Tuesday
AS WE ENTER 2010
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CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? ANOTHER YEAR IS GONE.
There appears to be some truth in the old adage, "The older
you get, the faster time seems to go." As Christians we know
that the Bible teaches us that time is a gift that we have from
God, and for which we are to be responsible stewards before
God. When we think of time, we always turn to Ecclesiastes 3:
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven ..." Isaac Watts of the post-Elizabethan era,
is called the father of English hymnology. From the one who
wrote the magnificent "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,"
came also this hymn about one of God's tiniest creatures,
"How doth the little busy bee improve each shining hour..."
And therein may be the great lesson about time for Christians.
Each gift from God is pure, perfect, and without blemish. Yet
here we are challenged to take each new gift of each shining
hour of life, and improve it. For those who still observe the
ritual of "New Year's Resolutions," here is one for 2010:
Resolve to improve each hour of our life. Or we might turn
to one of the prayers of the late Rev. Peter Marshall, "In the
name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray,
O God, that You will slow us down, for we know that we
live too fast. With all of eternity before us, make us take time
to live - time to get acquainted with You, time to enjoy Your
blessings, and time for each other." For 2010 that is our
word for all of us: Slow down, America . . . this year, take
time for God. As we read in Psalm 90:12, "Teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom." It is not given to us to know how many days God
has given us here, but we do know that He wants us to use
each one of them to His honor and glory. Have a happy,
God-honoring new year!
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AS WE ENTER 2010 IT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE
AS WE ENTER 2010 IT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE
TO SEEK A WAY OUT OF OUR PRESENT
MORAL AND POLITICAL TURMOIL
Robert Ringer, in his column "A Voice of Sanity in an Insane
World," calls 2010 a year of reckoning, and makes this
prediction: "America will go through a fundamental change
in 2010 - guaranteed. Either it will be fundamentally
transformed into a full-fledged socialist police state, then,
ultimately, a communist police state, or those who still
believe in freedom will do whatever it takes to overthrow
the oligarchy that now rules over us."
And Paul Holrath, a prolific writer/commentator and a Fellow
of the Lincoln Heritage Institute, writes concerning the
possibility of change in 2010: "Is it likely, or even possible,
that we will ever see the day when we can look upon an
educated and informed electorate with pride and confidence?
The answer to that question will likely become obvious in the
November 2010 elections. It may well be our last chance."
Robert Ringer may be right -- drastic changes may take over
in 2010 and bring about an extreme change in the America
we have always known, in line with Mr. Obama's inauguration
speech threat of "remaking America." And Paul Hollrah may
be right -- the election of 2010 may be our last chance to
preserve the nation which has always existed.
It isn't difficult to tend to agree with both of those opinions,
that 2010 may well be the year of drastic changes in America,
and the election of 2010 may be our last chance. In each issue
of this Commentary for the past few months we have followed
the old practice of counting "how many days till Christmas,"
and have reminded our readers just how many days remain
until Election Day, Nov. 2, 2010. As of today: 307 more days!
But before we get into discussing the challenges which will be
before us on the next election day, let's look back at a brief
recap of the last national election day in November 2008. As
you will recall, Barack Hussein Obama was elected president
with 69,457,000 votes -- or 9,522,000 more than for John
McCain. His victory margin was less than 10 million votes.
But let's look at the part religion played in that election. In
round numbers the total "religious" vote was divided 53%
for Obama, and 46% for McCain. But looking more carefully
at that "religious" vote, it appears that some 35 million Catholic
votes were cast, divided 54% for Obama and 45% for McCain.
And there were 2.6 million Jewish votes cast, divided 78% for
Obama and 21% for McCain. In total, approximately 18.9
million Catholics and 2 million Jews voted for Obama.
Among essentially non-Evangelical Protestants, 45% of their
votes, amounting to some 31.5 million, went for Obama, and
54% of their votes, amounting to some 37.8 million, went for
McCain. Then looking at the votes of the Evangelical/Born
Again group, 26% of their votes, which amounted to some
7.8 million, went for Obama, and 73%, which amounted to
some 21.9 million, went for McCain.
By reviewing those figures it is clear that the "religious" vote
had much to do with Mr. Obama's election, with Protestants,
Catholics, Jews and Evangelicals contributing to his victory.
And how has this worked out for religious groups in America?
