Tuesday
475 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY!
AN IMPORTANT INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT: For a few weeks we have been
promising a new format -- "soon" -- and we're still trying. And one step at a time, we are
getting there. This week, a new heading! Next week we think the whole new format will be
in place. Thanks for your patience! Probably "Rome wasn't built in a day" applies.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"This isn't a Keynsian Recovery produced by big spending bureaucrats ... this recovery
was created by the incentives of tax-rate reductions, which shifted resources away
from government back to American producers, savers and investors."
President Ronald Reagan, March 19, 1984
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THERE ARE 475 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY, NOV. 6, 2012, WHEN
WE CAN VOTE TO RETRIEVE OUR NATION FROM THE DEPTHS
INTO WHICH THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAS LED US
Remember this picture? It could well be labeled as the defining moment of the Obama
administration. It was on April 2, 2009, just weeks into his presidency, when at the G20
Conference in London, he bowed in humble obeisance to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
This was something no American president had ever done before. But a few days later, on
that same first trip abroad, he told a largely Muslim audience in Ankara, Turkey, "We do
not consider ourselves a Christian nation." This, too, was something no American
president had ever done before.
But we should not have been surprised. Just prior to the 2008 election, on October 30,
2008, he told an audience in Columbia, MO, "We are just five days away from
fundamentally transforming the United States of America."
And he has done so. He has spent more taxpayer money, has increased the national debt
beyond what any president has done, has brought our unemployment level to near 10%,
has embroiled us in a recession which is approaching "great depression" levels, has eroded
our historic American Christian position on marriage and the family, and has brought us
back to facing the reality British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher warned us about, “The
problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.”
Conservative commentator, Skip MacLure, linked that comment with our present national
situation, "Our mercifully brief encounter with socialism, a la Barack Hussein Obama,
has America up on its feet and raging...Sick and tired of being sick and tired. It’s as
good a way as any to describe the mood of the country going into the 2012 elections...
Fully seventy percent of the American people do not want an increase in the debt limit...
Barack Hussein Obama has painted himself and his Marxists into a corner. The most
recent Gallup and Rasmussen polls both show any generic Republican defeating Obama
in the 2012 presidential race by five to eight points, and counting."
As Christian Americans, our concerns go very deep. Mr. Obama speaks reverently of "the
holy Quran," and dismisses Christian Biblical positions as "an obscure passage in Romans."
He declines to recognize the National Day of Prayer in the White House, but sponsors a gala
event to observe the Islamic month of Ramadan. But our concerns for our nation are
intensified by God's Word on Israel and Jerusalem, "I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."
(Gen. 12:3) But just a few weeks ago, in a major speech on the Middle East, Mr. Obama
declared how the Israeli/Palestinian dispute should be resolved, in his words, "The United
States believes that negotiations should result in two states...We believe the borders
of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines..."
Now a war of Biblical proportions is being fought in Washington. The "Quartet for Middle
East Peace" (Russia, the European Union , the UN and America) with representatives from
China and the Arab League, were invited to dinner and a meeting in the White House last
week to unite behind the Obama plan to divide Jerusalem, and hand over to Islamic terrorists
lands won by Israel in the 1967 war, including Judea and Samaria. Now in just a few days, the
UN Security Council will be debating the plan to create a Palestinian state with no concern
for Israel's security or even its survival. And Mr. Obama is leading this direct opposition to
the Word of God. This has to be of deep concern to every Christian American.
And how has the Obama approach gone over with Muslim nations? If it didn't have such
profoundly serious implications, it would be almost humorous. The United States is viewed less
favorably in much of the Arab world today than in the final year of the Bush administration, and
President Obama is less popular in the region than Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
according to a poll released last week by the Arab American Institute, a nonpartisan research
and advocacy group. The current poll is striking in that it shows how far Obama’s favorability
has fallen in the region, after an initial optimistic spike when he took office. “It’s because
expectations were created that were not met,” said James Zogby, president of Institute,
which has been tracking attitudes for a decade. In 2008, the final year of the Bush administration,
9% of Egyptians had a favorable attitude towards the United States. A year later, after Obama
took office, that number jumped to 30%. But now it has plummeted to just 5% of Egyptians who
view the United States favorably. Similar figures in Morocco, Jordan, and the United Arab
Emirates show that the United States is viewed less favorably now than it was under President
Bush. Obama's humble, contrite, "cap in hand" approach doesn't seem to be working.
