Wednesday
CHRISTIAN STATE OF THE NATION!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012 of our 10th year of publication
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A thought for today, and for all our days yet to come:
"Thanksgiving is a creative force that, if lived on a continuous basis
and not just for one day each year, will create more good
in your life, and more to be thankful for."
Sir John Marks Templeton, 1994
American financier and Christian philanthropist
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THE ANNUAL "STATE OF THE UNION" SPEECH ALWAYS
MAKES BIG NEWS -- BUT WE SELDOM HEAR ABOUT
THE "CHRISTIAN STATE OF THE NATION"
And not to worry! We're not going to offer you our version of the annual "State
of the Union" speech. To do so would [a] take too much time and space, and
[b] include subjects we're either not experts on, or really can't do much about.
Such a discussion would have to include views and opinions on national defense,
international relations, the economy, health care, taxes, inter-state and inter-
national commerce, first amendment "rights" such as freedom of the press and
freedom of religion, the Constitution . . . and those are only column heads.
Beneath each one are many sub-titles.
But a few topics do come into focus for brief comments; for example, the
present situation in Afghanistan. After being there for 10 years, we are no more
welcome than we were in Iraq, but there common sense prevailed and we got
out with our original purpose not accomplished, and the country in an overall
worse condition than when we began our invasion. Yes, an evil dictator,
Saddam Hussein, was captured, tried and executed, but the opposing Muslim
adherents are still waging their wars, and doubtless will continue.
In Afghanistan, the Muslim forces used an inadvertent (accidental, unintentional)
destruction of the "Holy Quran," as an excuse for Afghan police and soldiers to
murder at least 6 American military men and other NATO workers, and now
following the killing of some 16 Afghan civilians, including women and children
by an American soldier, the country has become a very dangerous place for
Americans. The Russians learned the hard way that their mission there was
impossible, and left. Surely we should learn from their experience. Already
all Christian churches in Afghanistan have been eliminated. The future can only
become worse. Getting out of Afghanistan is a prevailing national view,
according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll which shows that 54%
of Americans want to withdraw U.S. troops even if the Afghan army is not
yet adequately trained to carry on the fight.
With respect to the Israeli situation, and Iran's threat to destroy Israel,
after last week's meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister
Netanyahu, and Mr. Obama's pressure for Israel not to launch a pre-emptive
strike on Iran, and allow Mr. Obama to try the diplomatic approach, Mr.
Netanyahu said: "When it comes to Israel's security, Israel has the right -- a
sovereign right -- to make its own decisions... Israel must reserve the right
to defend itself ... For the last decade, the international community has
tried diplomacy-- it hasn't worked. For six years the international
community has applied sanctions -- that hasn't worked, either. Israel has
patiently waited for the international community to resolve this issue.
We've waited for diplomacy to work, we've waited for sanctions to work.
None of us can afford to wait much longer... Never again will the Jewish
people be supplicants. Never again... We deeply appreciate the alliance
between our two nations, but when it comes to Israel's survival, we must
always remain the masters of our fate."
So much for international issues; now a brief comment about the economy.
Mr. Obama keeps insisting he has learned much during his years in office, and
in a recent interview with Matt Lauer on NBC-TV, he said: "One of the
things about being president is you get better as time goes on." And even
Senator John McCain told Bob Schieffer on CBS-TV, that Mr. Obama "has
learned a lot in his first two years in office."
They are right. Last week the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
projected that the February, 2012 deficit will be $229 billion - the highest monthly
figure in history. But in setting this new record deficit, Mr. Obama broke his own
record of $223 billion in 2011. This is the 41st consecutive month that the
government has run a deficit - a record streak dating back to the final few months
of the George W . Bush period -- previously the longest streak on record was
11 months. Yes, he did get better as time went on - or at least more proficient.
G. Edward Griffin, commenting on this situation, pointed out: "The US will pay
over $5 trillion in interest on its debt over the next 10 years. More than
14% of all revenue the government collects will be used just for that. Note
there is no serious effort to pay down the principle, just the interest.
