Barack Hussein Obama’s latest step to divide and conquer the American people is a scheme to force religious organizations to provide for contraceptive insurance and services that are against their convictions. As with his other machinations, there is far more to to this move than first meets the eye.
It is a brilliantly conceived plan that puts the Catholic Church in the awkward position of defending a position that most Americans, including some its own members, do not support. Yet, it is their conviction, and if we really believe in religious liberty, it must be respected and supported. To many, this is a silly position to take in today’s world. Holding this position makes the Catholic Church appear to be out of step with current realities. It is designed to marginalize and the church and cause it to fall into disrepute with the less religious.
Aside from the obvious benefit of crucifying an opponent of his policies… there is something even more sinister afoot. If the church can be moved into the irrational curmudgeon category on the contraceptive issue, it damages its stand on the critical issues of abortion and homosexual marriage. It is the Alinsky tactic subjecting a opponent to ridicule and isolation to diminish its influence and serve as an example to others who would oppose the “anointed one’s” dictates.
A few days ago I received an email from a reader claiming to be a Christian who criticized my support of the United States as a special country on earth that was put in place by our Creator as a “ shining city upon a hill whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere,” to use Ronald Reagan’s words. In the mold of Barack Obama and, to a lesser extent, Ron Paul, the writer began to list our sins in the international arena as justification, not only for the 911 attacks, but Iranian nuclear ambitions.
It seems he would have been quite comfortable with Jeremiah Wright’s sermon about America’s “chickens coming home to roost.” While it is undeniable that our country has taken some indefensible actions, the fact remains that, at least until recent years, it has been the closest thing to a Christian nation the world has seen. This thinking bothers the critics, whose secular humanistic expectations of us are higher than our creators, while ignoring the wickedness all around us.
He obviously either did not live through the cold war period, or has chosen to overlook the Evil Empire we faced off against in that time. It is easy to criticize the US for things that have gone wrong and justify the world hating us, while making nice with dictators, both major and petty, around the world who have slaughtered millions. It seems that there is a guilt among some for the success our country has had and the ease of their lives. There is also, in some quarters, a rejection of the Judeo-Christian values that have guided our country to greatness.
Years ago when I worked at National Religious Broadcasters. The big event of the year was the annual conventions in Washington DC. Most every well known Christian voice was heard at these gatherings. The President of the United States would usually ride up Connecticut Avenue to address the assembled crowd. This was particularly exciting as this was all happening during the Reagan years.
James Dobson tugged at the heart strings, S.M. Lockridge spoke with passion. However, for me, the most memorable speaker, was Dr. Robert A. Cook from The King’s College in Briarcliff Manor, NY. – now moved to New York City. He was a delightful gentleman who had a way of putting things into perspective. He began his address by telling us that two days before, he talked to Vice President Bush, and just the day before, he talked to the President. Then, with a twinkle in his eye, he said. “But this morning… I talked to God.”
In his own, plain spoken way, the bow tied Dr. Cook showed an unusual understanding of the what was important and where the real power rests. As great a man as Ronald Reagan was, he could not walk on water or turn water into wine… and, even though this may come as a surprise to some, neither can the man who occupies his office now nor any of those seeking to replace him.
Recently Allen West has attracted a strong and loyal following. He has the courage to speak the truth and stand against the prevailing political winds. Many of you are already fans of what may be a modern day Patrick Henry. He has been so effective at stirring up the populace that the powers that be in the Florida Republican Party are working at redistricting him out of his seat in congress so he would no longer be the standard by which they are judged.
Using Lt. Col. West as the standard for judging congress is not really a bad idea, yet there are few who would benefit by the comparison. So for those of you know about the man already… enjoy. For those who are not familiar with him… enjoy!
As we observe the world around us, we see what seems to be a chaotic multiplicity of viewpoints and voices. However, when we look at them a little closer, we see what some proclaim to be fresh, new and exciting concepts, to be no more than variations on one or two age old themes.
