Values Voter Summit: Family Friendly Media

The afternoon plenary session of the FRC Washington Briefing was called Lights, Camera, Values in Action.

It included speeches from Dr. Ted Baehr, president of MovieGuide, Brad Moore, president of Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, John Shepherd, president of Mpower Pictures, Academy Award-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Ken Wales, the producer of Amazing Grace.

While a great deal of the movies coming out of Hollywood today are pure social rot, this session brought good news of family-friendly, wholesome productions that are coming out.

A coming sequel to "Chariots of Fire" was also announced at the session. Chariots of Fire was the award-winning 1981 movie about British runner who was a Christian running for God, and his religious convictions led him to refuse to run in a 100-meter heat in the Olympics.

Iranian-born actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, who has starred in the Fox television series "24," spoke about her new film "The Stoning of Soraya M." The movie is from a book by the same name by French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam about the stoning in Iran of a young woman and mother when she was framed for infidelity.

The film is said to contain some difficult and disturbing parts but these were included not to be gratuitous, but to convey a powerful message.

Bloggers Row at Value Voters Summit

Americans United for Life has a list of the bloggers at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing.

You can check that out here to see the other bloggers I'm working with and check out their coverage as well.

Sarah Palin and Middle America Share Religious Beliefs

By Marie Jon'

As the "drive-by-media" continues to look at every aspect of Sarah Palin's personal and religious life, they are digging themselves into a big hole, turning what they believe will cause her harm, to work for her good. If you take nothing else from this, remember this quote: Bitter Pennsylvanians "cling to their guns and religion." — Barack Obama

Reporters for CNN and other networks are not prepared to write honestly or objectively about matters of faith. These are people who view life from a much different perspective. They are not so naive to overlook that Christians from all denominations are offended by such things as CNN's hit piece about Gov. Palin's faith.

The mass media and the Obama camp want to paint a ridiculous picture of Christians who refuse to embrace progressive liberal doctrine. Atheist George Soros ingratiates leftist denominations with his money. The teachings of the "Religious Left" have little to do with the Gospel of the Holy Bible.

The National Council of Churches is unorthodox to say the least. Most of their churches promote homosexuality and abortion on demand. Senator Obama attended such a church for twenty years, a church with no moral constraints. The congregation's "faith" is fueled by angry, bigoted, anti-Semitic, anti-American, hate filled sermons.

It is apparent that the prejudiced media wants us to believe that a mainstream denomination such as the Assemblies of God can be compared to the church of "God Damn America." Pentecostals preach a traditional interpretation of the scriptures. There is no Marxist Black Liberation theology taught within their sanctuaries, nor any other quasi-political or racist dogma.

The vicious attacks by the DNC towards the Republican female Vice-Presidential candidate are overwhelming, and speak volumes about the Obama campaign. Their recent remarks more than smack of sexism. Obama continues to get a pass from the agenda-driven media who worships at the altar of liberalism. Our nation, however, was founded upon Judeo-Christian beliefs.

The preamble of our constitution states:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,[1] promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Americans are becoming more and more aware that the people whose job it is to bring us the news have been politically in the tank for the far left wing of the Democrat Party. As shown by recent polls, their credibility with the public is falling.

It is pathetic that CNN would go to the Assemblies of God Church with a team of reporters and cameras for skullduggery. Sarah Palin now attends the Wasilla Bible Church. Her church, as well as all other Protestant Evangelical churches, are strong supporters of the state of Israel. No doubt that this further disqualifies Palin in the eyes of these Marxists.

Whether you are a Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian or Presbyterian, you understand biblical teachings, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

News Flash (no pun intended): Practicing Christians understand the WORD. We may differ in our style of worship, but that is where the difference stops.

Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Mormons — particularly in America — all have a heritage of faith that respects one another. We are tolerant of all religious beliefs. It is time for the media to do likewise.

Excerpts from CNNPolitics.com: Pastor: GOP may be downplaying Palin's religious beliefs

"WASILLA, Alaska (CNN) — For more than two decades, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin was a practicing Pentecostal." Sarah Palin asked church members to pray for $30 billion natural gas pipeline in Alaska.

"She belonged to the Wasilla Assembly of God church in her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. But though she attended the church from her teenage years to 2002, the Alaska governor hasn't talked much about her religion since joining the Republican ticket.

"Palin's former pastor, Tim McGraw, says that like many Pentecostal churches, some members speak in tongues, although he says he's never seen Palin do so. Church member Caroline Spangler told CNN, 'When the spirit comes on you, you utter things that nobody else can understand ... only God can understand what is coming out of our mouths.'

"Some Pentecostals from Assembly of God also believe in 'faith healing' and the 'end times' — a violent upheaval that they believe will deliver Jesus Christ's second coming'

"The McCain campaign says the governor doesn't consider herself Pentecostal.

"McGraw says Palin's Pentecostal roots may be being downplayed for a reason: 'I think there may be issues of belief that could be misunderstood or played upon by people that don't know.'

"When asked by CNN about Palin's beliefs, campaign spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton would only say the Republican vice presidential candidate has 'deep religious convictions.' candidate has "deep religious convictions." Watch how Palin's religious roots formed »" Full Article

The Democrat's reader email of the day is a rallying cry for the Obamanites to call radio programs and repeat: "Mrs. Palin needs to be reminded that Jesus Christ was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor." Johnatan Martin-Politico.com

Their latest talking points expose the lack of their constituent's knowledge about the role of Christ's earthly ministry. Christ came to redeem all mankind, not organize a Chicago community.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Democrats sent more than thirty lawyers and researchers to Alaska solely for the purpose of trying to find dirt on Sarah Palin. This effort and the media's attacks on Palin's religious beliefs will only further erode the Obama campaign.

I hope they keep up the good work.

Marie Jon' is a political/religious-based writer and founder of www.DrawingClose.org and www.PeoplePoliticallyRight.com — sister websites to RenewAmerica. Marie extends her hand of welcome; visit DrawingClose and receive your free gift of salvation by taking an online Bible study.

Marie's writings have appeared on many sites, including The New Media Journal, ChronWatch, and ABCNews, to name a few. Marie brings a refreshing and spirited point of view that is reflected in her writings. Marie is a nurse, a lay student of the Bible, and a patriot. She is an advocate for American troops serving abroad, as well as the Blue and Gold Star Mothers of America and their families. Marie enjoys Townhall.com radio, Rush Limbaugh, Bruce Elliott Saturdays 5AM-9AM EST and her friend Larry Elder.

We Learn More Aout the Palen/Gibson Interview

We are learning more and more about the Gibson/Palen interview and it looks worse and worse for ABC and Mr. Gibson. Mark Levin has the transcript of the complete interview, including the portions edited out of the broadcast version. There were several statements and answers given by Mrs. Palen that showed her to be more confident, decisive and knowledgeable, particularly relating to foreign affairs, than the impression left from what we saw on our TVs.
The following are excerpts from the transcript at The Mark Levin Show. The parts that are in bold were edited from the broadcast version of the interview.

GIBSON: The Bush doctrine, as I understand it, is that we have the right of anticipatory self-defense, that we have the right to a preemptive strike against any other country that we think is going to attack us. Do you agree with that?

PALIN: I agree that a president’s job, when they swear in their oath to uphold our Constitution, their top priority is to defend the United States of America.
I know that John McCain will do that and I, as his vice president, families we are blessed with that vote of the American people and are elected to serve and are sworn in on January 20, that will be our top priority is to defend the American people.

