Liberal Lemmings Leaping

Today many in the Democratic Party follow the Party leadership’s dictated platform. The Party leadership expects their candidates to support abortion-on-demand at all costs. Ann Coulter in her latest book, Godless, The Church of Liberalism, calls abortion the greatest sacrament of the Church of Liberalism. The Democratic Party leaders are some of the strongest adherents of the Church of Liberalism.

It is almost impossible for a person to run as a Democrat and be pro-life or support traditional one-man, one woman marriage. There are a few exceptions to this general rule, there always are. Bob Casey, hopefully the soon to be also-ran, running against Rick Santorum’s for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania apparently is pro-life to the chagrin of the party I am sure. However, somewhere along the line the Democratic Party became the Party of Death.

There is a new book called The Party of Death: The Democrats, the Media, the Courts, and the Disregard for Human Life, by Ramesh Ponnuru. He begins his book with these words:

"The party of death started with abortion, but its sickle has gone from threatening the unborn, to the elderly, to the disabled; it has swept from the maternity ward to the cloning laboratory to a generalized disregard for 'inconvenient' human life."

That statement says a lot. Most of the Democratic Party leadership are also members of the party of death. Many in leadership roles in the Democratic Party hold the unrestricted and unlimited abortion-on-demand position. The abortion chamber exterminators “Preventing” Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) and their protectors and supports the National Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) hold much sway over the liberal left in America. They are powerful, prominent and prosperous members of the left. They expect the Democratic Party to be in full support of their pro-abortion, pro-death agenda.

To many rank and file members of the party, who are loyal to the Democratic Party but may either be willfully or unwittingly disloyal to American values and the original principles and purposes of America and the Democratic Party. Like lemmings they blindly follow their leaders who want to march them and all of America to the brink of her destruction.

Radical liberalism has infected and invaded the Democratic Party and has made it sick. It is dying. What is needed is a deep revival of morality and embrace of the Judeo-Christian values and the principles that made this country great. What is the remedy or cure what plagues the Democratic Party? A strong, potent dose of conservatism and an injection of these Judeo-Christian principles and values is the answer. Without it the Party will die.

This November 7th vote for the best, most principled, most conservative candidate, who will help set our nation on the right course. It is time to end abortion on demand. It is time to pass the Marriage Protection Amendment. It is time to reintroduce a personal responsibility mentality and end the entitlement mentality so evident when Democrats are in power.

Why Vote?

The following excerpt is attributed to League of Women Voters of Mississippi. I bolded the phrases to indicate some of the reasons why all registered American voters should vote.

The privilege of an American Citizen to vote is the right that defines our democracy. By exercising this fundamental right, we protect all the other rights of our constitution. The vote is an expression of equality; neither wealth nor fame or power can make one person’s vote count more than another person’s vote.

There are many . . . reasons . . . for not voting, yet every vote counts. Voting is the way to tell politicians and government officials what is important to us. . . .

The officials that we elect affect every aspect of our lives. Every voter has the opportunity to make personal decisions and influence the future. Although many election contests are won by comfortable margins, some have been so close that a single vote has made the difference between winning and losing. Some notable decisions resulting from a single vote include:

* In 1776, one vote gave America the English language instead of German
* In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union.
* In 1868, one vote saved Andrew Johnson’s presidency.
* In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes thepresidency of the United States of America
* In 1921, one vote in the Tennessee legislature ratified the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution and gave women the right to vote.
* In 1941, one vote saved selective service—just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

Votes matter. As illustrated about a single vote can make a big difference in an election. The following is a list of specific reason why every Value Voter should cast a ballot on November 7, 2006. If enough Values Voters turn out than we could have a great impact on electing more U.S. Senators, and U.S. Representative and other state and local officials who will”

1. Insure that only judges will be confirmed who interpret the law and not legislate from the bench. This applies to state and local judges. Know where the judges, for whom you directly elect, stand on vital issues of morality.

2. Insure that the sanctity of life is recognized and persevered. Steps should be taken to abolish all abortion, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, cloning and euthanasia.

3. To protect and promote traditional one-man, one-woman marriage and family exclusivity. To eliminate the marriage tax penalty as long as we have the Federal Income Tax laws in effect.

4. To strengthen our national defense and national security. Consider defunding and eliminating the United Nations.

5. Completely stop the illegal alien invasion and securing our border. Make English the official language of the nation, as well as a requirement for citizenship. Implement a plan systematically purge the Illegal Aliens already in the United States and heavily fine and imprison and/or close down any businesses that hire or harbor illegal aliens. Void the North American Union idea between the U.S., Mexico and Canada and any trade or relationships that jeopardizes American sovereignty.

6. To de-emphasize the public education system controlled at present by the elite and their secular humanist philosophy To permit and encourage many other alternatives to public education. To close schools that are not meeting standards and give parents of those schools vouchers to go to the school or educational program of their choice. Curtail the monopolistic influence of teacher unions.

7. To encourage and expand faith-based initiatives to deal with our prisons, homeless, poor, etc.

8. To initiate a plan for the United States to eliminate the deficit and to work toward becoming debt-free. Institute ceilings for damage awards for malpractice and other business related liabilities to curtail frivolous lawsuits.

9. Eliminate the Federal Income Tax. Implement a consumption tax, which taxes items when they are purchased instead of taxation of income. This would encourage saving.

10. To initiate a plan and a policy to reverse the trade deficit and work toward deliberate creation of a trade surplus.

Know your candidates and issues and make A Good Choice on Election Day, November 7th, vote!

Examining America's Real Roots

I had an opportunity to hear David Barton, an author, American Historian and founder of www.WallBuilders.com , presented "Religion & Politics, The Myth of Separation of Church and State" this evening in Vandalia, Ohio. He presented a persuasive message on the very significant role that Christians and the Judeo-Christian bible played in the founding of our country.

Much is made of the fact that Thomas Jefferson was not an evangelical Christian, but a Deist. However, the vast majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were strong God-fearing bible-believing true Christians. In fact, 24 of the original signer held seminary degrees! Facts like these do not fit the secular humanist vision of America and are kept in the closet of our public schools, hidden from the students of America. Barton closed his presenation with the following quote referring to our civic duties, including our responsibility to elect moral and upright representatives.

Consider well the important trust . . . which God . . . [has] put into your hands. . . . To God and posterity you are accountable for [your rights and your rulers]. . . . Let not your children have reason to curse you for giving up those rights and prostrating those institutions which your fathers delivered to you. . . . [L]ook well to the characters and qualifications of those you elect and raise to office and places of trust. . . . Think not that your interests will be safe in the hands of the weak and ignorant; or faithfully managed by the impious, the dissolute and the immoral. Think not that men who acknowledge not the providence of God nor regard His laws will be uncorrupt in office, firm in defense of the righteous cause against the oppressor, or resolutly oppose the torrent of iniquity. . . . Watch over your liberties and privileges - civil and religious - with a careful eye. - Matthias Burnett, Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Norwalk, An Election Sermon, Preached at Hartford, on the Day of the Anniversary Election, May 12, 1803.

