George Washington – A Prayer for Guidance – An undated prayer from Washington’s prayer journal, Mount Vernon

O eternal and everlasting God, I presume to present myself this morning before thy Divine majesty, beseeching thee to accept of my humble and hearty thanks, that it hath pleased thy great goodness to keep and preserve me the night past from all the dangers poor mortals are subject to, and has given me sweet and pleasant sleep, whereby I find my body refreshed and comforted for performing the duties of this day, in which I beseech thee to defend me from all perils of body and soul….  

Increase my faith in the sweet promises of the gospel; give me repentance from dead works; pardon my wanderings, and direct my thoughts unto thyself, the God of my salvation; teach me how to live in thy fear, labor in thy service, and ever to run in the ways of thy commandments; make me always watchful over my heart, that neither the terrors of conscience, the loathing of holy duties, the love of sin, nor an unwillingness to depart this life, may cast me into a spiritual slumber, but daily frame me more and more into the likeness of thy son Jesus Christ, that living in thy fear, and dying in thy favor, I may in thy appointed time attain the resurrection of the just unto eternal life bless my family, friends, and kindred.    

Thomas Jefferson – A Prayer for the Nation – Washington D.C., March 4, 1801    

Almighty God, Who has given us this good land for our heritage; We humbly beseech Thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of Thy favor and glad to do Thy will. Bless our land with honorable ministry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion, from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people, the multitude brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endow with Thy spirit of wisdom those whom in Thy name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that through obedience to Thy law, we may show forth Thy praise among the nations of the earth. In time of prosperity fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in Thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

Barack Hussein Obama (peace be upon him), speaking in Turkey in June 2006, repeated by him on CNN in 2007:   

Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation – at least, not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers. 

How big is this “nation of nonbelievers”?  According to Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an atheist organization, her business is booming:    

There are more legal challenges to prayer in the United States than ever before.  We’ve never had more complaints about government prayer.  We have just hired a second staff attorney in July. It’s turned into a cottage industry for our attorneys.  

The foundation allegedly has had a huge volume of complaints about prayer in the public sector, including numerous issues involving civic and government meetings where sessions have traditionally begun with a prayer or moment of silence.

In Arizona, school children were told they couldn’t pray in front of the Supreme Court building … Two University of Texas Arlington employees were  fired for praying over a co-worker’s cubicle after work hours … In Cranston, R.I., a high school banner caused a controversy when a parent complained it contained a prayer and demanded that it be removed.   

In Augusta, Ga., the city’s law department just issued a legal opinion defending the city’s practice of a pre-meeting prayer, saying it does not violate federal law. this was a response to a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation to the mayor’s office urging him to stop saying prayers (invocations) at the start of meetings. The foundation sent similar letters to three cities in South Carolina. 

Gaylor claims:

  These are flagrant violations of the laws. 

Not according to Nate Kellum, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund, representing the Arizona school children and their teacher, Maureen Rigo, who said they were told they couldn’t pray on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington.   

Kellum says:   

Religious liberties are under attack across the country.  My sense is that there’s some type of knee-jerk reaction, almost an allergic reaction, if someone sees the expression of religion.   

And the majority of the complaints are directed at Christians, he says:   

There’s an overreaching presumption that there’s something wrong   

The atheist Gaylor whines that there’s no country in the world where religion flourishes as much as in the United States, and she predicts that conflicts over public expression are going to increase.   

And San Fran Nan predicted that Tea Partiers would erupt into violence.   

This rocket scientist says:   

Fifteen percent of the people are not religious. There’s an increasing plurality of faiths. It’s inevitable there’s going to be this clash with more people being offended.   

Time out.  Let’s examine the statement:  “Fifteen percent of  the people are not religious.”  Most studies show that Ms. Gaylor has overstated her claim by at least 5 percent.  She also does not admit that seventy-five percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians.   That would leave a total of  just five percent to other faiths of which one to 1 and one half percent have been identified as Muslim. 

Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Institute, represents the two University of Texas employees who were fired for praying over a co-worker’s desk after hours. The co-worker was not even there at the time and had no idea until months later why the employees were fired.   

The university, in legal documents, said the employees prayer had been deemed harassment.   Judge Terry Means of the U.S. Federal District Court in Ft. Worth rejected that argument.   