GIBSON: Do we have a right to anticipatory self-defense? Do we have a right to make a preemptive strike again another country if we feel that country might strike us?

PALIN: Charlie, if there is legitimate and enough intelligence that tells us that a strike is imminent against American people, we have every right to defend our country. In fact, the president has the obligation, the duty to defend.

GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing in Georgia?

PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

Sarah Palin on Russia:
We cannot repeat the Cold War. We are thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War, without a shot fired, also. We’ve learned lessons from that in our relationship with Russia, previously the Soviet Union.
We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.

GIBSON: Would you favor putting Georgia and Ukraine in NATO?

PALIN: Ukraine, definitely, yes. Yes, and Georgia.

GIBSON: And you think it would be worth it to the United States, Georgia is worth it to the United States to go to war if Russia were to invade.

PALIN: What I think is that smaller democratic countries that are invaded by a larger power is something for us to be vigilant against. We have got to be cognizant of what the consequences are if a larger power is able to take over smaller democratic countries.
And we have got to be vigilant. We have got to show the support, in this case, for Georgia. The support that we can show is economic sanctions perhaps against Russia, if this is what it leads to.
It doesn’t have to lead to war and it doesn’t have to lead, as I said, to a Cold War, but economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure, again, counting on our allies to help us do that in this mission of keeping our eye on Russia and Putin and some of his desire to control and to control much more than smaller democratic countries.
His mission, if it is to control energy supplies, also, coming from and through Russia, that’s a dangerous position for our world to be in, if we were to allow that to happen.

We know, of course, that the comments above were edited out for the sake of brevity and continuity, but it is unfortunate that the same comments portrayed Gov. Palen to be more articulate and informed than we might have known from this interview otherwise. Anybody remember Robert Bork or Clarence Thomas or Miguel Estrada? They had similar unfortunate press coverage a while back.

Values Voter Summit: Alan Sears

Alan Sears, President of the Alliance Defense Fund, was the last speaker of the morning session of the second day of the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing in D.C. today.

The ADF has a record of winning 3 of every 4 cases they work on.

Sears told the story of a couple who started a group for their school called "Praying Parents." This group met together for quite some time until the ACLU filed a lawsuit against them for using school facilities to pray, thus violating an imaginary wall of separation between church and state.

Sears said the war on religious freedom in America began with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), when it took on the responsibility for deciding who deserves civil liberties and who does not.

He said that after many years of relentless and successful assault on religious freedom by the ACLU, something is finally starting to change. They are starting to lose.

After the ADF was formed in the early to mid 1990s, a group of ministry leaders including Dr. James Dobson, Bill Bright, D. James Kennedy and others came together to form a plan to defend the religious freedom of Christian Americans from the ACLU's attacks. ADF has been tremendously successful despite being only a fraction of the size of the ACLU.

Sears said that the ACLU is mounting a new and aggressive campaign, but rather than defending the territory they've already gained, they're going after middle-America where so far they have made few inroads.

Sears also told the values voters about the upcoming ADF "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" on September 28. This is an initiative to take back the constitutional freedom taken away when a tax law was quietly submitted by Senator Lyndon B. Johnson and passed by congress which for the first time in American history muzzled America's pastors.

Sears said that if the IRS attempts to pursue pastors who speak out for or against political candidates on a moral basis on September 28, they will sue the IRS.


It's about time we asserted our God-given liberties and went on the offensive to defend and regain them in America!!! We've surrendered the gifts of liberty from God on the altar of government power for far too long. God bless the ADF!

Values Voter Summit: Bishop Harry Jackson

Bishop Harry Jackson of the High Impact Leadership Coalition spoke at the Family Research Council Washington Briefing this morning.

Bishop Jackson said that Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech profoundly changed things in America. Jackson said at the time of the speech, that his father had been doing manual labor in a post office despite having an accounting degree. But a few years after Kings speech, his father became the head of personnel at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington D.C.

Jackson said that no matter who ends up in the White House later this year, God has a job for everyone present at the summit.

Jackson said that during the First Great Awakening in America, preaching began against slavery. It also followed in the Second Great Awakening of the 1800s. He said people began to realize that God's truth and social policy go hand-in-hand.

Expressing his disappointment with President George W. Bush's failure to lead the nation with solid moral direction, Jackson said we probably failed in thinking that all we had to do was get a praying president into the White House and everything would be alright.

Jackson said he believes being a Christian will make you a conservative, but being a conservative won't make you a Christian.

Jackson said there will be no political messiah, either Democrat or Republican; God's people will have to humble their hearts, work hard and pray harder.

Values Voter Summit: The Civil Right to Life

I had to miss a lot of this session, so won't be providing any quotes or other written coverage.

However, here are a couple of pictures of two of the speakers. First is Dr. Alveda King, who is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Re. A.D. King and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Also featured is nurse and columnist Jill Stanek who exposed Barack Obama's defense of infanticide.

Values Voter Summit: Sean Hannity

TV and radio talk show host Sean Hannity thrilled the crowd at the Family Research Council Washington Briefing this morning.

Sean said it was great to see so many good Americans there, clinging to their guns and Bibles.

Hannity said Barack Obama's brother lives on less than $1 a month in Africa, and since Barack Obama says we are our brother's keeper, he will send Obama's brother $1000 if Obama will give him his brother's address. Hannity said he would send Obama's brother $10,000 if Barack Obama would come on his show.

Hannity said we would look back on 2008 as the year journalism died. Hannity was referring to the Apollo-like speech given by Barack Obama at the DNC convention in Denver, and the total lack of media accountability.

He quoted other sources as saying the media is trying to rig this election and use their influence to get Obama elected.

Hannity said we heard more about the DUI of Todd Palin, Sarah Palin's husband, 22 years ago than we heard about Barack Obama's admission of snorting cocaine around that same time.

Hannity also mentioned Bill Ayers and his bombing of the U.S. Capitol, Pentagon and other buildings, and the fact that Obama is friends with him...and the fact that the media is very quiet on this topic.

He said that while Obama's wife Michelle has only recently been proud of her country for the first time, Hannity has long found cause to be proud of America for fighting back socialism across the world, for fighting communism, for fighting other despots like Saddam Hussein.

Hannity asked why Obama went to the Million Man March of Louis Farrakhan,why Obama opposed a bill that would have ended the killing of infants born alive after attempts to abort them, and why Michelle Obama thinks America is a mean country.

Hannity mentioned the Charlie Gibson interview with Sarah Palin and how he tried to nail her on her quote about asking prayer for our soldiers in Iraq--and that Gibson misquoted her on that during the interview.

Hannity said he will be interviewing Palin next Tuesday.

Hannity also pointed out, like Newt Gingrich yesterday, that asking for God's protection and blessing on our troops is in keeping with the best traditions of American leaders--even liberal Democrat presidents of the past.

Apparently Democrats have also set up an "anonymous tip line" to take complaints on Governor Sarah Palin. I guess there is no solid answer to the question about Democrats: How low can they go?

Hannity asked: Can anyone name three accomplishments that qualify Barack Obama for president of the United States?

Admitting the Republican Party has made mistakes and spent way too much money, Hannity said the party is emerging a new party, and it is evidenced by Governor Bobby Jindal and his leadership during the recent hurricane and the Republican behavior during the hurricane.

Hannity called on the Republican party to be the party of national security, opposing appeasement, reining in growth of government, energy independence, free market solutions to health care, solve the Social Security/Medicare bankruptcy, and stand for traditional values for the benefit of our children.