Even though we need funds to operate, we do not sell anything, not books, CDs, DVDs
or coffee mugs. Nothing. But occasionally we learn of a book which merits reading, and here is
one such: "The Marketing of Evil" by David Kupelian. This is what the late Dr. D. James
Kennedy said about it: "This is a remarkable book... Author David Kupelian dissects and
exposes the brilliant and malignant techniques employed by merchants of evil ... The
effort to change America's mind on issues like abortion, homosexuality, church-state
separation, and more, is not a happenstance undertaking... The good news is that by
God's grace, the truth will eventually win out, and Kupelian's important and ground
breaking book makes enormous progress toward that end."
Amid the heavily liberal biased media, it's good to note "What Others Are Saying."
David Ignatius (Washington Post): "The world looks to America in times like this.
Governments and business leaders want a basic framework, so they can make decisions.
What they get from the Obama White House, too often, is silence."
David Aaron Ritchie (Senior Pastor, Gulf Coast Christian Center): "It is interesting to
me that one of the greatest states in our Union, New York, has recently made legal the
marriage of two people of the same sex...When something as profound as this happens in
our nation and I barely hear a peep from people who call on the name of the Lord Jesus,
that scares me. I'm not afraid of the many disasters that are happening simultaneously
in our world. I'm not afraid of all the wars that are currently raging on almost every
continent on the globe...What terrifies me are good men and women saying and doing
nothing when politicians we voted into office are making moral laws that contradict
everything a Holy God stands for."
Michael Evans (Jerusalem Prayer Team): "With a brutal thug like Assad unleashing
his army on his own people and continuing to threaten the safety and security of neighbors
like Lebanon and Israel, the Obama Administration thinks the problem in the Middle East
is Israel. History has taught us repeatedly that appeasement doesn't work, yet our leaders
are trying to sell out Israel to buy peace with the radical Muslims who hate both
Christians and Jews."
David Horowitz (president, "Vision to America"): "Just days before Independence Day,
the Obama Administration formally recognized the Muslim Brotherhood, organizers of
world terror and instigators of hatred of the U.S. and Israel ...The Muslim Brotherhood
has helped finance at least a dozen radical Islamic terror groups, including Hamas and
al Qaeda...This is the group our President has decided he will do business with. It is the
most reckless thing he could do to you, your family and our nation! ...Barack Obama
knows that Brotherhood members are the Godfathers of the world terror movement.
With characteristic egotism, he seems to think that he can charm this leopard into
changing its spots."
Michelle Malkin (nationally syndicated commentator): "Since Obamacare passed,
the amount workers pay in health care premiums has soared an average of nearly 14
percent; thousands of businesses have sought waivers in search of relief from the law's
onerous mandates; medical device makers have slashed jobs and research; and the
private individual health insurance market is in critical condition. Post-Obamacare
truth is bloodier than pro-Obamacare fiction."
And here are a few at-random "Afterthoughts" . . .
Those Atheists, though small in number, don't give up! The "Freedom From Religion
Foundation" (FFRF), based in Madison, WI, in April filed suit against the National Day of
Prayer, but it was dismissed unanimously by a U.S. Appellate Court. Now they have filed
suit against Texas Governor Rick Perry, to block his call for a day of prayer on August 6 in
Reliant Stadium in Houston. The suit also asks the federal court in Houston to declare Perry's
initiation, organization, promotion and participation in the event unconstitutional. The FFRF
also asks for a restraining order after a hearing date is set. All this is so at odds with the history
of our nation. John Adams made the point in 1798, "Our Constitution was made only for a
moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." In
1863, in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was led to call for a day of prayer. It is
fortunate that the FFRF was not available to attempt to stop him from doing so. Now Gov.
Fallin of Oklahoma will probaby be in trouble with FFRF -- she has called for a day of prayer
to end the state's serious drought problem.