Per Shackleford:   

One of the women just said ‘amen’ while the other prayed.  So she was fired for just saying ‘amen.’   

It’s just so crazy!  There’s a hostility, and there are folks who want to change this country and want to engage in some kind of religious cleansing.   

Shackelford is also part of the legal team that filed a brief on Thursday defending the National Day of Prayer, which Federal Judge Barbara Crabb ruled unconstitutional in April. Even though the Justice Department announced one week later that it planned to appeal the judge’s ruling after there was a deafening outcry, and despite President Obama’s proclamation of National Prayer Day the next month, because he got blasted, too, the Liberty Institute, along with the Family Research Council, took legal action because of what they claim is “the Obama Administration’s weak defense of the National Day of Prayer.”   

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, issued a statement saying:   

The President’s attorneys failed to cite any of the key cases that would require immediate dismissal of this lawsuit because the plaintiffs lack standing to bring it. FRC plans to mount a robust defense of this important national event that a liberal judge has attempted to scrub from the public square.   

Shackelford says, and rightfully so:   

The thing that makes [America] unique is that we believe our freedoms don’t come from government, they come from God.   

 

It appears that some Liberals in positions of power are taking steps to insure that President Obama’s proclamation that “America is not longer just a Christian nation” is reinforced.  I’ve got some news for the psuedo-intellectual Elite:  Christians outnumber you.  The freedom Americans have experienced for over 200 years is God-given, not man-made.  It is not yours to give or take away.  That is way above your pay grade.  President John Adams explained it very eloquently over 200 years ago:   

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.    

 Sources:  foxnews.com, brainyquotes.com, beliefnet.com, americanthinker.com   

  

Faithful America is running a radio ad across America attacking Glenn Beck as a pagan, heathen, and drowner of puppies (not actually, but just about) for his recent programs investigating the marxist-inspired ideology of Social Justice and all the progressive leaders and organizations that are involved in this movement.

Who is Faithful America?  I’m glad you asked. 

Per their website:

Faithful America is an online community of tens of thousands of citizens motivated by faith to take action on the pressing moral issues of our time. We come from diverse faith traditions but share a unifying commitment: to restore community and uphold the common good in America and across the globe. In service to this core commitment, we seek to:

• end poverty and promote economic security for all
• promote peace and restore America’s commitment to human rights and diplomacy
• prevent the catastrophic effects of climate change
• counter hate speech and misinformation in the media pertaining to people of faith
• work for welcoming communities where immigrants and people of all faiths are welcome

By speaking out, mobilizing and taking action in the public square, we are building a powerful grassroots movement to put justice and the common good back at the center of the American values debate. At this critical juncture, when our actions or inaction will have profound and permanent global consequences, our faiths demand nothing less.

Faithful America was founded on June 15, 2004, when a group of  progressives took it upon themselves to raise $36,000 to place an advertisement on Arabic-language satellite television, in order to apologize to Muslims for the abuse committed by Americans at Abu Ghraib prison.

Here is what the spot said:

A Salaam A’alaykum [“Peace be with you” in Arabic]. As Americans of faith, we express our deep sorrow at abuses committed in Iraqi prisons. We stand in solidarity with all those in Iraq and everywhere who demand justice and human dignity. We condemn the sinful and systemic abuses committed in our name, and pledge to work to right these wrongs.”

Faithful America claims that it has “tens of thousands of members”.   It urges its’ members to take action on issues ranging from poverty to health care to Iraq.  They claim that their campaigns have provided African children with malaria-preventing mosquito nets, (my local church did that on our own) gathered thousands of signatures on petitions to the White House, (thousands of individuals do that every day) and enabled thousands of people of faith to lobby their elected representatives in Washington to make moral decisions on issues from Guantanamo to Darfur.  

Again, individuals have the ability to do this on their own.  Why does an organization have to “urge” them to do it?

Faithful America was previously sponsored by the National Council of Churches in Christ (NCCC). In August 2007, Faith in Public Life took over this organization.

From faithfulamerica.org:

Faith in Public Life (FPL) is a communications and organizing resource center dedicated to helping faith leaders reclaim the values debate in America for justice, compassion, and the common good. FPL increases the strength and visibility and faith movements with cutting-edge media and infrastructure-building strategies. FPL’s website, http://www.faithinpubliclife.org is a valuable resource to activists, faith leaders and journalists, with an active blog and daily news clips from media outlets around the country.

