John 15:13 in the Authorized King James translation reads, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Memorial Day always brings me back to this verse. The Lord Himself telling us about the very best a human being can do for a fellow human being: Willingly sacrifice oneself for the benefit of another.
I keep ruminating on what Jesus is really saying. If you take it in its context, He is setting the standard for both love of God and love of man. He speaks to both in the verse just before and the one after. But I keep coming back to the standard itself. Self-abnegation is the apex of all relationships—to God, to family, to friends, to strangers. Self-giving love is the most profound dimension of any relationship.
Which in turn brings me back to Memorial Day. No matter what you think of the war—or war in general—there is no way around it: What our men and women in uniform do for us is an exquisite expression of this high standard for love.
And I literally mean exquisite. The American Heritage Dictionary has the definition of exquisite as:
1. Characterized by intricate and beautiful design or execution: an exquisite chalice.
2. Of such beauty or delicacy as to arouse intense delight: an exquisite sunset.
3. Excellent; flawless: plays the piano with exquisite technique.
4. Acutely perceptive or discriminating: "Blind dolphins have been known to survive in the wild, guided by exquisite acoustic images of their prey" (Kenneth Browser).
5. Intense; keen: suffered exquisite pain.
6. Obsolete: Ingeniously devised or thought out.
Yes, I meant to include that last one, number 7. While it may be outdated, it still applies.
I just watched a television news magazine’s story following the Iowa National Guard deployed in Iraq. Every single Guard member appeared to have very carefully made his or her decision to serve their country and fellow Americans by placing their own lives at risk.
And it’s not just placing their lives at risk. There’s another form of self-abnegation—self-sacrifice—that every member of the military exhibits exquisitely, even if they’re never placed in harm’s way. Certain church traditions call this “white martyrdom.” White martyrdom is distinct from the shedding of blood (red martyrdom). It denotes the willful, voluntary setting aside of creature comforts and other benefits for the sake of others.
I would argue this concept of martyrdom makes every person who signs up for military service a true “martyr.” Military service means, at the very least, surrendering independence. You no longer make the decisions about where you’ll serve, how much you’ll accept for pay, what you will wear or to whom you will submit. I’m independent enough to think of all this as a particularly painful form of suffering!
And no one who’s been in the service needs to be told that serving by definition means you’re living less than civilians. From the rules to the gruel, you’re not getting what’s available on the outside!
All this to say we have our men and women in uniform to thank for giving us living, breathing illustrations of what Jesus Christ taught about love.
Love, as Jesus defined it in John 15, is not abstracted, unrealistic, and unattainable.
In fact, quite to the contrary, the love God calls us to is very real; it’s very practical; and it’s very doable. Just take a glimpse at the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have denied themselves for the sake of the rest of us-- you'll find them today wearing brown, white, green, blue and black.
With that in mind, this Memorial Day I pay tribute to my dad, Hank Schenck, who loved exquistely in uniform.
And I pay tribute to my dad’s older brother, Captain Robert L. Schenck, for whom I am proudly named, who died in exquisite love of country during the Korean conflict.
And I pay tribute to the countless others who today and through the decades and centuries, illustrate what it is that God expects of us. They loved their nation, their fellow citizens and the human race exquisitely!
Today, we remember . . .
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
THE OTHER SIDE OF LIFE AND MINISTRY
When I was recently asked to give the sermon at the Central Union Mission here in Washington, DC, I quickly said yes. It had been a long time since I had preached at a mission, so I figured I was due for it. As always, it turned out the mission was a far greater blessing to me than I could have been to it.
We had a wonderful service the Tuesday night I went. A worship team from my own home church provided music. The hundred or so homeless men in attendance responded in different ways; from spontaneous standing gyrations to head bobbing naps and loud snores.
As the sermon time drew closer, I knew I'd have to do something to get my congregation’s attention, so I opened with a question. (It’s always a good way to arrest an audience!) I asked, “How many of you have ever been done wrong by your woman?” Lots of hands went up. Then I turned the tables and asked, “How many have ever done wrong to your woman?” Even more hands went up.
My text was Hosea 2:7, about the prophet’s prostitute wife, Gomer, becoming unsatisfied with her adulteries and returning to her husband. I made it a lesson on our unfaithfulness to God and our need to return to Him. When I gave the invitation, many responded. It was a moving night of life-saving evangelistic ministry. To be frank, I had predicted as much. The poor always receive the Gospel more easily. People who have nothing also don’t have many obstacles to faith.
What I didn’t anticipate about my visit to the Central Union Mission was the flood of memories it would bring back to me; memories from 31 years ago. Back then I lived and worked at Teen Challenge in Rochester, New York, another sort of mission. While attending Bible College, I was a resident counselor for this church-run rehabilitation center for troubled young men. Our residents came from the courts, the jails and the streets. Most were addicted, some were mentally ill, all were, indeed, deeply troubled. My job was to befriend these young men, provide a disciplined atmosphere and steer them toward living clean, Christ-centered, law-abiding, gainfully employed lives. You know-- your typical part-time job for an 18-year old!
