Santorum, Religion, The Devil, and America

If you go to Church, or a Religious School, you may hear about Religion.

Hey folks,

If you walk into a Church and you hear THIS,,,

"The Father of Lies has his sights on what you would think the Father of Lies, Satan, would have his sights on: a good, decent, powerful, influential country -- the United States of America. If you were Satan, who would you attack in this day and age? There is no one else to go after other than the United States, and that's been the case for now almost 200 years, once America's preeminence was sown by our great Founding Fathers.

The next was the church. Now, you say, "Well, wait. The Catholic Church?" No. We all know that this country was founded on a Judeo-Christian ethic, but the Judeo-Christian ethic was a Protestant Judeo-Christian ethic. Sure, the Catholics had some influence, but this was a Protestant country, and the Protestant ethic. Mainstream, mainline Protestantism. And of course we look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country, and it is a shambles."

changes are, you would not be surprised. Correct? If you go into some other Churches, you may hear things like this

"It's not God Bless America, it's God Damn America. It's in the Bible."

Remember that? You hear people talking about God, the Devil, and everything Faith when you go to Church. That's why you go. If you go to a Religious School, they TEACH Faith, God, the Devil, ETC. That's why you go. I do not understand what is so heard to understand. If you go to Church, or a Religious School, you may hear about Religion. Imagine that. If you are asked to be a Guest Speaker there, YOU may talk about things that only those that UNDERSTAND Religion, can understand. That's why you are there.

So back in 2008, while NOT running for President, Rick Santorum, visited Ave Maria University. A RELIGIOUS School. He said "The Devil is attacking America, and the Mainline Protestants are basically more concerned with agendas than they are dealing with matters of Faith." More on this in a second.

So of course, the Mainstream Media is all over this. Ignorant Liberals and those that listen to the Media, are calling him names, and saying he is not fit for President. Just because he DARED mention the Devil. In a Religious School and 4 years ago when he was not even running for President. I even had to turn off a New Radio Host yesterday. I will not be listening anymore. He started his Show complaining about not getting calls, and then he went into this rant about how Santorum is a nut, and he needs to keep this talk in his "Crazy Land" {Meaning Church, meaning anyone that believes in God, the Devil, or the Bible is Crazy} And he kept going. Nut, Crazy, Kook, ETC. Sorry, you should have stuck to being non-political, and NOT attack anyone of Faith for their Views. I actually found myself getting offended. THAT is very hard to do. He did it. Therefore I will no longer be listening.

But the Media gave Obama a pass with all the "Crazy Stuff" that his Rev. said over Twenty years. But Santorum? Not fit for President? Our friends over at Red State, have a GREAT Piece today talking about this. It's at RS - A Primer for the Media and I Agree With Rick Santorum Posted by Erick Erickson (Diary)Tuesday, February 21st at 11:01PM EST

The Drudge Report put up a story about Rick Santorum’s speech to Ave Maria University in which Santorum said Satan was attacking the United States. The speech was giving in 2008, but is largely consistent with statements he has given in the past few weeks.

I agree with Rick Santorum. I also think that this is a Romney leaked piece. Given the close ties between Matt Drudge and the Romney camp, that’s an easy guess. I also think it will hurt Santorum who apparently has Gingrichitis, a disease the frontrunners all seem to get where they mouth off on any topic under the sun once they are the front runner.

Focus on this topic does not help Santorum and is largely irrelevant to being President. Nonetheless, I feel compelled to defend Santorum given how clueless some of those attacking him seem to be on the specific points he made and also given the cluelessness of a lot of reporters trying to put his remarks in context or explain them.

In 2008, Rick Santorum wasn’t running for President. His statement is well within the mainstream of orthodox Christian theology. And that’s the point here for a lot of reporters who seem stunned by Santorum’s statements.

I’m not Catholic and disagree with some of the teachings of that church, but both orthodox Protestant and Catholic views are consistent with the idea of Satan (who is very real) at war and trying to both tempt and corrupt people.

The humorous thing is there are many on the left who are trying to claim Santorum’s view is nutty, wacked out, or bizarre. There’s actually a stronger case for saying Satan is trying to corrupt the United States than that Barack Obama is a Marxist. Pick your poison.

But one of the statements Rick Santorum made that the media has terribly portrayed and clearly does not understand is Santorum saying, “We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles, it is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.”