The media has given President Obama some new descriptive appellations. Instead of
"intern president," or "president in training," and the like, his actions in recent days have brought
out some new terms, such as "petulant president," and speaking of his behavior before the press,
"press conference tantrum." And adding to this new perception of a president who usually "kept
his cool," along comes Dinesh D'Souza's new best-selling book, "The Roots of Obama's Rage."
In one of his press conference exchanges, Mr. Obama expressed the underlying reason for his
constant ignoring of public opinion polls. Reminded that 69% of the American people are opposed
to raising the debt limit, he responded: "Let me distinguish between professional politicians and
the public at large. You know, the public is not paying close attention ... they have got a lot
of other things on their plate. We're paid to worry about it."
As Americans, whatever our partisan views, the ongoing "debt" issue concerns us.
These brief comments well summarize the conflicting opinions which are at the heart of the high
level discussions in Washington. The Heritage Foundation offered this viewpoint: "With the
nation staring down $14 trillion in debt, a Senate that has failed to pass a budget in 811
days, and a government that can't decide how to raise the debt ceiling, you might think
that a plan to get spending under control and solve the debt ceiling impasse would be a
welcome breath of fresh air in Washington. Well, it might be, unless you're President
Barack Obama or liberals on Capitol Hill." And from a differing point of view, Billy
Hallowell, reporting in The Blaze, wrote yesterday, "Former Democratic President Bill
Clinton has come out swinging at Congress, telling The National Memo’s Joe Conason
that he would take decisive action if no debt deal is reached by the August 2 deadline.
Clinton says that if he were in Obama’s situation, he‘d invoke the Fourteenth Amendment
to raise America’s debt ceiling 'without hesitation, and force the courts to stop me.'" And
Rep. Alan West (R, FL), described Mr. Obama's handling of the debt situation as: "...not
leadership. That’s why I said it was sad, it was pathetic, it’s fear-mongering and it’s trying
to turn people against other folks who are trying to come up with viable solutions. That’s
not what I think a president should be doing."
An example of the beliefs, the convictions of our Founding Fathers. In July, 1798, with
France in revolution and demanding extortion payments not to harass American ships, the
national slogan became, "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute." Faced with such
a challenge, George Washington responded: "Satisfied, therefore, that you have exhausted
the last drop of the cup of reconciliation, we can, with pure hearts, appeal to Heaven for
the justice of our cause, and may confidently trust the final result to that kind Providence
who has, heretofore, and so often, signally favored the people of these United States.
Thinking in this manner ... I have finally determined to accept the commission of
Commander in Chief of the Armies of the United States."
Surely American citizens -- for that is what we have always been, "citizens," not "subjects" of
some all-powerful ruler -- must long for a return to that quality of leadership, and a return to
maintaining this nation as the kind of a nation our Founding Fathers intended it to be.
IT'S THE ECONOMY STUPID!
THIS IS BECOMING A FAMILIAR ANNOUNCEMENT: Last week
we had no choice but to explain that our long promised new format would be
delayed -- and hopefully would appear this week. Sorry to say: it's not going
to happen this week, either. One of our readers offered this comment: "The
content is more important than the appearance." While we do appreciate
the loyalty of our readers, we want you to know we are trying to produce a
more attractive, easier to read publication. And we will. Exactly "when" is
the uncertain aspect,. Thanks for your patience.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers;
pray for powers equal to your tasks."
Phillip Brooks, 19th century American clergyman
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A VERY BRIEF INTRODUCTORY COMMENT: Just to clarify what
we are, and what we do: as a reminder, we are not a newsletter or a news
report; you can find the news in a score of other sources. Our prime purpose
is to offer a commentary on current events -- national and international --
and aways from this three-fold position: Pro-Christian, Pro-American and
Pro-Conservative.You can always count on that. If you look elsewhere, and
can't find that certainty in the opinions being expressed, come back to ANC.
We have no intention of changing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A MEMO FROM BILL CLINTON TO BARACK OBAMA COULD
VERY WELL BE AS SIMPLE AS THESE FEW WORDS: "IT'S
THE ECONOMY, STUPID ...CUT CORPORATE TAXES."
Both of those phrases have been part of former president Clinton's leadership
style -- the first was the slogan which played a major role in propelling him
from the Governor's mansion in Arkansas to the White House. The second is
from a recent issue of Newsweek magazine where he spoke very incisively on
the economy, and a solution to the current national debt problem.
