Religion of Peace at It Again

Once more, Islamic faithful have demonstrated their odd application of “peace.” The Australian reports that Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, is once again the subject of death threats across the Islamic world: “Eighteen years after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling on Muslims to kill him, a government minister in Pakistan said yesterday that Rushdie's recent knighthood justified suicide bombing… Hardliners in Iran revived calls for Rushdie's murder yesterday. Mehdi Kuchakzadeh, a Tehran MP, declared: ‘Rushdie died the moment the late imam (Ayatollah Khomeini) issued the fatwa.’”

This declaration is more than a death threat; it is a declaration of Rushdie’s legal status within Islam. By declaring Rushdie already “dead,” no Muslim will be charged by Islam law with murder because it is impossible to murder a “dead” man. Great legal system, huh? Great way to address political and religious differences.

But, hey, this is the “religion of peace.” This is the only religion in the world not currently engaged in holy war. Well, if you listen to certain sectors of American society, this is the case. To all you moderate Muslims out there, especially moderate Imams, scholars, and political leaders: what are you doing to negate the fatwa against Salman Rushdie, protest Islamic threats against Great Britain, and implement Islamic solutions that are actually peaceful?

Evan Sayet: Why I Turned Conservative

I ran across this address of Evan Sayet to the National Heritage Foundation some time back. It is almost 48 minutes long, but I found it to be worth listening to in its entirety. Extremely interesting perspective from a New York Jew who was once a liberal. Among other observations, he says, “Imagine being in a restaurant with an old friend & suddenly he blurts out, ‘I hate my wife.’ You kind of chuckle to yourself because he says it every time you’re together, & you know he doesn’t hate his wife. They’ve been together for 35 years. He loves his daughters & they’re just like her. Naw, he doesn’t hate his wife. And you sit there & look out the window, & you spot his wife out the window. And she’s being beaten up. And you grab your friend & say, ‘Come on! Come on! Let’s help her! Let’s help your wife!’ And he says, ‘Naw, I’m sure she deserves it.’ At that moment, it dawns on you that he really does hate his wife. Well, that’s what 9/11 was to me (Sayet continues). I would hear my friends from the left say how evil & horrible & racist & imperialistic & oppressive America is, and I’d laugh to myself & say, ‘Aww, they always say that. They love America.’ And then on 9/11 we were beaten up. And I grabbed ‘em by the collar & said, ‘Come on! Come on! Let’s help her! Let’s help America!’ And they said, ‘No, she deserves it.’ At that moment, I realized that they really do hate America.”

His National Heritage speech is found at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaE98w1KZ-c

His website is

http://www.evansayet.com/

Your Choice

Details emerging about the young man who went on the shooting rampage at Virginia Tech indicate, we are told, “a chilling portrait of a 23-year-old loner who alarmed his professors with twisted creative writing…” (Kokomo Tribune, 4/18/07, p. A1). The report tells us that Cho wrote “obscenity- and violence-laced screenplays… One was about a fight between a stepson and his stepfather, and involved throwing of hammers and attacks with a chainsaw.” One classmate revealed, “When we read Cho’s plays, it was like something out of a nightmare. The plays had really twisted, macabre violence that used weapons I wouldn’t have even thought of.”

Frankly, I am confused by the concern expressed over Cho’s writings. It sounds to me exactly like the plots of innumerable movies and television shows being shown as entertainment on any given week of the year. Monday’s entertainment news leader reads, “‘Disturbia’ gets movie-goers’ attention with $23M” (Kokomo Tribune, 4/16/07, p. A8). “Disturbia” - number one grossing movie the weekend before Cho’s shooting spree. Yet, the nation is shocked by the obscenity and violence in Cho’s playwrights? A chainsaw used as a weapon? Hmmm… where have I heard of that theme before? Macabre, murderous uses for everyday tools and items? Hmmm… ever heard of the “Saw” movies? I wonder how many terrified students on the Virginia Tech campus that day were listening to or wearing paraphernalia from groups like “Slip Knot” that market bizarre, macabre, culture-of-death themes as entertainment?

I am not issuing a call for censorship. I am not even suggesting that there is any cause-and-effect link to be made between the modern cultural fascination with the macabre and Cho’s actions. Instead, I am inviting every reader of this blog to take time to reflect on the personal choices he/she makes and ask if those choices contribute to a culture of fear or a culture of peace. Are the entertainment and lifestyle choices you are making every day something you are proud to pass on to your children, or would you rather they not do what you are doing? Are you really so willing to plop down your hard-earned money to glorify gore and culture-of-death media, or would you really rather use your resources to make a difference in the community and world in which you live?

Not a single one of us can bring any of Cho’s victims back to life or erase the injuries he has caused. But we can honor them. We can make daily choices in our own personal lives that reflect and honor peace and the valuable sanctity of life instead of bizarre, macabre, gory deaths and lyrics. What path are you taking? It’s your choice.

Tragedy

“For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” – Romans 1:21-23 (NIV)

Yesterday, April 15, Lois and I attended an honors convocation on the campus of Purdue University. It was an uplifting ceremony that reminded all participants of the enthusiasm, vision, and hope that are so prevalent on a college campus as young men and women prepare to take their place in the world. It was inspirational to be in the presence of, as Purdue President Martin C. Jischke stated, the “best of the best.”

Today, April 16, Americans are receiving the shocking news of a tragedy of enormous proportions on the campus of Virginia Tech. As of the last report I have heard, more than 22 people on campus have lost their lives to a murderous gunman. More than 28 people are injured. These are just the initial, confused reports. I saw the breaking news at noon. “I have a daughter away at college and a son who has been out only four months,” I thought. “That could happen anywhere, including their college.” I wept. A college campus that has every bit as much vision and hope and optimism for the future as I experienced yesterday has been cast into darkness, despair, and hopelessness today. I weep even as I write this article today.

My heart breaks in sympathy for parents who will be told that their son or daughter who they love and for whom they held high hopes has been killed today. My heart breaks in sympathy for the husband or wife of faculty and staff who will be told that his or her loved one has been killed today. My heart breaks in sympathy for families whose lives have been so tragically – and so unnecessarily – changed today. Normal men and women going about normal activities, yet an unchangeable tragedy has struck their lives.

Most of all, my heart goes out to a culture that consistently and increasingly rejects the offer of peace and salvation. My heart goes out to a culture that consistently and increasingly ignores the Word of God and tries to turn it into a book of myth and make-believe. My heart goes out to a culture that mocks the morality and ethic and piety proclaimed by God through His Word and His believers.

At the time of this writing, it is not known yet what has driven a young man to go on this murderous rampage on a college campus, but I can guarantee that no matter what reason turns up, it will not be worth the devastation he has caused. No matter what drove him to such despair, what would have been the harm had he thrown himself upon the altar of God to seek, even as a last ditch effort, solace for the misery that was driving him mad? What would have been the harm had this young man come away from such an experience having had his despair replaced by the triumphant Spirit of God? What would have been the harm had the campus of Virginia Tech – or any campus – just had to deal with another Christian witness?

