American News Commentary

`





IT IS OFTEN EASIER TO DEAL WITH
THE FUTURE IF YOU REMEMBER
AND LEARN FROM THE PAST

You have doubtless noted that in every issue of
ANC we provide one or more quotations from
our nation's Founding Fathers. We do that for
several reasons, aside from the fact that those
were very wise men, and some of their thoughts
are very applicable even in today's happenings.

But one of the main reasons is to remind us
that this nation was founded on historic Judeo-
Christian principles, and has always been a
Christian nation. This current president is the
first one ever to deny that fact, but it is perhaps
understandable since he was born and raised in
an environment where Islam, the religion of
Muslims, was practiced.

So in this critical period in America's history,
it is -- as always -- appropriate to reflect upon
the past.

Near the close of the 18th century, in 1789,
Edmund Burke, a British philosopher and
statesman and philosopher made the statement
which has been modified and attributed to others
through the years, "Those who don't know
history are destined to repeat it." Not only the
source of a great many very wise quotations,
Burke is also considered to be the philosophic
founder of the modern political conservative
movement.

In making that oft quoted statement, Burke
may have had in mind the monumental work
of Edward Gibbon in 1776, "The Decline and Fall
of the Roman Empire." After more than 230
years, Gibbon's work remains as one of the
world's most reliable historical sources.

Here are 5 reasons that he cites as leading to
the failure and death of the vast Roman empire:

1. The dramatic increase of divorce undermined
the dignity and sanctity of home and family, the
very basis of human society.

2. Higher and higher taxes undermined the
economic stability of the government. The
increased taxes went to pay for the deficit
government spending, free bread and government
sponsored activities such as sports and circuses,
diverting public attention from the news of
problems within the Empire.

3. The mad craze for personal pleasure became
intense, almost to becoming an obsession, so
that sports and other entertainment became more
exciting, more brutal and more immoral.

4. The building of great armaments when the real
enemy was within, where hidden conspirators
were working within the government to secretly
destroy it, while at the same time proclaiming
their unswerving support of it. Coupled with
this was the decay of individual responsibility.

5. The decline of religion—faith fading into mere
form; losing touch with life, and thus as people
lost their faith, both religiously and in their
government, the Roman government lost its
power to guide the people.

After reading those 5 reasons from history,
do you see any relationship to the present
conditions here in America? This is an
appropriate time to apply Burke's rule: "Those
who don't know history are destined to repeat
it." (In some versions of this quote, "destined"
becomes "condemned.") In other words: history
does repeat itself, and the conditions which
brought on the collapse of the vast Roman
Empire fifteen hundred years ago are with us
here in America today.

Apparently the president's good relations
with the Pope have already worn off and have
been forgotten. The nation's Catholic bishops
have told Congress that they oppose H.R. 3200,
America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, as it
currently stands, because the health-care reform
bill would mandate funding and insurance
coverage for abortion. Cardinal Justin Rigali,
chairman of the pro-life committee of the U.S.
Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote, “Much-
needed reform must not become a vehicle for
promoting an ‘abortion rights’ agenda or
reversing longstanding policies against federal
funding and mandated coverage of abortion.”

But President Obama essentially called the Bishop
a liar, by saying that the bill does not fund abortion
and that those who say otherwise are guilty of a
"fabrication.” And last week during a conference
phone call with leaders of what is called the
"religious left," the president said those who were
opposing his health reform plan were "bearing
false witness."

CBN News White House Correspondent David
Brody said the president's comments may have
ramifications beyond the health bill. "When you
come out on a FAITH conference call and use
the words ‘bearing false witness,' that is a
direct slap down of conservative Evangelical
groups. In essence he was calling these
Christian groups a bunch of liars. It's a serious
charge."

The president's excesses in attempting to
promote this keystone piece of his announced
agenda may possibly be attributed to his lack
of understanding of the Christian faith and the
distinctions between Evangelicals and the
so-called "religious left" to whom he has turned
for support.

Two headlines of the past week merit our
attention. The first was in the usually liberal,
pro-Democrat daily newspaper, the Washington
Post: "Faith in Obama Drops as Fears Arise."

The story by Dan Palz and Jon Cohen was
condensed into these few words, "Public
confidence in President Obama's leadership
has declined sharply over the summer, amid
intensifying opposition to health-care reform
that threatens to undercut his attempt to enact
major changes to the system, according to a
new Washington Post-ABC News poll."

The second was on a nationally syndicated
Associated Press story, "Projected 10-year
deficit: $9 trillion." The accompanying story
was condensed into these few words: "The
Obama administration expects the federal
deficit over the next decade to be $2 trillion
bigger than previously estimated, White house
officials said yesterday, a setback for a
president already facing a Congress and
public wary over spending."

Perhaps the two headlines and the related stories
played a part in the story in the Internet "New
Media Journal" headed : "White House: Obama
'Quite Comfortable' as One-Term President."

This was the very brief accompanying story:
"President Barack Obama is 'quite comfortable'
with the prospect of being a one-term president
in order to address the issues he is concerned
about, White House Press Secretary Robert
Gibbs said Friday. The comment came on the
same day the president’s approval reached a
new low, with only a 45 percent approval
rating in the Zogby International poll released
Friday. The poll said that 51 percent disapprove
of the president’s job performance."

To cap all the Obama bad news, the Rasmussen
daily presidential approval index dropped to a
-14 rating at the end of last week, passing its
previous low of -12 at the end of July.

An almost forgotten principle, but one which
is very applicable to these farcical town hall
meetings to discuss the proposed health reform
plan -- it's from the Declaration of Independence:
"Governments are instituted among men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of
the governed." "From the consent of the
governed." The present Democrat government,
and the House and Senate, should remember
that phrase . . . or perhaps they have decided
to ignore our nation's basic laws. It is also
significant that the latest polls show a substantial
majority of the American people favor no health
reform action at all, rather than adopting the
presently proposed plan.

