Tuesday
ELECTION DAY - MUCH PRAYER IS NEEDED
FOR AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WE HAVE
LESS THAN ONE WEEK TO ELECTION
DAY; MUCH PRAYER IS NEEDED
In our next issue, November 5, we will be able to
comment on the election, what happened, and in
what direction America will move beginning in 2009.
From the beginning of this overly long presidential
campaign with all its ups and downs and twists and
turns, this newsletter has refrained from any active
involvement. We have not discussed, and, very
frankly, we have paid little attention to the daily and
weekly polls or the predictions and evaluations of
the media, print and broadcast, which has almost
completely become the publicity arm of the Democrat
party candidates. Granted, there are a few exceptions
where a "fair and balanced" presentation of the news
prevails. But the general rule is simply that you cannot
believe or trust the elite, main line media. Period.
But this election is not between two political
parties, Republican and Democrat. And it is not
between the four major candidates, John McCain,
Barack Hussein Obama, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.
It even goes beyond the basic Conservative-Liberal
dispute in which our nation is increasingly engaged.
This election -- at the national, state and local levels
-- is between returning America to the kind of nation
it was intended to be, the kind of a nation our
Founding Father established, based on historic Judeo-
Christian principles, and the nation it may become
under an extreme liberal government, with the
accompanying discard of the moral principles which
have made America great.
And yet this election takes place at a time when 61%
of Americans agree that America is a nation specially
blessed by God, according to a report in the
Christian Post on a survey conducted by Greenberg
Quinlan Rosner Research Inc. for the PBS news
program Religion & Ethics Newsweekly and the
United Nations Foundation. The survey also found
that 59 percent agree that the United States should
be an example of a Christian nation for the world.
The present financial crisis, both here in America
and throughout the world, has refocused the theme
of political rhetoric to economic issues, with the
result that the attention of the voting public has thus
been redirected away from the serious moral issues
which we face as a nation.
The choice is clear. Support of abortion on demand,
a process which has already killed some 50 million
babies, is an element of the Democrat platform,
masquerading under the popular phrase, "Freedom
of Choice." It is even being touted as a woman's
"right" -- the right to choose to kill her unborn child
as a matter of personal convenience. Signing the
"Freedom of Choice Act" is high on the list of things
which Barack Obama has promised to do if he is
elected president.
Another major moral issue is homosexual marriage,
already banned by vote of the people in amendments
to state constitutions in 17 states, with similar ballot
issues at stake in three more states in this election.
But support of homosexual marriage is another
element of the Democrat platform, and acting to
repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act is also
high on the list of things Barack Obama has
promised to do if elected president.
Other actions on the Obama agenda include his
intent to "redistribute the wealth," make driver
licenses available to illegal immigrants, along with
social security benefits, in addition to the health,
education and welfare benefits they already enjoy.
And this says nothing about the fate of Israel in
an Obama administration, as so clearly defined by
Jesse Jackson.
And remember that Barack Obama does not
solely by himself represent the threat of a liberal
takeover of America . . . if elected, he will be aided
and abetted by Nancy Pelosi in the House, and Harry
Reid in the Senate, both willing and able liberal
supporters of the Obama agenda.
The Roman Catholic church has taken the lead in
urging Catholics to vote against abortion and same-
sex marriage. One only hopes that Protestant
Christians will demonstrate a similar adherence to
these moral value issues in this election.
A frank admission, which probably isn't necessary.
We here have not been enthusiastic supporters of the
Obama campaign. For one reason (out of several)
we do not know much about him or his qualifications
to be elected president of the United States. Nor do
the American people. For some reason - never
explained by anyone - his real, official birth certificate
is sealed and is totally unavailable; his college records
have been sealed, and are totally unavailable; he
obviously changed from his early upbringing in a
Muslim environment and became a member of a
Christian church, but his baptism record has never
been made available . . . and the list goes on and on.
A law suit to produce some of these documents was
thrown out by a judge on the ground that the originator
"lacked standing" to initiate the action. Come on, Mr.
Judge -- the originator is an American citizen who has
been asked to vote for Mr. Obama and he wanted to
know something about the candidate's background.
What better "standing" could he have? So there is one
of the reasons for our lack of support -- we just don't
know any of the real facts about the man.