David Barton is a very effective speaker. His presentation was captivating. He encouraged all Values Voters, regadless of party affilitation, to be sure to vote ion November 7, 2006 just as they did in 2004, when they made a real difference in the outcome of the election.

Phil Burress of the Ciizens for Community Action also encouraged all registered voters to vote as well as to study the candidates and the issues. One source he recommended was www.OhioElectionCentral.com, which is a voters gude comparing candidates answers on key issues. He also stated that Ohio did not need more vice and urged Values Voters to reject Issue 3.

Dealing With Debt

I like the Constitution Party of Ohio platform in the area of money and banking, which In part reads:

Money functions as both a medium of exchange and a symbol of a nation's morality.

The Founding Fathers established a system of "coin" money that was designed to prohibit the "improper and wicked" manipulation of the nation's medium of exchange while guaranteeing the power of the citizens' earnings.

The federal government has departed from the principle of "coin" money as defined by the U.S. Constitution and the Mint Act of 1792 and has granted unconstitutional control of the nation's monetary and banking system to the private Federal Reserve System.

. . . We support a debt free, interest free money system.

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT

What we have in America today is a tremendous deficit. We spend more that we are taking into our treasury. We are printing paper money we do not have. We are IOU-ing our future. We have a great trade deficit; we are bringing in more goods than we are selling. The following give us a glimpse of the staggering debt that we have amassed as a nation. Source.

U.S. NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

The Outstanding Public Debt as of 24 Oct 2006 at 11:06:28 PM GMT is: $8,556,315,622,395.65. The estimated population of the United States is 300,059,496 so each citizen's share of this debt is $28,515.40. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of$1.60 billion per day since September 30, 2005!,Concerned? Then tell Congress and the White House!

We must elect conservative politicians who will get a reign on our rising deficit and trade imbalance. We need to stop borrowing from social security. We must make tough political decisions to cut funding and to look to faith-based initiates to once again pick up their God-given responsiblity to serve the poor and to minister to the whole person, body, mind and spirit.

INDIVIDUAL DEBT

Like our government, we Americans spend more than we make. Many of us are in debt. Jackson Lears wrote in The New York Times, in an article entitled, "The American Way of Debt" concluded it saying, "Whatever else our current indebtedness may signify, it is hardly a riot of hedonism". I disagree. We live beyond our means. We live too much for our own pleasure. We live only for today. We do not save, then we are crippled by a major medical catastrophe or loss of a job or some other set back.

We need to follow the biblical injunction, and basic Judeo-Christian principle "Owe no man anything." This applies to both our nation as well as to individual Americans. It is about time that we [I] reintroduce ourselves [myself)]to sacrifice, savings and delayed satisfaction. Our objective as a nation and as individuals is to set our country and ourselves on a course to be debt -free. It can be done, it takes sacrifice and discipline and having right priorities. Let's make A Good Choice and get out of debt and expect our elected representatives to do the same with our taxpayer funded government funds.

Why is Right Always Right?

In a comment to my AGC article yesterday, "Politics" asks the following question:

“Why is it that people on the Right always think that whatever they believe is always the truth and always the correct view(?)”

Well, “Politics”, I cannot speak for all “people on the Right”, but as for me, Christian conservative principles (I guess that is what you mean by right) and values are the key to America’s success story. This is why the “Right” is right. To the extent that we believe in and we act on what is right and on what is true, that is the extent we are correct.

I believe that the great majority of our Founding Fathers were professing, bible-believing, true practicing Christians. The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the very structure of our government and its three branches, were based on Judeo-Christian principles and precepts. Our Fathers acknowledged God from the very beginning and He, in turn, blessed us as a nation more than any other nation that ever existed. Our natural resources, our people, a melting pot of immigrants from nearly every nation on earth, the unlimited opportunities, the rewards for ingenuity, creativity and hard work and effort, the American Christian missionary movement and our works of compassion throughout the world is unsurpassed. Overall we have been a force for good in the world. It is primarily because of this moral and Christian foundation.

There are those today in America who do not believe in morality. They do not believe in the existence of God. They do not believe that good and evil exist. Everything, they say, is relative. I say that there is right and wrong. There is good and there is evil. There are moral absolutes. God is the sole and ultimate judge. God has set the standard. God’s has benchmarked what is proper behavior, which is outlined in the Judeo-Christian Bible.

The bottom line is that man is totally depraved and apart from God. In other words, man is a sinner, a wretch. Man, in his own flesh and by his own desire, cannot attain God’s standards. However, God in His infinite mercy gave a way to meet God’s high standards and to connect to Him; He provided His own Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said about Himself, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to (God the Father) except through Me. It is through a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ that we can have the ability to behave properly toward God and toward man. Read more.

Today the Right believes more in the Truth than does the Left. Much of the Left elevates man to a level that they treat him as god, except, of course, if they are not yet born, then they are expendable, or exterminable. Furthermore, the godless Left explains away Creation by the false theory of evolution. Many on the Right, though not all, believe in the existence and acknowledge God as Creator and as their personal CEO. Christianity, unlike socialism, Marxism or so many other “isms” and unlike even the “Christian” religion itself, is an individual personal relationship with the one true God. This personal, intimate relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ is the essence of Christianity. It is out of this relationship, our love for God, then that we can and do love others. The whole motive for service to others is out of an understanding and loving relationship with the living God. We want to help the poor and less fortunate.

This is what makes Christianity so unique. It is what made, I believe, America so unique for so many years. But Amercia has been faltering badly of late. It is because as a nation we have permitted the atrocities such as abortion and the acceptance of unnatural, abnormal, abhorrent behavior such as homosexuality that we have stumbled and lost our way. There is a whole political party, or at least its entire leadership, has these boasts these two immoral pillars of their party’s platform. The other party has too often rejected their conservative roots, and has thereby succumbed to the influence of greedy global multinational and major domestic industries and businesses to the determent of our nation and its peoples.

What America needs, meaning each of us, individual Americans, needs is to wake up and to strengthen the things that remain and then to revive and to restore our Foundation, Christian Conservative values. What is also needed is the election of principled and godly politicians, who will not only be right, but who will do right.

Elements of Truth

Moral absolutes do exist. There is good. There is evil. There is a God. Satan is real. Much of America has been deceived by the lie of the Devil, which is that man is self-sufficient and does not need God. Our schools, our government and many of our churches are devoid of both the truth and the true living and holy God. This was not always the case. This does not need to remain the case in America.

JOHN ADAMS, UNITARIAN?

Our blogger friend, Jonathan, wrote the following comment in response to our Friday post:

“Regarding John Adams, I thought it would be enough to show you that Adams using radical atheists and Enlightenment philosophies to "affirm" the "general principles of Christianity" demonstrates that he didn't quite mean what you may think he meant.”