As Mr. Obama continues his 2012 re-election campaign, he is faced
with wide-spread public perception that he is incapable of handling America's
economy. It isn't difficult to write concerning the present state of the nation's
economy. From two widely differing ideological sources, first, the very Liberal,
pro-Obama New York Times, headlined it: "Job Growth Falters Badly,
Clouding Hope for Recovery." And the very Conservative Heritage
Foundation labeled it, "An economy in panic."
The New York Post provided this very succinct summary, "America's
economy grew by a minuscule 18,000 jobs in June, and unemployment
rose to an eye-popping 9.2 percent. Since April, the economy has
produced a mere 43,000 new jobs." The president's response was, "We
still have a long way to go and a lot of work to do to give people the
security and opportunity that they deserve." From the master of hyperbole,
that has to be the understatement of the year.
And if that were not a dismal enough picture, the paltry job growth totals for
May were revised downward by the Labor Departmnt from their previously
anounced figure of 54,000 to 25,000. To date, the Obama designed recovery
is still the weakest recovery of the post-WW II era . . . and on a contemporary
basis, America's job growth today is the lowest in the past 9 months.
We can remember well the promises of the Obama administration in 2009
when we were assured that the $862 billion "stimulus" plan would keep the
unemployment rate from ever hitting 8%. With the June increase to 9.2% on
the record, that vision of an 8% maximum looks awfully good. And in the
face of ever-growing unemployment, what is the Obama master plan to bring
it under control, and get us out of this recession, or whatever? Tax hikes.
And what is the Christian concern about an economy in shambles?
Face it: the Christian church exists on the financial support of the members.
The church is not, and cannot be, the recipient of federal funds, under an
Obama "stimulus" plan, or in any other way. As American unemployment
remains high . . . as peoples' incomes diminish . . . as expenses for food,
transportation, clothing, and utilities -- all elements of our cost of living --
continue to soar, discretionary funds (which church giving all too frequently
is) are going to dwindle, and church programs, missionary efforts -- our
whole Christian purposes in life -- are going to be curtailed. If you didn't
have a reason to pray for a solution to our economic problems, now you do.
Internationally, things aren't any better than they are here at home.
We have to wonder just how much longer Syria's President Assad, the
"reformer" so enthusiasticlly endorsed by Mr. Obama, John Kerry and
Hillary Clinton, will enjoy the good will of America -- after the American
Embassy was attacked and our diplomatic personnel put in extreme danger.
It's difficult to understand why we were so adamant that Mubarak in Egypt
and Quaddafi in Libya had to be "thrown under the bus," but Assad's
murdering of his people was OK. Incidentally, the most recent Rasmussen
survey on Mr. Obama's "non-war war" in Libya, discloses that only 24%
of Americans favor our action in Libya; 44% oppose it, and 32% are
still undecided.
In Egypt, the U.S. is reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood, as first
publicly announced by Hillary Clinton in February and again on June 30.
After the U.S. supported overthrow of President Mubarak, the turn to
the Muslim Brotherhood is difficult to understand. This description
sums it up well: it merely wants to seize state power, transform Egypt into
an Islamist state under Sharia law, rule 90 million people, back Hamas in
trying to destroy Israel, overthrow the Palestinian Authority, help Jordan's
Muslim Brotherhood overthrow the monarchy, and sponsor terrorism
against Americans in the Middle East.
And Andrew McCarthy, writing in National Review, under the head:
"Iran is at war with us -- are we at war with Iran?" summarizes,
"Iran is setting the stage to frame the long-scheduled withdrawal
from Iraq as a case of the United States being 'driven out,' a
cowardly retreat under fire. Nor is this happening solely in Iraq.
Iran’s fortification of the Afghan Taliban also continues at a steady
clip. It may even be spiking now as the planned drawdown of
American forces gets under way. Again, the mullahs are determined
to pose as Allah’s avengers, casting the infidels out of Dar al-Islam.
They are getting plenty of help from the Obama administration. The
U.S. withdrawal is being driven by the political calendar, not
conditions on the ground. Thus our enemies — and Iran has always
been our principal enemy — get to make it look like whatever they
want it to look like."
