Tuesday
ANTI-CHRISTIANS vs CHRISTIANS
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THIS WEEK'S "EDITORIAL COMMENT" ... we had in mind
to cite some historical precedent for what we are experiencing
here in America, and the related happenings all over the world. In
researching this general subject, we found two very perceptive
statements, made by men living centuries apart. Aristotle, in the 4th
century BC wrote: "If you would understand anything, observe its
beginning and its development." And expressing the same thought
in the 20th century AD, Richard Nixon said in his Inaugural Address
in 1969, "Each moment in history is a fleeting time, precious and
unique. But some stand out as moments of beginning, in which
courses are set that shape decades or centuries." As we shall note
in our discussion this week, we are living in a time when courses are
being set which will shape decades or centuries of future history.
Whether it will be for the better is really up to us. Always remember
the phraseanother wise man named Robert Ripley made famous:
"Believe it or not."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
LIKE IT OR NOT OR BELIEVE IT OR NOT -- AMERICA IS
IN A "CIVIL WAR," ANTI-CHRISTIANS vs CHRISTIANS,
OR LIBERALS vs CONSERVATIVES, OR
PROGRESSIVES vs PATRIOTS
Much of our nation's history has been marked by or highlighted
by -- or to use President Nixon's words, has been shaped by --
wars. And at first thought, that would seem strange. A prevailing
opinion would be that America is a peace loving nation. But in our
two and a third centuries as a nation we have spent an inordinate
amount of time and resources in wars -- and not solely in defensive
wars, but in wars of aggression and civil wars, our own and those
of other countries. This nation was born out of war in the 18th
century. It continued to participate in wars in the 19th century, and
in two world wars in the 20th century, plus wars in Korea and Viet
Nam, and is now utilizing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, possibly
spreading over into Pakistan, as elements of our international
relations policies. And we are currently facing threats of war with
Iran and North Korea, also as elements of our failed policies of
international relations.
One of America's great generals of the 20th century, George S.
Patton, once said, "Americans love to fight. All real Americans
love the sting of battle." Based on our history, which is what
shapes a nation, America will doubtless continue to be a warlike
nation, and there is probably very little that we, as individual
citizens, can do about that. The philosophy of peace through
strength, so thoroughly proved during the administrations of
Presidents Eisenhower and Reagan, could still prevail, but not
given the lack of understanding of military preparedness so
evident under the Obama administration.
But back to our headline . . . aside from international conflicts,
right here at home we are currently involved in various forms of
domestic civil war. Let's look at them very briefly. Anti-Christian
vs Christian: this one is very obvious. The president has pledged
his support of the homosexual community (a small minority known
as LGBT) and has promised to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA), the federal law confirming marriage as between a man
and a woman, exactly as God ordained it. Joining him in this anti-
Christian conflict are some liberal justices who are chipping away
at the traditional Christian view of marriage and the family. But, of
course, Mr. Obama has declared again and again that America is
not a Christian nation. His equivocal position on religion is difficult
to grasp; here at home he claims to be a Christian, although publicly
showing favoritism to Muslim events . . . but recently in Egypt he
declared that he is a Muslim as is his family in Africa.
The endorsement of abortion by the president and his fellow
Democrat leaders in the Congress is another example of an anti-
Christian position. And the continued enforcement of the banning
of prayer or any mention of God or any reference to the Christian
faith in the nation's schools is another graphic example of this
ongoing civil war.
And as for Liberal vs Conservative, this aspect of civil war is
probably most obvious -- one very graphic example is the manner
in which the Obama administration with the help of its Democrat
controlled Congress forced through the enactment of "Obamacare,"
the health care reform act, opposed by the majority of the American
people, whose opinions were totally ignored. Now as the adverse
effects of the act on American life are seen, a definite majority of
the American people want its repeal. Similarly, the multi-billion
dollar "stimulus" plan . . . the bailouts of major elements of the
automobile industry and the financial services industry . . . all
have been battles within the domestic civil war.
And in the third of our suggested aspects of civil war, Progressives
vs Patriots, we have the mismanagement of the ongoing wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and the effort underway to repeal the "Don't ask,
don't tell" rule regarding homosexuals in the military, in opposition
to the views of senior military leaders. The previously unimaginable
sight of the President of the United States bowing humbly before a
foreign king has shaken pride in America to the core. And now we
are seeing quite often in Internet opinion pieces, headlines like this
one from just yesterday: "Guess what part of the Constitution
goes next!" And the sub-head reads, "Drastic change in the works
to revamp the whole Electoral College" -- an undertaking which
has already seen at least five of the more Liberal states taking action
to implement this drastic change in the American election process set
forth in the Constitution.