Jonathan, I think that there are elements of truth in nearly every false religion, human-centered philosophy or scientific theory purporting to explain some wonder of nature. However, it is only in the Judeo-Christian bible and it is only through a personal relationship with the Sovereign Almighty God of the universe through Jesus Christ that one can ever hope to find the whole truth.

Personally, I am not surprised that John Adams pointed out that there are parts and pieces of truth in the most “radical atheist” or “Enlightenment” philosophy. I believe that John Adams though he may have believed all of those Unitarian ideas that you point out in your comment, I still think that he recognized the wisdom of the majority of his true Christian peers. Though, he himself may have been an atheist or Deist or Unitarian or whatever. He saw the obvious truth on which his fellow founders based their Declaration of Independence, their Constitution and their government.

SHERROD BROWN, LUTHERAN?

Today I went into the camp of the enemy. I attended Sherrod Brown’s rally at his hometown, Mansfield, which was held at his grade school where his mother, brothers, neighbors were all in attendance. He claimed how much he was influenced by the Lutheran church he attended as a child that shaped much of thinking today. It causes me to pause and the think what kind of preaching did the man hear growing up, knowing what horrible policies (abortion on demand, wholesale acceptance of homosexuality, etc.) falsehoods (the death penalty is unjust, protection of perversion) he expounds today. He was introduced by a black minister and former fellow student of his at the Brinkerhoff Elementary School. He spoke or only about 10 or 15 minutes and said virtually nothing except thank you to his friends and something about January first having a new governor, a new senator and his wife going back to work at the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper. All in all it was quite unimpressive.

It felt like a quick stop in on the way to someplace more important, like Columbus.

Even in some of the words and beliefs of this radical liberal politician there are elements of truth. He did talk about the need to pass Issue 2, the minimum wage law. Though I disagree with him on this issue, there is some truth that some employers may be not be paying what Brown and other liberals may consider a “just wage” I am a believer that the market and not government should dictate much of the prices and wages. For example, there are many fast food restaurants that are paying more than the proposed minimum wage. They had to pay $7.00 per hour in order to attract and retain employees. I believe that there is an element of truth in what Brown says that employers should pay a just wage. But let the market dictate, both the labor market and the business environment dictate the amount.

GOD CARES ABOUT WHOM WE ELECT!

Harry Valentine, the founder and publisher of Capitol Hill Prayer Alert to which I subscribe, wrote recently the following:

“In the Judeo-Christian bible in the passage, Joel 2:l7, ”Apparently God does not want barbarians and irreligious people ruling over us. What constitutes being a “barbarian” and “irreligious”? From God’s perspective as laid out in Scripture, such people wantonly break and ignore His Ten Commandments. In the context of today’s politics, this would include the agenda of the Liberal/Leftist/Socialist Elite cabal: abortion, homosexual matters, higher taxes, appeasement of national enemies, despotic governments, silencing of dissent (especially Christians), relativism (no right or wrong, no absolutes about good and evil or “morality”) humanism, etc. . . .”

“Please pick candidates who will please the Lord by their policies, votes and behavior (character and integrity are very important). Your vote matters, especially to God! “How could that be?” you ask. It shows were your heart is – with Him or
against Him. It matters to Him that we choose righteous or Biblically – influenced people to rule over this nation that He created sand loves.”

In an article on this blog I wrote a three-part article called “A Canary in a Cage” See the articles in which I discuss Sherrod Brown’s brand of “Christianity”. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Again, there are some elements of truth about Christianity in the liberation, socialist or Marxist theology, but it lacks the totality of the truth. One website that spells out many of Congressman Brown's positions in a clever way is www.FarOutBrown.com.

Congressman Ted Strickland, Democratic candidate for Governor in Ohio is another candidate like Congressman Brown who offers an element of truth in his political philosophy but fails to embrace the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He has succumbed, like Brown to much of the liberal lie. See the article on this blog entitled, “Ted Strickland, Strictly Wrong for Ohio”. A website that points out Congressman's Strickland's inconsistencies is www.TruthAboutTed.com.

Ohio cannot afford to elect men like Brown or Strickland who by their policies, their votes and their behavior, for the most part cannot be pleasing or honoring the Lord.

For Ohio Issues 2, 3, 4 & 5: Mark Your Ballots No, No, No & Yes

This morning's Columbus Dispatch reported that Issue 1 is off the ballot in Ohio. I really never quite understood the measure, so now I don't need to do so. It had something to do with workers compensation.

The primary reason for voting against Issue 2 is that most everyone is already making more than the new minimum wage. Even most McDonald’s Restaurants start their workers at above minimum wages today. By retaining the current minimum wage it allows teens and disabled employees to be more attractive to employers for hire. Fewer teens or functionally handicapped individuals would have a hard time finding employment. Minimum wage jobs are an excellent way to begin one’s career.

Issue 3 only enhances the pockets of a few casino owners and hurts individuals and society more than it helps in the long run. See also: http://agoodchoice.blogspot.com/2006/10/why-vote-no-on-issue-3-two-word-answer.html

Issue 4 is a con put forth by the tobacco industry to trick and to deceive the voter in thinking that they are supporting a measure that encourages "LESS" smoking, but it actually encourages MORE smoking.

Issue 5 is truly a smoke-free bill, which limits public smoking in public places. I just finished breakfast at Millie’s, a smoke "less" restaurant and was glad to get out with second hand smoke lingering in my lungs and on my clothes as I left the tiny “smoke LESS” diner . In a place like this a few smokers can really stink up the place. There was a child of 10 who paid the bill for his parents, he no doubt sat in that highly toxic place for nearly an hour. I enjoyed the breakfast but not the thick fearsome Al-Gore atmosphere. I will not go back, until maybe after November 8th.

See also: http://agoodchoice.blogspot.com/2006/10/price-of-vice-is-too-high-for-ohio.html

Becoming an Educated Voter

I remember my father setting the example for his children by taking his civic duty of voting seriously. I recall him carefully reading the old Cleveland Press sample ballot and studying and making his selections and voting in each election as long as her was able. I find myself taking seriously the great privilege and responsibility of voting as well. I have the advantage of the vast internet and its great information sources, which he did not have.

I have voted in most major elections, but I admit this is the first one that I will have thought out each issue and each candidate more than ever before. I thank my dad for his example and I thank my heavenly Father that I live in a country where I can have a say in who represents me, as flawed as the choices may be.

Since I became involved in the campaign of my fellow-blogger and friend, Sam, I have become familiar with several resources that have been helpful and may also prove useful to the readers of AGC.