It would be nice to hear something like this from the White House.
After being sworn into office, President Millard Fillmore, a member of the
Episcopal Church, stated: "The Sabbath day I always kept as a day of
rest. Besides being a religious duty, it was essential to health. On
commencing my Presidential career, I found that the Sabbath had
frequently been employed by visitors for private interviews with the
President. I determined to put an end to this custom, and ordered my
doorkeeper to meet all Sunday visitors with an indiscriminate refusal."
Prayer for America has long been the hallmark of a Christian nation.
Begining on Nov. 3, 2010 -- the day after the election day shake-up in the
Congress -- we began a count-down of days to pray about the next election
on Nov. 6, 2012 -- at that time 734 days away. Today that number has been
reduced to 482 days -- 482 days to pray for our nation, its leaders, and
for God's wisdom as we vote to reclaim America to the kind of a nation
our Founding Fathers intended it to be.
A few thoughtful examples of "What Others Are Saying."
Jack Marshall (Ethics Alarms): "Why should citizen patients and their
insurance companies be forced to pay increased costs for hospital
services that include the added costs of caring for other nations’ sick?
Why should American taxpayers? By what Bizarro World reasoning is it
appropriate for the individuals who violate laws and forge documents
to reach and remain in America to have free health care, paid for by
law abiding citizens. U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R,CA) contends the
answer isn't in providing more money for hospitals, but rather in
reducing the illegal immigrant population. What a remarkable concept!
Who would have thought of such a thing? This position, of course, makes
him a xenophobe, a racist ... and sane."
Sen. Marco Rubio (R,FL): “We don't need new taxes. We need new
taxpayers, people that are gainfully employed, making money and
paying into the tax system. And then we need a government that has the
discipline to take that additional revenue and use it to pay down the debt
and never grow it again. And that's what we should be focused on, and
that's what we're not focused on."
Thomas Sowell (economist, political philosopher and author): "A recent
poll showed that nearly half the American public believes that the
government should redistribute wealth. That so many people are so
willing to blithely put such an enormous and dangerous arbitrary power
in the hands of politicians -- risking their own freedom, in hopes of getting
what someone else has -- is a painful sign of how far many citizens and
voters fall short of what is needed to preserve a democratic republic."
"And now here are a few random "Afterthoughts" . . .
Expressed in simpler terms: the American people just don't believe him. And
he does little to correct that impression. Quite the opposite; he seems to be
determined to mislead the public. Like last week when he took his re-election
campaign to "Twitter," he said: “By the way, people working at the White
House, they’ve had their pay frozen since I came in.” Not even close to
being true. Of the 270 White House staffers who have been there for more
than a year, 146 -- that's 54% -- have received raises. Some might make
unemployed Americans envious. Example: Matthew Vogel, special assistant
for economic policy, got an 82% raise to $130,500. And his salary isn't
all that unusual; 141 of the Obama White House aides receive over $100,000
annually -- that's approximately one-third of the staff. Looking at a chart of
the 20 top staff raises, they range from $20,000 to $59,000 per year. Sort
of out-of-step with the national employment situation!
An interesting thought: Keli Goff, political commentator, writing in
HuffPost, offers a list headed: "The Most Influential Non-Practicing/
Non-Traditional Christian American Politicians." Here is her list:
Rep. Keith Ellison (D,MN), the first Muslim elected to Congress; Rep.
Debbie Wasserman (D, FL), Jewish, Chair, Democrat National Committee;
Rep. Eric Cantor (R,VA), Jewish, House Majority Leader; Mayor Michael
Bloomberg (I, NY), Jewish; Former Gov. Mitt Romney (R, MA), Mormon;
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I, CT), Jewish; Sen. Harry Reid (D,NV), Mormon,
Senate Majority Leader; Rep. Pete Stark (D.CA), first openly Atheist in
Congress; Former Gov. Geo. Romney (R,MI), Mormon; Former Gov.
Culbert Olsen (D, CA), Mormon-Atheist. Her discussion point -- race has
been replaced by religion in a political candidate's attributes.