Essentially there are two primary ways of viewing the world around us. C.S. Lewis called it the “Great Divide”. Do we live our lives with the recognition of the supreme being, or do we consider ourselves (man) to be the supreme being? There is even a perversion of the secular humanist thinking that sees man as the supreme underbeing and Mother Earth is the deity to be worshipped… in the way that these unusual people shall specify for us.
In any case, the culture war that currently engulfs our country is one that most who would claim the God centered world view are blissfully unaware of. So many, like their secular neighbors, are absorbed in their own lives and problems. They have been distracted by the small acts of goodness they can do, and totally miss the bigger picture that shows the Christian viewpoint being shuffled off to the side. Many of us have been majoring in minors, as the saying goes… fighting over hymnbook content or carpet colors.
[We live in a secularized world of nation states in which traditional religion, especially Christianity, is unwelcome. Rooted in the “Enlightenment,” this view supports a secularized and authoritarian public square enforced by government and that progress requires forcing religion ever backward into remote corners of society. In short, America has become a secular theocracy with a civic religion of national politics (nationalism) occupying the public realm in which government has replaced God.]
During the Enlightenment, nationalism became the new civic religion, in which the nation state was not merely a substitute for the church, but a substitute for God, and political religion benefited from being more tangible than supernatural religion in having the physical means of violence necessary to enforce mandatory worship and funding. Nation states provided a new kind of salvation and immortality; one’s death is not in vain if it is “for the nation,” which will live on.
This “myth of religious violence” lived on with legal theorist John Rawls who claimed that the modern problem is a theological one and the solution is political. For Rawls, since people believe in unresolvable theological doctrines over which they will kill each other, a secular state must rule. Similarly, Stanford law professor Kathleen Sullivan, a secularist, has claimed that as a necessary condition for peace to avoid a “war of all sects against all,” religion must be banished from the public square.
Don’t FAIL to ask a candidate why he or she believes what he or she believes
Church leaders often are under pressure from the government (Attorneys General or IRS, to name a few departments) to not involve themselves in providing parishioners access to information to make up their own minds about candidates or ballot issues.
They claim that pastors, by doing so, are in violation of what has become known as “separation of church and state.” Typically this is done whenever someone does not want a person who professes Christ as their Lord and Savior to use the doctrine of the faith as foundation for their choosing between competing points of view or candidates.
There are two problems with this so called doctrine:
1. Pastors have a God-given right and responsibility to preach and teach “thus sayeth the Lord” from the pulpit and parishioners have a corresponding right to “choose ye this day who you will serve” relative to moral issues.
2. The term, “separation of church and state,” is a misnomer. It implies that a Christian’s faith is somehow outside of or otherwise “attached” to the follower of Christ rather than it being from within as the Holy Bible tells us, because our “body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [Spirit]” – the place where God resides within us — and “… ye are not our own.”. (1 Cor. 6:19)
We live in an increasingly secularized world of massive and pervasive nation states in which traditional religion, especially Christianity, is ruled unwelcome and even a real danger on the basis of a purported history of intolerance and “religious violence.” This is found in most all “public” domains, including the institutions of education, business, government, welfare, transportation, parks and recreation, science, art, foreign affairs, economics, entertainment, and the media. A secularized public square policed by government is viewed as providing a neutral, rational, free, and safe domain that keeps the “irrational” forces of religion from creating conflict and darkness. And we are told that real progress requires expanding this domain by pushing religion ever backward into remote corners of society where it has little or no influence. In short, modern America has become a secular theocracy with a civic religion of national politics (nationalism) occupying the public realm in which government has replaced God.
For the renowned Christian scholar and writer C.S. Lewis, such a view was fatally flawed morally, intellectually, and spiritually, producing the twentieth-century rise of the total state, total war, and mega-genocides. For Lewis, Christianity provided the one true and coherent worldview that applied to all human aspirations and endeavors: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” (The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses)[1]
As we approach the celebration of Christ’s birth, I am reminded of the words of John Quincy Adams. On July 4, 1837, he spoke these words:
“Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day? … Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth. That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity, and gave to the world the first irrevocable pledge of the fulfillment of the prophecies announced directly from Heaven at the birth of the Savior and predicted by the greatest of the Hebrew prophets six hundred years before?”
