Tuesday
PERIOD BETWEEN THE TWO HOLIDAYS
`
WE KEEP TRYING TO LINK politics with the mission of
the Christian church, and to explain the political aspect, no
one does it better than Thomas Sowell: "No one will really
understand politics until they understand that politicians
are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve
their own problems - of which getting elected and re-elected
are No. 1 and No. 2. Whatever is No. 3 is far behind." As
for the church aspect, Chuck Colson, whom we quoted in
these words last week, has it right: "The Church needs to
understand the urgency of the hour and do its duty."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IN THIS PERIOD BETWEEN THE
TWO HOLIDAYS THANKSGIVING
AND CHRISTMAS, THERE IS
ENCOURAGING EVIDENCE OF HOPE
News-wise, this is a confusing, mixed-up time. Some idea
of just how strange is the newsday in which we live and
operate is evident in the headline grabbing stories of the day:
two publicity seekers gate-crashing a White House bash . . .
the world's top golfer in a one-car collision at 2:30 AM . . .
Iran thumbs its nose at the rest of the world, one more time
. . . etc. But out of all the possibilities, we will try to focus
on those which best fit our overall purpose in commenting.
For good reasons, this is called the "Age of the Polls."
In Christian circles the recent years might be called "The
Age of the Manifestos." Looking back to 2007, a group of
Islamic scholars addressed their treatise, "A Common Word
between Us and You," to Christians all over the world. In
answer, Yale Divinity School prepared a Christian response,
"Loving God and Neighbor Together." They collected some
300 signatories, including several nominal "Evangelicals." Of
those, it was notable that the President of Wheaton College
gave the matter second thought, and removed his name. Some
other so-called Evangelicals were not as perceptive. But of
that effort, little has been heard in the years since.
Then in early May, 2008, a group of nominal "Evangelicals"
prepared a 19 page document, "An Evangelical Manifesto,"
with some 75 so-called "Evangelical leaders" as signatories.
Notable was the fact that Southern Baptists, certainly major
Evangelical advocates, were excluded, as were other of the
traditional Conservative pro-life and pro-family Evangelical
voices. As with the Yale Divinity School document, little has
been heard of this Manifesto since.
Then in mid-May of 2008, a document, strongly supported
by Southern Baptist leaders, appeared, called "The We Get
It Declaration," directed in large measure at false assumptions
concerning the global warming theory. The aim was to have
as many as a million signatures, but like the others, little has
been heard of this declaration since its introduction.
Now the latest and most encouraging declaration has
appeared and the immediate response has demonstrated at
least two significant reactions: (1) The national situation
is deteriorating so badly that something needs to be done,
and (2) The Christian Church is beginning to realize that it
needs to combat the decline in the nation's moral values.
On November 20 the first 150 Evangelical leaders signed
"The Manahattan Declaration" immediately upon its
announcement in Washington, D.C. With exposure only on
the Internet -- the elite media has essentially ignored it --
within 24 hours over 10,000 signatures had been added, and
as of this date, less than two weeks after its introduction,
nearly 250,000 signatures have been added, and that type of
growth continues. So at last we have a statement by and for
Evangelicals, dealing with issues of concern to Evangelicals.
A meaningful comment concerning the Declaration is
from Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist
Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY: "I signed 'The
signatories to that statement ... Why?
"There are several reasons, but they all come down to this
-- I believe we are facing an inevitable and culture-
determining decision on the three issues centrally identified
in this statement. I also believe that we will experience a
significant loss of Christian churches, denominations, and
institutions in this process. There is every good reason to
believe that the freedom to conduct Christian ministry
according to Christian conviction is being subverted and
denied before our eyes. I believe that the sanctity of human
life, the integrity of marriage, and religious liberty are very
much in danger at this very moment."
