American News Commentary

IT IS REFRESHING, and to use an overworked
term in today's political rhetoric, it is "humbling" to
read some of the comments from our subscribers.
But we mean it. And it is also "encouraging", because
we might at times think we are all alone in believing in
the critical need for "Christianizing America," instead
of the prevalent trend of "Americanizing Christianity."
But we are not alone! And we thank you for your
strong support and endorsement of the position we
continue to emphasize. Please keep sharing your views
with us at: american_news_2008@yahoo.com
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MUCH THAT IS HAPPENING DAY BY DAY
REMINDS US OF THE "NEWSPEAK"
IN GEORGE ORWELL'S "1984"

But first - an important reminder: Tomorrow,
May 7, is the "National Day of Prayer." The schedule
is simple, but should be effective. All across America
Christians will be meeting at their City Hall at 12:20
PM to pray for our nation, our people and our leaders.
Plan now to be at your City Hall tomorrow noon. The
National Day of Prayer is based on an Act of Congress,
signed into law by President Truman in 1952, to be
observed on the first Thursday in May each year.

Now back to "1984" and its relationship to our time.
Published in 1949 -- that's 60 years ago! -- George
Orwell's classic "1984" was, with his "Animal Farm,"
the best known of his many books, essays and poems.
He died in January 1950 at age 46, just a few months
after completing the manuscript for "1984." The book
became the most influential "dystopian" novel -- (the
opposite of "utopian") of all time. One of the featured
aspects of the totalitarian government he described,
was the mandated language called "Newspeak" which
featured such manufactured words as "goodthink" --
described as follows: "Goodthink -- thoughts which
adhere to all the principles of Newspeak. Anything
that does not constitute goodthink is thoughtcrime."

Here in America we are well on the way to a major
remake (the announced Obama goal for America) of
our national language lexicons. For example in recent
weeks we have seen these changes: "illegal alien" has
become "non US citizen," or "undocumented worker"
or "unauthorized immigrant." "Global war on terror"
has become "overseas contingency operation," and
"terrorism" has become "man caused disasters." The
latest change seems to be to replace the term "Swine
Flu" with "H1N1 Influenza A" or more simply "H1N1."
Still awaiting the administration directive is the change
of "Global Warming" to something like "deteriorating
atmosphere." That official decision has not yet been
finalized, but expect it soon.

The "1984" reference to "Thoughtcrime" for
failing to observe "Goodthink" is becoming reality in
the new Hate Crime Bill (HR 1913) passed last week
by the House, with its companion bill being debated in
the Senate. For example, this potential hate crimes law
gives the government the right to decide on the motive
for the "hate crime" based on their opinion alone. Put
another way, these are the "thoughtcrimes" which in
"1984" were punishable by "Big Brother" -- Orwell's
term for the ruling government in power. Simply stating
your opinion on protected viewpoints or actions can
land you in jail. In other countries, where similar hate
crime laws have been passed, pastors and individual
Christians are being arrested and jailed because they
dare to preach on Bible truths - even in regular services
inside their church sanctuaries.

This Hate Crimes law, now close to being passed by
Congress, poses a serious threat to Christians, and goes
against the right to freely practice our religious beliefs
guaranteed under the First Amendment. In short, this
law gives a securely protected legal status to homosexual
behavior, for example, and makes it a criminal act to
express an opinion contrary to any such behavior. In a
Presidential statement dated April 28, Mr. Obama urged
both houses of Congress to take swift action in passing
this legislation, and has promised to sign it into law.

And that's not the only danger we face. There is
the proposed "Employment Non-discrimination Act"
(ENDA) which makes it illegal to fire or refuse to hire
any person based on their sexual orientation. The effect?
A Christian school could not reject a homosexual
football coach who was applying for the job. ENDA
has the support of the Obama administration .

And there is the president's campaign promise to repeal
the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA), signed into
law by President Clinton. DOMA defines marriage as
between a man and a woman, and states that no state
can be forced to recognize a same-sex marriage entered
into in another state.

President Obama's views on homosexual issues have
been clearly expressed in prior statements from him --
"I believe in the rights of gays and lesbians to
become foster parents, adopt children ... on the
same basis as heterosexuals." And in another
statement during his earlier political career, "I favor
legalizing same-sex marriages and would fight
efforts to oppose such marriages." More recently he
has said that he does not support homosexual marriage.

Add to these actions the president's strong support for
legalizing and encouraging abortion, not only here in
America, but overseas as well, coupled with his choice
of a firmly pro-abortion Secretary of Health and Human
Services -- and we as Christians have serious problems
confronting us, and our nation's well being.

Not only is "1984" applicable to our time, but an
applicable verse from the New Testament comes also
to mind: "For if the trumpet give an uncertain
sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?"
(I Cor. 14:8) Application? With respect to the potential
"Swine Flu" (H1N1) pandemic, the sound from the
White House was most certainly "uncertain." President
Obama was using TV at every opportunity (which
seemed very frequent), to urge Americans to stay calm
... don't panic ... wash your hands. But Vice President
Biden was telling all of us, as he said he had told his family,
don't travel by plane, train or bus, and stay away from
crowded rooms (like offices, schools or churches).