Faith in Public Life (FPL) is a tax-exempt charity which was originally launched in 2006 as a way to embolden and strengthen the progressive evangelical (social justice) movement.   If you visit their website you’ll read that the group’s original mission was to counter the ideology surrounding President Bush’s 2004 reelection in which “faith was often deployed in service of a narrow and partisan agenda.” 

Ironic, huh?  Or maybe, hypocritical is a better word.

40 religious leaders throughout the United States were instrumental in FPL’s founding.  The main founders, however, were Jim Wallis of Sojourners; Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism; Melissa Rogers, Director of the Center for Religion and Public Affairs at Wake Forest University; Rev. Dr. Jim A. Forbes, Jr., founder of Healing of the Nations Foundation; Ricken Patel, co-founder and Executive Director of Avaaz.org, which is a project of Moveon.org and Res Publica; and last, but certainly not least, Sister Catherine Pinkerton, a NETWORK lobbyist who gave the closing benediction at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. 

FPL also is very closely connected to John Podesta‘s Center for American Progress (CAP). Two of CAP’s senior fellows, Fred Rotondaro and Rev. Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite, are currently members of FPL’s board. Other well-known Liberal groups affiliated with FPL include People Improving Communities through Organizing (PICO); ACORN; Children’s Defense Fund; the Interfaith Alliance; People for the American Way; the Center for American Values and Public Life; and Pax Christi USA.

A bunch of well-known leaders in the progressive movement serve as speakers and organizers for FPL. Among these are Greg Galluzzo, national director of the Gamaliel Foundation; Kim Bobo, founder of Interfaith Worker Justice; Sister Simone Campbell, national coordinator of NETWORK; and Rabbi Jonah Presner of the Industrial Areas Foundation.

FPL is an advocate for open borders and is a leader in organizing for progressive change.   FPL helped to found the New Sanctuary Movement (NSM) in 2007, along with Kim Bobo and Interfaith Worker Justice.  This organization provides sanctuary for illegal immigrants facing deportation and tries to create sympathy for radical immigration reform.

One of FPL’s top priorities during the 2008 election was to try to change the view of the America public that evangelicals made up a conservative voting bloc.

FPL even circulated a Faithful America petition stating: 

The presidential primary exit polls, sponsored by ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox and the AP, must stop stereotyping people of faith.

In February 2008, FPL joined up with the Center for American Progress Action Fund to commission a poll in two “Super Tuesday” states, Missouri and Tennessee.  The manipulated poll found that evangelicals were an important part of the Democratic base.  The results of the poll led Jim Wallis to declare that “evangelicals are leaving the Religious Right in droves.”

FPL also focused on portraying Democratic politicians as advocates of religious faith. On April 13, 2008, FPL – along with the ONE Campaign, Oxfam America, and Messiah College – organized the Democratic Candidates Compassion Forum in which CNN anchor Campbell Brown and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham hosted an evening with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and a number of Liberal religious leaders.   During that FPL forum, Jim Wallis took the opportunity to suck up to then-Senator Obama and successfully solicit his “new commitment” to “economic (social) justice.”

Wallis fawned over Obama, saying:

As you reminded us a week or two ago,when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed 40 years ago, he wasn’t just speaking about civil rights. He was fighting for economic justice.

Although Wallis publically says that he does not endorse political candidates, in early 2008 he fiercely defended Obama and his 20 plus years association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

FPL advocated for President Obama’s health-care reform initiative in 2008.   Whining  that town-hall meetings, had “degenerated into armed shouting matches,” FPL staged a Liberal counter-effort in the summer, entitled “40 Days for Health Reform.”  Working through Sojourners, PICO, and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, FPL produced and aired cable television ads and hosted a webcast call-in program with President Obama and Liberal religious leaders, trying to “reframe the debate” about health care.  FPL also generated 20,000 (pro-health care reform) phone calls to Congress, as well as 100 visits to Congressional offices, in a single day. 

Astroturf at its best.

Advocating against the use of enhanced interrogation procedures on suspected terrorists, FPL applied pressure on the Obama administration by creating lobbying groups like the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good.