And even Conservative political commentator Bill O'Reilly
had this to say: "The Christian manifesto concludes with a
call to arms and, some believe, a direct arrow aimed at the
Obama administration: 'Unjust laws degrade human beings
. . . They lack any power to bind in conscience. [Martin
Luther] King's willingness to go to jail, rather than comply
with legal injustice, was exemplary and inspiring.' And so,
with the stroke of a pen, the Christian writers have turned
the tables on those who say gay marriage and unfettered
abortion are civil rights and, therefore, should be
constitutionally protected."
This Declaration, and the leadership which sponsored it,
may prove to be the initial element in the Conservative/
Evangelical breakthrough we have realized is necessary and
for which we have been praying. To read it and sign, go to:
This important development reminds us of the last real
leader of Evangelicals, the late Jerry Falwell and his Moral
Majority. Last week his son, Jonathan Falwell, said of his
father's ministry, "Dad had lived his life in near continual
controversy largely because he lived with what has been
described as 'audacious faith.'" What is needed today is a
resurgence of that "audacious faith" by American Christians
-- a faith that shaped the American Conservative movement,
built one of the nation's truly great mega-churches, and the
largest Evangelical university in the world.
This new Evangelical Declaration should be in our minds
and guide our action as we look forward to Election Day,
November 2, 2010 -- now just 335 days away. It must be
our goal on that day to take a major step toward reclaiming
this nation for God and the Christian faith as the Founding
Fathers intended.
Barack Obama has been called a "Crypto-Muslim,"
but perhaps not everyone is familiar with the meaning of the
term. One definition puts it this way: "Crypto-Islam is the
term used to refer to one holding secret adherence to Islam,
while publicly professing to be of another faith; people who
practice Crypto-Islam are referred to as 'Crypto-Muslims.'"
There are conflicting opinions as to the validity of the term
as applied to Mr. Obama.
Some believe that he is still a Muslim, despite his more than
20 years of affiliation with Trinity United Church of Christ in
Chicago. They may be correct, but what is lacking is positive
evidence of that being true. We know that as a child he was
reared in the Islamic faith, and any records of his conversion
to the Christian faith are presumably held with the other
undisclosed records of his past life, including his place of
birth, his college and graduate school academic achievements,
etc. His frequent and openly expressed admiration for Islam
certainly lends credence to their opinion.
In that regard, this was not given much publicity in America,
but as released by the White House was word that on the
eve of America's Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, Mr. Obama
sent greetings to Muslims who were celebrating Hajj, the
annual pilgrimage to Mecca. Included in the president's
greeting were these words: "Michelle and I would like to
send our best wishes to all those performing Hajj this year,
and to Muslims in America and around the world who are
celebrating Eid-ul-Adha ... During Hajj, the world's
largest and most diverse gathering, three million Muslims
from all walks of life ...will stand in prayer on Mount
Arafat ... This year I am pleased that the Department of
Health and Human Services has partnered with the Saudi
Health Ministry to prevent and limit the spread of H1N1
during Hajj ... On behalf of the American people we would
like to extend our greetings during this Hajj season."
Those "American people," 84% of whom profess to be
Christian, (although the president affirms that America is no
longer a Christian nation) would be somewhat surprised that
on their behalf greetings were extended to an anti-Christian
religion, and as tax payers, those American citizens would
be equally surprised to know that they were paying to help
Saudi Arabia cope with swine flu, when here in this country
the Obama administration has been unable to provide
adequate serum to protect Americans against that disease.
Two of our key law enforcement agencies came under
the cloud of incompetence this week, sponsoring questions
as to just how well prepared we are in this age of frequent
outbursts of terrorism, even though that term is no longer
"politically correct." The FBI, long the role model for all
law enforcement agencies, has been dubbed, "Fumbling
Bureau of Incompetence," for their mishandling of all the
evidences of the anti-American viewpoints of Major Nidal
Malik Hasan, the accused murderer of 13 soldiers at Fort
Hood. Hasan's extremism was so obvious that the FBI had
identified e-mails between him and Anwar al-Aulaqi, a
radical Muslim cleric with apparent ties to Osama bin Laden,
but had decided not to conduct a full investigation.