Not a Founding Father quote, or even a former
president, but from a respected national statesman
and presidential candidate: "How did it happen?
How did our national government grow from a
servant with sharply limited powers into a master
with virtually unlimited power? In part, we were
swindled. There are occasions when we have
elevated men and political parties to power
that promised to restore limited government
and then proceeded, after their election, to
expand the activities of government. We have
taken the bait, preferring to put off to another
day the recapture of freedom and the restoration
of our constitutional system." -- U.S. Senator
Barry Goldwater


Some Random Afterthoughts . . .


An occasional "one liner" or two: "Here's
the least surprising news of the week: Americans
are souring on the Democratic Party. The wonder
is that it's taken so long for public opinion to
curdle." (Eugene Robinson)

"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed
there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself
you can always write a book." (Ronald Reagan)

"It's been a hilarious August, watching media
supporters of President Obama's health care
package puzzle over the obscure motivations of
the noncompliant Americans rallying against
it." (Matt Welch)

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
(ELCA) joins the ranks of losers among the
nation's main-line churches. At their convention
last week in Minneapolis, they adopted by a
majority vote of 68%, a rule permitting gays and
lesbians to serve as clergy in the denomination's
churches. This action makes the group, with
about 4.7 million members in the US, one of the
largest US Christian denominations yet to reject
the authority of the Bible on homosexuality.

The American Episcopal church which has
preceded them in such a decision is paying the
price in lost members, and a loss of standing in
the world-wide Anglican communion. The
Lutheran reasoning was set forth in the debate
in these words: "We live today with an
understanding of homosexuality that did not
exist in Jesus' time." Thus they have degraded
the omniscience of God, and the eternal truth
of the Word of God. The term "Evangelical"
in their title is obviously a misnomer.

Minneapolis Baptist pastor, and author, John
Piper, wrote concerning the decision: "Official
church pronouncements that condone the very
sins that keep people out of the kingdom of God
are evil. They dishonor God, contradict
Scripture, and implicitly promote damnation
where salvation is freely offered."

An apology to Michelle Obama by Paul L.
Williams, Ph.D.: "We were wrong. Michele
Obama, as we reported on July 7, is not served
by twenty-two attendants who stand by to cater
to her every whim. She is served by twenty-six
attendants including a hair dresser and
make-up artist. The annual cost to taxpayers
for such unprecedented attention is
approximately $1,750,000." Is this a great
country or what?!?! Michelle must have been
overjoyed to learn that she could have an army
of servants to cater to her every whim, and
without costing her a penny, not because of
anything she had accomplished, but simply
because she was married to the president.

This probably represents a permanent change
from her twice repeated claim in 2008 that
"For the first time in my life I am proud of my
country." Now she can be proud several times
every day.

Speaking of women in the news: people
are talking about Forbes magazine's list of the
"100 Most Powerful Women in the World."

Several thoughts come to mind -- of the 100,
63 are from the US, but from Muslim countries,
there is a total of 3, 1 from Indonesia, 1 from
Jordan and 1 from the United Arab Emirates.

Great Britain and France each had 4. Germany
had only 1, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor --
but she was also No. 1 in the total list -- the
most powerful woman in the world. And oh yes
-- among the Washington women on the list,
Nancy Pelosi was at #35, Hillary Clinton was
at #36 and Michelle Obama was at #40.

We quote the Founding Fathers frequently,
but their opinions seem always to be pertinent:
“God who gave us life gave us liberty. And
can the liberties of a nation be thought secure
when we have removed their only firm basis,
a conviction in the minds of the people that
these liberties are a gift from God? That they
are not to be violated but with His wrath?
Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect
that God is just, and that His justice cannot
sleep forever.” -- Thomas Jefferson, 1781
- - - - - - - - - -

`




THANK YOU - THANK YOU for all your
messages of agreement with last week's issue
of ANC. And for your encouraging words
and continuing to refer this commentary to your
friends. These are indeed critical times for our
nation, but we have been through difficult times
before. But the difference is that never before
has the administration in power denied that we
are a Christian nation. Throughout history all
of our previous leaders have looked to God
for help. This time it is evident that our nation's
Christian leadership will have to come from the
American people.

This is a challenge we dare not refuse to meet,
and a responsibility we absolutely must accept.

Again we cite the quote attributed to Edmund
Burke: "All that is necessary for the triumph of
evil is that good men do nothing."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

EVERYTHING SEEMS TO COME DOWN
TO THE SIMPLE QUESTION: "WHO
ARE WE GOING TO BELIEVE?"

Just like last week's issue, we begin with the
same question: Where to start? And just like in
last week's issue, it's not an easy choice.

Maybe it's best to start at the top, so to speak,
the President of the United States. But in doing
so we have to confess right up front that he
doesn't qualify as one we should believe. That
may be because the "Health Care Reform" bill
(the president has now changed the title to the
"Health Insurance Reform") is so important to
his announced schedule that he is apparently
inclined to bend the truth in pushing it. In a
press conference on July 22 he said that doctors
are forced to make decisions based on the fee
payment schedule, so if a child has a sore throat,
the president said: " ... the doctor may look at
the reimbursement system and say to himself,
'You know what? I make a lot more money if
I take this kid’s tonsils out.'”

But this was not his only attack on the nation's
physicians and surgeons; at the New Hampshire
Town Hall Meeting on August 11, he said:
"Let’s take the example of something like
diabetes ... if a family care physician works
with his or her patient to help them lose weight,
modify diet ... they might get reimbursed a
pittance. But if that same diabetic ends up
getting their foot amputated, that’s $30,000,
$40,000, $50,000 the surgeon is reimbursed."

And why is he making such attacks? To build
support for his socialism-based belief that the
government should pay for all health care. The
result? To push his health care plan, he has
decided to insult and dishonor the motives of
those who provide health care to the nation.

In response to the president's false accusations
that doctors perform tonsillectomies to make
money, and that surgeons cut off legs for profit
the American College of Surgeons wrote this
letter to President Obama:

"The American College of Surgeons is deeply
disturbed over the uninformed public comments
President Obama continues to make about
the high-quality care provided by surgeons
in the United States. When the president
makes statements that are incorrect or not
based in fact, we think he does a disservice
to the American people … The president’s
remarks are truly alarming and run the risk
of damaging the all-important trust between
surgeons and their patients. …we would
urge him to have his facts correct before
making another inflammatory and incorrect
statement about surgeons and surgical care.”

