Even the Fox News People Are Missing the Real Issue!

“fair and balanced” – “we report, you decide” --- a couple of slogans thrown out by Fox News personnel from time to time in promoting the network

They have somewhat of a reputation of being “conservative” within the collection of personalities that make up what is known as Fox News. Some of those personalities have been dominant or nearly so in ratings of TV programming in certain categories. Bill O’Reilly recently noted with a lot of hoopla that he had been at the top for 100 months. Glenn Beck has been stirring the pot quite a bit and is getting a lot of attention and publicity. Sean Hannity has likewise drawn a lot of attention since he and “liberal” Allan Combs have parted company on the network.

Perhaps they smile a bit and are tempted to pat themselves on the back due to President Obama making reference to the Fox outfit as not being too positive in its reporting and references to him and his administration.

This is, however, a network which at times causes a person to pause and wonder whether it is more of a competitive beauty pageant liberally saturated with ads and a few bits and pieces of news headlines tossed in so that the title, “Fox News,” has a degree of credibility!

While discussion and at times, some debate, appears to focus on a more conservative position on the many political issues of the day, even these people are not facing up to the real issue of what is needed to bring our republic out of the quagmire in which it presently finds itself.

There is a constant parade of “experts” consulted on a regular basis – a kind of revolving door experience week after week. The opinions are boldly expressed as to what Obama, his people, and the Congress of the U. S. are doing wrong, and what needs to be done in order to bring the republic back on track. There is the rhetoric that we are on the road to socialism and the abandoning of the principles which made our nation great.

But there is the avoiding of the real issue and what is absolutely necessary to restore this nation as to what it ought to be and what the founders by certain statements made by them intended the nation to be – which basically was that the republic would and should honor God, and seek to be obedient to Him in the personal lives of the citizens as well as collectively within institutional groupings such as government, business, church, etc.

You might hear such things as “principles” and “values” mentioned in a general sense, but never the central issue of repentance, turning from our many sins as a nation and as individuals, and asking for God to have mercy and forgive us.

Here are the issues and Fox News people have been informed about them, but have never responded – which is not surprising – because who is going to listen to an old farm boy who lives out in the middle of nowhere anyway?

Those issues are:

• Note: the following are links which will take you to an area where these are all discussed in greater detail – use return feature on your web browser to come back to this place.
  
  
• A Confounded Love
  
  
• A Conceding Church
  
  
• A Contradictory Government
  
  
• A Contagion of Idolatry
  
  
• Consigned Children
  
  
• A Conflagration of Immorality
  
  
• Contaminated Sabbaths
  
  
• Contrived Origins
  
  

All the foregoing are posted under the general subject of Driving the Final Nails!

In spite of claiming to be “conservative” and attempting to stake out a “conservative” position in discussions and debate, Fox News has never gotten to the real heart of what is needed to heal and restore our republic, and it is highly unlikely those people ever will! They will continue to bask in their high ratings and big incomes -- for the time being, that is.

And there are those who from a religious perspective consider themselves to be “evangelical” in the faith, but seem all too often to skirt the above stated issues and the fact that Almighty God is calling this nation to repentance. Evidence is mounting that time has about run out and the only thing left so far as this nation’s future experience is concerned is the pouring out of God’s wrath in judgment!

Before dismissing all of the above as those “conservatives” at Fox News would do, be sure to read about some other nails which were driven centuries ago – go to Hope for Time and Eternity!

Too bad, with their dominance in many of the ratings and extensive influence, that Fox News folks are missing completely what it is that is actually needed to get the nation back on track and headed in the right direction. Unless they recognize the real issue, they too will be among that number in the future that will ask the heart rending question, “Why is God doing all these terrible things to us?”

And if you say in your heart, "Why have these things come upon me?" For the greatness of your iniquity your skirts have been uncovered, your heels made bare. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to do evil. Therefore I will scatter them like stubble that passes away by the wind of the wilderness. This is your lot, the portion of your measures from Me," says the LORD, "Because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood. Therefore I will uncover your skirts over your face, that your shame may appear. I have seen your adulteries and your lustful neighings, the lewdness of your harlotry, your abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to you, O Jerusalem! Will you still not be made clean?" --- Jeremiah 13:22-27

Moment of Silence for Whom?