As syndicated columnist Herbert London noted, "Political
correctness has insinuated itself into the analysis of the
murders at Fort Hood." And he adds that it is apparently
"far better to rationalize the atrocity by referring to the
assailant, Major Nidal Hasan, as a deranged individual,
rather than a radical Muslim intent on bloodshed."
Equally under a cloud of incompetence is the usually highly
regarded US Secret Service, charged with the protection of
every US president -- but who allowed two publicity seeking
socialites to enter the formal state dinner honoring the Prime
Minister of India, where they shook hands with President
Obama. There was no invitation, clearance or valid reason
for their presence -- a violation of procedure and protocol
unprecedented in White House sponsored events. The US
Secret Service is now under the Department of Homeland
Security, headed by Janet Napolitano. No comment.
Things are different in Europe and the Middle East.
Forty-five years ago, in 1946, Bob Dylan had a hit song,
"The times they are a-changin." That can accurately describe
events in Europe and the Middle East today. After Iran's
President Ahmadinejad threatened to wipe Israel off the face
of the earth, now Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is ready to
abolish Switzerland and divide all of its its land among the
neighboring countries. Gaddafi is prepared to present his
plan when Libya takes over the year-long presidency of
the U.N. general Assembly on September 15. His proposal
in brief states: "It is formed of an Italian community that
should return to Italy, another German community that
should return to Germany, and a third French community
that should return to France." Added to his dislike of the
Swiss people is their recent vote by a 57% majority to ban
minarets or towers on Muslim mosques in Switzerland.
Since we have apparently given up all manufacturing to
China, and all cyber-world technology and service to India,
perhaps here is a thought for our nation's economic future
from the Father of our Country: "It will not be doubted,
that with reference either to individual, or National
Welfare, Agriculture is of primary importance. In
proportion as Nations advance in population, and other
circumstances of maturity, this truth becomes more
apparent; and renders the cultivation of the Soil more
and more, an object of public patronage."
-- George Washington, 1796
Every week you thank us for printing the "one liners."
Here are a few that you may like from this week's research:
"The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out
of other people's money.” (Margaret Thatcher)
"It's not true that the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.
Even dead terrorists aren't good. But at least they're dead."
(Ralph Peters, in the New York Post)
"There is not a ray of sunshine in anything coming out of
Washington. Yet, we keep electing the same old mental
misfits, fakes, frauds and fools to positions of trust and
leadership." (Thomas D. Segel)
"If you can't convince them, confuse them." (Harry Truman)
And others are saying . . .
Cal Thomas: "Not all revolutions begin in the streets with
tanks and guns. Some advance slowly, almost imperceptibly,
until a nation is transformed and the public realizes too
late that their freedoms are gone. Such is the revolution
now taking place in America."
Charles Krauthammer (on the current health reform bill):
"The bill is irredeemable. It should not only be defeated.
It should be immolated, its ashes scattered over the Senate
swimming pool."
Constancio Asumen, Jr: "The fault ... is giving credibility to
Al Gore. It was understandable that Bill Clinton would sell
Gore as presidential timber. When he was picked for Vice
President, I chalked it up to Clinton's attempt at getting a
life insurance policy. With Al Gore in line for succession to
the Oval Office, who was going to want to harm President
William Jefferson Clinton?"
Katie Couric: “Is the honeymoon over? Although President
Obama has been in office less than a year, many Americans
are growing disenchanted with his handling of the
enormous problems he and the country are facing, from
healthcare to unemployment to Afghanistan."
As always, we offer a quote from a Founding Father as
a reminder of the kind of nation this was intended to be:
"It is the duty of every man to render to the Creator such
homage, and such only, as he believes to be acceptable to
him. This duty is precedent both in order of time and degree
of obligation, to the claims of Civil Society. Before any man
can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be
considered as a subject of the Governor of the Universe."
-- James Madison, 1785
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