Wednesday
BARACK OBAMA'S OFTEN QUESTIONED
CITIZENSHIP & ABOUT HIS RELIGIOUS FAITH
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SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT BARACK OBAMA'S
OFTEN QUESTIONED CITIZENSHIP AND
ABOUT HIS RELIGIOUS FAITH
This is both our lead commentary and our editorial for
this week. Among the many new words added to our
vocabulary -- many on "politically correct" grounds --
is one which is used to refer to those who are making an
issue out of the apparent uncertainty as to where Mr.
Obama was born; they are called "birthers."
The birthers' arguments involve at least three theories:
(1) that he was born in Kenya and not Hawaii, and that
the "birth certificate" used to prove the Hawaiian birth is
a forgery; (2) that he is a citizen of Indonesia; and (3)
that because he had dual citizenship at birth (British and
American) he is not a "natural born citizen" of the United
States, as required by the US Constitution. Claims like
these have been, and to a certain extent, still are being
promoted by political opponents. Several cases have
been filed in lower courts, and at least three have been
filed with and dismissed by the US Supreme Court.
There are at least two reasonable scenarios to consider:
(1) that his birth in Hawaii is a fact, and he will continue
to withhold what the birthers consider to be "legitimate
evidence" until a critical point in time, and then disclose
it and thus make his opponents look ridiculous by their
complaints; and (2) that the US Supreme Court will never
hear such a case, because of the total disruption in our
national government if such a case had adequate legal
merit to result in his removal. For what it is worth, it is
our opinion that nothing will come of the birthers' many
complaints and that the US Supreme Court will never
agree to hear the case.
And there is also this thought for the birthers to consider:
if Obama were to be forced to step down, it would leave
Joe Biden as our president. That brings to mind the 16th
century Irish proverb, expressed in these words, "You
had rather keepe those whom you knowe, though with
some faultes, then take those whom you knowe not,
perchance with more faultes." The present day version
is: "Better the devil you know than the devil you don't."
In addition to the questions about his birth and citizenship,
there are those concerning his college, university and law
school academic records; his previous legislative experience
beyond being a community organizer for the Daly political
machine in Chicago; his physical condition from current
health exams; and evidence of any religious change from
Islam to Christianity. In fact: we know very little about him.
As for his religious convictions, there is a video currently
available on the Internet (the link follows below) wherein
he uses (not in a past sense) the term "my Muslim faith,"
and uses again and again the term, "the holy Koran." He
speaks of his father being from a Kenyan family which
included several generations of Muslims, and describes
how as a child growing up in Indonesia he daily heard the
Azan, the Islam call to prayer, at least once describing it
as "the prettiest sound on earth."
In addition to his repeated assertions that "America is
no longer a Christian nation," the video included his
argued reasoning that if all American Muslims are taken
into account, America would be "one of the largest
Muslim countries in the world." This blatant attempt
to promote the Islamic faith in America is one more
example of how increasingly difficult it is to believe much
that he says. Depending on which statistical report you
choose to rely on, of the 55 nations which have sizeable
Muslim populations, America ranks either 20th or 23rd.
Hardly "one of the largest Muslim countries in the world."
But even so he included these statements: "Since our
founding, Muslim Americans have enriched the United
States...Islam has always been a part of America's story."
The video, as you will note if you view it, includes
dramatic concessions of appeasement to Muslim nations
-- climaxed by his humble bow of obeisance to the Saudi
king, definitely a first for any American president, ever.
For example, speaking to the people and leaders of Iran,
he said, "Your great civilization and accomplishments
have earned the respect of the United States and the
world." (One hopes he was referring to historic Persia,
and not to the anti-America, anti-Israel Iran of today.)
Last week the president got involved in a function a bit
closer to the Christian faith -- the National Prayer
Breakfast in Washington, DC, where he was one of the
speakers. His message was what might be called a generic
discussion of prayer, prefaced by his admission, "I'm
praying a lot these days." He told his listeners, "You
can question my policies without questioning my faith."
He asserted that the main dictates of faith are kindness
and brotherhood, in a message which could be heard in
any one of many of the do-gooder mega churches which
have captured so much public attention by their size and
non-demanding spiritual life style. At least he closed with
the traditional "God bless you," and "God bless the United
States of America," but there was no clear indication as to
whether his references to "God" were to Allah or Jehovah.
