Tuesday
SO MANY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
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A FEW ISSUES AGO WE INTRODUCED A NEW SITE --
one in which we had complete confidence as being Conservative,
Evangelical and Christian: http://www.michaelyoussef.com. Now
we have learned that the originator of that site, Dr. Michael Youssef,
has embarked upon a new mission, to enlist 100,000 Bible-believing
Americans who will pledge to pray daily for our nation between July
4, Independence Day and November 2, Election Day. His urgent
appeal comes as a result of a significant shift in the direction America
is moving. You will remember that Michael Youssef is -- with two
other of the nation's leading Evangelicals, Franklin Graham and Tony
Perkins -- a charter member of the "Disinvited Club," those Christians
who were invited to speak or pray at a military event, and then had
the invitations canceled. We enthusiastically support Dr. Youssef's goal,
and urge all readers of ANC to join with us and with him in praying for
our nation, and then on November 2, vote to reinstate in America those
principles upon which this nation was founded, and bring a halt to the
movement toward socialism upon which we have now embarked. Use
the link given above to assure Dr. Youssef that you will be one of the
100,000 -- or more! -- who will pray daily for America prior to
Election Day, November 2.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SO MANY THINGS TO THINK ABOUT -- SOME TO WORRY
ABOUT, AND (FOR CHRISTIANS) ALL TO PRAY ABOUT;
BUT WHERE SHOULD WE START?
If ever there were a time for Christians to unite in prayer for our nation
and for the world and for one another -- surely this is that time. But as
our heading asks: "Where should we start?" And that is a difficult
question to answer. However, in random order, not based on relative
importance, here is a brief summary of some of the serious problems
which we face as a nation, and as individuals who make up this nation.
[1] The National Day of Prayer. It is strange to think of a National
Day of Prayer as being a problem -- but the problem rests in our Army's
reaction against the Christian faith that was focused upon by this national
observance of our trust in and our dependence upon God. The focal
point was the rescinding of the invitation for Franklin Graham to head
up the National Day of Prayer observance in the Pentagon. Although
dumping Graham was done by Chaplains, it would seem logical that
the orders came from much higher up, and although Mr. Graham spoke
directly to President Obama about it -- and was promised by the
president that he would look into it -- the Commander in Chief of our
military did absolutely nothing to correct this rejection of the Christian
faith. The net result was interesting: out of the thousands in the Pentagon,
an estimated 80 attended the "inclusive" prayer observance, while there
were hundreds attending the prayer service on Capitol Hill, led by
Franklin Graham. There was one other interesting point: the Legislative
and Judicial branches of our government were well represented in that
Day of Prayer observance -- but the Obama administration did not see
fit to send anyone to represent the White House. And although Mr.
Obama did issue a proclamation (it's not something done as a matter
of choice -- he is required by federal law to do so) he did not sponsor
any observance of the National Day of Prayer at the White House.
During World War II, as some of us oldies can remember, there was
a saying, "There are no atheists in foxholes." But today atheists
have tremendous influence in the American military -- enough to
prevent a Christian from leading a prayer observance in the Pentagon.
[2] The Muslim terrorist attempt in Times Square. Despite the
"politically correct" rules by the Obama administration and Janet
Napolitano's Department of Homeland Security, that the terms
"Muslim," "Jihadist," and "Islam" are not to be linked together with
the word "terrorism," the attempt to detonate a bomb in Times Square
on May 1was quickly labeled by the Obama White House as
"terrorism." When the perpetrator was revealed to be Faisal Shahzad,
a Pakistani-born, naturalized American citizen -- it was evident that
those forbidden terms were inseparably linked. Attorney General
Holder then confirmed that the Taliban was indeed responsible for the
attempt . . . and that Shahzad had made 13 trips to Pakistan in the past
few years. This should come as no surprise to any of us -- there have
been three terrorist incidents in the past 6 months, all involving Muslims:
the murders of American military by a Muslim US Army officer at Fort
Hood in November . . . the failed "under-wear" bomb attempt on the
Northwest Airlines plane in Detroit on Christmas Day . . .and now this
failed attempt in New York City on May 1. Even Mr. Holder was
forced to admit that we could very likely expect more similar attempts.
All this combines to mark a distinct shift in policy for a president who
first warned us not to "jump to conclusions" even after US Army
officer Nidal Malik Hasan had shouted "Allahu Akbar!" (Allah --
God -- is Great) and then began shooting and murdering American
soldiers and others in that room at Fort Hood.
[3] The BP rig oil spill in the Gulf off the Louisiana coast. The
extent of this disaster has only begun to be understood. News accounts
have labeled this "Obama's Katrina." That is an unfortunate comparison.
