Thursday
WHAT KIND OF AMERICA WILL IT BE?
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Some thoughts for today, tomorrow and even for next week:
"Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law
under God is acknowledged."
"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God,
then we will be a Nation gone under."
-- President Ronald Reagan
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ONCE WE COULD PROUDLY AND CONFIDENTLY SAY "THERE
WILL ALWAYS BE AN AMERICA!" NOW WE HAVE TO ASK:
"BUT WILL IT BE THE AMERICA WE ALWAYS KNEW?"
What we are experiencing is a classic example of the corollary reasoning process:
"That was then; this is now." Or as David Barton, in his basic reference work,
"The Myth of Separation," expressed it: "The Way it Was ... the Way it Is."
At various stages in the development of the United States of America through the
400 years from the earliest colonies, Americans have been able to say: "I lived in
a historic time." The Declaration of Independence in 1776 . . . the Treaty of Paris,
ending the Revolutionary War in 1783 . . . the surrender of Lee to General Grant
at Appomattox in 1865, ending the Civil War . . . the Treaty of Versailles in 1918
end World War I . . . the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, and the end of
World War II in 1945 . . . these few events -- among others -- would qualify as
historic times in anyone's life.
And we, today, are living in an equally historic time.
In 1606 and 1609, the Charters to establish new colonies in an area called "Virginia,"
included these terms, "To make habitation ... in propagating of the Christian
religion to such people, as yet live in darkness," and "The principal Effect ... is
the Conversion of the people in those Parts unto the true Worship of God and
the Christian Religion." In 1620, Pilgrims on board the ship Mayflower, before
setting foot on the soil of this new land, signed the Mayflower Compact, declaring
their purpose in these words, "having undertaken, for the glory of God and the
advancement of the Christian faith ... a voyage to plant the first colony .."
It is absolutely clear that the dominant purpose in establishing these first colonies in
the new world was to advance the Christian faith. So many sources can be cited
in demonstrating the Christian convictions of our nation's founders. Perhaps none
expressed it more clearly than Cotton Mather, the Puritan minister and Christian
philosopher, who wrote in the 17th century concerning his contemporaries: "In
coming to the new continent they were influenced by a double hope: the
enlargement of Christ's kingdom by the conversion of heathen tribes, and the
founding of an empire for their own children in which His religion should
gloriously prevail."
That was Then . . . that's the Way it Was . . .
But this is Now . . . this is the Way it Is . . . On Oct. 30, 2008, just prior to Election
Day, candidate Obama made this statement in a campaign rally at the University of
Missouri: " We are five days away from radically transforming the United
Missouri: " We are five days away from radically transforming the United
States of America."
This is the period of history in which we live. Barack Obama has fulfilled his promise
of election eve, 2008 . . . and he continues on his course of "radically transforming"
America, day, after day, after day. . .
One of his earliest actions was to go to the Muslim world, and declare that America
is no longer a Christian nation. Totally contrary to all the foundational plans and
intents of the men who began this great undertaking that became America. Totally
contrary, also, to the history of this nation's first two centuries. He also promised great
benefits to his homosexual supporters, and pushed through the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
law change. (He still faces a problem there: two groups representing 2,000
Protestant and Catholic military chaplains have refused to perform homosexual
marriages because it violates their beliefs, and also violates a federal law.) He has
promised those supporters he would bring about the repeal of DOMA (the
Defense of Marriage Act) signed into law by President Clinton.
But for Mr. Obama, it's one historic achievement after another. According to the
U.S. Treasury Department, as of the close of business on Oct. 3, the total national
debt was $14,837,099,271,196.71-- up about $44.8 billion from Sept. 30. That
means that in the less-than-three-years Obama has been in office, the federal debt
has increased by $4.212 trillion--more than the total national debt of about $4.1672
trillion accumulated by all of the 41 U.S. presidents from George Washington
through George H.W. Bush -- combined. These are truly historic times!
But most recent is the "Occupy Wall Street" series of protests (riots). Some
of the national commentators have referred to the participants as "stupid youth," and
stupid or not, the protests -- called riots everywhere else in the world -- have spread
from Wall Street to cities all across the country. Nancy Pelosi has spoken out in favor
of the protests, and Mr. Obama has not spoken against them.
But the major boost has come from Robby Mook, the executive director of the
DCCC (Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee) who has sent a fund raising
Email message and petition to be signed, under the title: "I Stand with Occupy Wall
Street." The closing line of Mr. Mook's message: "Sign our petition right now and
help us reach 100,000 strong standing with "Occupy Wall Street protestors
across the country."
In contrast, prospective Republican candidate Herman Cain sent this message to the
protestors: "Wall Street didn't write these failed economic policies. The White
House did. Take your protest to the White House.”