All of the "religious" core of America have had traditional,
well cherished and strongly held beliefs, adversely affected by
the Obama administration. Increased use of abortion to kill
more babies in addition to the 50 million killed since Roe v.
Wade; further destruction of the American family through
increased recognition of same-sex marriages; the institution
of "hate crime" laws which will affect freedom of speech
from the nation's pulpits; a trend toward an anti-Israel attitude
by America which has always been Israel's prime ally ... and
these are just a few of our basic moral values now under attack.
We cannot say we were not warned. Mr. Obama promised a
transformation of America in his campaign rhetoric of "change
you can believe in," and from the statistics we just reviewed,
literally millions of our nation's "religious" voters were caught
in that campaign frenzy and played a major role in putting this
nation in the hands of liberals who have demonstrated their
anti-religion, anti-Christian approach to government.
With liberal politicians controlling the legislative branch of
our government and with liberal judges in charge of the
nation's court system, the president is free to act with no
control over his liberal -- some have said socialistic --
intentions for America. And the problem we face is not just
in what he has done as president, but also what he is and
what he represents. He has forcefully declared on more than
one occasion that America is no longer a Christian nation . . .
he has sponsored greater recognition of the Muslim holiday
Ramadan than of Christmas or the national day of prayer.
He has imposed his own opinion on the Democrat controlled
Congress and has forced approval of the House and Senate
versions of a health care reform bill, when 55% of the
American people (a growing majority) do not favor the
proposed health care reform, but actually oppose it. And
in similar fashion, national approval of the president's
performance continues to slide to lower levels than any prior
president has experienced in decades. And only 29% of the
American people, feel our nation is headed in the right
direction -- the lowest level since Obama's inauguration day.
Thus Nov. 2, 2010 -- our next national election day -- is of
extreme importance. Those Evangelicals who did not vote in
2008 should plan to do so in this election. Only an estimated
30 million Evangelical voters participated in the 2008 election.
Estimates place the number of Evangelicals in this country at
something above 100 million. If just another 10 million were
to register and vote to reclaim this nation for God -- and if
those Evangelicals, Catholics and Jews who now regret their
error in their 2008 vote would this time vote to elect the right
candidates and replace the left-wing liberals in Congress --
the real "change" in America that we so desperately need
would be accomplished.
And there is today a growing evidence of hope: On Nov.
20, in Washington, D.C., Evangelical scholars Chuck Colson,
Robert George and Timothy George, joined with 150 others
of like minds and signed the Manhattan Declaration -- a call
to reaffirmation of basic Christian values. In just a few days
more than one month, and with no elite media recognition,
more than 312,000 persons have signed their agreement with
the Declaration through the Internet where it has had virtually
its only public exposure. No other statement, affirmation or
manifesto of recent years has experienced any such broad
acceptance. In churches and other Christian groups there
are enrollment procedures under way as more and more
American believers join to express their determination to take
a stand for the Christian faith in this great nation which for
230 years has been the land of the free and the home of the
As always, we have come across some "one liners," and
because you say you enjoy them, here are a few more:
"Scrooge came early on Christmas Eve this year -- and he
looks strangely like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid."
(Oliver North)
"Yes, we'll hear an earful, but it will be an earful of
wonderment and happiness." (Senator Harry Reid on the
reaction to his health care reform proposal)
"Increasingly unloved and ridiculed from both sides, a new
and embittered President Obama is emerging this Christmas
season as he begins a badly needed vacation in Hawaii.…"
(Charles Hurt, in NY Post)
"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of
law under God is acknowledged."
(President Ronald Reagan)
"Afghanistan has become another Vietnam. We're fighting
the war from the United States and on PC terms to bring
our troops home." (Noah Shachtman)
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance,
and the gospel of envy; it's inherent virtue is the equal
"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance,
and the gospel of envy; it's inherent virtue is the equal
sharing of misery." (Winston Churchill)
Others are saying . . . and their comments continue to
reflect the opinions of the majority of the American people:
G. Edward Griffin: "There is a tremendous amount of
attention being given to the legislation [health care reform]
at present, so it will be much easier to add the worst features
later, after the public has lost interest and has focused on
something more important, such as Tiger Woods' private life."
Charles Krauthammer: "Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad did not just reject President Obama's latest
feckless floating nuclear deadline. He spat on it, declaring
that Iran 'will continue resisting' until the U.S. has gotten
rid of its 8,000 nuclear warheads".