Editorial comments on Mr. Biden's warning: from two
major newspapers, coast to coast: from the New York
Post: "If you're so concerned about the health of New
Yorkers, do us a favor and cover your mouth before
you talk again." And from the San Diego Union Tribune:
"The ultimate in idiocy; Vice President Joseph Biden
essentially urging all Americans to stay outdoors for
the duration of the swine flu threat... Americans need
to keep their heads even if their vice president has
lost his."

Pakistan: "Too little, too late"-- those may be the
appropriate words to describe America's relationship
with this volatile nation. In the words of Newsweek
magazine (with whom we agree about as often as with
MSNBC): "Pakistan is the most dangerous place
on earth." Washington has watched as the government
of President Zardari has allowed the Taliban insurgents
to institute Islamic law (Sharia) in a major region, and
has seen those insurgents take over more of the country
to a spot just 60 miles from the capitol. (It must be
remembered that Pakistan has operative nuclear
armament -- an obvious goal for the Taliban.) Meantime,
an estimated half-million refugees have fled for their lives
from the region of Islamic law. Currently President
Zardari is in Washington for meetings with President
Obama. Both men must be remembering Obama's
declaration in Turkey just a couple of weeks ago:
"The United States is not and never will be at
war with Islam. In fact, our partnership with the
Muslim world is critical." The spokesman for the
Taliban, the ultimate of Islamic belief, does not seem
to understand that; Muslim Khan said this week:
"Everything will be OK once our rulers stop bowing
before America." And Sufi Mohammed, a senior
influential Islamic cleric, said this week: “All those
who believe in democracy are infidels.” Our
"partnership" may be somewhat tenuous.

By the way, how is the president doing? By the
daily Rasmussen polls (which we regard as the most
reliable, because they are on a daily basis) Mr. Obama's
approval index rating slid to its lowest point ever on the
past weekend, at +1. Also from Rasmussen, the number
of people who think that the Obama administration
will indulge in heavy government spending has steadily
increased from 54% last November ... to 63% on
Inauguration Day ... to 73% this week. A Gallup poll
reveals that at the 100 day point, Obama was the
second least liked president in some 40 years. The
popular approval ratings for recent presidents on their
100th day were: Ronald Reagan, 1981, 67%; Jimmy
Carter, 1977, 63%; George W. Bush, 2001, 62%;
Richard Nixon, 1969, 61%; George H.W. Bush,
1989, 58%; Barack Obama, 2009, 56% and Bill
Clinton, 1993, 55%. This in spite of all his seemingly
non-stop TV appearances.

Our Founding Fathers' views on God, Truth
and Morality. Democracy can only flourish, as your
founding fathers realized, when political leaders
and those whom they represent are guided by
truth and bring the wisdom born of firm moral
principle to decisions affecting the life and future
of the nation." - George Washington, 1796

"I have lived a long time, and the longer I live,
the more convincing proofs I see of this truth --
that God governs in the affairs of man."
- Benjamin Franklin, 1787

Some Random Afterthoughts . . .

It's interesting how many favorable comments
we receive on the "one liners" we present each week.
Here are a few from this week's research: first, there
are two from Don Wildmon, Chairman, American
Family Association (AFA): "Christians are in
jeopardy of losing the culture war," and "Once
our moral foundation is destroyed, the entire
nation will collapse."
From Newt Gingrich: "Will the Future Bring Change
We Can Believe In? Or a Change in What we Believe?
From Pat Buchanan: "Middle America yet remains a
blood-and-soil, family-and-faith, God-and-country
kind of nation."
And a touch of humor from Jimmy Kimmel: "Everyone
in Mexico right now looks like Michael Jackson with
those face masks they’re wearing."

Republican or Democrat: class will tell. Former
President Bill Clinton said this on the death of Jack
Kent: "America has lost an extraordinary public
servant and a fine man. Jack Kemp will always be
remembered for his relentless search for new ideas
and his genuine concern for the poor and people
of color, most of whom he knew would never vote
for him. He was a creative conservative with a big
heart... I will miss him very much." But by contrast,
former Republican, the turncoat Arlen Specter blamed
the Republican party for Jack Kemp's death, saying that
if their policies had been different, he might still be alive.
Specter is already out of step with his new associates.

An encouraging action for moral values from,
of all places, the US Supreme Court. Last week the
Court by the usual 5-4 vote upheld the FCC policy
established in 2004 to punish even a single profane
word on TV. This decision empowers the FCC to
fine networks that violate the rules. In this age of
deteriorating moral standards, this decision can only
be seen as a victory for American families.

Looking back at the TEA parties; Newt Gingrich's
reflections on these memorable events. "The Democrats,
Republicans and Independents who went to Tea
Parties last week want the same thing that the
patriots of 1773 wanted: To be treated as free
citizens with inalienable rights, not indentured
subjects of an all-powerful government. Subjects
don’t complain when government makes their lives
more secular and more socialized. But citizens
demand the “right to pursue happiness” as their
Creator endowed them in the Declaration of
Independence...The Tea Parties were a reaction to
all these threats to the American way of life."

And from the nation's second president:
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral
and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for
the government of any other." - John Adams, 1798
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