That first night I was given a staff bedroom literally under a staircase in the old dilapidated mansion that was the center’s dorm and chapel. I can still see the beat-up metal-framed bed and feel the gaping hole right in the center of the mattress. It was a cold November and the heat vent directly under the bed had no grate on it. The hot air belched directly from the ancient octopus furnace in the basement just below. To make matters worse, the room’s miniature window had been painted shut so many times I couldn’t open it even a crack. With the house filled with 20 recovering drug addicts, alcoholics and one rapist, I didn’t dare unlock and open my door. I nearly suffocated.
In the middle of that long, scorching night, I awoke to a furious banging. I rolled off the concave mattress and guardedly opened the door. Standing in the hallway was one of the residents. He was bleeding profusely from his arms. He told me flatly, “I tried to kill myself. You better get me to the hospital.”
Taking my one and only towel from the bedpost, I wrapped the arm with what appeared to be the deepest slash, bundled him into the facility’s van and rushed off to the hospital. He had to bark directions at me because I didn’t have a clue where it was. He turned out to have mostly superficial wounds. The hospital admitted him into the psychiatric ward and I returned to my hothouse at about 4:00 in the morning.
That inauspicious beginning set the direction for the next four years. I loved Teen Challenge, but the situations with our residents never got much better. I would eventually become executive director; supervise two more centers and a lot more guys. Cheryl and I were married during those years. We returned from our honeymoon to move into a small apartment in the adjoining house that served as our offices.
What years those were. I learned so many lessons: about the power of God to change lives; about human resistance to change; about the depth of depravity to which human beings can slide in this life; and the soaring peeks to which they can climb with God’s help and the interest of others.
Sitting on the platform at the Central Union Mission brought all of it back to me: the smell of street people; the postures of those beat down by sin, sickness and mental illness; the loving, self-sacrificing service of the staff; the gratitude in the eyes of those cast off and ignored by most everyone else.
The one big thing I got out of my reminiscences about Teen Challenge (and the more recent experience at the mission itself) is that there really isn’t much difference between what I did 31 years ago and what I’m doing today. The up-and-outers in high public office that I work with now aren’t much different from the down-and-outers I worked with back then. They smell a little better, but their sins are no less consequential. The up-and-outers make messes of their lives, too, but money, prestige and power do a good job hiding those messes.
I think I’m going to preach at the mission more often.
Back later . . .
We had a wonderful service the Tuesday night I went. A worship team from my own home church provided music. The hundred or so homeless men in attendance responded in different ways; from spontaneous standing gyrations to head bobbing naps and loud snores.
As the sermon time drew closer, I knew I'd have to do something to get my congregation’s attention, so I opened with a question. (It’s always a good way to arrest an audience!) I asked, “How many of you have ever been done wrong by your woman?” Lots of hands went up. Then I turned the tables and asked, “How many have ever done wrong to your woman?” Even more hands went up.
My text was Hosea 2:7, about the prophet’s prostitute wife, Gomer, becoming unsatisfied with her adulteries and returning to her husband. I made it a lesson on our unfaithfulness to God and our need to return to Him. When I gave the invitation, many responded. It was a moving night of life-saving evangelistic ministry. To be frank, I had predicted as much. The poor always receive the Gospel more easily. People who have nothing also don’t have many obstacles to faith.
What I didn’t anticipate about my visit to the Central Union Mission was the flood of memories it would bring back to me; memories from 31 years ago. Back then I lived and worked at Teen Challenge in Rochester, New York, another sort of mission. While attending Bible College, I was a resident counselor for this church-run rehabilitation center for troubled young men. Our residents came from the courts, the jails and the streets. Most were addicted, some were mentally ill, all were, indeed, deeply troubled. My job was to befriend these young men, provide a disciplined atmosphere and steer them toward living clean, Christ-centered, law-abiding, gainfully employed lives. You know-- your typical part-time job for an 18-year old!
That first night I was given a staff bedroom literally under a staircase in the old dilapidated mansion that was the center’s dorm and chapel. I can still see the beat-up metal-framed bed and feel the gaping hole right in the center of the mattress. It was a cold November and the heat vent directly under the bed had no grate on it. The hot air belched directly from the ancient octopus furnace in the basement just below. To make matters worse, the room’s miniature window had been painted shut so many times I couldn’t open it even a crack. With the house filled with 20 recovering drug addicts, alcoholics and one rapist, I didn’t dare unlock and open my door. I nearly suffocated.
In the middle of that long, scorching night, I awoke to a furious banging. I rolled off the concave mattress and guardedly opened the door. Standing in the hallway was one of the residents. He was bleeding profusely from his arms. He told me flatly, “I tried to kill myself. You better get me to the hospital.”
