Be Alert! ...and in various places plagues and famines

...and in various places plagues and famines... - Luke 21:11b Additional articles Superbug Scare: Virginia District's Schools Scrubbed; Teen Not First to Succumb to Deadly Infection FOX NEWS [News Corporation/Murdoch] - October 17, 2007 All 21 school buildings in Bedford County, Va., were being scrubbed and sanitized Wednesday after the death of a 17-year-old high school student from a powerful drug-resistant strain of staph bacteria. The schools, all in Bedford County, Va., were closed after students there launched a protest over unsanitary conditions Monday, using text messages and social networking sites. - - - One of its students, Ashton Bonds, died Monday after being hospitalized for more than a week from Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, a strain of staph bacteria that does not respond to penicillin and related antibiotics. Blevins subsequently ordered the schools closed for cleaning. - - - - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C302605%2C00.html Weston Student Diagnosed With Resistant Staph Infection ASSOCIATED PRESS [Cooperative] - October 17, 2007 WESTON - At least one Weston High School student has been diagnosed with a potentially deadly antibiotic-resistant staph infection, schools official said Tuesday. The school sent a letter home to parents informing them that one case of the Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infection, or MRSA, has been confirmed at the school. Health officials are waiting for results of tests on another student. - - - - http://www.courant.com/news/custom/topnews/hc-westonstaph-1017%2C0%2C7632428.story?coll=hc_tab01_layout UN report cuts AIDS infection estimate AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE - November 20, 2007 The United Nations sharply reduced its estimate of HIV-AIDS sufferers in an annual report Tuesday, saying a revision of statistics from India meant there were seven million less than previously thought. Revised figures in the latest UNAIDS study slashed an estimate for total infections this time last year to 32.7 million from 39.5 million cases, the number given in the agency's 2006 report. "The single biggest reason for the reduction in global HIV prevalence figures in the past year was the recent revision in India after an intensive reassessment of the epidemic in that country," UNAIDS said in its report. The number of people worldwide infected with HIV in 2007 totalled 2.5 million people 32.2 million are now living with the virus, the report said. More than two million people died from the disease in 2007. - - - - http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=071120082258.pmvwp8f9&show_article=1 AIDS virus invaded U.S. from Haiti: study REUTERS [Thomson-Reuters] - By Will Dunham - October 29, 2007 WASHINGTON - The AIDS virus invaded the United States in about 1969 from Haiti, carried most likely by a single infected immigrant who set the stage for it to sweep the world in a tragic epidemic, scientists said on Monday. Michael Worobey, a University of Arizona evolutionary biologist, said the 1969 U.S. entry date is earlier than some experts had believed. The timeline laid out in the study led by Worobey indicates that HIV infections were occurring in the United States for roughly 12 years before AIDS was first recognized by scientists as a disease in 1981. Many people had died by that point. "It is somehow chilling to know it was probably circulating for so long under our noses," Worobey said in a telephone interview. The researchers conducted a genetic analysis of stored blood samples from early AIDS patients to determine when the human immunodeficiency virus first entered the United States. They found that HIV was brought to Haiti by an infected person from central Africa in about 1966, which matches earlier estimates, and then came to the United States in about 1969. The researchers think an unknown single infected Haitian immigrant arrived in a large city like Miami or New York, and the virus circulated for years -- first in the U.S. population and then to other nations. - - - - http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN2954500820071029?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true Low-Key Recall of AIDS Drug Hits World’s Poor NEW YORK TIMES - By Elisabeth Rosenthal - July 23, 2007 ROME, July 21 - A total recall of an important AIDS drug widely used in developing countries has disrupted treatment for tens of thousands of the world’s poorest patients, with no clear word from the manufacturer on when shipments will resume. The recall of the drug, Viracept, by Roche Pharmaceuticals of Switzerland, went largely unnoticed in the developed world when it was announced in early June, after the company had discovered that some batches made at its Swiss plant contained a dangerous chemical. But the recall has caused growing concern among global health officials and in AIDS programs in many poor nations. They say the company did an inadequate job of informing patients and officials about the potential risks and helping them find affordable access to newer alternative drugs. Roche said that it had been actively working with health officials across the globe and that the risk from the affected batches was low. The scope of Roche’s recall is extraordinary, if not unprecedented, in the battle against the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, global health officials say. Dr. Lembit Rago, an official at the World Health Organization, said tens of thousands of people take Viracept worldwide, many of them poor people with H.I.V. in developing countries. The recall has left those patients with the painful choice of discontinuing a lifesaving medicine, or using a drug that might contain a dangerous contaminant. - - - - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/23/health/23recall.html?ex=1342929600&en=6c21e59cc7aba718&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Mexican Migrants Carry H.I.V. Home NEW YORK TIMES - By Marc Lacey - July 17, 2007 PUEBLA, Mexico - Cres has spent almost half his 32 years working in the United States, in the fields of California and Texas and the factories of Chicago and New York. His wife and three children were with him some of the time. But he was alone for long spells, and it was during one of those periods that he figures he contracted H.I.V. - - - Migrant workers like him go to the United States with dreams of new prosperity, hoping to bring back dollars. But some are bringing back something else as well, H.I.V. and AIDS, which they are spreading in the rural parts of Mexico least prepared to handle the epidemic. - - - - http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/world/americas/17mexico.html?ex=1342411200&en=0e3edc2b6bc5018a&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink Major Ebola outbreak in Congo confirmed, up to 166 deaths could be linked AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE - September 12, 2007 The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed a major outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and said 166 deaths there since April could be linked to the disease. The outbreak of the highly-contagious Ebola haemorrhagic fever, in the Western Kasai province, was confirmed by specialist laboratories in the US and Gabon, the WHO said in a