If nowhere else, at least on the Internet there are
many sincere suggestions, requests, urgings for
Christians to be much in prayer during these final
days prior to the election, asking God to speak to
His people with respect to their decision on election
day. We have previously presented the "Pastor's
Pledge" originated by Donald Wildmon, Founder of
the American Family Association -- "I pledge to:
(1) Encourage my members to register to vote;
(2) Encourage my members to study the issues;
(3) Encourage my members to vote."
To which we add our own 3 point program before
you vote: "THINK . . . if what you are doing is
best for America; PRAY . . . ask God what He
wants you to do; VOTE . . . with confidence
that you are doing what is right.
And never forget our Founding Fathers: "The
subject of presidential selection has greatly
divided the House, and will also divide people
out of doors. It is in truth the most difficult of
all on which we have had to decide." - James
Wilson at the Constitutional Convention, 1787.
"Providence has given to our people the choice
of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the
privilege and interest of our Christian Nation
to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."
-- John Jay, first Supreme Court Justice, 1816.
Some Random Afterthoughts . . .
Responding to the question, "Is there a role for
politics in our judicial system?" Lyric Wallwork
Winik, Washington correspondent for Parade
Magazine, commented: "None whatever. The
absolute worst violation of the judge's oath is
to decide a case based on a partisan, political
or philosophical basis, rather than what the
law requires." (September 14, 2008) When we
reflect on the many sorry court decisions of recent
days, her comment makes a lot of sense.
Gay marriage, second phase: Homosexual civil
unions which provide the same benefits of traditional
marriage, have been legal in Great Britain since 2005.
However, a recent report indicates that leniency
should be extended to homosexual couples that
choose to engage in public sex. A report titled
"Guidance on Policing Public Sex Environments" says
police should turn a blind eye to consenting adults
having sex in parks and public toilets, the BBC has
reported on its website. It seems clear that the public
sex that is protected is sex between homosexuals.
It also is clear that the embracing of homosexuality by
It also is clear that the embracing of homosexuality by
the legalization of a social contract on par with
traditional marriage is not enough for homosexual
activists in Britain. Not only must Brits tolerate the
mainstreaming of homosexual relationships, but they
are now being told they must also accept the
perversion that goes with it. Think before you vote,
particularly in re Proposition 8 in California.
And there is other unpleasant news from Britain:
What has been described as Britain's most expensive
credit card is one intended for use over the Christmas
season carrying an interest rate of 227%. (Yes, that's
227%) It is the "Easy Shop" card managed by
Provident Bank. Any money borrowed on the card
between now and Christmas is to be paid back over
27 weeks with an Argos representative visiting at
homes each week to collect money due. By contrast
we don't have it all that bad here in America.
An important word for today from Jonathan
Falwell, son of our long time friend, Jerry Falwell:
"We, as Christians, find ourselves at an
expanding cultural crossroads in the early
21st century. In the mainstream media … the
notion of the saving Christ is being increasingly
rejected, even condemned… Yet amid the cadence
of criticism and bullying, we continue to be called
by Christ to be His lights in this world that
increasingly denies Him. As the atheist and
humanist messages prevail culturally, we must
challenge the messengers with reason and the
Mind of Christ as we continue to be the bearers
of Jesus Christ’s living waters." (Oct. 24, 2008)
HOW WE ARE GOING TO VOTE
WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO
ELECTION DAY, IT IS TIME FOR
SERIOUS THOUGHT ON HOW
WE ARE GOING TO VOTE
In last week's issue we reminded our readers of the
virtually identical quotes by Edmund Burke in the
18th century and George Santayana in the more
recent years of the 20th century: "Those who
cannot remember the past are condemned
(destined) to repeat it."
The implications of this philosophy came into focus
during the present election campaign when Barack
Obama was asked by the now well known "Joe, the
Plumber," during a campaign stop in Ohio concerning
the higher tax burden he would have to bear under
the Obama plans. Obama replied: "My attitude is
that if the economy is good for folks from the
bottom up, it's gonna be good for everybody ... I
think when you spread the wealth around, it's
good for everybody."
"... spread the wealth around ..." In case you
have forgotten past history, redistributing the wealth
of a nation is a basic principle of the communist
program of Karl Marx, as expressed in his slogan
dating from 1875: "From each according to his
ability; to each according to his needs." And
that appears to be exactly where Obama plans to
take this nation if elected. Benefits accruing to the
more talented and hard working will be taken from
them in the form of increased taxation, and will be
redistributed to the under-achievers -- including in
our present situation the millions of illegal aliens
who cost us billions of dollars each year.