At the outset of Romans, Paul addresses a world that knows God but gives Him no glory. Paul writes to our world as well. He tells us the reality we all face. The religious word that our culture rejects is human depravity. The Dictionary of Christian Theology by Peter Angeles reads, “Characterized by corruption, debasement, sin, deterioration, degeneration, evil, perversity, loss of purity, alienation, estrangement. Every human faculty or function is regarded as having an innate possibility for sin.” Even though this concept is frequently ridiculed by modern thought, is there anything that more accurately describes today’s tragedy than this? Men and women today strive so hard for an absolute freedom to live for their personal pleasures that they cast God away from their thoughts. They ridicule those who fail to rid themselves of God as “weak and narrow-minded.” Then, when they come face to face with so much despair and anguish and hopelessness, it translates into such a raging hatred that a normal young man lines up students and faculty on a University campus and executes them mercilessly. Is this not an act of depravity and sin? Is this not a rejection of the Living God who has loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die in our place? My answer is “yes;” if yours differs, I invite you to let me know what else drives a person to such seething, uncontrollable rage. How much more accurate about the condition of the human heart can any human construct be than what we are already told through the Scriptures?

This is certainly not what I intended my article for the May newsletter to be about. But my heart is unutterably broken over this tragic event, and I can think of nothing else. I can hardly bear the thought of what fathers and mothers and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters and children of today’s victims are going to have to go through. I wonder how the University family at Virginia Tech is going to be able to come to grips with today’s unimaginable tragedy. I am overwhelmed.

Later, in the same letter from which I began this article, Paul writes, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39) Both those who accept and those who reject the Word of God are being given wake up calls almost every day. I certainly hope that this is the message that the culture and world in which I live will once again hear and take to heart. Think how much tragedy we could avert if only the Word of God became the first weapon of choice to our fear, despair, loneliness, and even rage.

Taxing Time

Ahhhh… April. Thoughts of spring; Easter; baseball; San Jacinto Day (a Texan thing)… and taxes!

I have never been more disgusted with tax preparation than this year. Don’t know why. I even enjoyed work as a part-time tax preparer a few years ago. But this year, the time I have needed to dedicate to tax preparation has just annoyed me. I didn’t want to go through the paperwork & IRS instruction hassles. Ridiculous!

This is why I have become more & more attracted to the grassroots, non-partisan Americans for Fair Tax movement. If you have never heard of the Fair Tax, or want to learn more about it, a wealth of information is available at http://www.fairtax.org/.

When I first heard of the Fair Tax plan, I was not in favor of it. It is, simplistically stated, a national sales tax. Who wants that? But before jumping to uninformed conclusions, give it a fair hearing. Take the time to be informed about its benefits. The website is full of research. I believe that the Fair Tax proposal is the most well-researched tax reform proposal around.

Here are some highlights of the proposal directly from the website: “The FairTax plan is a comprehensive proposal that replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with an integrated approach including a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue replacement, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment. This nonpartisan legislation (HR 25) abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities. The IRS is disbanded and defunded. The FairTax taxes us only on what we choose to spend on new goods or services, not on what we earn. The FairTax is a fair, efficient, transparent, and intelligent solution to the frustration and inequity of our current tax system.”

If the Fair Tax proposal makes sense to you, consider joining the online campaign to fax at least 100,000 messages of support to your Senators & Representative in Congress by this year’s tax day of April 17.

Personal Relationship with Jesus

April 1-8, 2007, is Holy Week among many Christian faith groups worldwide. During this week, Christians reflect upon the meaning of the work of Christ: his triumphal entry into Jerusalem; his final days of teaching and ministry before the betrayal; the “last” supper and the giving of the New Covenant; his betrayal; his trial; his suffering; his crucifixion; and his triumphant resurrection.

The remembrance of these events creates an appropriate time for all of us to take stock of our spiritual lives and personal relationship with God. I offer these questions as a beginning point for personal reflection:
(1) What is your spiritual belief and how do you practice it?
(2) To you, who is Jesus?
(3) Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell?
(4) If you died right now, where would you go? If heaven, why?
(5) If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it?

If your answer to question (5) is “no,” I thank you for reading this far. You really have no need to read further.

If your answer to question (5) is “yes,” I invite you to consider what the Bible says and to let it speak to you.

(1) “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” (Romans 3:23) What does this say to you?
(2) “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) What does this say to you?
(3) “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” (John 3:3) Why did Jesus come to die?
(4) “Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) What does this say to you?
(5) “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’” (Romans 10:9-11) What does this say to you?
(6) “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:15) What does this say to you?
(7) “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) What does this say to you?

If these Bible verses are speaking to you, I invite you to consider these questions:

(1) Are you a sinner?
(2) Do you want forgiveness for your sins?
(3) Do you believe Jesus died on the cross for you and rose again?
(4) Are you willing to surrender your life to Christ?
(5) Are you ready to invite Jesus into your life and into your heart?

If your answers to the above questions are yes, I offer the following words as a sample of what you can sincerely pray right now to receive complete forgiveness from our loving God:

“Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give You my life to do with as You wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and into my heart. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

If this is your prayer, or if you have further questions, I invite you to visit the website of First Baptist Church, Bunker Hill. You can contact me through the online form there.

May God grant you a blessed Easter celebration, and may this become your moment of salvation!

(Questions taken from the Share Jesus Without Fear workbook. © 1997 by LifeWay Press.)
(Scripture taken from the New International Version. © 1996 by the Zondervan Corp.)

Save the Planet? April Fool!

How could we live without Hollywood stars to tell us right from wrong? As a result of their dire warnings, we know how close to the brink of disaster our world is because of the Global Warming crisis. Just ask Dr. Al Gore (see the March 30th submission below).

But do not expect them to take any steps to personally reduce their “greenhouse gas” emissions or “carbon footprint.” That would be asking too much. It would also be asking too much of normal folks as well, which is why they are trying to introduce and pass legislation requiring us to live stone-age lives.

Anyway, prepare to be motivated by John Travolta:

***(begin quote)***
With five private jets, Travolta still lectures on global warming
30.03.07

His serious aviation habit means he is hardly the best person to lecture others on the environment. But John Travolta went ahead and did it anyway. The 53-year-old actor, a passionate pilot, encouraged his fans to "do their bit" to tackle global warming. But although he readily admitted: "I fly jets", he failed to mention he actually owns five, along with his own private runway. Clocking up at least 30,000 flying miles in the past 12 months means he has produced an estimated 800 tons of carbon emissions – nearly 100 times the average Briton's tally…. He spoke of the importance of helping the environment by using "alternative methods of fuel" – after driving down the red carpet on a Harley Davidson. Travolta, a Scientologist, claimed the solution to global warming could be found in outer space and blamed his hefty flying mileage on the nature of the movie business. But his appointment as a "serving ambassador" for the Australian airline Qantas doesn't seem to have much to do with the movies. Nor does a recent, two-month round-the-world flying trip.

"It [global warming] is a very valid issue," Travolta declared. "I'm wondering if we need to think about other planets and dome cities… Everyone can do their bit. But I don't know if it's not too late already. We have to think about alternative methods of fuel… I'm probably not the best candidate to ask about global warming because I fly jets… I use them as a business tool though, as others do. I think it's part of this industry – otherwise I couldn't be here doing this and I wouldn't be here now."

Travolta's five private planes – a customised £2million Boeing 707, three Gulfstream jets and a Lear jet – are kept at the bottom of his garden in the US next to a private runway.
***(end quote)***

The article goes on to state that Travolta boasts a “carbon footprint” of nearly 100 times the average Briton. Yes, Hollywood liberal elitists believe we should save the planet…

APRIL FOOL!

