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Insulting American Citizens . . . and the Consequences

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

The media is portraying voters as being in a foul mood. Well, there certainly is some anger out there. Many are upset over being led astray—they expected something different from what they were told was a different kind of candidate. It turns out Obama is no different than any other progressive ideologue. Democrats are worried as they contemplate the coming elections:

Perhaps it has escaped their notice that they’ve spent a lot of time accusing Americans of various crimes of the heart and mind:

After insulting the average American for the past 18 months, it’s no wonder perceptions have changed:

The real hurt will come in November.

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Imam Rauf and Religious Liberty

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

As the Ground Zero Mosque controversy remains an emotional issue, new information has surfaced about the Imam who is the primary promoter of its presence close to the WTC site. All is not as advertised.

Feisal Abdul Rauf has been described as a Muslim moderate, yet he basically blames American foreign policy for 9/11 and refuses to acknowledge Hamas as a terrorist organization. If this is the face of moderate Islam, there is little hope for peaceful resolution of differences.

Good journalistic work [rare nowadays] has now uncovered even more about his dealings with people who depend on him and with his honesty.

First, it turns out Rauf is a slum landlord. Tenants in his apartments describe the living conditions as awful. They say he does nothing to correct the problems. He’s in it for the money, apparently, not to help others.

Second, as reported in the New York Post and highlighted at National Review, he’s willing to lie to get tax breaks:

The leader of the Ground Zero mosque got hugely valuable tax-exempt status for a Muslim organization he founded after claiming as many as 500 of its members prayed daily in a small, one-bedroom Upper West Side apartment also listed as his wife’s residence, The Post has learned.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf sought “church status” — an official IRS term for a house of worship of any religion — for the American Sufi Muslim Association, or ASMA, in 1998. The feds granted the request.

“Church status” is more than just an exemption — it means never having to pay taxes, file returns or reveal the sources of a congregation’s money or how it’s spent, according to the Washington-based Investigative Project on Terrorism, which discovered the group’s startling claims on the IRS form it filed seeking the special status.

Unless you really believe that 500 people are praying daily in his one-bedroom apartment of 800 square feet, you have to conclude that he’s a world-class liar.

Now, I understand the point people make when they say we are a nation that honors religious liberty. Without that, we would be in bad shape indeed. But when someone like Imam Rauf wants to push his religious liberty, opening a mosque close to Ground Zero when the type of people he supports are responsible for the 9/11 act of war, it’s legitimate to question his motives, at the very least. And for many, the erection of that mosque has the appearance of a victory monument.

Does freedom of religion really mean we have to accept this Islamic center/mosque, particularly when he is free to build anywhere else he chooses? The governor of New York has offered to discuss an alternative site; Rauf refuses to consider it. Why?

Are you aware there is a church that was destroyed on 9/11, and it has never received permission from the city government to rebuild? Yet there is no such restriction on Rauf and his dream.

A little equity, please?

There are excellent reasons to deny permission to build this mosque on that site, but this might be the best one:

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Words Without Meaning

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

President Obama has announced that the Iraq War has ended. I hope he’s right, but I can’t say I have much confidence in his ability to discern such things. He did call former president Bush before making his televised speech. That was nice. He even commented that though he disagreed with the former president on the war that Bush was a genuine American who cared for the country and the troops. At least he refrained this time from the blame game. I was concerned the speech might go something like this instead:

Even though he kept himself from blaming Bush publicly this time, he did still take credit for bringing the troops home, neglecting to mention that it was the Bush plan for removing the troops that he was following. He also neglected to mention something else:

Now it’s time to put all this behind us. We’re supposed to focus on other things now, not that really expensive war:

The numbers tell the true story. Was the war expensive? Absolutely. Is it to blame for our current economic mess? Absolutely not. Obama and the congressional Democrats have figured out how to dwarf war spending many times over. Wasting $862 billion in one year is a new record. And look what it has accomplished:

But we’re supposed to believe the economy is heading in the right direction:

Words have lost their real meaning.

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The Restoring Honor Rally: A Reflection

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

I wasn’t able to attend the Restoring Honor Rally in D.C. last Saturday, but I know a couple of people who did. They were deeply impressed by what they experienced. The crowd easily exceeded expectations, with estimates running as low as 300,000 [how's that for a "low"?] up to more than 500,000. The central stage was the Lincoln Memorial.

In this picture, you get only some idea of the size of the crowd. A bird’s-eye view provides a better perspective:

That’s the Lincoln Memorial in the distance. Up close is the WWII Memorial. The crowd filled the entire space between the two, and even went further back than this picture shows, all the way to the Washington Monument.

Impressive, to say the least.