Those plans seem to have at their root both the
elimination and replacement of the capitalist system
which has made America the great nation that it has
always been. Broadly based fears are being voiced
that this is a first step toward Socialism.
Strikingly appropriate in line with these plans of
Barack Obama is this quote attributed to Nikita
Khrushchev, in June of 1959, about 3 months before
his visit to America for meetings with President
Eisenhower in September of that year: "We can't
expect the American people to jump from
capitalism to Communism but we can assist
their leaders by giving them small amounts of
Socialism until they awaken one day to find
out they have Communism."
But those are primarily financial issues; there
are also the moral issues, including at least two
major concerns: abortion and homosexual marriage
with its accompanying destruction of the traditional
American family. And despite the liberal outcry, the
American people do not really favor either of these
two elements of the liberal political platform. A new
poll conducted by the Marist College Institute of
Public Opinion just last month, disclosed that 84%
of American voters favor restrictions on abortion,
with 71% believing that life begins at conception.
70% of responders opposed same-sex marriage --
and lest it be felt that these were Roman Catholic
opinions, less than half of the people surveyed were
Catholics. There is obviously strong national
sentiment in favor of America's traditional moral
values despite the loud voices of the liberals, and
the homosexuals in our society.
But the positions of the two major candidates are
in direct opposition on those points. Obama has
made clear his strong support for abortion-on-
demand by strangely equating a woman's "right" to
kill an unborn baby with our First Amendment rights,
stating that neither "should be subject to popular
vote." Expressing his position on this subject, John
McCain said simply that he is "proudly pro-life."
And as for homosexual marriage, the Democrat
position is being referred to as Joe Biden's
"Marriage of Convenience." In the recent debate
between vice-presidential candidates, Biden was
absolutely clear and definite in saying: "I will tell
Americans straight up that I don't support
defining marriage as anything but between one
man and one woman...I'm being as straight up
with Americans as I can in my non-support for
anything but a traditional definition of marriage.."
Then just a couple of weeks later he appeared this
week on the Ellen Degeneres show and did a fast,
180 degree turn and said, "If I lived in California,
I'd clearly vote against Prop 8." (Proposition 8
defines marriage in California as between a man
and a woman.) Convictions as fluidly changeable as
Biden's make it difficult (no, impossible) for a voter
to vote for a candidate based on what his position
on an issue really is. A thought for November 4.
And from California reports are coming in that
thousands of lawn signs expressing "Yes on 8" have
been stolen or destroyed, with instances of vandalism
on the homes where the signs appeared. Cash
rewards are being offered for information on the
vandals in the homosexual community who are
violating First Amendment rights of free expression.
If you have friends living in California, urge them to
vote "Yes" on Proposition 8.
Jesse Jackson is still active, even if we don't
hear from him as often as we used to. Last week at
a World Policy Forum in Evian, France, he urged,
"Prepare for a new America," and admitted that
although "Zionists who have controlled American
policy for decades," will remain strong, he predicted
that they will lose a great deal of their clout when
Barack Obama becomes president."Obama is about
change," he said, and warned that the greatest change
would occur in the Middle East, where "decades of
putting Israel's interests first will end." One more
thought to keep in mind on November 4.
Finally, if anyone believes the polls, here's a
Halloween type quote which is really frightening:
"You are more likely to be killed by a meteor
dropping on your head than McCain becoming
president," according to Professor Michael McDonald,
who specializes in polls at George Mason University.
Regardless of present day issues, in these pages
we try never to forget the principles and convictions
of the Founding Fathers who established this nation.
Concerns about banking aren't new; consider
this quote from a famous Founding Father: "I
believe that banking institutions are more
dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks
to control the issue of their currency, first by
inflation, then by deflation, the banks and
corporations that will grow up around the banks
will deprive the people of all property until their
children wake-up homeless on the continent
their fathers conquered." - Thomas Jefferson, 1806
And if you're still willing to learn, consider this
from a wise man of our own time: “I mean to live
my life as an obedient man, but obedient to God,
subservient to the wisdom of my ancestors;
never to the authority of political truths arrived
at yesterday at the voting booth.” -- William F.