statement on its website. The tests have also confirmed the presence of Shigella dysentery type 1, another but less deadly disease. "As of 11 September 2007, WHO is aware of 372 cases and 166 deaths associated with the ongoing event in the province. Additional samples have been taken for further laboratory analysis," the WHO said in a statement. - - - Ebola causes the patient to bleed under the skin and in severe cases, from the mouth, ears and eyes. The virus, which has no known cure, is highly infectious for those who come into contact with a victim's body fluids. - - - - http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=070912115643.hr0135hq&show_article=1 Fast Facts: Brain-Eating Amoeba Naegleria Fowleri The following is information about Nagleria fowleri, amoebas that kill humans by eating their brains: ASSOCIATED PRESS - September 27, 2007 THE CULPRIT: A species of amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri is found around the world in water and soil. In rare cases, they can latch onto the nasal cavity of people swimming in water where the amoeba live and will eat away the person's brain tissue. DANGER: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Naegleria infected 23 people from 1995 to 2004. This year health officials say they've noticed a spike in infections, with six Naegleria-related cases so far - all of them fatal. PREVENTION: Health experts say people should stay away from warm, standing water. If they go swimming in such places, people should wear nose clips. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298339,00.html New York sushi tainted with mercury Researcher says next significant source could be China WORLDNETDAILY - August 30, 2007 Eating tuna sushi in New York has "moved from fashionable dining to a high risk sport," according to a researcher whose new report shows servings in top restaurants contain mercury levels high enough for the Food and Drug Administration to order them taken off the market. While the contamination is attributed to a home-grown problem - emissions from coal-fired power plants concentrated in areas such as the Great Lakes and the Northeast - the next great source of the threat, the researcher told WND, could be China, a nation which already has delivered ginger contaminated with a pesticide, fish raised in untreated sewage, toothpaste containing a solvent and children's clothing with formaldehyde embedded. "Toxic Tuna: An Undercover Investigation of Mercury-Laden Tuna in New York City's Premiere Sushi Restaurants" is a project of Caryn Mandelbaum, an environmental health advocate with GotMercury.org. She said it follows on the heels of a report from the New York City Department of Health that one in four people in New York has elevated mercury levels in their body. "Consumers need to know the risks of eating tuna sushi and know about healthier alternatives when it comes to dining out," she said. Her work showed that over 20 percent of the samples taken from the restaurants were considered unsafe for all consumers because they exceeded the FDA action level of one part per million of mercury. - - - - http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57376 Chicken-plant workers test 'positive' for TB 212 out of 765 processing employees infected - company says HIV-privacy laws nix screening WORLDNETDAILY - November 4, 2007 Alabama health officials have identified 212 workers who have tested positive for tuberculosis at a single poultry plant owned by one of the largest processors in the U.S. In two batteries of skin tests last month, given to 765 fresh processing employees at the Decatur, Ala., plant owned by Wayne Farms LLC by the State Department of Public Health's Tuberculosis Control Division, 28 percent were found to be infected, including one with active tuberculosis disease, which is contagious. Doctors have yet to evaluate X-rays for 165 current workers who tested positive to determine if any more are contagious. - - - Both employees with active TB are Hispanics born in countries where the disease is prevalent, heath officials said. - - - Accompanied by the rise in illegal immigration, tuberculosis is making a comeback in the U.S., often eluding diagnosis by doctors who are unfamiliar with the disease. Last year, WND reported more than three-quarters of the 2,903 cases in California in 2005 were among foreign natives, with a total of 14,093 cases nationwide. - - - - http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58501 TB-tainted man crosses border 76 times THE WASHINGTON TIMES [News World Communications/Moon-Unification Church] - By Sara A. Carter and Audrey Hudson - October 17, 2007 A Mexican national infected with a highly contagious form of tuberculosis crossed the U.S. border 76 times and took multiple domestic flights in the last year, according to Customs and Border Protection interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Times. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency was warned by health officials on April 16 that the frequent traveler was infected, but it took the Homeland Security officials more than six weeks to issue a May 31 alert to warn its own border inspectors, according to Homeland Security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. Homeland Security took one more week to tell its own Transportation Security Agency. Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR) is a highly contagious illness and also resistant to the two most commonly used drugs to treat TB. It is the same dangerous strain of tuberculosis that concerned health officials when Andrew Speaker, a 31-year-old Atlanta lawyer, slipped into the U.S. from Europe via a flight to Canada. - - - - http://washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071017/NATION/110170103/1001 Teen Jailed Over TB to Face Deportation ASSOCIATED PRESS - August 30, 2007 LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - Officials started taking steps to deport a Mexican teenager who was jailed after refusing treatment for tuberculosis. Francisco Santos, 17, has acknowledged to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents that he is in the country illegally, Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway said Wednesday. County health officials jailed Santos last week after he refused treatment for an active, contagious case of tuberculosis and threatened to travel to Mexico, a move that could expose more people to the potentially fatal disease. Santos, who lives in Duluth, has since started taking medicine, but he will remain jailed at least until a Sept. 5 hearing. Conway said Santos' condition and age could further complicate a deportation process that can take months. Because he is a minor, officials would have to make sure he has family in Mexico or that the Mexican government would take a role. Four people who had been living with Santos have also tested positive for tuberculosis, health officials said Wednesday. - - - - http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070830/D8RBARF80.html FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Hillary gets standing ovation at Rick Warren's summit

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics

WORLDNETDAILY - By Art Moore - November 29, 2007 LAKE FOREST, Calif. – Within days of introducing a $50 billion plan to combat AIDS, Sen. Hillary Clinton received a standing ovation at one of the nation's most influential evangelical churches after addressing its "Global Summit on AIDS and the Church" today. If the Democratic presidential frontrunner's aim was to make inroads into the heavily Republican evangelical electorate, her appearance at Saddleback Church with pastor and "The Purpose Driven Life" author Rick Warren apparently didn't hurt. Saddleback Church member Cindy Logan told WND after Clinton spoke to some 1,700 conference attendees that as a Republican, the senator's visit was "a little bit of a challenge for me," but she, nevertheless, was impressed. "I saw a softer side of her that I hadn't seen before," Logan said, adding she thinks it's quite possible some minds were changed about the New York Democrat. "She was very articulate. I liked her approach," Logan said. "I liked the fact that she's been to Africa, she's been with people who have been affected by AIDS, and she's here because of her heart for people. And I appreciated that." Logan emphasized, however – as did Warren before introducing Clinton – that all of the leading presidential candidates, both Democrat and Republican, were invited to come and speak. Democrats Barack Obama – whose appearance at last year's summit drew controversy – and John Edwards sent taped messages addressed to the summit, as did Republicans John McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. "She's a presidential candidate," Logan said, responding to opposition by some Christian leaders to Clinton's visit. "And as a presidential candidate, she has her voice. And she may be the future leader of our country, and so as that person, I think she deserves to be on stage. I think all of them should have been here." At a Wednesday news conference, Warren explained, "The first thing is that this is not a church service, and, second, there isn't a pulpit on stage," Warren said. "And it's not a worship service. This is a summit, which does include people from every kind of background." Tim Wildmon, president of the American Family Association, believes it was "a mistake to invite [Clinton] to speak at an evangelical Christian church on AIDS or any other issue, because her political stances are contrary to biblical teaching." "What Saddleback is doing is helping raise her profile as a legitimate presidential candidate in the eyes of evangelical Christians, and I think that is a huge error," Wildmon told Reuters. 'I wanted to be here' Warren and Clinton engaged in laughter-filled banter prior to her speech, with the Saddleback pastor asking in jest, "Before you speak, I have just one question, why did you show?" "Well, first you asked me, and second, in a burst of enthusiasm, I said I would," she said to laughter from summit attendees. "I have been looking forward to this. I really have," Clinton told Warren. "I know what this church is doing; I understand the commitment that is here and this conference which you're holding that is attracting people literally from all over the world. "I wanted to be here," she added. "I thought I needed to be here, to share my thoughts, to have a better idea of what it is you're achieving far beyond the boundaries of Saddleback." Clinton said, "The commitment you have demonstrated, both to our faith in God and to doing his work here on earth is exemplary. And that is one of the many reasons I wanted to be here today." 'The sustaining power of prayer' Clinton, raised in the United Methodist Church in suburban Chicago, began the speech telling the largely evangelical audience of her Christian commitment. "My own faith journey is approaching a half century, and I know how far I have to go," she said. "But I have been blessed in my life, starting with my family, and in the church of my childhood, to be guided every step of the way." The senator pointed to a number of significant influences on her faith: "A mother who taught Sunday School and a mother who made sure that my brothers and I were there the moment the church doors opened; a father who kneeled by the side of his bed every night of his life to say his prayers; a minister of our youth fellowship who took it as part of his mission to show this group of white, suburban, middle class kids that there was a bigger world outside; a prayer group that formed for me shortly after I came to the White House, a group of extraordinary women, both Democrats and Republicans, whose love and support sustained me." Clinton said she's often asked if she's a "praying person." "I've always responded that I was fortunate enough to be raised to understand the power and purpose of prayer," she said. "But had I not been," the senator quipped, "probably one week in the White House would have turned me into one." "It's wonderful to know that the sustaining power of prayer is there for so many of us," she said. Clinton said one of her favorite passages of the Bible is the book of James' admonition that "faith without works is dead." "But I have concluded that works without faith is just too hard," she said. "It cannot be sustained over one's life or the generations. And it's important for us to recognize how, here in what you are doing, faith and works comes together." Clinton commended Saddleback Church for living that out. You understand that, or as Rick might say, 'creed and deed,'" she said. "And what extraordinary and important work your faith supports, fighting against spiritual emptiness, corrupt leadership, poverty, illiteracy and diseases – like AIDS – around the world." 'Substantial opportunity' Burns Strider, Clinton's senior adviser and national director of faith-based outreach, told WND the senator's visit to Saddleback is one of the most important recent stops on her heavy campaign schedule. "This is something we have been talking about and working on for a number of months now," he said. "We've been very focused on this opportunity to come together with people of faith and then talk about an issue that has real common ground, and that's about ministering to those with HIV/AIDS and eradicating it." Strider, raised a Southern Baptist in the Mississippi Delta, previously served as policy director for the House Democratic Caucus and did "faith outreach" for the House Democratic Caucus under Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "Obviously coming to Saddleback, being with Rick and Kay Warren and all these leaders brought together, it's a substantial opportunity for anybody," said Strider, who now is part of a United Methodist congregation in the D.C. area. The evangelical community is not a monolith, he emphasized. "The last few years, people have started seeing that diversity as they've started talking about more issues, and younger leaders are opening the door to more dialogue," he said. "So that's a good thing. We certainly welcome it. We're coming to that table, we're saying sure, we want to talk about these issues." Strider says he's convinced Sen. Clinton's faith is genuine. "What I find and know about the senator is very real and very honest," he said. "You know, there's a life of works and deeds. ... There's an amazing connection there between what Senator Clinton believes and the way she carries it out. I do find it authentic." Universal access In her speech, Clinton discussed her AIDS plan, which calls for at least $50 billion to provide universal access to treatment, prevention and