THE FAITH2ACTION WEBSITE
http://f2a.org/coast2coast/voterguides/

If you want a broad national perspective of the key races around the country I recommend Faith2Action Voter Guide. Besides the Governor’s and Senator races in Ohio, there are important senate races in PA, VA, MD, TN, MO, FL, AZ, etc. See my recent article about the importance of keeping and electing conservative Senators. To me the key is to increase the number of Republican Senators so that the confirmation hearing for judges will be a much more level playing field. There already are too many left-wing siding activities judges screwing up our courtrooms, we do not need more judges thinking they can make and create laws to suit their left-wing agendas.

THE ON THE ISSUES WEBSITE
http://www.ontheissues.org/default.htm

On the Issues, is the one resource to which I refer most often in researching candidates actual positions on the issues.. This site categorizes the candidates past voting record and his or her postions on the issues. This website seems to do an objective analysis of the voting records of every major candidate currently in office or who is currently running for office. It analyzes their position of the issues from A – abortion to W – war and terrorism. What I really find helpful is the graph at the end of each candidate positions of the issues. On-the-issues precisely plots the politicians political position on a graph. For example my “favorite” politician in Ohio, Sherrod Brown (the graph above is his) processing all of his positions on the issues comes out as a populist leaning liberal democrat. See this article for an example of how I used this resource to analyze the race in Ohio for U.S. Senator.

JUST ENTER YOUR ZIP CODE ON THESE WEBSITES

The following three website are easy to use. Once you click on the website you can see the major races that will appear on your ballot and you gives you the opportunity to become further acquainted with your choices.

OHIO ELECTION CENTRAL:
http://www.ohioelectioncentral.com/zip_entry_general.asp

After entering your 9 digit zip code you will see a comparison of candidates who turned in answers to questionnaires sent out to each candidate. Many candidates have not chosen to answer them, but you can get a good introduction into who will appear on your ballot.

USA VOTER:
http://www.usavoter.info/

Just enter your 5 or 9 digit zip code. The candidates who will appear on your ballot will be on the left side of the opening page. Click on any of the issues, federal or state candidates. What I really like about this site especially is that it will give you both sides of the issue when you click on any of the 5 issues on this year’s Ohio ballot. This website will also give you the candidates websites, so you can do further research if you desire.

SMART VOTER:
http://www.smartvoter.org/

All you have to do is enter your 5 digit zip code and this site provides you with a wealth of information. The League of Woman Voters presents a website. You can get a more in-depth analysis of a candidate’s positions.

MAKE A GOOD CHOICE . . . VOTE NOVEMBER 7TH

Rick is Right for PA , George is Good for VA, Steele is Real Deal in MD & DeWine Will Do in OH

One Senatorial race that is critical to the conservative cause is the Rick Santorum-Bob Casey race in Pennsylvania. In a very strong pro-life state, Pennsylvania, the Democrats are running a pro-life candidate to improve their chances of winning. For the Democratic Party to run a pro-life candidate is some feat in itself. Rick Santorum has been out-front and outspoken on many conservative issues while in the Senate. He is also the target of the leftists in control of the Democratic Party. His victory in Pennsylvania will keep a real leader in the war against America's domestic enemies within, home grown terrorists, if you will. Today I heard Sean Hannity's radio interview with Senator Arlen Specter, who is also from Pennsylvania, praising Senator Santorum and supporting his re-election, saying the U.S. Senate needed him.

The Faith2Action Voter Guide comments that Casey opposes abortion and believes Roe v. Wade should be overturned. To Santorum, "abortion is a toxin methodically poisoning our fragile moral ecosystem. . ." Casey seems less conservative on hate crimes, supporting increased penalties for hate crimes committed because of victim's sexual orientation. On the other hand, Santorum voted against adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes in 2002. Casey will push for a clear exit strategy out of Iraq. Santorum supports President Bush's course in Iraq and holds that national security and Western democracy are at stake if the U.S. fails.

In the George Allen-Jim Webb race in Virginia, Allen is clearly a strong conservative and Jim Webb is a typical lefist liberal. Surprisingly, according to the On the Issues website, which analyzes the voting records of most candidates running for significant elected offices, classifies Webb, even to the left of Ohio's own Sherrod Brown, which says a lot.

Another important race for conservatives as were the previous two is the Michael Steele-Ben Cardin Senatorial race in Maryland. Ben Cardin is classified by On-the-Issues as a borderline liberal-moderate. Like nearly all major Democratic candidates, Cardin is pro-death and he is for expanding homosexual rights. Steele, a black, opposes abortion and believes marriage only between a man and a woman. It would be awesome to have a conservative man-of Steele serve as a role model for conservative blacks in Maryland and all over America.

In Ohio it is a Mike DeWine-Sherrod Brown race for U.S. Senate. Mike DeWine is not a true across-the-board conservative, but he is pro-life and appears to be mostly pro-traditional one-man, one-woman marriage. I have studied Sherrod Brown's miserable voting record and there are not too many politicians to the left of this hard-core extreme liberal. He is pro-death, supporting abortion, embryonic stem cell research, and euthanasia. He is also a strong supporter and proponent of the radical homosexual and environmentalist agendas. For any Ohioan who believes in morality and sancity of life and marraige, we really have no choice but to vote or DeWine. Anyone who believes and values the preservation of the traditional family is encouraged to vote DeWine over Brown, who is the antithesis of Judeo-Christian and conservative values.

Although DeWine is no Allen, no Santorum and no man-of-Steele he will do until we can either get a true conservative elected to that Senatorial seat. Brown would be an absolute disaster for both Ohio and for America.

With the likes of Santorum, Allen, Steele and if DeWine would lean more conservative and avoid his mistakenly moderate leanings during the next six years, conservatives would be in a stronger position to confirm a supreme court justice who will interpret rather than create law. The appointment of judges is one of the most important reasons that the conservative incumbents and some of their CINO (Conservatives in Name Only) friends need to be elected to the U.S. Senate this November 7th.

Jonathan, John & George

This past week three of my articles were written around the theme “Bringing Back the Bible into the Schoolhouse”. We have had some excellent comments from blogger Jonathan. In this article we will look at more comments from Jonathan, an excerpt from an article I recently read which relevantly quoted John Adams on the subject, as well as a brief citation from a review about a new book on George Washington.

Let’s start with some of Jonathan’s latest comments made regarding my last article on this subject, which he made on Sunday:

“Needless to say, there is no evidence that the majority of signers were "born-again" committed Trinitarian Christians. Only evidence that they were formally affiliated with Christian Churches.

"And we do have evidence that the men who actually wrote the darn thing --Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin -- were theological Unitarians, who fervently denied the Trinity and other key tenets of orthodox Christianity.”

I continue to disagree with you Jonathan. Would a Unitarian make the following statement as referenced in the following excerpt from a superb recent article, which I read in Alain’s Newsletter? If he was a Unitarian, didn’t he at least recognize what the majority of his peers believed?

“Americans must clear their minds of the psychopolitically-induced mind paste which prevents them from seeing the truth, which is that America was founded by God-fearing patriots who chose Christian principles on which to achieve independence. In the words of John Adams, “The…principles on which the fathers achieved independence were…the general principles of Christianity.” (Works, Vol. x, pp. 45-46, to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813) . . .