What inspired people to make this journey? Well, there certainly were some attractions. For one, Sarah Palin was a key speaker, and undoubtedly a drawing card for many. She, and all the other speakers, set aside partisan politics for the day and spoke instead about honoring those who have served in the military, remembering another speech at this spot in 1963—”I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King—and calling for a return to faith in God.

Of course, the main organizer for this rally, Glenn Beck, was on hand as well. His stated goal was to bring together people of all faiths for a common purpose, what he and others termed a spiritual revival.

This is where it gets controversial. Before going any further, let me say that I am in complete agreement that a spiritual revival is essential to bring this country back from the brink of an untold disaster. I understand Beck’s desire and support him in that quest. The real question is whether there can be a genuine spiritual renewal if Jesus Christ is not central to it.

I have watched Beck’s television program on a consistent basis. I applaud most of what I see. He has provided a valuable service in exposing the roots of progressivism, in upholding the authority of the Constitution and the rule of law, and in telling people that faith in God is the most significant factor for any restoration of the Founding principles. Building a coalition of groups who have that same vision is a good thing. Therefore, I do support the intent of the rally and I know that it was a force for good in the country.

The key, though, is whether this movement, as it goes forward, is going to be a Christian-based endeavor. Beck is a Mormon. I have some knowledge of Mormon theology, and it is decidedly not Christian. I know it is politically incorrect to say such a thing. I can never now run for office. That’s okay—I never planned to do so. The Mormon concept of the nature of God and Jesus is not compatible with orthodox Christianity. The theology of salvation for Mormons is not the same as the Christian explanation.

Now, as I’ve listened to Beck, I’ve wondered just how much he really understands Mormonism because his words, at least as he explains his view of salvation, sound as orthodox as any Christian’s. I can safely let God be the judge of his heart. However, a clear line does need to be drawn between what is definitively, uniquely Christian and that which is not.

In the political world, as I’ve noted, coalitions need to be formed. I can unite with Mormons, Jews, and anyone else who wants to see the same political result as I do. But a government is not the church. Salvation will never emanate from any government. The message of individual salvation remains in the Christian faith, which proclaims that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life.

I’ve read some critiques of the rally that have been rather censorious of it due to its mixed leadership—the attempt to meld all religious beliefs into one. I understand that. However, we should keep in mind that the movement, such as it is, does promote basic Biblical attitudes and principles, even if some in the movement are not personally Christian. Anything that nudges us closer to the truth is welcome.

When I teach about the American Founding, I make it clear that not everyone was a Christian at that time, yet nearly everyone operated on a consensus that was formed from the Biblical worldview. We could be seeing that same development today.

I think it is highly likely that the majority of those who attended the Restoring Honor Rally did so as proponents of the Biblical worldview. If the rank and file is made up of that type, there is hope for our future. We certainly could do worse than return to the status of the Founding, where even those who were not Christians still understood the world through the Christian prism.

Therefore, I urge my Christian brethren not to be too critical at this point. Let’s see where this leads. God works through His people, but He also works through those who don’t always realize He is doing so.

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Restoring Federalism: Repeal the Seventeenth Amendment

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Yesterday, my posting on Big Government appeared—a commentary on the Seventeenth Amendment, which changed how senators are chosen. The repercussions of this change are many, yet most people are unaware of them. Roe v. Wade, for instance, may have come about partially because of this amendment. If you are interested, go to

http://biggovernment.com/asnyder/2010/08/31/restoring-federalism-repeal-the-seventeenth-amendment/#more-161853

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The Economy and November

Saturday, August 28th, 2010

Yesterday, I let the cartoons do most of the talking, specifically on the really ludicrous statements coming from this White House regarding the “recovery.” While I don’t want to overwhelm you with cartoon after cartoon, there are just so many flooding the Internet right now on that specific topic. Take this one, for instance:

Note the calm demeanor of the president, while Uncle Sam is rattled—literally. Then there’s this one:

The image here is a president who is clearly out of touch and more focused on his free time. I’m hoping that the patient [the American economy] isn’t really quite as far gone as depicted.

This out-of-touchness [may I coin a term?] has given Democrats the jitters. They’re getting scared as the midterm elections approach. One of the best columns I’ve read on the current state of the Democrats in light of the upcoming elections comes from Jonah Goldberg. You can find his cogent analysis here. Goldberg recounts a conversation one Democrat congressman had with the president, reminding him of how the Republicans took over Congress back in 1994 due to unpopular policies being pushed by Bill Clinton:

Convinced that his popularity was eternal, Obama responded by saying, yes, but there’s a “big difference” between 1994 and 2010, and that big difference is, “you’ve got me.”