care for global HIV and AIDS by 2013. It also includes $1 billion per year toward the goal of "stamping out malaria deaths in Africa altogether by the end of her second term." The proposal would provide health insurance for all HIV patients in the U.S., and promote "evidence-based" prevention programs, which typically has meant condoms and needle-exchanges rather than encouraging abstinence. Asked about Clinton's plan, Warren told WND in a brief interview prior to the speech that he could not take a position on it because he had not seen it yet. After hearing the plan's main points described, he pointed to the "three-legged stool" metaphor illustrating the balancing of government, private sector and church. Government, he said, plays an important role in paying for medications, such as anti-retrovirals used to treat AIDS that could cost $10,000 to $20,000 a year per person. "The church is never going to have that," Warren told WND. "Churches are poor around the world. But they have the people. "We bring the manpower," he said. "Even if you've got the meds, you can't get them to the people unless you have a network." He pointed, as an example, to the relief effort after the tsunamis in South Asia killed more than 225,000 people in 2004. "All these resources went to the coast, and they sat there and rotted, because they didn't have a network to distribute them. If they had used the church, we have more boots on the ground than anybody. Warren said that while he's in favor of government paying for the drugs needed to combat AIDS he's not in favor of government prescribing the prevention programs. "That's a spiritual issue," he said, "and that's my issue." School days In his videotaped message to the summit, Huckabee injected some of his trademark humor into references to his longtime friendship with Warren going back to their studies together at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. "Rick, some of us from your class didn't turn out so well, so I'll just do the best with what I've got," Huckabee quipped. The former Arkansas governor advocated covering not just AIDS under Medicaid, but HIV, and pointed out the disease affects minorities disproportionately. Three out of five cases are minorities, and the problem is 10 times worse among African-Americans, he said. Edwards came next, declaring, "We have a moral imperative to do much more," including a goal of universal access to treatment by 2010. He drew some scattered applause calling for a halt to "protecting the profits of big drug companies." McCain said, "I want to thank Rick and Kay Warren for their leadership on this worldwide problem," pointing out the "Gospel tells us to recognize life as sacred and to love our neighbors as ourselves." He advocated supporting President Bush's AIDS initiative, saying he believes in the abstinence plan it supports. As president, McCain said, "I will fund HIV/AIDS programs at levels befitting a wealthy nation." "Lifting nations out of poverty is essential," he said, "but first step is raising awareness, and this summit is an important part of that step." Obama told the conferees "how blessed I feel to count Rick and Kay Warren as friends." The Illinois senator said "it's time to increase our contribution to the global fund" to fight AIDS, expanding it by $1 billion a year over the next five years. Obama called for adopting "humanitarian" drug licensing policies, to make it easier to license generic drugs. He also pledged to double foreign assistance for AIDS from $25 billion to $50 billion by 2012. "With prayer and hard work, I believe we'll make real strides addressing this scourge and doing God's work on earth," he said. Obama ended with, "Please keep me, my wife and my family in your prayers." Romney called for leadership "on behalf of what Jesus in Matthew called 'the least of these.'" He referred to Warren's opening statement in "The Purpose Driven Life" that "it's not about me," calling for "servant leadership." One of his first acts as president, he said, would be to call a "summit of nations" to address issues of poverty around the world. "America is blessed and has been a blessing to nations staggering under poverty," the former Massachusetts governor said. "Thank you Rick and Kay," Romney said, "for responding so passionately to God's call." http://wnd.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58959 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Obama adviser worries Israel supporters

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics THE POLITICO [Allbritton Communications Co] - By Ben Smith - September 12, 2007 Barack Obama is outlining his views on the Iraq war in a major speech Wednesday in Iowa, and bringing along a gray-haired source of foreign policy gravitas: Zbigniew Brzezinski [Photo: Right - Brzezinski at unidentified UN meeting], Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser, who says that Obama offers “a new definition of America's role in the world.” With the gravity, though, comes some baggage. Brzezinski, 79, stepped into the crossfire this summer when he published an essay in the summer issue of the journal Foreign Policy, defending a controversial new book about the power of the “Israel Lobby” in American politics. - - - “It is a tremendous mistake for Barack Obama to select as a foreign policy adviser the one person in public life who has chosen to support a bigoted book,” said Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, one of the most visible critics of the Walt and Mearsheimer volume, titled “The Israel Lobby.” (Dershowitz has contributed to the campaign of Obama’s leading rival, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.) Obama has already distanced himself from the book, with his campaign saying in a statement earlier this week that “the idea that supporters of Israel have somehow distorted U.S. foreign policy, or that they are responsible for the debacle in Iraq, is just wrong. And Obama’s positions on Middle East affairs are, like his main rivals’, within the American political mainstream and firmly in favor of Israeli’s aggressive security policy." - - - - http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0907/5783.html FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

U.S. Presidential Hopefuls Running after Jewish Voters