Per the Washington Post, these efforts had a direct effect on White House policy in 2009 and early 2010:

[P]rogressive faith campaigns had an influence on everything from Obama’s signing of executive orders reducing torture, to his cautious (insincere) wording about public funding for abortions in his health care proposals.

FPL’s total disdain for the Tea Party movement of 2009 and 2010 was the same old propaganda it spewed against the town-hall meetings concerning health care reform.

In May 2010, Wallis criticized the Tea Party Movement and criticized the values upon which the movement was based:

The Libertarian enshrinement of individual choice is not the pre-eminent Christian virtue. Emphasizing individual rights at the expense of others violates the common good, a central Christian teaching and tradition. 

I will wrap up this post by quoting  Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary:

Regrettably, there is no shortage of preachers who have traded the Gospel for a platform of political and economic change, most often packaged as a call for social justice…

The church is not to adopt a social reform platform as its message, but the faithful church, wherever it is found, is itself a social reform movement precisely because it is populated by redeemed sinners who are called to faithfulness in following Christ. The Gospel is not a message of social (collective) salvation, but it does have social implications.

Luke 20:25  

And he (Jesus) said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar‘s, and unto God the things which be God’s.

Sources:  glennbeck.com, faithfulamerica.org, faithinpubliclife.org, discoverthenetworks.org, albertmohler.com

Pro-Palestinian “Activists” on board a six-ship flotilla, supposedly carrying aid to the Gaza Strip,  tried to capture and hang the Israel Navy commandos who boarded their boat flying under the flag of Turkey early Monday.   At least nine people were killed and several more were wounded in the ambush.

The commandos intercepted the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara after it ignored orders to turn back from its course to Gaza  encountered violent resistance from the men on the ship who were armed with sticks and knives. These “activists” threw one of the soldiers from the upper deck to the lower after they boarded. The Pro-Palestinian organizers of the flotilla claimed that the troops opened fire first.

Per an Israeli military spokesman, some of the commandos were equipped with paintball guns.   However, they proved to be insufficient against the “activists” who had batons.

“They had pistols with live ammunition as back-up, to defend themselves,” he said. The IDF said it had confiscated two pistols from the boat.

One of the commandos told reporters:

They beat us with metal sticks and knives.  There was live fire at some point against us.

Per the IDF,  the “activists” took some of the soldiers’ helmets and equipment and tossed several from the top deck to a lower deck, forcing them to jump into the sea to escape.

Another commando said:

They jumped me, hit me with clubs and bottles and stole my rifle.   I pulled out my pistol and had no choice but to shoot.

The  Israeli soldiers were forced to open fire after the activists bashed one of their comrades in the head and trampled on him. A senior IDF field commander ordered the soldiers to respond with gunfire.

The IDF said its rules of engagement allowed troops to open fire in this “life-threatening situation”.

Elite troops from Shayetet 13, a naval commando unit, boarded the protest boats at around 4:00 A.M. Al Jazeera claimed Monday morning that the Gaza aid flotilla had changed course to avoid any trouble with the Israeli warships.

There were 700 pro-Palestinian activists on the boats, including 1976 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Northern Ireland, and European legislators. The boats were  officially carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid and supplies to Gaza.

The flotilla would not turn around, so Israeli troops were prepared to board the ships to steer them away from the Gaza shores toward the Israeli port city of Ashdod.

One of the flotilla organizers, Huwaida Arraf,  said the convoy began the journey from international waters off the coast of Cyprus on Sunday afternoon, after two days of delays.  The flotilla had been expected to reach Gaza, about 400 kilometers away, on Monday afternoon, and two more ships had been expected to follow later.

After the raid, Israel’s top officials began the process of defending their actions.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his meeting with President Barack Obama to head back to Israel from North America, while the UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting in New York.

Israeli ambassadors around the world began explaining the incidents to their host governments.   The Foreign Ministry held a briefing with all foreign ambassadors in Israel.

There were protests against Israel in Jordan, Turkey, Beirut, Greece and Pakistan.

Activists clashed with police near the Israeli Embassy in Paris. Many in the throng shouted, “Israel, assassin!” and “We are all Palestinians,” while young people near the front tried to break through the police line to break into the Israeli Embassy.   There were protests in London also.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said:

I am shocked by reports of killing of people in boats carrying supply to Gaza. I heard the ships were in international waters. That is very bad.