Hannity closed by saying we don't just cling to our guns and religion; we humbly thank God for allowing us to live in the single greatest country in the world.

Anniversary of the Star Spangled Banner

American Minute from William J. Federer

Just weeks after the British burned the U.S. Capitol, they set out for Baltimore.

On the way they caught an elderly physician of Upper Marlboro, Dr. William Beanes. The town feared Dr. Beanes would be hanged so they asked a young lawyer, Francis Scott Key, to sail with Colonel John Skinner under a flag of truce to the British flagship TONNANT and arrange a prisoner exchange.

Concerned their plans of attacking Baltimore would be revealed, the British placed Francis Scott Key and Colonel Skinner under armed guard aboard the H.M.S. SURPRISE, then on a sloop where they watched the night of SEPTEMBER 13, 1814, as Fort McHenry was bombarded.

The next morning, "through the dawn's early light," Key saw the flag still flying.

Elated, Key penned the Star-Spangled Banner, which states in the 4th verse: "O! thus be it ever when free men shall stand, Between their loved home 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!"

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.

Values Voter Summit: Lila Rose

Lila Rose, president of LiveAction, spoke this morning at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing.

Rose said she had gone undercover into Planned Parenthood clinics in California, posing as an underage girl, and took videos of those visits.

She said that after her covert videos were posted on YouTube, Planned Parenthood contacted her and demanded they be removed or they would initiate aggressive legal action against her without further warning.

Rose said she was told by Planned Parenthood to lie on her paperwork about her age and the circumstances of her pregnancy.

Apparently Planned Parenthood didn't want people to know about their illegal activity.

Rose said that many of the girls she talked to in abortion clinic waiting rooms had been the victims of sexual abuse, and felt abortion was their only choice. She said the irony of this situation is that this choice has a woman turning "against her own flesh and blood."

She and others made calls to Planned Parenthood clinics posing as racists who wanted to make donations to Planned Parenthood specifically intended to kill black children. Some of the reactions from Planned Parenthood included "Understandable" when they said there were too many black babies, and "I'm excited."

In recent weeks, YouTube has censored these videos and they are no longer available online. However, Rose showed some videos to the seminar attendees.

In one clip, she told the Planned Parenthood worker that she was 13 and the father was 31...but the worker said "I don't want to know" the ages. The worker then points out an out-of-state clinic to send the girl to in order to have an abortion. If this had been real, the worker would have been an accessory to allowing statutory rape to continue.

Rose said her generation is eager for change, and she hopes she lives to see a day when everyone is protected in America.

Values Voter Summit: Gary Bauer

Gary Bauer of American Values was the second speaker today at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing.

Gary Bauer said he's not surprised many foreigners like Hugo Chaves of Venezuela like Barack Obama. Bauer said if a foreign despot looks to America and sees someone supported by MoveOn.org and their ilk who is running against a war hero who loves his country, the one these despots would prefer is no surprise.

Bauer said we got an unscripted look at how Barack Obama when he said average Americans "cling to their guns and their religion" and are afraid of people who are different from them. Bauer said these things in San Francisco where people believe men should be able to "marry" men, and don't like the Boy Scouts. Bauer said that if the American people get to choose between San Francisco values and small town values, small town values will win every time.

Bauer said Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin best represents those values. He commended her decision to bring her son Trig into the world. He also commended her for the loving way Palin handled her daughter's teen pregnancy, and for their decision to give that child life.

He asked the important question: what is the purpose of our liberty? Do we just get to do what we want without consequence, or is it ordered liberty. Bauer said our liberties, as recognized by our founding document, come from God.

Bauer said that when Obama said it was "above his pay grade" to know when human life begins, he only proved that sitting in the White House is above his pay grade.

Bauer said that at such a time as this, the man we need in the White House is Senator John McCain.

Values Voter Summit: Wiliam Bennett

Author William Bennett was the first speaker of the second day of the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing today.

Bennett had many kind words for Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

Bennett said he would not criticize the situation with Sarah Palin's daughter. He said many people have had children who walked off the right path, and hopefully through love they return.

He did say that they made the right decision to give life to this child conceived in less than ideal circumstances, and for these young people to get married. But we must remain committed to working against the situation which led to this and try to prevent teen sex and teen pregnancy.

Bennett had hard words or Barack Obama. He said that when Obama was asked about evil in a recent interview, while he mentioned Darfur, he seems to see more evil in his own country than the evil America often fights abroad.

Bennett said that despite Obama's assertion that "We all put our country first," that is not true. Bennett said that some like Obama's friend Bill Ayers definitely do not put America first. Bennett said Obama was far too ambivalent about our country to become it's president. Bennett received a long and loud standing ovation to this.

Bennett said that while McCain has some criticisms of his country, he has no deep ambivalence about it. Bennett said McCain was not of two minds about his country, and is "his country's man."

Getting Started: Second Day of Values Voter Summit

The second day of the FRC Values Voter Summit 2008 is just getting started. In a few minutes, William Bennett will speak.

My laptop is feeling better today (for now), so posting will be easier than yesterday.

Had breakfast this morning at an Alliance Defense Fund-hosted event. These guys--the Christian answer to the ACLU--are doing great work!

Yesterday I got to meet with Senator John Thune (R-SD) in his office at the Capitol; what a GREAT representative South Dakota has in the U.S. Senate!

Last night I had dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House with Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, and his wife Lawana; Tom Minnery, Senior Vice President of Focus on the Family and his wife; and my friend Bob Fischer of Rapid City. Everything I have heard about Ruth's Chris is true: the steak was the best I've ever had, and the service was a joy!

Well, things are getting under way for the day, so I'll sign off for now on the personal notes.

Barney Frank and the politics of family values

BY STAR PARKER
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT
COALITION ON URBAN RENEWAL & EDUCATION


Barney Frank isn't just another liberal. And he is much more than just an openly gay congressman. He is a powerful legislator who happens to be chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

This makes Frank a central and influential player in government's response to the current mortgage crisis that has rocked our financial markets. The decisions that Frank, a Democrat, makes can put taxpayers on the hook for not just billions, but trillions of dollars. These are decisions that effect our pocketbooks but also our freedom. They influence the size and scope of government in the lives of every American citizen.

So, yes, I care a lot about what Barney Frank thinks, and how he thinks, on any subject that I know matters to him.

It's why I paid particular attention when Frank decided to join the liberal chorus attacking conservatives on the issue of John McCain's selection of Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

In an op-ed in his hometown paper, the Boston Globe, Frank portrays conservatives as small-minded and intolerant folk who are willing to hypocritically look the other way, and forgive where they normally would not forgive, in order to get one of their own into a position of power.

With regard to Palin's sister's divorce, and the pregnancy of her teenage daughter, "people of the right," according to Frank, "seek to impose strict standards on others, and blame them for falling short, while making exceptions for those close to them."

This, in contrast to liberals, who for Frank are honest about and realistic in addressing life's many challenges, and ready to forgive, at the drop of a hat, those who stray off the path.

In Frank's mind, liberalism is tantamount to respect and compassion. And conservatism amounts to intolerance and self-righteousness.

My guess is that Crystal Dixon, who I wrote about earlier this year, doesn't quite see the world as Barney Frank does.

Dixon, a black Christian woman, wrote an op-ed that was published in the Toledo Free Press, as a counter point to a pro-gay opinion column that had appeared in the paper. She challenged that column and expressed her sense, as a Christian, that homosexual behavior is unacceptable. She also challenged the premise equating unwillingness to accept homosexuality to racial discrimination ("I cannot wake up tomorrow morning and not be a black woman").