Inadequate as the Bush administration's response to Katrina may have
been -- it is a fact that just two days after the hurricane touched down,
President Bush flew over the area to survey the damage from the air,
and two days later was on the ground in Louisiana, walking around,
personally inspecting the damage. By contrast, Mr, Obama first visited
Louisiana on the 12th day after the oil rig exploded, and the oil spill
began to develop. The Obama administration's reaction has been
strange. After deciding to permit what would be almost miniscule
off-shore drilling projects, after the BP explosion, all such off-shore
drilling has come into question -- despite the fact that this is the first
such oil spill in 31 years. And stepping into oil well drilling in the
Caribbean, just off our coast, is China, working through Cuba. It
appears that China is more concerned about developing their own
source of oil than we are.
[4] The Arizona illegal alien immigration bill. Frustrated by the
failure of the Obama administration to enforce existing federal laws
restricting illegal (unlawful) immigration, and making Phoenix the
kidnapping capitol of the world, the Arizona Legislature developed
its own state version of the federal law, and it was signed by Gov.
Brewer. Aided by the liberal main line media, this attempt by an
afflicted state to do what the federal government has refused to do
has resulted in rioting, boycotts and threats of law suits against the
state by the Obama administration. But the strange thing is that
approximately 70% of Arizona citizens favor the law . . . and
nationally some 60% of Americans favor it. In neighboring
Colorado, 55% want a similar law in their state, and at least a
dozen other states have a law similar to Arizona's under
consideration. Very appropriate to this discussion is the comment
from Nancy Pelosi, while admitting that it is the federal government's
responsibility to secure the US-Mexico border, she said, "It is
cheaper to treat teens for drug abuse than it is to interdict
drugs being smuggled across the border."
[5] Our faltering (or failing) economy in the face of the Obama
administration's spin. This comment caught our eyes this week: "The
president who promised he'd stop the oceans from rising hasn't
been able to stop unemployment from doing the same." The
report released last week that the "official" unemployment figure
(which the Administration said would be held to 8%) had moved up
from 9.7% to 9.9%. But the "good news" spin put on those figures
by the White House emphasized that over 200,000 new jobs were
created in April. But one financial commentator used the word
"unconscionable" to describe the government release of those
unemployment figures. Just a little -- not exhaustive -- research
would demonstrate the the real unemployment number is closer to
22% -- that is the SGS Alternate Unemployment Rate, taking into
account long-term discouraged workers. But then there is the U-6
unemployment rate which includes people who have stopped looking
for work, or who can't find a full time job. That broader government
measure of unemployment rose in April for the third consecutive
month to 17.1%. So the 9.9% unemployment rate does take on the
aspect of "good news" for the administration, when the real figures
of 17.1% or 22% are staring them in the face.
[6] Bad economic figures aren't solely an American problem.
Greece has been hovering close to national bankruptcy, with massive
riots in the streets over the disastrous economic situation which has
gripped the country, and which has sent shock waves across the
world's financial markets -- including America's But now the Euro
currency, and Greece, have been promised relief from the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) in the familiar trillion dollar range.
But also facing similar severe economic distress are other European
nations including Portugal, Spain, Italy and Ireland . . . and potentially
also Great Britain, only beginning to recover from the recent "hung"
election, and with a new Conservative Prime Minister who must form
a government. And the country must face up to tremendous challenges:
economic, social and political, as the Muslim minority threatens to
disrupt centuries of British law with the introduction of Islamic
Sharia law.
Unquestionably, many of our current problems may be traced
to the Obama administration and the agenda of our apprentice
president. And for us who are Christians, the major point of concern
is his attitude toward us as infidels, and his rejection of the place
America's Christian heritage should have in our nation today. We
recall how, as a candidate, in July 2007 he told CBN, "Whatever
we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation -- at least not
just." Then, as president, in his speech in Turkey, in April 2009, he
moved further from his prior statement where he said we were no
longer just a Christian nation, to say instead, "We do not consider
ourselves a Christian nation." Aside from the fact that this belies
the actual statistics and every poll report, it goes against a ruling from
the US Supreme Court in 1892: "This is a religious people. This is
historically true. From the discovery of this continent to the
present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation ...
we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth ... these,
and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume
of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that
this is a Christian nation." That was 118 years ago; a decision
which has never been challenged, modified or repealed. It is obviously
true today, as it was in 1892.
The important consideration for Christians: What can we do?