No one could better address our opening
question: Who are we going to believe? Isn't
this an item of concern for American Christians?

Some of us have seen on TV the futile effort
by Fox News reporter Major Garrett to get an
answer from White House press agent Gibbs
to the question about a White House email list.
We have received from our readers some copies
of unsolicited email messages they have received
from David Axelrod, senior advisor to President
Obama. We may never know how many of our
fellow Americans received the Axelrod mass
emailing, but it has to be many thousands. In
those emails he complained about all the "lies
and distortions" being spread about the Obama
health reform plan, calling them "viral emails,"
and proposed: "Let's start a chain e-mail of
our own." So much for Gibbs' refusal to admit
that a White House email list exists. And so
much for the White House initial denials of
sending any unsolicited -- which they later
confessed to having done because there was
too much evidence that they had in fact sent
the emails.

One of our readers sent this response to David
Axelrod at his White House email address after
receiving one of those unsolicited emails:

"Please take me off you junk mail list as that
is what I consider junk like this. I want to
keep my existing health insurance and don't
trust anyone in the white house to know what
is best for me. You promised one thing in the
campaign and constantly change your mind.
I simply don't believe anything you guys there
say. Stop the junk mail."

That letter spoke for the rest of us -- and even
though the writer knows he is probably on the
White House bad list for sure, he has absolutely
no idea of retracting or apologizing.

Concerning the seriousness of all this, Jay
Sekulow, chief counsel of American Center for
Law and Justice said, "This is a very troubling
attempt to stifle the free speech of Americans
who have the constitutional right to express
their opinion and concerns about health care.
This move is an attempt to intimidate those
who have legitimate concerns about the health
care plan. And, worse, it turns the White House
into some sort of self-appointed ’speech police.’"

And the ACLU, those stalwart guardians of
American constitutional rights, made this very
mild expression of concern, admitting that the
White House blog is "a bad idea that could
send a troublesome message.”

And as for Nancy Pelosi's accusation that all
of us who do not agree with the Obama-Pelosi-
Reid health reform plan are "un-American," we
recall the words of Obama's Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton when she was First Lady in the
White House: "I am sick and tired of people
who say that if you debate and you disagree
with this administration, somehow you're not
patriotic... We are Americans and we have a
right to debate and disagree with any
administration." Right on, Hillary!

And even Ms. Pelosi herself said a couple of
years ago that there is no higher patriotic calling
than standing up for what you believe in, and
she urged her listeners: "So let’s not question
each other’s patriotism when we have this
very honest debate that our country expects
and deserves.” How conveniently they forget
when it is the Conservatives, not the Liberals,
who are voicing opposition!

And that isn't the only misinformation from
Washington this past week. On August 13, a
main front-page headline in one of the nation's
major metropolitan newspapers read: "Upbeat
Fed Says Recession is Near an End." (That's
the government's Federal Reserve System.) And
President Obama declared that actions taken by
his administration had helped stop an economic
freefall and said the United States may be seeing
"the beginnings" of the end of the recession.

But on August 14, Reuters, the international
news agency, made this report that "Americans
shopped less in July and more signed up for
jobless benefits last week in a double dose of
bad news for the U.S. economy just a day
after the Federal Reserve said it saw a leveling
out of the slump." So, again, it is a case of
"who to believe."

"I wish I had never said that" department.
Obama told CNN, "The only measure of my
success as president when people look back
five years from now or nine years from now
is going to be did I get this economy fixed,"

And then there are the little lies, the day to
day political rhetoric. Like whether abortion is
included as a paid-for benefit under Obamacare.
In a Town Hall meeting last week, Rep. Zoe
Lofgren (D, CA) said "Abortion will be covered
as a benefit by one or more of the health care
plans available to Americans, and I think it
should be." But in another Town Hall meeting
last week, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D, MO) said:
"There is not one dime for any abortions.
There is nothing in the bill that mandates any
kind of abortion coverage." In his uproarious
Town Hall meeting, Sen. Arlen Specter (D, PA)
said he agreed with McCaskill. But in speaking
about the plan, President Obama said, "In my
mind, reproductive care is essential care. It is
basic care. And so it is at the center and at
the heart of the plan that I propose." (The
term "Reproductive care" is the politically
correct euphemism for abortion.) We have to
ask: Who are we going to believe?

And then there was this: in his recent town
hall meeting in New Hampshire Obama said,
"We have the AARP on board because they
know this is a good deal for our seniors."

Within hours the AARP had gone on record
denying that they had in any way endorsed the
president's program. Tom Nelson, AARP's
chief operating officer, said, "Indications that
we have endorsed any of the major health care
reform bills currently under consideration in
Congress are inaccurate." Nelson also said that
AARP would not endorse a bill that reduces
Medicare benefits. Once again we have to ask:
who are we going to believe?

What are the serious implications arising
out of all these conflicting viewpoints? As
Christians we have every right to be concerned
about the lack of credibility in the actions and
statements of our president. We should be able
to trust the man at the head of our government.

Whether he believes it or not, the facts are that
America was conceived of and founded as a
nation which put God first, as exemplified in
its foundation being built on Judeo-Christian
principles. To reject those principles, to deny
that we are a Christian nation (when 82% of
Americans declare they are Christian) is a
matter of serious concern. As for specific
issues, we cannot sit back and watch the
concept of family based on the Christian
concept of marriage be destroyed . . . the
Obama administration Justice Department has
filed court papers claiming that DOMA, the
Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, (passed by
Congress and signed into law by President
Clinton), discriminates against homosexuals.
Nor can we watch this continued rejection of
the right to life as abortion threatens the killing
of even more than the 50 million babies which
have already been killed under Roe v. Wade.

Some of our readers have written to say they
find it difficult (some have said "impossible")
to pray for Mr. Obama. But we must pray that
God will somehow give him wisdom in dealing
with the responsibilities of being the president.

Even secular observers, not only the nation's
Christian ministers, see the importance of God
in the life of the nation. Jon Meacham, managing
editor of "Newsweek" magazine wrote: “The
great good news about America — The
American gospel, if you will – is that religion
shapes the life of the nation without strangling
it. Belief in God is central to the country’s
experience..."