 He called for a “thorough investigation.”

The European Union’s foreign affairs chief, Catherine Ashton,wants Israel to launch an investigation into the incident.  The holder of the EU presidency, Spain, said Israel’s storming of the flotilla was “unacceptable.”

Netanyahu spoke by telephone with Obama, and they agreed to reschedule their meeting at the first opportunity.  The White House was notably cautious and understated in their press release about the raid:

The president expressed deep regret at the loss of life in today’s incident, and concern for the wounded, many of whom are being treated in Israeli hospitals. The president also expressed the importance of learning all the facts and circumstances around this morning’s tragic events as soon as possible.

 Netanyahu strongly reaffirmed the policy of intercepting the flotilla and firmly backed the conduct of the IDF itself.

“I fully support the IDF action,” said Netanyahu. He  proceeded to explain to reporters, after a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, that Israel needed to check the cargo that the flotilla was bringing to Gaza, to make sure that it did not contain any weapons.  They had already inspected 5 ships, but the sixth had not cooperated, said Netanyahu.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama’s Memorial Day observance was stopped in its tracks Monday afternoon by a frog-choking downpour featuring bolts of lightning and booming thunder.

Obama’s pontificating was overruled by a Higher Court.

Obama had just enough time before the storm to quietly lay a wreath at another part of the cemetery, and then stood, his head bowed, as a bugler played “Taps.”

The president last year laid the traditional wreath on the tomb of The Unknown Soldier at Arlington Cemetary.  But this year he visited a cemetery about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, so that his Presidential duty would not interrupt the long holiday weekend at his private home with his wife and daughters.

Genesis 12:  1-3 (English Standard Version)

 ¹Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. ² And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Sources:  jerusalempost.com, haaretz.com, drudgereport.com, yahoo.com, bible.com

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

On Thursday April 15, 2010 U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb (a Clinton appointee), ruled that the National Day of Prayer, scheduled for today, was unconstitutional.    Crabb wrote in her ruling (excerpt):

It goes beyond mere “acknowledgment” of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context. In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience

One might argue that the National Day of Prayer does not violate the establishment clause because it does not endorse any one religion. Unfortunately, that does not cure the problem. Although adherents of many religions “turn to God in prayer,” not all of them do.

Further, the statute seems to contemplate a specifically Christian form of prayer with its reference to “churches” but no other places of worship and the limitation in the 1952 version of the statute that the National Day of Prayer may not be on a Sunday.

Judge Crabb apparently does not understand the meaning of the word voluntary. 

Exactly one week after the ruling, our fearless Commander-in-Chief came courageously to the defense of this national voluntary observance.  Per CNN.com:

The Obama administration will fight to preserve the law establishing an annual National Day of Prayer, the Justice Department confirmed Thursday (April 22nd).

The Justice Department’s official filing of a “notice to appeal” Thursday came as no surprise, after White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said following the ruling that President Obama intends to recognize this year’s National Day of Prayer, which is May 6.

The injunction against the National Day of Prayer would not take effect until the appeals have been exhausted.

This was remarkable, considering that the President refuses to allow the Federal Government to participate in this observance.   However, realizing that 75 % of Americans identify themselves as Christian and, as Fox and Friends informed us yesterday morning, 83 % of Americans believe that God answers prayer, what choice did President Obama have?  Maybe he actually learned something in those 20 years under the most honorable Reverend Wright, besides how to spell America with three K’s in front of it.

Our Founding Fathers recognized the need of prayer:

Benjamin Franklin at the Congressional Congress, 1787

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth–that God Governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?

We have been assured, Sir, in the Sacred Writings, that “except the Lord build the House, they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel: We shall be divided by our partial local interests; our projects will be confounded, and we ourselves shall become a reproach and bye word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing Governments by Human wisdom and leave it to chance, war and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move–that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.

Presidents have always realized the power of praying to their Creator.   As Michael Barone wrote on January 19th, 2005 for wsj.com about George W. Bush’s Second Inauguration:

George W. Bush has been criticized for his religious references. But he has only been following tradition. Every Second Inaugural since Washington’s brief statement has included some reference to God, from Jefferson’s “that Being,” Madison’s “Heaven” and Monroe’s “Supreme Author of All Good” to Reagan’s “God bless you” and Clinton’s “May God strengthen our hands for the good work ahead–and always, always bless our America.” Four years ago Mr. Bush referred, in Founder’s language, to the “author” of “our nation’s grand story.” Expect something similar from him tomorrow.