Tim LeFever of Capitol Research Institute (CRI) suggested this plan
in coping with a critical situation: "It's a pretty simple proposition:
make hard decisions and firm plans before a crisis. Then, when
disaster comes, stick to the plan." Well, as Americans and as
Christian Americans, we're facing a crisis, or a series of crises. So
here are some firm plans to use in this critical time: (1) Pray for our
nation and its leaders ... (2) Tell others and urge them to pray
... (3) Vote for better leaders.
Prayer is the most powerful asset for any Christian to use. It goes
right to the heart of who and what our God is. "Oh thou that
hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." (Psalm 65:2)
First, God hears our prayers. "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father
in my name, He will give it you." (John 16:23) Second, God
answers our prayers. And just these few reminders about prayer . . .
"Pray without ceasing." (I Thess. 5:17) "The effectual fervent
prayer of a righteous man availeth much," James 5:16) and
Jesus' promise, "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. 21:22) And the words of
Paul, which we have cited so often, "I exhort therefore, that
supplications, prayers, intercessions ... be made for all men, for
kings and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." (I Tim. 2:1-2)
So we have a plan . . . to Pray . . . to Tell others: "Go ye therefore,
and teach all nations ... teaching them to observe all things,
whatsoever I have commanded you." (Matt. 28:19-20... and to
Vote. Here the Scriptures do not speak specifically on the subject
of voting. The word "vote" is not a Scriptural word, and the word
"elect" is used to speak of chosen ones. But as Christians who
have committed ourselves to accomplishing God's will, we have a
high level of responsibility in doing all we can to further His will for
America. The principles of governmental leadership are set forth in
the Old Testament, for example in Proverbs, at 14:34,
"Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any
people," and at 29:2, "When the righteous are in authority, the
people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people
mourn." It follows, logically that we have a responsibility to vote
out of office those who have brought us to this time of crisis, and
to elect to office decent and honest leaders who will respond to the
will of the American people, in a way that our present leaders have
refused to do. If we do not vote, then we will share part of the
blame for the kind of government we have left in power.
Remember our next election day is now just 174 days away,
on Nov2. Remember also that you cannot vote unless you have
registered. So follow the plan: Pray ... Tell others...Vote (but
be sure you register!)
A news story that may have escaped your attention this week:
Just two blocks away from "Ground Zero" where the World Trade
Center twin towers stood prior to the Islamic terrorist attack on
"9/11" a new 13 story Mosque and Islamic cultural center will be
built at a cost of $100 million. As weird as it may seem, the
Community Board's financial district committee unanimously endorsed
the proposal. The building will be called Cordoba House, and Imam
Feisel Abdul Rauf, one of the founders of the Cordoba Initiative, said
it was intended to improve relations between Muslims and the West.
The announcement said that prestigious groups like the Ford
Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund would pay for the
construction. Surviving family members of the thousands killed in the
attack have voiced strong opposition, and Pamela Geller in her
reaction in "Atlas Shrugs" to the announcement wrote: "What could
be more insulting and humiliating than a mosque in the shadow
of the World Trade Center buildings brought down by Islamic
attack?" And she added this comment, "Of course, the minute
someone complains about this, they will be labeled a racist
Islamophobic bigot for not respecting 'diversity.'"
And while we're on the subject of Islam and Muslims, Alan Caruba,
a frequent critic of environmentalism, Islam and global warming,
reminds us of President Obama's famous speech in Cairo, almost a
year ago, on June 4, 2009, when he attempted to reach out to
Muslims in the Middle East and throughout the world. As Mr.
Caruba points out, Obama said in that speech: "'I know, too, that
Islam has always been part of America's history.' The problem
is, he is dead wrong. Muslims were not here prior to or during
the Revolution. They did not participate in the Civil war though
for centuries they were notorious as slave traders. During
World War Two they were on Hitler's side..." Then with reference
to the three Muslim terrorist incidents in America during the past 6
months, Caruba concludes, "So, while not 'always' having been
part of American history, Muslims are currently leaving
their mark on it in the twenty-first century." (And he left out
any reference to "9/11!")
"One Liners" worthy of your attention are hard to find, but
here are a few for this week . . .
"The Obama National Security Policy: Hope their bomb don't
work." -- Ann Coulter
"University of Michigan awarded Obama an honorary 'Doctor
of Laws' degree, thereby recognizing his extensive experience in
doctoring laws." -- Joel McDurmon
"Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There's
no better rule." -- Charles Dickens
"The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of
other people's money." -- British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
"Obama wrestles with his Katrina moment. With water that
thick, anyone could walk on it." -- Jonathan Richards
Thanks for your appreciation of "What Others Are Saying."