Dixon was fired from the administrative position she held at the University of Toledo for writing this column and expressing her views.

I'm not holding my breath waiting for Barney Frank to write an outraged column about the abrogation of Crystal Dixon's freedom. I'm not expecting much respect and compassion from the congressman for a woman who lost her job because she is a Christian and tired of sitting by quietly and passively as others force their counter-world view on her.

Barney Frank calls James Dobson "one of the leading advocates for imposing moral choices on the rest of us."

Frank introduced last year the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007 making it a federal crime for an employer to deny employment to an individual because of their sexual orientation.

Dobson talks on the radio. Frank, a congressman, wields major political power and wants to pass legislation imposing his sense of right and wrong on every employer in America, and yet he sees Dobson as the threat to freedom.

As the many Americans who quietly go to church and unobtrusively raise their families have sat by quietly and passively over the years, left-wing activists such as Frank have hijacked our nation and our culture. Now that those who care about traditional values respond, they are called intolerant.

Initiatives to constitutionally define marriage as between a man and a woman have not come out of the blue. They are in response to left-wing inspired judicial activism that, if ignored, would result in homosexual marriage becoming a formal and legal reality in America.

Of course, conservatives are thrilled by the candidacy of Sarah Palin.

And, of course, Christians understand that to err is to be human. Forgiveness is a pillar of our faith.

We even forgive Barney Frank. Our only intolerance is toward his campaign to tear down the traditional values foundation of our country and replace them with his culture of nihilism.


Star Parker is president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education and author of the new book White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay.

Prior to her involvement in social activism, Star Parker was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles, California. After receiving Christ, Star returned to college, received a BS degree in marketing and launched an urban Christian magazine. The 1992 Los Angeles riots destroyed her business, yet served as a springboard for her focus on faith and market-based alternatives to empower the lives of the poor.

Palen Fairly Assessed by a Liberal

Kirsten Powers is a columnist for the New York Post and a regular news analyst on Fox News, appearing frequently with Hannity & Colmes. She served in the Clinton administration as the Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Public Affairs and was press secretary for Andrew Coumo. It should come as no surprise then that Powers is a registered Democrat. In this column Ms. Powers assesses Gov. Palen’s performance with Charlie Gibson. I am impressed that she mostly gets it right and fairly assesses not only Palen, but Mr. Gibson, ABC News and other commentators.

ABC'S BUNGLES
BOTCHES MAR PALIN INTERVIEW


LAST night, Sarah Palin had her first big-time media interview with Charlie Gibson on ABC World News Tonight.
At times, Palin seemed to know less than she should. On the other hand, Gibson sometimes seemed to "know" things that just aren't so.
Her responses to Gibson's cross-examining seemed canned and rehearsed, a little like the answers you might give in a tough college interview. But that may be a result of the ham-fisted editing - which seemed to cut her off mid-thought on many answers. ABC should release the entire, unedited interview, so that Americans can judge her more fairly.

(more...)

Values Voter Summit: Star Parker

Author and columnist Star Parker was the last speaker of the afternoon at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing in Washington D.C. today.

 

She said secular humanists just can't seem to understand the simplicity and power of God.

 

Parker said the Left wants to talk about poverty once again, but it is the average people who understand what usually works to keep people out of poverty: "fear God, work diligently, manage your money."  Incidentally, Parker was once a "welfare mother" before she found Jesus Christ.

 

She said contrary to the assertion of some, Sunday morning is the least segregated time of the week because people of all skin colors and walks sing one song to the Lord on that day. 

 

Parker said social justice does not mean redistribution of wealth, which is a violation of Scripture.  Wealth redistribution is rooted in covetousness; we hire a politician to take something from someone else that we want.  And then there's that commandment against stealing...

 

Social justice does not mean that Christian doctors are criminals when they refuse to artificially inseminate lesbians, Parker said.

 

Parker said true social justice is to embrace "freedom, not statism."

 

"How dare they get me to foot the bill for someone elses sexual immorality," Parker said.  She said most of our society's problems come from sexual sins such as abortion and homosexuality.

 

She said over 1,000 black babies a day are being slaughtered in the womb.  Parker said she could think of better things to do with our $300 million in taxpayer funds going to pay for abortion.

 

Parker said that in this election, both race politicians and gender politics have come and can be set aside in favor of the real issues of the culture war.  She said the work of God's people is definitely not in vain.

 

Her close was met with a loud standing ovation.

 

 

As she was last year, Star Parker was the most fiery and lively of all the great speakers today!

Values Voter Summit: Jonathan Falwell

Jonathan Falwell is Senior Pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church and the son of the late Reverend Jerry Falwell.  Falwell spoke this afternoon to the values voters at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing in Washington D.C.

 

Falwell said that some in the media say the "Religious Right" is done for.  Falwell admitted the Religious Right had lost a number of greats, including his father, but in the words of the famous writer, "Reports of our death are greatly exaggerated."

 

He said times were tough for the people of God in the time of Gideon, when the faithful had to hide in caves from the bad guys.  Falwell said that about 30 years ago, the faithful in America had been in the caves of our society before the "moral majority" began to speak up for what was right--and that the faithful should never go back in those caves again.

 

Falwell said it is our responsibility as the followers of God to help the poor, to reach out to the homeless, to help those with AIDS, and others who are hurting, but that we can never surrender standing for life.

 

Falwell said marriage, family and the unborn have been under unrelenting attack.  He said we can run back to the caves, or we can stand in the breaks in the wall, unashamed, and making sure that what we believe in is safe. 

 

Yesterday we marked the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attack of 911. Falwell said there is a resurgence of people committed to fixing what is wrong in our society. 

 

"It is not above our pay grade to figure out that life is important to God," said Falwell.

 

The tide is beginning to turn, he said, thanks to those who have been willing to stand in the gap.  Falwell said that Democrat vice presidential nominee Joe Biden even said recently that he believes life begins at conception.

 

Falwell said it is the responsibility of the churches and faith-based organizations to reach out and address the ills of society, and that they will do a far better job than the government agencies ever could. 

 

Falwell spoke of the assassination attempt against President Ronald Reagan that occurred immediate after Reagan spoke in this very room and was leaving the back door of the Washington Hilton, and of the faith in God that Reagan showed during that personal crisis.  He said that faith was an inspiration to us and helped fuel the fire of a return to values that started to burn brightly during Reagan's time in the White House.

 

He called on those present to stand firm and remain committed to values, morality, family and life.  Falwell repeated what his father had said, that God's people are not called to be popular, but are called to be faithful.

Values Voter Summit: Ken Blackwell

Ken Blackwell, former mayor of Cincinnati and former Ohio Secretary of State, told the thousands gathered at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing that school choice is of paramount importance in today's world.

 

He pointed out that in the past, black Americans were held back when they were forced into ineffective schools.  Too many of today's children are also kept in ineffective schools where they cannot attain their full academic potential.

 

Blackwell said our current education establishment is too interested in administrative requirements and union dues, and not nearly interested enough in the educational welfare of our children.

 

Child-centered school choice initiatives will require that two myths be dispelled.  The first is that educational choice would only benefit parochial schools.  Blackwell said there are many good public schools across our country, and they will be able to compete with others.

 

The second myth is that it is a radical change.  We already see the concept of educational choice in higher education.  Blackwell said in Ohio, public institutions compete successfully with other colleges, and that many go to state institutions that could afford other options, were those other options better.

