The New Protestants
;)
Switzerland recently celebrated the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin, one of the leaders the Reformation–a movement that greatly altered the history of the world. Calvin was a second generation reformer, following in the wake of Martin Luther and others, who took on the religious and cultural corruption of the 16th century with a Christ-centered viewpoint that eventually produced free nations, human rights, free enterprise, moral reforms and a global Gospel explosion.
Calvin and Luther were protesting the corruption of their day and pointing the way to renewed societies that honored Jesus Christ and cared about their fellow human beings. They became known as Protestants-Protesters–who wanted to limit kingly and ecclesiastical power and release the power of Christ in individual hearts. That Reformation gave us our modern world of just laws, not powerful men; Freedom, not slavery; Abundance, not universal poverty; Faith and hope, not servitude and despair. In the 21st century, I believe a new Reformation is beginning. It’s made up of millions of people who see their culture gasping for life, their freedoms being eroded, and chaos looming on the horizon due the growing tentacles of state power and control. Call them the New Protestants. And they’re not going away. Like Luther and Calvin, may they be victorious. These new Protesters are showing up at “tea parties” around the American nation. Many raised their voices at town hall meetings. Others have formed 24/7 prayer groups to cry out to God for spiritual and moral renewal. Some of them are young and passionate. Others are seniors who are disciplined and determined. They come from every economic strata, all fifty America states, and are truly a rainbow coalition of many races and cultural backgrounds. What are they protesting? Here’s a partial list:
- The thirty year holocaust of abortion
- The break-up and re-definition of marriage
- The main-streaming and glorification of immorality.
- The growth of Big Goverment and loss of liberty.
- Heavy taxation and regulation.
- Economic and ecological fascism.
- The corruption and unconcern of those in high places.
What unites them is an almost unspoken set of values that once made America great–and will bless any nation on earth that chooses to embrace them. Those values come from the Bible and are empowered by Jesus Christ in the heart of individuals. The New Protestants are much bigger than any group of organization. But one expression of their vitality took place this summer and is specially worthy of note. On June 30, 2009, representatives of some of America’s largest faith-based groups gathered in Washington, D.C. to announce that they will organize and mobilize their grassroots constituencies in a common cause–to formally announce the formation of the Freedom Federation. The Federation encompasses individuals of different races, faiths and backgrounds who are committed to the preservation of freedom and American values, founded on the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Freedom Federation is not a separate organization, but an association of like-minded national organizations with large and unique religious and political constituencies.
The Freedom Federation is committed to defending and extending core values expressed in the Declaration of American Values, the organization’s founding document. These include the right to life, the institution of marriage, parental rights, religious liberty, an environment free of pornography and indecency, the right to property, freedom from excessive taxation, and national sovereignty. The statement is posted on the Vision America website at www.visionamerica.us. Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses on a Wittenberg Door in 1517. The Freedom Federation unveiled their ten values on June 30, 2009. The Declaration of American Values represents a cultural revolution that you are invited to join. Here are the basic points of agreement:
The Declaration of American Values
We the people of the United States of America, at this crucial time in history, do hereby affirm the core consensus values which form the basis of America’s greatness, that all men and women from every race and ethnicity are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We adhere to the rule of law embodied in the Constitution of the United States and to the principles of liberty on which America was founded. In order to maintain the blessings of liberty and justice for ourselves and our posterity, and recognizing that personal responsibility is the basis of our self-governing Nation, we declare our allegiance:
1. To secure the sanctity of human life by affirming the dignity of and right to life for the disabled, the ill, the aged, the poor, the disadvantaged, and for the unborn from the moment of conception. Every person is made in the image of God, and it is the responsibility and duty of all individuals and communities of faith to extend the hand of loving compassion to care for those in poverty and distress.
2. To secure our national interest in the institution of marriage and family by embracing the union of one man and one woman as the sole form of legitimate marriage and the proper basis of family.
3. To secure the fundamental rights of parents to the care, custody, and control of their children regarding their upbringing and education.
4. To secure the free exercise of religion for all people, including the freedom to acknowledge God through our public institutions and other modes of public expression and the freedom of religious conscience without coercion by penalty or force of law.