Therefore, the debt will continue to grow until the interest approaches
100% of revenue; but long before that, the whole system will collapse.
It will not be pretty."
But more important from our viewpoint is the religious situation. In last
week's issue of ANC we traced the Bible-centered and Christian viewpoint of
America's presidents and leaders through the years from the founding of our
nation to current times, and found an un-interrupted continuity of belief right
up to the Obama administration.
Following up on those historical facts, historian David Barton was written this
summary: "When one observes President Obama’s unwillingness to
accommodate America’s four-century long religious conscience protection,
through his attempts to require Catholics to go against their own doctrines
and beliefs, one is tempted to say that he is anti-Catholic. But that
characterization would not be correct. Although he has recently singled out
Catholics, he has equally targeted traditional Protestant beliefs over the
past four years. So since he has attacked Catholics and Protestants, one is
tempted to say that he is anti-Christian. But that, too, would be inaccurate.
He has been equally disrespectful in his appalling treatment of religious Jews
in general and Israel in particular. So perhaps the most accurate description
of his antipathy toward Catholics, Protestants, religious Jews, and the Jewish
nation would be to characterize him as anti-Biblical.." Mr. Barton goes so far
as to label Barack Obama as the "most Biblically hostile president of all time."
And from the Catholic side of he ongoing controversy over the Obama
administration's attempt to destroy the First Amendment right of freedom of religion,
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and President of the U.S.
Conference of Bishops, after a meeting with the Obama administration in the White
House, said: "The White House seems to think we bishops simply do not know
or understand Catholic teaching," and in his letter to all Catholic bishops wrote,
"Brothers, we know so very well that religious freedom is our heritage, our
legacy and our firm belief, both as loyal Catholics and Americans. There have
been many threats to religious freedom over the decades and years, but these
often came from without. This one sadly comes from within. As our ancestors
did with previous threats, we will tirelessly defend the timeless and enduring
truth of religious freedom."
And last week we mentioned the breakdown of the president's Advisory Council
on Faith Based issues . . . now the man who guided President George W. Bush's
faith-based initiatives from 2002 to 2006 says the office has become a “faith-based
farce” under President Barack Obama, and should be shut down. Jim Towey is
now president of Ave Maria University, one of a number of church-affiliated
institutions suing to block Obama’s contraceptive coverage mandate. He accuses
Obama of turning the faith-based office into “nothing but a political outreach
operation” to get clergy behind his agenda.
So what can we say about the "Christian State of the Nation?" Under the
Obama administration, it isn't in particularly good shape . . . and from a brief
survey of international relations and the economy, they aren't in very good shape
either. And we haven't even mentioned two of the "high" spots of the economy
situation: the price of gasoline and the unemployment rate.
All of which leads us to the reminder of our Prayer Countdown, because
prayer is one thing we all can do to restore America to being the nation it was
intended to be. As of today, there are 237 days until election day, Nov. 6; 237
days to pray for our nation, its leaders and for God's guidance as we vote to
elect the leaders America needs. And never fail to pray for our fellow believers
all over the world who constantly face persecution, and often death, for their
expression of their faith.
As usual, to offset the liberal-biased, left-leaning "Main Line Media,"
we offer a few examples of "What Others Are Saying"
Skip MacLure (writing in the Conservative Outpost): "I wouldn’t want to
be in Barack Hussein Obama’s shoes. So many lies to keep track of and far
too many ‘little’ people willing to point them out. The 'Lame Stream Press'
has done an incredible job of contorting themselves into knots while running
cover for the regime. It isn’t flying… at least, the regime’s aerodynamic
qualities at this point are more akin to a balloon filled with lead…or gasoline."
The Heritage Foundation: "First they came for our money when they bailed
out irresponsible banks, companies and individuals. Our personal and
national financial security is now at risk. Then they took away the ability to
choose our own doctors, insurance carriers, and treatments. 'It is only fair,'
they said. Our personal health is now at risk. And now they come for what
drove so many of our founding fathers to America's shores. They want to
mandate religious institutions, schools, and people of faith... Freedom of
religion is now at risk. The First Amendment has been dismantled before
our eyes. America is now at risk."