Today, our nation stands at the precipice, looking over into future’s abyss of  unknown possibilities.  Will we remain true to our founders, who began a new nation based on Judeo-Christian values and beliefs?  Or will we be destroyed at the hands of our enemies, foreign and domestic?  Please join millions in observing the purpose of this day.  We are a nation standing in the need of prayer.

Sources:  The Dangers of Prayer and Eye Black (this blog),  cnn.com, wsj.com, chuckbaldwinlive.com

In the 24 hour news cycle yesterday, the majority of time  (and rightfully so)  was taken up by the capture of and subsequent revelations about the Times Square Bomber, Faisal Shahzad.  It was revealed that he was a naturalized citizen who left to return to Pakistan for additional (ahem)technical training 3 months before going through his citizenship ceremony.   He returned here without his American wife and two children to complete his mission.

There was all sorts of speculation among the Main Stream Media and Liberal Politicians as to his motivation for trying to blow up a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder Saturday night in the heart of one of the busiest entertainment meccas in America.  Some speculated that he was angry over the foreclosure of his house.    Some claimed it was Boooosh’s fault.  New York City Mayor Bloomberg  told perky Katie Couric that he thought the Bomber was:

Homegrown maybe a mentally deranged person or someone with a political agenda that doesn’t like the health care bill or something. It could be anything.

And some in the Main Stream Media were just downright disappointed:

Amongst all the angst by our self-appointed arbitrators of appropriateness, there was one term that I never heard yesterday until I was watching Monica Crowley (God bless her) sitting there with Alan (Skelator) Colmes last night on the O’Reilly Factor.  That term was (shoo away the small children) Muslim Extremist. (gasp!).

Along with Barak Hussein Obama (mm mmm mmmm) and his Administration, the sycophantic MSM has determined that calling a Muslim Terrorist a Muslim Extremist  is so offensive, that just speaking those dreaded words might do irreparable harm to the wonderful relationship that the Greatest President of  All Time has forged with the Middle East.  (Just ask Bibi Netanyahu about our POTUS.)

Hey, it’s worked great so far, hasn’t it?  While Iranian President Ahmedinejad is fervently rushing to build a nuclear arsenal in order to blow the U.S. off the face of the Earth, Scooter breached Protocol and torqued off one of our staunchest allies, Israel, at a White House Conference, and then he held a Summit Conference for Muslim Entrepreneurs.

So, while President Pantywaist’s Administration and the MSM are pussy-footin’ around, the Muslim Extremists (Yeah, I said it.) have become emboldened to the point that they are now embedding themselves in our culture, like the old Russian Sleeper Cells during the Cold War, just waiting to kill as many Americans as they can and claim their 72 virgins.  Thanks to the naive at best, treasonous at worst, policies of this President and his Administration, America is having to fight the War on Terror on the streets of our own cities.

But, Scooter is waaaay smarter than we are.  He speaks about Islam from personal experience, as in his Cairo Speech on June 4, 2009:

Now part of this conviction is rooted in my own experience. I’m a Christian (Is that why you said that we were no longer a Christian nation?), but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims.  As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia (in a Madrassa) and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk.  As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith (like Calypso Louie Farrakhan?).  As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam.  It was Islam — at places like Al-Azhar — that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe’s Renaissance and Enlightenment (nothing like Revisionist History).  It was innovation in Muslim communities — (applause) — it was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed.  Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation (and beheadings).  And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds (like jihad) the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality.  (Applause.)

Y’know, I was called an Extremist yesterday.  It happened on a very popular Conservative Website by a Liberal poster, after I dared asked why the MSM was not referring to Faisal Shahzad as a Muslim Extremist.  I replied:

Yep.  I’m an Extremist.  I’m extreme in my love for God, my family, and my country and the freedom it affords which gives you the right to be a total jerk on the Internet.

He did not have a snappy comeback for that.

By the way, on Fox and Friends this morning, it was announced that 83 % of Americans believe that God answers prayers.  That means that, according to the Administration and the Main Street Media, 83 % of you are Extremists, too.