Best selling motivational author, Robert Ringer, put the whole sorry episode into
focus: "The dreams-from-my-father moment appears to be nearing as riots,
sit-ins, and protests grow throughout the country. 'Social-justice' miscreants -
a whole new generation of sixties hippies - have escaped their cages and are
running wild in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, and other U.S. cities...
This weird mixture of commies and cuckoos are ecstatic over what BHO's
policies have done to the U.S. economy in less than three years...They believe,
or at least they believe they believe, in the greatest of all contradictions - that
by destroying wealth, there will be more wealth to share with 'the masses' ... you
know, as in Mao's China, Lenin's and Stalin's Soviet Union, and Castro's Cuba."
This is just one aspect of the accomplishments of Mr. Obama's program of bail-outs,
strangling regulations and increased government oversight. We can recall how things
were "Then" . . . we are witnessing how things are "Now."
And there were riots leading to massacres of Christians in Egypt. It was just
eight months ago, while President Obama and his Secretary of State Clinton, were
still in their internship, their learning-the-job phase of International Relations, and they
followed the mob-rule demands of protestors in Egypt and encouraged the removal
of long time President Mubarak -- an influence for stability in that tumultuous area,
and a friend and supporter of Israel. With Mubarak's steadying influence gone, the
Muslim Brotherhood assumed new power . . . Israel's safety was further weakened
. . . and the persecution of Egypt's Christians (about 10%-15% of the population)
became more intense. Already some 100,000 Coptic Christians have fled the country.
On Sunday, some of the Christians planned a modest, peaceful demonstration in
protest over the burning of another of their churches. Suddenly the protesters came
under attack by hundreds of thugs, in plain clothes, as well as large forces of police and
military using live ammunition. Police vehicles and military tanks scaled sidewalks and
ran over peaceful protesters, crushing their bodies and instantly killing them. The number
of dead and wounded changes with each report, but the active participation by Egyptian
police and military is not denied.
This is just one dramatic aspect of the "Then" and "Now" of the governance of the
United States of America. Currently unresolved are other examples of malfeasance
at the highest federal level, such as "Fast and Furious" -- our government's providing
of weapons to Mexican drug cartels . . . and when pressure on Attorney General
Holder became intense, the calling of a news conference on an immediate notice to
disclose an already available story of foiling an Iranian plot against the Saudis.
We are just touching the tip of the situation . . . but the obvious need for our long
term countdown of prayer becomes more intense . . .
As of this date (OK - we're a day late this week) there are 390 days till
Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012. 390 days to pray for guidance for our leaders, and
for God's blessing on our nation . . . and for God's wisdom as we go to the polls
on Election Day, and vote to correct the problems we face as a nation. But there
is a great, wide world of fellow believers beyond our shores who need our prayers
as they face persecution -- even loss of life -- because of their Christian faith.
Just a few examples this week of "What Others Are Saying" . . .
Ann Coulter (on the Wall Street protest mobs): "No one knows what the
Wall Street protesters want -- as is typical of mobs. They say they want
Obama re-elected, but claim to hate 'Wall Street.' You know, the same Wall
Street that gave its largest campaign donation in history to Obama, who,
in turn, bailed out the banks and made Goldman Sachs the fourth branch
of government."
Morton Klein (Pres., Zionist Organization of America): in noting the striking
contrast in how President Obama recognizes Jews and Muslims, "Obama's Rosh
Hashanah message was addressed strangely to 'everybody,' and … never
actually mentioned 'Jews' or 'Judaism' even once," but his Ramadan message
"referred to 'Muslims' six times and to 'Islam' twice, stated that American
Muslims have made extraordinary contributions to our country ... and praised
'Islam' ... as a faith known for great diversity and racial equality."
The American Dream: "Could Fast and Furious be the scandal that brings
down the Obama administration? With the full knowledge of the Department
of Justice, ATF agents facilitated the sale of thousands of guns to Mexican
drug cartels... It has become abundantly clear that the Obama administration
desperately wants to hide what went on during Operation Fast and Furious...
In fact, this could end up being Obama's Watergate... the scandal that could
bring down the Obama administration..."
And just a couple of "Afterthoughts," collected at random . . .
An advance notice of an important coming event: Sunday, Nov. 13, has been
designated as a day of international prayer support for our fellow believers in
lands where they are suffering persecution for their faith. Over 70% of the world's
population live in areas of severe religious persecution. The theme of this day of
prayer is "One With Them," and the key Scripture verse is I Cor. 12:26
Interesting: the "Generic" Republican candidate continues to beat Obama.
This week's match-up result was the same as last week's: Republican 47%; Obama
41%. In surveys since May, the prospective voting margins have been quite uniform.
The men who made this country great have so much to tell us . . .
"If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of
our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect
for the Constitution and Laws." --Alexander Hamilton, 1794
"In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man,
but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."
--Thomas Jefferson, 1798
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose
our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
-- Abraham Lincoln, 1863
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