Monte Kuligowski, American Thinker: "The real issue is
about the secrecy of Barack Obama, and it involves more
than the release of his complete birth records. Hospital
records; high school, college and law school records;
transcripts; writings; and passport info have been requested,
and all are being withheld by Obama ... A normative
democratic society cannot allow a president to continue to
speak disingenuously about transparency while withholding
basic information."
And as always, we offer a Founding Father's quote,
a particularly appropriate one given our present situation:
"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
"THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US"
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THERE ARE PLACES -- TOO MANY TODAY -- where
it is forbidden to say "Merry Christmas" ... places like our
public schools, retail stores, etc ... but this newsletter is not
one of them ... and so we extend to our readers, our friends,
the traditional, pre-"politically-correct," greeting of the Advent
season: Merry CHRISTmas! Granted, with the passage of
time -- "progress" some might call it -- the observance of the
birth of Jesus Christ has become over-commercialized, and
the real meaning of the event being celebrated has been over-
shadowed by tawdry trinkets, gaudy decorations and an almost
obligatory exchange of presents. A new organization has even
been developed -- "The Advent Conspiracy" -- with the goal
of encouraging its members to "Worship fully ... Spend less ...
Give more ... Love all." They remind us that the story of the
birth of Christ is a story of promise, hope, and salvation. And
they also remind us that what was once a time to celebrate the
birth of a Savior has somehow turned into a season of stress,
traffic jams, and shopping lists. Whether you follow the goal
of the Advent Conspiracy, or simply follow the inclination of
your own mind, amid all the attendant festivities of this day,
pause and give thought to God's great gift to us, as described
in Luke 2:11, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David,
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." And know that you
are not alone -- recent polls disclose that approximately 90%
of Americans celebrate Christmas, every year.
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AGAIN WE PAUSE TO OBSERVE THAT EVENT
WHEN TIME STOOD STILL AND "THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US"
It matters little that December 25 is not the precise date
when Jesus was born. What matters is that He was born in
fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies that God's plan
for eternal salvation could be accomplished, for without the
manger birth in Bethlehem there could be no cross on Calvary.
From the earliest days of this nation -- long before our current
President Obama declared that we are not a Christian nation,
the observance, the celebration of Christmas was always a very
important event in the White House.
Looking back, the first decorated tree in the White House
was in the presidency of Benjamin Harrison in 1889. Under
President Calvin Coolidge the lighting of the National
Christmas Tree was begun in 1923. In 1953 the Eisenhowers
developed the first White House Christmas card. In 1963 the
first White House Christmas card to have a religious theme
was designed by the Kennedys, featuring a picture of the
Nativity Scene in the East Room. In 2002 the first White
House card to carry a verse of Scripture was used by the
George W. Bush family, quoting a verse from Psalm 27.
But throughout all the years, by acts of Congress or decisions
of the Supreme Court, there was never any question as to the
Christian heritage of America. The birth of Christ, the moment
when all time was divided between B.C. and A.D., was always
observed and celebrated. In recent years the current president
has repeatedly claimed that America is not a Christian nation -
even claiming America to be one of the largest Muslim nations
in the world, although the total Muslim population is just over
half of 1% of the national population, while more than 80% of
Americans declare themselves to be Christian.
Now Americans must decide whether centuries of presidents,
congresses, and courts are correct or whether President
Obama is, but it must be remembered that historical fact does
not change merely because the President declares it to be so.
Our current President seems to like being considered a "war
time President." If continuing and enlarging two unpopular
conflicts, neither of which relate to the safety and security
of America, makes one a "war time President," then he
probably merits the term. But for a real "war time President,"
we can reflect upon the terms of Harry S. Truman, who
inherited World War II from President Roosevelt, brought
it to a successful conclusion, and then dealt with the Korean
conflict until its armistice/stalemate in 1953.
Although tried and tested by WWII's horrendous costs in
money and lives, President Truman remained true to
America's Christian heritage, and in correspondence with
Pope Pius XII on August 6, 1947, in attempting to develop
an international basis for peace, he wrote: "An enduring
peace can be built only upon Christian principles... Your
Holiness, 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... As a Christian Nation
our earnest desire is to work with men of good will
everywhere to banish war and the causes of war from the
world whose Creator desired that men of every race and
in every clime should live together in peace, good will
and mutual trust..."