Those are not detailed examinations, but they do call to our
attention the fact that we are engaged in a civil war on several fronts.
And with those facts before us, the familiar question arises, "What
can we, as Christian Americans, do about it?" The answer is the
same one that we have been emphasizing for a few months: [1] Be
sure you are registered to vote; [2] Be sure to vote on Election Day,
Nov. 2 -- now just 97 days from today. Remember: every Member
of the House of Representatives and about one third of the Senate are
up for election. We who represent about 85% of the U.S. population
can bring about a change for the better. Consider this as a war . . .
we have lost a few battles . . . but on Election Day a major battle will
take place. It can be said that everything America was intended to be
and has always been, is on the table for our vote this year. We dare
not lose this one.
Prior to Election Day -- in fact, any day now, the Senate will vote
on the confirmation of Elena Kagan as a new justice on the Supreme
Court. From highly respected Tony Perkins, of Family Research
Council, has come this very significant comment, "If President Obama
can't have a lifetime term, then he knows the next best thing is
nominating Elena Kagan to one. She shares the President's disgust
for traditional morality, free speech, the military, individual liberty,
u nborn children, constitutional fidelity, and all things religious."
It is not too late -- use your phone and call the Capitol switchboard at
(202) 224-3121, ask for your Senators' offices, and urge them to vote
against Ms. Kagan's pending confirmation. This is particularly true for
our readers in South Carolina, Indiana and Maine -- because in those
states, Republican Senators Lindsay Graham, Dick Lugar and Susan
Collins have said they will vote to support Ms. Kagan's nomination.
(Unfortunately, none of those three RINOs are up for election this year.)
This next section is very important: "What Others Are Saying."
Much mention has been made this past week about the disclosure of
the "JournOlists" -- described as some 400 of the nation's prominent
journalists and commentators who have been discussing (some call it
"conspiring") about how to kill or promote stories against or favoring
the Obama administration (hence the "O" in their name?) and the
overall Democrat party agenda. Since their biased viewpoints color
their reports, these quotes from other spokes-persons are worth noting.
Newt Gingrich: "The campaign this fall can be boiled down to a
simple choice: job-killers versus job-creators. Unfortunately, under
the Pelosi-Reid Congress and the Obama presidency, government
has become a job-killing system thanks to a set of principles, policies,
processes and people that are completely disconnected from reality."
Dr. Michael Youssef (Leading the Way): "Real change in America
is possible as long as there are Christians willing to consecrate
themselves to God in prayer for the spiritual state of this nation...
Real spiritual change will happen when we insist that America
returns to its roots. Spritual change will happen when we prayerfully
elect Godly men and women who fear the Lord."
Skip MacLure (Conservative Outpost): "Our nation reels from
the economic and fiscal disasters created by Barack Hussein
Obama's Marxist redistributionist agenda. Unemployment
reaches new heights as the government "stimulus" programs
record failure after failure, while at the same time Obama
claims three million jobs created or 'saved,' even as private
sector economists show incontrovertble proof that well over
four million jobs have been lost since the Anointed One took
office."
Rich Tucker (Heritage Foundation): "In Washington, the
government has passed a massive health care law that seems
certain to take power away from doctors and patients and give
it to federal bureaucrats. It also passed a financial regulation
law that will limit innovation on Wall Street, but won't do much
to fix the problems that almost brought down the nation's
financial system. Again, bureaucrats and regulators will be asked
to ride to our salvation. Good luck to all of us with that!"
John "Infidelisto" (in Infidels are Cool): "This November's
election will decide which direction our country will go in the
coming years. We're already being forced by the Obama
administration into a statist, socialiast agenda that is stripping
our freedoms away on a daily basis while giving massive amounts
of power to the Feds."
Gary Bauer: "While the Left hyperventilates over the alleged
racism and potential threats posed by the Tea Party, it is ignoring
the far more serious and growing threat --radical Islam in America."
Glenn Beck: "Harry Reid makes the argument that it was a 'good'
thing that our government bailed out GM. He neglected to mention
that GM just bought a sub-prime lender with YOUR taxpayer money.
Reid's lunacy continued as he claimed Ford would have done as well
without bailouts. Ummm, Harry -- FORD did not take a bailout."
And now a few random Afterthoughts ... items you may have missed.
Two major events this week, news-wise, merit an "Afterthought."
First, there is the "if-not-sensational-it's-close-to-it" disclosure of
some 91,000 "leaked" reports concerning our military efforts in
Afghanistan. Two headlines caught our attention: (1) "Those
Devastating Secret Documents on Afghan War Tell Us What We
Already Know," and (2) "Experts Say Document Leaks Are Dicey
Not Disastrous." The second one reflects the Obama administration's
"spin" on the story, but either way we -- Americans -- emerge as the
fools, victims of our failure to spot and stop a long-running weakness
in our conduct of the Afghan war. And there is the threat that WikiLeaks
has thousands of more documents to disclose.