Adams was exactly right: America’s birth is directly linked to the birth of our Savior. In fact, the United States of America is the only nation established by Christian people, founded upon Biblical principles, and dedicated to the purpose of religious liberty. This truth is easily observed within America’s earliest history.
As I was watching Saturday night’s debate, a radical idea came into my mind. It was a thought that I’m sure will anger many partisans completely committed to one of the six remaining candidates. No, it’s not that I’m waiting for Sarah Palin to jump in to the race. We’ll look at that a little later. This radical thought is that, while every one of the Republicans on the stage had some valid points that would serve our country well, we do not have a perfect candidate among them. However, with such acrimony among the various supporters, it’s plain that it’s not just the candidates lacking in perfection.
Being human, we should know that perfection is not within our grasp. There comes a time when we have to just make the best choice we can, then make sure it works. Since there is no one that has every issue nailed down, the selection comes down to prioritizing the strong points of each one and making the painful decision about what we can put on the back burner for the moment as we accomplish our primary task of evicting Barack Hussein Obama from Washington public housing.
I’m sure there will be disputes about what the primary issue is, but let’s get started looking at what each prospective president would contribute to the cause. I also want to make clear that these issues are complex and those we look at are not the only strong points any of the people bring to the table or that they are not the only points that matter.
The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. (Genesis 11:6 NIV)
When our country was founded well over two hundred years ago, the citizens were neither perfect or marching in lock step, yet there was a form of Christian consensus. There was a general agreement on what constituted right and wrong. There was an agreement on the rights and duties of citizenship in this great land. Because of this the people were happy and productive – creating the most prosperous nation on earth.
Sure there were conflicts. There were those who desired to take advantage of the good people… both inside and outside the government. In spite of this the sense of common values and common destiny held us together even through our darkest hours. This sense of common values kept us from fragmenting ourselves into ineffective and hostile tribes that could only succeed at the expense of others.
Pope Benedict XVI recently told US Bishops, “The present moment can thus be seen, in positive terms, as a summons to exercise the prophetic dimension of your episcopal ministry by speaking out, humbly yet insistently, in defense of moral truth, and offering a word of hope, capable of opening hearts and minds to the truth that sets us free.”
On another occasion, he said, “No one who looks realistically at our world today could think that Christians can afford to go on with business as usual, ignoring the profound crisis of faith which has overtaken our society, or simply trusting that the patrimony of values handed down by the Christian centuries will continue to inspire and shape the future of our society,”
He was correct on both counts. His truth does not only apply to the business in the Catholic church. It applies to the Christian church as a whole. An entire industry made up of lawyers and bureaucrats is dedicated to pushing Christians in to background of irrelevance. In an attempt to be cooperative and non-confrontational, so many good men have backed away from from the role assigned to us in Matthew 5:13, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.” (NIV)
[Being so wrapped up in thinking of ourselves as the center of the universe, we sometimes forget that this is not the only time our country faced threats and dangers. John Adams knew the source our his country's safety and ultimate greatness. This is the text of President John Adams' March 23, 1798 national Fasting and Prayer proclamation; as printed in the The Phenix/Windham Herald, April 12, 1798.]
