Newt, will a Christian God be invited to the governing table at your White House?
Newt is rising in the polls, is God a part of the solution, or is Newt another secularist? by Mark Vogl
(conservative)
Saturday, November 19, 2011
This is my second article concerning the candidacy of Newt Gingrich. This article focuses on Christianity, and God's place in a possible Gingrich administration. Once again, I have visited his web site and used Newt's own words to organize this article. The exact words from Newt's site are in italics and bold. While I have tried to be absolutely fair with respect to the written words I found on the site, I strongly suggest you visit Newt's site to insure that you research for yourself. The succinct organization and clarity of the Gingrich site provides a real opportunity for the average American to think through the breadth of issues, forces and challenges operating within the United States. Newt should be commended for providing a real classroom for the citizen, a place to sit and think about our nation at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
The issue of Christianity and God at the national "governing table" is so large, so important, that I felt Newt's positions and most important statements would be easily found.
Let me re-state here that I am a Sarah Palin supporter who is looking for a candidate I can support, since at this point, Sarah is not running for the office of President of the United States.
Obama's denial of America as a Christian nation has to be included in 2012 election process. Will Americans accept Obama's statement as a new reality? Governor Rick Perry of Texas had included in his political calculus for the GOP primary a clear understanding of the political strength of the Religious Right. However, Perry's lack of promoting/including God and Christianity as a part of his administration, over three terms as governor, helped to frame Perry's outreach to the religious right as insincere. And, Mitt Romney's Mormon faith could not be seen as a rejection of President Obama's denial of the Christian soul of America.
"However, since his resurrection I believe Newt has been "re-educated." I believe he is now a member of Bush-Clinton-Bush globalist -internationalist American party. I believe a review of his initiatives will demonstrate that he is not the Newt Gingrich of 1994. I still retain great respect for his intellect, experience and breadth of knowledge. He may be the most intelligent man to run for the office of President in my half century life time."
The new America PC doctrine is an acceptance of diversity. This diversity has no bounds. It includes all religious faiths, all economic systems, all social and moral traditions. Chaos, not conformity is the result. Right is relativistic. The only purpose of the majority is to legitimize the power held by the "ruling elite," but the majority will have no influence on policy per se. American nationalism has been rejected, and Christianity as a core foundation of that nationalism has been set aside. The assumed foundational position of Christianity with respect to the Constitution, as reflected on page 310 of The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States through the writings of Judge Bayard of Delaware; " The difference between the various sects of Christians is such, that, while all have much in common, there are many points of variance: so that in an instrument where all are entitled to equal consideration it would be difficult to use terms in which all could cordially join." is being erased by modern revisionism.
Let's take a look at Newt's views.
Principles to protect life and religious liberty
1.Nominate conservative judges who are committed to upholding Constitutional limited government and understand that the role of the judges is to interpret the law, not legislate from the bench.
A standard promise by "conservative" candidates, but the current Congressional process does NOT allow for verification of the ideology, or point of view, of the candidate for judge. The position of Supreme Court Judge is as close to the position of king as exists on the earth today. First, you are selected for life, there is no end to the term but death. Second, you cannot be asked whether you believe in God, and if you do, what role He plays in your thinking about the governance of America. You cannot be asked if you are for or against abortion. You cannot be asked if you are for against traditional marriage. In fact, you can't be asked about your views on anything. It is absolutely amazing how much we can't know about a person being nominated for one of the most powerful positions in the entire world.
Newt's promise here is almost laughable. While "conservatives" wear some of the black robes, the United States has moved further and further left. Power has been taken from the states. The power of the central government has been consolidated, and the Courts have become the ultimate deciders of US policy. To change the ruling of 5 of the 9 Supreme Court Justices requires 2/3's of the Senate, 2/3's of the House of Representatives, and 3/4's of the states...which would require either approval of both houses and the governor in each or 37 states, or approval by public referendum. All of this to counter the decision of 5 people!
The Supreme Court decided in favor of slavery because it was in the Constitution. The Dred Scott decision, which was the correct decision, may be a lesson for present day justices, clerks and law students that they should seize the power to re-write or ignore the Constitution and law because those documents can be in error. That may be where Roe v. Wade came from. And if Obamacare is sustained by the Supreme Court it will be the greatest usurpation of power by a single branch of our national government in this nation's history!
