Originally posted by Captain Virgil Hilts
Oddly enough, for about 180 years, in the United States, it was fine to have children pray in school, the Ten Comandments were found in most government buildings and courthouses (laws here were based on the Judeo Christian values found in the Ten Commandments), the Pledge of Allegiance had God in it for 30 years, the phrase "In God WE Trust" was on our currency, and referrences to God were on most all of the documents authored by the "Founding Fathers".
Then we had Madelyne Murray O'Hare decide that prayer was offensive to the huge masses of athiests we had. Suddenly, after this, it became the "IN" thing to try to remove every reference to God and Judeo Christian values from everything the government was associated with.
But Nash thinks it's the "fundamentalist wackos" who are trying to change everything.
The truth is, the silent majority has grown sick of the direction the country has taken since the fringe on the far left has become fashionable and seen fit to attempt to remove God from everything, and is now seeking to protect the Judeo Christian principles on which the country was founded.
Fundamentalist wackos? They mostly live in Montana and dont bother anyone until you try to arrest them for not paying taxes.
Seriously though, I have to admit I am a bit bothered by a movement that calls itself "Judeo-Christian" but doesnt involve any Jewish folks (slight attempt at humor, probably bad). It seems that members of the Right are more interested in making Christianity a rallying point for PACs than a church that reaches out to find and save lost souls. The very basis for our religion is love, peace, and understanding of our brothers. Yet I have seen some very hateful rhetoric coming out of those camps when it comes to certain issues (gay marriage for one). I'm not going to start an argument on that issue, but we as Christians should not be encouraging legislation that spells out who can and cannot be married. Extrapolating just a bit, thats just setting a precedent for govt. interference in all sorts of areas traditionally seen as the private arena of the Church. The Christian Coalition may encourage faith based legislation, but I think they have gone too far. Too much legislating, not enough soul saving.
Lets examine some of the issues currently being backed by these folks shall we? Many of them have religious implications, and they SHOULD stand up for their rights on those. Its allowing the govt. too much control either way if open displays are banned vs legislating morality.
Making permanent President Bush's 2001 federal tax cuts, including the marriage penalty tax cut and supporting President Bush's tax reform Helping the Congress make permanent the president's 2001 tax cuts, including all income tax cuts, the marriage penalty tax cut, child tax credit, etc. now set to expire in 2010. In addition, since the American people waste about $300 billion in tax preparation costs every year because of the hugely complicated Internal Revenue Service code and laws, Christian Coalition will support tax reform which could include abolition of the IRS and the federal income tax and replacing it with a flat tax or a national sales tax with people in lower income tax brackets getting refunds (possibly monthly refunds.)
This is great and all, but what does it have to do with Christianity, or even just religion in general? Someone at the office likes it (or more likely they just want to back the Prez.), so lets back this. BS.
Helping pass President Bush's Social Security reform (private accounts for young people and up to age 50). Christian Coalition will support Social Security reform which President Bush strongly supports and possibly the legislation to be introduced by Senator John Sununu or Senator Lindsey Graham and by Congressman Paul Ryan in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Bush wants Social Security reform to include turning President Roosevelt's New Deal-era retirement program into a self-financing private investment accounts system which workers could own and control. Right now those receiving Social Security cannot give the remainder of their benefits at their death to their children. The White House is considering letting workers put up to 4% of their payroll taxes into stock or bond funds. It will be similar to the hugely successful federal employee retirement system that now lets workers invest in several stock, bond, or fixed investment securities. In the beginning of the new Social Security private account system for younger people, there would be limited investment choices: three or more, all fully diversified, low-risk funds.
GREAT! I'm all for revamping the SS system. Only I'm not sure the proposed system is right. I dont appreciate my church telling me how to vote on issues I'm not sure I like. Which is what they are doing when you boil it down. But still, lets go on.
Getting a vote on the Marriage Protection (constitutional) amendment in the United States Senate (which was filibustered by Minority Leader Tom Daschle's left-wing Democrats earlier this year), and then getting a vote in the U.S. House again. Although there was a vote on the "Marriage Protection (constitutional) Amendment (MPA) sponsored by Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, R-CO, in the U.S. House of Representatives, left-wingers led by now-defeated Minority Leader Tom Daschle, prevented a vote on the MPA on the U.S. Senate floor. Christian Coalition was the only major organization supporting the Musgrave marriage amendment from the beginning when she introduced it in May 2003, and supported a similar constitutional amendment introduced by Senator Wayne Allard in late 2003. Although Congresswoman Musgrave got a 227-186 majority in the United States House of Representatives in 2004, a constitutional amendment needs 290 votes in the House and 67 Senate votes. Christian Coalition will work to grow the votes until it finally passes Congress and is sent to the state legislatures where 38 states are needed to ratify the marriage constitutional amendment allowing it to become the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. One Senator believes that after the huge support for the state constitutional amendments (an average of 71% have supported the 13 state constitutional amendments this year) and the infamous 4-3 Massachusetts Supreme Court decision allowing homosexual "marriages", the federal constitutional marriage amendment could even pass this year.
Touchy subject. Very controversial. And they are totally on the wrong side. Christians should be keeping the govt. totally OUT of the argument over marriage. Again my church is asking me to support something when I believe we are needlessly giving up some of our rights in this if it goes through. But I digress, and I've already made my views clear enough on this subject.
Passing Senator Shelby's/Congressman Aderholt's Constitutional Restora.Act.of 2004. Senator Richard Shelby's (S. 2082) and Congressman Roberta Aderholt's (H.R.3799) "Constitutional Restoration Act of 2004" will restrict the applellate jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court and all lower federal courts to that jurisdiction permitted to them by the U.S. Constitution.
Again, what does this have to do with being Christian in the US? Or just being Christian? Or even being religious? Now because the courts have made some decisions we dont like, they want to legislate away their power? Thats a serious issue, and requires more thought than anyone involved has seen fit to give it. Its a knee-jerk reaction to "I didnt get my way, now I'm going to push to legislate you into the ground". The judicial system, for all its flaws, is one of the 3 pillars of our society, and part of the check and balance system our founding fathers built into our govt. from the beginning. I get alarmed when people start talking about "Constitutional amendments" and "limiting the power of the courts" just because they dont like whats already there. I think its very dangerous if any one branch of the govt. gets too much power.
There are also initiatives to sponsor bills from Anti-cloning to abortion pills to bills that give money to faith based charities, child custody, protecting Chritian holy sites in and around Israel, etc. All of those have an impact on our faith and should be supported I believe.
I belive however, that your "silent majority" has swung far to the opposite end of the spectrum, and are becoming the very thing they fought. Federal control of our lives. Legislating the Left out of existence isnt the answer. Two wrongs dont make a right. They just make two wrongs.