At some point, it was inevitable: Some politicians, somewhere, were going to have to talk about Michael Jackson's death. President Obama hasn't done it, so the responsibility fell to the Congressional Black Caucus, which led a moment of silence in Jackson's honor on the House floor on Friday. --- one of a number of news releases in connection with the death of Michael Jackson

It was Representative Jesse Jackson, Jr., a congressman from the state of – wouldn’t you know it – Illinois, who said, "Madam Speaker (Nancy Pelosi), if there is a God, and I believe there is, and that god distributes grace and mercy and talent to all of his children, on Aug. 28, 1958, he visited Gary, Ind., and touched a young man with an abundance of his blessings. With that gift, that young man, Michael Joe Jackson, would touch and change the world. His heart couldn't get any bigger, and yesterday it arrested."

And so there was a moment of silence in the chamber of the U. S. House of Representatives following Congressman Jackson’s less than accurate assessment of Michael Jackson and his ability to “change the world” – at least for the better!

This leads to a most appropriate question on the “moment of silence” practice as recently observed in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress.

Why was there not a moment of silence observed for Private William Long who was gunned down by a black Muslim convert, Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad, at a military recruiting station in Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 1st? This “dedicated” Muslim said that he would have shot and killed more soldiers if they had been in the parking lot! We heard a lot about the shooting of abortionist, George Tiller, but Private Long’s death apparently is of little consequence so far as elected officials in the U. S. Congress are concerned.

And how about a moment of silence to honor those military people who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan – these who have not accumulated millions and millions of dollars in the entertainment industry and are living under such harsh conditions that we in the United States cannot begin to comprehend a tiny bit of it all! The bunch mentioned in the preceding paragraph does not consider these military persons to be worth even a few seconds of special recognition and that “moment of silence!”

Could we have a moment of silence to honor and remember the approximate 25,000 unborn children who were brutally mutilated and murdered in the womb last week? Would it not be appropriate for the members of the House of Representatives to note their passing – these for whom God’s purpose has been intentionally short-circuited?

Oh, I forgot – within that body of representatives from the 50 states of this republic are quite a number who sanction the destruction of unborn children, including the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi -- House Speaker Pelose is in full agreement with President B. Hussein Obama on that subject. So, to suggest that they observe a special moment of silence for thousands of unborn victims would do nothing but incite vicious and intense debate over whether those unborn are even human -- that they are to be as casually disposed of as when you throw a Kleenex tissue into the garbage can after you have used it in blowing your nose!

If anything, such happenings indicate that our "value system" has clearly found its way into the moral cess pool that the leaders of this nation have been constructing for its citizens over a period of at least five decades or more!

And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." --- Jesus speaking in Luke 16:15

You Ain't Abe Lincoln!

A large number in the media culture have gone along with B. O.'s desire to be compared to Abraham Lincoln -- that in fact, he is another Lincoln coming out of the state of Illinois! And many citizens seem to go along with this charade! Someone came up with a winner on this issue and it is settled in just a few statements -- not the opinion of anyone living in today's chaotic world, but something that Lincoln said in the course of his lifetime. View the picture and then read what Lincoln said about how a republic should have leadership that will have a high standard of values by avoiding certain deadly policies.

So I said to him, "Barack, I know Abe Lincoln, and you ain't Abe Lincoln!"

You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and
independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.

------- Abraham Lincoln -------

"The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, Like the tender grass springing out of the earth, by clear shining after rain.'" --- King David speaking in 2 Samuel 23:3, 4

No Apologies for Some “Offenses” in 50 Years!

Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?" But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch." --- Matthew 15:12-14

This Sunday, June 21, will be a special day for me and my wife, Jean. On that day 50 years ago I preached my first sermon at the Simpson and Greenwood Methodist Churches in New Castle PA. In the spring of 1959 I had completed the requirements for obtaining a license to preach in the Methodist Church and was eligible to be appointed as a supply pastor in what was known as the Erie Conference. It was a small conference in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania and was made up of four districts.