Sources:  foxnews.com, drudgereport.com, youtube.com

Ladies and gentlemen, before I proceed to go on a rant, please allow America’s Clown Prince, the late Mr. Bernard “Red” Skelton,  to explain our Pledge of Allegiance:

Under God.  This week, Liberals, within the Halls of Power of our own government, have decided to deny our soliders access to a Christian service on the National Day of Prayer.

Evangelist Franklin Graham’s invitation to speak at a Pentagon prayer service has been rescinded because his comments about Islam were inappropriate, the Army said Thursday.

Graham, the son of famed evangelist Billy Graham, in 2001 described Islam as evil. More recently, he has said he finds Islam offensive and wants Muslims to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins.

Army spokesman Col. Tom Collins said Graham’s remarks were “not appropriate.”

“We’re an all-inclusive military,” Collins said. “We honor all faiths. … Our message to our service and civilian work force is about the need for diversity and appreciation of all faiths.”

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation had raised the objection to Graham’s appearance, citing his past remarks about Islam.

Collins said earlier this week that the invitation to attend the National Day of Prayer event at the Pentagon wasn’t from the military but from the Colorado-based National Day of Prayer Task Force, which works with the Pentagon chaplain’s office on the prayer event.

As co-honorary chair of the task force, Graham was expected to be the lead speaker at the May 6 Pentagon service. Country singer Ricky Skaggs was expected to perform.

Since Graham’s invitation was rescinded, the task force has decided not to participate in the military prayer service, Collins said.

From last Sunday’s Blog, “The Dangers of Prayer and Eye Black”:

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

By trying to stand for everything, Liberals are making sure that the United States of America stands for nothing.  Just like their President, they are bent on overseeing the radical changing of this country from “the shining city on a hill”  to a third-rate Democratic Socialist nation.  The whole message, especially the last couple of weeks, has been:

Timothy McVeigh claimed to be a Christian.  The Tea Partiers are mostly Christian Americans.  Therefore, they are violent and pose a bigger threat than Islamic Terrorists.  

Just like Goebbels and the National Socialist (Nazi) Party  in Germany demonized the Jews, these Alisky-ites in power are trying to demonize Conservatives, whether you proclaim Christ, or not.  

Unfortunately for the Libs, 75 % of Americans identify themselves as Christians.  This is unlike Europe, where their lifestyle and ambivilence has allowed Sharia Law to gain a major foothold on their continent. 

Isn’t it amazing how those that claim to be the most tolerant among us are actually the least?  Franklin Graham’s dad, the Reverend Billy Graham, remains the greatest Evangelist of our lifetime, leading millions to Christ , while serving and couseling Presidents from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush.  He actually was a registered Democrat, but leaned Republican in his later public life.

According to a 2006 Newsweek interview, “For Graham, politics is a secondary to the Gospel…. When Newsweek asked Graham whether ministers—whether they think of themselves as evangelists, pastors or a bit of both—should spend time engaged with politics, he replied: ‘You know, I think in a way that has to be up to the individual as he feels led of the Lord. A lot of things that I commented on years ago would not have been of the Lord, I’m sure, but I think you have some—like communism, or segregation, on which I think you have a responsibility to speak out.’

For The Federal Government to do this to the son of this great man, a fine Christian leader in his own right, because he dared to speak out against evil, stands against the history of our country.  For those of you who claim to be Conservative and are saying :

Meh.  Why should I care?   We need to expand our tent and make it more encompassing, so that we can win elections.

 Allow me to end this rant by quoting a highly-educated (holder of  a Doctorial degree) man I respect greatly.  He recently said:

The only thing in the middle of the road is a yellow line and dead possums.

Sources:  dailycaller.com, newsweek.com

This past Thursday, we had two rulings aimed at Christians that made the national news.  The first ruling came from U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb (a Clinton appointee), who ruled that the National Day of Prayer, scheduled for May 6th, was unconstitutional.    Crabb wrote in her ruling (excerpt):

It goes beyond mere “acknowledgment” of religion because its sole purpose is to encourage all citizens to engage in prayer, an inherently religious exercise that serves no secular function in this context. In this instance, the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience

One might argue that the National Day of Prayer does not violate the establishment clause because it does not endorse any one religion. Unfortunately, that does not cure the problem. Although adherents of many religions “turn to God in prayer,” not all of them do.