5. To secure the moral dignity of each person, acknowledging that obscenity, pornography, and indecency debase our communities, harm our families, and undermine morality and respect. Therefore, we promote enactment and enforcement of laws to protect decency and morality.
6. To secure the right to own, possess and manage private property without arbitrary interference from government, while acknowledging the necessity of maintaining a proper and balanced care and stewardship of the environment and natural resources for the health and safety of our families.
7. To secure the individual right to own, possess, and use firearms as central to the preservation of peace and liberty.
8. To secure a system of checks and balances between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches within both state and federal governments, so that no one branch – particularly the judiciary – usurps the authority of the other two, and to maintain the constitutional principles of federalism which divide power between the state and federal governments.
9. To secure our national sovereignty and domestic tranquility by maintaining a strong military; establishing and maintaining secure national borders; participating in international and diplomatic affairs without ceding authority to foreign powers that diminish or interfere with our unalienable rights; and being mindful of our history as a nation of immigrants, promoting immigration policies that observe the rule of law and are just, fair, swift, and foster national unity.
10. To secure a system of fair taxes that are not punitive against the institution of marriage or family and are not progressive in nature, and within a limited government framework, to encourage economic opportunity, free enterprise, and free market competition.
If you agree with these principles, then you’re one of the New Protestants–in name.
If you pray, speak up, act, care for people, and vote–then you, too, can become one in deed–and join this encouraging and growing Reformation.
Help Us Preserve Marriage in the Evergreen State
Western culture is facing a seminal moment–one which may determine whether it thrives and survives or joins the infamous dustbin of civilizations whose actions brought the hurtful consequences of sin and the judgment of a Holy God.
The issue at stake in the 21st century is whether the nuclear family–the relational foundation stone of all just and free societies–will remain in tact or torn asunder. It has been ripped from its moorings by our own neglect through easy divorce and infidelity, and is now under attack by those who would have us change our entire moral code–the one upon which our civilization is based–through the imposition of homosexual marriage.
This fight is not about rights or being nice to other people–it’s about legalizing and normalizing immorality. Homosexuality is not a viable sexual choice. It’s immoral, abnormal, against nature, and personally and societally destructive. At greatest risk in the present struggle are innocent and impressionable children, who, if they are told by society that homosexuality is okay, will more easily fall into its destructive trap. If we really love people, we must point them the way of the truth.
In forty-two days the State of Washington will allow its citizens to vote on the issue of homosexual marriage. SB5688 is technically not about marriage–but deceptively so. It will give homosexuals the same rights as marriage that will ultimately lead to the grand prize of changing our marriage laws.
If you live in the state of Washington, this is the time to fight for your culture and children. If you live in other states and nations, would you pray for the citizens of Washington state–that we would understand the truth, vote for the truth, and allow that truth to set people free. If you would like to donate to this vital cause, please click here.
Gary Randall of the Faith & Freedom Network is one of the leading organizers of Referendum 71 which allows the citizens of Washington to vote on SB5688 on November 3. His words are clear and poignant on the the importance of preserving marriage for our children and future generations. RB
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By Gary Randall
SB 5688, the “Everything but Marriage” bill, was presented to the Legislature as a bill about benefits, yet Senator Ed Murray, one of the sponsors, told the Seattle press that it is really part of a long term strategy to re-define marriage and legalize same-sex marriage. SB 5688 is the threshold. Representative Jamie Pederson, also a sponsor of the bill has called it a “bridge” to homosexual “marriage”. The Seattle Times editorial board agreed that with the passage of SB 5688, the Legislature should go ahead and give the homosexual activists the name “marriage” as well.
We must REJECT SB 5688.
If this bill becomes law, domestic partnerships will be elevated to where there is no legal difference between marriage and domestic partnerships. The Washington State Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) will be declared irrelevant and same-sex marriage will be imposed through the courts by litigation, claiming discrimination.
Although they were in the minority, many Legislators opposed this bill and have worked with Referendum 71, to bring SB 5688 to a vote of the people.
The Gregoire Administration has not been able to accurately assess the actual cost of implementing all aspects of SB 5688. It is fiscally irresponsible, in these extreme economic times.