He is absolutely correct in this statement. When mainline Protestant denominations are in the news these days, it is more likely to be over their debates on the ordination of gays than on anything they have done to actually advance Christ’s kingdom. The problem is that a lot of reporters and even a lot of conservatives do not understand what “mainline Protestants” are.

It is not hard.

A mainline protestant is not a “mainstream” protestant. The two are not interchangeable. The former is more of an academic term.

The base way to understand what a mainline protestant is would be to understand that the term largely means those protestant denominations that existed during the colonial era of the American colonies and as they have evolved from that point.

Many suggest the term comes from the Pennsylvania Main Line railroad that ran through Philadelphia neighborhoods at the turn of the twentieth century, which were organized around communities of interest making up those original colonial faithes.

Specifically, Mainline Protestant denominations are Episcopalians, the United Methodists, the Presbyterians (USA), the American and Northern Baptists, the United Church of Christ, the Congregationalists, the Disciples of Christ, and the Lutherans.

While evangelical churches are more mainstream in America, they are not considered main line. Many evangelical churches branched off from the main line. The Southern Baptists, the nation’s largest protestant denomination, branched off from the Northern and American Baptist Churches. The Presbyterian Church in America, Evangelical Presbyterians, and Reformed Presbyterians broke away from the main Presbyterian Church, which is today the PCUSA. Anglicans have come back into the country in response to the ordination of gays within the Episcopalian Church.

I await the United Methodist Church splintering over that issue and the social gospel too. The Methodists are one of the last major mainline denominations not to have a serious split. But it is on the verge of happening.

There is a long history here and I am no religion scholar, but there are a couple of points to understand.

The mainline churches are more concerned these days with the social gospel, the role of gays in the church, etc. These churches are in decline. Their numbers are falling as they have replaced the actual Gospel with a modern sense of spiritualism that ultimately does not feed the flock.

Evangelical churches over all are growing. The charismatic churches are really seeing strong growth. These churches are much more concerned with fundamentalism, which is, like “mainline”, a specific term. Fundamentalist churches believe in the fundamentals of the faith, which were toward the turn of the twentieth century narrowed to five points including the inerrancy of the Bible, the death and resurrection of Christ, and the need for salvation. When people talk about “fundamentalists” these days, they usually mean hard line Christians who are no fun. Actually, a “fundamentalist” is someone who subscribes to five specific points within Protestantism: (1) the inerrancy of the Bible; (2) the virgin birth of Christ; (3) the atonement of sins through Christ’s death; (4) the bodily resurrection of Christ; and (5) the reality of Christ’s miracles.

So, when Santorum says mainline Protestantism in this country is in shambles, he is referring to specific churches, not all Protestants and specifically not evangelicals. He is referring specifically to those specific denominations more interested these days in the social gospel and the ordination of gay ministers than in salvation through grace. And both the decline of those churches’ populations and their ceding the field on actual matters of the Gospel are proof that Santorum is right. These churches have less and less to do with orthodox Christianity and it is no surprise that it is from the ranks of these churches that the media typically draws on ministers to rebut long held orthodox Christian views and the mainstream churches of America, which are more and more evangelical.

I don't think this will hurt him at all. The Media will of course jump all over it, but People of FAITH will understand EXACTLY what he means. They may even agree with him. There is only one thing in this whole thing that could be harmful to Rick Santorum. That is if he backs down. If he backpedals, or denounces what he said in any way. Rick, just say "I said it. I mean it. Look where I said it." Leave it alone. Do not show us that you can be Bullied by the Media and the Liberals. Stand strong Rick, stand strong.
Peter

DLA For Sunday 020512

Just because he was not successful, doesn't mean he is wrong.

Hey folks,

Who said this, when talking about Obama?

“Over the last few weeks, he has done more to assault religion in this country than any president, certainly in recent history, maybe even in history. Jesus wasn't talking to the government. He wasn't talking that the government should take more from you. He was talking about your responsibility to your fellow man, your responsibility to God to provide for the least among us and not your responsibility to fund Caesar. That is a complete misinterpretation of the bible."

Now this was Rick Santorum in response to Obama's Idiotic Speech at the National Prayer Breakfast, where he attempted to use the Gospel of Luke to say that the Rich need to be Taxed more and Jesus would approve.