Over the 50 years that followed that day in June of 1959 God granted us the privilege of working with 12 different congregations. One of those was very limited when during my senior year at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore KY I was asked to be pastor of a group of Cumberland Presbyterians which was in the process of forming a church in the Lexington area. My work with those fine people only lasted a few months until my graduation and return to Pennsylvania

There are some things for which I have never apologized over a half century of time and never intend to in the future so long as God grants me life here on this earth.

First, I never apologized for believing the Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God and the absolute authority in regard to faith and the practicing of that faith. I have without question accepted the record of the mighty acts of God which involved countless miracles that are beyond human understanding. It all came together when God Himself chose to become human, being born of a virgin named Mary, and continued to do mighty works while He was here on earth. Since becoming personally acquainted with Jesus, I have had no problems regarding Who He really is and what He accomplished on behalf of the entire human race!

Second, I have never apologized for preaching and teaching that Jesus Christ is absolutely the one and only way to experience peace with God, purpose for living day by day, and hope for the future in terms of both time and eternity. His sacrificial death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of every human being. This clearly suggests that any religious expression that does not have Jesus Christ at the center of its faith and purpose for existing is in deadly error! If I enter into discussion with a Muslim, a Hindu, a Buddhist or a member of any number of other religious groupings in the world, my statement is basically this – “Jesus Christ loves you just as He loves me – He died for your sins just as He died for mine – and without Him in your life as Savior and Lord, you have no hope whatsoever after this life on earth is over!” For taking that position I do not apologize. The reason is simple – all you have to do is to examine all of Jesus’ exclusive “I am…” statements and His absolute demands placed upon all members of the human race such as, “Except a man be born again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.”

Third, I have never apologized for preaching and teaching God’s truth as it pertains to the boundaries He has established for our sexual experience and expression. The gift of sexuality is a very powerful gift and possibly the most misused and abused of all gifts which God has given us! The very common approach to human sexuality in today’s world is defined in this way – “Sex is fun with anyone or more than one anyone at the same time, anywhere and at any time!” A recent report released by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) gave us some shocking information – one out of every four teenaged females has at least one STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) and there are those who have more than one!

While I have come under fire for being “radical” on issues of human sexuality, I have not and will not apologize. God set the boundaries and when those are violated, a high price is to be paid as large numbers of people are finding out. And in some cases, the price is an early trip to the grave and in other instances, one is forced to live with an incurable disease the rest of his or her life!

Fourth, I have never apologized for insisting that world peace will never come about through the efforts of world leaders or through the actions of that circus by the river in New York known as the United Nations! The reason is simple – the overwhelming majority, if not all, of those who are supposed to be leading the 194 governments of the world are in an unregenerate state. That condition in itself is the formula for trouble. Paul discusses the pathetic situation of the “natural man” in the Corinthian letter. The problem is that such persons will not receive the things of the Spirit of God – they are steeped in unbelief and rebellion.

Fifth, in connection with what has been just said, I have never apologized for preaching and teaching that Jesus Christ is going to return to this world. It is then that peace will finally come to the entire earth under His control. Many are the promises that hold this hope out to all who “love His appearing.”

While there is much distress as to what is happening in our nation and our world, there is a remnant of faithful followers of Jesus Christ who remind themselves and one another that it will not always be like this – Jesus is going to return in glory and His Kingdom will be established!


Clayton & Jean Harriger

50 Years in Ministry

June 21, 1959 - June 21, 2009

Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" --- Revelation 11:15

Still in Honeymoon Mode After 56 Years!

Clayton & Jean - June 13, 1953

And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." --- Jesus speaking in Matthew 19:4-6

Today is Jean's and my 56th wedding anniversary. It was 56 years ago today at about 8:30 PM in evening at a little country Methodist Church 6 miles south of Clarion PA that God joined us together to be husband and wife. The wedding had been set for 8:00 PM, but the pastor, Paul B. Dunlap, was over 20 minutes late due to driving from the Erie Annual Conference session which was being held at Allegheny College in Meadville PA.

We still regard this as being in honeymoon mode in spite of the years involved -- more in love with each other than ever, if that is possible! We dated for two years before taking the big step into marriage and even then people thought we were too young for such responsibility. The summer we started dating Nat King Cole's song, "Too Young," hit the top in the charts. It's always been one of our favorite secular selections of music.