Senator Dan Swecker says, “A domestic partnership diverts rights and resources from a family to an unrelated adult. These include benefits for independent children, end of life decisions by older children for elderly parents and inheritance rights of all surviving family members, just to name a few.”
The homosexual community emphasizes the fact that they have biological children, yet no child is ever produced by a same-sex relationship. There is always an opposite sex partner involved and they can lose their rights as well.
Support natural marriage. REJECT SB 5688.
Homosexual rights, or equality, as they call it, are not equal to civil rights.
Homosexuality is not equal to ethnicity.
The gay movement has evolved. Historically, homosexual behavior was defined as an “act”. Sodomy. Later it was elevated to be a “condition”. Homosexuality. In recent years it has become “Gay”. An “Identity”.
There is no medical evidence to support the idea that people are born homosexual.
Homosexuality is not equal to ethnicity and must not be treated the same as civil rights. Homosexuals have the legal right to live as they choose, but must not be given the right to re-define marriage.
To treat homosexual union as marriage, with or without the name, —even in terms of rights and privileges, is to fake equality between two fundamentally unequal relationships.
SB 5688 is an attempt to deconstruct marriage as it has existed throughout all human history. This unique and exceptional relationship that connects a man and a woman genetically to a child, is the cornerstone of every successful society in history and is the master plan of the Creator. There is no other relationship that meets these criteria for marriage.
Only natural marriage provides generational sustainability.
Rejecting SB 5688 is not rejecting or hating individuals. It is not taking something from someone. It is rejecting their attempt to redefine and deconstruct marriage, normalize homosexuality and rewrite our children’s text books.
Representative Matt Shea has said, “At the founding of our country we made the conscious decision to promote marriage between one man and one woman above all other legal unions because of its inherent value to children and society. REJECTING SB 5688 will help us preserve that decision for another generation.”
This is your time to speak. REJECT SB 5688. Inform others.
A Quiet Plurality Speaks
;)
“912” may go down as another day that changed the course of America.
9-11-01 brought the terrorists to our shores. 9-12-09 brought the quiet plurality to their feet.
It was thrilling to see over 100,000 American citizens who converged on the American capital on Saturday, September 12, 2009. to send a message to our elected officials. “A quiet plurality,” is how Georgetown University professor Stephen Wayne put it. Their message was pretty clear:
- We’re not happy with the pork-laden and ineffective stimulus plan and don’t want greater deficits placed on the backs of our children and grand children.
- We want the Administration to get out of the private business sphere and set it free to soar.
- We don’t want the government to run health care in this nation.
- We won’t accept higher taxes on anybody or anything.
- We’ve had enough of the quasi-statist take-over and want our freedom back.
Of course the main driver behind the mass “Tea Party” in Washington DC was the issue of national health care. Just days before the event, President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress trying to rally flagging support for major government involvement in the health care future of the American people. Using his distinct oratorical skills, the President offered various tid-bits to various constituencies (anti-abortionists, seniors, those desiring tort reform, etc.), but there were two major problems with the speech.
First, the president didn’t tell the truth–as Congressman Joe Wilson passionately reminded us. There is a huge credibility gap between our current leaders in Washington and grassroots America citizens who have been doing their homework, coming out en masse to town hall meetings, and letting their elected officials know that they no longer trust them. Here is a sampling of false claims as compiled by PrayInJesusName.org:
Falsehood #1: “No federal dollars will be used to fund abortions.”
THE TRUTH: The Capps Amendment to HR 3200 has a Section 4B that reads: “Abortions for Which Public Funding Is Allowed. — The services described in this sub-paragraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is permitted.” The Washington Times reported: “You can’t get more explicit than that.” And FactCheck.org exposed Obama’s untruth this way: “Despite what Obama said, the House bill would allow abortions to be covered by a federal plan and by federally subsidized private plans.”
Falsehood #2: “I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits either now or in the future. Period.”
THE TRUTH: The Democrat controlled Congressional Budget Office said Obamacare would add $220 billion to the deficit over 10 years, but will not succeed at shrinking the overall costs of our nation’s health care. Republicans claim it’s more like $600 billion increased deficit spending (confirmed by Associated Press, September 9, 2009).
Falsehood #3: “Don’t pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut…That will never happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare.”