Taking my one and only towel from the bedpost, I wrapped the arm with what appeared to be the deepest slash, bundled him into the facility’s van and rushed off to the hospital. He had to bark directions at me because I didn’t have a clue where it was. He turned out to have mostly superficial wounds. The hospital admitted him into the psychiatric ward and I returned to my hothouse at about 4:00 in the morning.
That inauspicious beginning set the direction for the next four years. I loved Teen Challenge, but the situations with our residents never got much better. I would eventually become executive director; supervise two more centers and a lot more guys. Cheryl and I were married during those years. We returned from our honeymoon to move into a small apartment in the adjoining house that served as our offices.
What years those were. I learned so many lessons: about the power of God to change lives; about human resistance to change; about the depth of depravity to which human beings can slide in this life; and the soaring peeks to which they can climb with God’s help and the interest of others.
Sitting on the platform at the Central Union Mission brought all of it back to me: the smell of street people; the postures of those beat down by sin, sickness and mental illness; the loving, self-sacrificing service of the staff; the gratitude in the eyes of those cast off and ignored by most everyone else.
The one big thing I got out of my reminiscences about Teen Challenge (and the more recent experience at the mission itself) is that there really isn’t much difference between what I did 31 years ago and what I’m doing today. The up-and-outers in high public office that I work with now aren’t much different from the down-and-outers I worked with back then. They smell a little better, but their sins are no less consequential. The up-and-outers make messes of their lives, too, but money, prestige and power do a good job hiding those messes.
I think I’m going to preach at the mission more often.
Back later . . .
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
THE PASSING OF A GIANT AND GIANT EVENTS!
This has been quite a week for me. It began with a quick flight up to Buffalo, New York, that I still call “home,” for a visit with Mom on Mothers’ Day. (My visit was a complete surprise that almost put her in shock. At nearly 86, she’s too fragile for those tactics. I’ll think twice about pulling a surpise again!)
Mom and Dad are together in a nursing home run by an order of Catholic nuns. Given their poor health, my folks are in the best situation possible. The facility is humble but deeply caring about its residents. For the people who staff St. Francis Home, caring for the elderly is a calling, not simply a job. Paul and I and our sisters are grateful to God to have Mom and Dad there.
Monday was a day for getting caught up on long overdue correspondence and E-mail, along with final revisions on my book, Ten Words That Will Change A Nation. You may recall it came out in 2000 and, because of my commentary on hot issues of the day, was quickly outdated. My publisher wanted to preserve the core content on the meaning and application of the Ten Commandments by taking out all those date-specific references. I think the result is an improvement over the first edition. Our goal is to release the new edition before our 25th anniversary celebration in November. I’ll keep you posted.
Yesterday, after intense planning sessions for three upcoming events (the rededication of our Ten Commandments garden display, our appeal to the Postal Service for a Ten Commandments stamp, and the Reese Roundtable on Capitol Hill), I got the news on the sudden homegoing of Jerry Falwell.
Dr. Falwell was always kind and generous toward my brother, Paul, and me. (You can read about our relationship to this giant of the faith in the articles posted at our website and at www.worldnewsdaily.com.) Paul first met him in Atlanta during one of the early Operation Rescue pastors’ events. Dr. Falwell came to express his support and to deliver a check for $10,000 to help the movement. We saw him several more times over the years, including when he came to Montgomery, Alabama to support our friend, “Ten Commandments Judge” Roy Moore. I then escorted Judge Moore to Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he treated us with exquisite southern hospitality. Shortly after, I spoke from in the chapel at Liberty University with Dr. Falwell on the platform.
While Paul and I only ever knew Dr. Falwell from a distance, I feel his absence. As I said to one reporter, Dr. Falwell was like the Trade Towers on the skyline of Manhattan. He was just there, like an anchor. I feel just a tinge of insecurity now that he’s gone. Our styles differed, but he was a huge inspiration to all of us. (Well, I suppose he’s really not gone, just “relocated,” now a part of that great cloud of witnesses!) I plan to attend Dr. Falwell’s funeral next Tuesday.
Today, as I hope you already know, I will talk about Dr. Falwell on my live missionary field report, Faith and Action Live! (12:00 noon, EST) In keeping with the Falwell spirit, I’ll also report on late-breaking revelations about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s unbelievable sabotage of the National Day of Prayer. Wait till you hear what she did in an attempt to scuttle this important observance. It truly is unbelievable!
Now, onto the remaining items: Please pray about coming to Washington for one of these three important events—
* Thursday, May 24: The rededication of our Ten Commandments sculpture in the garden outside our ministry house across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court. Remember, this is the ONLY fully visible and fully legible display of the Ten Commandments anywhere in our nation’s capital. Watch for details at our website.