We did get a bit of a running start in the world since both of us graduated from high school when we were 16 years of age. So here we were standing before the altar in the church at ages 19 and 17 and taking vows of love and loyalty to each other as long as we would live.

God did not become real and personal to us until a few years later when each of us accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and He did a miracle of change in our lives. Shortly after becoming Christian the call to serve the Lord in preaching and teaching His Word came and within about 22 months after accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord, we were appointed to serve two Methodist Churches in New Castle PA.

As a wife and mother of young children, Jean never complained about our being in the ministry. She often sacrificed in ways I cannot describe in this space. Her love never wavered. No man could ask for a better wife than she. God has so wonderfully blessed us through these many years, undeserving as we are!

That is why we are still in honeymoon mode after all these years. Earlier today on Facebook I mentioned what I consider one of the greatest testimonies to the special nature of marriage and why it is so valued by a couple who are deeply in love with each other. A man was asked one time this question: "If there was really such a thing as reincarnation and you came back in a second life on earth, what would you want to be?" His answer was immediate as he said, "If there were really such a thing as reincarnation, I would want to come back as my wife's second husband!"

I rest my case!

He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the LORD. --- Proverbs 18:22

Same couple above a few years later down the road of life!

Though I Didn’t Play by the Rules, This Is Still My Seat!

Registration begins June 11, 2009 at 7:00 AM in the IM Room --- from agenda information of the Western PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

There is an interesting (and frustrating) phenomenon which happens each year in the W PA Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church at its gathering at Grove City College in Grove City PA.

This has been confirmed as taking place yet this year by a friend who is attending the event. I am not attending though even retired elders in full connection are expected to be in attendance. My blood pressure cannot tolerate what goes on there, including what is about to be discussed.

It is about the registration procedure. The hour is always officially set as to when the delegates can enter the IM area, pick up name tags, and then claim their seat by writing their names on the table tags where they will be seated for the plenary sessions of the conference.

But there are some very egotistical and selfish persons who feel the rule on the opening hour of registration does not apply to them.

I always tried to be early in line before the doors opened in order to get one of the seats which better accommodated my long legs (I am 6’2”) than did most in a rather cramped area of chairs and tables.

I was willing to pay the price to get my preferred seat – namely, get up very early, drive over a hundred miles, be at the door well before 6:00 AM (which was opening time years ago), and then proceed to claim my seat.

One year I drove through a heavy rain storm, was nearly involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, was first in line when the doors opened at 6:00 AM for registration, and when I went to claim my seat, I saw many names already appearing on the table tags! This meant the seats were already taken although registration was only about 5 minutes or so “officially” underway!

I admit to being quite angered by this – a number of persons (most were preachers) had already placed their names and names of some of their friends on the table tags well ahead of the announced hour in which registration was to begin.

I wrote a letter to the bishop, cabinet members, and head of the Sessions Committee protesting this disregard for the rule on the time for registration to commence. We were always reminded that NO ONE would be permitted into the registration area before the opening of the doors at the stated hour!

I even offered to go in before the doors opened and blot out all names on the table tags with an indelible marker. After that enjoyable experience I would go out in the hallway and take my place in line with my brothers and sisters who respected the conference rule regarding the opening hour for registration.

My offer was refused as I knew it would be due to the fact that too many “church politicians” were involved in this violation who were part of the bishop’s “inner circle.” And you think the Wasington DC brand of politics is bad -- don't ever be down wind when the church brand blows your way -- the DC brand smells like a rose by way of comparison!

Obviously in W Pennsylvania there are pastors who totally forget that honesty, high ethical standards, and respect for the W PA Conference rules on registration apply to them as well as to all the others -- no exceptions! Earnestly pray that your church isn’t plagued with one of those characters – such a person will prove very quickly to be an obnoxious liability and not an asset to your church!

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. --- Philippians 2:3, 4

It’s “Believe Again” Time in Western Pennsylvania!

The Believe Again! Clergy Study Team, in conjunction with Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, his Cabinet and the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM) , has introduced a plan to develop and support Faithful, Effective and Fruitful clergy leaders in Western PA. --- from W. PA Annual Conference web site

The Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference gets underway this week at the Grove City College campus. There is lots of excitement in the air as the delegates and youth pages make their way to Grove City.