One of Obama's accomplishments you don't hear much about. It's not
not just unemployment, food costs, the price of gasoline, etc . that have risen --
according to the Annual Report of the U.S. Court System, the number of
requests for federal law enforcement wiretaps almost doubled from 663 in
2009 to 1,207 in 2010. ("Big Brother" may not be watching -- but he sure is
listening!)
The continuing growth of decay in Main Line denominations. It seems
that each week brings some new announcement of a falling away from the
traditional Christian faith in some of our denominational churches. This week
the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.(PCUSA) began observing the newly revised
rule that permits openly gay men and women in same-sex relationships to be
ordained as clergy. The new policy was adopted after 97 of the church's
173 presbyteries approved the change in the church's constitution. This
week also, the United Church of Christ (UCC) -- the denomination with
which Mr. Obama was affiliated for more than 20 years -- took another
extremely Liberal step by removing all references to God "the Father" from the
church's organizational documents. The General Synod vote was 613 in favor
of the change, 171 against and 10 abstaining. In a somewhat more encouraging
stand, Roman Catholic bishops in New York State have reacted against the
state's legalizing homosexual marriages, for example, by banning elected
politicians from church services, and publishing this warning from Archbishop
Timothy Dolan:"If the experience of those few other states and countries
where this is already law is any indication, the churches, and believers,
will soon be harassed, threatened, and hauled into court for their conviction
that marriage is between one man, one woman."
We can't blame Obama for this . . . the Democrats who were in control
of both houses of Congress, yes -- but not Obama. He wasn't even close to
the White House in 2007 when Congress passed the "Energy Independence
and Security Act." It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on
December 19, 2007 -- and beginning in 2012, it bans the sale of incandescent
light bulbs. The main alternative to incandescent light bulbs are compact
fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) -- mostly made in China. They are loaded with
toxic mercury, which upon breakage or disposal, pollutes the environment via
seepage into groundwater, rivers and lakes, and threatens human health. So
be alert -- the effective date is less than 6 months away. The first attempt
by Republcans to kill the law failed yesterday, as Democrats rallied to uphold
it. There will doubtless be another attempt before the law's effective date.
On so many subjects, our Founding Fathers spoke very wise words.
"A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural
to abuse it, when acquired." --Alexander Hamilton, 1775
"There are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the
people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than
by violent and sudden usurpations." -- James Madison, 1788
UNDER ATTACK!
AN IMPORTANT -- AND UNUSUAL -- INTRODUCTORY WORD:
It was our announced intent to begin this "Vol. 17, No. 1" at the start of our
9th year of publication, with a new and improved format and design. Certain
obstacles to achieve that goal have arisen, and so we are continuing in the
usual format for this issue, and hopefully will be able to present the new and
improved format and design perhaps next week, or sometime. We appreciate
the patience, and the contnued loyalty of our readers . . . our friends.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"My dream is of a place and a time where America will once again
be seen as the last best hope of earth."
-- President Abraham Lincoln, 1862
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
THIS WEEK'S INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY: This week has
featured the observance of Independence Day, the 4th of July, marking the
235th anniversary of the formal signing of the Declaration of Independence,
July 4, 1776, when our Founding Fathers pledged their Lives, their Fortunes
and their Sacred Honor in declaring this new nation to be free from England.
That date is conceivably the most important one in the history of the United
States of America -- yet it is a patriotic one, a secular one, and America (at
least until Barack Obama declared otherwise) has always been considered
to be a Christian nation. In 1837, John Quincy Adams, our 6th president,
spoke most eloquently of the uniting of the secular and sacred elements of
our history: "Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of
the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior?... 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?" Let us build on that principle in today's Commentary.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
AMERICA'S TWO FOUNDING DOCUMENTS ARE UNDER
ATTACK AS LIBERALS ATTEMPT TO DECLARE THEM
IRRELEVANT TO OUR NATION'S LIFE TODAY
We have just gotten through this year's observance of the 4th of July,
with all its celebration -- as John Adams wrote on July 3, 1776, the day
before the Declaration of Independence would be signed, this date
"ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games,
Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one end of this
Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."