Obama actually said,

“Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required,”

His point is that you stupid people out there, you know, you Bitter Clingers, should interpret that to mean that Jesus would have wanted the Rich to pay Higher Taxes. They don't because they are Evil. That is what he wants the "Religious Freaks" the Poor Folks, to believe. The Rich are Evil, Obama has God on his side, and he is out to set you free.

However, what Santorum said is the TRUTH. Again?

“Over the last few weeks, he has done more to assault religion in this country than any president, certainly in recent history, maybe even in history. Jesus wasn’t talking to the government. He wasn’t talking that the government should take more from you. He was talking about your responsibility to your fellow man, your responsibility to God to provide for the least among us and not your responsibility to fund Caesar. That is a complete misinterpretation of the bible."

Rick?!? The Bible, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, The LAW? This President does NOT misinterpret things. He TWISTS them to attempt to get them to fit HIS agendas. He ignores them. He Violates them on a daily bases. He is not misinterpreting it by accident. He is doing it on purpose.

But Congratulations, for pointing out the Truth, you ARE the Winner of the Display of Logic Award for Sunday, February 5th, 2012. Thank you for standing up for the Truth.

For those of you out there that may not like this one, just remember this. Just because he was not successful, doesn't mean he is wrong. Just because he was not successful in running for the Presidency, doesn't mean he is not the best one for the Job, or that he doesn't know, understand, and is bold enough, to tell the Truth. Be right back.

Peter
Sources:
Newsmax - Santorum: Obama Most Anti-Religion President in History Friday, 03 Feb 2012 03:48 PM By Martin Gould and Steve Malzberg

Merry Christmas 2011

Regardless of what ANYONE tells you, there is only one reason for Christmas.


Christ Mass. It is a time we have set aside to remember and honor the Birth of THE Christ, Jesus.

1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

3When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

4And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,
Matthew 2

8And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Luke 2

MERRY CHRISTMAS! To all of you and to your families. May you have a Happy and Healthy Holiday.
Peter

It Is NOT a Crime To Be a Christian Politician

And there is NO Wall of Separation

OK folks,

Getting really tired of the complete BS and outright attacks from the Left on Christians. I really am. It is ALWAYS an Open Season on Christians. The Press openly attack us. The Left attack us. Jokes are made at our expense. Our President calls us Bitter Clingers. We are called Stupid. We are called Racists. We are called Chauvinistic, Homophobes. Jews are not too far behind us.

Yet? Ask a question about Islam? Can't do that. There are laws against it. There are laws against attacking ANYONE'S Religious Views. Ask questions about ANY Religion, other than Christianity, you will be held accountable. Christianity? ALWAYS Open Season. Forget the laws. Forget even imagined decorum. Just let it rip. Question them about their Faith and why they feel they do. Denounce their beliefs. Quiz them on what you may INCORRECTLY see as Biblical Inconsistencies or Contradictions. There are none. I repeat, NONE. Simply a lack of understanding. However, ask a Muslim why they feel it necessary to strap a bomb to themselves and blow up innocent people? COMPLETELY OFF LIMITS. YOU RACIST! How dare you ask that question. Right?

Why do Catholic worship Mary, kneel before the Pope, and have IDOLS, when the Bible says there is but ONE mediator between you and God, and he is IN you. Have no other Gods before God, and do not worship IDOLS. Yet? Just asking those questions, I will be called Anti-Catholic. A Sinner and a heathen. Right?

If I asks why Jews do not believe in Jesus, who was a Jew, called King of the Jews, HONESTLY asking why, I'm called an Anti-Semite. If I ask how anyone can believe in Reincarnation, I must be Racist. I do not accept Hinduism, Jainism, or Sikhism. I must HATE Indian people. Right?

Hell, if I tell the TRUTH, that Evolution MINUS God, is Scientifically IMPOSSIBLE, I'm called stupid, hateful, and closed minded. Something can not come from Nothing. It really is just that simple. Then if you get past that, how can Cold Blooded, Warm Blooded, everything from Trees to Mosquitoes all come from ONE Cell? They CAN'T. But yet, I'm stupid. I'm Insane. Yet, there are some who spend their ENTIRE Life fighting against something they do not even believes Exists, God. Who's Crazy?