The pre-conference journal was sent out to all delegates providing important information as to what to expect in the proceedings by way of legislation and constitutional amendments which will impact the whole United Methodist denomination for decades to come.

Much attention is given to the ongoing “Believe Again” program which was launched in 2006. It was extremely detailed and as one moves through all this the distinct impression is given that it strangely resembles the style of legislation that our elected officials in Washington DC consider time after time – lots and lots of organization and details to muddle through – oh yes, lots of money involved too!

The purpose of this massive effort is to revive the churches, establish new congregations, and obviously to increase the membership of the conference which has been in decline for years.

A simple question was posed – I am challenged as were all W PA United Methodists to “Believe Again!” So, just what is it I am to believe?

Details of this issue are found under the title, Believe Again! OK! But What Is It I Am to Believe? Use reverse feature on your web browser to return here.

If the Lord lets me live a few more days, it will be 50 years on June 21 that I preached my first sermon in two Methodist churches in New Castle PA to which I had been appointed as a newly licensed supply pastor.

During that time I have seen many changes and attempts to make the church stronger and larger in size through numerous programs and various quadrennial emphases. At the end of each program – each emphasis – each slogan and rallying cry – the end result has always been the same – we are “weighed in the balances and found wanting!”

What hasn’t been faced and there will always be determined resistance to do so – the fact that the root problem is theological and has been ever since the beginning of the 20th Century. Although the Methodist Church experienced growth in the earlier decades of the century and then an increase of membership as a result of merger in 1968, the seeds of destruction had been sown and the bitter fruit of that sowing became obvious as we moved through the latter years of the 20th Century. We have now become a denomination that is tolerant of just about anything by way of warped, twisted, and perverted beliefs!

There will be lots of hoopla at the annual conferences meeting in these days of late spring and early summer. There will be lots of resolutions passed urging action be taken and things be done to insure that we will have utopia on earth while our membership continues to decrease with some few and rare exceptions in some conferences. But for the general church we’re still in free fall!

And in Western Pennsylvania, I’m still being challenged to “Believe Again!” And I ask, “OK, but what is it that I am to believe?” Actually, speaking for myself -- there was never a time that I didn't believe! Ever since Jesus Christ transformed my life a long time ago, I have kept my faith centered in Him as Savior and Lord -- there have been many lessons learned and many yet to learn in my growth experience. So, I really can't change what I am already doing -- I still believe as I have been doing for well over half a century!

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. --- 2 Timothy 4:3, 4

Presidential Selectivity When It Comes to Speaking of Horror!

WEIMAR, Germany - President Barack Obama witnessed the Nazi ovens of the Buchenwald concentration camp Friday, its clock tower frozen at the time of liberation, and said the leaders of today must not rest against the spread of evil.

The president called the camp where an estimated 56,000 people died the "ultimate rebuke" to Holocaust deniers and skeptics. And he bluntly challenged one of them, Iranian President Ahmadinejad, to visit Buchenwald. --- from news release on President Obama’s visit to a former Nazi concentration camp

President Obama has graphically demonstrated that he is very selective when it comes to the subject of what is horror. The word was employed during his recent visit to the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany. The camp, along with many others, gained notoriety when it was learned of the masses of people put to death during WW II by the Nazis.

The estimated number of people who died at Buchenwald is said to be at least 56,000. This is just a tad more than the number of unborn children who are exterminated in a two week period in the United States. The average rate in the “land of the free and the home of the brave” is about 25,000 every week!

The president commented, “These sites have not lost their horror with the passage of time…More than half a century later, our grief and our outrage over what happened have not diminished…Buchenwald teaches us that we must be ever-vigilant about the spread of evil in our time, that we must reject the false comfort that others' suffering is not our problem, and commit ourselves to resisting those who would subjugate others to serve their own interests.”

Well now, would you take a look at this – maybe you ought to review it two or three times just in case you didn’t read it correctly.

Let’s “adjust” the president’s statements a bit and place them in a different “setting” – are you game? Come on, let’s do it!

It is reported that he “bluntly” challenged Iranian President Ahmadinejad to visit Buchenwald because Ahmadinejad is one who has denied the horrors of the Holocaust. OK, how about our president in all his righteous indignation visiting an abortion clinic and personally witness the destruction of human lives before those children are born? Sound fair enough, if we are going to challenge world leaders to view something?