THE TRUTH: The Washington Post reports Obama proposes “to squeeze more than $500 billion out of the growth of Medicare over the next decade….[which has] fueled fears that his effort to expand coverage to millions of younger, uninsured Americans will damage elder care. As a result, barely one-third of seniors support a health-care overhaul, several polls found” (Washington Post, August 9, 2009). Even the liberal Washington Post admits Obama was not truthful.
Falsehood #4: “If you lose your job or change your job, you will be able to get coverage.”
THE TRUTH: Whether working or not, rich or poor, you will be ordered to get mandatory government-run health-care coverage, or pay a fine a $3800 fine per family, under the new Senate plan being railroaded through the finance committee by Max Baucus D-MT (New York Times, September 9, 2009). Obama pretends you’re “able” to get coverage, when he knows it’s mandatory (with a big tax increase or “fine” penalty).
Falsehood #5: “The claim, made not just by radio and cable talk show hosts, but prominent politicians, that we plan to set up panels of bureaucrats with the power to kill off senior citizens, such a charge would be laughable if it weren’t so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple.”
THE TRUTH: Mandatory “end of life” counseling in HR 3200 “shall” include counseling every five years to the elderly, giving doctors a monetary incentive to persuade you to sign a “do not resuscitate” (DNR) order to pull the plug on Grandma, just like the Obama administration already pressures all Veterans to sign them (confirmed by the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, read extensive details at prayinjesusname.org). And under the British NHS government-run health plan, “Patients with terminal illnesses are being made to die prematurely under an NHS scheme to help end their lives, leading doctors have warned” (The Daily Telegraph, September 2, 2009). Dr. Ewing Cook just admitted intentionally killing patients who signed DNR authorizations during Hurricane Katrina. “I gave her medicine so I could get rid of her faster…there’s no question I hastened her demise.” Bottom line: Grandma, don’t sign Obama’s DNR order, even if your doctor gets a bonus check from the President for talking you into that. Click here to view a John Stossel video that confirms many of these falsehoods.
Erick Erickson adds this commentary on untruths told to the American public: “Barack Obama said the plan will not cover illegal aliens. This is a lie. Joe Wilson was right. The legislation clearly says it will not fund illegal aliens BUT the legislation also prevents anyone from checking on the citizenship status of any person seeking healthcare. He is trying to have it both ways. The entire speech from Barack Obama was loaded with half-truths and flat out lies. For example, he said he would not force the government option on anyone. But, the legislation provides an incentive for private employers to shove their employees onto the government plan.”
Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council put it this way: “While the outburst [Joe Wilson] calling the President a liar was unfortunate and inappropriate, I am sympathetic to the frustration on the part of many in Congress. The President’s speech to a joint session of Congress was unprecedented in how many times the President referred to those who disagree with him as being untruthful, yet he himself was misleading on a number of factors. The speech was not one of a leader looking to unite, but of a campaigner looking to further divide this necessary debate on health care.”
Secondly, though this lack of candor is bad enough, the fatal flaw in the current push toward socialized medicine in America is this: It places trust in Big Government to provide for people’s needs. Government is an able protector of life and liberty–that’s its God-given calling in a fallen world (Romans 13)–but it’s a lousy provider due to its lack of competition, innovation, and concentration of power. That’s why wise civilizations, including our founders, favored limited forms of government to keep it honest. Governments handle power, and as Lord Acton rightly said in the 19th century, “Power tends to corrupt; Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
In the Obama speech, he condemned insurance companies, medical professionals, talk show hosts and commentators, and also the American people (those who don’t choose to have medical coverage). But he didn’t say one bad or suspicious word about government. Why? Because Barack Obama believes in government and its concentration of power. That’s a fatal flaw in his thinking and in our current leadership.
The greatest thing we have to fear is not free peoples and their enterprises–it’s the corrupting power of government to destroy that freedom in the name of providing for us all. It’s never worked in all of history. It will lead to our demise and destruction as a nation.
But the march on Washington shows that the people know better. A quiet plurality is beginning to make their voice heard.
The politicians had better be listening–and all of us should be praying–that God will use the present debate to bring a spark of revival and reformation to the United States of America.