 

Blackwell said it was perceived to be radical to desegregate schools forty years ago.  But "the courage of nine children" helped crack open the door of educational opportunity back then, and a few can make a difference today. 

 

Blackwell said those who are working for educational choice and academic opportunities for children are "punching holes in the darkness." 

Values Voter Summit: Stephen Baldwin

Actor Stephen Baldwin spoke at the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing and said he is one of the last people he would have ever thought would be seen at this podium. 

 

He said that when he became a Christian, he challenged God, and that was "really stupid."  He said he told God that he skydives and all sorts of crazy stuff, and that walking with God wasn't more exciting than the life he already knew, he and the Lord would have a problem.  Baldwin clarified: "This was early on in my walk with the Lord." 

 

Baldwin said the best way to ensure a good future is to make more Christians. 

 

Baldwin said he has been in some "pretty naughty films" in his time, and what he's come to understand about the media culture (movies, TV, internet porn, video games, etc.) is that the majority of what it does is evil. 

 

"What are we fighting for," asked Baldwin.  He said our culture is being terrorized by these things, and he is sick of it.  He says that a lot of the films he has been in he would now classify as "BC" (or "Before Christ").  Many of the messages being transmitted through the media is making "quantum leaps" in evil. 

 

Baldwin said he is trying to make a difference in the Hollywood culture, but he needs some help.  He says we are simply not doing enough.  Baldwin says his calling is to preach this message to the younger generation.

 

He said he had a 15 year old boy come up to him after speaking recently, and the young man sincerely said he would do everything he could to get the foul show "Gossip Girl" off the air.  Baldwin encouraged him, telling the young man to go read his Bible and he'll find that sometimes it just takes one person to affect change.

Values Voter Summit: Michael Medved

Radio talk show host and columnist Michael Medved was the first speaker of the afternoon at the Family Research Council's 2008 Washington Briefing.

 

Medved aggressively and humorously took on two pervasive myths about conservatives: that conservatives hate women and sex.

 

Getting beyond the initial and obvious dichotomy here, Medved pointed out that most adult conservatives are married, and most of them are having sex. As an illustration, he pointed to the number of children Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had.

 

Meved also said that it wasn't "beyond our pay grade" for most of us to understand that abortion is wrong.

 

He also pointed out that it was an incredible thing for government to endorse a fundamental change in marriage. 

 

Medved said liberals try to divide the conservative base by trying to incite differences, such as when they disparaged Sarah Palin's faith and her church.  Medved pointed out that he is Jewish and is very proud of his faith.  He said there is only one place in the world where the McCain-Palin ticket is more favored than the United States, and that is in Israel.  He said it doesn't matter whether you are Jewish or Christian, but what matters is worldview--do you understand that there is such a thing as evil in the world, and that it must be confronted and defeated.

 

He said a more Christian America is a good thing because it is good for Jews and good for values. 

 

Medved said Palin has turned around the smears that conservatives hate women and sex. 

 

He said people of values are united in going out to do what's right for this greatest nation on God's green earth.

 

Another great speech!

Values Voter Summit: Newt Gingrich

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was the last speaker of the morning session of the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing.

 

Gingrich said Governor Sarah Palin's interview with Charlie Gibson of ABC was extremely distorted.  He said when Gov. Palin was asked about whether our soldiers were on a "task from God," Gibson ignored the full quote and the context of her statement to this effect. 

 

He said the elite liberal media has become very hostile toward religion.  Gingrich pointed out that he had written a book which illustrated the deep belief in God held by the Founders, and historically through the life of our nation.  He said this is also seen in our nation's monuments. 

 

Gingrich said our nation's Christian heritage can be illustrated even through the quotes of liberal Democrats like President Franklin D. Roosevelt and President John F. Kennedy, and he shared some of these with the crowd. He quoted Kennedy stating, "...knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."  He also quoted Kennedy: " the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God."

 

He also spoke of the faith of Abraham Lincoln, and the multitude of times Lincoln spoke of God.  He spoke of how Lincoln relied on God for strength during the Civil War, and Gingrich said the faith of Lincoln can be seen in the Lincoln Memorial here in Washington D.C.

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt's D-Day Prayer included "Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity."  He said Roosevelt called our soldiers "Thy heroic servants" of God.

 

Gingrich asked whether Palin's statement seemed in the same spirit as these great leaders of America. 

 

Gingrich said "It is time to teach American history accurately."

 

Great presentation!

Values Voter Summit: Don Feder

Columnist Don Feder spoke to the Family Research Council's Washington Briefing about the "demographic winter" of falling birth rates.

 

He said that unlike global warming, demographic winter is very real.  Humanity is failing to reproduce itself in sufficient numbers.

 

Feder said 2.1 is the number of children the average woman has to have just to replace current population.  In less than 40 years, birth rates have fallen worldwide by 50%.  In 1979, the average woman had 6 children; today she has 2.9 children.  By the 2050, it is estimated we will be below replacement levels worldwide. 

 

In the European Union it is 1.5.  With a birth rate of 1.3 or below, a nation will lose half of its population or more in 40 years. 

 

Feder pointed to Russia as a "sneak preview."  Russia is losing 3/4 of a million people a year. He wondered what it would look like for 77 million people to try to hold onto a nation with the world's largest landmass.

 

He said in Europe there are four working people for every retiree; in a few years, in 2050, it will soon be two working people for every retired persons.

 

Feder asked how our nation would defend itself without adequate manpower for our military, or how our economy could maintain our current level of prosperity when we will not have enough workers to sustain it. He said there has never been a nation in history where living standards rose while population diminished. 

 

Worldwide we kill 42 million people a year through abortion each year, Feder said.  For the first time in history, just under half of the world's population uses some form of birth control.  He said the historic and natural order of marrying and having children is no more.  Divorce and the decline of marriage through cohabitation is also contributing. 

 

Ironically, Feder pointed out that the only form of marriage (and he said he used the term "marriage" somewhat loosely) our society is pushing is the one kind that cannot produce children.

 

He said our current culture senses no obligation to the past and no responsibility to the future.

 

Feder said people need information to do something about this.  He said the documentary "Demographic Winter" is a good start. He said that when the snow of the demographic winter is piled up outside our doors, it will be too late, so something must be done now.

Krauthammer: Obama's race to lose...

Charles Krauthammer at Town Hall has this:

WASHINGTON -- The Democrats are in a panic. In a presidential race that is impossible to lose, they are behind. Obama devotees are frantically giving advice. Tom Friedman tells him to "start slamming down some phones." Camille Paglia suggests, "be boring!"

Meanwhile, a posse of Democratic lawyers, mainstream reporters, lefty bloggers and various other Obamaphiles are scouring the vast tundra of Alaska for something, anything, to bring down Sarah Palin: her daughter's pregnancy, her ex-brother-in-law problem, her $60 per diem, and now her religion. (CNN reports -- news flash! -- that she apparently has never spoken in tongues.) Not since Henry II asked if no one would rid him of his turbulent priest, have so many so urgently volunteered for duty.

(full column linked above)

Values Voter Summit: Jim Daily

Jim Daily, President of Focus on the Family, was next to speak at the 2008 Family Research Council Washington Briefing.

 

Daily said he was very excited about the candidacy of Governor Sarah Palin for the Republican vice presidency.  He stated he greatly appreciated her strong pro-life stance and life.