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics ARUTZ SHEVA (Israeli National News) - by Sarah Morrison - November 9, 2007 American Jewish support is becoming increasingly critical for Presidential hopefuls as the United States' Middle East policy tries to shape Israel's future, according to a senior Democratic party leader. The candidates know that "they cannot be a serious contender for the Presidency if they do not stand strong on Israel," declared Hillel Schenker, Vice Chairman of Democrats Abroad, an organization for American citizens in countries outside the United States. Democratic candidate Senator Hillary Clinton has, by far, the most experience dealing with the Middle East of all the likely presidential candidates, according to Schenker. However, history tells us that "a candidate who becomes President changes his policy once in office," observed Steve Goldberg, a Los Angeles lawyer who serves as the National Vice President of the Zionist Organization of America. "Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were unequivocal in their support of moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem when they were running for President, but neither kept his promise. Pro-Israel advocates in the United States expect that a President will not keep all of his or her promises once elected." He pointed out that although "she [Senator Clinton] wants Jerusalem to stay the indivisible capital, there is a prevailing view that she would actively broker an agreement with the Palestinians, even if it included sharing the sovereignty of Jerusalem." Senator Clinton "has been very active in Israel for a very long time," Schenker claimed. "Her time as First Lady [married to former President Bill Clinton] gave her a lot of experience in the Middle East. She has visited there many times and has been active in promoting the peace process, along with her husband. Senator Clinton does the most important thing to help: she promotes the peace process," he added. Schenker also revealed that if elected, Senator Clinton plans to appoint a senior ambassador to the Middle East to work specifically on Israeli-Arab peace. He stated that the other Democratic candidates share similar positions on the Middle East, although most of them have not taken specific positions beyond maintaining they are friends of the Jewish state. Senators Clinton and Barack Obama are slotted to appear next week at the United Jewish Communities General Assembly, where four thousand Jewish leaders from around the world come together for an annual conference. Senator Obama has taken a more dovish stand than his front-running opponent on Iran while not defining specific positions toward the shape and size of a proposed new Arab state within Israel's current borders. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is the most open of the Presidential candidates on Israel. He "most forcefully advocates the neo-conservative position about the dangers of Islamic fundamentalism and has the most support among Jewish foreign policy makers," according to Goldberg. Giuliani is no stranger to dealing with terrorists. His city became the international symbol for the fight against terrorism on September 11, 2001, when radical Islam brought down the city's World Trade Center and changed the New York City skyline forever. This unfortunate experience is fuel for Mayor Giuliani's intolerance for radical Islam. He has stated on many occasions that he will not negotiate with terrorists and will defend Israel's right to be an independent state. "Giuliani has stated that there should be no negotiations with the Palestinians until terrorism has stopped and the incitement of anti-Jewish hatred in mosques, schools, and media has been halted," Goldberg said. "Giuliani has also indicated that he will not be shy to use military force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons." Goldberg said that it is likely that the other major Republican candidates hold positions similar to Giuliani's regarding the Middle East. Senator John McCain has tried to focus on a victory in Iraq as being beneficial to Israel, while expressing fierce opposition to negotiating with Hamas. The Arizona Republican also has called for step-by-step negotiations with the Palestinian Authority (PA) but has not detailed how he envisions the future borders of Israel. Although traditionally Democratic, a sizeable and growing minority of Jews are beginning to vote Republican because of the party's general opposition to negotiating with terrorists. Democrats generally easily win the ballot of residents in foreign countries, except for Israel, where expatriate Americans tend to show stronger favoritism towards Republican candidates. The tense recount of Florida votes in the 2004 presidential elections emphasized the importance of every vote. Only 573 votes separated American President George W. Bush and challenger Al Gore. With an estimated 3,000-4,000 Florida Democrats in Israel, the Jewish state's absentee ballots were pivotal. There are more than seven million American voters living outside the United States, but Israel has the highest percentage of U.S. citizens voting in the American elections compared to any other country in the world. In the European bloc, including England and France, where many expatriate Americans reside, the percentage is between 40-45%. In Israel it is 60-65%. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124196 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

An Appeal To My Fellow Pastors

CHUCK BALDWIN LIVE - By Chuck Baldwin - November 8, 2007 Recently, Iowa pastors gathered to hear my presentation in Des Moines on behalf of Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul. After listening to me, they then heard ten-term Republican Texas Congressman Ron Paul himself. Consider how Congressman Paul's message impacted Pastor Jim Hartman of the Assembly of God church in Conrad, Iowa. "I've been supporting Mike Huckabee, but I would say I'm leaning real strong toward Ron Paul." Hartman supported President Bush four years ago and explained, "Up until the last six months I had not allowed myself to imagine that we'd been let down by Bush." As for Iraq, he said, "I don't think we were prepared to understand that culture and to work with that culture." He said he now feels "humble and I feel kind of bad that I haven't done a better job of being faithful to Ron Paul's kind of integrity." [Source: MSNBC, Oct. 30, 2007] Integrity: that is the issue drawing millions to Ron Paul, including young people. The night before I spoke, nearly 700 students gathered at Iowa State University in Ames to hear Dr. Paul. One of those students wrote me recently. His name is Nathan Rockman. He wrote, "As a columnist for the Iowa State Daily here on campus, I have seen first hand what can be described as Ron Paul fever. Since Dr. Paul visited this past Friday, his message of freedom and liberty has been spreading through campus like wildfire . . ." Ron Paul doesn't recruit artisan spin writers and bloggers to wear down those who might question his past dealings. He doesn't need to. There are no missing hard-drives, ethics violations, and taxpayer funds used for personal use that need to be spun away. He still refuses to participate in the lucrative Congressional pension fund and returns a portion of his Congressional office budget back to the U.S. Treasury each year. This kind of integrity moved Pastor Hartman, the students at Iowa State University, and many more like them. Ron Paul has been fighting for the right to life from the beginning of his public career. Dr. Paul is rock-solid on pro-life. After all, he has helped over 4,000 women deliver their babies into the world in his obstetrics practice in Lake Jackson, Texas. He proposed the "Sanctity of Life Act of 2005" (and 2007), which would require that "human life shall be deemed to exist from conception, without regard to race, sex, age, health, defect, or condition of dependency." Has he recently discovered these pro-life convictions? Not at all. Congressman Paul introduced the Human Life Amendment in Congress in his very first term of Congress, a couple of years after Roe v. Wade was first handed down. Is Ron Paul a libertarian, as some use in a throw-away line, often intended to move the listener to discard him without thought? Yes, on areas of fiscal, economic and judicial liberty, he is. But, he is also