Reformation
A Sad Day for Freedom From Sin
December 18, 2010 was a sad day for the cause of liberty. The United States Senate voted 65-31 to rescind the seventeen-year “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (DADT) policy in the American forces. On the heels of a 250-175 vote in the House of Representatives, largely along party lines, homosexuality is now “free” to openly flourish in the barracks or foxhole.
By this infamous vote, The United States government now openly condones and encourages homosexual behavior among our fighting men and women. The last bastion of discipline and moral order in the United States has been breached, not by an invading army, but by a destructive Lame Duck Congress.
Maybe the pen is mightier than the sword.
With the stroke of President Obama signing this grievous bill, the military, as we have known it for two hundred and thirty-four years, will be crippled.
This is a sad day for real liberty–which is freedom from sin.
We’ll get to the true definition of freedom in a moment, but first the disturbing facts about the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) rescission.
Liberal Democrats, many of whom lost in the Nov 2 election, were the greatest culprits in this homosexualization of the armed forces. Both of my Senators, Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, voted for the repeal. But eight Republicans also joined them in the tragic vote: Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, George Voinovich of Ohio, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, John Ensign of Nevada, and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine.
As Family Research Research Council points out, our fighters were treated like pawns by those meant to support and defend them. (Read their excellent article here.) Here’s how Gary Randall of the Faith & Freedom Network described the tragedy:
“Congress has said ‘yes’ to open homosexuality in the military. Over the loud and passionate pleas from Senator John McCain, and concerns expressed by military leaders who serve in combat, the Senate caved to homosexual activists, joined President Obama in his attempt to appease the activists and retain their vote, and said yes to a social experiment that will have both ‘intended’ and ‘unintended’ consequences.”
“The homosexual victory was aided by a number of Republicans. McCain was not one of them. He said of our fighting men and women, ‘They will do what is ask of them, but don’t think there won’t be consequences.'”
“You have witnessed another step down a slippery moral decline. And there will be consequences.
The Alliance Defense Fund issued a statement following the vote saying, ‘The Senate’s cave-in to pressure from activists to impose homosexual behavior on our military will place troops’ religious liberties in unprecedented jeopardy.’ They say the first casualty will likely be the religious freedom of chaplains.”
This is the “great freedom” that Congress gave us on December 18.
Incredible.
Abraham Lincoln, a founder and champion of the modern-day Republican Party, would also be appalled. One of his most famous quotes, which has been a clarion principle of our Christian-based republic for the past 150 years is this:
“No man has a right to do wrong.”
Let that truth sink into you deeply. It will change your view of how to define “civil” rights.
Of course, the liberal media doesn’t share Lincoln’s view. Led by secular cheerleaders such as the New York Times and the Associated Press, numerous papers, blogs, and e-letters hailed the the news of the defeat of DADT as a great triumph for civil rights. Quoting Senator Joe Liebermann, a staunch supporter of doing away with the ban on homosexual behavior,” the gleeful networks proclaimed:
“We righted a wrong. Today we’ve done justice.”
The New York Times openly stated their end-game purpose, that “integrating openly gay troops within the military will lead to greater acceptance in the civilian world.”
The progressives want a secular, not a godly America.
Barack Obama went even further when he said, “It’s time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed.”
Sounds good–but it’s nonsense. You don’t choose race or gender, and religion and creeds should be protected areas of conscience.
Not homosexuality. For all of history, and in all religions, homosexual behavior has been viewed as a perversion of the normal sexual relationship with graphic and destructive consequences. It’s just as hurtful as incest, fornication, adultery, pedophilia, and bestiality.
All of these sexual perversions distort God’s moral standards and hurt human beings. They should be discouraged by any just and compassionate society that really cares for its people
And no sexual deviancy should be tolerated when you’re fighting for your country.
We’ve got it backwards–and Congress just forced it on the military.