By the President of the United States of America
A PROCLAMATION
AS the safety and prosperity of nations ultimately and essentially depend on the protection and blessing of Almighty God; and the national acknowledgment of this truth is not only an indispensable duty which the people owe to Him, but a duty whose natural influence is favorable to the promotion of that morality and piety, without which social happiness cannot exist, nor the blessings of a free government be enjoyed; and as this duty, at all times incumbent, is so especially in seasons of difficulty and of danger, when existing or threatening calamities, the just judgments of God against prevalent iniquity are a loud call to repentance and reformation; and as the United States of America are at present placed in a hazardous and afflictive situation, by the unfriendly disposition, conduct and demands of a foreign power, evinced by repeated refusals to receive our messengers of reconciliation and peace, by depredations on our commerce, and the infliction of injuries on very many of our fellow citizens, while engaged in their lawful business on the seas: —Under these considerations it has appeared to me that the duty of imploring the mercy and benediction of Heaven on our country, demands at this time a special attention from its inhabitants.
I love my puppy Grover. He’s a one year old purebred bishon frise who was given to me as a gift from a friend earlier this year. Some of you may have heard him on our show, as he tends to bark, when we’re on air. But here’s the thing, I observe this dog and his protection maneuvers. Not only is Grover extremely cute and brilliant as a dog can be, but he’s a wonderful example of how most Christians jump to protect our religious liberty and values. Here’s the steps I’ve observed that Grover takes to protect me and my home.
1. Grover sleeps next to me on the couch during the day. All is calm and all is quiet.
2. A sudden noise jars him from his snooze. Something like my mail man delivering the mail and shutting the lid on the mail box.
3. Grover hears the sound, jumps to his feet, barks and growls while looking out the window while his tail remains stiff.
Orlando, FL – Liberty Counsel is continuing its eighth annual “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign,” pledging to be a “Friend” to those entities that recognize Christmas and a “Foe” to the Christmas censors. Liberty Counsel is also releasing an updated “Naughty and Nice” list, which catalogs retailers who either censor (“naughty”) or recognize (“nice”) Christmas. The list is compiled from information gathered by consumers and is updated whenever new information is received.
Liberty Counsel encourages shoppers to print out the list and use it to decide which stores to patronize during the Christmas shopping season. The list has been very influential in motivating retailers to acknowledge Christmas. So far this year, Best Buy has embraced Christmas and switched to the nice list, and Dick’s Sporting Goods has promised to change and include Christmas in their advertising. Liberty Counsel was the first organization to launch the “Naughty and Nice” list a number of years ago and since then other organizations have promoted similar programs. The results have been amazing. Major retailers like Wal-Mart moved from the “naughty” side of the list to the “nice” side. There was a time when Wal-Mart sold only “Holiday Trees,” not Christmas Trees and when Wal-Mart employees were forbidden from returning the greeting “Merry Christmas” to customers who initiated the greeting. But Wal-Mart, like many other retailers, has changed and now openly acknowledges Christmas.
That first Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621 saw about 50 Mayflower Pilgrims and 100 native Indians come together for a celebration feast consisting of a variety of homegrown vegetables–including corn, squash, beans, barley, and peas–along with wild turkey and venison. The precise date is not known, but it is believed to have taken place in late October or early November. Historians record that the Massachusetts weather was crisp, but not cold–and the fall foliage dazzled America’s newcomers with a cornucopia of color.
These Pilgrims were mostly “Separatists,” who had left Europe to seek a land of liberty, where men could be free to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience–not according to the demands of a State church or an oppressive government. They made their intentions and motivations clear when they signed America’s first covenant, a document called The Mayflower Compact:
“We whose names are under-written . . . Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian faith . . .”
This undertaking had prompted them to leave their homes, livelihoods, families, friends, and way of life, and make a dangerous voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Many became ill and some did not survive to see the New World. But they all believed that they were doing God’s will and that He would honor their faith. And He certainly did.
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to“recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”
It’s almost impossible to give Barack Hussein Obama the benefit of the doubt these days, even if one were inclined to do so at the start of his reign. Our betters tell us we should cut him some slack and give him a chance. The good intentions of looking for the best in the President have only compounded our problems – not solved them! We’ve seen him change the federal policy to use our tax money to pay for overseas abortions when most people don’t even want them at home. We see more money just thrown at programs of little use, some with negative impact, to most of us and now… and now we are told that the faith based organizations are doing wonderful work, BUT now the new administration is looking at telling these organizations that they can continue to contribute their time and efforts, but they need to discontinue the very aspects of their work that makes them unique and effective.