a social conservative and a Constitutionalist. Ron Paul's priorities are right with marriage. He and his wife, Carol, have been married for more than fifty years. He believes marriage should be between a man and a woman and defends that principle with his vote, where and when he has the Constitutional authority to do so. For example, Dr. Paul strongly supports the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Candidly, though, Ron Paul does not believe (and neither do I) that the U.S. Government needs to be defining that which God has already defined in His Word. Where pastors often become confused about Ron Paul is that when he is resisting the unconstitutional centralization of our federal government, he is often perceived as being anti-family. Many in these pro-family movements themselves have been co-opted into believing that the solutions to our family problems come in the form of more unconstitutional federal legislation and programs. And when one does not agree with these unconstitutional remedies, they conclude that he or she is "anti-family." Such people mean well but are confused. America would be much better off if we Christian pastors taught the need for Christ-honoring resistance--at the local level--to anti-family federal intrusions. We should call on our congregations to vote out of office any judge who passes rulings designed to pervert the Biblical family. That doesn't take a Constitutional amendment. It just takes courageous pastors and people who understand that judges, too, must respect the Constitution and our Christian heritage. In fact, adherence to the Constitution protects our freedom of speech and assembly; our freedom of worship; our right to keep and bear arms; our right to a trial by jury; the right to be secure in our own homes against police overreach; our right to witness for Christ in public, as a Christian; the right to own property; the right to not be deprived of life or property without due process of law; the right to face our accusers, and the right to keep government local and limited. Keeping government local and limited is the cornerstone doctrine of American government. Ron Paul understands this more than any other candidate running today. Most of the problems that we are now dealing with socially, culturally, financially, etc., stem from America abandoning the basic founding principle that "the government that governs least governs best." Accordingly, America's commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness has been (and is being) systematically stripped from us--not by State legislatures, but mostly by agencies of the federal government. Consider how it has been federal courts that have banned prayer in school, and legalized abortion and homosexual marriage. Even in the liberal State of Massachusetts it was the courts (along with a compliant liberal governor, Mitt Romney), that forced acceptance of homosexual marriage upon the people. The solutions to these problems do not reside in more federal legislation. All that does is strengthen the scope and power of the federal judiciary. The only ones who have anything to fear from Ron Paul are those who believe in Big Government. You see, Ron Paul is actually calling on us pastors and Christians to stop seeing the federal government as one "in whom we live and move and have our being." Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord, not the federal government. Have we not, in a material way, set up the federal government as our functional Lord and Savior? When we look to the federal government to solve our moral and spiritual problems, that is exactly what we are doing. When it comes to the war in Iraq, I firmly believe that Christian conservatives have been duped by the neocons. Dr. Paul--an Air Force veteran and proponent of a strong national defense--opposed the unprovoked and pre-emptive invasion of Iraq, and rightly so. Time has certainly vindicated Dr. Paul's principled position. There was a much better way to deal with al-Qaeda. Soon after 9/11, Congressman Paul introduced H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001. According to Paul, "A letter of marque and reprisal is a constitutional tool specifically designed to give the president the authority to respond with appropriate force to those non-state actors who wage war against the United States while limiting his authority to only those responsible for the atrocities of that day. Such a limited authorization is consistent with the doctrine of just war and the practical aim of keeping Americans safe while minimizing the costs in blood and treasure of waging such an operation." This is precisely what President Thomas Jefferson did when America's ships were confronted with Barbary pirates on the high seas. If the United States government had listened to Ron Paul, we would not have lost nearly 4,000 American soldiers and Marines, spent over $1 trillion, and gotten bogged down in an endless civil war from which there is no equitable extraction. Furthermore, had we listened to Dr. Paul, Osama bin Laden would no doubt be dead, as would most of his al-Qaeda operatives, and we would be less vulnerable to future terrorist attacks, instead of being more vulnerable, which is the case today. One thing that Pastor Hartman brought up in our meeting in Iowa was the sentiment of many Christians and pastors to defend Israel. Dr. Paul stated that he did not believe that we do Israel any favors and we actually weaken Israel by our constant meddling and intervention. I agree. Ron Paul is not Israel's enemy. And neither is he the enemy to Christian liberty and constitutional government. Ron Paul's non-interventionist and constitutional foreign policy approach would help, not hurt, Israel to resolve tensions with their neighbors. Remember, Israel has more nuclear missiles to defend themselves than all of the Middle East nations combined. Believe me, Israel knows how to defend itself. And know this: America's constant meddling curses Israel more than it blesses. Also consider this: according to published reports such as this one in the Houston Chronicle http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5223477.html , Ron Paul is receiving more donations from military personnel than any other Presidential candidate in either party. Think seriously about this. Our active duty and retired military personnel clearly endorse with their own contributions Ron Paul's non-interventionist position above all others. In the end, if the candidate is a sincere Christian, he will all the more readily obey his or her oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. After all, does not our Lord tell us that our yea is to be yea and our nay is to be nay? In other words, genuine believers are to be true to their word. How, then, could a true Christian make a promise before God and the American people to preserve, protect, and defend the U.S. Constitution and then turn around and ignore that promise? Ron Paul lives his Christian faith and takes his oath to the Constitution seriously. What more could we ask for in a Presidential candidate? Every Christian pastor should seriously consider Congressman Ron Paul. Here is his website: http://ronpaul2008.com http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071106.html FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Huckabee Hides His Full Gospel?

