American News Commentary

EVERY WEEK, EVERY ISSUE it seems that more
and more of your responses agree with our opinion that
our nation is headed in the wrong direction, and that it is
our responsibility to do everything we can to restore our
governing practices to the Judeo-Christian principles on
which our nation was founded. Current polls indicate this
to be the case, as is pointed out in today's commentary.
We welcome your comments sent to our email address:
american_news_2008@yahoo.com
- - - - - - - - - -

GROWING OUT OF CURRENT NEWS,
A FEELING OF BEING SORRY FOR TWO
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MEN

But first, this word of warning in a week when we
have seen so many patriotic displays:"Guard against
the impostures of pretended patriotism." President
George Washington in his farewell address, 1796.

And now back to this week's headline story: The
two men are definitely different, actually worlds apart:
Barack Obama and Adam Lambert. Mr. Obama is
president of the United States. Mr. Lambert is the
runner-up in the "American Idol" contest. Despite
those obvious differences, both men were seeking
the same goal, to become "America's Idol," one
going the entertainment route, the other the political
route. After more than 100 million votes were
counted, Adam Lambert failed to win what had
seemed to be a certain victory. You have to feel
sorry for him, but he is expected to make out OK;
a future of recording successes is predicted for him.

Mr. Obama, after apparently certain victories for
his ultra liberal, tax and spend policies, saw one of
his many campaign promises run up against the wall
of Congressional opposition -- in a Democrat
Congress which he supposedly controls. His request
for $80 million to shut down the detention camp at
Guantanamo was rejected by both houses of
Congress -- in the Senate by an overwhelming 90-6
vote. The problem, Mr. Obama (called by some an
"apprentice president") had not offered any plan for
how to deal with the detainees, where they were to
be sent, etc. After all the TV appearances -- almost
daily it seems -- and his attempts to persuade the
American people concerning the "changes" he has
in mind, one has to feel sorry for him as he suffers
such a sharp rebuke from his own Congress.

But like Mr. Lambert, President Obama has a
predictably successful future. His presidential term
is still in its early days . . . in the usual "honeymoon
period" of public approval.

In the introductory note we mentioned the fact
that not all polls indicate that the American people
are happy about the way things are going. A recent
Rasmussen poll (May 20) disclosed that 56% of the
American public feel that our nation is headed in the
wrong direction. Only 38% think that we are on the
right track.

Overall, various polls show President Obama with
a positive rating of 60.7%, and declining, with a
negative rating of 32.5%, and rising. In the Congress,
Nancy Pelosi has a positive rating of 34%, and falling,
with a negative rating of 60%, and rising. Harry Reid
has a positive rating of 38%, and falling, with a negative
rating of 50%, and rising. The Rasmussen daily tracking
index showed Obama at his lowest rating yet, a mere
+1, based on comparing approval views against
disapproval views.

And speaking of "one liners," (which we share
with our readers in "Afterthoughts"), here is one
from President Obama in one of his TV appearances
last week (May 21): "I ran for president promising
transparency, and I meant what I said." (It reminds
us of Bill Clinton's questioning the meaning of the
word "is.") This statement involves the meaning of the
word "transparency." Dictionary references offer
definitions such as "free from pretense or deceit,"
and "openness and accountability."

This is where we have a slight problem. "Openness"
and "freedom from deceit" do not seem to concur
with his refusal to disclose the facts of his birthplace,
the details of his college education, the current
reports on his physical condition, and any evidence
of his conversion from Islam to the Christian faith.

We really know so little about him, aside from the
fact that from his family heritage he is half-American
and half-African; and he is half-white and half-black.
From a religious standpoint, he was brought up in
the Islam faith, the religion of Muslims, and did for
several years attend a church in Chicago whose
minister expressed his views of America by the use
of a profane curse.

But if thus far he has failed to fulfill some of his
campaign promises, he is certainly on track to
fulfill others of those promises. He has acted on
his pledge to support abortion, both domestically
and overseas. He is moving toward his pledge to
revoke the Defense of Marriage Act, and thus move
toward the nationwide legalization of homosexual
marriage. Embryonic stem cell usage is also on his
agenda, and is an important element in the legalized
killing of babies unwanted by their mothers.

These are matters of serious concern to American
Christians, because they are clearly contrary to the
historic Christian faith. An outworking of that
concern confronts us as we note school boards
adopting rules to accommodate the religious beliefs
of Muslim students, but denying Christian students
any mention of or reference to God, prayer or Bible
reading. This anti-Christian attitude was evidenced
this past week as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
announced that full family benefits would be provided
to homosexual diplomats (in itself a repudiation of
America's historic Christian reputation), declaring --
in her exact words -- "It is the right thing to do."

What the Obama administration fails to grasp is the
fact -- reported this week in the Barna Report (the
Barna Group, Ventura, CA) disclosing that the
religious make-up of America is currently: "Casual"
Christian (often called "Nominal" or "Notional"
Christian) 66%; "Captive" Christian (often called
"Evangelical" Christian) 16%; Jews 2%; Mormons
2%; Pantheistic 2%; Muslims less than 1%, and
Skeptics 11%. Thus, despite President Obama's
declaration to a Muslim audience that America is
not a Christian nation, the fact is, that as of right now,
today, Christians make up 82% of our population.