And so, as at this Advent season we compare (contrast) the
viewpoints of two "war time presidents," as Christians we
have to say we must come down on the side of President
Truman who never made secondary to any foreign religious
faith his respect for, his belief in, and his advocacy of the
Christian heritage of this nation.
The UN "Climate Change" conference has ended, not
with a bang, but with something more like a whimper. One
final news account used these words: "Two weeks of
negotiations toward cutting greenhouse gas emissions
ended Dec. 19 in a nonbinding treaty called the
Copenhagen Accord, which fell short of expectations for the
United Nations climate conference in Demark." The treaty
dropped a previous 2010 deadline for achieving a legally
binding agreement to fight global warming.
President Obama, who flew to Copenhagen late in the week
to help broker some kind of a deal, called the Accord "a
meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough," but his own
statement to representatives of the 193 nations in attendance
in acknowledging failure is more revealing: "I don't know how
you have an international agreement where we all are not
sharing information and making sure we are meeting our
commitments. That doesn't make sense. It would be a hollow
victory." Or as one commentator wrapped it all up: "No deal
is better than a bad deal."
Oh, and there was this comment about the U.N.'s handling
of the conference: "Pity the poor fools who still believe man
is causing catastrophic global warming. Thirty thousand
of the wretches have flown to Copenhagen, only to discover
there is no room for them at the inn as the bright folks at
the U.N. handed out 45,000 credentials but only rented a
building that can hold 15,000." So typically UN!
Here are the polls as we prepare to celebrate Christmas;
not particularly what Congress or the president would have
asked to be in their stocking: (1) On the health care reform,
the opinions of the American people remain unchanged: 41%
for, 55% against; (2) the President's approval index remained
in double-digit negative territory where it has been stuck for
the last few weeks; (3) Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid share
+33% and +25% ratings, respectively, while Congress comes
in with a +27.4% rating. But they all continue to vote for what
they want -- totally ignoring the viewpoints of the American
people, whom they are supposed to represent.
Never forget that Election Day, Nov. 2, 2010, is now just 314
days away. On that day we can make a difference!
Every day in our research we come across "one liners,"
and our readers say they enjoy them; so here are a few more:
"We don't hear all that much about Iraq these days, do we?"
(Victor Davis Hanson)
"The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged
as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse."
(James Madison, 1788)
"In searching for a new enemy to unite us, we came up with
the idea that pollution, the threat of global warming, water
shortages, famine and the like would fit the bill. The real
enemy then is humanity itself.” (Krys Osborne)
"Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."
(President Ronald Reagan)
Others are saying . . . and their comments continue to
represent the views of the majority of the American people:
Ronald Kessler: "Clearly, if the media had done the job the
First Amendment envisioned for the press, Obama would
not be President today. Belatedly, we now see the media
beginning to atone for what can only be described as a
shameful coverup during the campaign."
Alan Caruba: "Historians are likely to look back at 2009,
the first year of Barack Obama's term in office, and assess
the damage it has done to Americans and to the image of
America as the primary line of defense against the world's
thugs. Americans and the rest of the world have had a year
in which to watch Barack Obama and it has been one of
constant disappointment and growing fears. That trend is
unlikely to change."
Frank Salvato: "As we approach a full year of the Obama
Administration, it has become abundantly clear that Mr.
Obama has abandoned almost all of his campaign promises
and is governing from the far Left. He has instituted a
campaign of social engineering that can only be described
as a direct threat to liberty."
Robert Ringer: Obama is not the Antichrist. He is simply the
right community organizer in the right place at the right time.
He possesses the ideal qualities for a community organizer
with a large, hidden agenda. He is slick; he is shameless;
he is soulless. It is his mission to take the ball over the
capitalist's goal line and score the winning touchdown for
socialism. Now, with more than half the country against him,
he must resort to bribery, threats, and any other means
necessary to get the ball across the goal line."
And as always, we offer a Founding Father's quote,
one particularly appropriate at this Advent season:
"Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the
world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns
on the Fourth of July? Is it not that, in the chain of human
events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with
the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in
the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the
Declaration of Independence first organized the social
compact on the foundation of the Redeemer's mission upon
earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government
upon the first precepts of Christianity"?
-- John Quincy Adams, 1837
-- John Quincy Adams, 1837
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