The funny thing is, Obama might have been right. Because things might be much worse for Democrats in 2010 than they were in 1994 — and the big difference might well be Barack Obama.

You need to read the entire article. It’s well worth it.

Meanwhile, there is a sense of doom hanging over the Democrats:

Those who feel that doomsday is approaching may be correct. Personally, I hope they are. The nation will be the beneficiary.

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The Economy Drags On

Friday, August 27th, 2010

The disconnect continues. As the economy gets demonstrably worse over time, the Obama administration tells us it’s getting better. Up is down, vertical is horizontal, wrong is right . . . and you need to believe them. By now, even the most non-analytical among the electorate should be noticing something. One would hope.

If Obama keeps on saying things that strain credulity, the reaction is going to be the opposite of what he wants:

He goes back and forth, actually. One day he’ll talk about how things are getting better, then when that doesn’t resonate, he’ll return to what he does best—blame Bush. But that can go only so far before people start noticing his “solution”:

This past week, the administration sent Joe Biden out to make happy talk while the president was vacationing in Florida Martha’s Vineyard. The vice president was particularly sunny in his economic forecast:

You know things are really bad when the message becomes:

Meanwhile, back at Martha’s Vineyard:

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Everyone’s Watching Florida

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

The political scene in Florida is nothing if not fascinating. In the primary on Tuesday, one man did what no one expected. His name is Rick Scott. He has never run for public office before, but he is now the Republican nominee for governor.

Scott is a businessman who has been in the healthcare field for most of his adult life. What most people probably don’t know is that he was the force behind some very effective TV ads back during the Obamacare debate. He started a group called Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, which challenged the public option the president and Congress wanted to insert into the bill. Scott performed a valuable public service with that organization.

In April, he decided to run for governor. His one advantage was the deep pockets he possessed. As a multimillionaire, he began using his own money to fund statewide commercials outlining his philosophy and plans. I remember seeing those ads and wondering who that guy was. But he certainly sounded solid in his principles.

Now, just a few months later, he is the nominee. He had to beat the presumptive nominee, attorney general Bill McCollum, to get there, and the battle was bruising. Probably every Republican in the state assumed McCollum would be the nominee. When Scott came out of nowhere, and the polls showed he was taking a lead, a startled McCollum fought back. Frankly, the ads on both sides deteriorated over time. Both used wording in their ads that sometimes cast false aspersions on the other candidate. A rift has occurred in the Republican party that may be difficult to heal in time for November 2nd.

Scott’s task now is to reach out and unite with those who fought against him. That won’t be easy since most of the party leaders backed McCollum, who, in his concession speech, did not put out any semblance of an olive branch to Scott. I’m afraid bitterness may prevail.

Scott also has to be sure that his ads in the general election stay focused on the issues and don’t degenerate in the way they did during the primary. I believe Scott’s testimony that he is a born-again Christian. Everything I see about his personal faith indicates it is genuine. Now he needs to put that faith into action in the manner in which his campaign conducts itself. I pray for the best.

In the Senate races, there was no surprise that Marco Rubio won his primary against token opposition. The majority of Republicans seem to be coalescing around his candidacy. Rubio is charismatic and devoted to the original intent of the Founders. That would normally be a winning formula, but he has had to face an unusual circumstance.

This race is unique because current governor Charlie Crist broke from the Republican party and chose to run as an independent. Polls throughout the summer showed that Rubio might be in trouble as Crist could be pulling votes from both Republicans and Democrats. Personally, I have been perturbed by Crist’s apparent lack of principle. He shifts his views whenever expedient. As I’ve noted in a previous post, his primary principle appears to be doing whatever it takes to keep Charlie Crist in office.

Democrats, though, may have stemmed the Rubio bleeding and doomed the Crist candidacy by nominating Kendrick Meek as their Senate candidate. No political prognosticator believes Meek can win this election, but his appeal to the party base probably will siphon off votes that Crist thought he could win. The latest polls have shown that if Meek is the candidate, Rubio’s chances for victory are greater. That is now the reality.

The nation is watching Florida, a state that could help determine our future path.

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Fantasy World

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

One concern I heard expressed a few months ago was that Republicans had to be careful in talking about the bad economy and basing their election chances on it staying bad. I agree that a political party’s message cannot be entirely negative. If you want to hold office, you need to present a positive agenda.

The concern, though, appears to be unfounded for this year. In the short span before November 2nd, there is little hope that the economy is going to look much better. The policies that President Obama and the Democrat majority in Congress have put in place are doing exactly what they are designed to do—prolong the recession and stifle productivity. I don’t mean by that comment to insinuate that Obama wants things to stay bad; I just mean that his socialistic vision always leads to one destination—economic ruin.

