Civilization

“Having registered all the private guns in the country, Germany is now the most civilized nation in the world.”
-- Adolph Hitler, 1937

Thanksgiving: A Day to Acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God

Many people still hold these beliefs, but things like "penumbras and emanations" make it less likely that you'll hear them:

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789."

Theodore Roosevelt's "Micah Mandate" (1917)

"The teaching of the New Testament is foreshadowed in Micah’s verse, “What more doth the Lord require of thee than to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” Do justice; and therefore fight valiantly against those that stand for the reign of Moloch and Beelzebulb on this earth. Love mercy; treat your enemies well; succor the afflicted; treat every woman as if she were your sister; care for the little children; and be tender with the old and helpless. Walk humbly; you will do so if you study the life and teachings of the Savior, walking in His steps. And remember; the most perfect machinery of government will not keep us as a nation from destruction if there is not within us a soul. No abounding of material prosperity shall avail us if our own spiritual senses atrophy. The foes of our own household will surely prevail against us unless there be in our people an inner life which gives its outward expression in a morality like unto that preached by the seers and prophets of God when the grandeur that was Greece and the glory that was Rome still lay in the future."

The Liberals' Motto

"You can trust the man who says he's searching for the truth, but you can't trust the man who says he's found it." (Source unknown)

Where the Church Goes Wrong with Homosexuality

While homosexuality is a sin, it is also a sin to bar people who need help from the Church. Christians need to understand homosexuality. Homosexuals are just like any other sinners -- they are people. They are, in many ways, just like all other people -- they are sinners.
The Church universal has not dealt with homosexuality properly. Instead of shunning them, the Church needs to tell them the truth -- there is a way out, and God can forgive them if they will repent. We cannot tell them this if we never talk to them.
We all deal with sins, and many have long-term struggles with desires of many kinds -- drug addiction, pornography, beating one's spouse, verbally abusing family members.
The Church must develop relationships with all sinners; they must discipline those who teach false doctrines; they must equip their congregations to talk about these issues.

Why Homosexuality is Wrong

1) The Bible strictly forbids it. Only modern "scholars" can wrongly perceive and wrongly intrepret such passages. It's clear -- the Judeo-Christian Scriptures do not provide for homosexuality as an alternative lifestyle, or another valid brand of sexuality.
2) If we all lived out homosexual lives, the earth would be empty of humans in one generation.
3) It is an aberration of marriage and family, which God defined in Genesis as one man and one woman.
4) It does not provide a stable home for children.
5) As an aberration, it goes beyond just homosexuality. It opens wide the doors for men to define marriage, so that bestiality, groups, incest and molestation will become "normal."
6) Just because some animals are attracted to the same sex of their species does not make it natural for humans. By that logic, we should be able to eat our babies and rape, among other things. Along with this, such acts would be decriminalized since animals are not punished for them.

The Importance of Guns

"No free man shall ever be de-barred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is the last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government."
Thomas Jefferson

The Debate Over Same-Sex Marriage

Read it here (opens in a new window)

Obey God Rather Than Men

Acts 5:27-39 give Christians the biblical and Godly reason for rejecting civil government when it comes to preaching the Gospel:

27 When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, F43 yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority. F44 30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him." 33 When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. 34 But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, respected by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 35 Then he said to them, "Fellow Israelites, F45 consider carefully what you propose to do to these men. 36 For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and disappeared. 37 After him Judas the Galilean rose up at the time of the census and got people to follow him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. 38 So in the present case, I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; because if this plan or this undertaking is of human origin, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!"

This does NOT give Christians license to disobey every law or ordinance that doesn't suit them. Throughout the Holy Bible, God gives us clear direction that we are to obey the governing authorities. But there is a limit. Given the example of Daniel (Daniel 6) praying against Darius' decree, and the example in Acts, we have biblical authority and freedom to pray and preach.
Jesus tells us to "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (Mark 12:17). This has two levels of meaning: 1) The state (Caesar) will require taxes -- we are to pay those. But the state does not have our hearts. Our souls, our hearts, our object of worship, is for God alone. 2) Not all of our money goes to the State. Pay your taxes, but also pay your tithe.

Christians in America are losing more and more freedoms, and some of those are OK to live with. The Declaration of Independence reads, "Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed." So it's wise not to leave the country for every inconvenience and evil that pops us. BUT, being denied the rights to prayer, worship and preaching are unacceptable. The State is not God, and it may not dictate these practices.

The Doctrine of Interposition

“The doctrine that a state, in the exercise of its sovereignty, may reject a mandate of the federal government deemed to be unconstitutional or to exceed the powers delegated to the federal government.

The concept is based on the 10th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States reserving to the states powers not delegated to the United States. Historically, the doctrine emanated from Chisholm v. Georgia, 2 Dallas 419, wherein the state of Georgia, when sued in the Supreme Court by a private citizen of another state, entered a remonstrance and declined to recognize the court's jurisdiction. Amendment 11 validated Georgia's position.

Implementation of the doctrine may be peaceable, as by resolution, remonstrance or legislation, or may proceed ultimately to nullification with forcible resistance.”

Also read: John Eidsmoe's article on The Doctrine of Interposition

Way to go, Brittany McComb!