Buckley Jr., 1985
Some Random Afterthoughts . . .
Remember that lawsuit against God? A state
Senator in Nebraska, Ernie Chambers, filed a
lawsuit seeking a permanent injunction against God
for terrorist acts against mankind. After due
consideration, a District judge dismissed the case
on the grounds that the named defendant could not
properly be served because of an unlisted home
address. Senator Chambers, himself a law school
graduate, found fault with the court's ruling: "Since
God knows everything, God has notice of this
lawsuit." Hopefully this is the end of the story, but
things being as they are, one never knows.
Concerning the present financial crisis, we have
not commented, but from a Christian standpoint this
situation can be considered to provide an opportunity
to look about your own community to determine if
there are situations where you can help others. Even
as financial experts will be offering debt counseling,
so Christian believers can offer spiritual counseling
to individuals experiencing stress and depression.
The comparison has been made that when disasters
like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina struck we accepted
the challenge of helping others. This period has been
described as an "economic storm." The need to help
is just as keen now as then.
A different view of Islam: this past week, at the
sixth annual conference on Jerusalem, held this year
in Doha, Qatar, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi told the
300 participants, "The collapse of the capitalist
system... is proof that it is in crisis and shows
that Islamic economic philosophy is holding up...
We have a complete economic philosophy as
well as spiritual strength." He urged the Muslims
present to "profit from this crisis to bring about
the triumph of the Islamic nation, which holds
the spiritual and material resources for victory."
A Founding Father's warning about dangers like
the ones we face today: "There are more instances
of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by
gradual and silent encroachments of those in
power than by violent and sudden usurpations."
-- James Madison, 1788
-- James Madison, 1788
THE WORDS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
SO MANY READERS LIKED OUR VOTING
SUGGESTIONS LAST WEEK -- WE HAVE
BEEN URGED TO REPEAT THEM:
BEFORE YOU VOTE . . .
1. THINK . . . if what you are going to do is best
for America;
2. PRAY . . . ask God what He wants you to do;
3. VOTE . . . in confidence that you are doing
what is right.
- - - - - - - - - -
THERE ARE TIMES -- LIKE RIGHT NOW --
WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO RECALL
THE WORDS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Before he was President, Mr. Lincoln used these
words in a speech on May 29, 1849 -- just a few
days after he received a US Patent for an invention,
the only patent ever awarded to a US President:
"You can fool all the people some of the time,
and some of the people all the time, but you
cannot fool all the people all the time." He
apparently so liked the statement that he repeated it
while running for president in 1856: "It is true that
you may fool all of the people some of the time;
you can even fool some of the people all the time;
but you can't fool all of the people all the time."
If Mr. Lincoln could repeat it -- we should also be
able to do so. Because that simple truth remains very
evident in our present presidential campaign.
And this same thought became part of world
history in the 20th century. Joseph Goebbels,
propaganda minister for Adolph Hitler, expressed
a similar view in these words: “If you tell a lie big
enough and keep repeating it, people will
eventually come to believe it." Later his leader,
Hitler, himself, adapted that view to his own words:
"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep repeating
it, and eventually they will believe it."
And with a similar concept as a background fact,
Edmund Burke, the oft quoted 18th century British
statesman, said, "Those who don't know history
are destined to repeat it.” Two centuries later,
George Santayana, Spanish-born philosopher of
the 20th century expressed Burke's thought in these
words, "Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it."
The point of these reflections on the past? As
Americans during this presidential election campaign
we are being subjected to what seems to be endless
mishandling of the truth and threats, promises and
dire warnings about both opposing parties. That
is why we were inclined to repeat out suggestions
for procedure in voting: Think . . . Pray . . . and
then Vote.
With respect to election issues, for the Christian
moral value issues remain as of primary importance.
While they are not the only issues involving moral
values, abortion and homosexual marriage remain
as most significant moral value issues. We have
previously quoted Dr. Scott Lively, founder of
Abiding Truth Ministry, and do so again with his
very perceptive observation: "As simplified as it
may sound, the culture war in America is at its
core a battle between Christians and
homosexuals. It is a winner-take-all fight to
determine whose presuppositions about sexual
morality will form the foundation of all of our
laws and policies. Frankly, the homosexuals
have been winning this fight for many decades
because the church has been asleep."