Isaiah is considered Israel’s greatest prophet, and his book is the second longest in the Bible next to the Psalms. In chapter five, Isaiah goes to great lengths to discuss how God blessed and planted the ancient Hebrew nation in good moral and spiritual soil. But over time, they rejected his laws and principles. “What more could I have done?” agonizes the heart of God over a nation that turned away from his standards of right and wrong (Isaiah 5:4).
Nothing, really.
They just didn’t listen.
Here is the end result that Isaiah describes for those who pervert God’s justice: “Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark…Destruction is certain for those who think they are wise and consider themselves to be clever…Their roots will rot and their flowers wither, for they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty. They have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 5:20-24).
Israel was severely judged when it turned God’s standards of right and wrong or its head. Do you think it will be any different for us?
I don’t think so.
Wrong was made right through Saturday’s vote. Vast injustice was perpetrated on the US military–even against the wishes of those who fight in close quarters on the front lines (58% of Marines are strongly opposed to changing the policy.)
But the politicians don’t care for them or this country. They are committed to the secularization of America via social experimentation i.e. trashing all aspects of Judeo-Christian standards.
One of the things we learn from this vote and the cultural battle in which we are engaged is that there are two different visions of “freedom” that are being fought for in America today. These two contrasting philosophies go back to the two beings behind them–God on the side of righteousness, and Satan on the side of darkness.
Satan’s concept of liberty is pretty simple. He wants people to be “free from God and his standards.” Satan Himself rebelled against God’s created order and has been encouraging other moral beings to reject God’s ways ever since. Through the worldview of secularism, here’s how Satan markets his deceptive brand of “freedom:”
- Begin by questioning the rightness or wrongness of sexual choices. Make it a matter of “personal preferences” or “lifestyle choices.” All sin begins when we follow Satan’s lead in setting ourselves up as “God” in our moral choices.
- Draw people into immorality in all its forms. Start with the warm-ups of pornography and mental fantasy, then encourage them to “experiment” for themselves with sex outside of marriage and in whatever form or with whatever partners “they” desire.
- Convince them through darkening their minds that none of these actions are immoral. They’re just choices that all human beings are allowed to make.
- Once trapped in immorality, the heart of the Satanic strategy manifests itself. Jesus said that Satan’s clear purpose is “to kill and destroy” (John 10:10). All forms of immorality, especially the unnaturalness of homosexuality, destroys human dignity, proper relationships, family, health, relationship with God, and ultimately leads to eternal destruction.
- But that’s not all. Satan’s next step is to ridicule those who are moral and adhering to God’s standards. Make them look like the prudes and the bigots.
- Finally, the goal is to persecute the godly, beginning with “hate speech” and even imprisonment.
Notice Gary Randall’s warning of the consequences of repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” in the US military: “The first casualty will likely be the religious freedom of chaplains.”
Silence Christian chaplains. Then Christians in general. Or even imprison them for speaking out against homosexuality.
Satan’s “freedom from God” destroys those who do it and those who resist it.
Doesn’t sound like liberty to me.
It’s not.
Real freedom, the one that America was founded on, was not freedom from God and his wise standards for living. It’s freedom to live for God.
Freedom is not doing what you want; It’s having the wisdom and power to do what you ought.
In the realm of sexuality it’s being smart and humble enough to do things the way God designed them, for our good, others’ good, and for his honor and glory. It means:
- Staying away from pornography which corrupts the mind.
- Not sleeping with your boy friend, girlfriend or fiance before marrying them.
- Not having sex with a close relative.
- Not having same gender sex with anyone.
- Marrying God’s choice from the opposite sex–a conjugal joining in relationship which is both natural, beautiful, and produces children (to read a great new paper on marriage published in the Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, click here.)
- Being faithful to the one you marry for a lifetime.
- Having children in God’s way and time and raising them in the fear and love of God.
This is true sexual freedom because it is freedom from destructive self autonomy and sin.
Jesus said truly that “Everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is a part of the family forever. So is the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34-36).
True freedom is freedom from sin, not from God.