* Wednesday, May 30: Afternoon news conference at the National Press Club on our appeal to the U.S. Postmaster General for a Ten Commandments Postage stamp.
* Tuesday, June 5: Our Reese Roundtable forum, “Evangelicals in ’08: United or Divided?” again, at the National Press Club. Special guests will be eminent Evangelical philosopher / theologian / cultural activist Dr. Norman Geisler of Southern Evangelical Seminary with a response from my controversial friend, Dr. Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals. This will be a hot one. Lunch is on us. To make your reservation, call Allyson at 202—546-8329, extension 104.
These are good excuses for you to visit us here in Washington, DC. If you’ve never been here, you’re long overdue. If you have been here, you can never come too many times!
Be back . . .
Mom and Dad are together in a nursing home run by an order of Catholic nuns. Given their poor health, my folks are in the best situation possible. The facility is humble but deeply caring about its residents. For the people who staff St. Francis Home, caring for the elderly is a calling, not simply a job. Paul and I and our sisters are grateful to God to have Mom and Dad there.
Monday was a day for getting caught up on long overdue correspondence and E-mail, along with final revisions on my book, Ten Words That Will Change A Nation. You may recall it came out in 2000 and, because of my commentary on hot issues of the day, was quickly outdated. My publisher wanted to preserve the core content on the meaning and application of the Ten Commandments by taking out all those date-specific references. I think the result is an improvement over the first edition. Our goal is to release the new edition before our 25th anniversary celebration in November. I’ll keep you posted.
Yesterday, after intense planning sessions for three upcoming events (the rededication of our Ten Commandments garden display, our appeal to the Postal Service for a Ten Commandments stamp, and the Reese Roundtable on Capitol Hill), I got the news on the sudden homegoing of Jerry Falwell.
Dr. Falwell was always kind and generous toward my brother, Paul, and me. (You can read about our relationship to this giant of the faith in the articles posted at our website and at www.worldnewsdaily.com.) Paul first met him in Atlanta during one of the early Operation Rescue pastors’ events. Dr. Falwell came to express his support and to deliver a check for $10,000 to help the movement. We saw him several more times over the years, including when he came to Montgomery, Alabama to support our friend, “Ten Commandments Judge” Roy Moore. I then escorted Judge Moore to Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, where he treated us with exquisite southern hospitality. Shortly after, I spoke from in the chapel at Liberty University with Dr. Falwell on the platform.
While Paul and I only ever knew Dr. Falwell from a distance, I feel his absence. As I said to one reporter, Dr. Falwell was like the Trade Towers on the skyline of Manhattan. He was just there, like an anchor. I feel just a tinge of insecurity now that he’s gone. Our styles differed, but he was a huge inspiration to all of us. (Well, I suppose he’s really not gone, just “relocated,” now a part of that great cloud of witnesses!) I plan to attend Dr. Falwell’s funeral next Tuesday.
Today, as I hope you already know, I will talk about Dr. Falwell on my live missionary field report, Faith and Action Live! (12:00 noon, EST) In keeping with the Falwell spirit, I’ll also report on late-breaking revelations about Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s unbelievable sabotage of the National Day of Prayer. Wait till you hear what she did in an attempt to scuttle this important observance. It truly is unbelievable!
Now, onto the remaining items: Please pray about coming to Washington for one of these three important events—
* Thursday, May 24: The rededication of our Ten Commandments sculpture in the garden outside our ministry house across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court. Remember, this is the ONLY fully visible and fully legible display of the Ten Commandments anywhere in our nation’s capital. Watch for details at our website.
* Wednesday, May 30: Afternoon news conference at the National Press Club on our appeal to the U.S. Postmaster General for a Ten Commandments Postage stamp.
* Tuesday, June 5: Our Reese Roundtable forum, “Evangelicals in ’08: United or Divided?” again, at the National Press Club. Special guests will be eminent Evangelical philosopher / theologian / cultural activist Dr. Norman Geisler of Southern Evangelical Seminary with a response from my controversial friend, Dr. Richard Cizik of the National Association of Evangelicals. This will be a hot one. Lunch is on us. To make your reservation, call Allyson at 202—546-8329, extension 104.
These are good excuses for you to visit us here in Washington, DC. If you’ve never been here, you’re long overdue. If you have been here, you can never come too many times!
Be back . . .
Sunday, May 06, 2007
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK . . . I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!
Whew! What a week I just capped off--make that an eight-day week! It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m on a Southwest plane at 35,000 feet above Wyoming, or somewhere between Salt Lake City and Chicago. I’m returning from a wonderful weekend with friends in the Layton, Utah area, and from preaching for Pastor Myke Crowder at the dynamic Christian Life Center. The service this morning was memorable if for one reason--it’s the first time I had a ranking U.S. senator in the front row! Senior Utah Senator Orrin Hatch was our honored guest for the 11:00 service. Pastor Crowder and I made a special presentation of a plaque of the Ten Commandments to the Senator, inscribed with his name. He gave a moving testimony of faith and appreciatively promised to display the plaque in his office in Washington. More on the Senator further down.