And never forget Psalm 33:12, "Blessed is the
nation whose God is the Lord ..." or God's
word to Israel in Deuteronomy 8:10, equally
applicable to America, "Thou shalt bless the
Lord thy God for the good land which he
hath given thee."

And speaking of prayer: our encouragement
to pray for oppressed and persecuted Christians
all over the world, and particularly in Muslim
dominated countries, is still urgent. Persecution
continues in Pakistan and Nigeria, and there
are recent reports of severe persecution of
Christians in India, Sri Lanka and in Iran. Over
the weekend in Baghdad five churches were
bombed, and 25 people were killed when a
suicide bomber attacked a funeral. So in
addition to praying for our nation, please do
not neglect prayer for our fellow Christians in
other countries.

A timely comment from a Founding Father:
"I have lived sir, a long time, and the longer I
live, the more convincing proofs I see of this
truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.
And, if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground
without his notice, is it probable that an
empire can rise without his aid? We have
been assured, sir, in the sacred writings, that
‘except the Lord build the house, they labor
in vain that build it." - Benjamin Franklin, 1787


Some Random Afterthoughts . . .


We found only one really good "one liner"
this week, from Dr. Kelly Boggs, a highly
respected Southern Baptist pastor in Oregon,
writing about the objections to Obamacare:
"Change that is imposed is change that is
opposed." So much truth in so few words!

Not exactly a "one liner" but a good comment
from Gary Bauer on Senator Reid's epithet for
those Americans who object to Obamacare, as
he called them "evil mongers." Gary's reaction
was clear: "We are searching in vain to find a
statement from Harry Reid calling Al Qaeda
and the Islamofascists who attacked and killed
3,000 Americans 'evil.'”

Those Muslims (Islamists) again -- they are
difficult to understand. We are constantly told
that all the terrorist attacks (not a politically
correct term) are by "radical" Muslims, or by
"extreme" Muslims. In Pakistan where so many
Christians have been murdered by Muslims,
the official line is that those are "radicals" --
but a Pew Global Attitudes Project poll this
month disclosed that among all Pakistan Muslims,
78% favor death for those who leave the Islamic
faith, and 83% favor stoning adulterers to death.
Seems like "radical" or "extreme" is the norm.

In case you wondered: the Muslim major
month-long holiday, Ramadam, begins this
week on Saturday, August 22, here in North
America, and will continue till Saturday,
September 19. During this period adherents
of Islam fast every day from sunrise to sunset.
No US government recognition of the holiday
has yet been announced.

A thought for today on freedom, or the loss
thereof. Thomas Jefferson said, "Honor, justice,
and humanity, forbid us tamely to surrender
that freedom which we received from our
gallant ancestors." To which an IBD editorial
added that "there's nothing more American than
revolting against heavy-handed authority, be it
a long train of abuses from a king or the
lawmaking of elected officials with strong
authoritarian urges. This is a nation founded
on independence, and there is a large portion
of it that wants to retain that priceless heritage."

And two Founding Fathers on liberty:

"Without liberty, law loses its nature and its
name, and becomes oppression. Without law,
liberty also loses its nature and its name, and
becomes licentiousness." --James Wilson, 1790

"God, who gave us life, gave us liberty. Can
the liberties of a nation be secure when we
have removed a conviction that these liberties
are a gift of God?" -- Thomas Jefferson, 1807

`



BEFORE BEGINNING TODAY'S ISSUE,
please let us share a few thoughts with you.
We have an informal panel of knowledgeable
people with whom we discuss contemporary
issues before committing our opinions to email,
and sending them across America and the world.

This subject came up during the past few days:
"Was last week's issue of ANC too political in
its approach?" Our purpose has always been
to analyze and comment on current events as
seen from a Christian viewpoint, an Evangelical
Christian viewpoint. And we realize that there
are people who hold the position that Christians
should stay out of politics.

During discussion on this subject this week,
one panel member used this logic: "If you had
been living in Germany in the 1930's, and
had known then what you know now about
what was going on -- what would you have
written?" The answer, of course, is that we
would have opposed the growth of "Nazi
socialism" in Germany. So now it is obviously
our responsibility to oppose the growth of
Obama socialism in our country.

Some of us have seen two videos this week.
One shows a Black pastor in Harlem warning
that Whites may soon revolt to oppose the
Obama programs. That video may be seen at:
http://la-gun.com/email/manning/

We acknowledge Rev. Manning's sincere
concern and commitment, and, although we
do not endorse his theology, his warning is
worth our consideration.

The other video exposes the way the Obama
administration is attacking the Catholic church
by a "divide and conquer" strategy. It may be
seen at: YouTube - Obama's "Catholic Plan"

This should be viewed with the reminder that a
similar attack is underway against Evangelical
Christian churches.

Our intent remains: to present current events
as seen through a Christian viewpoint, and to
awaken the Church to take a stand on behalf
of this nation which was founded on historic
Judeo-Christian principles.

Thank you for taking time to read this lengthy
introduction. Please rely on our pledge that we
will continue to advocate and defend the
Christian faith and the Evangelical cause, and
oppose in every way possible all attacks on
that faith, from political or any other sources.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

IT MUST BE ADMITTED: OUR NATION IS
IN A MESS, AND THINGS ARE GETTING
WORSE. WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

Where to start? Not an easy choice. There is so
much bad going on that it's hard to decide what
to comment on. But perhaps a quick review of
the 7 subjects we were unable to discuss in last
week's issue would be a reasonable way to start.

1. Some of the "stimulus funds" (your tax dollars)
are being used to fund porno art projects. Very
true. Alliance Defense Fund special counsel Pat
Trueman reported after his examination of funds
given to National Endowment for the Arts: "The
NEA is using money from the stimulus bill ...for
the production of pornography...primarily
homosexual pornography."

2. Dan Rather has been urging Obama to appoint
a "Press Czar." However, this makes little sense.
The White House already controls just about
all of the media. Or maybe it is because Dan
needs a job. Whatever the reason, polls show
that only 25% of Americans agree with his idea
and 55% oppose it. So, it will probably happen.