(photo: John Travolta as official spokesman for Qantas Airline)

Save the Planet? Gore Just Says No!

On March 21, 2007, Dr. Al Gore testified before the House and Senate Joint Environment and Public Works Committee about Global Warming (GW). Dr. Gore testified:

***(begin quote)***

I want to testify today about what I believe is a planetary emergency—a crisis that threatens the survival of our civilization and the habitability of the Earth. Just six weeks ago, the scientific community, in its strongest statement to date, confirmed that the evidence of warming is “unequivocal.” Global warming is real and human activity is the main cause. The consequences are mainly negative and headed toward catastrophic, unless we act. However, the good news is that we can meet this challenge. It is not too late, and we have everything we need to get started.

***(end quote)***

He calls upon Congress to implement laws that will address the “crises” he describes. If enacted, the laws and policies he calls for will devastate national and global economies on an unprecedented scale. They are little more than a means for the establishment of a one world government.

During the hearing, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla) presented Dr. Gore a personal ethics pledge that, if accepted, would indicate Dr. Gore’s personal sincerity to achieve the steps necessary to reduce the human component of “greenhouse gas” emissions. In a move typical of elitist egalitarianism, Dr. Gore refused to take the pledge. Arrogant hypocrisy from the one who is alarmed about the devastation that global warming brings? You make the call...

***(begin quote)***
GORE REFUSES TO TAKE PERSONAL PLEDGE

WASHINGTON, DC – …Senator Inhofe then presented Vice President Gore with the following "Personal Energy Ethics Pledge:" As a believer:

· that human-caused global warming is a moral, ethical, and spiritual issue affecting our survival;

· that home energy use is a key component of overall energy use;

· that reducing my fossil fuel-based home energy usage will lead to lower greenhouse gas emissions; and

· that leaders on moral issues should lead by example; I pledge to consume no more energy for use in my residence than the average American household by March 21, 2008.”

Gore refused to take the pledge.

***(end quote)***

Additionally, Dr. Gore testified, "First of all, there is no longer any serious debate over the basic points that make up the consensus on global warming."

If you are concerned that questioning Dr. Gore places you in the company of fringe kooks who are not real scientists, you may be interested in knowing that there really is still serious debate going on among the science community.

***(begin quote)***
Global Warming Petition Project

During the past 2 years, more than 17,100 basic and applied American scientists, two-thirds with advanced degrees, have signed the Global Warming Petition. Signers of this petition so far include 2,660 physicists, geophysicists, climatologists, meteorologists, oceanographers, and environmental scientists (select this link for a listing of these individuals) who are especially well qualified to evaluate the effects of carbon dioxide on the Earth's atmosphere and climate. Signers of this petition also include 5,017 scientists whose fields of specialization in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and other life sciences (select this link for a listing of these individuals) make them especially well qualified to evaluate the effects of carbon dioxide upon the Earth's plant and animal life.

Global Warming Petition

We urge the United States government to reject the global warming agreement that was written in Kyoto, Japan in December, 1997, and any other similar proposals. The proposed limits on greenhouse gases would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage the health and welfare of mankind.

There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane, or other greenhouse gasses is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth.

(More at http://www.oism.org/pproject/s33p36.htm#Top)
***(end quote)***

Just a few of the inconvenient truths for the Gore hypocrites.

(photo: Al Gore testifies at House and Senate Joint Environment and Public Works Committee hearing)

Will AU Investigate?

On March 4, 2007, Democrat Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) addressed the congregation of the Brown Chapel AME Church from the pulpit and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) addressed the congregation of the First Baptist Church, Selma, from the pulpit. During the course of their speeches, each provided reasons why the Democrat Party in general and they in particular as Presidential candidates are the right political party and person to represent African-American voters. Were these speeches by Democrat Presidential candidates partisan politics and, therefore, a violation of their respective 501(c)(3) non-profit organization tax exempt status?

During political campaign “seasons,” Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) aggressively pursues the identification and reporting of violations of partisan political support by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. The AU’s particular targets of opportunity are conservative, evangelical churches and religious organizations that promote “partisan support” for conservative candidates. It is not unusual for the AU to accuse non-profit religious organizations that provide issue-oriented voter guides to churches of violating the tax law forbidding partisan electioneering.

Will the AU demand investigations alleging violations of partisan politics by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in the case of the Brown Chapel AME Church and First Baptist Church, Selma? I don’t know. Let’s find out. Write a letter to AU and ask them. If you want to use it as a guide (or just copy and paste), the text of my letter follows:

“Were the church services and political rallies in which Sen. Obama (Brown Chapel AME Church) and Sen. Clinton (First Baptist Church, Selma) participated on March 4, 2007, violations of the tax law concerning 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations engaging in partisan political campaigning? Should the churches hosting these Presidential candidates be investigated for possible violation of this tax code? Why or why not? Thank you for your assistance.”

Address your inquiries to:
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
518 C Street NE
Washington, DC 20002

(photos: (left) Sen. Clinton speaks at First Baptist Church, Selma; (right) Sen. Obama speaks at Brown Chapel AME Church, 3/4/2007)

Anti-War & Pro-Choice

Upon some self-reflection, I have come to the realization that I am anti-war and pro-choice. Yes, it’s true! Unbelievable, isn’t it?

I am anti-war. I do not like what war brings. I do not like the devastation and depravation and destruction and deaths. I do not like to see lives forever ruined by war. I do not like the atrocities committed during war. I had to confront myself honestly – I am anti-war!

This is why I so much detest the tyrants and their armies who constantly oppress their people, create instability, and seek to increase their territory through armed aggression. This is why I believe that they need to be constantly and consistently opposed by people who are free and who seek freedom for everyone. Not every confrontation has to lead to armed conflict, but every tyrant everywhere should know that their behavior and their evil intentions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated by free people everywhere. I detest war, and I detest even more those who bring war.

This leads me to my second self-realization: I am pro-choice! I believe that free people everywhere should have the choice to decide to oppose tyranny and to defend their liberties. And if the choice is made for defense of freedom and opposition to tyrants, then free people everywhere should support such a just cause. As one of the never-used verses of our National Anthem reminds us, may we always stand for true liberty and justice:

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war’s desolation,
Blest with vict’ry and peace, may the Heav’n-rescued land
Praise the Pow’r that hath made and preserved us a nation!Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Iwo Jima

Thank you, both war veterans & Americans supporting them on the home front, for your sacrifices!

(photos: Marines raise the American flag on Mt. Suribachi February 23, 1945)

Democrat Party & Religion

It appears that the Democrat Party has finally found religion and prayers they can embrace. Since Democrat leadership and the left have a habit of creating heroes out of any group they perceive as oppressed according to their convoluted logic, the Democrat National Committee (DNC) has discovered religion. On February 2, 2007, the DNC reveled in the invocation at their Annual Winter Meeting in Washington given by Husham Al-Husainy, Imam of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center, a Shi'ite mosque in Dearborn, Michigan:

“In the name of God the most merciful, the most compassionate. We thank you,
God, to bless us among your creations. We thank you, God, to make us as a great
nation. We thank you God, to send us your messages through our father Abraham
and Moses and Jesus and Mohammed. Through you, God, we unite. So guide us to the right path. The path of the people you bless, not the path of the people you doom. Help us, God, to liberate and fill this earth with justice and peace and love and equality. And help us to stop the war and violence, and oppression and occupation. Amen.”