Now I'm not advocating the denouncing of, or the attacking of, ANYONE'S Religion. I do not advocate the RESTRICTION on ANYONE'S First Amendment RIGHT of Freedom OF Religion. As long, of course, that does not include MURDERING Innocent People. There is NO WALL. We ALL have a RIGHT to Practice our Faith ANYWHERE and at any time we choose to. To this day, Congress is started with a Prayer. The Ten Commandments hang on the Wall of the Supreme Court, this is NOT a Secular Nation. We are a Nation to begin with for Religious Freedom. Now Atheists have done a pretty good job at rewriting the First Amendment, and American History, but that doesn't make it true.

So this piece by Rachel Zoll from the AP is no surprise. My guess is that she is probably NOT a Christian. I doubt that she even believes in God. Yet, she IS a Religion Writer over at AP. Here is her Piece Yahoo News / AP - A hot issue on the campaign trail: theology By RACHEL ZOLL - AP Religion Writer AP

Rick Perry dived right in. The Texas governor, now a Republican presidential candidate, held a prayer rally for tens of thousands, read from the Bible, invoked Christ and broadcast the whole event on the Web. There was no symbolic nod to other American faiths, no rabbi or Roman Catholic priest among the evangelical speakers. It was a rare, full-on embrace of one religious tradition in the glare of a presidential contest.

Why SHOULD there have been a "nod to other American faiths, no rabbi or Roman Catholic priest among the evangelical speakers?" It was a CHRISTIAN even. A PRIVATE Christian event. She goes on to say this:

In 1960, John F. Kennedy could blunt Protestant fears about his Catholicism by calling his religion private. After four decades of culture wars and Christian right activism, the Kennedy strategy no longer works. Politicians are evaluated not only by what church they attend, but also by what their congregation teaches and what their pastor says on Sundays.

"Candidates often have to make tough choices about their religion — whether to talk about it, what to say about it and even what to do about it — such as leaving a church," said John Green, director of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron, Ohio. "These tensions are quite strong among Republicans as the presidential nomination contest heats up, partly because of religious disagreements among key constituencies, but partly because of differences in issue priorities — economic vs. social issues."

Those Running should just be true to themselves and to their Faith. The People will decide if it is a PROBLEM with THEM or not. But to HIDE, what should be one of the most Important things in their lives, just to get elected? If you have a problem with some one's FAITH, if it is TRUE Faith, then you have a problem with the Person. Sorry, and a Person who has TRUE Faith, IS effected by that. You really can not separate the Person from their Core Values and Beliefs. If you do, what you have left is dishonest.

The current presidential campaign began with two cautionary tales fresh in the minds of political strategists:

In 2008, candidate Barack Obama broke ties with his Chicago pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, after videos surfaced of Wright sermonizing that U.S. foreign policy played a role in the 9/11 attacks. "America's chickens are coming home to roost," Wright said. Obama was so close with Wright that the Democrat took the title of his 2006 book, "The Audacity of Hope," from one of the pastor's sermons.

It wasn't Obama's Christian Faith or Christianity that people had a Problem with. It was the fact that his Pastor, that he loved and Followed for 20 years is a RACIST! One that HATES this Country. One that called for God to DAMN this Country. THAT is what people had a problem with. Not Obama's Relationship with God, but his relationship with an Anti-American, Racist.

Republican Mitt Romney was the other example. The former Massachusetts governor had struggled to address concerns about being Mormon despite a major faith-and-values speech in 2007 in Texas.

He quoted the New Testament and declared his belief in Jesus. (Many Christian denominations don't consider Mormons to be Christian.) He commended the deep faith of the Founding Fathers and decried secularism. And like Kennedy, he promised that "no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions." Yet, polls continued to show an unwillingness to vote for a Mormon, especially among white evangelicals, who form a large segment of the GOP.

"That speech probably drew more attention to his Mormonism than it was worth," said Ed Kilgore, a former policy director at the centrist Democratic Leadership Council who oversaw programs that urged Democrats to talk about the values behind their policies. "It raised a lot of questions and didn't really resolve them."

Romney is once again seeking the GOP presidential nomination. He has barely discussed his religion so far.

Sorry Rachel, yeah some had a problem with his faith, but mostly, he ran out of money and QUIT. He has a few Other Problems that people are not going to overlook and Vote for him. Little, if not ANY of the Lack of Faith in Romney this time around has to do with his Religion.

Politicians like to quip that they're not running for theologian in chief. Still, they face increasingly complex questions on doctrine — prompted in many cases by their own attempts at highlighting their faith.