By rescinding the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy, our Congressional leaders are doing nothing less than encouraging homosexuals to stay in their sin, bringing tension and sexual lust into the intimate quarters of our fighting forces, and promoting the armed forces social destruction.
On December 18 we lost an important battle. But we must continue to fight because we love God and we love people. Let’s pray that this action will be overturned in the 112th Congress because it breaks the bond of trust that must exist between the military and those who oversee the armed forces in the Pentagon and Congress.
Let’s ask the new House in January to defund the repeal of DADT. Then we will work to get fresh voices in the Senate and move to reinstate the law.
A pillar of America’s exceptional past is freedom from sin through Jesus Christ.
Let’s pray during this Christmas season that God’s Son will lead us back to true liberty.
The Meaning of the Tax Rate Debate: American Socialism’s Hail Mary?
For the past week various pundits, commentators and politicians have been trying to wrap their mind around the tax rate compromise put together by President Obama and Republican leaders.
For awhile, I must confess, it was very confusing.
But now I understand.
The Obama-brokered tax rate compromise is American Socialism’s version of a Hail Mary Pass.
Let’s hope it is incomplete.
For non-football fans, a little explanation is in order. A Hail Mary pass is a desperation heave that is usually the last play of a football game. The team with the ball is behind by less than a touchdown and has much of the field to cover if they are to score and win the game. The time has clicked down to the final seconds, and there is time for only one more play.
The quarterback takes the snap and throws the ball as far as he can–usually into the end zone–hoping, saying a prayer (Hail Mary), that one of his teammates will out jump the defenders, catch the ball, score a touchdown and win the game.
One of the most remembered Hail Mary passes in history was Doug Flutie’s forty-eight yard toss on October 20, 1999 that allowed Boston College to defeat its arch-rival, the Miami Hurricanes
Barack Obama is now trying to do the same.
The tax compromise is American socialism’s desperate Hail Mary.
But before we describe the Obama Hail Mary strategy, let’s look at the confusing rhetoric of the past week. I’ve rarely seen such political confusion in all of my life.
Conservative Angst
When the tax compromise was first announced by the White House, many conservatives applauded the plan because it extended the current tax rates for two years. However, they didn’t like the extension of unemployment benefits and other special interests earmarks.
The Heritage Foundation was cautiously supportive at first, while echoing conservative concerns. In their first Morning Bell on the subject, they stated “The deal originally cut by Republicans had some good economic policy in it, but it also had a lot of harmful provisions. The temporary two-year nature of the arrangement did not provide the long-term certainty that businesses need to make long-term investment plans that create substantial economic growth and jobs.”
Tony Perkin’s Family Research Council was also ambivalent at first saying “Congress has had two years to deal with this ticking time bomb called tax relief–and they have less than 14 days to diffuse it. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a “compromise” tax package on Monday afternoon with both good and bad provisions. It does maintain the current tax rates, preserves the Child Tax Credit , and keeps married couples from being penalized. On the negative side, it’s all still temporary and raises the death tax by 35 percent.”
Liberal Concerns
Some liberals also accepted the bill because they thought it it was the best they could get after the November 2 election “shellacking.” Vice President Joe Biden reportedly told House Democrats that the tax deal cut with Republicans was a “take it or leave it” proposition that could not be changed.
Others hated it because the president caved on his pledge to raise taxes on “the rich.” During Democratic caucus meetings, various members were overheard cursing the president and his unwillingness to raise taxes on the wealthy and small businesses.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, a committed socialist, was so livid about the compromise that he filibustered the Senate for a grueling 8 hours and 37 minutes, speaking nearly non-stop about class warfare and the blessings of national socialism.
Fidel Castro would have been proud.
Two Who Got It Right
Though at first, there was widespread confusion over the compromise, two men got it right from the beginning.
Maybe we should elect one as president and the other as VP in 2012. They seem to be the sharpest minds in the republic.