For now, let me tell you how the eight-days began:
Last Sunday evening, April 29, we launched the 18th annual U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This is just in front of the steps where presidents swear their oath of office on Inauguration Day. The event involved more than 500 volunteer readers, including members of Congress and the U.S. Senate chaplain, who sequentially read the entire Bible aloud over a public address system, for 90 straight hours! That’s Genesis through Revelation, night and day, non-stop, without commentary! It was glorious. It’s hard to describe the feeling of hearing God’s word ricocheting off the alabaster buildings lining the Washington Mall. It could be heard from the Dome of the Capitol through the great expanse all the way to the Washington Monument. And, because of Faith and Action’s partner, National Pro-Life Radio, the Marathon could be heard over the Internet at any computer anywhere in the world! E-mails and calls came in from as far away as Spain and India!
The Marathon closed on Thursday, May 3, the National Day of Prayer. Our chief of staff, Peggy Birchfield, and our program director, Dane Rose, were with me in the morning for a breakfast at the famed Capitol Hill Club where a group I’m involved with hosted Commandant of the United States Marine Corps General James T. Conway. Following the opening Pledge of allegiance to the Flag, I read the President’s National Day of Prayer proclamation and gave the invocation.
Then we were off to the elaborate Caucus Room in the House of Representatives Cannon Building across Independence Avenue from the Capitol. Shirley Dobson, wife to Dr. James Dobson, presided over a three-hour prayer service there. I chatted with her briefly, but had to leave early to give the closing prayer at the Marathon. From there, we went immediately to the U.S. Supreme Court where each year we hold the only National Day of Prayer observance at the High Court. It’s always fraught with tension because the Court is extremely guarded about anything that might be construed as an “act of demonstration” on it’s property. The official National Day of Prayer committee found the situation so daunting, to my knowledge, they’ve never even approached the Justices. (Now that the culture of the court is changing under Chief Justice John Roberts, I think such a formal approach should be made.)
Only four years ago, our friend and colleague, Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, was arrested for kneeling to pray on the Court’s steps. He was charged, convicted and ordered to stay away from the property for two years. We teamed up with him and challenged the administrative officer's interpretation of the law that bans demonstrations. We argued that prayer is not the same as a political demonstration, especially on a day when the President urges such public observances. So far, we’ve prevailed. For the last thee years, we’ve been allowed to conduct a small, brief prayer service on the hallowed front plaza. Still, it’s never quite comfortable as Supreme Court uniformed police and plain clothed marshals are dispatched to watch our every move. This year, the Chief of Police made a rare trip outside the building to get our personal assurance that everything would be “legal today.” We gave it to him, then, with a smile, I wished him a “Happy National Day of Prayer.” It broke him up and he did an eye-roll worthy of an Oscar!
A special treat this year at our Court observance was the participation of Vonette Bright, the founder of the National Day of Prayer. Mrs. Bright is the widow of the late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, the largest Evangelical missionary outreach in the world. She worked relentlessly for a congressional bill creating the National Day of Prayer. Against all odds, it passed and was eventually signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Also at the Court this year was my good friend Bill Murray. Bill is president of the Religious Freedom Coalition. As a teenager, Bill was used as the subject of a Supreme Court case that knocked voluntary prayer out of public schools by his mother, the infamous atheist activist Madelyn Murray O’Hare. Today, Bill is a Christian activist, author and speaker. He stood with us at nearly the exact spot where he and his mother celebrated their victory 45 years ago. I look forward to being at the spot with him again in the future when students win back the right to pray in classrooms, assemblies and sporting events!
After the prayer service at the Court I headed downtown for a meeting with our former U.S. ambassador to Morocco, Ed Gabriel, to discuss our ongoing Christian Friendship Mission to that country. The day ended late after I signed hundreds of letters to our inner circle of supporters seeking urgent help fending off yet another attack against our ministry facilities by atheist activists. I can’t say too much about it lest we give our opponents an advantage, but I will eventually everyone the whole story.
Friday morning I was at the Israeli Embassy to greet the newly installed ambassador, Sallai Meridor, and to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem with many Christian leaders from all over the U.S. I had just enough time to drive the 90-mile round trip home to pack for my Utah visit. I threw my clothes into my bags, kissed Cheryl goodbye and headed back to our ministry center where I signed another 250 letters, crashed on my sofa-bed and got up at 4:45 Saturday morning to drive to Baltimore Washington International Airport, the cheapest way to get out to Salt Lake City. All the while I used my cell phone to work out the details for Senator Hatch’s visit with me to Christian Life Center. I arrived in Salt Lake a little tired (!), so I caught a cat nap at my hotel before meeting some of our supporters for what we call a “Family Circle Dinner” at a nearby restaurant.