Republican Michele Bachmann has been asked to explain a statement she made in the context of her 2006 Minnesota congressional campaign — that she submits to the authority of her husband. The teaching is based on Ephesians 5:21-23 and other Bible verses. Evangelicals say the doctrine is about sacrificial love, the way Christ sacrificed himself for the church. A wife should put her husband's needs first and the husband should serve his wife, although some Christian conservatives view the teaching as a license to control their wives.

In a GOP debate ahead of the Iowa straw poll this month, Bachmann was asked by a conservative newspaper columnist to explain whether, as president, she would submit to her husband's authority. The audience booed the question. Bachmann was tight-lipped as she listened, then thanked the questioner and said that to her, submission means that she and her husband respect each other.

Bachmann also found herself in the midst of a row about — of all things — the Reformation. News outlets reported that the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, the tiny denomination she formally left around the time she launched her presidential campaign, said on its website that the papacy is the anti-Christ. (The Lutheran World Federation agreed in a 1999 joint statement with the Vatican to drop the doctrinal condemnation. The Wisconsin Synod is not a member of the federation.) Bachmann insisted she was not anti-Catholic.

Perry largely dismissed the outcry over his July prayer rally, held the week before he announced he was running for president.

The event was his idea and was financed by the American Family Association, a Tupelo, Miss.-based group whose policy director believes that freedom of religion applies only to Christians. Among the supporters were well-known Christian conservative leaders such as the Rev. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. Other endorsers were Pastor John Hagee, a Christian Zionist who had called the Catholic Church "the great whore," though he later apologized for the statement. Activist and historian David Barton, who argues that the United States was founded to be a Christian nation, was another backer.

Religion was so in the foreground in the 2008 presidential race that for their first appearance on the same stage after their party conventions, Obama and Republican John McCain agreed to an event at a church where they would be interviewed by a minister.

The Rev. Rick Warren, founder of Saddleback Church in California, asked the candidates what faith in Jesus meant to them and at what point a baby gains human rights. For the latter question, McCain answered, "At the moment of conception." Obama joked that the question was "above my pay grade," then went on to explain the moral thinking behind his support for abortion rights. Obama soon after apologized for the way he started his answer, saying he was too flip.

"These folks are not professional theologians and, except in a few cases like Huckabee, they haven't been to seminary," said Gary Smith, author of "Faith & the Presidency" and a historian at Grove City College, a Christian school in Pennsylvania. Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and 2008 GOP presidential hopeful, is a Southern Baptist minister.

"Most of them haven't had more education about the relationship between Christianity and politics than the average person on the street," Smith said. "While they have their own personal faith, it isn't usually well informed by history and theology."

And yet, voters have started pushing for specifics because they no longer consider belief separate from action and faith unrelated to policymaking, said Kathleen Flake, who specializes in American religious history at Vanderbilt University. The nation's Catholic bishops, more vocal than ever on the duty of Catholic lawmakers to follow church teaching, underscored that way of thinking. Bishops have said repeatedly that a true Catholic cannot support any policy that allows abortion.

"The voting public no longer believes, as they did as late as the 1950s, that religion was about what you thought and not what you did," Flake said.

The trend started with Democrat Jimmy Carter, who in 1976 said at a campaign event that he was a born-again Christian.

OK this goes on and on. But it is basically all about Christians and the "conflict" between expressing their Faith and keeping Silent out of FEAR of Rejection by the People they hope to get Votes from. ONE Paragraph about Obama and his Pastor "Wright sermonizing that U.S. foreign policy played a role in the 9/11 attacks." which had NOTHING to do with ANYTHING, to all the rest of this about ACTUAL Faith of Candidates.

Now I disagree with some of my friends on the Right who say "fight this." I say be ready for it. They do not ask these types of questions to Liberals because they already know most Liberals do not believe in God or ANYTHING bigger than themselves. But they did, do, and will continue to ask these type of questions of ANYONE on the Right. Especially those who profess themselves to be, or are ASSUMED to be Christians. Just be ready for it and answer it honestly. Let the People Decide.

If you were to ask me outright, "Pete, do you really believe XWZ?" I will answer you. I will attempt to explain to you WHY. If you fail to understand what I tell you, may or may not be a product of your LACK of understanding or misconception of Scripture, or you may or may not LIKE my answer, but none of that changes my answer. If I ran and became President, I am the President for ALL Americans. You have the SAME Right to practice YOUR Faith, or lack of, as I do. But let me ONCE again, post the ACTUAL and OFFICAL Job Description of the President of the United States.