3. Two Episcopal dioceses are considering gay
and lesbian candidate for bishops. See the
discussion under "Afterthoughts."

4. Is it time to quit asking Barack Obama to
disclose his birth certificate? It just may be. If
he was born in America, nothing would change.
If it turns out that he was not born in America,
the resultant discord might be more than the
country could cope with. But at least he should
disclose some of his other records. We really
know very little about him, and surely we have
every right to know some of the background
facts in the life of the President of the United
States. But frankly, that isn't likely to happen.

5. Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea. After the
North Koreans rejected the idea of Al Gore,
they decided that the visit of an ex-president
would give them the prestige and recognition
they sought. This has to be said: Clinton did a
much better job in his first try than Jimmy Carter
has done thus far in all his blundering attempts
at international diplomacy.

6. Racism at the beer summit. The president's
friend, Professor Gates, had been the one to
raise the race issue, and Obama tried to remove
any evidence of bias by inviting VP Joe Biden
at the last minute to even the balance: two blacks
and two whites. But still no apology has come
from the president for saying that the Cambridge
police acted "stupidly."

7. Increased Muslim persecution of Christians
in Pakistan. See discussion under "Afterthoughts."

So now we can start a new week of commentary
with no left-over topics still facing us. But the
question is still before us: Where to start?

This has been called the "Age of the Polls."
There are so many to choose from, but many
are operated -- at least in part -- by various
elements of the media, with the result that their
reports may often reflect their Liberal bias. Of
the independent polls, one - Rasmussen Reports
- is conducted on a daily basis and therefore its
timely accuracy is much greater. Here are some
Rasmussen summaries as of the beginning of
this week.

Right now, for the president and his Democrat
controlled Congress, their No. 1 priority is the
passage of "Obamacare" -- the 21st century
version of "Hillarycare," the totally rejected plan
of the Clinton administration. But despite the
urgent label affixed to this plan by Obama and
his Congress, no such urgency is being shown
by the American people, the majority of whom
already have health insurance which they like.
In fact, 48% now rate the US healthcare system
as good or excellent, and 80% rate their own
health insurance cover age as good or excellent.

House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, described the
nation's insurance companies as "villains," but
as with most issues, very few of the American
people agree with her -- in this instance only 25%.
54% of voters now say tax cuts for the middle
class are more important that spending for health
care reform.

The public's opinion of this one major element
of the Obama administration's agenda is an
important factor in the president's approval
index rating still being stuck in negative numbers.

In this week's poll, 53% of American voters
oppose the president's health plan and 42%
support it. Overall, the trends we cited last week
remain about the same -- 33% feel the nation is
heading in the right direction, with 60% feeling
we are on the wrong track. And as for the future
of America under Obama's plans, only 28%
expect our nation to be the most powerful in the
world at the end of the 21st century.

One Christian concern about "Obamacare"
has always been the expansion of availability of
abortions through funding provided in the plan.
Recent polling discloses that 51% of Americans
now hold a pro-life position, and 75% favor
strong restrictions on abortions. The Ethics and
Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the
Southern Baptist Convention has analyzed the
proposed "Obamacare" plan, and concludes
"with absolute certainty" that the plan would
endanger the lives of the unborn and elderly,
and "will lead to diminished health care for
most Americans, less choice, higher taxes and
unprecedented government intrusion into every
level and aspect of society from business, to
education, to marriage, to individual liberty."

Who are you going to believe? Liberal politicians,
or the Christian leaders of the largest Protestant
denomination in America?

To summarize, here is a concise evaluation
by Tom Winters, Editor-in-Chief of "Human
Events" magazine: "Something is happening in
America that, try as they might, the liberal
media can't stop simply by distorting or
ignoring it. I'm talking about the surging
opposition to President Obama's plans to
'remake' America (his word) from an
independent republic of freedom-loving,
self-reliant citizens into a Euro-socialist nanny
state... It's real, it's massive, and it's about to
boil over into something the liberals can't
deny any longer."

Could it be true? Thought police in America?
Unbelievable, but yes, it's true. The White House
is asking Americans to report their fellow citizens
who are merely exercising one of their rights
under the First Amendment - freedom of speech.

By now it is well known and much discussed --
the request on the White House web site asking
people to report any message on email or the
Internet criticizing the president's health care
plan, and send that information to the White
House email address: flag@whitehouse.gov

Then as a follow-up, this week, the president's
health care "Czar," Nancy DeParle, launched a
taxpayer-funded initiative to recruit an "Internet
Snitch Brigade" to combat "disinformation
about health insurance reform."

Consider the ramifications. It has been said
that this is like "taking a page out of a playbook
that was written by the Khrushchev types in the
1950s ... like the Russians asking their children
to report on their parents."

And concerning the Town Hall meetings,
in response to the Liberals' claim that they are
not spontaneous, but are planned and organized,
consider this: "People are not automatons.
They show up only if they care. What the town-
hall meetings represent is a feeling of rebellion,
an uprising against change they do not believe
in." -- Peggy Noonan

Our responsibility as Christians in all this?
Nothing new, the same each week: Pray that
God will give to Barack Obama wisdom to face
and deal with the challenges which confront
our nation in these difficult times. Oh yes --
and during this recess, contact your Congress-
people and tell them what you want them to do.

"Patriotism" from a great U.S. president:
"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It
does not mean to stand by the President or
any other public official save exactly to the
degree in which he himself stands by the
country. It is patriotic to support him insofar
as he efficiently serves the country. It is
unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact
extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he
fails in his duty to stand by the country."
-- Theodore Roosevelt, 1905


Some Random Afterthoughts . . .


Some "one liners"-- including first, these two
from Hillary Clinton, with brief responses:
"God bless the America we are trying to create."

That says it all. Coming from a major member
of the Obama administration, it is clear that their
goal is no longer the campaign promise of
"change" -- now it is "to create" -- to start over
from the beginning, ignoring whatever has gone
before.

"I have to confess that it's crossed my mind that
you could not be a Republican and a Christian."