On one hand, this idea of forcing any organization taking federal funds to hire anyone regardless of compatibility with the charities beliefs and values could be looked at as just another waste of government (read taxpayer) money or an attempt to diminish their ability to spread the Christian values. Beyond hiring even, several womens’ centers have had their funding withheld for the crime of including the wisdom of the Bible in their program The thing they don’t comprehend about these rules is that it is these distinctions and people that define many faith based ministries and that make them effective. Or, perhaps they do. It shows a lack of understanding or concern that it is the faith element that keeps prisoners from returning to prison and lets welfare mothers pull their families and their lives together.
Most Christians have really read little of their own Bible, so expecting them to be familiar with so-called holy books of other faiths is somewhat of a stretch. N.J. Dawood gave us an English translation of the Koran so that we might have a better understanding of the religion that drives some to violence. Admittedly the following quotes do not present a complete picture of Islam… nothing a few paragraphs in length could do that. It should, however show that there are areas of concern and prompt further study.
“Slay them wherever you find them…Idolatry is worse than carnage…Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God’s religion reigns supreme.” (Surah 2:190-)
“Believers, do not make friends with any but your own people…They desire nothing but your ruin….You believe in the entire Book…When they meet you they say: ‘We, too, are believers.’ But when alone, they bite their finger-tips with rage.” (Surah 3:118, 119)
[Revisionist historians would have us believe that our founders were irreligious or, at best deists, who did not believe in a personal God involved in every area of our lives. Instead taking the word of ivory tower academics, let's look at the words of one our most courageous founders.]
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
By His EXCELLENCY
John Hancock, Esq.
GOVERNOR of the COMMONWEALTH
of Massachusetts.
A PROCLAMATION,
For a Day of Public Thanksgiving.
In consideration of the many undeserved Blessings conferred upon us by GOD, the Father of all Mercies; it becomes us no only in our private and usual devotion, to express our obligations to Him, as well as our dependence upon Him; but also specially to set a part a Day to be employed for this great and important Purpose:
I HAVE therefore thought fit to appoint, and by the advice and consent of the Council, do hereby accordingly appoint, THURSDAY, the seventeenth of November next, to be observed as a Day of Public THANKSGIVING and PRAISE, throughout this Commonwealth:—Hereby calling upon Ministers and People of every denomination, to assemble on the said Day—and in the name of the Great Mediator, devoutly and sincerely offer to Almighty God, the gratitude of our Hearts, for all his goodness towards us; more especially in that HE has been pleased to continue to us so a great a measure of Health—to cause the Earth plentifully to yield her increase, so that we are supplied with the Necessaries, and the Comforts of Life—to prosper our Merchandise and Fishery—And above all, not only to continue to us the enjoyment of our civil Rights and Liberties; but the great and most important Blessing, the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
In the past few years the number of concealed hand gun permits have exploded all across the nation, except in states that believe the protection they provide is all the protection their citizens deserve. Of course it sounds like a cliché, but it is true that, if you are in imminent danger, a gun in the hand is better than a policeman on the phone.
We Christians trust God for our safety and many believe we should not have to depend on man’s weapons. There is no argument with this thinking. However, we live in a world with other people around us. We Christians should be even more aware that whatever we are doing or what is going on… it’s not just about us.
On October 16, 1991, George Hennard drove his pickup truck into a Luby’s cafeteria in Kileen, Texas and proceeded to kill 23 patrons and wound 20 others. Adding to the tragedy was the fact that at least one of the victims had a pistol locked in the glove compartment of his truck. Had he had it with him, lives could well have been saved. We are seeing more of this sort of thing as time goes by. Just this past week we saw a vicious attack on a west coast salon.
