by Thomas E. Brewton
Separation of church and state applies as much to the religion of socialism as to the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Read Sol Stern’s article in City Journal, the publication of the Manhattan Institute, which was the think tank whose ideas underlay Mayor Giuliani’s slashing of crime rates, tax cuts, reduction of public employee rolls, and revitalization of New York City’s economy.
As I have repeatedly asserted, and nearly every major socialist thinker has agreed, socialism is a religion (see Socialism: Our Unconstitutionally Established National Religion).
Therefore, the tax-supported teaching bias and methodology described by Mr. Stern are a gross violation of the First Amendment, which in the 20th century was interpreted by the Supreme Court as applicable also to states and local governments, via incorporation under the 14th Amendment.
New York City is at the extreme left wing of such educational practices, but Federal funding of elementary and secondary education has meant that a handful of liberal-Progressive-socialists have sufficient influence in textbook selection to see that the atheistic materialism of socialism permeates all of our educational system.
To some degree, all of our children are being taught that moral relativism is the proper approach to life and that everything good in their lives comes from the collectivized National State.
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His weblog is THE VIEW FROM 1776http://www.thomasbrewton.com/
Posted by Walt in Censorship, US Constitution categories at 11:53 PM EDT
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“The United Methodist Church, under its liberal leadership, is losing over 50,000 members a year, and this church lobby official is oddly worried about getting American flags out of our churches.”
—Mark Tooley, Executive Director UMAction
_________________________
Washington, DC—An official with the Washington, D.C. lobby office of the 8 million member United Methodist Church called this week for the removal of U.S. flags from his denomination’s churches. The Rev. Clayton Childers of the Capitol Hill-based United Methodist Board of Church and Society declared: “The presence of a national flag in worship can imply endorsement of national policies which often run counter to the teachings of Jesus Christ and our Christian faith.” He ominously noted: “One need only recall the way the Swastika Flag was displayed prominently in German churches during the Nazi era.”
IRD Director of UMAction Mark Tooley responded:
The United Methodist Church, under its liberal leadership, is losing over 50,000 members a year, and this church lobby official is oddly worried about getting American flags out of our churches.
Unlike the blood-soaked Swastika flags that the Nazis forced upon German churches, American churches voluntarily display their country’s flag as a reminder of the country in which God has providentially placed them. Typically, American flags stand against the side walls of American churches, quietly and obtrusively. They are hardly the idolatrous object of imperialistic worship against which the United Methodist lobby official warned.
Religious Left figures, like the United Methodist official, are hardly concerned about idolatry when their politically correct, rainbow paraphernalia and peace banners are woven into church worship services. They oppose the United States flag because they are contemptuous of our country, its history, its institutions, its culture, and its leadership role in the world.
Most United Methodists, and most religious people in America, display the flag as a symbol of God’s blessings upon our nation. Following the commandments of Christ, all Christians are called upon to love their nation, wherever they live, and to render unto Caesar his due, even as they render their worship only unto God.
Contact: Loralei Coyle (202) 682-4131
Posted by Walt in Christianity, Patriotism categories at 5:26 PM EDT
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by Thomas E. Brewton
The inconsistency of atheistic materialism. There's more there than Marx allowed for.
Our thoroughly secularized society explains events and behavior, human nature itself, as the product of the material conditions of living and earning a living, in accord with the Marxian thesis.
In The German Ideology Marx and his colleague Friederick Engels wrote:
As individuals express their life, so they are. What they are, therefore, coincides with their production, both with what they produce and with how they produce. The nature of individuals thus depends on the material conditions determining their production.
Present-day liberals therefore deny the concept of a higher law, of timeless moral truths emanating from God the Creator of the universe. They fancy themselves capable of restructuring society, and human nature in the process. Hence the endless stream of new Federal welfare-state programs. In the liberal view, economic and social problems can be cured only by bountiful application of the most materialistic of all things: money.
School massacres, of which Virginia Tech is the latest and deadliest example, predictably are thought by liberals to result from a material factor: the availability of firearms. In liberal theory, make guns unavailable, and you change human nature.
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Posted by Walt in Communism, Education, Liberalism, Social Issues categories at 5:54 PM EDT
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Shaping young minds…or is it twisting?
by Thomas Lindaman
One of the perks of being a celebrity is being asked to give public speeches, including the occasional commencement address for a high school or institution of higher learning. Of course, I’m not a celebrity, per se, which would explain why I’m still waiting on a high school or institution of higher learning to contact me. But, just in case Pauly Shore or Paris Hilton’s gardener’s first cousin’s manicurist has to cancel, here’s a glimpse at what you’d get if you hired me.