 

Daily said Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) came to Colorado Springs to talk with Dr. James Dobson about why it always seemed he was more aligned with the Republican Party.  Dobson told him that his issues were family issues first, and that if Democrats would talk positively about these issues more often, they would find themselves coming together a lot more.

 

Daily then said that what he was about to say was not told to him in confidence, so he felt free to relate it.  He said Salazar told them that there were 20-25 pro-life Democrat senators, including Harry Reid.  Salazar said they are not allowed to talk about that because the Democrat base would not tolerate it.

 

Daily asked if we are more preoccupied with the polar bear than the pre-born baby?

 

He also spoke about bringing our values not only into the public square, but in the things we vote for and against.  Daily said this goes not only for the average voter, but that our elected representatives should not be afraid to vote their values.

 

Daily spoke of why Sarah Palin has become so popular among women.  He said his wife calls Palin a "woman's woman."  His wife said Palin isn't trying to be a man, but is strong as a woman.  

 

Daily said there is forgiveness when a teen finds themselves pregnant out of wedlock, or a person finds themselves caught up in the sin of homosexuality, or heterosexuality outside of marriage.  However, he said that when a nation chooses to kill their own children and champion sin, God's judgment must certainly come on that nation.

 

He encouraged the crowd to stick with the time-tested values, to not be embarrassed about what they believe in.  He said he hoped we can begin the process of re-engaging values voters in this election. 

Values Voter Summit: Phyllis Schlafly

Phyllis Schlafly, head of Eagle Forum and pro-family pioneer, addressed the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit this morning.

 

She said we have just come off a couple of nominating campaigns where both sides think they have nominated the next president.

 

Schlafly said the platform the party comes up with is a kind of flag, and it is something we can use to hold our public officials accountable.

 

She spoke of the 1976 Republican platform and how it was the first clear pro-family platform, calling for victory in the battle against communism and defense of the family.  She said this platform paid off "big time" four years later when we elected conservative Ronald Reagan.

 

Schlafly said the next platform did not back off, standing against ERA, protection of human life, homosexual rights, and so on. 

 

Fast-forward to 2008, she said, and she is happy to report that the latest platform is a basis for conservatives to rebuild the Republican Party. 

 

She said the 2008 platform calls for a Western Hemisphere with sovereign nations that have secure borders.

 

This platform also supports English as our official language; she says it is an essential, unifying force.

 

Schlafly said the new platform calls for building our border fence, deporting criminal aliens, refusing drivers licenses and other benefits to illegal aliens, denying funds to "sanctuary cities," and prosecuting businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens.

 

It also rejects the U.N. Treaty on Women and the U.N. Treaty on the Rights of the Child.

 

The platform calls for aggressive drilling to building up our energy reserves, and building nuclear power plants.

 

She said the pro-life plank remains intact and even becomes the most pro-life ever, embracing the ban on partial birth abortion, and the Born Alive Protection Act. 

 

In comparing the Republican platform to the Democrats, the Democrat platform affirms the right of women to abort their children. It also promises to lift President Bush's ban on embryonic stem cell research. 

 

Schlafly also said the Democrat platform toadies to the extreme liberal feminist element.  It calls for ratification of the U.N. Treaty on Women, and the Violence Against Women Act, which she said is a mechanism for support for feminist organizations. 

 

She said the Democrat platform calls for recognizing same-sex couples as fully legitimate and extending all benefits available to married couples to homosexual couples.  It also calls for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)--which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. 

 

Meanwhile, the Republican platform calls for a Federal Marriage Amendment recognizing marriage as being between one man and one woman. 

 

It also seeks to protect against judicial activism on the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer in schools, the Boy Scouts, and other intrusions on our religious freedom.

 

It also calls for educational choice and reprimands public schools for invasive student surveys. 

 

She said the Democrat platform intends to fund a global war on poverty and other extremely expensive programs which would spend huge amounts of money not only here in America but around the world.

 

She said the 2008 Republican platform is the most conservative, pro-life and pro-family platform ever.  She said this happened because of the long-range planning and hard work of people in Eagle Forum and the Family Research Council who worked as a team in Minnesota.

 

Schlafly said God has blessed America more than any other nation in the world, and it is up to us to retain that heritage.

 

Schlafly's speech was energetic, strong and very clear--all the qualities we've come to expect from solid conservatives!

Could Republicans Regain Control of Congress?

All has been doom and gloom for months over the possibility Republicans might regain control of Congress.  There has been little disagreement on that prospect regardless of whether liberals or conservatives were asked.

 

But that may be changing--and changing big.

 

According to a new Gallup Poll, the 11-point divide between Democrats and Republicans last month suddenly shrank to 3 points in September--which is within the margin of error.

 

As I recall, polls usually favor Democrats anyway, so when you adjust for the poll versus actual vote factor, Republicans might already be over the top.

 

And as word and enthusiasm spreads over Sarah Palin's nomination as the Republican vice presidential candidate, this could definitely shift the other way.

 

Wouldn't that be great!  If it happens, let's hope and pray Republicans learn from their mistakes and do a better job than they have.

Values Voter Summit: Michael Steele

Michael Steele, Chairman of GOPAC, said he was fresh off the trail from Denver.  He joked that visiting Mount Olympus had been inspiring. 

 

He said it was refreshing when he attended the GOP conference to hear that we need to focus on country and community. 

 

Steele said America watched the GOP convention, and America learned something, and America was beginning to respond.  He received a healthy round of applause when he mentioned vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

 

He said that when liberals he encountered started "bearing their fangs" against Palin, he told them: "I know Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is a friend of mine.  You don't want to mess with Sarah Palin."

 

Steele said it was really the values she holds and that so many of us also share that the liberals oppose. 

 

According to Steele: "We have a culture which tells us not only 'Give to Caesar what is Caesar's,' but 'Give to Caesar what is God's'."

 

"When did being a Christian become a pejorative in this country," asked Steele.

 

Steele encouraged values voters to not just complain, but to get involved, to stand up for other Americans who want to succeed and need an opportunity. 

 

Steele said not to underestimate Sarah Palin.  He said having raised five children, from one going off to war to another newborn infant, she can accomplish anything she wants.

 

"This woman shoots moose; what's she going to do to a donkey," Steele joked.

 

Steele said the ideal of valuing the family and the rights of individuals is not done.  It only is, he said, if you give up and give in to those forces who demand that you give not only to Caesar what is Caesar's, but also give to Caesar what is God's.

 

Great speech!

Constitution Never Intended to Prohibit Government Recognition of Religion

American Minute from William J. Federer

 

He was President of the American Bar Association, Chief Justice of Michigan's Supreme Court and dean of the University of Michigan Law School. His name was Thomas Cooley and he died SEPTEMBER 12, 1898.

 

The first Chairman of the Interstate Commerce Commission, Thomas Cooley's commentaries shaped American law. He declined offers to teach at Hastings College of Law, University of Texas, Johns Hopkins University, Boston Law School, University of Pennsylvania and Cornell Law School.

 

In his General Principles of Constitutional Law, 1890, Thomas Cooley wrote: "It was never intended by the Constitution that the government should be prohibited from recognizing religion, or that religious worship should never be provided for in cases where a proper recognition of Divine Providence in the working of government might seem to require it, and where it might be done without drawing an invidious distinction between religious beliefs, organizations, or sects."

 

Thomas Cooley continued: "The Christian religion was always recognized in the administration of the common law of the land, the fundamental principles of that religion must continue to be recognized in the same cases and to the same extent as formerly."

