Senator Bill Frist, R-TENN, says he will not compromise on the effort to get up-or-down votes for all filibustered judicial nominees.
The liberals have been trying to craft some kind of compromise where there would be votes on 2 of the President’s nominees in exchange for a third nomination being withdrawn.
Frankly, as I have followed this drama over judicial appointees, I have been concerned that the Republicans might be tempted to strike some kind of compromise in the name of “reaching out.�
Outreach is a good thing, if you are a church or mission. It is not if you have been elected to help lead a country back to what made it great.
Senator Frist told MSNBC, “At the end of the day, one will be left standing – the Constitution, which allows for up-or-down votes – or the filibuster.�
Please contact your two U.S. Senator’s through out website and let them know you support Senator Frist and a return to Senate tradition – an up-or-down vote on judicial nominees.
Click here to access your U.S. Senator's contact info. _______________________________
The ripple effect of American “values� voters, as we are sometimes called, is being felt in Europe.
British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has called for religion to play a more prominent roll in British national life. Blair, who is up for re-election May 5, has been praising churches for making a tangible difference in British society.
Experts say the British Campaign echoes themes of faith heard in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Campaign.
Could it be that secular Europe could be impacted spiritually by the actions of traditional Christian Americans?
It is.
President Ronald Reagan popularized the concept of the “city on a hill.� Someone who came before him and was much greater than him taught; “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.� --Jesus, (Mathew 5:14-16).
One can only imagine the positive influence we will have, if we continue to let our “light shine� as values people and voters.
Not only are politicians, such as Hilary and others, starting to talk about spiritual values, church, and the many related subjects that are common to the majority of voters who consider themselves Christian or “values� voters, but now the networks are trying to cash in on this new-found demographic.
I’m glad. It underscores the tremendous impact people of faith are having on our society.
Several pilot episodes are planned for this next fall. NBC has a new show called “Daniel,� which is about a pill-popping Episcopal Priest who talks to Jesus. CBS says they have a thriller, which is yet unnamed, but has to do with the supernatural. Fox has a series in the works that is described as, “The X-Files Goes to Church.�
The reason for all the interest in religion? It’s Mel Gibson’s success with, “The Passion of the Christ.�
Gibson obviously understood the subject matter on a personal level. The result -- $600,000,000.
If the networks understand the subject matter at the person level like CBS did with Touched By An Angel, the next year of television could be interesting. If they don’t understand, but are merely throwing something out there that they think fits the theme of religion, everyone will be disappointed, especially the networks who will have spent their money on something that they “knew all along� would not be well-received.
We must commend the Oregon Supreme Court on their restraint and clean-minded decision last week choosing to follow the law rather than making law.
However, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski is taking a very aggressive position in support of same-sex civil unions. In fact, a bill was introduced in the Oregon Senate last week. The bill, unless defeated, would create the most wide-ranging civil union policy in the history of the United States.
Basically, the bill elevates homosexual behavior to the statues of ethnicity and gender. If this bill passes, both business and religious organizations will face unwanted legal action for something that can’t be defined.
We feel that any legislative action should mirror the view of the voters. This bill does not.
After the overwhelming victory of the Marriage Act, this is not the time to allow liberal politicians to once again subvert the will of the people.
If you live in Oregon, please contact your State Senator and Representatives. You can contact them by CLICKING HERE!.
The Oregon Supreme Court has thrown-out nearly 3000 marriage licenses issued to same-sex couples by Multnomah County last year. The Court said Diane Lim and her county can question the constitutionality of laws governing marriage in Oregon, but they can’t make the law.
The Court said that state law had set the conditions for marriage since Oregon became a state. So, “Today, Marriage in Oregon – an institution once limited to opposite-sex couples only by statute – now is so limited by the state constitution as well,� the Court ruling said.
This is great for those of us who hold to traditional, Judeo-Christian values.
However, the ruling also said that, “We conclude that Oregon law currently places the regulation of marriage exclusively within the province of the state’s legislative power.�
This leaves the door open for civil unions. Vermont is the first and only state, so far, to offer civil unions to gays.
Will Oregon follow?
Those of you who live in Oregon must now bring your wishes to bear on your state representatives.
Marte Sheehan, who “married� Linda Duchek last March was quoted by Associated Press as saying, “I believe that ultimately the legislature will do the right thing.�
The operative word, of course, is what is the “right� thing.
Governor Ted Kulongoski is on the record saying he will push for a law in Oregon which allows for civil unions. I would expect that.
I have been told that there are those among us who while voting for and supporting Measure 36 last November, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, now feel that in the spirit of cooperation they should allow the legislature to approve civil unions.
We should not. We must not.
There are a number of legitimate reasons which we will address later, however, one of them is simply this: civil unions is the first step down a slippery slope that will, over time, “normalize� that which isn’t and will ultimately lead to legalizing gay marriage.
If you live in Oregon, please contact your representative and urge them not to approve civil unions. To access information regarding your Oregon State Legislature, click here. _______________________________
Yesterday, I was keynote speaker at an annual leadership luncheon at our Oregon State Capitol in Salem.
I shared my heart and passion with all in attendance, which included pastors, legislators, staff members, and lobbyists.
After the warm and heartfelt compliments, etc., that often follow these events, I got in my car and while driving back to Portland, I heard on national news that the Oregon legislature was today passing a bill that would allow convicted prostitutes to teach in the Oregon public school system.