Yet the central theme of this document, that all men "are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights" is all too frequently
misquoted, (recently by our president), and reference to our Creator
as the source of those blessings is ignored and not mentioned. The
Declaration also included the provision that governments are formed to
protect those unalienable rights of individuals. Yet, today, according to
a Rasmussen survey released last week, 53% of Americans believe that
the present federal government is more of a threat to individal rights than
it is a protector of them.
The one defining and regulating document for the new nation which was
being established by our Founding Fathers was the Constitution -- and
here, contrary to Great Britain which had no written constitution, those
men insisted upon a written constitution; as Thomas Paine commented:
"An unwritten constitution is not a constitution at all." Currently,
Mark Alexander, writing in Patriot Post: "Our Constitution is being
'unwritten' at an unprecendented pace. Obama has mounted a well-
organized and well-funded effort to 'fundamentally transform' our
nation ... by thus deconstructing our constitution."
Today there is a concerted effort by the Liberals to treat the Constitution
as a "living document," with no fixed meaning, and subject to changes in
interpretation according to the whims of the people of our day, and
altered to match the spirit of the tmes. Yet the Founding Fathers stated
in the preamble, that it was written "for ourselves and our Posterity."
Our nation has existed and has risen to greatness by relying on the written
words of the Constitution, and by the spirit and meaning of the men who
wrote it. Thus James Madison, our 4th president, wrote in 1824: "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...What a metamorphosis
would be produced in the code of law if all its ancient phraseology
were to be taken in its modern sense."
Among the other principles which we should always remember
is the fact that America has achieved greatness by its relationship with
the Judeo-Christian principles upon which it was founded, and which
the Founding Fatheers did not hesitate to incorporate into their plans
for this new nation. Thus, Bill Muhlenberg, head of Culture Watch, an
apoogetics/ethics ministrty, an American theological scholar now
ministering in Australia, wrote this week, "The Judeo-Christian
worldview was perhaps the most important element in the rise of
Western civilisation. Other factors can be mentioned, but without
the Biblical worldview and its impact, the West as we know it
would never have arisen." And yet he senses the alarm expressed
by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver last week, "A new kind of
America is emerging in the early 21st century, and it's likely to be
much less friendly to religious faith than anything in the past."
We have often expressed our concern at the decline in moral values in
America, so evident in the trend toward the legalizing of homosexual
"marriage," in direct contradiction of God's laws and Christian tradition,
and the increased acceptance of abortion as a factor in our current life
style. As alarming as any other element of these trends has been the
repeated assertion -- even seeming to be a boast -- by President
Obama to the Islamic-Muslim civilization he so openly admires, that
America is no longer a Christian nation.
Internationally, our relationships are as uncertain as at home.
The Middle-East remains an area of strife and turmoil. The already
smouldering fuse that could erupt into explosive warfare is always
before us in Syria, Yemen, Tunisia and Lebanon . . . Obama's "non-
war" war continues in Libya . . . casualties mount in Afghanistan
. . . Pakistsan, with its nuclear arsenal, remains uncertain . . . and in
Egypt where we supported the so-called "democratic" revolt, last
week more than 1,000 protestors were injured in a single riot with
authorities. The Muslim Brotherhood moves ever closer to taking
control, and last week Secretary of State Clinton said the U.S. is
reaching out to the Muslim Brotherhood to build trust -- yet the
Brotherhood advocates Sharia Law, and is anti-Israel.
And don't lose sight of Israel and God's city Jerusalem. During
their annual military war games last week, Iran successfully test-fired
14 long range missiles capable of striking Israel and American military
bases in the iddle East. This demonstration of military power was
described by Iran's Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh: "The range of
our missiles has been designed based on American bases in the
region as well as the Zionist regime." And we have learned that
Palestine intends to move ahead unilaterally in September to win
U.N. recognition of a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East
Jerusalem. Thus they will be seeking U.N. permission to seize Israeli
land, including a divided Jerusalem. President Obama is apparently
considering abandoning any U.S. veto of the move, and Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, last week said on Lebanese TV:
"President Obama says he wants to see an independent
Palestinian state by September."