This weekend a special event is taking place all across the nation. The film Courageous opens in theaters with a message for men that is sadly needed for our time. Courageous is a movie that shows men working to live up to their roll in life and in their family. It shows four sheriffs deputies dealing with life on the streets to protect the public and their families… sometimes at a price to these same families. They find a solution.
Herman Cain’s victory in Florida has been declared an upset by the elite media who are troubled when events don’t align themselves with their notions and desires. Somehow this did not fit the establishment’s Perry vs Romney story line. Whether this really was an aberration and the little people were just saying “none of the above” is something time will tell. The problem is that the formerly mainstream media, and our sometimes reliable FoxNews, almost universally found some other reason for the Cain victory, in which he gathered more votes than both Perry and Romney combined, than the little people actually liked him and would like to see him deflate the Obama campaign.
We shall see if the former Godfather’s Pizza king can build on this showing or if he will be returned to his place as an also ran while the anointed candidates fight it out for the big money support and the primary voters. It will be interesting to watch. Assuredly, Karl Rove will be telling everyone who will listen that this unauthorized and unanticipated turn of events means nothing in the big picture, as will many other experts the talking heads call on for political analysis.
While it is sometimes entertaining to watch two opposing opinions trying to talk over each other on the news shows, when one of the modern day purveyors of propaganda want to make a point, they have one “expert” spinning the facts in the desired direction. The problem with this practice, is that those who follow their advice and almost invariable are led down a dead end rabbit hole.
Looking at the ways the cities of New York and Washington DC are planning to remember the tragic events of ten years ago, we see a picture of the society our secular progressives have been pushing for years. In New York, there is room for the politicians craving a photo op, but none for the heroes of that awful day, the families with empty chairs at the dinner table, or even the pastors, priests and rabbis that give spiritual comfort to a hurting city.
In Washington, at the National Cathedral even, there will be representatives of all sorts of fringe belief systems, but none from the largest groups of Christians in the land. It seems that religion is welcome in this venue only if it will be subservient to the secular wishes of the state. What can we expect from these gatherings? Nothing our founders would tolerate! Yet, like sheep, we follow blindly as we tolerate all the lies and misinformation that comes from the people in charge of our country.
Should we try to change these events? What would be the point? Islamic crazies have contended that they will make as much noise as possible during the moment of silence in New York. I have to wonder what the purpose of the moment of silence is at such a gathering. Certainly it is not to seek comfort from a Creator they fail to acknowledge.
There has been quite an uproar over the elite’s plans for the 911 commemoration in New York City. While the program is disturbing on various levels, it is useful for reaffirming the mindset of those in our country’s highest offices. How we respond determines if we remember those who died and those who tried to save them, or if we honor the government who is interested in remembering neither.
It is unfortunate that the place will be so filled with politicians, insiders and “dignitaries” that there is no room for the real heroes of 911, or the families of those who did not survive. These are the ones who deserve recognition because of what they did for their city and for their country. They are not the elites who are there because of their position in life – the winners of life’s lottery by virtue of their family name or fortune or by virtue of their academic pedigree.
These are the blue collar families that make this country run. They are the ones who keep us safe, not the ivory tower academics who deal only in theory but who fall flat on their faces when it comes to implementation. Read more of this article »
Even before the 1917 Russian Revolution, leading universities in the United States had begun a transition from the Christian roots of our nation into atheistic, secular materialism in their teaching of the so-called social sciences.
Nominally-Christian theological seminaries were in the vanguard of the movement toward socialism. Rochester Theological Seminary’s professor Walter Rauschenbusch, one of the best known socialist spokesmen of his era, was a founder of the Social Gospel movement late in the 19th century. Social Gospel was nothing more nor less than socialism masquerading as Christianity. Read more of this article »
This past Sunday, we had a special speaker at Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond. Jack “Murph the Surf” Murphy, champion surfer and world class jewel thief told his amazing story. That such a man is speaking at a conservative evangelical church, let alone, is free and alive, is nothing short of a miracle. He was facing a parole date sometime in 2225. Yet, when the miraculous takes place, the facts don’t count.