Robert Spencer of the “Jihad Watch” for Human Events writes:

“What’s more, if a Christian priest or minister had prayed at a DNC meeting that those attending be guided away from the path of those doomed by God, the outcry would have been swift and shrill. Those whom God dooms? Hardly a concept that fits comfortably into today's culture of non-accountability, but evidently it was acceptable to the Democrats when coming from a Muslim.”

Information shared about Imam Al-Husainy by Debbie
Schlussel demonstrates what passes for “moderate, peaceful, orthodox” Islam by the DNC and the left:

“But make no mistake. Imam Al-Husainy is no moderate. He was an advisor to the late Mohammed Bakr Al-Hakim, leader of the Iran-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution. He's allied with the mainstream of Iraq's Shia Islam, which is terrorizing and driving out the few Christians left there… This past summer, Al-Husainy seemed very happy leading almost-daily protests of thousands of Hezbollah supporters on the streets of Dearborn and Detroit, swarming with swastikas and anti-Semitic, anti-American signs.”

I still cannot comprehend what drives Democrat leadership and their supporters from the left to embrace the philosophy and theology of America’s enemies during this time of war. Does it never occur to them that they will be among the first to go if Islam establishes the world theocracy that their practitioners seek?

Historic Football Game

Much is being said of the history being made at the February 4th meeting of the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. This is the first time that an African American head coach is leading a team in the Super Bowl® - and, the head coach of both teams is African American. It marks an historic event.

This pales, however, alongside the truly historic perspective of this event. Each head coach, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, are brothers in the Lord Jesus Christ. They love their faith; they speak their faith; they live their faith. Each man, in his own way, makes clear in his many press meetings and press releases the meaning that Jesus Christ has in his life. In an age when rampant secularism is particularly vicious to those who express a personal love for and devotion to Jesus, this is a truly remarkable and historic event. I will let the records speak for these coaches and their players.

“MIAMI - The skin color of the two Super Bowl head coaches has been a prominent subject this week and justifiably so. Tony Dungy of the Colts and Lovie Smith of the Bears are the first African-Americans to bring teams to the game, and the importance of that should not be ignored. But neither should it overshadow the content of their character, or the message that their understated, reasoned approaches to coaching sends: That it's possible to be a successful coach without being a raving, self-absorbed lunatic… ‘I respect the way they coach,’ Colts center Jeff Saturday said. ‘You're not going to be cussed at. You're not going to be yelled at. The reality is, he (Dungy) is going to be the same guy, win or lose. I have a lot of respect for who he is as a man, and more importantly, as a Christian mentor.’ Both Dungy and Smith are quick to credit their religious faith for their success. Dungy's faith has helped sustain him since his son, James, committed suicide in December 2005. Both view themselves as more than just football coaches. They are examples to their players that
religion and family are important, too.” –
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0202supercoaches0202.html

“For all the hoopla about Smith and Dungy being the first African-American head coaches to reach the Super Bowl, there's also a common bond in the friends' spirituality. ‘What makes it even better is that they are both men of humility, they are both men of God,’ said U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. ‘They never trash-talk. They are not yellers and screamers. ... They are just a couple of class individuals.’ While other coaches berate players
or curse within earshot of fans or reporters, these two have led their teams to the NFL's biggest game with no more than a few euphemisms. –
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/faithvalues/2003554384_religionsuperbowl03.html

“The Colts have a quality that makes them different from most NFL teams: They're OK with being vulnerable. They show little bravado and see no need to hide themselves. They're naked. The world can see it, and perhaps it can sympathize… One tragedy unified this team the most. Thirteen months ago, Tony Dungy and his team received the shocking news that the coach's son, James, had committed suicide. The Colts immediately went from Super Bowl favorites to a team locked in prayer. But Dungy handled his despair in a way that will forever be admired. He spoke of his faith, of his Christian beliefs, and how it would carry him through. Even if you didn't agree with his religion, you were impressed with how strong and stately he appeared in public. ‘A lot of guys on this team find inspiration from what he went through with James and in other parts of his life,’ linebacker Rob Morris said… Athletes want to appeal to a broad base of fans, so many keep personal things, such as spirituality, quiet. Not these players. The Colts have spent Super Bowl week expressing their beliefs. They're not preaching, not aiming to convert people, but they aren't shying from who they are. ‘You can't get any higher than the Super Bowl, but it doesn't define who we are as men,’ center Jeff Saturday said. ‘The faith in Christ is what defines us and our attitudes on the field; off the field, how we treat our families and our wives are the things that are most important to us. And that is the greatest part - that we have this stage, this platform, to speak about our faith.’ –
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/16615548.htm

“MIAMI (BP)--Lovie Smith had a limited amount of time during his Super Bowl XLI media session Monday, but the Chicago Bears head coach said he could spend hours talking about his star players and their efforts to get the team to their first Super Bowl berth in 21 years. But Smith also wanted to spend part of his allotted time talking about what was most important in his life, his faith in Jesus Christ. ‘God is the center of my life. It controls all that I do. I hope I don’t have to spend my time telling my players I’m a Christian. I hope they see it in my life every day,’ Smith said.” –
http://www.bpsports.net/bpsports.asp?ID=5533

Praise the Lord!

Coach Tony Dungy Lives What He Believes

As the Indianapolis Colts finish their preparations for this year’s Super Bowl game, Indiana (& other) Colts fans are enjoying the privilege of being AFC & potential Super Bowl XLI Champions. What should not be lost in the typical Super Bowl hoopla is the amazing manner in which Coach Tony Dungy, Colts head coach, lives his faith.

Thirteen months ago, Tony and his family suffered the terrible tragedy of the death of James Dungy, his son. How does one respond to such an event? Coach Dungy responded from the foundation of the Christian belief in which he places his faith. In an address to the Athletes in Action breakfast prior to last year’s Super Bowl, he spoke about his son’s death. But it was not a message of despair. It was a message of incredible hope. Given at a time that could have been filled with personal darkness, Coach Dungy testified that through his son’s death, others were given an opportunity to see the light of Christ. His address at that breakfast was a phenomenal testimony of Christian faith. After reading it myself, I swore to make it the first entry in my blog site. I did on May 16, 2006.

I also promised to revisit this testimony, and this seems to be the appropriate time to do so, especially since the Colts Head Coach continues to conduct himself as a true, living ambassador for Jesus Christ. Simply put, the man expresses total, humble gratitude to God for the opportunities he has been given. Following the Colts AFC Championship win, both the Colts owner (Jim Irsay) and Coach Dungy verbally thanked and praised God when receiving the trophy, as did some other players. In the two weeks between the AFC Championship game and the Super Bowl game, Coach Dungy has remained as peaceful, calm, and unflappable as ever. He is genuinely filled with Christian joy. I am certain that Coach Dungy wants to win the Super Bowl game more than almost anything else right now. I am fairly certain that if the Colts do not win, that the Coach’s mild, humble demeanor will be criticized. But what cannot be criticized is his approach to life as a devoted man of God. It shows in every way.