In all of this, we American Christians have reason for
serious concern. Aside from what international scholars
warn us are ominous trends toward increased Socialism
in the American government . . . with obvious evidence
of government involvement in banking, industry, and
manufacturing and with the clear intent of control of our
health care, medical treatment and even life expectancy . . .
this man, who already has control of the Executive branch
and through his ardent followers the Legislative branch of
government, and within his presidential term the possibility
of control of the Judicial branch through new Supreme
Court appointments . . . has demonstrated at every step
his disdain for the Christian faith, and its institutions and
traditions, and has undertaken an agenda to increase the
spread of the Muslim religion -- Islam. In his own words
he states that he considers it as "part of my responsibility
as President of the United States to fight against negative
stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear."
We are not alone in our concerns: Under the heading,
"Obama's Quagmire of Ambiguity," Tony Blankley of
the Washington Times newspaper, cited the words of
New York Times columnist Bob Herbert just last week:
"Who is Barack Obama? Americans are still looking for
the answer, and if they don't get it soon -- or if they don't
like the answer -- the president's current political
problems will look like a walk in the park. ... Mr. Obama
is in danger of being perceived as someone whose rhetoric,
however skillful, cannot always be trusted. He is creating
a credibility gap for himself, and if it widens much more
he won't be able to close it."
Here is the link to the video mentioned above, so you
can see it for yourself:
If you didn't keep saying you enjoy them, we wouldn't
keep sharing with you "one liners" we find in the news.
"The decision to push open homosexuality in the military
now, speaks volumes about the priorities of this
administration." Gary Bauer
"There is some historical debate over whether Marie
Antoinette actually uttered the words, 'let them eat cake'...
if she did, even she had more tact and grace than Barack
Obama." Chris Carmouche, in Grasstops USA
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides,
flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from
one 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
Others are saying -- It's interesting to read the opinions
of other spokespersons concerning current events.
Amanda Reinecker: "President Obama has spent a year
in office, without much to show for it -- apart from a
staggering economy, increased debt, weaker defense and
foreign policies, and several costly big-government
proposals that have stalled in the Congress."
Robert Ringer: "Rules for Radicals (by Saul Alinsky) is
a book that should be read by everyone who values his
liberty enough to want to understand who the enemies
are who want to take it from him - and how they are, at
this very moment, going about doing it."
David Horowitz: "After one year in office, Barack Obama,
who ran as a pragmatic centrist promising hope and
transparency and a commitment to restore the dreams of
all Americans, has advanced a narrowly leftist agenda
calculated to radically transform our politics and society.
All the while, he has toured the world apologizing for
America, while weakening our defenses against foreign
threats, Al Qaeda and the Jihadists, and appeasing
tyrants in Iran and Russia."
Chuck and Gena Norris: "Our hope is in the Lord and
the things God promises in the Bible, but we still have
to be active right now. We canâ•˙t be silent anymore ...
Without God, nothing is going to get done in this country.
Thatâ•˙s why weâ•˙re in this mess to begin with. The Christian
community has got to rise up. Theyâ•˙ve got to stop being
silent."
And that brings us to another regular subject heading:
What can we, as Christians, do about all these problems?
In every issue, we keep reminding our readers about this
year's mid-term election on Nov. 2 (just 265 days from
today) when every Congressional Representative, and
about one third of the Senators will be up for election.
We have reminded our readers in various states about
potential turn-overs in existing seats. Here are a few more:
Arkansas, where the present liberal Democrat Senator
Blanche Lincoln is facing stiff competition. Arkansas
readers: keep this in mind. Replace Senator Lincoln in
November. Illinois, where the appointee to fill Obama's
seat, Roland Burris, has wisely decided not to seek re-
election, and where Mark Kirk at this point looks like a
possible replacement for him. Indiana, where Mike Pence
(who would be our choice) has decided not to run against
Evan Bayh, there is the possibility that former Senator Dan
Coats may oppose Bayh, and our Indiana readers should
follow this race carefully. And one more important state:
California, where liberal Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer
is facing early opposition. Our readers in California should
be alert to this possibility.
It is difficult to assert that Republicans are without fault,
but they do seem to be a bit more Conservative and more
attuned to traditional American moral values. Dr. Larry
Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for
Politics, expressed it this way: This is going to be a good
Republican year or a great Republican year."
