Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
A Presidential Candidate Pop Quiz for "Dumbed-Down" Christian Conservatives There are only two kinds of Conservative Christians - those "dumbed down" by exposure to media, and all the rest. Guess which group is voting for Ron Paul?by creator
(Libertarian)
Sunday, January 6, 2008
♣ My wife at times gets very annoyed with me when I talk about controversial issues. "You should have just kept your mouth shut" she'll often say. I don't know, maybe there's something about the excitement of waving a red flag in front of the bull that gets my adrenaline flowing. Maybe it's just a passion for getting people to think! If the lead-in to this article makes you either curious or angry, I have a deal for you: I'll gladly take the heat if you'll only take this simple test:
We "Conservative Christians" like to think of ourselves as having an enlightened world-view. (I don't mean to be overly exclusive here - even if you're not a Christian, much of this could apply to you too!) Most of us believe that view to be based on Biblical principles, and boast (at least within ourselves!) of being guided by the teachings of Scripture.
If this is true, should not our number one choice of Presidential candidate in the 2008 Presidential Primary Elections reflect a sound basis in Biblical wisdom?
Which of us "true believers" has not taught our children to respect the founding fathers of our nation, to honor the authors of our Constitution? My wife and I home-schooled our sons to honor the Constitution. Doesn't genuine honor call for more than mere lip service?
Those who hold office as public servants are required to take an oath supporting the Constitution. Do you think that solemn ceremony should be no more than an empty, "pro-forma" exercise?
Here is a simple test you can use to discern whether or not your candidate preference shows you to be a "dumbed-down" Christian or not. There are only two questions. A passing grade for your choice requires getting both questions right.
Evaluate your candidate's platform, point by point, in light of a President's oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. Does the the Constitution authorize federal involvement on each platform point?
Consider your candidate's publicly available governing or legislation track record. Does history demonstrate the candidate to be a person who has kept his or her oath of office?
Anyone can say"I support the Constitution," and several of the candidates do! However, bear in mind the words of Jesus:
"Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." - Matthew 7:20
Go ahead! It's a simple, open-book test! Apply it to your favorite candidate right now, I double-dog dare you!
For your convenience below, I have provided links to the Constitution and to all of the major candidates in the 2008 Presidential Primaries.
When I wear my Ron Paul button to church, I have had well-meaning but media-conditioned parishioners ask me "What about Huckabee?" or "Isn't Romney pro-Constitution?" Of course, they both say that they are.
The sorry fact is, most of the candidates (even upon a cursory investigation of their platform!) are already telegraphing quite clearly that they intend to violate the Presidential Oath of Office before ever having taken it!
Let that sink in for a moment.Your favorite candidate may have already published, in advance, plans detailing exactly how they intend to violate the Presidential oath of office -- Their platform and their previous actions tell you so quite plainly! Are you listening to them?
Shouldn't that speak volumes about their integrity? Even more disturbing is what that says about our mental acuity as professing Christians if we are so easily fooled!
Many of the candidates have demonstrated by their past actions that they are quite anti-Constitution, fiscally irresponsible big-government spendthrifts, beholden to special interests, weather-vanes bending to the fickle winds of public opinion and political fortune. Even the so-called "Christians" seem more intent on using that name as a political calling card than walking the walk. Shouldn't that make a difference in our choice?
If, after failing this test, we are not willing to admit to being a "Dumbed-Down Christian" (and are also not willing to change candidates) perhaps there is a third category? Maybe we're just "stiff-necked?" May God have mercy on America!
For the purposes of this article, I am listing candidates with an actual "boots on the ground" presence as indicated by their flesh-and-blood supporters in Meetup groups. If your favorite candidate does not appear here, you'll just have to find his or her platform on your own.
Copyright (c) 2007 by Dann McCreary (aka creator) - Permission to copy with attribution granted.
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Published: Sunday, January 6, 2008
Last modified: Sunday, January 6, 2008
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Posted By: Jahfre Fire Eater
Date: 2008-01-06 12:14:42
Guess which group is voting for Ron Paul? The ones who understand the difference between a conservative Christian and a Christian Conservative.
Christian Conservative is just a group label. It appeals to brand-name voters who don't really care where the goods are made or how the value compares to the price. This is a label applied to an indescribable sausage of belief systems that lead to consensus on 1 to 3 particular issues. This label says nothing about those who wear it except in regard to those very few issues. Everything else is up for grabs and it does run the gamut amongst the self-proclaimed Christian Conservatives that I know. The same is true of any label. Using group labels such as African American, Christian Conservative, Hell's Angels, etc. , says nothing about the individual members of those groups. It says nothing about their values, or about their principles, about their priorities, their expectations of themselves or their neighbors. It says nothing about their view on the role of government in our day-to-day lives.
Most of the Ron Paul supporters I know are conservative Christians. The says volumes about who they are because it is an adjective applied to an individual rather than to a group. They know that conservative principles are:
1. Rule of Law
2. Individual Liberty
3. Limited Government
4. Free Markets
5. Strong National Defense
They go about protecting these conservative principles using their Christian world view. This is the example Dr. Paul is setting. I hope more of the Christian Conservatives begin to understand the difference. That will benefit the GOP greatly in the long run.
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2008 creator, all rights reserved.