In an Associated Press story printed in the Kokomo Tribune on 1/29/07, Coach Dungy’s remarkable legacy was once again highlighted. In Jackson, Michigan, his hometown, he participated in an event at Frost School honoring his mother. The article concludes:

Dungy’s deceased parents were both popular educators, his father at Jackson Community College and his mother at Jackson High School. With two ministers in the family – Dungy’s grandfather and uncle – and a deeply devoted mother, attending services at United People’s Church was part of the routine, as well as simply treating people well. ‘Our dad wasn’t a man of many words, but he made it clear that getting an education and working hard were important,’ [Sherrilyn] Sims said. ‘My mother was more outspoken, and she would always say, ‘Love is the most important thing.’ She didn’t just say that. She lived it and made sure we did likewise.’ Dungy returned the love last summer when he went to a Jackson Community College dinner and auction to raise funds for the Dr. Wilbur Dungy Endowed Chair, honoring his father. He brought along two former assistants – Bears coach [Lovie] Smith and Detroit Lions coach Rod Marinelli – then made time the next day for kids at a football camp. In June, Dungy is expected back in Jackson for the camp. ‘It may sound Cinderella-ish, but Tony Dingy is only too good to be true if you don’t know him,’ Russell [Davis] said. ‘In Jackson, we’re lucky enough we know him.’

Thank you, Coach Dungy, for living your faith.

Must They Sound So Much Alike?

It comes as no surprise to me that America’s enemies would not take kindly to our latest strategic move against them: numerical military build-up in Iraq. One would expect the type of bravado from al-Qaeda leadership. Indeed, it has been issued by Ayman al-Zawahiri, the so-called “second-in-command.” Says al-Zawahiri, “Why send 20,000 only, why not send 50 or 100 thousand? Aren't you aware that the dogs of Iraq are pining for your troops' dead bodies?”

Yes, I can understand the enemy’s response; they are, after all, waging a war they want to convincingly win. But what motivates the American left and their political party of choice – the Democrats? “You can put a hundred thousand troops in, and you can up the casualties, up the stakes, increase the violence, and not get a resolution.” This was Sen. John Kerry’s (D-MA) answer to David Gregory’s (Today Show, 12/2006) question about sending additional American forces to Baghdad.

Must the American left/Democrat party sound so much like our enemy? ‘Nuff said.

(Photos: left, Ayman al-Zawahiri; right, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA))

How About We Concern Ourselves With Victory?

I am writing ahead of the 2007 State of the Union Address to be delivered by President Bush. Throughout the day, it has sounded as if the speech has already been given as analysts go back and forth about what is meant by what he will say. Good grief.

Without a doubt, the President will address the Global War on Terror (GWOT) and the war in Iraq (one and the same in my book). The topic of troop “surge” is unavoidable. Of course, our partisan mainstream media has been gloating over opposition to increasing troop strength there ever since President Bush made this proposal known. Never mind that one of the Democrat’s talking points for quite a long time has been the lack of additional military strength committed to the Iraq front.

I have one question. In spite of our freedom to disagree, don’t you think that it is time to concern ourselves with victory? There are some analysts and commentators whom I have a great deal of respect for who question this latest strategy. I’m not too sure what it is supposed to accomplish, especially if the additional troops are given no more freedom to prosecute this war than those who have gone before them. But what do I know? I’m no in-the-know military strategist. But I do think that it is a rather bad idea for Congress to oppose this effort to the point of debating “resolutions of disapproval!” Are they really so ignorant of what motivates and aids our enemies? Apparently not. From today’s hearing of Gen. Petraeus before Congress:

LIEBERMAN: “I want to ask you, what effect would Senate passage of a resolution of disapproval of this new way ahead that you embrace, what effect would it have on our enemies in Iraq?”

PETRAEUS: This is a test of wills at the end of the day, and in that regard, speaking purely as a military commander if confirmed, albeit, one who frankly does understand enormously and treasures the value of free and open debate, free speech, who has put himself in harm's way to protect those great features of our democracy, nonetheless, having said that, a commander in such an endeavor would obviously like the enemy to feel that there's no hope.

LIEBERMAN: And the resolution, Senate-passed resolution of disapproval for this new strategy in Iraq would give the enemy some encouragement, some feeling that -- that -- well, some clear expression that the American people were divided?

PETRAEUS: That's correct, sir.

I ask again: How about we just concern ourselves with victory? Is that too much to ask in this war?

(Photo: Lieutenant General Petraeus)

Thank You, Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah)

Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah) deserves a big THANK YOU from us all. He pushed for an amendment to the Senate version of the ethics and lobbying reform legislation that stripped the provision requiring reporting of “grass-roots” lobbying. What is so significant about this? Glad you asked!

This provision included in the House version of the bill is a direct assault on our First Amendment guarantee to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” This provision included in the Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) version makes us all lobbyists and, therefore, in need of reform. “The legislation would make changes to the legal definition of “grassroots lobbying” and require any organization that encourages 500 or more members of the general public to contact their elected representatives to file a report with detailed information about their organization to the government on a quarterly basis.” (Amanda B. Carpenter, “Pelosi Targets Grassroots Freedom of Speech,” 12/18/2006) One can easily see how this is an unnecessary burden that limits our Constitutionally derived freedom to contact our elected representatives. Ironically, the reform bill contains provisions that exempts the organizations that really do employ lobbyists. Read the details in the article on the Human Events site. (See also “Pelosi's Liberal Ally Defends Ethics Bill Targeting Grassroots Communication” by Amanda Carpenter. Click here.)

Again, thank you, Sen. Bennett. Now we need to ensure that it is removed from the final bill.

Guilty As They Prove Innocence

The case of criminal rape charges against the Duke Lacrosse players has been troubling. I am troubled by two elements: First, the situation from which the case stems. Second, the reaction from Duke faculty members.

The grounds for this case stems clearly from an event in which all participants had no need to be involved. That is, of course, a raucous party in which strippers were employed. Had all participants chosen to avoid this act of immorality in the first place, there would have been no occasion for any of the alleged acts to have taken place. Normally, many who identify themselves as liberals embrace the type of “parties” where participants are free to “express” themselves without inhibition. In their routine, convoluted ways, they decry any attempts to label such socially poor behavior immoral as violations of Constitutionally guaranteed rights of free expression. Normally. However, in this case, it became the celebrated liberal cause of protecting the “helpless innocent” from the power and corruption of the privileged white male.

Thus enters some of the great defenders of the poor and downtrodden – Duke University professors. On the basis of nothing but allegations of rape, and even in the face of a continuing body of evidence that favors the alleged perpetrators, 88 members of the Duke faculty fanned flames of needless hysteria by writing and/or signing a letter declaring that they were “listening” to students “who knew themselves to the objects of racism and sexism.” (The link is to another blog which contains the content of the letter – the only location I found in my quick search for it. Interestingly, the blogger notes that it was removed from the Duke University site where it was originally posted). These are University professors who would normally jump at the chance to defend anyone accused of a crime being heralded as guilty without a trial, except that in this instance the alleged perpetrators represent to them the “privileged” and the “powerful” who must be stopped.

Defending her signing of the “listening” letter, Duke English Prof. Cathy Davidson writes that she remains “dismayed by the glaring social disparities implicit in what we know happened on March 13.” The incident, she states, “underscores the appalling power dynamics of the situation.” As the evidence of the case has been collected, though, the “dynamics of the situation” has proved to be made up. By all the indications given, the defendants in this case will be forever guilty to some of the Duke faculty’s "best and brightest" no matter how innocent they prove to be.