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics MOTHER JONES - By David Corn and Jonathan Stein - December 10, 2007 Now that he has his moment in the political spotlight, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee does not want his days at the pulpit to be scrutinized. As Huckabee has surged to the front of the Republican pack in Iowa, his religious views have drawn media and voter attention. After all, Huckabee, a former Baptist pastor, has been campaigning as a "Christian leader." But he has vacillated on how far to interject faith into politics. At an early debate, he indicated he does not believe in evolution, but at a more recent debate, when he was asked by Wolf Blitzer if the creation of the Earth occurred six thousand years ago and only took six days, as stated in the Old Testament, Huckabee said, "I don't know. I wasn't there." During a question-and-answer session with students at fundamentalist Liberty University last month, he asserted that his rise in the polls has an explanation that is "beyond human" and is due to the power of his supporters' prayers. Afterward, he backtracked slightly, adding, "I'm saying that when people pray, things happen.... I'm not saying that God wants me to be elected." (At a victory rally held after Huckabee won a 1993 special election for lieutenant governor, Huckabee told his supporters that he had only won because God had intervened, according to the Texarkana Gazette.) With Huckabee walking this fine line, his campaign has declined to make available sermons that Huckabee delivered during his preaching days. - - - - http://www.motherjones.com/washington_dispatch/2007/12/huckabee-faith-baptist-pastor-sermons.html FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Huckabee: U.S. gave up on religion

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics School shootings were wake-up call, he says ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE [WEHCO Media] - By Linda S. Caillouet - June 8, 1998 SALT LAKE CITY -- Government may have dropped the ball in modern American society, but religion dropped it first, Gov. Mike Huckabee told Southern Baptist pastors Sunday night. "The reason we have so much government is because we have so much broken humanity," he said. "And the reason we have so much broken humanity is because sin reigns in the hearts and lives of human beings instead of the Savior." Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, addressed his contemporaries at the two-day Pastors' Conference, which continues today. The three-day Southern Baptist Convention begins Tuesday here in the heartland of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the city in which the Mormons have their world headquarters. Huckabee told the pastors gathered in the Salt Palace Convention Center that while the March 1, 1997, tornadoes which struck Arkansas were tragic, at least the devastation could be clearly seen from a helicopter. In contrast, he said, the catalysts for the nation's recent school shootings -- including the one March 24 near Jonesboro that left four students and a teacher dead and 10 others wounded -- were harder to see but were driven by "the winds of spiritual change in a nation that has forgotten its God." "Government knows it does not have the answer, but it's arrogant and acts as though it does," Huckabee said. "Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed." The shootings were just one more wake-up call to the nation, he said. "I fear we will turn and hit the snooze button one more time and lose this great republic of ours." Huckabee said ungiving individuals are responsible for higher taxes. "I'm often asked why taxes are so high and government is so big. It's because the faith we have in local churches has become so small. If we'd been doing what we should have -- giving a dime from every dollar to help the widows, the orphans and the poor -- we now wouldn't be giving nearly 50 cents of every dollar to a government that's doing ... what we should have been doing all along." Huckabee also explained why he left pastoring for politics. "I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives." He compared his entry into politics to "getting inside the dragon's belly," adding, "There's not one thing we can do in those marbled halls and domed capitols that can equal what's done when Jesus touches the lives of a sinner." The most basic unit of government is not the city council, quorum court or state legislature, Huckabee said. "It is Mom and Dad raising kids and teaching them respect for authority, others and God." The nation has descended gradually into crisis, Huckabee said, and repairing the damage needs to be gradual, too. He said the solution is simple: faith in Christ. Huckabee recalled the five occasions he's had to sit by the phone on the eve of an execution. "It's the greatest sense of helplessness and despair you can imagine to know we've exhausted all help and hope here on earth for that person." He also spoke of his early misconceptions of his duties as a pastor. "In one of the first churches I was assigned to, I thought I was supposed to be the captain of a warship leading the congregation into a battle against spiritual darkness," he said. "But they wanted the captain of the Love Boat. They just wanted everybody to be happy. It was not about how many people were won to Christ or how many teens were pulled away from drugs or how many marriages were saved. Instead, it was about the seniors having a great trip going to watch the fall leaves change, the teen-agers going to a better summer camp than the church across town." Huckabee concluded his speech by recalling his 10th birthday, when he accepted Christ. "I went to Vacation Bible School for all the wrong reasons -- I was told they'd give me all the cookies I could eat and all the Kool-Aid I could drink. But that day I got something better than cookies and Kool-Aid. I got the Savior. "I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ." Before Huckabee spoke, more than 350 copies of his new book, Kids Who Kill: Confronting our Culture of Violence, had been placed in reporters' press boxes in the convention center press room. The slick cover of the book is a grim one -- a black-and-white, blurry photograph of a young boy pointing a gun at the reader. The most prominent part of the photograph is the round barrel of the gun. At the top of the book, this question is posed: "Are we reaping what we've sown?" The book was co-written by Dr. George Grant, director of the King's Meadow Study Center and a contributor to World magazine. The back cover states: "No more hand-wringing, no more finger-pointing. No more sound bites." It also makes a reference to the Jonesboro school shootings. Huckabee has recently been criticized by opponents claiming he has capitalized on the shootings with the publication of his book. The back cover states: "Just after lunch on March 24, 1998, four school children and a teacher were murdered by two students, ages thirteen and eleven, at an Arkansas middle school. Governor Mike Huckabee was informed of the tragedy en route from Washington, D.C. By the time he arrived, the news media were already waiting -- already polling the pundits and drawing conclusions based on the sketchiest information. The quest for quick answers has robbed us of the truth. Until now." The paperback is published by Broadman & Holman, a Nashville, Tenn., arm of the Baptist Sunday School Board. It retails for $11.99. Publicists for the book said last week they didn't expect it to arrive at the convention until today. Huckabee and his wife, Janet, left Salt Lake City immediately after his speech, and the governor did not hold a book signing at the convention. In fact, Huckabee didn't know the books had made it to the convention, said editors of the biweekly Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine who visited with the governor shortly before his speech. Huckabee, governor since 1996, is a former president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention. He has authored one other book, Character is the Issue: How People with Integrity Can Revolutionize America, which was first publicly announced at the 1997 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas a year ago and released last September. Other books given to reporters at the convention Sunday included a how-to boycott book aimed at the Walt Disney Co. by Richard D. Land titled Sending a Message to Mickey: The ABC's of Making Your Voice Heard at Disney. The back cover features an outline of the famous mouse's round ears and the words: "He who has ears, let him hear." The other book was Mormonism Unmasked by R. Philip Roberts, who examines the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/jonesboro/afhuckabee08.asp FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