Columnist Charles Krauthammer called it the “swindle of the year,” and said from the very beginning that the only person who truly benefits from passing it is Barack Obama. “[With this deal], the President negotiated the biggest stimulus in American history, larger than his $814 billion 2009 package.”
His column in the Washington Post is worth reading.
I don’t know where Charles got his $814 billion number–some (like Sean Hannity) question it, but still believe that Krauthammer is right. I must admit, when I first heard Charles’ take I was skeptical.
Then I began to think and pray–and concluded he was correct.
Senator Jim DeMint also made headlines by becoming the first Republican politician in Washington to declare his opposition to the tax compromise. He even threatened to filibuster the deal.
In an e-mail via DeMint’s PAC Senate Conservatives Fund, DeMint laid out why he is opposed to the tax deal.
“First, I do not want to see anyone’s taxes go up and I have been fighting for years to permanently extend all the tax rates. I disagree with the President that we cannot afford to extend these rates for everyone. It’s the people’s money and we should not raise taxes on hardworking American families.”
“But this bill does much more than simply extend tax rates. For starters, it includes approximately $200 billion in new deficit spending and stimulus gimmicks… The bill also only extends rates for two years. We don’t have a temporary economy so we shouldn’t have temporary tax rates.”
“The bill also fails to extend all of the tax rates. It actually increases the death tax from its current rate of zero percent all the way up to 35 percent. One economic study shows that this tax increase alone will kill over 800,000 jobs over the next ten years.”
“Finally, the bill now includes dozens of earmarks for special interests, including ethanol subsidies, tax breaks for film and television producers, give aways for rum manufacturers, favors for auto racing track owners, and a hand out for businesses outside [the United States].”
One reason I like Jim DeMint because he lives at 133 Street–my old office on Capitol Hill.
One other former Senator and Hollywood star, Fred Thompson, also was prescient on the error of extending unemployment benefits yet another year (totalling three years).
He remarked, “With unemployment being extended another 13 months, is it maybe time to just start calling it welfare?”
Or maybe socialism.
That’s what the battle is about.
For nearly one hundred years, a portion of our society has been trying to change America from a Christian-based, freedom-oriented society to a secular-leaning socialist model. There are many forms of national socialism, but the bottom line is trust in and control of people by ever-expanding government.
Our founding fathers called it tyranny.
Its opposite is liberty. William Penn spoke for all colonial Americans when he said, “Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.”
He was referring to Europe at the time.
Europe has known many forms of tyrannical governments. Prior to the Reformation, kings and princes lorded it over their subjects for hundreds of years. In the 20th century Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler gave birth to national socialistic regimes that became cruel and oppressive. Communist Russia took socialism a step further when it seized economic control of the State through “the barrel of gun.” More recently, European states created vast welfare states under the banner of democratic socialism.
But its all the same at the core: Power comes from government, not from the people.
European nations have experienced many forms of socialism.
Different teams. Same game.
The American experiment was exceptionally different. Backed by a Christian world view that recognized the sovereignty of God and the power of Christ in the individual, our early founders and settlers established the United States on faith, character and freedom.
This was a new “team” the world had never seen before.
This team believed in freedom. Their faith produced a great nation. “Team Tyranny” was always there, trying to even up the score. but never able to get ahead.
Then came Woodrow Wilson and his secular progressive plans, next FDR and the New Deal (vast expansion of the Federal Government), and finally LBJ and the Great Society. “Team Tyranny” was gaining ground on “Team Liberty.” The battle was enjoined. America’s future had truly turned into a competitive civilizational struggle.
Jimmy Carter was socialism’s next attempt to take the lead in the game. But he was petty and inept as a leader, and freedom-loving Ronald Reagan was swept into office. His influence kept “Team Liberty” ahead in the game for another twenty years.
Then following some missteps by the Republicans who were supposed to key players on “Team Liberty,” Barack Obama was elected to national office. In two short years he took “Team Tyranny” into the lead in American life via massive government stimuli, a takeover of various businesses and the financial sector, and finally the crowning jewel–creeping socialized medicine through Obamacare.