Greetings students, faculty, staff, parents, and significant others. It is a fine day to be speaking to the class of [insert year] of [insert name of school]. It wasn’t so long ago that I wandered through these hallowed halls as a lowly freshman, trying to find [insert name of beloved instructor’s room to take [insert name of class instructor taught]. Boy, wasn’t he/she a tough, but fair teacher?
Okay, I lied. I never went to school here. But this is the first lesson you need to learn before going off into the "real world." People lie. Some right to your face and on a daily basis in the case of politicians, salesmen, and Bill Clinton, but I’m repeating myself with that last one.
I know commencement addresses are all about inspiring you to go out and be the very best you can be, but let’s face facts here. The real world can suck out loud sometimes. There comes a time when the idealism of youth gives way to harsh realities, like realizing that painting your body green and blue for your big Earth Day march/excuse to pick up liberal chicks isn’t going to make things better.
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Posted by Walt in Education, Social Issues categories at 11:06 PM EDT
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By Alan Caruba
The latest summary of yet another revised edition of a report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control has evoked all the usual fears predicting the deaths of millions by 2080, and other end of the world scenarios.
2080 is a mere 73 years from now. In meteorological terms, it is a blink of the eye. Real climatologists measure time far differently than the rest of us. While the IPCC, Al Gore, and the other fear mongers are warning of the horrors of Global Warming, it is useful to look at the time scales. The end of the last Ice Age was 11,500 ago.
It is also useful to keep in mind that the known cycle of time between Ice Ages is about 11,500 years. If you believe the fear mongers, in less than the lifetime of the average American, coastal cities will be under water. If the Ice Age cycle holds true, however, at some point it is far more likely that they will be under a thick sheet of ice.
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Posted by Walt in Environment Issues, Global Warming categories at 10:19 PM EDT
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by Sher Zieve
Were the antics of the six Flying Imams merely additional tactics in the Islamic overall strategy of installing Shari’a law in the USA? It would appear so, according to some self-avowed moderate Muslims and the results of other recently exhibited actions by US Islamists and their followers. Let’s take a look.
With regards to Minneapolis Airport’s Muslim cab drivers, in 2006 the Muslim American Society of Minneapolis (MAS) issued a "fatwa" (religious edict) to the Minneapolis Airport Commission (MAC). The fatwa advised MAC that Islamic law prohibits Muslims from being around the sin of alcohol and Muslim cabbies refused to transport any passenger fares who had packed sealed alcoholic products in their luggage. Other Muslim taxi drivers at the airport also refused to transport passengers with dogs—including guide dogs. Muslims consider not only pork to be unclean but, dogs also. After a great deal of foot-dragging and stalling, MAC finally voted on the Muslim cabbies’ demands, in April. With a unanimous 11-0 vote, Minneapolis Airport commissioners agreed to suspend airport taxi drivers who refuse fares. The first offense will carry a 30-day suspension and repeat offenses will result in 2-year taxi license revocations. Note: This is highly unusual, as lately all too many Muslim demands have been met with submission to them.
One of these recent submissions to Islam involves a Minneapolis Target store. Muslim Target checkers refuse to scan any pork products. Due to the recent Muslim cab driver flap, one can only assume this refusal-to-touch-or-scan also applies to any products containing alcohol. Instead of advising the Target Muslim checkers that scanning pork is part of their jobs, Target accommodated their demands. The retail giant has either transferred the Muslims to other duties or a non-Muslim employee is called to scan the items. Question: Are Jewish Target employees afforded the same treatment, when they must handle pork? The answer is, of course, no. Singular privilege applies only to Muslims.
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Posted by Walt in Immigration, Law Issues, Religon categories at 11:39 PM EDT
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by Sher Zieve
After their 2006 Communist May Day march, illegals and their handlers are at it again. They have resumed their "we want our rights" march. 1 May has become the illegals in the US new protest-against-the-US-and-its-"European"-population-day. Last year, the illegals carried Mexican flags, flew the US flag upside down at half-mast and demanded US citizenship. Groups including MEChA and the Mexica Movement also demanded all US citizens of European ancestry be deported. Note: Bear in mind, these demands are coming from illegal entrants to our country—not legal ones. But, then hordes invading countries have historically issued demands. The only thing that is new, this time, is that hungry-for-votes US politicians are listening to them. "Anything for power and anything for a buck," appears to be the politicos’ mantra. For the illusion of power, they are willing to sacrifice not only the US’ national security but, anyone and everyone who gets in their way. These include we-the-people.
This year, the illegal aliens are not only demanding immediate US citizenship but that the US stop arresting and deporting them. Using their new excuse that ICE (US Immigration Control and Enforcement) is ‘splitting up families’, illegals are demanding that the US cease and desist the enforcement of its immigration laws. Carrying signs that say "Justice for Children of Immigrants" and "No Human Being is Illegal", illegals have the support of local California councilmen and others. As examples, in San Jose, Councilmen Dave Cortese and Sam Liccardo are marching with the illegals and, apparently, support the ignoring US immigration laws. Councilman Liccardo commented: "We have too good of a community here not to be heard. And I know we are going to win!" With politicians behind them, the illegals no longer need to hide their crimes. They can now proclaim them with pride and in the light of day—then tell us that enforcing our country’s laws is the real crime.