That is so ridiculous. Consider the two major
moral issues we are facing: Homosexual marriage,
and abortion. Neither is part of Christian belief,
yet both are most strongly supported by Liberals
(Democrats) and are essentially opposed by
Conservatives (Republicans). Not the strongest
argument, but it makes the point.

"The financial industry takes care of Democrats
-- and as we've seen in recent months, the
Democrats take care of the financial industry."
-- Ann Coulter

"State sovereignty movements are growing
increasingly popular as more and more
Americans realize how unconstitutional
our Federal government has become."
-- Bob Livingston

President Obama should not be judged
too harshly just for his statement that when they
responded to a 911 break-in call, Cambridge,
MA, police "acted stupidly." He recently also
said that while he is dedicated to expanding
homosexual rights, he acknowledges that many
Americans still disapprove of homosexuality:

"There are still fellow citizens, perhaps
neighbors or even family members and loved
ones, who still hold fast to worn arguments
and old attitudes." Despite remarks like these,
it is still good to know that he is al least aware
of the views of American Christians.

The peace loving Muslims are at it again.
"We all see that people across the world are
desperately clinging to the slim chance that
'moderate' Islam will coming riding in on a
white horse and end all the problems that the
Islamic community is causing worldwide, but
the truth is that 'moderate' Islam has not come
to the rescue for 1400 years." (Chris, writing in
"Infidels are Cool")

That comment by Chris really says it well. We
all too often read or hear of atrocities inflicted
on Christians by Muslims, and we are always
told those are "radical" Muslims, and that most
Muslims are normal, kind and peace loving.
Our president boasts that America is not a
Christian nation and that Muslims have played
an important role in the development of this
country. Liberals who profess to be Christians,
and some pseudo Evangelicals, have bought
into that false perception, and have urged the
Christian church in America to cooperate with
and work with Muslims who hold the Islamic
faith.

During the past few weeks stories of Christian
persecution by Muslims in Pakistan have been
much in the news. In one town a church and
50 houses were burned and at least 14 Christians
were murdered. In another town 6 Christians
were killed, and in another churches and 60
homes were burned. Other Christians were killed
and many more injured. Rumors of a desecration
of the Quran were claimed to have sparked the
attacks, but even government officials denied
that any such event had taken place.

In Nigeria during the last few weeks 20 churches
and more than 600 homes burned and destroyed,
and 800 people have been killed. Most notable
were the beheadings of three pastors who
refused to deny their faith and convert to Islam.
Another story is of Mary, a 13 year old girl who
was forced to watch her pastor being hacked to
death before he was set on fire.

These few reports do not represent even the
tip of the iceberg of the ongoing persecution
of Christians, world wide, by Muslims, Islamists.
Have you voiced a prayer today for Christian
believers facing persecution in countries where
Muslims are in the majority?

The Episcopal Church (and Anglicans) still
find a place in the news. Less than two weeks
after the general convention in July when it was
decided to revoke any restrictions on ordaining
gays or lesbians as bishops, two of the six
priests nominated to become the Los Angeles
diocese's next suffragan bishop are openly gay.
And during the same week a partnered lesbian
was included among the nominations for bishop
in the Diocese of Minnesota.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams
announced that the Episcopal Church may have
to accept a secondary role in the world-wide
Anglican Communion because of their decision
to ordain homosexual bishops and to allow
blessings for same-sex unions. Most of the
world's 77 million Anglicans are opposed to
homosexuality as unbiblical.

Meanwhile, within the Church of England, the
liberal reaction against conservative Anglicans
and the Archbishop of Canterbury has begun.
In the words of one observer: "Open warfare
is now declared."

Pro-gays in the Church of England are planning
a survey of all LGBT clergy, and to determine
how many gay blessings have been and are
being performed. The follow-up will be to urge
the Church of England to approve gay blessings
and ordinations of gay priests and bishops.

A telling quote from our first president:

"While we are zealously performing the duties
of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly
ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties
of religion. To the distinguished character of
Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add
the more distinguished character of Christian."
-- George Washington, 1778

`




ALMOST LIKE A BROKEN RECORD,
we have no choice but to once again express
our thanks to our readers for your many kind
email messages commending us for last week's
issue and the views we expressed. Thank you,
and thanks also for sending your copy of this
newsletter to your friends, and suggesting that
they join as new subscribers... with never any
subscription charge.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

IT IS TIME TO SUGGEST THAT PERHAPS
THE PRESIDENT SHOULD PAUSE AND
RECONSIDER BEFORE MAKING ANY
MORE UNFORTUNATE MISTAKES

Let's do that ourselves -- pause and reconsider.
We are America, we are Americans, the people
whose views the Senators and Representatives
in Washington (all 535 of them) are supposed
to represent. But in case you haven't noticed:
they don't.

So first, let's examine the situation that we face
right now, try to ascertain just what it entails,
and then make some recommendations as to
what we as Christians can do toward solving
the problems, and reclaiming this country for
God and the Christian faith.

To get started on making an analysis, more
than once we have said that this is called the
"Age of Polls." In some respects, such as
elections, advance polls are meaningless; the
only poll that counts is the actual vote count
after the election is over. But when the election
is past, and the new officials or the new
government is in power -- polls should be a
directive or at least offer guidance for the
office-holders who are now in control.

And right now -- TODAY -- the polls are not
at all unclear. But those people whom we sent
to Washington to represent us don't seem to
grasp the fact that across this country the
American people do not like what is happening
in Washington.

Last week we cited several polls which indicate
that the Obama honeymoon is on its way to
being over. This week the same trend continues,
with particular emphasis on the biggest mistake
the Obama administration has yet attempted --
"Obamacare," their government-run, socialized
health care plan. Polls report that more than
85% of the American people are pleased with
their health insurance coverage. An NBC-Wall
Street Journal poll reports that 42% oppose the
Obama plan with only 35% supporting it. (That
same poll reports that 39% feel we are headed
in the right direction, with 49% feeling we are
on the wrong track.) A NY Times-CBS poll
shows that 59% do not think the plan will help,
while only 31% think it will help them.

On one issue important to Christians, despite
all efforts by Republicans and Conservative
Democrats to amend the proposed bill, the
Liberals have forced funding for abortions to
be included, which means that your tax
dollars, whether you like it or not, will be
funding abortions to kill millions more babies.