Robert Ringer: "Liberty must be given a higher priority than all other
objectives — including a politician’s desire to do good things for people. As
Senator Jim DeMint points out in his constitutionally grounded book, Now
or Never, it’s not the government’s job to do good things. Its job is to
protect our natural rights. Whether or not America survives much longer
may well depend upon how many people can be brought around to
understanding this fundamental truth."
And just a few "One Liners" to brighten the day . . .
Rep. Michelle Bachman (R, Minn.) (in CNS): "President Barack Obama has
become a 'health care dictator.'”
Michelle Malkin (in The New Media Journal): "At his first press conference
of the year, the Nation's Concern Troll explained that he phoned Fluke ..."
Michelle Obama (in an interview video): "Government doesn't have all the
answers." [Now if she could just convince her husband on that point.]
N.Y. Mayor Michael Bloomberg (on the deficit crisis in N.Y. State): "Towns
and counties across the state are starting to have to make the real choices -
fewer cops, fewer firefighters, slower ambulance response, less teachers in
front of the classroom."
And now, here are a few more than the usual number of "Afterthoughts"
One of the best statements yet on Al Gore's "Global Warming" hoax came
from Senator James Inhofe (R, OK), who maintains that only God can change the
climate, and for us to believe that our actions can alter the seasons is pure
“arrogance.” His comments last week were: "The Genesis 8:22 verse that I use
in there is that 'as long as the earth remains there will be springtime and
harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night.’ My point is,
God’s still up there. The arrogance of people to think that we, human beings,
would be able to change what He is doing in the climate is to me outrageous.”
One of the troubling, but almost ignored aspects of our depressed economy:
Banks are foreclosing on America's churches in record numbers as religious facilities
default on their mortgages. The surge in church foreclosures represents a new wave
of distressed property seizures, with many banks no longer willing to grant struggling
religious organizations forbearance. Since 2010, 270 churches have been sold after
defaulting on their loans, according to the real estate information company CoStar
Group. In 2011, 138 churches were sold by banks, an annual record, compared to
just 24 sales in 2008, and only a handful in the decade before.
Perhaps there is some relief in sight from present day "prophets;" but not
all the prescient voices have been stilled. Family Radio founder, Harold Camping
who made headlines last year with his predictions of Christ's return, first on May
21, and then on Oct. 21, has admitted that his predictions were both "incorrect"
and "sinful." His promise to make no more end-time predictions included these
words, "We have learned the very painful lesson that all of creation is in
God's hands and He will end time in His time, not ours!" However, another
self-styled "prophet" -- Pat Robertson -- described as a "wealthy media mogul,"
and the founder of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the
Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and Regent University, continues to
create news with his pseudo-prophetic viewpoints. At the start of this year, he
announced that God had revealed to him the outcome of the 2012 presidential
election, and he has now declared that the recent tornadoes occurred because
the residents of those states did not pray enough . . . and his latest word is that
he favors the legalization of marijuana in America. He is within his right of the
freedom of speech, but the rest of us still have freedom to ignore his opinions.
"Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore
who are decrying the Christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and
pure, and which insures to the good eternal happiness, are undermining the
solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free
governments." -- Charles Carroll, signer of the Declaration of Independence, 1800
"Our society -- unlike most in the world -- presupposes that freedom and
liberty are in a frame of reference that makes the individual, not government,
the keeper of his tastes, beliefs, and ideas; that is the philosophy of the First
liberty are in a frame of reference that makes the individual, not government,
the keeper of his tastes, beliefs, and ideas; that is the philosophy of the First
Amendment; and it is this article of faith that sets us apart from most nations
in the world." -- William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice, 1973
Another week . . . another issue of ANC, as always, a trusted commentary.
Where else will you find current events reviewed from our position: pro-Christian,
pro-American, pro-Conservative? If this is important to you, please lend us a
hand by your contribution to keep ANC coming your way every Wednesday. Just
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Wonderful commentary! Very helpful in understanding current events from a Biblical Worldview!!!
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