 

William J. Federer is a nationally recognized author, speaker, and president of Amerisearch, Inc, which is dedicated to researching our American heritage. The American Minute radio feature looks back at events in American history on the dates they occurred, is broadcast daily across the country and read by thousand on the internet.

Values Voter Summit: Joe Gibbs

NFL Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs was the next to address the Values Voter Summit in Washington D.C.

 

Gibbs said two amoeba didn't come together to create life; a loving God knits people together in the womb.

 

Gibbs said that when he became a parent, he realized what it was to put someone before himself.  He couldn't imagine sacrificing his son for himself or anything else.  Yet God allowed his one and only son to die for us.  He said we all have a "head coach" who cares for us.

 

He said it took a while, but after fame and success came to him, it eventually dawned on him that family--specifically the work his wife did as a mother in their home--was more important than all the work he was doing. He said when it's all said and done, the work he and his wife do in influencing them and others for values is all that will matter and endure.  

 

He said in the game of life, you either choose to be on God's team, or you choose to play against Him forever.

 

Gibbs said if you don't follow the game plan, the game doesn't go well.  And God is the one with the game plan.  He said accepting Jesus Christ as savior should affect everything we do and every decision we make. 

 

"Every decision we need to make is in that [Bible] book," Gibbs said.

 

"Can you point to a specific time and place in your life when you asked Christ to come into your life as your personal savior," he asked. Gibbs invited people at the Summit, if there was any question at all, to get clear on their spiritual condition and destiny today.

 

Gibb's faith is apparently very real and very important to him.  This kind of sincerity is commendable, but especially in someone from a culture where fame and success are usually more important than anything. 

Values Voter Summit: Lou Dobbs

Lou Dobbs of CNN was the first featured speaker.

 

Dobbs said he once thought Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, needed to "come around. However, he said the more he thought about it, the more he realized those vaues Perkins espoused were important, and it was HE who needed to come around. So he did. 

 

He asked those present at the summit not to let his friends in the liberal media know this, however. :-)

 

Dobbs said the family was important not only within the issues of abortion and homosexual "marriage," but in economic issues as well.  He said many of the forces that work against the family are financial.  He asked those present to be diligent to address these issues as well, and extend morality to economic issues also. 

 

"Our government has been failing us for some decades now," said Dobbs.  He said he believed the greatest problem facing us today is the loss of democracy, and the loss of the rule of the majority. 

 

He said it is being suspended by $3 billion in lobbying money being spent in D.C. every year.  Dobbs said "this town" is dominated by corporate interests and special interests, and the voice of the people is being drowned out by these interests. 

 

Dobbs said the nomination of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is one of the most extreme illustrations of media bias.  He said she had been savaged by the figures in the media.  Dobbs took particular exception to the reprehensible behavior of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann.

 

Dobbs encouraged those present to continue defending traditional values with energy and gusto.

Hubris, Indeed!

In last night’s interview by ABC’s Charlie Gibson, Gov. Palin is accused of “hubris” in the opening comments and set a tone for the remainder of the session. There was, indeed, considerable hubris seen in this interview, but Charlie Gibson was apparently oblivious to the source. I can’t imagine any candidate of either party being subjected to such treatment, but over-all Palin did pretty well with the questions asked. I just wish she had pressed Gibson to explain why he thought her acceptance of the VP nomination was arrogant and unreasonably prideful.

hu·bris
Pronunciation:
\ˈhyü-brəs\
Etymology:
Greek hybris
: exaggerated pride or self-confidence
(Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

“Hubris, sometimes spelled hybris (ancient Greek ὕβρις), is a term used in modern English to indicate overweening pride, self-confidence, superciliousness, or arrogance, often resulting in fatal retribution.”
Wikipedia

At the Values Voter Summit 208

The Family Research Council Washington Briefing is just starting.

 

There have been a phenomenal amount of technical problems with my computer since arriving in Washington D.C. yesterday, so I'm going to be thankful if I am able to post anything at all.

 

I've rebuilt my laptop to factory default because I couldn't get it to run at all.  Things seemed to be okay when I went to bed last night...but this morning, we're back to a black screen again. 

 

So I'm on a friend's laptop right now, and he has some internet filtering that prevents me from accessing the Dakota Voice control panel directly, so I"m going to try something that's supposed to work but I've never tried before: blogging via email.

 

If you pray, please pray for my technical problems. 

 

But no matter what, it's great to be here in the capital of our great nation.  It's already been a great time, with a great dinner with some good FRC folks, and a great breakfast this morning with Bishop Harry Jackson and the High Impact Leadership Coalition.

 

Okay, let's see if this works...

Homosexual Film Maker: Gay Sex a "Sewer" of Degredation

I've been saying for a long time that homosexuality is not only immoral, but a very unhealthy practice. It is fraught with disease, substance abuse, depression, suicide and domestic violence, among other things.

But now LifeSiteNews reports Simon Fanshawe, a British writer and broadcaster, has created a documentary called "The Trouble With Gay Men" after he became alarmed by the state of homosexual culture.

Among the things Fanshawe says:

"We're hooked on vanity, and regard older men with contempt. Despite AIDS we're still chasing the ultimate sexual high and what's more are determined to wreck ourselves on designer drugs. We're happy to assist the straight world in keeping alive the image of all gay men as limp-wristed queens."

And

Gay men, he says, are so "hardwired" towards finding casual sexual encounters, some going as far as plastic implants to enhance their appearance, that finding genuine intimacy is "practically impossible."

"Vast amounts of our leisure time are organised around sex, straight or gay. But what gay men have done is organise our identity around sex. And that is corrosive. And to make things worse, promiscuity has become the norm."

The documentarian asks the proprietor of a gay sex bath house, "Paul", who had just related some graphic stories of group sexual encounters in the establishment, "Are we just swimming around in a sewer which we're just sort of saying is normal?"

The homosexual sex itself isn't the only danger:

"Unsafe" sex, he says, is not the only way in which gay men are self destructive. "If there's a new drug, gay men will find it and take it," he states.

Society is being terribly irresponsible in not only condoning this lifestyle, but celebrating it and legitimizing it.

There is no love involved in allowing fellow human beings to degrade themselves so.

U.S. Motto, Declaration of Independence Unconstitutional

Did you know that the language contained in the national motto of the United States and the Declaration of Independence are unconstitutional and violate the "separation of church and state"?

I didn't either, but that's what Principal Dawn Kastner of Westview High School in California told math teacher Bradley Johnson.

According to WorldNetDaily, Johnson has had a 7 feet by 2 feet banner in his classroom for 25 years that included the words "In God We Trust," "One Nation Under God," "God Bless America" and "God Shed His Grace On Thee," and a second banner which quoted the Declaration of Independence: "All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator."

How such despicable and sectarian language could have been allowed all this time, we can only guess! So what if this language is in our national motto and our Declaration of Independence: they sound religious!

All kidding aside, it is either sad or despicable that a school principle would be so ignorant or malicious that they would fail to understand or honor our nation's history and heritage.

Contrary to modern assertions that a "separation of church and state" exists (there is no such language in the U.S. Constitution, our nation was set up to have neither a state-run church or a church-run state.

That is why the First Amendment says

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

That same First Amendment also goes on to condemn what this principle is trying to do

or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

While our founders understood the wisdom of avoiding a state church or official state religion, they by no means intended the public square to be devoid of religious and moral influence.

