisdom and protection.
So during this season when we celebrate our national Independence Day, let’s stop and re-examine our nation’s foundation, and let’s remember to thank God for allowing us to rise up and stand for freedom for more than two centuries.
As a lawyer, when I do research, I like to go back to the original sources whenever I can. In that spirit, let’s take a look at a few key phrases from the document that started it all, our American Declaration of Independence. These phrases might help explain why God has seen fit to bless our country for so many years!
This one is familiar to most of us: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Isn’t it interesting that, from the very beginning, our founding fathers humbly recognized God as the source of our rights?
Now, here’s a less well-known passage from the Declaration: “We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in general congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the rectitude of our intentions, do in the name and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.” Isn’t that an amazing plea? Our founders were prayerfully begging God to keep us on the right path, to keep our intentions for this nation pure!
And here’s one more, the final words of the Declaration: “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.” So from the very beginning, we intentionally entrusted this nation into God’s hands, relying by faith in his protection and guidance!
And that faithful spirit embodied in the Declaration of Independence was carried by the founders into our national Constitution as well, where our religious freedom was specifically and carefully singled out for special protection. The First Amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Many times we take our American rights to religious freedom for granted. But our rights to boldly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ are something we should never take lightly. These rights to freely exercise our religion, these rights to freely speak about our religion on the public airwaves, these rights to freely publish our religious thoughts in a column like this, these are precious rights which thousands of heroic Americans have literally given their lives to protect for us. These rights to religious freedom are truly a sacred trust.
But in this “post-Christian era” in America, we find these rights (and the very spirit in which they were declared) under attack. And I wonder if we realize how fragile these freedoms are. In Canada, courts have already ruled parts of the Bible as illegal “hate speech” and, considering the trends in our society, I can realistically envision the day when the same thing happens here in the U.S.A. as well. The Bible contains truth and our secular mainstream culture often doesn’t want to be reminded of truth.
So perhaps, as we celebrate Independence Day this year, the prayer on our lips could echo the faithful spirit of our founding fathers: “With a firm reliance on your protection God, we pray for the U.S.A.”
Copyright 2008 - Good News Daily/Stephen L. Bloom
(Stephen L. Bloom is a Christian lawyer serving clients throughout Pennsylvania. He wrote “The Believer’s Guide to Legal Issues” (Living Ink Books) and frequently speaks on Christianity and law. Please note: This column contains generalized information only and is not intended as a substitute for the specific legal advice of your own attorney.)
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