Here are a few comments which we noted in our research this week:
William Greene (President, rightmarch.com): "President
Barack Hussein Obama is trying to SUE Arizona to BLOCK
their new law that makes it a state crime to violate federal law --
in other words, the law that says it's against the law to be an
illegal alien in Arizona."
Chuck Colson: "God has acted again and again through His
people to change history's course. But for that to happen, the
Church had better sober up, summon its spiritual resources,
expose the political illusion, and begin to defend and live the
Christian faith in our culture."
Paul R. Hollrah (Conservative columnist): "On November 4,
2008, the American people went to the polls and elected a
leader about whom they knew very little ... To date we have
seen no evidence that Obama has ever associated with anyone
who could be classified as a patriotic, mainstream American.
Instead, Obama's life is a tangled web of race-based hostility,
and leftist political extremism. What more does anyone need
to know? It's time we began the process of picking his life
apart, bit by bit, so that every American can know what a
complete charlatan he is."
Moody Adams (Christian evangelist): "The difference between
a Muslim terrorist and a Christian who commits acts of
terrorism, is that the Christian is disobeying his scriptures that
say 'love' your enemies, while the Muslim is obeying his
scriptures that command killing."
Mat Staver (President Liberty Counsel): "President Obama
has vowed to do 'whatever is necessary' to get the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) enacted, and get the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA) repealed. Both of these agenda items
promote homosexuality, literally elevating GLBT (Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, Transsexual) persons to 'protected status' under the
law -- all against the will of most Americans."
Michelle Malkin: "If America's homeland security policies
were subject to truth-in-advertising laws, the 'no-fly' list would
be known around the world by its right and proper name: the
'go-fly' list. As in : Go right ahead, jihadists, and fly our planes.
All aboard, evil-doers."
Some Random Afterthoughts ...
Where have all those atheists gone? Only a few weeks after that
federal judge in Wisconsin ruled that the National Day of Prayer is
unconstitutional, a USA Today/Gallup poll has reported that 92%
of Americans believe in God, and only 5% oppose the idea of a
National Day of Prayer..
You may have missed the latest Al Gore news -- The Nobel
Laureate and Academy Award winner, best known for his Global
Warming theory, has purchased a companion estate to go with his
Tennessee compound -- a $9 million mansion in what is called
"Oprah's Neighborhood," Montecito, CA. One wonders why, after
he was criticized so harshly for his huge energy consuming mansion
in Tennessee, his houseboat and his private jet. But it may be a bit
on the shabby side -- Oprah paid $52 million for her estate, which
was recently appraised at $85 million, and in the same neighborhood
Ellen Degeneres paid $17 for her place and then put it on the market
for $24 million. History buff, Victor Davis Hanson, commented,
"We can call this malady Gorism -- living not merely at odds
with your zealotry, but living entirely against your zealotry." On
the other hand, losing that presidential election to George Bush may
have been the greatest stroke of luck Al will ever experience. How
else could he have achieved the life style he now enjoys?
If you like interesting numbers, here are a few to consider . . .
(1) Poll numbers for respondees not favoring the Obama
administration have all passed the 50% mark. . . here are a few:
-- 55% rate the American health care system as good or excellent;
-- 52% think "Obamacare" will be bad for the country;
-- 54% favor its repeal;
-- 51% disapprove of Obama's performance as president.
(2) The 2010 edition of the Vatican statistical yearbook reported
the following:
-- between 2000 and 2008 world Catholic population grew 11.55%;
-- in Europe the Catholic growth was 1.17%;
-- in Africa the Catholic growth was 33.02%;
-- in Asia the Catholic growth was 15,6%;
-- in the Americas the Catholic growth was 10.9%;
-- Catholics in Europe make up a quarter of all Catholics;
-- Catholics in the Americas make up nearly half the world's total.
And a comment too good to miss, concerning the environmental
movement, from Harvey Wasserman, author of "Our Green
Powered Earth" -- "How such a devil's brew -- of drilling for oil,
digging for coal and big money for new nukes -- could save the
Earth conjures a corporate cynicism beyond the scope of the
human mind and soul."
In a day of so much change in the name of "progress," we
must never ignore the vision for America of our Founding Fathers.
"God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of
a nation be thought secure if we have removed their only firm
basis: a conviction in the minds of men that these liberties are
the gift of 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; that His justice cannot sleep forever."
-- Thomas Jefferson, 1774
"I entirely concur in the propriety of resorting to the sense in
which the Constitution was accepted and ratified by the nation.
In that sense alone it is the legitimate Constitution."
-- James Madison, 1824
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