He told the story of sitting in the back of prison chapel hearing chaplain telling him and his fellow prisoners that if the best you can do is get up in the morning and put on your prison shirt, you aren’t managing your life very well. That was they day his life began turning around. He might have seen himself among the lowest of the low in society and knew things were not right in his life.
Jack Murphy found God in the midst of thieves, murderers and rapists. He found Him while living in a six by nine foot cell. He became concerned about the prisoners around him – more concerned about them than himself. He walked out of that Florida prison after 21 years a different man than the reprobate character that the state put away. Read more of this article »
The Associated Press ran the distressing news that spending is down 0.2 percent. This is the first decrease since September 2009 – so the Commerce Department tells us. No, unfortunately, it is not the federal government they are talking about. It is the American consumer. Not only was there a general pull back on the outflow of dollars, but more specifically, larger purchases like cars and appliances slid as well.
To make matters worse, these selfish citizens are pulling more money out of the economy by increasing personal saving to almost five and a half percent of after tax income. They did this in spite of the abysmal interests rates forced upon us by the Fed trying to meet the government’s insatiable need to borrow.
This combination of less spending and more saving is an indication many are taking what steps they can to protect their families and themselves from the man made disaster called the US economy. They realize nothing is certain anymore. They know “good” jobs could be gone tomorrow… whether through diminished markets, outsourcing or aggressively hostile regulation. Read more of this article »
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the biggest reason America is in the mess that it’s in today is directly due to the apathy and indifference of the American pulpit. I am reminded of what Charles Finney, the famed 19th Century revivalist, said: “If there is a decay of conscience, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the public press lacks moral discernment, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the church is degenerate and worldly, the pulpit is responsible for it. If the world loses its interest in Christianity, the pulpit is responsible for it. If Satan rules in our halls of legislation, the pulpit is responsible for it. If our politics become so corrupt that they very foundations of our government are ready to fall away, the pulpit is responsible for it.”
Our second President, John Adams, put it this way: “It is the duty of the clergy to accommodate their discourses to the times, to preach against such sins as are most prevalent, and recommend such virtues as are most wanted. For example, if exorbitant ambition and venality are predominate, ought they not to warn their hearers against those vices? If public spirit is much wanted, should they not inculcate this great virtue? If the rights and duties of Christian magistrates and subjects are disputed, should they not explain them, show their nature, ends, limitations, and restrictions, howmuchsoever it may move the gall of Massachusetts?”
Martin Luther, the great Protestant reformer, was even more direct. He said, “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at the moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved. And to be steady on all the battle fields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”
Cross City, FL – Today Liberty Counsel filed a Notice of Appeal on behalf of Dixie County, Florida, at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals to defend the county’s Open Forum policy, which allows private displays of law and history, including the Ten Commandments. Liberty Counsel represents Dixie County in a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU in 2007, after the county permitted a local resident to erect a Ten Commandments monument outside the county courthouse, where other private displays are also allowed.
The U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Florida (Gainesville Division) ruled against Dixie County, ordering the Ten Commandments monument be removed by August 14, claiming it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The plaintiff represented by the ACLU does not live in the county, has never lived in the county, and has no intent to ever return to the county. Liberty Counsel will argue on appeal that the case should be dismissed because the plaintiff has no standing to sue. Moreover, Liberty Counsel will awww.LC.orgrgue that the case presents a Free Speech, not an Establishment Clause, issue. The Open Forum policy allows private citizens to erect private historical displays at their own expense. Read more of this article »
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As I was watching Saturday night’s debate, a radical idea came into my mind. It was a thought that I’m sure will anger many partisans completely committed to one of the six remaining candidates. No, it’s not that I’m waiting for Sarah Palin to jump in to the race. We’ll look at that a little later. This radical thought is that, while every one of the Republicans on the stage had some valid points that would serve our country well, we do not have a perfect candidate among them. However, with such acrimony among the various supporters, it’s plain that it’s not just the candidates lacking in perfection.