Our responsibility remains the same: For our fellow Christian
believers all around the world, many of whom are experiencing
persecution and loss of life, homes and churches -- mostly from
Islamists . . . for those here at home who have suffered from the
weather disasters . . . for our nation and for its leaders . . . and for
God's direction as we face the opportunity to reclaim America in
Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012 . . . there are 489 days remaining in
which we can focus our prayers. "The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)
There are times when it helps to know What Others Are Saying
David Barton (writing in Wall Builders): "There is no title in the
Constitution except 'We the people.' If America remains righteous
it's because we, the people, demand that it remains righteous. But if
America ever goes wicked, it's because we, the people let it go
wicked. And it'll be we, the people, not our leaders, who'll answer
to God for the national wickedness, because the nation belongs to us."
Alan Caruba (founder, American Anxiety Center): "America is a
sovereign nation, a constitutional Republic that will celebrate the
235th anniversary of its declaration of independence in 1776 and
the 223rd anniversary of its Constitution which became effective
when the State of New Hampshire became the ninth State to ratify
it in 1788. By most indications it is a nation in its death throes. Its
original values and virtues are being jettisoned and that is always
a sign of internal rot."
Dr. Scott Lively (Defend the Family): "Another 'Gay Pride' month
is behind us, filled with gloating triumphalism and mockery of God
under the banner of His rainbow. Another state has fallen to their
activists. Another class of high school seniors has graduated with
heads crammed full of 'gay' propaganda."
Pat Buchanan: "Once a nation synonymous with freedom, the new
America worships at the altar of equality. In 2012, we shall find out
who is right politically, when the issue goes on the ballot in battle
ground states. But is moral truth to be discovered at a ballot box?
Do we have no superior moral compass than majority rule
And here are a few random "Afterthoughts" . . .
Say what? Just a few months after the U.N. finally decided to
suspend Libya's Muammar Qaddafi from membership in the Human
Rights Council, North Korea was named to head the world's
disarmament agency. Hillel Neuer, Executive Director of UN Watch,
commented, "It's like asking the fox to guard the chickens, and
damages the U.N.'s credibility."
He has made his mark in history. Timothy Geithner, Mr. Obama's
Secretary of the Treasury, and just about the last member of the
original Obama financial team, is apparently considering leaving his
post in the White House. And he has indeed made his mark: the
national debt accrued under his watch is greater than all the federal debt
accrued in the first 204 years of the nation's history. From January 26,
2009 to June 30, 2011, under Geithner the national debt increased by
$3.7 trillion dollars.
If statistics intrigue you, try these. He's been busy! During Obama's
first 2 1/2 years in office, the nation's unemployment has increased by
25%; the nation's debt has increased by 35%, and the price of gasoline
at the pump has increased by 104%. The president's approval ratings
continue at a low point, and on a broader scale, Vice President Joe
Biden has a 43% favorable performance rating, and 48% unfavorable;
Harry Reid has a 25% favorable rating, and 48% unfavorable; Nancy
Pelosi is the most disliked among leaders, with a 30% favorable rating
and 60% unfavorable. Among Republicans, Mitch McConnell breaks
even at 30% favorable and 30% unfavorable, and John Boehner is the
only one with a favorable margin, 37% favorable and 36% unfavorable.
And a NY Times/CBS News poll found that 39% believe that “the
current economic downturn is part of a long-term permanent
decline and the economy will never fully recover.” On June 8 a
CNN poll fund that 48% believe another Great Depression is likely.
America's church denominations are puzzling. Civil unions have
just become legal in Illinois, and more than 200 United Methodist
clergy have pledged to defy church policy and will bless unions of
same-sex couples. The Rev. Gregory Gross expressed it this way,
"The church has lost its prophetic voice on this issue. Our civil
society has taken the lead. Now the church is trying to catch up."
(What the main line churches need to do is "catch up" on their increased
membership losses.) Meanwhile, the United Church of Christ is deciding
on a resolution to offer support for neighbors in the Muslim community.
The more we study them, the more we are impressed by the
statements of our Founding Fathers.
"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote
that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an
individual --or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is
executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for
which he is accountable to God and his country."
-- Samuel Adams, 1781
"Resistance to tyranny becomes the Christian and social duty of
each individual ... Continue steadfast and, with a proper sense
of your dependence on God, nobly defend those rights which
heaven gave, and no man ought to take from us."
-- John Hancock, 1774
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