The Romney speech

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics WORLDNETDAILY - By Joseph Farah - December 7, 2007 There's much to admire about Mitt Romney's faith speech. And there are some statements that require scrutiny and sober and reflective discernment. As he stated, one of the forces that should hold our country together is the commitment to religious liberty. I agree. That means one's faith should be no barrier to the right to vote, the right to run for office, nor the right to hold office. It does not mean, however, that a candidate's faith should not be weighed as a very significant factor for voters making their choices. As Romney himself pointed out, our faith fundamentally shapes everything in which we believe. It is the lens through which we view the world. It is the glass through which we perceive truth. It is the prism that shapes our deepest values and convictions. That's why the faith of a candidate is considered so important to many Americans no matter the office. But when that office is the presidency of the United States, the importance is magnified greatly. I couldn't agree more with Romney when he states: "There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation's founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adams' words: 'We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. ... Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.'" In fact, I used very similar words in my book "Taking America Back." Here's where I disagree – strongly. Romney said: "I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God." That may be his belief, but it is simply not true. In fact, it is provably untrue – even according to the words of his own speech. Everyone has a religion – even atheists. A religion is what a person believes about God. Everyone has beliefs – even if it is a belief that there is no God, or that there are many. Romney himself acknowledged this when he referred disparagingly to "the religion of secularism." How could it possibly be true that everyone's beliefs bring them closer to God? How could it be true that everyone's beliefs bring them closer to a relationship with God? It makes no sense. It sounds nice. It tickles the ears. But it is simply false. It is, in fact, double-talk – frankly, a language Romney has mastered in his political career. Not everyone is right about God. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:14: "[S]trait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." I believe that – as I believe everything Jesus said and every word of the Bible. Romney also plays the victim card in his speech – suggesting, in an ever-so-subtle way, that those Christians opposing him do so only because of his faith – out of some form of bigotry. He says, for instance: "A person should not be elected because of his faith nor should he be rejected because of his faith." He leaves out of the discussion, however, whether faith should be a factor that is weighed by voters. And, since faith does shape so fundamentally, as he admits, all of the deepest values and convictions one holds, why should it not be considered and considered seriously? In many ways, Romney's speech was well-crafted. But it was a political speech designed to rally a sagging campaign – or, perhaps more accurately, one that has never really caught fire despite his many charms and his seemingly limitless financial resources. Romney claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, whom he called his Savior. He seeks the favor of Christians by making this assertion. Yet, those of us who follow Jesus know well that He never promised us an easy path. In fact, Jesus told us "ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." Jesus actually encouraged us to look forward to that persecution, saying it would be a blessing. He didn't tell us to whine about it. Whether or not discerning, Bible-based Christians should vote for a Mormon to be their president is not really a question we have to face this year, because Romney is, as I have pointed out in the past, totally unqualified for the office on his political record. Thankfully, he even cited that deeply flawed political record: "As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution." He also said: "Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world." Yet, even the most superficial examination of Romney's record as a politician reveals he is exactly the kind of man whose views shift with the wind and with the constituency to whom he needs to appeal. http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59074 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

Impact of Romney's 'faith' speech uncertain

Riding the Beast: Evangelicals & Politics 'President thinks everyone should be able to describe their religion for themselves' WORLDNETDAILY - December 8, 2007 The president believes religion should be an individual's choice, and isn't going to offer a critique on the "faith" speech given by GOP candidate Mitt Romney. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino was responding to a question from Les Kinsolving, WND's correspondent at the White House. He asked: "The president has seen or listened to or seen news coverage of Gov. Romney's speech yesterday on church and state, hasn't he?" "I do not – no, I don't – I don't know. He maybe saw news coverage this morning," Perino said. "Does he believe that this speech yesterday will have the same desired effect as a similar speech by Sen. John F. Kennedy, also of Massachusetts?" Kinsolving asked. "I don't know about that. I do know that the president thinks that everyone should be able to describe their religion for themselves," she said. Romney's speech was intended to satisfy those who are concerned about his Mormon beliefs, just as Kennedy's speech was intended to respond to concerns about the fact that until that election, the United States never had had a Catholic president. The Salt Lake City Tribune reported Romney's speech was "almost universally applauded" by Mormons. The newspaper reported: "I was absolutely thrilled," gushed LDS historian Richard Bushman, who is doing research at the Huntington Library in Los Angeles. "Mitt distinguished himself with this speech. I though he would say more about his Mormonism, but he wisely didn't" James Dobson, of Focus on the Family, called the address a "magnificent reminder of the role religious faith must play in government and public policy." However, Rev. Gregory Johnson, leader of a Salt Lake City-based group of evangelical Christians, told the newspaper he was not certain it would satisfy those "who think Mormonism is a cult." WND founder and editor Joseph Farah noted in an analysis that he agrees with Romney's statements that "one's faith should be no barrier to the right to vote, the right to run for office, nor the right to hold office." But he could not agree with other statements. "Here's where I disagree – strongly," he wrote. "Romney said: 'I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God.' "That may be his belief, but it is simply not true." "Everyone has a religion – even atheists. A religion is what a person believes about God. Everyone has beliefs – even if it is a belief that there is no God, or that there are many. Romney himself acknowledged this when he referred disparagingly to 'the religion of secularism,'" Farah wrote. "How could it possibly be true that everyone's beliefs bring them closer to God? How could it be true that everyone's beliefs bring them closer to a relationship with God? It makes no sense. It sounds nice. It tickles the ears. But it is simply false. It is, in fact, double-talk – frankly, a language Romney has mastered in his political career." However, that shouldn't even be an issue for another reason, he continued. "Whether or not discerning, Bible-based Christians should vote for a Mormon to be their president is not really a question we have to face this year, because Romney is, as I have pointed out in the past, totally unqualified for the office on his political record," he wrote. http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59101 FAIR USE NOTICE: This blog contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of religious, environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.