Is it just me, or is something very wrong with this picture?
I’m at the Capitol affirming to all these good people, and there are a lot of them in public service, that they must be vigilant and uncompromising regarding the Judeo-Christian values that made our country great (and they are agreeing with me) while their colleagues are passing a bill to put hookers in the classroom.
In the same national news segment, it was also reported that yet another 25 year-old teacher has been having an affair with one of her 14 year-old students. She gave birth to their child yesterday in Tampa Bay.
I’m reminded of the words of Patrick Henry, “It is when we forget God that tyrants forge our chains. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with liberty.�
Has our public conscience become so corrupted that we are not concerned over these kinds of matters. I hope not.
I was in Seattle last night visiting our daughter. While Marjorie and I were driving across the city, I heard an incredible news piece on NPR radio.
It seems that Mark and John, who live in California, have been in a “long-term� relationship so when they were given the opportunity last year, under California law, to enter into a civil union, they did.
Now, according to this N.P.R. report, they are going through the emotional trauma of what amounts to a divorce.
According to the report, as the couple became aware of the responsibilities that come with the civil union, their relationship began to experience a great amount of stress.
Mark said he was earning most of the money and had more assets than John. Under the responsibilities of the civil union, John would inherit his estate – Mark had other plans.
John said, “I was crushed when he first told me he wanted a divorce. However, after he explained how complicated and messy things became regarding money, I understood.�
The couple is now dealing with such things as alimony and other complicated messy things.
I agree, relationships of commitment can sometimes become complicated. That’s probably why marriage was designed and ordained by God for one man and one woman so there would be more than just physical satisfaction.
It could be that marriage also involved pro-creation and the raising, nurturing and teaching of the next generation while creating a stable home environment.
Granted, marriages between one man and one woman do indeed fail. But there are many more reasons to deal with the “responsibilities� of the relationship and work through the “messy� stuff while raising and nurturing your kids. And yes, it is expensive, often unfair and inequitable, but I still think the idea of marriage being for one man and woman is the better way.
A story has been floating around the press this week that says during his Presidency, Ronald Reagan and the Pope had a great deal of contact regarding facing down Communism.
When the Pope visited his homeland, Poland, for the first time as Pope, Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev warned Polish officials not to receive the Pope. He said, “It will only cause trouble.� He was right. There was trouble, however, not what Brezhnev had hoped for. The Pope toured the country speaking to one in three of every person in the country, proclaiming the importance of Polish independence with crowds chanting, “We Want God!� Not atheistic communism.
A year and a half later, just when the Soviet Union was on the verge of invading Poland to suppress Solidarity, the Pope wrote Brezhnev a personal letter comparing any invasion of Poland to that of the Nazi invasion of 1939.
Later, the Pope commented that Communism was a rotten tree and that all he had to do was shake it.
It is said that President Ronald Reagan shared satellite imagery and other information with the Pope in the years leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Could it be that they worked together to eliminate atheistic communism as a world power?
Who knows?
I’m reminded of a saying my German Grandmother Miller was fond of using. “God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.�
_______________________________
To receive these blogs in your email box, click here.
There has been so much written about Pope John Paul II since his passing that I have been unable to absorb it all, however, there are a couple of thoughts that seem to be present in every story and every personal memory I have read or heard. Those who have know him comment on his single-mindedness and his unwillingness to be led by popular culture.
They remember him as a leader who boldly proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that we must value life as God values life. He preached on every continent except Antarctica, traveled more than 750,000 miles and was respected by men and women from every background.
Billy Graham said, “Unquestionably, the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years.� Yet, those who know him remember him as humble and approachable.
Perhaps it was the circumstances of his early life that shaped the man the world knew as Pope John Paul II. He was born Karol Wojtyla in Poland. The Nazi’s invaded Poland and make him a forced laborer. Although Communists tried to put his church and Christianity in general out of business, he and others rose above the “evil empire,� but were shaped by their experience. He once wrote, “I learned the lessens of my generation – humiliation at the hands of evil.�
I have personally spent time in ministry in Krakow and other cities in Poland. My experience with the people of the country left an indelible impression upon me as a young pastor. One that would indeed shape my own life and ministry.
From his humble beginnings, Pope John Paul II planted seeds of social justice, peace, and the Christian faith. And when introduced to a farmer in Iowa in 1979 he said, “We are all farmers.�
Three of five Colorado Supreme Court judges voted to overturn the unanimous verdict of a jury because some of them read the Bible.
That’s right. The Bible, the Court said, constituted an improper outside influence and a reliance on what the Court called a “higher authority.�
The Court said, “Jurors must deliberate in that atmosphere without the aid or distraction of extraneous texts.�
After hearing the case of Robert Harlan, convicted of raping and murdering a cocktail waitress near Denver, the jury was instructed by the Judge to make an “individual moral assessment� in deciding whether Mr. Harlan should live or receive the death penalty. The jurors voted unanimously for death. The judges overthrew the juror’s decision because it was learned that some of them read the Bible.
The Court asks men and women of the jury to make a moral judgment of the right thing to do, but then say the jurors cheated because they read a book that forms the moral basis for that individual’s assessment of what is right.
The judicial system must be fixed. That can only happen with the continued vigilance and action of people like you and me.
“It is impossible to rightly rule the world without God and the Bible.� President George Washington.
_______________________________ To receive these blogs in your email box, click here.
QUICK LINKS