At that point, socialism was winning the game and Bernie Sanders was no longer the lone kook.
His team was now ahead.
But then “Team Liberty” awoke through the Tea Party Movement and concerted prayer. They “scored” big in the November 2, 2010 elections and re-gained the lead for the forces of freedom. On many fronts, freedom and common sense triumphed and was preparing to add a larger national advantage on January 3, 2011 when the new 112th Congress convenes and in 2012 when a new president can be elected.
So Barack Obama, captain of “Team Tyranny,” saw the victory slipping away and let fly with his Hail Mary.
Don’t be deceived by other members of his team that are yapping and swawking. They’re just decoy receivers that are really working for the same goal. Barack Obama was throwing to other “receivers”–Independents–who he needs to score a winning touchdown.
The Compromise was all about his re-election in 2012. Without it, socialism will not be able to win the game.
Barack Obama has not changed. He’s still a socialist-of-some-type at heart. But time was running out and momentum had swung.
He desperately heaved a Hail Mary to try and get re-elected.
Let’s hope and pray that his pass is incomplete during the Lame Duck Session.
As Heritage Foundation and many others now understand, the compromise must fail.
Then “Team Liberty” can once again get the ball back on January 3, 2011 and make permanent the tax rates, begin repealing Obamacare, and soundly defeat the socialists in 2012. Next, a new generation of leaders must stop frivolous spending, balance the budget, promote faith and morality, strengthen national defenses and encourage an American spiritual awakening.
That’s the meaning of the tax rate debate.
Refusing to Listen is Failing to Serve
When Bill Clinton ran for president in 1992, he campaigned as a center-left politician who eventually got in trouble for pushing nationalized health care (Hillarycare) and taking the nation in a liberal direction. He was rebuked by the avalanche of the 1994 elections (remember the “Contract With America“) when the Republicans swept both the House and Senate.
A course correction was needed to serve the people and the American vision.
President Clinton needed to listen.
That’s the essence of both servant and democratic leadership–the will of the people should prevail. The American vision is people rule (self-government) under God.
I wrote a book on servant leadership in 1989 called Leadership for the 21st Century: Changing Nations Through the Power of Serving. The book centers on ten attitudes and ten actions of a servant leader that are exemplified in the life of Jesus. Servant leaders always put the needs and desires of others above their own.
If you’ve never read Leadership for the 21st Century, I’d be glad to send you a personalized copy. Besides the ten character qualities, the book is worth the “prophecy” contained in the first chapter that amazingly became true over the past twenty years. The other is the Appendix where I shared William McDonald’s twenty-five qualities of leadership that made Jesus the greatest servant leader of men.
Drop me a note with any donation (YWAM, P.O. Box 1634, Port Orchard, WA USA 98367) and I’ll send you a copy.
It would make a great Christmas read.
Then there’s the aspect of democratic leadership. In republican democracies, representatives of the people are elected for two primary reasons: 1) To protect the God-given rights of the people, and 2) To legislate their concerns into law.
Servants care about people’s desires and real democrats do too. Democratic governments are uniquely designed to benefit the people.
Now back to President Clinton.
After a shellacking in the 1992 elections, to his credit, President Clinton recognized democratic realities (and also good politics), admitted that the nation had spoken, and that he needed to change. Over a number of months he pivoted to the political center for the good of the nation.
Before his pivot he had become “The Incredible Shrinking President” (remember that cover story of TIME magazine in 1992?). After he humbled himself and changed course, he became a relatively successful president. What followed was a season of bi-partisanship in politics, social stability, and economic growth led by a Republican-controlled Congress and a begrudging but cooperative presidency.
Bill Clinton was willing to change course when shown he was wrong. As a result, he ended up getting major credit for the first balanced budget in years, and despite the Monica Lewinsky sexual scandal, ended his term in high popularity with the American people.