(photo: Collin Finnerty, one of the Duke University lacrosse players charged with rape in Durham, N.C., in connection with an off campus party held by lacrosse team members)

Peter Heck Show Website

Good news! The new and improved Peter Heck Show website is now up and running. I invite any reader here to give it a try. At the very least, you are treated to very snazzy photos of Peter (used here with absolutely no permission). Of great benefit is the ability to listen to and download the radio programs. Most excellent! Looking forward to more good things.

If you have not tried it, give the Peter Heck Show website a whirl…

http://www.peterheck.com/

Al Qaeda Sends a Message to Democrats

I don’t understand why this is so difficult for Democrats and the left to comprehend. Our enemies are making it clear: they believe that the proposals concerning the prosecution of the Global War on Terror (GWOT) by the Democrat Party benefit them. And, like the liberal organizations that backed the Democrat Party in the mid-term elections, they believe that they should have a say in the implementation of those Democrat Party proposals.

As I have asked before, when armed militant enemies of the United States endorse the campaign promises of one of America’s major political policies, don’t you think it might be time for that political party to review and reconsider their message?

December 22, 2006 2:28 PM
Brian Ross and Hoda Osman Report:
Al Qaeda has sent a message to leaders of the Democratic party that credit for the defeat of congressional Republicans belongs to the terrorists.
In a portion of the tape from al Qaeda No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri, made available only today, Zawahri says he has two messages for American Democrats.
"The first is that you aren't the ones who won the midterm elections, nor are the Republicans the ones who lost. Rather, the Mujahideen -- the Muslim Ummah's vanguard in Afghanistan and Iraq -- are the ones who won, and the American forces and their Crusader allies are the ones who lost," Zawahri said, according to a full transcript obtained by ABC News.
Zawahri calls on the Democrats to negotiate with him and Osama bin Laden, not others in the Islamic world who Zawahri says cannot help.
"And if you don't refrain from the foolish American policy of backing Israel, occupying the lands of Islam and stealing the treasures of the Muslims, then await the same fate," he said.

Happy New Year

Merry Christmas

Democrat Party Supporters

Our American Constitution grants us a remarkable liberty: “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” (Amendment I) Because of this provision, America has maintained the most open society in world history to date. Certainly, any American individual or organization has the Constitutional right to comment on the conduct of our Federal government and elected officials.

However, when armed militant enemies of the United States endorse the campaign promises of one of America’s major political policies, don’t you think it might be time for that political party to review and reconsider their message?

Mideast terror leaders to U.S.: Vote Democrat
Withdrawal from Iraq would
embolden jihadists to destroy Israel,
America
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted:
November 2, 2006
9:27 a.m. Eastern
By Aaron Klein
© 2006
WorldNetDaily.com


JERUSALEM – Everybody has an opinion about next Tuesday's midterm congressional election in the U.S. – including senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND who say they hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power because of the party's position on withdrawing from Iraq, a move, as they see it, that ensures victory for the worldwide Islamic resistance.

The terrorists told WorldNetDaily an electoral win for the Democrats would prove to them Americans are "tired."

They rejected statements from some prominent Democrats in the U.S. that a withdrawal from Iraq would end the insurgency, explaining an evacuation would prove resistance works and would compel jihadists to continue fighting until America is destroyed.

They said a withdrawal would also embolden their own terror groups to enhance "resistance" against Israel.

"Of course Americans should vote Democrat," Jihad Jaara, a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, told WND.

"This is why American Muslims will support the Democrats, because there is an atmosphere in America that encourages those who want to withdraw from Iraq. It is time that the American people support those who want to take them out of this Iraqi mud," said Jaara, speaking to WND from exile in Ireland, where he was sent as part of an internationally brokered deal that ended the church siege.

Read the entire article at
www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52747

Democrat Leadership: MIA

With the 2006 election a mere three days away, the final push by candidates near and far is being felt. Ad after ad highlight last minute issues, and the media reports some of the more closely watched races. I have seen reports of President and Mrs. Bush, Vice-President and Mrs. Cheney, and other high-profile Republicans on the campaign trail.

Notably missing from the high profile campaigns are the minority leaders of the House and Senate. Not a whole lot of Democrat leaders are showing up on the campaign trail for their fellow Democrat candidates. Even Sen. Kerry (D-MA) canceled planned campaign stops following his “botched joke.” Democrat leadership is MIA (missing in action).

No one can tell me that these liberal Democrats are not proud of their political stances. No one can tell me that they are not proud of their voting records. They verbalize their hostility toward the Bush administration and Congressional conservatives all the time. They sit and respond with cat-calls to proposals about stimulating the economy through tax cuts and partial social security privatization; reversing partial-birth abortion bills; prosecuting the liberation of Iraq successfully. Take a look at Rep. Pelosi’s (D-CA) voting record as recently reported in the Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061102-090358-9812r.htm):

“A Roman Catholic who has repeatedly voted to uphold partial-birth abortion, who has voted against parental notification when minor children seek abortion and who has shown no concern for the rights of the innocent unborn, Mrs. Pelosi has consistently opposed the death penalty. Over the years, Mrs. Pelosi has consistently voted against welfare reform, including the 1996 bill signed by President Clinton and its re-authorization. In 1998, she opposed a constitutional amendment to permit school prayer in the classroom. In 1999, she opposed allowing state and local governments to display the Ten Commandments on public property, including schools. She has voted against education IRAs. In 2003, she opposed a $10 million program for school vouchers in the District of Columbia. That same year she voted against the 10-year $400 billion Medicare prescription-drug bill because she preferred one that was twice as expensive. Mrs. Pelosi has repeatedly voted for tax increases and opposed tax cuts, even the 2001 bill that doubled the child tax credit to $1,000, among other cuts. As the United States has become increasingly dependent on foreign sources for oil, Mrs. Pelosi has always opposed drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In recent years, she has become protectionist -- leading the opposition in 2000 against then-President Clinton's successful effort to establish permanent normal trade relations with China. She also opposed giving Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush trade-promotion authority; and in 2005 she voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement. In 2004, she voted to end Radio Marti broadcasts to Cuba. She voted to reduce funds for the B-2 intercontinental bomber, which performed superbly in the 1999 Kosovo War, in 2001 in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Mrs. Pelosi has repeatedly opposed anti-missile defense, even as a nuclear-armed North Korea has tested ballistic missiles.”

This is the voting record of Rep. Pelosi (D-CA), the potential House Majority Leader should Democrats gain the majority this election, and other liberal Democrats in both the House and Senate. But where are they when it is time to put their beliefs and issues before the American public? Why would they choose the campaign season before this important 2006 election to be MIA?

If I were a liberal, I would be furious. Not furious enough to vote Republican, mind you, but furious nonetheless. I would let these Democrat leaders know this through letters to legislators and to papers, e-mails, phone calls, and other means. I would be getting my liberal message out, since my Democrat leadership fails to show the courage to do so. This is not the time to recoil from duty.

Well, in the spirit of bi-partisanship, ChuckChants is helping fill the gap when Democrat leadership goes MIA. Don’t delay; spread the liberal’s message today!

Botched Joke or Continuing Philosophy?

Sen. Kerry tells us that his comment that has caused such a stir is a "botched joke:" "...you know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't you get stuck in Iraq."

Now the Senator is apologizing to those who "misundertand" the joke. Don't we all feel the love now?