It would seem that for our government to demonstrate
the Christian faith in all (or at least most) of our actions
would be"the right thing to do."

From California: "A mixed bag" -- defined as
"a collection of dissimilar things." That is what the
California Supreme Court handed us in their decision
on Proposition 8. On the plus side, from a Christian
viewpoint, the court ruled that the constitutional ban
on homosexual "marriage" will stand. On the negative
side, the 18,000 homosexual "marriages" performed
during the period while the amendment was under
judicial review will also stand. Twice in recent
years the voters of California have -- by substantial
majorities -- established the rule that marriage can
only be between one man and one woman. This
court decision upholds that rule, but allows the
18,000 homosexual "marriages" to stand. Now the
homosexual minority in California will doubtless
hold more protest rallies, and very likely within a
year or so the issue will be back on state ballots.

Another National Day of Prayer: remembering
a date in our nation's history, July 20, 1775, a year
before signing the Declaration of Independence, our
Founding Fathers proclaimed a day of fasting, prayer
and public humiliation, as stated by Samuel Adams:
"Three millions of people on their knees at once,
supplicating the aid of Heaven, is a striking
circumstance, and a very singular one in America.
May the blessings of Heaven follow in answer
to our prayers."

With this in mind, Family Research Council has
issued a "Call to Fall" on our knees before God
in a Day of Prayer, July 5, 2009, the day following
Independence Day, stating: "The country you
love cannot survive without Him."

Mark July 5 on your calendar . . . we will remind
you of it again, closer to the date.

Here is an immediate need for prayer and one
which will doubtless still be with us on July 5: Iran has
proved by their successful test last week that they are
are now able to launch a missile capable of delivering
a nuclear bomb to large areas of the world, including
Israel, the nation they have sworn to eliminate.

North Korea has proved by their successful nuclear
test last week that they have developed a nuclear
bomb, and are still trying to develop working long
range missiles.

"Connect those dots" and the Western, Christian
or non-Muslim world faces a serious threat, one
which merits our prayers that God will give wisdom
and determination to President Obama and other
international leaders in this hour of crisis."If my
people which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray ... then will I hear
from heaven ... and will heal their land."
( II Chronicles 7: 14)

Interesting: not all Democrat presidents have
tried to disassociate America from Christianity. For
example, consider these quotes from two great
Democrat presidents of the past: "America was
born a Christian nation for the purpose of
exemplifying to the nations of the world the
principles of righteousness found in the Word
of God." -- Woodrow Wilson, 1917
"This is a Christian nation. More than a half-
century ago that declaration was written into
the decrees of the highest court in this land. It
is not without significance that the valiant
pioneers who left Europe to establish settlements
here, declared their faith in the Christian religion
and made ample provision for its practice and
support." -- Harry S. Truman, 1947


Some Random Afterthoughts . . .


A few more "one liners" that everyone seems
to enjoy: On shutting down Guantanamo, "It's like
opening Pandora's Box; we don't know what's
inside the box." (Vice President Joe Biden)
"Biblical principles and factual evidence, not
media hype about speculative fears like global
warming, should guide our care for the
environment and the poor." (WeGetIt.org)
"The object and practice of liberty lies in the
limitation of government power." (General
Douglas MacArthur)
On some of the market's upside swings: "Is it
truly a recovery or just a dead cat bounce?"
(Human Events)

Your tax dollars at work: it almost seems like
a reward for her mishandling of the CIA disclosure
of the interrogation tactics issue. Speaker of the
House, Nancy Pelosi, is taking a one week trip
(May 24-31) to China, visiting at least Beijing and
Shanghai. Traveling with the Speaker is Senator John
Kerry, once a candidate for president, and now
Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

FYI: Bill Clinton has a new job -- the former
president has been named as special envoy to Haiti
on behalf of the United Nations.

Another "mixed bag" -- The proposed "Hate
Crimes" act, under consideration in the Congress,
will apparently prevent pastors from speaking out on
Bible-defined issues -- like, for example, homosexual
relationships. That is definitely undesirable, from any
standpoint. On the other hand, a recent IRS decision
allows pastors to speak out on moral issues and not
face the penalty of losing their church's tax-exempt
status. Under the IRS ruling, pastors may speak out
or take political action on moral issues, and encourage
their congregations to do likewise. In the words of the
old English idiom, "It's an ill wind that blows nobody
some good."

And from another great president of the past:
"Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm
reliance on Him, who has never yet forsaken this
favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the
best way, all our present difficulty... Nevertheless,
amid the greatest difficulties of my Administration,
when I could not see any other resort, I would place
my whole reliance on God, knowing that all would
go well, and that He would decide for the right."
-- Abraham Lincoln, 1861, 1863

- - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To Subscribe:
american_news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com