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Now notice NOWHERE in this Job Description does it mention Job Creation, Redistribution of Wealth, or CREATING New Laws and Regulations. Infringing in Personal Freedoms and the take over of Private Industries. His number one Job is to keep America Safe, and make sure that Laws of the Land are Enforced. Nowhere in there does it talk about leveling the playing field, spending Trillions of dollars, most of which going to line Friend's Pockets, traveling the World on Tax Payer's Bill for Vacation after Vacation.

When you actually see the REAL Job Description of President, you also see nothing in there about protecting people FROM Religion. Prohibition of Practicing one's Faith. Or saying only THIS Faith is acceptable to be President. So these questions that are often posed to Republicans are irrelevant and only serve one purpose, that is to attempt to paint a picture of them to the Voter, that they fit a stereotype that the Libs want you to believe. It really is just that simple.

It really is time for Christians to stand up and say enough is enough. If we are going to Protect People's Freedom OF Religion, then we must also protect Christians. But the reason this takes place is as simple as this.

22And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Matthew 10

12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. Luke 21

18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. John 15

So I guess it should really not come as any surprise. We were warned of this before hand. Still, it really drives me nuts. Especially because those hurling the accusations have no clue what they are talking about. Just remember, whenever you remove God, something else fills the Void.
Peter

Sources:
Yahoo News / AP - A hot issue on the campaign trail: theology

Why I do not believe in the Death Penalty, Part One

Do I think Death is a God Ordained Punishment?

Hey folks,

Happy Sunday to ya. Do I? Yup. I do FULLY believe that anyone that is guilty, beyond a shadow of doubt, by the mouths of more than one Witness, of shedding innocent blood, they themselves should be put to death. No doubt about it.

But here in lies the problem. We do not follow God's plan. We follow OUR Criminal Justice System. Let's look at the difference.

First, there are THREE ways to take a Life. Premeditation, Accidental, Abortion. Yes, Abortion IS the taken of an Innocent life. We will discuss how God sees these things first.

Genesis 9: 5-6

5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

It is the Sixeth Cammandment. Thou shall not Murder. God is VERY serious about this. But God also understands that we ARE only Human, and can act stupidly. {Smile} So he set up a very clear formula.

Premeditation? Pretty much easy to understand. If you hate someone, or intend to kill them for whatever reason, you are a Murderer, and God says you shall die. Numbers 35

16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18 Or if he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19 The revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer: when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

20 But if he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by laying of wait, that he die;

21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote him shall surely be put to death; for he is a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

But it was in the heat of the moment. That's not Murder in the First, maybe Second Degree, or Third. Not according to God. Even if you got caught up in the Heat of the Moment, if it is true that you hate the person, you are a Murderer.

Accident? Numbers 35:

15 These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them: that every one that killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

God knows Accidents happen. We allow ourselves to be put into situations that may allow for an Accidental Death to occur. SO?

22 But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him any thing without laying of wait,

23 Or with any stone, wherewith a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, that he die, and was not his enemy, neither sought his harm:

24 Then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the revenger of blood according to these judgments:

25 And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the revenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge, whither he was fled: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest, which was anointed with the holy oil.

So even if it was an Accident, God calls for you to leave. This way the Family of the one lost is not tempted to seek revenge on you. But you are Innocent in the eyes of God. So God set up the Jury System. Still Numbers 35

29 So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

30 Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses: but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.

32 And ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest.

33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood it defileth the land: and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

34 Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit, wherein I dwell: for I the LORD dwell among the children of Israel.

So not by the mounth of one Witness. but more than one. A Jury of your Peers. A Final Jugdement. Guilt or Innocents.

Abortion? Exodus 21: 22-25

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

In other words, if you accidentally cause a Women to have a miscarriage, you are STILL guilty to a degree, and you shall pay a price for your guilt. However, if you did it INTENTIONALLY, so that she looses her Child, YOU are guilty of Murder. If the Child dies, God calls for YOUR life. If the Child is deformed, than you will lose whatever the deformity. Quite literally an Eye for an Eye, ETC. In Pslams 139, it makes it clear that God knows you, and you are Formed in the Womb. This also answers the question how one whom believes in Life, can be FOR a Death Penalty.

