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| Political Correctness Run Amok (Even in the Bible Belt) |
Posted: 11/22/2007
Political Correctness Run Amok
from the November 13, 2007 eNews issue
It's that time of year again, next week we celebrate Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season. It's a busy time of year for everyone, especially for organizations like the ACLU, which seem to have made it their mission to ensure that everyone has a happy and PC winter season. Each year, as the Christmas season commences, there is a flurry of lawsuits and squabbles over our constitutional right to the "free exercise" of religion. This year has been no exception:
Last week the citizens of Berkley, MI voted against a charter amendment that would have allowed for the display of a nativity scene on city property. The hotly-debated and highly publicized battle began last year when the American Civil Liberties Union threatened a lawsuit. The ACLU claimed that putting the nativity on city land (where it had been for 20 years) was a violation of the First Amendment, so the display was moved to a local church.
In Chattanooga, TN the live nativity scene that has traditionally been a part of the annual "Grand Illumination" celebration will be relocated to private property. The nativity was moved after several people complained.
Controversy is brewing in Olean, NY over a nativity scene on city land. According to press reports, a committee will decide whether religious displays should be allowed on public property.
Last year government officials at the state capitol in Olympia, WA denied a request to put up a nativity scene on public property because, according to the Associated Press, "state lawyers said there wasn't enough time to determine whether it would constitute government endorsement of a religion." The request was rejected despite the presence of a menorah and a "holiday" tree. A federal lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal advocacy group, challenging the decision. The lawsuit was recently settled and the nativity display will be allowed provided the state "doesn't promote one religion over another."
How It All Started
Over the course of the last forty years there has been a radical shift in the role of the American judicial system, as a result of which our religious freedoms are being stripped away. Those who were appointed to interpret the law and secure justice for the American people have abused their power in order to manipulate public policy. That shift in principle directly hangs on one phrase: separation of church and state. A concept blatantly invented by the United States Supreme Court in order to justify their personal political and social agendas. This concept has eroded the foundation laid by the founding fathers of this nation, a foundation built on the existence an almighty and loving Creator.
First it is important to point out that the words "separation of church and state" are not found anywhere in the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or even the Declaration of Independence. That phrase comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association. The "wall of separation between church and state" that Jefferson referred to in his letter was clearly meant to protect religious freedom and prevent government from attempting to take away our God-given unalienable rights.
So how did the phrase "separation of church and state" become a part of our vocabulary? On June 25, 1962 in Engel v. Vitale the US Supreme Court used the "separation of church and state" argument as its basis for banning prayer in public schools. Their decision marked the turning point in the interpretation of the First Amendment. The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The amendment was intended to prevent a repeat of the Church of England. But in 1962 the US Supreme Court ignored 170 years of history, legal precedent, and the clear intent of First Amendment, by interpreting that amendment to prohibit religious activities in public settings. The 1962 ruling was the first case in Supreme Court history that did not cite any previous precedents or legal cases in making its decision.
To learn more about the origins of Thanksgiving, our nation's unique religious heritage, and the challenges we now face, check out the briefing pack titled Thanksgiving: America's Challenge.
Distributed by www.ChristianWorldviewNetwork.com
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WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE 1ST THANKSGIVING
| Posted On: 11/23/07 10:27:05 AM |
Age 64, OH |
I have heard many men say that the message of Thanksgiving is religious freedom. Others say the key is giving thanks. But WHO did the Pilgrims give thanks to and WHY were they thankful. That is the key we should all wonder about. Why did they Pilgrims have THANKSGIVING. The church of England was very corrupt and was led by men that did not even know Him let alone be chosen by God to lead. These leaders would punish anyone who did not submit to them. The Pilgrims REFUSED to submit to any man, but submitted to God alone. They were put in prison for this. So we all know the story about their leaving England on the Mayflower. When they arrived at this land there was miracle after miracle that kept them from being destroyed. ( read the "Light and the Glory", every bit as miraculous as the children of Israel) But when the winter arrived they were still not prepared and did not have enough food. They were down to a ration of three kernels of corn per person. Half of them died. This caused them to seek God and read the scriptures as never before. This is what God told them. They should NOT compare themselves to they wicked men in England but they should COMPARE THEMSELVES TO GOD ALMIGHTY. The Pilgrims might have well been the most righteous men in England but their righteousness was as filthy rags for they were still men. Suddenly instead of seeing themselves as righteous they seen themselves as filthy sinners, which we all are. So the Pilgrims prayed and confessed their sinfulness and arrogance to God. They repented of their wicked ways and asked God to save them. By this time they had planted crops again and their was a drought so the crops could not grow. While they were praying it started to rain and God answered them from heaven. They were so thankful for that God answered them. They were so thankful for the rain so they could have food to eat in the winter. But they were REALLY thankful that God did not leave them in their sin but by His grace had caused them to repent of their arrogance and sin. He had caused them to seek Him by bringing difficult times to them. They had turned back to trusting in NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS. For they had been trusting in the fact that they were "Christians". Before a man is a Christian they only thing that will save him is the blood of Jesus. After a man becomes a Christian the only thing that will continue to save him is the blood of the Lord Jesus. So this is what the first Thanksgiving is about. BEING THANKFUL FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, THAT IN HIS MERCY, WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS, HE BECAME A MAN AND SHED ALL HIS BLOOD TO PAY FOR OUR SIN. THE PILGRIMS WERE THANKFUL FOR THE BLOOD OF JESUS. The Pilgrims started their THANKSGIVING not with a feast but a prayer. They put THREE KERNELS OF CORN ON EACH PLATE. They put the corn there "Lest they forget" what great things that God had done for them. So who were they thankful to - The Lord Jesus Christ. Why were they thankful - they were thankful for the blood that The Lord Jesus Christ had shed for them. To give thanks to anyone but the Lord Jesus on Thanksgiving is an insult to God and the Pilgrims. To give thanks for anything but the blood of Jesus is missing the whole point of the Pilgrims Thanksgiving. Lou
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Re: Political Correctness Run Amok (Even in the Bible Belt)
| Posted On: 11/22/07 08:50:03 PM |
Age 61, MO |
I have really been at a loss to see how the 1st Amendment to the Constitution says anything about separation of church and state. The first Amendment does protect freedom of speech or expression, which is what a Nativity scene is. If some party doesn't agree with what that expresses as a Christian idea, they can merely disregard it; or substitute something that expresses their own religious preference. George Cancilla
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