Is President Obama willing to be “ever-vigilant about the evil in our time” here in the United States when it comes to the evil of the mass murders of innocent unborn children? How would you answer a poll that asked you, “Is the intentional destruction of 25,000 unborn children every week an evil in our time?” How would the president answer such a question?

And in viewing the destruction of an unborn child, would our president apply the word “horror” as an appropriate way to describe what was done to that child as its life was brutally taken in a deliberate act as a result of a deliberate “decision” and big bucks were paid to the person who did the act, but that same person was not charged with an act of murder?

Remember, this is the man who shortly after taking office signed documents which has now made possible the use of U. S. taxpayer dollars going into foreign nations and supporting organizations which do abortions.

And this is the man who has declared his intention of signing the FOCA which will further remove what few restrictions against abortion that have been set in place by states, including parental notification in those cases involving underage females seeking an abortion.

Don’t hold your breath on this one as the president once again demonstrates how easy it is to be consistent in his most glaring inconsistency while he points to what a “horror” it was that happened in a place called Buchenwald decades ago! It is highly unlikely that he will ever honestly face the horrors of the United States’ version of “holocaust!”

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the LORD. Thus says the LORD: "Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.' Also, I set watchmen over you, saying, 'listen to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not listen.'" --- Jeremiah 6:15-17

It’s Not Lincoln or FDR – You Have to Go Back Much Further for An Accurate Comparison!

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION


President Obama issued a proclamation on June 1, 2009. It declares June to be Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. In the latter part of the proclamation the president said,

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

In light of such a proclamation plus numerous other things this president has been doing in his administration, including his many appointments of persons to high level positions, it is time to revisit the attempts to compare him to earlier leaders. He delights in the mass media comparisons and the publicity “icing on the cake” in which he is regarded as another FDR or another Lincoln.

Nothing could be further from the truth and is a gross insult to the memory of Lincoln especially. While he is doing some things such as FDR attempted to do, it must be pointed out that FDR took this country for quite a ride when he was president.

However, the best comparison to make when it comes to leadership is to go back quite a few centuries to the ancient kingdom of Judah. The king who eventually came to power was Manasseh.

His father, Hezekiah, was a godly king and not only set a personal example of godliness but insisted that the citizens of his kingdom fear, respect and honor the living God of Israel. Many were the blessings that came to Hezekiah and his people during the years that he ruled.

But his son, Manasseh, was determined to do about everything that was contrary to the standards God had established for a sane, sensible, serene and stable society. Here in part is how his administration did things – bear in mind it was an administration of “change:”

And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; he raised up altars for Baal, and made a wooden image, as Ahab king of Israel had done; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem I will put My name." And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. Also he made his son pass through the fire, practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft, and consulted spiritists and mediums. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. --- 2 Kings 21:2-6

Barack Hussein Obama is demonstrating the spirit of a resurrected Manasseh in numerous ways, beginning with his low view of human life and the intent to insure continued mass destruction of the unborn. His ready acceptance of immoral lifestyles which are condemned by Almighty God will not enhance the quality of life in our nation. His own rejection of disciplined worship and lack of a serious intent to seek the will of God for our nation provides ample evidence that he is treading the same path as did king Manasseh.

You can read how things eventually turned out for the kingdom of Judah – the disaster that eventually came is attributed to the fact that Manasseh’s negative influence brought the wrath of God upon the people a number of years later.

So in keeping with the “spirit” and attitude of the Obama administration perhaps we should just throw our Bibles into the garbage can, shut down our churches and padlock the doors, and then adopt the philosophy referred to by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “And in that day the Lord GOD of hosts called for weeping and for mourning, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth. But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!’" (Isaiah 22:12, 13).

The resurrected spirit of king Manasseh rules in Washington DC. How long then will it be until the Creator of this universe says, “This ungodly foolishness has gone on long enough – it is time to end it!” One thing certain – no presidential “proclamation” will change or hinder God’s plan of action once it is put in motion!

Moreover Manasseh shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin with which he made Judah sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD. --- 2 Kings 21:16

George Tiller’s Days of Terminating Lives of the Unborn Are Ended!