In 1972, Sen. Kerry expressed his philosophy about the American Armed Forces that was not meant to be a joke - botched or otherwise...

Kerry's '72 Army comments mirror latest
JOHN SOLOMON
Associated Press
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/elections/15908705.htm

WASHINGTON - During a Vietnam-era run for Congress three decades ago, John Kerry said he opposed a volunteer Army because it would be dominated by the underprivileged, be less accountable and be more prone to "the perpetuation of war crimes."

...In 1972, as he ran for the House, he was less apologetic in his comments about the merits of a volunteer army. He declared in the questionnaire that he opposed the draft but considered a volunteer army "a greater anathema."

"I am convinced a volunteer army would be an army of the poor and the black and the brown," Kerry wrote. "We must not repeat the travesty of the inequities present during Vietnam. I also fear having a professional army that views the perpetuation of war crimes as simply 'doing its job.'

"Equally as important, a volunteer army with our present constitutional crisis takes accountability away from the president and put the people further from control over military activities," he wrote.

If Sen. Kerry opposed the draft and held the position that a volunteer Army would be an even "greater anathema," what conclusion are we supposed to draw concerning his stance about an American military force and American national security?

These are the politicians Americans will place in majority leadership positions if Democrats are returned to the majority in Congress. America does not deserve this liberal leadership. Vote on November 7th!

Values of the Left

Included below is an excerpt from a Religious Freedom Coalition e-mail update. There is a reference to the Virginia Senate Democrat candidate Jim Webb and the novels he has authored. A link is included that takes you to a story about them.

In short, his novels contain some graphic and demeaning caricatures of other people and cultures, especially women, African-Americans, and South-East Asians. They include some descriptions of acts of pedophilia.

As you have no doubt noticed, there is no media uproar, as there was with the issue surrounding (now former) Sen. Foley (R-Fla) and messages to Congressional pages. And, of course, academic liberals are defending Mr. Webb's literary "rights."

Perhaps exposing excerpts from a Congressional candidate's novel written years prior to a campaign is not pertinent to the issues today. Each individual can make that determination. What I consider the irony of this, though, is the certainty of a media frenzy had the novelist been the Republican candidate. It most certainly would have made headlines as an election values issue.

What does this tell me about Democrat values? Whereas the controversy surrounding former Sen. Foley (R-Fla) resulted in sharp criticism from Republican politicians and constituents and in his resignation, values such as pornography, homosexuality, and even references to pedophilia are embraced by the Democrat Party. These are their values; therefore, it is not a news event when a Democrat candidate expresses them.

The left and/or the Democrat Party have attempted to raise the bar on values issues in this campaign. So, let's take stock of a few of the values of the left and/or Democrat Party:

(1) As already noted, they embrace the homosexual agenda and other groups committed to sexual debauchery including even adult-child sexual relationships. The San Francisco "Gay Pride" parade, in which Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) proudly marches, allows the inclusion of open proponents for the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA).

(2) They value punishing the successful and rewarding the slothful through their tax policies and redistribution of wealth; ie, the welfare state.

(3) They value illegal immigration.

(4) They value abortion from conception to the time of birth.

(5) They value unelected judges who write, not interpret, law from the bench.

(6) They value the removal of Judeo-Christian ethics and moral principles, the foundational cornerstone of the American Constitution, from public life.

These are just a few of the values of the left and/or the Democrat Party. We all know that there have been some significant moral failures and disappointments handed conservatives by Republican leaders, but they are newsworthy and noteworthy because they violate the moral values of their constituents!

I will certainly be voting my values in the 2006 election.

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM COALITION

Subject: Week Ending October 27, 2006 - Washington, DC

THE GAY AND PORNO FACTOR

"A couple of cards have been dealt to the Democrats that could change a lot of things in the last few days before the election. The New Jersey Supreme Court ordered that state's legislature to give "gay couples equal rights" by issuing either marriage licenses or something like them to homosexuals. Traditional marriage amendments are on the ballot in eleven states including Virginia and this last minute decision out of New Jersey is going to drive social conservatives to the polls who had otherwise given up on Republicans.

And in Virginia the details of Senate candidate Jim Webb's novels are just coming out of, shall we say, the closet. Turns out his novels including Fields of Fire and Lost Soldiers are pornographic in nature, depicting wholesale debauchery including sex with children. He depicts blacks and Asians as less than human and his treatment of female characters is horrifying. In other words, his works are typical reading materials for the average liberal who hates God's Word and views sex as the ultimate expression of intellect. (Click here for Webb book story)"

This publication is a service of the Religious Freedom Coalition (RFC). Links to political and other sites are for informational purposes and do not constitute endorsement. No statement is intended to assist or defeat any candidate running for public office.

Wedgies

My apology for not posting in quite awhile. I use the tired excuse that I have been busy. There, that’s out of the way. (One of my activities was being afforded the honor of serving as guest host on The Peter Heck radio talk show – WIOU 1350, Kokomo – a couple of days in early October. Even though a nervous venture, I had a blast!)

The Democrat Party (henceforth the DNC) has been giving conservative Christians and the Republican Party (RNC) a wedgie; to wit, they have been trying to put a wedge in between conservative Christians and the RNC on the basis of the Foley scandal. In summation, the DNC wedgie declares that the RNC is hypocritical and no longer the political party that reflects the values of the conservative Christians.

Foley’s actions are a reprehensible scandal. They certainly do not reflect the values of the conservative Christian voters who elected him or any Republican to office. But this does not, by any stretch of the imagination, make the DNC the default values political party for conservative Christians.

Conservative Christians know a thing or two about hypocrisy. When we face our relationship with God with genuine honesty, we know that we fall far short of His glory. We also know that God’s initiative, and His alone, has provided the way to forgiveness and reconciliation. God’s way is confessional belief in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Even though he should face the appropriate judicial action through the American legal system, Mark Foley can be forgiven by His Lord if he sincerely seeks forgiveness and reconciliation available to any penitent believer.

So let’s investigate further the acts of hypocrisy being committed in the DNC wedgie. L. Brent Bozell III has an illuminating article titled “Democrats on Sex and Children.” He writes, “Let's get to the point: Since when have Democrats like Nancy Pelosi cared, really cared, about men seeking out boys for sex? There's an organized lobby for this perversion: the National Man-Boy Love Association. In 1997, NAMBLA made national headlines when a 10-year-old Massachusetts boy named Jeffrey Curley was abducted by two men, choked on a gasoline-soaked rag when he wouldn't consent to sex, murdered and then sexually assaulted. Curley's parents sued NAMBLA, since one of the killers said he was discouraged from following his fiendish desires until the organization encouraged him. The Curleys' lawyer explained how the group instructed perverts on how to lure children into sex, citing a NAMBLA publication… "The Survival Manual: The Man's Guide to Staying Alive in Man-Boy Sexual Relationships." What does this have to do with the Democrats and Nancy Pelosi [D-CA, House Minority leader]? …NAMBLA easily found lawyers to defend them against the parents of the murdered boy -- the American Civil Liberties Union. Democrats like Pelosi are demanding that every Republican return any dirty Foley contributions they received, but do you think a single one of them has ever returned a dime generated for their coffers by the ACLU? The American Spectator reported that in a 2001 "gay pride" parade in San Francisco, Nancy Pelosi was just three spots in the parade from radical gay advocate Harry Hay, who avidly spoke in favor of sex with teens and fiercely advocated for NAMBLA's inclusion in gay-pride parades. Did Pelosi ever protest NAMBLA's presence in parades?”