As Christians we have the responsibility assigned us by
Jesus to be salt and light in our world. We can sit back,
do nothing, and allow our nation to slip further down into
some form of left-wing Socialism, which is where Obama
and the current Congressional leadership is taking us . . .
or we can make every effort to reclaim this nation for God
and the basic Judeo-Christian principles upon which it was
founded. We can, by our votes, repudiate his claim that
America is no longer a Christian nation. But that is the
choice we will make just 265 days from today, on Nov. 2.
Some random afterthoughts . . .
We're well into the new year, but Judicial Watch, the
Internet site that investigates government corruption, has
just made available its list of the top ten corrupt politicians
of 2009. With solid rationale for their selections, the list
includes, in order:
Chris Dodd
John Ensign
Barney Frank
Tim Geithner
Eric Holder
Jesse Jackson, Jr./ Roland Burris (tie)
Barack Obama
Nancy Pelosi
Charlie Rangel
After considering this list, feel free to delete or add names
of your own choosing. You might even decide to enlarge
the list to more than 10 names!
And to talk about "classsless" . . . circulating on the
Internet is a picture of our president, talking to some of
his staff, including his Chief of Staff, his Senior Advisor,
and his Chief Economics Advisor (among others), with
his feet propped up on the historic Resolute Desk, a gift
from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in
1880. Just add this to the list of insults from our apprentice
president to our long time friend and ally, Great Britain.
Maybe we need a Czar of Decency, Dignity and Decorum.
The House is in lock step with the Senate. Tony
Perkins, of Family Research Council, said it well: "'Til
Debt Do Us Part...With U.S. debt mounting faster than
the snow from today's Nor'easter, the House of
Representatives moved to extend its 'credit limit' ... By
just five votes, 217-212, members made some wiggle
room for President Obama's massive 2011 budget and
raised the debt ceiling to the highest level in American
history--$14.3 trillion."
Another first for Obama! Is there no end to his
accomplishments? According to the latest Gallup poll,
Barack Obama is the most polarizing president of all.
The gap between Democrat and Republican job
approval ratings for him is huge -- 65 points. The actual
figures -- Democrat approval 88% and Republican
approval 23%. That polarizing figure tops the previous
high of 52 points held by Bill Clinton for his first year
in office. But should we have expected any thing less?
Something should be said about those missionaries
in prison in Haiti for their over zealous and misguided
attempt to provide a better life for some of the children
who have suffered during the recent disaster there. If our
nation -- including our governmental agencies -- can step
in, regardless of rules and regulations, and provide aid
of every description, how is it that we can't do something
to aid our citizens in this incident? It seems strange that
while everything else in Haiti apparently has fallen apart,
they could conduct a typical "kangaroo court" to punish
well meaning Christian workers. One more reason why it
would be good to be a Christian nation again.
And continued from last week's issue, here is another
of the puzzling aspects of Islam: On one hand they favor
the use of the Internet as a means of promoting the Islamic
faith, on the other hand they condemn it as an element in
destroying family life. An Egyptian cleric, Sheikh Abed
Al-Hamid Al-Atrash, former head of the fatwa council at
the influential Al-Azhar Institution, cited a sociological
study linking the use of "Facebook" and other forms of
new media with moral corruption, and forbid any use of
"Facebook" by members of Islam. The study reported
that one in every five divorces in Egypt is caused by
extra-marital affairs through the Internet. ╲One must not
go into this website,╡ he said. ╲Moral corruption has
spread among young men and women and it's used to
destroy homes and break down families, which could
herald the end of Arab and Islamic societies." He called
such websites a "double edged sword ... which can be
used for preaching about Allah... but can also be used
for forbidden love and illegitimate relationships.╡
Don't you love some of the elite media; their fair and
unbiased approach to Republicans in the news? Like this
series of questions from Barbara Walters on CBS-TV
as she interviewed Massachusetts Senator-elect Scott
Brown: "You know, you replaced a beloved figure...How
do you think that Senator Ted Kennedy would feel about
your election? ... Do you think he'd be disappointed?"
Our Founding Fathers may have had some insight into
the changes which might occur in the new nation they had
created; their thoughts merit our consideration:
"The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid
basis of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. The streams
of national power ought to flow from that pure, original
fountain of all legitimate authority."
-- Alexander Hamilton, 1787
"The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular
or representative constitution, is a change of men."
-- also from Alexander Hamilton, 1787
"Your love of liberty -- your respect for the laws -- your
habits of industry -- and your practice of the moral and
religious obligations, are the strongest claims to national
and individual happiness." -- George Washington, 1789
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