Further, the statute seems to contemplate a specifically Christian form of prayer with its reference to “churches” but no other places of worship and the limitation in the 1952 version of the statute that the National Day of Prayer may not be on a Sunday.

The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

Judge Crabb, what part of the fact that the National Day of Prayer is voluntary don’t you understand?  A voluntary event means you do not have to participate if you do not want to.  On the other hand, our new Obamanation of a Healthcare, err, Health Insurance, err, Healthcare Reform Law involves mandated purchase of Health Insurance Policies, with the IRS (Revenuers) reinforcing the fines for not purchasing an insurance policy.  That, my dear judge, is an example of something unconstitutional.

The second ruling against Christians involved the writing of messages on eye black by college football players.  The NCAA banned this practice.  This ruling was the result of Tim Tebow, the Unversity of Florida star quarterback and strong Christian, writing scripture verses on his eye black.   For his last home game as a Senior,  Florida fans urged everyone to wear eye black (with or without Bible verses on them) in honor of Tebow.  It sounds like the fans were really offended, doesn’t it, NCAA?

In both these rulings, it appears that some Liberals in positions of power are taking steps to insure that President Obama’s proclamation that “America is not longer just a Christian nation.” is reinforced.  I’ve got some news for the psuedo-intellectual Elite:  75 % of Americans identify themselves as Christians.  The freedom Americans have experienced for over 200 years is God-given, not man-made.  It is not yours to give or take away.  That is way above your pay grade.

By the way, Judge Crabb, if you want to speak to me on May 6th, you will find me at my town’s City Hall, attending our National Day of Prayer Service.  I’ll save you a seat.

 Sources:  examiner.com, nationaldayofprayer.org, cbsnews.com

I am a Christian American Conservative.  The trendy apellation for that is ” Social Conservative”, or “SoCon”.  At least, that seems to be  the  handle given to us by all the “cool” “super-smart” people.  What do “Social Conservatives” believe?  It depends on who you ask.   According to some of the things I’ve read on some Conservative Blogs and Facebook lately, we’ve been identified as not being too bright, very puritanical, and likely to marry our cousins. 

 About.com lists our beliefs as follows:

Advancing pro-life and anti-abortion stances on unwanted or unplanned pregnancies

Advocating for pro-family legislation and a ban on gay marriage

Eliminating federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research and finding alternative methods of research

Protecting the Second Amendment right to bear arms

Maintaining a strong national defense

Protecting US economic interests against foreign threats and eliminating the need for trade unions

Opposing illegal immigration

Limiting welfare spending by creating economic opportunities for America’s needy

Lifting the ban on school prayer

Implementing high tariffs on countries that do not uphold human rights

That’s a pretty good,  encompassing list.  Of course, everyone’s different and each person has their own belief system they bring to the table.  If you were raised (or reared, as we say in Dixie) in a permissive situation, then you’re going to believe, as John Lennon said, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, It’s Alright. 

 But, if you were raised by parents who instilled in you a set of moral and ethical values unphased by the shifting sands of society, that belief system will remain with you all your life.  We old fogies used to call that, knowing the difference between right and wrong.    That love of God, Country, and the concept of Freedom itself, is what is driving the Tea Party movement and the rest of the Conservative rebirth.  Beltway Business as usual, self-centered psuedo-intellectual squishiness (so-called “Moderate” Republicans), and reliance on Uncle Sugar to solve America’s problems, have gotten us where we are today.  We have a guy in the White House who doesn’t even like the country or people he’s leading.  He is an individual with a undocumented past, who is bowing to our enemies and ridiculing our friends.  He is the product of radical parents, and his sole purpose is to radically change our Free Republic into a third-rate Democratic Socialist state, whose people are dependent on their Federal Government (the Politboro) from cradle to grave.  And if you do not believe this, you obviously have not been paying attention.

It’s time for Conservatives to man up.  We must regain that fiery passion for freedom that prompted the birth of this great nation.  In doing this, we must stand together.  Conservatives can not fight one another and expect to be victorious this November or in 2012. 

Allow me to leave you today with a quote from the finest President of the United States in my lifetime, Ronald Reagan, who said:

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.

Sources:  about.com, brainyquote.com