“If we wish to remain free, we must turn back to and rededicate ourselves to the source of our freedom and personal liberties: God the Creator and the principles of Christianity. Parents must protect their children . . . And as a people united by the principles of freedom and personal liberty, we must commit ourselves to the long and arduous fight to recapture every square inch of our culture, laws, and government. . .”

I just read a review of the new book by Dr. Peter Lillback, who begins his new book about George Washington's faith, titled George Washington’s Sacred Fire . Part of the review reads:

“. . . with a cursory review of a few recent authors describing our first president as a "lukewarm Episcopalian," a "warm Deist," "not a deeply religious man," "not
particularly ardent in his faith," and "one who avoided, as was the Deist custom, the word 'God.'"

“Lillback aims to set the record straight in his comprehensive study. . . . he explores every aspect of the president's faith in order to verify that he was, indeed, a devout man who practiced his Christian faith.

“The purpose of George Washington's Sacred Fire is to prove definitively that George Washington was indeed a devout, practicing Christian, and that quickly puts revisionist historians on the defensive.

"The book builds a compelling case for the Christian faith of Washington by relying on the president's own thoughts, words and deeds. Lillback's evidence stronglya upports his premise that Washington was not a deist, but a strong practitioner of the Christian faith. Further, he aptly illustrates that this fact is critical for understanding the founding of America and for insuring the future strength of America as "One Nation under God."”

I think that the fact that a few of the early fathers were Deists, Unitarians or whatever, does not diminish the fact that I believe that the overwhelming majority were, in fact, true born-again believers in Jesus Christ and in God. The revisionist try to wish away or even attempt to rewrite history to fit into their wished for deam of America, which differs greatly from that of the majority of those who Founded this great nation as well as from those of us who want to keep that truth alive.

Ted Strickland, Strictly Wrong for Ohio

I recently was made aware of a pro-Ted Strickland website called Equality Ohio. I am finding that nearly every word mouthed by the extreme liberal left needs to be tested. They are so prone to deceive through their words. They lie, to put it more bluntly. You must scrutinize the words for the real meanings behind their words. The name “Equality Ohio” is really “Discrimination against anyone who is not politically correct in Ohio.” True bible-believing born-again Christians are not usually politically correct. Political correctness, by its very nature and definition, is usually in direct opposition to the Judeo-Christian biblical principles and mandates.

As an example, the “Equality Ohio" website states that it recently released, "Two Visions", a video that highlights religious extremism in Ohio. What do they mean by “religious extremism”? Is it radical Muslims beheading innocent kidnap victims? Or are they talking about moral absolute holding, true Christian followers of Jesus Christ? See the video. http://www.equalityohio.org/twovisions.htm. I watched the video for myself.

What “Two Visions” seems to be saying to me is that Ohio belongs to the following:

· The homosexuals

· The lesbians

· The bisexuals

· The transgenders

Near the end of the video we see a worked up crowd repeatedly chanting “Our state”, “Our lives”, “Our home”. I interpreted that to mean the people supporting the likes of Ted Strickland, openly embrace those immoral, unnatural, ungodly behaviors of people with these alternative lifestyles. This very radical position is obviously pointed exclusion of and discriminatory toward all who do not believe “their enlightened way”, the politically correct way. You can imagine them saying, “Shame on any true born-again bible-believing Christians, you “religious extremists”, who dare to be intolerant toward such perversity.

This is Congressman Ted Strickland’s message isn’t it? He was portrayed in the video as promoting diversity, “equality” and “tolerance”.

Yet, the message that came out loud and clear to me is that they (Equality Ohio and Ted Strickland) reject and do not "tolerate" true Christians ( “religious extremists”?), we do not tolerate your God, Jesus Christ or the truth.

Does Ohio “belong” to the homosexuals, the lesbians, the bisexuals, the transgerders? I for one say, “No, it is not your EXCLUSIVE state, life and home. . . This is America, where we still embrace morality and justice." Ohio belongs to ALL the people. We have a right to live in a state that recognizes good and evil, right from wrong. These immoral lifestyles, named above, should be neither accepted, condoned nor embraced by any moral or just government or society. They are nothing but a corrupting force on the individual and on society.

Ted Strickland is at best a pseudo-Christian, as evidenced by his support for such behaviors. To see a clear assessment on where Congressman Strickland stands on important social issues from a biblical perspective see http://www.TruthAboutTed.com.

Congressman Strickland, you are not right for Ohio! The vote on November 7th comes down to some degree, good versus evil. Make A Good Choice, Ohio!

Even More on Bringing the Bible Back into the Schoolhouse

In Friday's article, "More on Bringing the Bible Back into the schoolhouse", I wrote that much of America's initial laws, governmental structure and values upon which our nation were founded, were in recognition of Almighty God and based on Judeo-Christian Biblical principles and precepts.

Jonathan responded to Friday's article, saying in part,

"The ideas contained in the Declaration and Constitution have little if anything to do with the Bible. The Bible may have helped shape people's sense of personal morality, but it didn't give us our "Founding Principles" because it could not. That's why the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Federalist Papers do not cite the Bible (which they would were they based on the Bible)."

Jonathan, I vehemently disagree with you. The vast majority of those 56 men, who signed the Declaration of Independence, were people who read, knew and practically applied biblical principles everyday. I firmly believe that the majority of those signers, the overwhelming majority were true believers in Jesus Christ possessing a deep personal faith in God.

You caused me to read the Declaration of Independence document for myself this afternoon. In reading it I found the following references to the One True God of the Bible and of Trinitarian-believing Christians. The four references include:

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God . . ."

“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, . . ."

“We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, . . .”

"…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

These are four clear references to the One True God. I do not believe that any true Deist would call upon the direction and blessing of divine Providence, nor would he make their appeal the Supreme Judge of the world. What is “deism”?

"Historical and modern Deism are defined by the view that reason, rather than revelation or tradition, should be the basis of belief in God. Deists reject organized religion and promote reason as the essential element in making moral decisions. This "rational" basis was usually founded upon the cosmological argument (first cause argument), the teleargumentaargument(argument from design), and other aspects of what was called natural religion."

It must be noted that the biblically literate men, as well as most in society in those days, I dare say, had a working knowledge of the Judeo-Christian Bible. It was a presupposition, it was understood by all that the Declaration and the subsequent Constitution were based on biblical truth. Unlike today our Judges, Politicians, Educators are woefully ignorant of biblical principle and precept. If the Judges were aware of biblical content and injunctions, they would be less likely to create new laws where the obvious intent of Christian Founders would never have denied life to innocent babies, nor would they have canonized homosexuality to the extent much of our courts and society has today.