Exactly the opposite is true. Consider these facts and statements by the founders:



During the colonial period and for many years after the American Revolution, the New England Primer was the most-used textbook. This textbook was more full of Christian teaching than most religious texts today; check it out at the link above.

Gouverneur Morris, signer of the Declaration of Independence, said, “Religion is the only solid basis of good morals; therefore education should teach the precepts of religion, and the duties of man towards God.”

Samuel Adams said, “Let divines and philosophers, statesmen and patriots, united their endeavours to renovate the age, by impressing the minds of men with the importance of educating their little boys and girls, of inculcating in the minds of youth the fear and love of the Deity…in short of leading them in the study and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system.”

Benjamin Rush, another signer of the Declaration of Independence, said, “In contemplating the political institutions of the United States, I lament that we waste so much time and money in punishing crimes, and take so little pains to prevent them. We profess to be republicans and yet we neglect the only means of establishing and perpetuating our republican forms of government. That is, the universal education of our youth in the principles of Christianity by the means of the Bible.”

Rush also said, "...the only foundation for...a republic is to be laid in Religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments."

Charles Carroll, another signer of the Declaration of Independence, said, "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."

James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration and one who helped write the Constitution, said, "Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is divine .... Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other."

That Declaration which these and more signed starts with the recognition of God, and that our freedoms and rights come from Him:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed

That Declaration also ends with a statement of "firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence."

John Witherspoon, another signer of the Declaration, said, "Whoever is an avowed enemy of God, I scruple not to call him an enemy to his country…God grant that in America true religion and civil liberty may be inseparable and that the unjust attempts to destroy one may in the issue tend to the support and establishment of both."

Patrick Henry, the first governor of Virginia and one of the greatest proponents of independence, said, "The great pillars of all government and of social life [are] virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone that renders us invincible."

We have Benjamin Franklin, one of the least religious of the founders, to thank for our still-standing tradition of opening congress and other government meetings in prayer when he said, during the drafting of the Constitution:

“…how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly appealing to the Father of lights to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible to danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard and they were graciously answered… And have we now forgotten that powerful friend? or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?...I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better, than the Builders of Babel...We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages…I therefore beg leave to move—that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business…”

In his inaugural address, President George Washington said

...it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes...No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States...the propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained

When Washington was approached in 1779 by the Delaware Indians who wanted their children to be taught in American schools, he told them in 1779: "You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention."

John Jay, First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, said, "Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty...of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."

Thomas Jefferson said, "Can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are a gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever."

Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, appointed by James Madison, said

We are not to attribute this [First Amendment] prohibition of a national religious establishment to an indifference to religion in general, and especially to Christianity (which none could hold in more reverence, than the framers of the Constitution)

He also said, "The real object of the [First A]mendment was not to countenance, much less to advance, Mahometanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects."

Story also tells us regarding the authority of the States, many of which had state churches: "The whole power over the subject of religion is left exclusively to the State governments to be acted upon according to their own sense of Justice and the State constitutions."

Noah Webster said, “In my view, the Christian Religion is the most import and and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed…no truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian Religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, one of the nation’s first important statutes, says in Article III: “Religion, morality and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”

George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports…In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.”

John Adams, our second president, said, “Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.”

He also said, "[W]e have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. . . . Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

Adams also said, "The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were…the general principles of Christianity."

Both James Wilson and Judge Story made it clear to us how to interpret laws and the Constitution: as they were intended.

Wilson said, "The first and governing maxim in the interpretation of a statute is to discover the meaning of those who made it."

Story said, "The first and fundamental rule in the interpretation of all instruments is to construe them according to the sense of the sense of the terms and intentions of the parties."

It's really not that hard to figure out. That is, unless you don't like what the law and the Constitution say, and you're looking for a way to get around what they say. Unless you're looking for a way to, um, rewrite history.

With education officials like the one who slammed the national motto and the Declaration of Independence, no wonder we're seeing so many "minds of mush" being produced by the education establishment who think the United States is a nation built on a total divorce between Christian values and the public square.

One might be tempted to overlook the ignorance of an average citizen, but such ignorance (or duplicity) on the part of a government official charged with the good education of American youth is reprehensible.

Fortunately, the Christian Post reports that San Diego federal judge Robert Benitez has upheld the teacher's display of these banners.

Some sanity yet remains not only in government, but most remarkably in our court system.

Thank God!

The Beginning of the End of the Culture War?

Herbert E. Meyer has a great piece at American Thinker on what he calls the decisive battle in the culture war.

Though the "mainstream" media pooh-poohs the reality that a war of cultures has been going on in the United States for about 50 years, it is undeniable to anyone with eyes to see.

It is really a type of civil war, though unlike the American Civil War of the 1800s, this one knows no geographical lines, though the "red state/blue state" demarcations do provide some reference. It is also not fought with bullets, bombs and cannon.

This civil war is one fought on the battlefield of the heart and mind. It is a civil war of philosophies and worldviews. And the casualties are staggering: about 50 million dead on the abortion front, countless others on the substance abuse front, untold suffering on the promiscuity/STD front, generational suffering on the work ethic/personal responsibility front, and still more going downward into eternity in the secularist assault on the Christian faith.

Though I admit my doubts, I hope Meyer is prescient in his statement that this may be the "decisive" battle, because decisive battles mark a turning point in a war, one that portends an end.

And of course, I hope the battle is decisive in favor of the Christian values upon which our great nation was founded.

Though Meyer's piece sheds insight on all this, I found it notable that he did a very good job of describing the two ideological camps in this culture war, along with the values and behaviors that define them:

On one side are the Traditionalists. We believe that church and State should be separate, but that religion should remain at the center of life. We are a Judeo-Christian culture, which means we consider those ten things on a tablet to be commandments, not suggestions. We believe that individuals are more important than groups, that families are more important than governments, that children should be raised by their parents rather than by a village, and that marriage is a sacred relationship between a man and a woman. We believe that rights must be balanced by responsibilities, that personal freedom is a privilege we must be careful not to abuse, and that the rule of law cannot be set aside when it becomes inconvenient.

We believe in economic liberty, property rights, and in giving purposeful and industrious entrepreneurs the elbowroom they need to start and run their businesses -- and thus create jobs for all the rest of us -- with a minimum of government interference. We recognize that people in other countries see things differently, and we are tolerant of their views. But we believe that despite its imperfections the United States is history's most blessed country, and when attacked we will defend this country with our lives.

On the other side of this culture war are the Left-Wing Liberals. They are uncomfortable with our traditions, with the inevitable inequalities of our free-market economy, and with our military power. They dislike our values, our morality, and our unabashed displays of patriotism. At first -- back in the 1960s -- they were content merely to develop and pursue their own radical culture within ours. They tuned out, turned to drugs, and pushed the level of sexual license to a point our country had never known. They were so distressed by our imperfections that they refused to recognize or celebrate our achievements.

Meyer's description continues, as does his overall analysis of the culture war. It is a highly recommended read.

Our enemy tries to lull us into capitulation with propaganda that the culture war is "just politics" and that our religious values should not speak to public policy issues. The ranks of those who would otherwise be defending right have been thinned considerably by these deceptions, but the battle is far from over.

If it is won by truth and good, as the Civil War was, then just as that victory brought greater freedom and good to all Americans, so will this one.

As was the Civil War of the 1800s was about good and evil, so is this current cultural "civil war." It is one we should not abandon; it is one we cannot afford to abandon.

Especially when, as Meyer hopes, the beginning of the end might just be in sight.