He listened. Both he and the nation were blessed.
Now fast-forward to 2008.
A nation tired of war and worried about economic uncertainties again voted for a supposed center-left politician–Barack Obama. He was well-spoken and charismatic–although grossly under qualified for the highest office in the nation. He had never run a business or met a payroll. Most of the life had been spent on the public dole or in community organizing activities. He was a state senator for seven short years and US Senator for only two. He’d never led anything, and had been involved in politics for less than a decade.
His major track record related to radical causes
Yet, because of a supportive press, and the failure of the Republicans to live up to their ideals, the American people elected Barack Obama to lead the most important nation on earth.
Upon assuming office in January, 2008, he immediately tacked to the left just as Bill Clinton had done sixteen years before–and Jimmy Carter sixteen years before that.
We seem to get a liberal assault every sixteen years or so.
And now–after two years of radically liberal policies:
- Three trillion dollars in excessive government spending
- Chicago-style arm-twisting, back room deals, and appointing numerous “czars”
- Pushing destructive environmental causes (Copenhagen Summit and Cap and Trade legislation)
- Weakness in the war on terror (refusing even to use the word),
- Expanding the federal government by 10% and scores of thousands of jobs
- Pushing through national health care–worse than Hillarycare–that bears his name.
- And vowing to vastly alter the American nation through massive income re-distribution,
Barack Obama has arrived at the “shrinking president moment” faced by Bill Clinton in 1992. Repudiated by a landslide election on November 2–far worse than the 1992 debacle on a national scale–President Obama had the opportunity to humble himself, accept a political defeat, and be servant-like, and democratic by turning back to the traditional American center.
He could have pivoted America back toward fiscal sanity and moral rightness.
Instead, he pushed for a repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (the homosexualization of the American Armed Forces), and continued to hold out on raising taxes on successful small businesses and wealthy individuals–the ones who create jobs in the economy.
He’s not listening.
So he’s neither being democratic nor acting as a servant leader.
Barack Obama has proven to be a radical ideologue who doesn’t understand democracy and appears to have no desire to serve the will of the people. He ultimately lost the battle to raise taxes, but not because he’s repentant and willing to change.
He just doesn’t have the votes.
As long as he proudly stays the secular-progressive course, he will continue to shrink as a leader (now down to 39% in public popularity) and hurt the American nation.
We are witnessing a colossal failure in democratic, servant leadership.
It pains me to write these words. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, to stay clear of questioning others’ motivations, and give them a chance to perform. For the past two years I have been waiting for a “wiser” Barack Obama to emerge or evolve. I wishfully thought that the awe and realities of the office of the POTUS would soften his perspective on the great issues of our day.
I have been deeply disappointed–as has much of the nation. After the November mid-terms, which were an historical tidal wave for conservative candidates on both a state and national level, I again hoped Barack Obama would step to the teleprompter and say something like this to the American people:
“My fellow Americans, you have spoken clearly through the election results. I have been humbled by your voice and want to respond to the will of the people. “Let me be clear: the people are the true leaders of the United States of America, and as our leaders you have told us to change course.”
“You do not want us to increase the size and growth of the Federal government. You want power returned to the people and also to the states. You don’t want us to follow the pathway of Europe, but return to the American dream of individual freedom, a Constitutional republic and limited powers of government control.”
“I have heard your concerns and will respond to your will. Together, let us do the right things to make our nation great again.”
I’d love to hear those words from our 44th president.
Humility and truth are beautiful things.
So is the ability to listen.
But it doesn’t look like they will be forthcoming. Barack Obama is more a radical version of Jimmy Carter than a pragmatic-oriented Bill Clinton.
In my heart, I hope that President Obama will still see the light and pivot toward the truth. If he doesn’t, the American nation could be in store for some very dark days ahead.
We are sadly witnessing a colossal failure of democratic servant leadership.
Let us pray fervently for our president–and live as servant leaders in the spheres God has given to each one of us..