Therefore, I conclude that the Founders did not feel it necessary to quote chapter and verse of the Scripture, that so influenced the two documents, nor did they feel it was necessary to annotate their precious documents with extensive sources and references like Ann Counter does in her tomes. Biblical principles not only shaped individual morality, but set in motion the basis for all of American Law as well as the purpose and structure of our very government and were core to American values that until recent times have held this great country on a moral high plain far above the rest of this worldÂ’s nations.

The Declaration document, at least, was brimming with the influence of biblical principle and precepts as illustrated by the following thoughts taken from that document:

“. . . all-men are created equal” – The bible says man was created in the image and likeness of God. It all says that all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is true equality.

“Endowed by their Creator” - God is the ultimate source any rights that we may have.

They patiently suffered under the British King – Patience is Christian virtue.

". . . appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions"- Christians see God as their ultimate authority and their responsibility to be moral and honest.

America is a Christian nation, though diseased because the gradual displacement of God and Christianity as the core belief and value of this nation by an inferior and corrupt religion Secular Humanistic religion and philosophy held sacred by America's so-called elite.

America, make A Good Choice and wake up and strengthen the things that remain and reject the ungodly, inferior for the best!

A Black & White Jesus

Someone wrote to me today on one of the forums on which I interact occassionaly, saying that Jesus “advocated tolerance, love and friendship” . . . by contrast to my “intolerance, hatred of those different than me and ostracism of those ho disagree with my skewed view of Christianity“

Essentially I responded by stating that Jesus advocated "tolerance” only partially.

He tolerated man, all men, all types of sinners, prostitutes, IRS agents, lepers, homosexuals, people with AIDS, everyone, all types of “saints”, Muslims, Buddhists, Mormons, Methodists, Baptists, Hindus, etc.

Yet, at the same time, He hated sin. For example He angrily cleaned out the greedy moneychangers from the House of Worship Jesus hates lying, cheating, fornication, pornography, adultery, all forms of perversions, he hates murder, pedophilia and homosexual behavior. Please hear what I say, I am not saying that He hates homosexuals, prostitutes, believers in false religions. I am saying He loved the whole world , which is is pretty inclusive, won't you say?

Yet He did not, does not and cannot tolerate sin. Political correctness calls for us to tolerate BOTH the sin and the sinner. Jesus, fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your worldview,was not politically correct (PC). Many liberal individuals and organization such as the ACLU, Americans for the Separaation of Church and State (AU), and People for the American Way today would label Him, the Creator and sustainer of the universe, a bigot and “intolerant". He was, I reitterate, very intolerant of sin. He is patient with sinners, though, but He hates sin He is hurt and takes it very personally especially when His children (true believers) sin.

There is a big difference between good and evil. There is right and wrong. PC demands that things not be so cut and dry. However, God does demand just that black and white, or absolute morality. His expectation is high and impossible for mere man. Fortunately, in God all things are possible.

Jesus said it all when He stated, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” I would have to say that is pretty intolerant, at least of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Secular Humanism, and every other false religion. It is only faith in Jesus Christ that is completely acceptable to the one true God. The majority of our early ancestors in America knew this that is why they came here that is why they established this blessed nation – one nation under God. Many liberals such as AU’s Barry Lind, Howard Dean and the rest of the extreme left would wail that our nations founders and early settlers were also a bunch of “intolerant” bigots. . .

More on Bringing the Bible Back into the Schoolhouse

This is a continuation of the theme of yesterday's article. But first we will look one reader's comments on yesterday’s article. I will add some comments, too.

WHAT OUR FRIEND JONATHAN HAS TO SAY

Jonathan comments,

“As a libertarian, I think we may agree on "the separation of School and State," in a first best world (or perhaps vouchers in a second best world). However, alas, we don't live in that world, and I don't think we will for some time.

"I suggest you study my blog in detail. As I noted, I'm libertarian, not a member of the ACLU-left. So I come at this issue from a nuanced middle ground position.

"I think you aren't getting much needed facts about our Founding Fathers from the likes of Wallbuilders.

'The most prominent of our Founders (Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, and likely Washington, who is a hard case because he was quite mum about the specificsof his beliefs) were in fact theological unitarians and universalists. Though, not like todays UUs who support left-wing causes. But, make no mistake, well before 1776, unitarians and universalists had taken over the Congregational Churches in New England.

"Our Founders did believe that "religion" yielded necessary "morality." But, as universalists, they believed practically any religion, even Pagan and Eastern ones would work. And that such "infidel" systems taught the same Truth as Christianity and were thus valid ways to God.

"Of course, they couldn't utter most of this publicly (but did so privately). So they spoke in broad generalities in their public addresses. You never hear men like Washington saying things like "you can't govern without God and the Bible" (a quotation Wallbuilders falsely attributed to Washington) but rather things like "religion" provides society with indispensable support for morality.”

I am having a little trouble grasping the idea of “separation of school and state” especially since we are talking about public education approved and sanctioned by the state. I will do as you suggest look more deeply at your blog to try to glean some truth from your point of view.

I would like to know what you mean by “religion”. There were many more individuals than those five or six that you apparently are saying were not true bible-believing Christian believers, but Deists or Unitarians. Even if that were the case, and I am not accepting that until I delve deeper into a study of the founders. However, there were still many others who were godly, true Christians who exerted great influence on both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and the subsequent government that was established.
My hypothesis is that the majority of our Founding Fathers were true bible believing, God-fearing, bible-practicing Christians and thus much of the initial structure, function, values, principles and laws upon which our nation was founded was in recognition of Almighty God and based on the Judeo-Christian principles and precepts found in the bible. I also suspect that there has been and continues to be a movement to purge to revise much of our early history to cast doubt or even to outright remove all recognition or attribution of Christian influences.

WHAT THE PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY SAY

Here is what one liberal leftist group, People for the American Way (yeah, right), feel about one of the groups that I mentioned in yesterday’s article,

“Religious groups such as the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools have attempted (in some instances, successfully) to introduce Bible classes in public schools under the guise of improving students’ understanding of literature and history. But, more often, the real intent of the organization is to promote a religious, primarily Christian doctrine, within public schools. (Emphasis added)

”While it is lawful to teach public school students about the Bible as part of a course on religions or cultures, teaching religion by proselytizing, or attempting to inculcate students in the beliefs of a particular faith, or teaching religious subjects from a sectarian viewpoint, is unconstitutional. Constitutional requirements state that public schools must remain neutral toward religion and cannot endorse religion generally or any particular faith specifically.

I do not think teaching a course on the Judeo-Christian Bible is unlawful. Offering state-certified curriculum on the Bible in our public schools is of great educational value. To understand the bible is important to understand American and World History, Literature the Art and Social Sciences. Why is the PFAW, Americans for the Separation of Church and State (AU) an the ACLU so opposed? Is it because they care nothing for the true education of our children, but are more interested that the children receive proper indoctrination in the principles and precepts approved by the Political Correctness and “Tolerance Totalitarian” elite?