Sunday morning came soon with two services to preach. It was National Ten Commandments Day so I took that as my theme. Pastor Crowder has been a great friend for many years now and the church has stood behind us in everything we’ve done. It seems I just can’t wear out my welcome with these lovely people. The congregation has just completed a spectacular new sanctuary at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. In fact, the church is actually on four levels. With its many staircases, just moving around inside is a pretty good workout for a Sunday morning!
While I love preaching on the Commandments--and the message was well-received--the most interesting part of the morning was the Senator’s participation. He is an exceedingly gracious man and was very generous in his comments about me and Pastor Crowder. As you may know, I’ve been in an ongoing and profound conversation with him about spiritual things. We’ve spent an extraordinary number of hours together pouring over the Scriptures. He is a man who clearly loves God and punctuates everything he says with his devotion to Jesus Christ. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (colloquially--and often pejoratively--referred to as “Mormons”), there is a lot for us to talk about. But I must tell you, we have had nothing but honest, deeply meaningful and prayerful dialogue. We’ve also been our knees together, asking the Lord to show us the truth about important matters. Please pray for him and me as we undertake this critically important exercise.
I closed the service this morning in Layton with an invitation to repent and make Jesus Christ Lord. 21 souls raised their hands--Hallelujah!
Now I’m tired again and find myself dreaming of a pillow and a soft bed, but my connecting flight is late out of Chicago, so I'm now posting this to our site.
This week will be a bit intense as we petition the U.S. Postmaster General for a Ten Commandments Postage Stamp. It’s anything but dull around here!
Be back . . .
For now, let me tell you how the eight-days began:
Last Sunday evening, April 29, we launched the 18th annual U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This is just in front of the steps where presidents swear their oath of office on Inauguration Day. The event involved more than 500 volunteer readers, including members of Congress and the U.S. Senate chaplain, who sequentially read the entire Bible aloud over a public address system, for 90 straight hours! That’s Genesis through Revelation, night and day, non-stop, without commentary! It was glorious. It’s hard to describe the feeling of hearing God’s word ricocheting off the alabaster buildings lining the Washington Mall. It could be heard from the Dome of the Capitol through the great expanse all the way to the Washington Monument. And, because of Faith and Action’s partner, National Pro-Life Radio, the Marathon could be heard over the Internet at any computer anywhere in the world! E-mails and calls came in from as far away as Spain and India!
The Marathon closed on Thursday, May 3, the National Day of Prayer. Our chief of staff, Peggy Birchfield, and our program director, Dane Rose, were with me in the morning for a breakfast at the famed Capitol Hill Club where a group I’m involved with hosted Commandant of the United States Marine Corps General James T. Conway. Following the opening Pledge of allegiance to the Flag, I read the President’s National Day of Prayer proclamation and gave the invocation.
Then we were off to the elaborate Caucus Room in the House of Representatives Cannon Building across Independence Avenue from the Capitol. Shirley Dobson, wife to Dr. James Dobson, presided over a three-hour prayer service there. I chatted with her briefly, but had to leave early to give the closing prayer at the Marathon. From there, we went immediately to the U.S. Supreme Court where each year we hold the only National Day of Prayer observance at the High Court. It’s always fraught with tension because the Court is extremely guarded about anything that might be construed as an “act of demonstration” on it’s property. The official National Day of Prayer committee found the situation so daunting, to my knowledge, they’ve never even approached the Justices. (Now that the culture of the court is changing under Chief Justice John Roberts, I think such a formal approach should be made.)
Only four years ago, our friend and colleague, Rev. Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, was arrested for kneeling to pray on the Court’s steps. He was charged, convicted and ordered to stay away from the property for two years. We teamed up with him and challenged the administrative officer's interpretation of the law that bans demonstrations. We argued that prayer is not the same as a political demonstration, especially on a day when the President urges such public observances. So far, we’ve prevailed. For the last thee years, we’ve been allowed to conduct a small, brief prayer service on the hallowed front plaza. Still, it’s never quite comfortable as Supreme Court uniformed police and plain clothed marshals are dispatched to watch our every move. This year, the Chief of Police made a rare trip outside the building to get our personal assurance that everything would be “legal today.” We gave it to him, then, with a smile, I wished him a “Happy National Day of Prayer.” It broke him up and he did an eye-roll worthy of an Oscar!