As the August recess was beginning, the overall
national opinion on the proposed health care
bill was 47% in favor and 51% opposed. What
is needed is for the lawmakers to hear from and
respond to the opinions of their constituents.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: despite the efforts
of Republicans and "Blue Dog" (Conservative)
Democrats, the Obama, Pelosi and Reid team
is determined to force this issue to a final vote
as soon as Congress returns from the August
recess. While your Representatives are at home,
get word to them that you do not want this plan
which will result in rationed health care, spiraling
costs and along with reductions in Medicare, it
even provides for an official in Washington to
decide at what age health care for seniors
would cease to be available. This might be
considered a form of government sponsored
euthanasia. So talk to your representatives on
home ground, and send them back to vote NO.

And one question to ask your representatives:
if Obamacare is such a wonderful plan, and
good for the American people, why isn't it
good enough for members of Congress,
Senators and Representatives and their families,
the President, Vice President and their families?
In other words: if Congress applies this new
plan to all the American people, then it is
reasonable that all members of Congress
would accept the same level of coverage for
themselves and their families. They all have
the finest of health care plans which Senator
Dodd spoke about this past week when he
announced his upcoming surgery for prostate
cancer. It IS a good question -- and one they
just don't like to answer.

President Obama doesn't fare much better
than health care in the latest public opinion
polls, with Rasmussen polls giving him a 47%
favorable score, and a 51% negative score.
And the Congressional leaders don't score very
high, either. Nancy Pelosi, the multi-millionaire
Speaker of the House, from San Francisco,
continues to hold a 57% unfavorable score,
against a 35% favorable score. But her "very
unfavorable" rating of 45% holds a 5 to 1 rank
over her "very favorable" rating of 9%. In the
Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid is favored
by 26% and rated unfavorable by 48%. (26%
didn't know enough about him to express an
opinion.) Reid's "very unfavorable" rating of
30% far outweighs his "very favorable" rating
of 3%. (Rasmussen Daily Poll figures.)

And, oh yes -- it is reported that 120 million
doses of the new "swine flu" vaccine will be
available this Fall for the 160 million who will
"qualify" for the vaccine. But seniors have
been left off the list of the "qualified" people
-- this is seen as part of the Obamacare intent
to "minimize" health care for the elderly.

So we do have a problem in Washington.
Consider what some insiders there are saying;
you might think of these as "mini-editorials."

"'Washington is broken,'Obama lamented
on the campaign trail. Yet, under President
Obama, the business of Washington is
booming. The collapse of the Era of
'Hope'nChangeyness' demonstrates the first
and last law of political physics: as the
government grows, corruption flows."
-- Michelle Malkin

"President Obama is using a familiar tactic
to sell his plan to completely overhaul the
best health care system in the world – fear!
He knows that no one will support his socialist
scheme unless he can convince America that
there is a health care “crisis.” There is no
health care crisis! Polls show that 84% of
Americans are “very satisfied” or “satisfied”
with the health care they currently receive.
But you aren’t hearing that from the liberal
media." - David Martin, Media Research Ctr.

“Unfortunately, the idea of America has died
and it’s been replaced by another political
entity called the United States, which in
essence is no different from the 200 other
countries spread across the globe.”
--Doug Casey, founder and chairman of
Casey Research, and one of many experts
who believe American capitalism is dead.

"The $787 billion stimulus bill has done zip
to stimulate the economy. Less than 10 %
of the money has gone out the door, which
makes one wonder why it was called a stimulus
package. Unemployment is at 9.5 percent, well
above what the Obamaites predicted, and is
rising...Things are not going Obama's way.
He is 10 points below where Nixon was after
a full year, and on economic issues –
unemployment, the deficit, spending – he is
under 50 percent. This presidency is not yet
in trouble, but it is sure headed that way."
-- Pat Buchanan in Human Events

Without a quote from others, the picture is clear.

This week, for a change, we offer a special
"one-liner," and place it here, rather than in
"Afterthoughts" where it usually appears: "It
should be clear that the same warning notice
must be placed on The ObamaCare Plan as
on a pack of cigarettes: Consuming this
product will be hazardous to your health."
(Dave Janda, M.D.)

But enough of outlining some of the details
of the current situation in our nation. (We may
yet touch on a few items in "Afterthoughts.")
But what can we -- as Christians -- do to solve
some of these problems which confront us?
The first step is admitting there is a problem,
and facing the fact that as a nation we made a
major mistake last November. It is evident that
some Evangelical Christians swayed by the glib
promises of "change you can believe in" and
swept up in the "yes, we can" frenzy, actually
did vote for Obama.

That we have a problem here is evident in so
many ways. Take the Inaugural Oath -- before
the TV cameras, and with his hand on the Bible,
there were some word problems. To be sure
the oath had been taken, the next day there was
a private oath taking with the Chief Justice, but
this time, out of sight of the public, there was
no hand on the Bible.

Then the next day the Obama staff posted the
goals of the new administration. The list reads
like a litany of anti-Christian projects, focusing
on sexual perversion, including:
1) Defeat all state and federal constitutional
efforts to limit marriage to being, as in the Bible
view, a union between one man and one woman.
2) Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
signed into law.by Bill Clinton.
3) Repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
policy.
4) Pass "hate crimes" legislation to provide
homosexuals special rights denied to other
Americans, and even silencing any criticism
of homosexuality as being unbiblical.
5) Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination
Act (ENDA) which would force business
owners to abandon traditional values.
6) Create intentionally motherless and fatherless
homes by expanding "gay adoption."
Plus -- expand access to abortion by enacting
FOCA, the Freedom of Choice Act, using tax
dollars to help pay for it.

Then on the president's first overseas trip he
told a Muslim audience that America was not
a Christian nation, and bragged that we were
one of the largest Muslim nations in the world,
on a percentage of population basis. The truth
is that America ranks somewhere around 20th
in such a comparison with other nations.