”People for the American Way strongly supports teaching students about world religions, including the role that religion has played in history. Such instruction can and does take place in any number of classes, such as courses in comparative religion, the history of religion, world history, and American history. But it is unconstitutional to teach students the content of the Bible as historical fact. As the courts have made clear, there is a right way and a wrong way for public schools to present the subject of religion and related topics. In the past, PFAW has worked with the First Amendment Center and the National Bible Association to create a constitutional model for how public schools may teach about the Bible in an objective and secular manner that neither promotes nor inhibits religion. We will continue to support such positive learning experiences within public schools nationwide.”

I ask why not teach the “Bible as historical fact”? We certainly teach evolution as scientific fact, which takes greater faith to believe some of its assumptions than does even faith in a personal God.

WHAT GEORGIA DEMS SAID ABOUT TEACHING BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

In a January 19, 2006 article in the Atlanta Constitution Journal entitled, “Bible Study Class Pushed for Schools” Bridget Gutierrez writes:

“The proposal . . . only authorizes the state board, which is appointed by the governor, the option of creating one --- a move the Democrats say is necessary to protect school systems that choose to teach the classes.

"This is not about teaching faith. Teaching faith is up to the parents, not the public schools," said Golden, the lead sponsor. "But teaching Bible literacy is so important because . . . the impact of the Bible on literature, arts, music history and politics is woven into the very fabric of our society."

“Policy and legal experts say educators long have been confused about whether teaching the Bible in public schools violates the so-called separation of church and state. But they say bringing the holy book into the schoolhouse is perfectly legal.”

This may have been done by the Democrats in Georgia as a political strategy; nonetheless, it is encouraging sign. As I said yesterday, I would love to see every American student have an opportunity to take one elective Bible class during their high school career. This would be a great preparation for life, intellectual development, and participation as an American citizen.

Bringing the Bible Back into the Schoolhouse

The following comment to my article "Unity of Church and State" posted by Jonathan triggered my own thoughts about the content of our public school curriculum.

“If we introduce religious based instruction into the public schools, I'd vote for the Unitarian-Universalists or perhaps the Quakers to dictate the content. ”I'm sure you'll be mighty pleased with the way that the teacher's unions handle religiously based content in our public school system.”

Thanks Jonathan, comments are always welcome on AGC.

I never proposed to introduce “religious based instruction” into the public schools. Unfortunately that is exactly what we already have NOW. The National Education Association (NEA) drives the movement and adoption of a secular humanistic based and biased educational system. Secular humanism is, in fact, a religion. Teachers, knowingly and unwittingly, are brainwashing our children with Secular Humanistic religious doctrine. Such things as moral relativism, situational ethics, evolution taught as factual science are all core to the creed of secular humanistic teachings. My understanding is that Unitarian-Universalism teachings are essentially the same as Secular Humanism. Both honor and elevate man as god and as ultimate authority.

What I advocate is an educational philosophy based on Judeo-Christian principles, such as was our Founding Fathers preferred approach. What is so wrong with teaching absolute morality? What is so wrong with teaching that there are other equal or better explanations of the origin of matter and man besides the tainted unproven theory of evolution? What is so wrong about emphasizing character development? What is wrong with touting an abstinence-based approach to sex-education instead of a condom-based approach? What is wrong with instituting a measure of real discipline into our school system?

Let’s face the facts, our schools are an abject failures today. They are a disgrace for outcomes are resulting. Kids graduating from high school who cannot read or write and are unqualified for many entry positions in industry or business. Mediocrity is the only standard. “Tolerance: is purported, except tolerance of prayer, the one true God, Jesus Christ, and Judeo-Christian principles and values.

If the original Founders of our nation truly wanted a separation of Church and State, which I do not believe they did, then why is the Secular-Humanism religion reigning in the schools today? Why is it the established and state approved religion?

I attended the Values Votes Briefing Summit in Washington, D.C. last month. Two of the exhibitors at this event offered a course in the Bible for students of our public schools.

www.bibleinschools.net/

The National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools, a non-profit organization, writes Bible Curriculum for Public Schools throughout the US. There program serves “the public through educational efforts concerning a First Amendment right and religious freedom issue. This is to bring a state certified Bible course (elective) into the public high schools nationwide.”

http://www.bibleliteracy.org/

The Bible Literacy Project offers a “landmark new public school Bible textbook for use in high school English and Social Studies electives... used along with the Bible.”

A worthwhile goal would be to give every student in American an opportunity to take at least one elective class in the Bible during their educational experience.

Noah Webster (1738- 1843) considered "education useless without the Bible" and while he cautioned against too extensive use of the Bible in schools as "tending to irreverence," he reiterated, "In my view, the Christian religion is the most important 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..." Source

Why Vote NO on Issue 3? A Two Word Answer:

AP PHOTO
Art Schlichter

“Many young boys in Ohio grow up with a dream of playing football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. Many would say the perfect dream would be to play quarterback and then get drafted to play in the NFL. What would cause someone living the dream to throw it all away?

“An All-American quarterback from The Ohio State University and a first round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts, Art Schlichter seemed to have it all. Something Art also had was an addiction to gambling. Three years after being in the NFL, Art was suspended by the league due to his gambling debts. He committed over 20 felonies to support his habit. He stole money from countless family members and friends. Art was a man living the dream, and he threw it all away to chase the false promises of gambling.”

The above photo and statement was taken from the Ohio Learn and Earn dot org website. Art Schlichter, the quarterback, threw away his career, his freedom in exchange for jail time because of gambling. He is living proof we should vote down gambling in Ohio.

We received the folllowing comment on yesterday’s article from Drew who said:

“gregjaye, I work with Ohio Learn & Earn group in supporting Issue 3 and wanted to provide some information from our side of the issue. ”While I understand your concerns I strongly disagree with them. I also assure you that Ohioans will continue to spend $1.1 billion per year on gaming in neighboring states whether or not Issue 3 passes. So why continue to channel that money into the economies of PA, MI,WV, IN and the wealthy casino owners in those states? That money can stay in state and benefit all of Ohio's children.

”In the long term, Issue 3 will benefit individuals and communities by providing affordable college educations for Ohio students, $200 million per year in local economic development money for all Ohio communities and new jobs.

”For anyone who is interested you can learn more at my group's website.

Drew, thank you for your comments. Here are a couple of key factors going in anyone’s decision in voting on Issue 3:

1. Learn and Earn Casinos will doom at least 109,000 Ohioans and their families to problem and pathological gambling addictions.

2. The Ohio Constitution is no place for the establishment of a mostly tax-free, private monopoly for a handful of privileged casino owners. This is a gross misuse of the Ohio Constitution amendment process. Such issues should be used for more weighty matters such as recriminalizing abortion and protecting one-man, one-woman traditional marriage.

3. Learn and Earn Casinos will move Ohio to a Class III gambling state under Federal Law and increase the risk of tribal casinos opening across Ohio.