A special treat this year at our Court observance was the participation of Vonette Bright, the founder of the National Day of Prayer. Mrs. Bright is the widow of the late Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, the largest Evangelical missionary outreach in the world. She worked relentlessly for a congressional bill creating the National Day of Prayer. Against all odds, it passed and was eventually signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Also at the Court this year was my good friend Bill Murray. Bill is president of the Religious Freedom Coalition. As a teenager, Bill was used as the subject of a Supreme Court case that knocked voluntary prayer out of public schools by his mother, the infamous atheist activist Madelyn Murray O’Hare. Today, Bill is a Christian activist, author and speaker. He stood with us at nearly the exact spot where he and his mother celebrated their victory 45 years ago. I look forward to being at the spot with him again in the future when students win back the right to pray in classrooms, assemblies and sporting events!
After the prayer service at the Court I headed downtown for a meeting with our former U.S. ambassador to Morocco, Ed Gabriel, to discuss our ongoing Christian Friendship Mission to that country. The day ended late after I signed hundreds of letters to our inner circle of supporters seeking urgent help fending off yet another attack against our ministry facilities by atheist activists. I can’t say too much about it lest we give our opponents an advantage, but I will eventually everyone the whole story.
Friday morning I was at the Israeli Embassy to greet the newly installed ambassador, Sallai Meridor, and to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem with many Christian leaders from all over the U.S. I had just enough time to drive the 90-mile round trip home to pack for my Utah visit. I threw my clothes into my bags, kissed Cheryl goodbye and headed back to our ministry center where I signed another 250 letters, crashed on my sofa-bed and got up at 4:45 Saturday morning to drive to Baltimore Washington International Airport, the cheapest way to get out to Salt Lake City. All the while I used my cell phone to work out the details for Senator Hatch’s visit with me to Christian Life Center. I arrived in Salt Lake a little tired (!), so I caught a cat nap at my hotel before meeting some of our supporters for what we call a “Family Circle Dinner” at a nearby restaurant.
Sunday morning came soon with two services to preach. It was National Ten Commandments Day so I took that as my theme. Pastor Crowder has been a great friend for many years now and the church has stood behind us in everything we’ve done. It seems I just can’t wear out my welcome with these lovely people. The congregation has just completed a spectacular new sanctuary at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. In fact, the church is actually on four levels. With its many staircases, just moving around inside is a pretty good workout for a Sunday morning!
While I love preaching on the Commandments--and the message was well-received--the most interesting part of the morning was the Senator’s participation. He is an exceedingly gracious man and was very generous in his comments about me and Pastor Crowder. As you may know, I’ve been in an ongoing and profound conversation with him about spiritual things. We’ve spent an extraordinary number of hours together pouring over the Scriptures. He is a man who clearly loves God and punctuates everything he says with his devotion to Jesus Christ. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (colloquially--and often pejoratively--referred to as “Mormons”), there is a lot for us to talk about. But I must tell you, we have had nothing but honest, deeply meaningful and prayerful dialogue. We’ve also been our knees together, asking the Lord to show us the truth about important matters. Please pray for him and me as we undertake this critically important exercise.
I closed the service this morning in Layton with an invitation to repent and make Jesus Christ Lord. 21 souls raised their hands--Hallelujah!
Now I’m tired again and find myself dreaming of a pillow and a soft bed, but my connecting flight is late out of Chicago, so I'm now posting this to our site.
This week will be a bit intense as we petition the U.S. Postmaster General for a Ten Commandments Postage Stamp. It’s anything but dull around here!
Be back . . .
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A DAY IN THE LIFE . . .
A lot of people ask me what a typical day is like for a missionary on Capitol Hill. That's not easy to answer. Today I started by giving the opening prayer at a breakfast meeting at the Capitol Hill Club, where I also delivered a speech on the important role religion plays in diplomacy. But that's not typical.
I met with staff to plan various outreach programs, including our Reese Roundtable, a forum for advancing the biblical principles that made our nation great. After that I dashed over to the U.S. Capitol to look at the layout for the upcoming National Capitol Bible Reading Marathon that starts Sunday evening. I also did a short video inviting you and others, including churches, to logon and join in via the Internet. Check it out at our website.
Oh, somewhere in there I did two interviews, one on radio, the other with a newspaper, about a presidential candidate's cynical remarks on religion and the "evil side" of the Virginia Tech shootings, respectively.
E-mail and phone calls to pastors involved with our work filled in some cracks. Then, two members of our "Extended Missionary Team" linked up with me and we visited for a very long time with a prominent U.S. senator, after which I escorted them to the U.S. Supreme Court for special work there. Tonight, we'll debrief about all this.
This is not a "typical" day. In fact, I can't think of any "typical" day. A day may bring the predictable, but, more often than not, it brings the unpredictable: A surprise opportunity to share the Gospel; an unexpected Supreme Court decision on the sanctity of life; an encounter with someone running for president; an invitation to meet the President!
I've learned to simply pray Isaiah's prayer, "Lord, send me!" The one thing I can always predict--and that is typical--is that God will certainly answer that prayer and send me to someone to do something that brings glory to Him!