2.Combat judicial activism by utilizing checks on judicial power Constitutionally available to the elected branches of government. (Read an extended white paper on restoring the proper role of the judicial branch here.)
I would encourage you to read the White Paper at the Gingrich site. I have not, and may do a third article concerning only this issue.
3.End taxpayer subsidies for abortion by repealing Obamacare, defunding Planned Parenthood, and reinstating the “Mexico City Policy” which banned funding to organizations that promote and/or perform abortions overseas.
Absolutely support. As a Christian I believe that each and every conception is divine in inspiration, that each soul on this planet is here as the result of the decision of God. It is this inspiration which is the foundation for equality of all people, and sets the standard for the treatment of all people. Abortion is an act against the will of God.
4.Protect religious expression in the public square such as crosses, crèches and menorahs.
While I agree with this, I believe there should be a qualifying statement which refers to the original Christian foundation of this nation, the Christian character of our nation, and the importance of assimilation and integration of immigrants. Religion, the belief in God and the unique history, messages, and interpretations of the different religions are too complex, too massive to be easily melded into a single nation. Religion is the first or second cause for war, behind money,
The American acceptance of differing religious faiths comes from the great Reformation, and the differences in Christian faith which broke out in Europe. This original acceptance in different faiths included Judaism. But it did not include Islam, or Buda, or Hindu or any of the Asian faiths. It is impossible to have a cohesive national culture absent a central religious faith. This aspect of diversity is destroying America, ripping the nation apart.
The issue here is not to bar faiths outside of Christianity, but rather to embrace the many different religions of Judeo-Christianity as the foundation of the United States of America.
This issue, in my view, is at the heart of America's future. Should we continue down the path of excluding God from the governing table, we are destroying the very idea of the United States of America as it was conceived by the first immigrants to the land that became the 13 colonies.
5.Protect healthcare workers right to conscience by making sure they are not forced to participate in or refer procedures such as abortion.
Agree.
6.Protect the rights of home-schooled children by ensuring they have the same access to taxpayer funded, extra-curricular educational opportunities as any public school student.
Home schooling has many positive aspects, but it is also a reflection of the abandonment of the classroom to secularism, and a rejection of God as the central Creator and moral guide for our society. While I agree with the next principle and will address points there, I believe home schooling has been a "political pressure release valve" which has fractured the Christian majority within the United States, and reduced real efforts to re-instill Christianity in the public school classroom. In New York an established conservative party severely reduced the conservatism of New York's Republican Party, making liberalism the status quo there. I believe home schooling has had the same effect on public education across the nation by removing some of the most dedicated, committed, active Christians from the public school environment.
7.Protect the rights of teachers to use historical examples involving religion in their classroom. Nor should they be discouraged from answering questions about religion or discussing it objectively in the classroom.
I agree with the above, but assert an even more central role for our Lord in the public classroom. Can you imagine discussing astrophysics in the classroom if mention of the sun were barred by administrators? How would a teacher explain the solar system, the orbital paths of the planets, the twenty four hour nature of the day, and the three hundred and sixty five day year? This is precisely the problem teachers have concerning history, right and wrong, the Declaration of Independence the Constitution, and the very nature of life. The removal of Providence from the classroom removes the very center of life, just as the removal of sun would remove the center of the solar system!
An extensive review of The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States, with particular focus on Chapter 6, Christians Systems of Education on the New England Colonies would help all understand that the original emphasis on education by the founders if this nation was intended to facilitate the learning of the Christian religion. This embrace of Christian faith was national, and is also found in The Confederate First Reader, where many Biblical stories are found. Interestingly both of the works mentioned were published in 1864.
8.Protect the frail, infirm and the elderly from the state’s arbitrary decision to terminate life.
Socialism inevitably leads to the government deciding who lives and who dies. For those moderate who trust government, above themselves, or above their neighbors or family members, or church, or God, Obamacare will make the decision for you.
Newt's proposals are worthy of consideration, but I would suggest that his proposals are modest when one considers the real needs with respect to re-engaging Providence in the governance of our society. Newt's initiatives are a good place to start the discussion, but certainly not the end.
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