So what is my problem with OUR system of Justice? We are not following God's Plan. We have created our own. We operate under VERY different system. One that is inherently flawed and one that continues to get further and further away from a more perfect system. Be right back to explain what I mean on that.
Peter

Sources:
King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Gov. Robert Bentley Repeats Bible Passage, Gets Attacked

Who is Dr. Robert J. Bentley?

Hey folks,

He is an active member of First Baptist Church (FBC) Tuscaloosa where he serves as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher. At FBC Tuscaloosa he has been the Chairman of the Board of Deacons four times and a member of the Youth for Christ Advisory Board, as well as the Family Counseling Advisory Board. Dr. Bentley has also served on the State Advisory Board for Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Currently, he serves on the Board of Trustees for Judson College in Marion, Alabama and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Alabama Medical Education Consortium which he helped found.

Just Elected Alabama Governor. What is one of the First things he wants to do? Create a Special Session to deal with Ethics.

The Special Session will be held during the first Regular Session, so that there will be no added cost to taxpayers. A Special Session dealing with ethics reform will isolate the issue and allow for the full attention of legislators, media and the public.

In the Special Session we will

1. Ban transfers from one political action committee to another, otherwise known as PAC to PAC transfers. Each time this legislation has come before the Alabama House of Representatives in the past seven years, I have voted in favor of it. Now is the time to pass this piece of legislation. I firmly believe if the people of Alabama change the Legislature in this election, we will finally see an end to PAC to PAC transfers.

2. We must also wholly eliminate the ability of lobbyists to entertain Legislators. At the very least, we must pass laws that require legislators to report every single penny spent, and put a very restrictive cap on how much a lobbyist is allowed to spend on an elected member of the house and senate.

3. Transparency will be the ultimate end result of ethics reform under a Bentley Administration. Every penny given to a candidate should be reported at least weekly. I propose this be done online, where access is readily available and open for public view. These sweeping changes in Alabama's ethics laws must be a priority of the new legislature that voters choose to elect.

4. I expect our new legislature to bring fresh ideas on ethic reform. I will listen and consider the ideas of the new legislature the voters will elect this November.

I know Horrid is it not. Oh, and he made a statement that if your were not Christian, then you are not his Brother of Sister. {Gasp!!}

Yes folks. A CHRISTIAN Sunday School Teacher, in CHURCH, said if you do not have the Spirit of Jesus in you, then you are not his Brother or Sister.
/strong>

You do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

We are all God's Children. Just accept everyone as who they are. For we are ALL God's Children. No right, wrong, or indifferent. Just whatever you chose to believe. Right?

Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me.

Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

John 8:41-47 So imagine this, Jesus the CHRIST, tells the Religious Folks back in the day that we are not all God's Children, and that those RELIGIOUS folks, were of the devil, then where did this, we are all God's Children Bunk come from? Uh, yeah.

So now imagine a SUNDAY SCHOOL Teacher. A Christian. Talking to a CHURCH group, in a CHURCH. He repeats what Jesus says, well, not even as strongly, and he is not fit for Governorship? Forget the stupid argument about the First Amendment, that's just a complete waste of time. He was not even attempting to insult anyone. He was attempting to get non-Christians to hear what the Word of God Says. IN A CHURCH. No different than most Christian Denominations that wrap up their Service with "Do you know Christ as your Personal Saviour?" He was at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Church AFTER the Official Inaugural Ceremony. What he was talking about is that it doesn't matter what Color you are, where you come from, or what you have, that he considered anyone who believed in Jesus to be his Brothers and Sisters. This guy is being attacked for practicing his Faith. But then again, just another example of where it is Open Season on Christianity all year long.

Stand Strong Governor. I AM your Brother. You already told everyone that you are the Governor for all people in Alabama. The PEOPLE Elected you. Be the Governor of all people. Forget these dweebs that hate Christianity and anything God. Let them wallow is their own self pity. Stand Strong in your Faith, and Prove your Critics wrong.

I'll admit I never heard of this guy before today. But he seems like a Good Faith Based Guy. We need MORE Faith Based People in Government. Not the spread of more lies, Cheats, and Thieves. Not more Government as usual. We need more Ethics in Government. Who can really argue his plans? They can't. So they attack his Faith. Sad really.
Peter

Sources:
AP - New Ala. gov: Just Christians are his family