Tuesday
Tis The Season To Be ...
"Tis the season to be ..." Not "jolly" as in the
familiar Christmas song, but rather "Tis the season
to be wary" as in any election campaign. One thing
should always be remembered because it is proved
to be true in every speech by candidates for office:
Be wary of believing campaign promises.
There have been so many examples to prove this
long established principle in recent weeks. Take
just one -- Hillary Clinton's repeated story about
landing in Bosnia during a gunfire attack, and
having to run for protective cover. The problem
with that story was that the news photo coverage
showed her safely on the ground amid a welcoming
group, and receiving flowers from a young girl.
There was not one element of truth in her story, so
ultimately she stopped using it. Embarrassed? No.
Politicians have colossal egos and thick skins.
But more graphic -- much more graphic -- is the
spectacular flip-flop by Barack Obama with respect
to the nation Israel and Jerusalem. In his speech to
the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC) last week he declared unequivocally:
"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel
and it must remain undivided." The AIPAC
audience applauded and cheered, as did Bible
believing Christians who understand Israel's place
in God's plan. But one day later Obama's staff
issued a revision, reading in part: "Jerusalem is a
final status issue, which means it has to be
negotiated between the two parties as part of
an agreement that they both can live with."
Under his rapidly revised position, he refused to
rule out other configurations, including establishing
Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, or
giving Palestine authority over Arab neighborhoods.
Not quite as dramatic as Clinton's story about
being in the midst of a gunfire attack, but much
deeper in meaning for Christians ... a flip-flop we
just cannot accept.
Tis the season to be wary. There is a five month
political campaign ahead of us. Weigh the campaign
promises. Flip-flopping is the new exercise-du-jour.
A date that may have escaped attention, but
which should be remembered: June 6, "D-Day,"
64 years ago in 1944. The largest military invasion
force ever assembled -- 150,000 men, largely
from America, Great Britain and Canada, went\
ashore on the French coast under the battle name
"Overlord," a plan developed and commanded by
General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The losses were
tremendous, numbering at least 10,300, of which
6,600 dead, wounded or captured were Americans.
But the invasion of Europe had begun and 5 days
later, June 11, allied forces on the ground numbered
326,500, with 54,000 vehicles, and over 104 tons
of supplies. Less than a year later Germany had
surrendered.
On the 40th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1984,
President Ronald Reagan stood before the U.S.
Ranger monument at Pointe du Hoc, France, and
spoke these words of tribute: "We are here to
mark that day in history when the allied armies
joined in battle to reclaim this continent to liberty.
For four long years, much of Europe had been
under a terrible shadow. Free nations had fallen.
Jews cried out in the camps, and millions cried
out for liberation. Europe was enslaved, and
the world prayed for its rescue. Here in
Normandy the rescue began, at dawn on the
morning of June 6, 1944. Here the allies stood
and fought against tyranny in a giant under-
taking unparalleled in human history...These
are the champions who helped free a continent,
and these are the heroes who helped end a war.
...Strengthened by their courage, heartened by
their valor, and borne by their memory, let us
continue to stand for the ideals for which they
lived and died."
If there was any official American recognition of
D-Day on the 64th anniversary this year, it was
kept very quiet and subdued.
In Britain: the rise of Islam; we have recently
spoken of an Anglican Priest-in-Training, and an
Anglican Bishop who have warned of the failure
of the established church to deal effectively with
the threat of Islam. Now a British "think tank,"
Christian Research, has published a study disclosing
that by the year 2035 practicing Muslims will out-
number worshiping Christians in Britain. The report,
as part of study on Religious Trends estimates that
by 2035 there will be 1.96 million active Muslims,
compared with 1.63 million church-going Christians.
The study also estimated that by the year 2020, 4000
churches will close if congregations continue to shrink
at present rates. A recent census put the number of
Christians in Britain at 41 million -- yet fewer than a
million attend church every Sunday. Christians in
Britain have a monumental task facing them -- at risk
is the Christian church in that nation.
Wise words to recall in an election year, from a
Founding Father: "A democracy is nothing more
than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the
people can take away the rights of the other
forty-nine." -- Thomas Jefferson, explaining that
here in the USA we have a constitutional republic
and not a democracy.
Some random Afterthoughts . . .
Southern Baptists to meet this week in Indiana
for their annual convention. America's largest
Protestant denomination has remained true to the
Word of God despite efforts to water down the
Gospel message -- including the threat posed by
the new Baptist denomination headed by Jimmy
Carter, Bill Clinton and Al Gore.
A new book ad that's hard to resist: "Author
Peter Schweizer mines volumes of social science
data to determine that a conservative worldview
is better than a liberal one -- for individuals and
society.
"If you're reading these words for any reason other
than 'opposition research,' chances are you're a
conservative. If you're a conservative, chances are
someone who is not a conservative has called you
'self righteous, fanatical, judgmental, out of touch,
condescending, or dumb.' -- or some variation
thereof -- for your views about social issues.
"So chances are you're going to love Peter
Schweizer's new book: Makers and Takers:
Why Conservatives Work Harder, Feel Happier,
Have Closer Families, Take Fewer Drugs, Give
More Generously, Value Honesty More, Are Less
Materialistic and Envious, Whine Less ... And
Even Hug Their Children More, Than Liberals."
It's a l-o-n-g title, but it does sound worth reading.
It's almost amusing, if it weren't so serious. The
UN -- the scandal plagued organization ensconced
in some of our nation's most expensive real estate,
with hands constantly outreached to receive more
millions from us to keep their members living in the
life style to which they have become accustomed --
they have just elected Miguel d'Escoto Brockman,
a Communist, as president, and also named the
government of Burma (famous for denying relief aid
to millions during the recent devastating cyclone
there) as vice president. It is interesting that a US
official was present for the vote, and it was done by
acclamation. It is almost funny (if you like sick humor)
-- a Lenin Prize winner as president, and heartless,
cruel Burma as vice president. And remember that
Cuba and Libya are members of the Human Rights
Commission. One writer suggested that we stop
paying dues to the UN and remodel the building into
a massive apartment complex for the city's poor.
And it appears to be the time to resurrect the old
slogan: "Get the US out of the UN and the UN
out of the US."
Prayer for Barack Obama. Every Friday morning
about 100 pastors meet "telephonically" via a
conference call, and pray specifically for Obama.
Houston pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell (who presided
over the recent wedding of the president's daughter)
said they pray: "For his safety, surety, soundness
of mind, clarity of thought," and added, "they
pray that the planes land safely and that Secret
Service agents keep their eyes open." One might
have thought they would pray for his spiritual well
being -- remembering his statement on October 27,
2007: "There has not been a stronger and more
consistent advocate of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender) issues than I have been."
We often cite a quote from one of the Founding
Fathers, reminding us of the Judeo-Christian
principles upon which this nation was established.
But today, here is a quote from the US Supreme
Court in 1980 (Stone vs Graham) banning the
posting of the Ten Commandments in schools:
"If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments
were to have any effect at all, it would be to
induce school children to read them. And if
they read them, meditated upon them, and
perhaps venerated and observed them, this is
not a permissible objective." Apparently the
court sees it as a forbidden thing to teach school
children that in God's eyes it is wrong to covet,
murder, steal, lie, commit adultery, etc. Seems like
we give up a lot in the name of progress, liberalism
and diversity.
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Please let me know where to purchase Peter Schweizer's book:
"Makers and Takers" I would love to purchase it for my husband for Father's Day!
I love your commentary! I faithfully send it on to others!!
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"Makers and Takers" I would love to purchase it for my husband for Father's Day!
I love your commentary! I faithfully send it on to others!!
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