And second, we hope we have the right to ask the question so many
are asking: "Given the sorry state of the American economy, with
so many people really hurting -- is it in the best of taste for the
Clintons to spend $3-5 million on Chelsea's wedding?" (To say
nothing of the exorbitant cost of getting the president there, and
ensuring his safety.) And, of course, there is the other question:
"Is it wise to take the Secretary of State out of action with so many
critical issues erupting all over the world . . . and perhaps the
president could better utilize his time -- like another photo-op
visit to the Gulf to prove he really hasn't totally forgotten them."
When we used to think of things "American," we used to use
words like "baseball, Boy Scouts and apple pie." Now, in the reign
of Barack Hussein Obama one of those American distinctives seems
to have been eliminated. The 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts is
being observed this week in a national jamboree at Fort A.P. Hill,
Virginia, an active U.S. Army installation just 60 miles from
Washington, DC. 45,000 scouts from all over America will be
present -- but Mr. Obama, who is honorary president of the Boy
Scouts of America, will not be present for the anniversary observance
today -- he will be in New York City to tape an appearance on the
TV show, "The View" -- at best a somewhat trashy show, but
apparently with a viewing audience that would attract the president.
One is inclined to wonder if the words of the Scout oath with its
reference to God which has resulted in so many lawsuits by the
ACLU were in any way involved . . . "On my honor I will do my best,
to do my duty to God and my country . . . "
Last week we expressed concern over Tony Blair's proposal
for a One-World religion. The former British Prime Minister was
backed up by his Queen, Elizabeth II, in her speech at the United
Nations. In advance, it was announced that she would be speaking
on a "global perspective." And who better? She is the legal owner
of 6,600 million acres of land which represent one sixth of the earth's
non-ocean surface. The value of her holdings is estimated at $33
Trillion. Concluding her urging for the United Nations to get on with
the one-world challenge she had previously put before them, she said,
"In my lifetime, the United Nations has moved from being a high-
minded aspiration to being a real force for the common good. In
tomorrow's world, we must all work together as hard as ever if
we are truly to be a United Nations." The one-world, one-religion
challenge is a continuing serious one.
We are seeing proof that even Liberals can learn from the public.
After all the media attention given Massachusetts Senator John Kerry
over his purchase of a $7 million, 76 foot sailing yacht in Rhode
Island, and thus avoid paying his home state $437,500 in sales taxes,
and $70,000 in annual excise taxes -- he has recanted, and has
announced that he will pay the taxes to Massachusetts which he had
been avoiding by buying and berthing the yacht in Rhode Island.
There is some kind of a lesson somewhere in all this.
A promise you can take to the bank. Maybe. When President
Obama signed into law the new Wall Street reform law last week,
he used words we should keep on record as a reminder when he
proposes his next multi-billion dollar bailout bill or whatever he
may call it: "There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts.
Period." Try to remember that.
Our concern over "politically correct" terminology: Last week
we pointed out that since November, 2009, Mr. Obama and his
people have been using the term "Freedom of Worship," instead of
the traditional "Freedom of Religion" as provided in the Constitution.
In 2009, two clergymen, Dr. Gary Dull and Rev. David Kistler,
announced in Washington the formation of The Faith and Freedom
Institute (TFFI), to stress the Christian principles which have made
America great. Acting on their concern over the change from
"Freedom of Religion" to "Freedom of Worship," TFFI has sent a
personal letter to Mr. Obama asking him to retract past use of the
term, and revert to the traditional "Freedom of Religion." TFFI
points out that "Freedom of Worship" would force people to live
their faith behind closed doors. As we previously pointed out, this
is a matter of serious concern..
And in case you wondered: According to the latest Rasmussen
Reports, Taxes as an important issue to American voters has
jumped 10 points from its May rating, but is still fourth on the list
of most important issues. The Economy is first, with 85%;
Government Ethics and Corruption, second, with 72%; Health
Care, third, with 70% and Taxes, fourth, with 68%. One would be
inclined to think this might offer some guidance to our government
leaders . . . but we're just citizens; what do we know?
In reflecting on the opinions of our Founding Fathers, (which
we continue to think are important for our nation, even today), there
is this verse of The Star Spangled Banner, which became our
National Anthem in 1931, after a Constitutional Resolution was
signed by President Hoover:
"Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be
our motto, In God is our trust." -- Francis Scott Key, 1814
And there is this Supreme Court decision, never challenged:
“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.”
-- U.S. Supreme Court, Decision in the Church of the Holy Trinity
vs. United States, 1892
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