And in negating the Christian influence of our
Founding Fathers, he said in his broadcast to
Muslims from Cairo in June: “I know that Islam
has always been a part of America’s story. . .
And since our founding, American Muslims
have enriched the United States.” But here
are the facts:

1) Muslims have not always been important in
the story of America.
2) No Muslims of record took part in the
Revolutionary War.
3)No Muslims of record fought in the Civil War.
4) No Muslims were numbered among the ranks
of U.S. soldiers in World War I.
5) No Muslims of record served the U.S. military
in World War II or the Korean Conflict.
6) Muslims became a sizeable and significant
element only after 1965 – thanks to the revised
Immigration and Naturalization Act. (Paul L.
Williams, Ph.D., thelastcrusade.org)

Thus it is evident that as Christians we do have
some problems. This we can do: (1) We can
pray for God to give wisdom to the president
in dealing with present day problems in an
American way, based on Judeo-Christian
principles. (2) We can get in touch with our
Representatives and our Senators and tell them
what we want them to do on current issues. (3)
We can keep informed and be ready to elect
candidates who are honest Conservatives in the
next election.

This quote has never been more applicable:
"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is
for good men to do nothing." -- Attributed to
Edmund Burke, 18th century.

In 1791, an early American scholar, Thomas
Paine wrote an analysis of intrusive government
that merits our review amid present happenings:
"If, from the more wretched parts of the old
world, we look at those which are in an
advanced stage of improvement, we still find
the greedy hand of government thrusting itself
into every corner and crevice of industry, and
grasping the spoil of the multitude. Invention
is continually exercised, to furnish new
pretenses for revenues and taxation. It watches
prosperity as its prey and permits none to
escape without tribute." --Thomas Paine, in
"Rights of Man," 1791


Some Random Afterthoughts . . .


Adding to the "one liner" above, here are a
few more from this week's research. As we often
point out, they do say a lot in just a few words:

"It should now be clear to all Americans: Hope
and Change came to the White House wrapped
in brass knuckles." (Michelle Malkin)

"The 20th century may have been the American
Century. The 21st shows another pattern."
(Pat Buchanan)

"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding,severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from end to another, and
with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks,
are we sure this is a good time to take God out
of the Pledge of Allegiance?" (Jay Leno)

On the Passing of Icons. "Some have labeled
the summer of 2009, the Summer of the
Celebrity Death Watch, and one could
successfully argue the point. Ed McMahon,
Karl Malden, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Mays,
David Carradine, Koko Taylor, Fred Travalena
and, most notably, Michael Jackson – to name
but a few off the top of my head – have all
passed away over the course of June and July...
It is the caliber of those we have elevated to
iconic status that exposes just how superficial
our American culture has become..." (Frank
Salvato, Managing Editor, New Media Journal)

As an attendee of Michael Jackson's funeral said,
"He's our prince, he's our king." While the never
ending news coverage of the event seemed to
approach being intolerable, it revealed mankind's
longing for a "savior." No matter how sick or
disturbed Jackson was, or what personal problems
he had, to many he was and is a god. The longing
is obviously real.

One Man's Opinion: "I wrote months ago
that Obama was an empty suit, and even
stated that he was possessed of an U.S. hating,
socialist vision. His ignorance is obscene, yet
the 'smartest brains in the room,' the so called
mainstream media, fawns at his feet because
he can read a teleprompter...In six months
Obama has done more to destroy the United
States than all wars in its two hundred year
history combined." - Col. Bob Pappas, USMCR

The Obama theory of international affairs,
and the results of its initial application. Acting
in line with his own interpretation of JFK's "Let
us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never
fear to negotiate," President Obama has tried
his own concept of personal diplomatic
negotiation with a few of our nation's less friendly
international neighbors. The results have been
unfortunately quite uniform. In Iran, the newly
re-elected President Ahmadinejad recently said:
"As soon as the new government is established,
with power and authority, ten times more than
before, it will enter the global scene and will
bring down the global arrogance," Iran has
also had a share in Russia's response to the
Obama approach, as for the first time, Russia
and Iran have announced plans to hold joint naval
maneuvers in the Caspian Sea, to include at least
30 Russian and Iranian ships. And across the
world, North Korea reacted in an even more
dramatic manner, firing more missiles in a Easterly
direction, on a course which could deliver their
bombs to Hawaii and even the American mainland.
And closest to home, after his comradely meeting
with President Obama in Trinidad, Venezuela’s
strongman President Chávez has his sights set on
an extended stay in executive office well beyond
the possibilities of even a second Obama
administration. To further his adopted theme of
“socialism for the 21st Century,” Chávez is
reported as using Venezuela’s oil wealth to fund
his socialist plans at home and lavish subsidies
for the like-minded leaders in Cuba, Bolivia and
Nicaragua. He advocates establishing Latin
America’s independence from U.S. overseas
influence and fosters establishment of a global,
anti-American union with Iran, Russia and others.

A few more important subjects we didn't
have time or space to comment on this week,
but which we will discuss in detail next week:
1) Some "stimulus funds" (those are your tax
dollars) being used to fund porno art projects.
2) Dan Rather, who ended a great career under
a cloud, urging Obama to appoint a press czar.
3) Two Episcopal dioceses considering gay and
lesbian candidates for bishops under new rules.
4) Is it time to quit asking for Obama's birth
certificate, and his other undisclosed records?
5) Bill Clinton follows Jimmy Carter's example
by going on an intervention visit to North Korea.
6) Wasn't racism the ignored topic at the "beer
summit" at the White House last week?
7) Increased Muslim persecution of Christians
in Pakistan.

Thomas Winter, Editor-in-Chief of "Human
Events," had this to say about the Founding
Fathers whom we quote so frequently: "Tom
Brokaw labeled the World War II generation
the 'Greatest Generation' -- but he was wrong.
That honor belongs to the Founders -- the men
who pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred
honor for the cause of liberty, and who
established the United States. This was a
generation without equal, and it deserves to be
rescued from the politically correct textbooks,
teachers, and professors who want to dismiss
the Founders as a cadre of dead, white, sexist,
slave-holding males." And we agree!

Another Founding Father applicable quote:
"The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of
the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of
another, is certainly the most erroneous and
mistaken policy. An equal dispensation of
protection, rights, privileges, and advantages,
is what every part is entitled to, and ought to
enjoy." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1774