I don’t expect things to get better under the current administration if the Congress doesn’t change hands. Some have speculated that Obama won’t mind a Republican-controlled Congress because it will give him somebody to blame. Well, he already has that technique down cold:

Some commentators—and not just those on the political Right—are predicting a doomsday for Democrats in the upcoming elections. They say the Democrat leadership will be stunned by the magnitude of the outcome and won’t be able to grasp why this has occurred.

Many politicians live in a fantasy world, it seems. The older I get, the more obvious that has become to me. I used to believe they knew what they were doing; now I know they’re just human beings, and the ones with massive egos have little connection to reality. Yet they continue to impose their “vision” on the rest of us.

American voters have only themselves to blame. They’re the ones who anointed these people and put them into office. They can reverse that mistake in 70 days. I just pray they will. I promise to do my part.

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Obama’s Religious Beliefs

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

A poll stunned the news media last week, and its reverberations haven’t ceased. Fully one in five Americans believe Obama is a Muslim. Reaction from the White House and the news media has been identical: no, that’s mistaken—Obama is a Christian. Even conservative commentators and news media have taken up the same chant.

What’s the truth?

First, I don’t believe Obama is a Muslim. To be a real Muslim, he would have to be adhering to all the tenets of Muslim belief. Is he praying five times a day toward Mecca? I doubt it—unless he does it on the golf course. He’s obviously not an observant Muslim. Yes, he was raised as one as a child, but I don’t honestly think he is committed to that today. You can understand the confusion of the populace, however, since he definitely comes across as sympathetic to Muslim causes. He’s always praising Muslim influence in the world and, supposedly, in the United States.

But that doesn’t make him a Muslim.

So then he must be a Christian, right? After all, he went to a church for over twenty years. Is that what it takes to be a Christian? The problem with the political and media response—yes, he’s a Christian—is that it is based on externals only. And even those are abysmally weak.

What about that church he attended? Surely you remember the so-called Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor of that church. He is an adherent of black liberation theology, which turns Jesus into merely a great man who came to set free those who are oppressed politically. He attempted to “save” them from the oppressor but was cruelly crucified for trying to do so. It’s a Marxist theology.

This is not the Jesus of the Bible. This is not the message of salvation.

Jeremiah Wright is a radical of radicals, devoted to the Palestinian cause, saying America, by supporting Israel, is sponsoring state terrorism. The terrorist group Hamas, on the other hand, has been given a voice in Wright’s church bulletins.

Wright’s other highlights: Jesus was black and was oppressed by white Europeans; the American government created HIV to commit genocide against minorities; America is worse than the Islamic extremists because of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII; 9/11 was simply the “chickens coming home to roost” because America’s policies deserved that response.

This was Obama’s pastor for more than twenty years. There’s nothing orthodox Christian about him.

Obama himself, in a 2004 newspaper interview said, “I believe that there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.” In other words, there is nothing unique about Christianity or the person of Jesus. All paths lead to the same place. That’s a direct contradiction of the Biblical dictum that Jesus is the only way and the only truth.

In that same interview, he stated,

The difficult thing about any religion, including Christianity, is that at some level there is a call to evangelize and proselytize. There’s the belief, certainly in some quarters, that if people haven’t embraced Jesus Christ as their personal savior, they’re going to hell.

Notice he calls this a “difficult thing,” something he clearly doesn’t accept. Consequently, he doesn’t really believe the Christian message because he doesn’t believe someone will be separated from God if they don’t have faith in Christ, nor does he believe in spreading the message.

Obama is not a Christian.

We’re also told by Jesus that you will know true Christians by the fruit of their lives. This doesn’t mean that Christians will always be consistent with their confession of faith; they will do things at times for which they need to repent. However, if one promotes continually positions that are at odds with Biblical morality, how can one really be a Christian? Let’s look at the record:

Obama, as a state senator in Illinois, vocally and forcefully fought against allowing doctors to come to the aid of children born alive in an attempted abortion. This is infanticide, pure and simple.

Here are more:

  1. He is one of the foremost politicians in favor of paying for abortions with taxpayer money.
  2. He advocates embryonic stem cell research.
  3. He advocates repealing the Defense of Marriage Act.
  4. He advocates repealing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy in the military.
  5. While saying he opposes same-sex marriage, his actions indicate just the opposite.

These are the most obvious issues. There are others I could point to, but they are derivatives of these.

Based on everything I know about Barack Obama, there is no way I can consider him a Christian. Yet like everyone else, he is a potential Christian. The path is the same for everyone: recognition of sin, genuine repentance over one’s sins, faith in the atonement of the Son of God [not just a great man sent by God], and a life that shows the fruit of that faith. Nothing short of that qualifies as Christian.

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