Dr. George Tiller, notorious for doing late term abortions, was shot to death on Sunday, May 31, 2009, while serving as an usher at his church. His wife was a member of the choir and seated in the choir area when the tragic event took place. --- information from a variety of news sources

Dr. George Tiller’s murder will have a negative impact on those who have been employing peaceful objections and protests in the attempt to use legal means to halt the mass destruction of unborn children at the rate of approximately 100,000 per month.

First, the majority of those involved in mass media dissemination of news are supportive of abortion on demand and will spin references to pro-life supporters in the most negative ways possible. All of us will be branded as bigoted and fanatical “terrorists” capable of violent acts against doctors, members of their staffs and against their facilities.

Second, the pro-abortion crowd will exploit this incident to the hilt and then some. This is just the kind of grist for their propaganda mills that they delight in. Their cause will be helped immensely and the battle for the rights of unborn humans will be more of an uphill battle than it has ever been before.

Third, the most pro-death president in the history of our republic has spoken on this matter and it is certain that he will also do everything within the scope of his power and influence to see that pro-life supporters are more restricted and hindered than ever in the conflict that has raged since January of 1973. In his recent speech at the Notre Dame commencement he attempted to appeal to reaching "common ground" between those who support abortion and those who oppose it. This kid has some growing up to do -- he has yet to realize you can't half kill an unborn child and make everybody happy -- especially the Creator of this mighty universe Who claims He is involved in the formation of an unborn child in the womb! (See Jeremiah 1:4, 5 on that).

Fourth, our pro-death president has already nominated a highly questionable person to the Supreme Court and it is a given that whoever occupies the next vacant chair at the Supreme Court will always rule in favor of continued destruction of the unborn. Incidents such as the tragic death of Dr. Tiller simply cause these judges to dig their heels in more deeply. Resulting decisions as they pertain to unborn children will be a death sentence just as surely as the individual who pulled the trigger on the weapon which took the life of Dr. Tiller.

But in order to try to balance this thing a bit, it is wise to bear in mind an eternal truth. There are times when God permits a shocking display as to how this law works. It’s called the law of sowing and reaping. It is based on a statement out of Galatians 6 in the New Testament. We are informed that God will not be mocked – whatever a man sows, that he will surely reap in due time.

In an act of violence the life of Dr. George Tiller was taken. But here was a man who immersed himself in acts of violence over quite a period of time. Violence was a way of life for him – each time he snuffed out the life of a baby in the late stages of its development in its mother’s womb, he was involved in an act of violence and guilty of murder – and that’s not just an opinion of mine – if you think so, just go and have a little talk with God about it and let me know what He gives by way of an answer, OK?

For those who are still unwilling to admit that we are talking a violent murderous act each time the life of an unborn child is terminated, take a look at what actually happens. Pro-abortion people get very upset over the display of such pictures – sort of similar to many getting upset when bodies and bones of the Nazi Holocaust were publicly displayed. And they have been quite successful in suppressing the publishing of such photos, although photos depicting other forms of violence are constantly displayed for all ages to view -- the exception is the viewing of the mutilated remains of an unborn human being!

So take a look at the results of the work of such persons as George Tiller at A Quick Look At the United States' Massacre Tally! -- use reverse feature on your web browser to come back here. Every few days President Obama is sent a letter and at the bottom of that letter is photographic evidence of the results of the productive “work” of some “doctors” (term used very loosely) in this republic.

But there is reason for a few of us to be hopeful in regard to the future – no, not in terms of expecting a sudden turn-around and that the nation and its leaders have at long last come to their senses and said that we have to stop this shedding of innocent blood. But rather, hopeful that God is going to step in and He will take action that will leave no room for doubt that the decision which determined that a woman has a constitutional “right” to destroy her unborn child was the most insane – the most idiotic – the most destructive – the most damning judicial decision ever made in the history of the United States of America!

For a related article on Dr. George Tiller when he seemed to beat the judicial "system" just a few weeks ago, see Tiller the "Killer" Is Off the Hook...for Now, That Is! -- use return feature on your web browser to come back to this place.

"For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever. Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit." --- Jeremiah 7:5-8