4. Learn and Earn Casinos will place no revenue in the General Revenue Fund of Ohio.

5. Learn and Earn loopholes leave thousands of Ohio students out in the cold. There are no guarantees how much will be paid out in scholarships or when they will be paid. The top 5% grants disappear after just 12 years.

6. The Ohio Lottery was also supposed to be a panacea for solving all of our public school problems. They did not. Learn and Earn Casinos are a bad deal for students, parents, and colleges.

7. Gambling proceeds are exempted from state and local taxes.

8. Ohio casinos will drain $2 billion from the local economy costing Ohio jobs.

Sounds to me like there are too many questions and approving this amendment would cause only a promise of scholarships and only guarentee more Art Schlichters. Make A Good Choice this November and vote NO on Issue 3.

The Price of Vice is Too High for Ohio: Vote NO on Issues 3 & 4, and YES on 5

One of the issues on the ballot in Ohio on November 7th is Issue 3, which involves placing slot machines in certain parts of the state. Gambling breeds nothing but trouble. Maybe communities gain something in the short-term, but in the long-term it damages both the individual and the community. More.

"The Smoke-free, no Gambling for Me Voter"

by gregjaye

You got to know when to vote “no”, know when to vote somethin's so,
Know when to realize that no one gets something for nothin',
except the casino and big tobacco!
Count the cost before corruption and crime takes a sure foothold,
There’ll be time for tallyin’ when the votin's done, on Issues 3 & 4 vote “NO”!


Don’t gamble on Issue 3, vote “NO”.

Issue 4 is a tricky, smoke less Ohio is really smoke more Ohio! Think “less is more” and vote “NO” on Issue 4, too...

Make Smoke FREE Ohio the law not a constitutional amendment, vote “YES” on Issue 5.

Separation of Church & State, Indeed!

At last nights “Church and State in Ohio’s Electoral Politics” public forum, that I attended in Columbus, one of the discussants, Phil Burgess mentioned that each of our fifty states has some mention of God in the preamble to their Constitutions. I picked up a handout listing the introductory line of every Constitution Preamble of each of the 50 states. Because of space limitiations, I selected a representative sample of 10 states including Ohio, the 6 states that immediately surround Ohio and 3 states nearly anyone would probably consider the “bluest” or the most secular and most godless states in our nation today.

OHIO'S MOTTO: WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE

Ohio, 1852, Preamble. We the people of the state of Ohio, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, to secure its blessings and to promote our common . . .

OUR NEIGHBORING STATES

Pennsylvania, 1776, Preamble. We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance . . .

Michigan, 1908, Preamble. We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom establish this Constitution.

Indiana, 1851, Preamble. We, the People of the State o Indiana, grateful to Almighty God for the free exercise of the right to choose our form of government.

Kentucky, 1891, Preamble. We, the people of the Commonwealth are grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties . . .

West Virginia, 1872, Preamble. Since through Divine Providence we enjoy the blessings of civil, political and religious liberty, we, the people o west Virginia reaffirm our faith in and constant reliance upon God.

REAL "BLUE" STATES

New York, 1846, Preamble. We, the people of the State of New York, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure its blessings . . .

California, 1879, Preamble. We, the People of the State of California, greateful to Almighty God for our freedom. . .

REALLY BLACK & "BLUE" STATE

Massachusetts, 1780, Preamble. We . . . the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging with grateful hearts, the goodness of the Great Legislator of the Universe . . . In the course of His Providence, an opportunity and devoutly imploring His direction . . .

Massachusetts is also the home of one of the first Christian universities in America, Harvard. What an amazing Preamble! To think that this eloquent preamble belongs to a state that is now so corrupt, one that has fallen so far, as the following sadly portrays:

Harvard now boasts of being a bastion of ungodly secular humanism. Massachusetts has the undistinguished “honor” of being the first state to sanction same-sex “marriage”, which it has since 2004. Massachusetts, home of extreme radical liberal obstructionist Senators Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, and the proud openly homosexual Congressman Barney Franks.

Almighty God must be thoroughly disgusted with you, Massachusetts. How far you have fallen, indeed. Our Founders would have been ashamed of you.

Unlike what the "Christian" left-secular-liberals would like everyone to beleive, our nation was founded by God-fearing, God-honoring people basing our Constitution of Judeo-Christian principles and precepts.

Church and State in Ohio Electoral Politics:

W hat should be the relationship between faith and politics at the ballot box?

This afternoon I attended a public forum on the role of faith in politics held in Columbus. The forum was co-sponsored by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) and the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). There was a moderator of the discussion and a total of six panel members.

Representing the Christian right-conservative viewpoint were Jay Sekulow of the ACLJ, Rev. Russell Johnson, Pastor of the Fairfield Christian Church and Phil Burgess, Executive Director of Citizens for Community Values. Representing the Christian left-secular-liberal view were Rev. Barry Lynn, Executive Director, AU, Rev. Eric Williams, a lead spokesman for the 56 central Ohio religious leaders who recently sent letters to the IRS complaining of partisan political activities by to Central Ohio churches, and Marcus Owens, counsel for All Saints Episcopal Church of Pasadena, California who was instrumental in formulating a recent complaint to the IRS concerning questionable partisan political activities by two central Ohio churches. Pastor Johnson was one of the churches against which the complaint was filed by Williams and Owens.

The back and forth presentations and interchanges where very civil. The basic position of the Christian left-secular-liberal panel members was that since the beginning of our country their was a secular constitution and laws and that church has no place in matters of state. The churches may speak to issues of morality and concern to the community in their buildings, but they should never blatantly endorse any candidate. This is the only stipulation for the privilege of tax exempt status. Barry Lynn's AU is one of the watchdog groups who try to insure and point out when churches or church leaders cross the line.

The Christian right-conservative panel members contended that much of America's constitution and laws were based on Judeo-Christian principles. Jay Sekulow pointed out that the Christian left-secular-liberals have been politically active for forty years or so, and that it has been just recently that the Christian right-conservatives have been asserting themselves. There seems to be a double standard of sort, when Rev. Jesse Jackson can use the pulpit in black or liberal churches to make political speeches, but someone like Pastor Johnson has a complaint filed against him for apparently crossing the line in his church-related political activities.

I guess what precipitated much of this debate was the fact that faith is somewhat of an issue in the Ohio Governor's race. Ken Blackwell is not inhibited in sharing strong positions on the issues based on his faith. While Ted Strickland points out that he is an ordained minister and is a person of faith as well, though maybe of a different persuasion. The governor's race may to a great extent be a reflection of the discussion that went on this afternoon at the Riffe Center in downtown Columbus. It boils down to does Ohio want a totally Christian-leftist- secular-liberal Governor or do we want a Christian-right-conservative for Governor. This is a clash of world views. One that wants God put in His place, the church. The other wants to bring a belief in God to the day to day affairs of politics, government and society.