Mr. Bozell continues that the left has been quietly attempting to reclassify teenage girls as women so that their “right” to abortion can remain a private part of their “women’s medical records.” Pointing out the obvious, he also asks that “…if liberal Democrats think sex between adults and children is gravely wrong, why are they accepting massive donations from Hollywood?” It certainly comes as no surprise that the entertainment industry portrays sexual activity among teenagers in a more than positive light. One plot pushed by the unfortunately popular “Desperate Housewives” included the very theme that the DNC is now decrying: “Bree, the red-headed Desperate Housewife, started seeing a man who was not only a drunk, but a sex addict. Bree's children then started trying to seduce him, and ultimately their mother came home to find her gay teenage son, Andrew, in the bedroom with her new beau. For ABC, this was all a delicious plot twist, a naughty giggle. No one was outraged. No Democrat returned contributions from Disney.”

The DNC the values party of choice for conservative Christians? I think not. No wedgie for this conservative Christian!

Don’t forget to vote on November 7th!

Hope Unlimited for Children

In many arenas, such as blogs, e-forums, letters, and speeches, Christian beliefs are questioned, challenged, and even mocked. This is especially true of the beliefs and practices of evangelical conservative Christians in America. According to some, conservative Christians are no different than fascists or Taliban. See, for instance, Rosie O’Donnell’s characterization of Christians as “radical” and as dangerous as “radical Islam.”

Comments such as these are not true and are based on either mischaracterizations or outright bias-filled deceptions. I would very much be surprised to find any organizations in America that have contributed more to the well-being of humanity than Christians, conservative or not, responding to this hurting world with the compassion of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Motivated by no more than to follow the example of the Jesus, the Son of God, Christian men and women have given selflessly of themselves and their resources throughout the history of America.

One case in point is this year’s special project of the American Baptist Women (ABW) (a mission support society) of the American Baptist Churches of Indiana and Kentucky (ABC/IN-KY). Their highlight this year is HOPE UNLIMITED for CHILDREN. The following info is taken from their website:

Life on the Street:
* The numbers, alone, tell us there is a problem: In Brazil, there are from 7-8 million children between the ages of 5 and 18 living on the streets, and by all standards, in extreme poverty.
* Both girls and boys face the same challenges for survival – begging: sleeping under cardboard, sheets of tin or bridges; using their wits to escape the assaults of the police and others on the streets. They exhibit extraordinary amounts of fear, distrust and an inability to relate to others.
* Children of the street are involved in robberies, drug sales, petty theft, prostitution, and gang activity. Young street girls commonly use prostitution as a way of supporting themselves.
* Life ends early for children on the streets. One respected study indicated that up to 62% of girls living on the street commit suicide or are brutally murdered. Few live to age 25 if they stay on the streets more than 10 years.
* Almost all street youth use drugs, mostly solvents and inhalants. Resultant brain damage and mental problems further complicate their lives. One teen mother was observed sharing her glue soaked sleeve with her crying infant.
* AIDS is now a ticking time bomb, making its rounds among the children. Many street children have reported incidents of rape. Most are sexually active and almost half are forced to have sex. Almost 60% of kids between the ages of 7 to 12 are forced to have anal intercourse.
* Youngsters who were once looked upon as deserving of compassion and sympathy are now viewed at best as a nuisance, and at worst, as a danger to public safety -- future criminals who ought to be locked up.
* In the early 1990s, because of their drug use, predatory crimes, and general unacceptability, street children were the targets of local vigilante groups, drug gangs, and police "death squads." Thousands of street children were systematically rounded up and murdered.
* All of this tragically violates everything God intended for these children. Only initiatives like that offered by Hope Unlimited can provide comprehensive solutions.

Through Christian compassion and response, this issue is being addressed. Similarly, thousands of other Christian ministries have been established worldwide to share the salvation from God through the sacrifice of Jesus, to address the plights of those in poverty, and to bring hope to a sin-plagued world. This, indeed, is Christianity in its most “radical” application. Do not be misled or deterred by those who seek to do harm to the reality of the meaning and mission of followers of the Lamb of God. For more information about the specific ministry of Hope Unlimited, follow the link to their website.

“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:35 (NIV)

Reflections on 9/11

As expected, watching the video replays and viewing the photos of the 9/11/2001 attacks brought back the conglomeration of emotions of that day. Seeing the pictures and hearing the details of the horror at each point of attack brings alive once more the eerie feelings of disbelief, horror over the brutal mass murders, and the overwhelming sadness of the thousands of lives forever changed. The most chilling images of that day for me remain the falling bodies of those who chose to throw themselves to their death from the top floors of the WTC towers. I do not show those in any remembrance services, but I have them in my personal collection. These overpowering images define to me the brutality of our enemy who made themselves clearly known to all Americans that day.

Reflections of 9/11 also remind me of the intense sense of the display of the American spirit on that day and the days to follow. Americans were as close to being one as is humanly possible. I never felt any personal fear on the 11th or any following day; I felt great grief over the sense of loss of life and great pride in the spirit that pulled us together to both recover from the brutal attacks and to resolve to face our enemy head on. As many Americans expressed, parallels of the Pearl Harbor attack came to mind. In fact, I remember clearly who I heard first declare that “America is at war.” The declaration came not from Congress nor from the President; it came from news anchor Tom Brokaw as he reported throughout our second “day of infamy.” Indeed, “America is at war.”

Outside of the loss of life and suffering brought by the attacks themselves, and the subsequent American lives lost in the Global War on Terror, I am most distressed and saddened by the resurgence of disunity among a people who need to be focused single-mindedly on the defeat of a treacherous, dangerous enemy. This is an enemy who seeks solely to destroy the liberties enjoyed by Americans.

Instead of “united we stand,” though, we now endure assaults from sectors of Americans who seek not to debate war policy, but to frustrate every action our President takes to prosecute this war. For them, defeating a brutal enemy is secondary to politically defeating President Bush and the Republican Party. Consider the many points that they use to sow seeds of distrust and hatred: electronic surveillance and data collection of contacts with terrorists is “spying” on innocent Americans; American presence in Iraq creates more terrorists; “Bush lied;” the Administration has embarked upon “cowboy diplomacy.” You can easily add to the list. Instead of setting aside divisive agendas for the sake of national unity and security, special interests continue to pursue selfish desires in times on national crisis. In a time when Americans wrote “God bless America” across this land over the weeks following 9/11, organizations like the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State relentlessly pursue their agenda to drive expressions of belief in Deity out of the public arena. Does that really make a lot of sense in a time when Americans need to be uplifted in belief? On and on it goes.

My reflections on 9/11 drive me to outright confusion. I do not comprehend how, when facing such a fiercely determined enemy, so many of my fellow citizens fail to comprehend the importance of the unity and purpose needed to defeat this dangerous foe. Standing under the shadow of the history of other militant totalitarians that attacked freedom throughout the world, I fail to comprehend how so many of my fellow citizens would rather see this enemy win as long as it means defeat for our Commander-in-Chief. It does not make sense.

Once more, I have gone on far too long for a blog. These things are supposed to be brief so that readers do not lose interest. If you have made it this far, I thank you. As Mr. Brokaw declared, “America is at war.”