And while we were dozing, you have probably
noted that in Connecticut, as in Massachusetts and
California, the state Supreme Court, by the same
narrow 4-3 vote, ignored the law of the state and
made same-sex "marriage" legal in Connecticut.
Once again the homosexuals have won a victory
through judges legislating from the bench and
overturning the law of the state. In the upcoming
election in November, Christians have a distinct
challenge in ballot initiatives in California, Florida
and Arizona.
We have previously cited other major issues
America has to face -- foremost among them being
the new aggression being demonstrated by Vladimir
Putin's Russia in his new alliances with America's
enemies in Latin America. Now a ship carrying
Russian missiles and other armament apparently
destined for Iran has been captured at sea by
pirates, with American naval vessels preventing
any movement. Meantime a Russian ship is heading
toward the scene as the pirates threaten to blow up
the ship, killing the crew and themselves if their
ransom demands are not met..
Another aspect of the increasing tension between
America and Russia is the assessment that if present
demographic trends continue, Muslims may be the
majority in Russia by mid-century. Ilshat Alsayef,
former Russian military officer, drew this conclusion:
"If the trends of isolation and radicalization
continue, along with current demographic trends
and rising oil prices, it is quite possible that by
mid-century Russia will become a radical Muslim
superpower."
And one side issue of interest: NASA is facing the
impossibility of sending any more US astronauts to
the international space station. Our nation's aging
space vehicles will be retired in 2010, and their
replacements will not be available until 2015 at the
earliest. One option is to employ Russian Soyuz
spacecraft to transport our astronauts to and from
the space station -- paying fares amounting to
hundreds of millions of dollars like space tourists.
Given the current tension between the two nations
this does not appear to be a simple arrangement to
complete -- mainly because of a US law enacted in
2000 prohibiting any government contract with any
nation which has aided North Korea or Iran in
their nuclear programs -- as Russia has done.
So there are other problems facing us besides the
election campaign and the current financial debacle.
And there is the persecuted church, worldwide.
This is just a reminder that Sunday, November 16
has been designated as the International Day of
Prayer (IDOP) when thousands of churches in
more than 100 countries around the world will be
sharing in this annual special day to focus prayer
for and with persecuted Christians everywhere.
The World Evangelical Alliance is the coordinating
body, and further details will be available in this
newsletter and from many other sources.
A thought about a popular theme: "Change"
"Progress, far from consisting in change, depends
on retentiveness. When change is absolute there
remains no being to improve and no direction is
set for possible improvement: and when experience
is not retained, as among savages, infancy is
perpetual." -- George Santayana
Some Random Afterthoughts . . .
New approaches to marketing the Bible. The
perennial world's best selling book is currently
appearing in new formats, and more extensive
changes are apparently in store. One edition has
a high gloss, magazine style appearance, and
features pictures of present day stars like Angelina
Jolie. Reportedly in preparation are comic book
style versions, with a chronological version due
to be released yet this year. Somehow the old
story comes to mind about the lady who said
"If the King James version was good enough
for the Apostle Paul, it's good enough for me."
A couple of items you may have missed.
(1) US Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
objected to Governor Palin’s references to “Joe
Six-Pack” and “hockey moms.” As reported in the
New York Observer, Clarke said, “Who exactly
is Joe Six-Pack and who are these hockey moms?
Is that supposed to be terminology that is of
common ground to all Americans? It leaves a
lot of people out.”
(2) It is known that Mohammed Atta, the 9/11 ring
leader, had a valid Florida driver's license -- and
13 of the 19 9/11 hijackers also had valid driver's
licenses. Using those licenses, 8 of those hijackers
were registered to vote. Somehow related to those
disclosures is the disturbing fact that Barack Obama
strongly supports giving illegal aliens valid American
driving licenses. This fits in under the suggestion
above to think before you vote.
A Founding Father's warning: "Democracy
will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an
anarchy that every man will do what is right in
his own eyes and no man's life or property or
reputation or liberty will be secure, and every
one of these will soon mold itself into a system
of subordination of all the moral virtues and
intellectual abilities, all the powers of wealth,
beauty, wit and science, to the wanton pleasures,
the capricious will, and the execrable cruelty of
one or a very few." -- John Adams, 1763
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