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Posted by Walt in Immigration categories at 11:35 PM EDT
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New York, May 2, 2007 - Actor Kirk Cameron and best-selling author Ray Comfort will square off with two atheists in New York on Saturday, May 5. ABC originally planned to stream the 90-minute debate LIVE on their website, but decided to reschedule the broadcast to capture a larger audience. They will broadcast the entire debate on ABC.com on Wednesday, May 9 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Comfort-who claims he can prove the existence of God, scientifically, without mentioning faith or the Bible-stated, "The network originally offered me only four minutes to present my case. After speaking with Kirk and conferring with the atheists, they settled on 13 minutes. I'm ecstatic. I can prove the existence of God in that amount of time.
"We are very grateful to ABC for taking this courageous step," Comfort continued. "As far as we know, nothing like this has ever been done before. ABC's website is already the 7th most visited news site, with 19 million visitors every month. But with more than 177 million people in the U.S. who call themselves Christians, we are sure that it will draw an even larger viewing audience. Is there actually evidence for God? That's the most important question any of us will ever consider."
Cameron added, "We are excited that the network has decided to do this, because we have something very relevant to present. Most people think that belief in God is simply a matter of blind faith, and that His existence can't be proven. We will not only prove that God exists, but as an ex-atheist I'll show that the issue keeping so many people from believing in God-Darwinian evolution-is completely unscientific. It's a fairy-tale for grownups."
The debate came about after ABC ran a story in January about hundreds of atheists videotaping themselves blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
"But," Comfort continued, "there is something more sinister here than a few people not believing in God. Why would so many be so bitter against Christianity in particular? Why aren't they making videos that blaspheme Buddha or Mohammed or Ghandi? We made our own video clip and posted it on www.Hollywoodblasphemy.com to expose why.
As of May 2 there is still an opportunity for people to join in the debate, by submitting questions that will be passed on to the panelists. ABC will limit the live audience to 100 people, evenly divided between atheists and believers. The debate will be moderated by Martin Bashir, and on May 9 a shortened version of the debate will be aired on Nightline.
For further information, contact mark@livingwaters.com
Posted by Walt in Christianity, Science categories at 7:31 AM EDT
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PHILADELPHIA – Repent America (RA) is urgently calling Christians not to exercise their "right to remain silent" as the federal "hate crimes" bill proposal, H.R. 1592, heads for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, May 3, 2007.
"H.R. 1592 is an unnecessary, unconstitutional, and un-American bill, which, with the aid of homosexual-friendly prosecutors, will be used to criminalize Christians for their thoughts, beliefs, and speech," stated Repent America director Michael Marcavage. "The silence of the American church, together with the unrelenting rage of the ungodly, will soon result in the widespread incarceration of true believers," said Marcavage.
In October of 2004, eleven Christians with RA were arrested while ministering and preaching the Word of God and the Gospel message on the public streets and sidewalks of Philadelphia during a taxpayer-funded celebration of homosexuality. After spending 21 hours in jail, the District Attorney’s office charged the eleven under Pennsylvania’s hate crimes law, along with a host of other felony and misdemeanor charges. These charges were later dismissed, but if convicted, the Christians would have faced up to 47 years in prison and $90,000 in fines each.
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Posted by Walt in Censorship, Freedom of Speech, Law Issues, US Constitution categories at 9:04 AM EDT
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High School students in California who use textbooks that include references to Christian viewpoints may not be allowed into the University of Californian system. According to Robert Dynes, UC president, Biblical verses and Christian perspectives in textbooks do not qualify for core requirements, and students applying to the University of Californian system could be denied admission.
A lawsuit has been files against the University of Californian system to reverse its decision.
Officials at the highest levels of the University of California system are stomping on constitutional religious rights by banning Christian perspectives from educational materials high school students may use to prepare for college entrance, according to a case scheduled for trial later this year.
The case was triggered by the university system's decision that basic physics, American literature and biology textbooks by major Christian book publishers such as Bob Jones University Press and A Beka Book wouldn't qualify for core requirements in the state because of the inclusion of Christian perspectives.
The Association of Christian Schools International, which represents schools serving more than 1.1 million students worldwide, brought the lawsuit against the system run by Robert Dynes, UC president, alleging violations of the freedoms of speech, religion and association, and U.S. District Judge S. James Otero has refused the university's demand for a dismissal. (Source: WND.com)
Posted by Walt in Christianity, Education categories at 8:17 AM EDT
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