The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. (Genesis 11:6 NIV)
Pope Benedict XVI recently told US Bishops, “The present moment can thus be seen, in positive terms, as a summons to exercise the prophetic dimension of your episcopal ministry by speaking out, humbly yet insistently, in defense of moral truth, and offering a word of hope, capable of opening hearts and minds to the truth that sets us free.”
by John Adams
by Stacy Lynn Harp
Orlando, FL – Liberty Counsel is continuing its eighth annual “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign,” pledging to be a “Friend” to those entities that recognize Christmas and a “Foe” to the Christmas censors. Liberty Counsel is also releasing an updated “
That first Thanksgiving in the fall of 1621 saw about 50 Mayflower Pilgrims and 100 native Indians come together for a celebration feast consisting of a variety of homegrown vegetables–including corn, squash, beans, barley, and peas–along with wild turkey and venison. The precise date is not known, but it is believed to have taken place in late October or early November. Historians record that the Massachusetts weather was crisp, but not cold–and the fall foliage dazzled America’s newcomers with a cornucopia of color.
It’s almost impossible to give Barack Hussein Obama the benefit of the doubt these days, even if one were inclined to do so at the start of his reign. Our betters tell us we should cut him some slack and give him a chance. The good intentions of looking for the best in the President have only compounded our problems – not solved them! We’ve seen him change the federal policy to use our tax money to pay for overseas abortions when most people don’t even want them at home. We see more money just thrown at programs of little use, some with negative impact, to most of us and now… and now we are told that the faith based organizations are doing wonderful work, BUT now the new administration is looking at telling these organizations that they can continue to contribute their time and efforts, but they need to discontinue the very aspects of their work that makes them unique and effective.
Most Christians have really read little of their own Bible, so expecting them to be familiar with so-called holy books of other faiths is somewhat of a stretch. N.J. Dawood gave us an English translation of the Koran so that we might have a better understanding of the religion that drives some to violence. Admittedly the following quotes do not present a complete picture of Islam… nothing a few paragraphs in length could do that. It should, however show that there are areas of concern and prompt further study.
In the past few years the number of concealed hand gun permits have exploded all across the nation, except in states that believe the protection they provide is all the protection their citizens deserve. Of course it sounds like a cliché, but it is true that, if you are in imminent danger, a gun in the hand is better than a policeman on the phone.
Herman Cain’s victory in Florida has been declared an upset by the elite media who are troubled when events don’t align themselves with their notions and desires. Somehow this did not fit the establishment’s Perry vs Romney story line. Whether this really was an aberration and the little people were just saying “none of the above” is something time will tell. The problem is that the formerly mainstream media, and our sometimes reliable FoxNews, almost universally found some other reason for the Cain victory, in which he gathered more votes than both Perry and Romney combined, than the little people actually liked him and would like to see him deflate the Obama campaign.
Looking at the ways the cities of New York and Washington DC are planning to remember the tragic events of ten years ago, we see a picture of the society our secular progressives have been pushing for years. In New York, there is room for the politicians craving a photo op, but none for the heroes of that awful day, the families with empty chairs at the dinner table, or even the pastors, priests and rabbis that give spiritual comfort to a hurting city.
There has been quite an uproar over the elite’s plans for the 911 commemoration in New York City. While the program is disturbing on various levels, it is useful for reaffirming the mindset of those in our country’s highest offices. How we respond determines if we remember those who died and those who tried to save them, or if we honor the government who is interested in remembering neither.
by Thomas Brewton
This past Sunday, we had a special speaker at Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond. Jack “
The Associated Press ran the distressing news that spending is down 0.2 percent. This is the first decrease since September 2009 – so the Commerce Department tells us. No, unfortunately, it is not the federal government they are talking about. It is the American consumer. Not only was there a general pull back on the outflow of dollars, but more specifically, larger purchases like cars and appliances slid as well.