I met with staff to plan various outreach programs, including our Reese Roundtable, a forum for advancing the biblical principles that made our nation great. After that I dashed over to the U.S. Capitol to look at the layout for the upcoming National Capitol Bible Reading Marathon that starts Sunday evening. I also did a short video inviting you and others, including churches, to logon and join in via the Internet. Check it out at our website.
Oh, somewhere in there I did two interviews, one on radio, the other with a newspaper, about a presidential candidate's cynical remarks on religion and the "evil side" of the Virginia Tech shootings, respectively.
E-mail and phone calls to pastors involved with our work filled in some cracks. Then, two members of our "Extended Missionary Team" linked up with me and we visited for a very long time with a prominent U.S. senator, after which I escorted them to the U.S. Supreme Court for special work there. Tonight, we'll debrief about all this.
This is not a "typical" day. In fact, I can't think of any "typical" day. A day may bring the predictable, but, more often than not, it brings the unpredictable: A surprise opportunity to share the Gospel; an unexpected Supreme Court decision on the sanctity of life; an encounter with someone running for president; an invitation to meet the President!
I've learned to simply pray Isaiah's prayer, "Lord, send me!" The one thing I can always predict--and that is typical--is that God will certainly answer that prayer and send me to someone to do something that brings glory to Him!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
KIDS OFTEN SMARTER THAN THEIR PARENTS!
When my 27 year-old daughter Anna, who teaches autistic children, told me she planned to start a non-profit organization to help women in Africa’s Sahara desert, I secretly rolled my eyes.
My baby start an organization of her own? (Never mind that I formed my first non-profit enterprise when I was just 24!)
Anyway, you can imagine my line of questioning: How will you juggle your time between that and your career? What about your personal safety? How will you fund it?
To my fatherly chagrin, Anna had all the answers and they worked. As a school teacher, she used her extended vacations for travel. She enlisted capable volunteers from church and from her circle of friends. And, she came up with an ingenious plan to fund her program that included garage sales. At one such sale, she made more in one day than I often raise after a whole weekend speaking at a church and holding a dinner with our donors!
That last point is the one I’ve been thinking about a lot. Fundraising is a difficult challenge for every non-profit Christian ministry. In all my years of Bible college and seminary, we didn’t have one class or seminar on fundraising. Yet, one of the most vital things I must do as head of Faith and Action is find the resources to get the job done.
I also know the fundraising side of what we do is frustrating to many of our supporters. No one has unlimited resources. (Well, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey come to mind—but they’re not interested in what we do!) Many of our supporters tell me they’d like to do more, but they just can’t. They already give to their churches, missionaries, the local crisis pregnancy center, the city mission, and so many other worthy charities. In fact, Christian people are the most generous of any population group in the world.
But, my daughter taught me something this past weekend at her garage sale: There are creative ways to do everything! It’s a bit humbling, but I learned something from Anna, and I plan to put it to work for Faith and Action.
We will soon launch: Sales for the Soul of America. Anna is helping me put together a little information kit for our supporters on how to do an effective garage sale to help Faith and Action continue the work of “Challenging Capitol Hill with Biblical Truth and Changing the Nation One Policymaker at a Time!”
This past week I learned something much more important than how old furniture, unused kitchen appliances, worn out rugs and ugly knick-knacks can advance the work of the Gospel; I learned that I still have things to learn from my kids.
Stand by for information on Sales for the Soul of America—and start collecting all those hideous knick-knacks!
My baby start an organization of her own? (Never mind that I formed my first non-profit enterprise when I was just 24!)
Anyway, you can imagine my line of questioning: How will you juggle your time between that and your career? What about your personal safety? How will you fund it?
To my fatherly chagrin, Anna had all the answers and they worked. As a school teacher, she used her extended vacations for travel. She enlisted capable volunteers from church and from her circle of friends. And, she came up with an ingenious plan to fund her program that included garage sales. At one such sale, she made more in one day than I often raise after a whole weekend speaking at a church and holding a dinner with our donors!
That last point is the one I’ve been thinking about a lot. Fundraising is a difficult challenge for every non-profit Christian ministry. In all my years of Bible college and seminary, we didn’t have one class or seminar on fundraising. Yet, one of the most vital things I must do as head of Faith and Action is find the resources to get the job done.
I also know the fundraising side of what we do is frustrating to many of our supporters. No one has unlimited resources. (Well, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey come to mind—but they’re not interested in what we do!) Many of our supporters tell me they’d like to do more, but they just can’t. They already give to their churches, missionaries, the local crisis pregnancy center, the city mission, and so many other worthy charities. In fact, Christian people are the most generous of any population group in the world.
But, my daughter taught me something this past weekend at her garage sale: There are creative ways to do everything! It’s a bit humbling, but I learned something from Anna, and I plan to put it to work for Faith and Action.
We will soon launch: Sales for the Soul of America. Anna is helping me put together a little information kit for our supporters on how to do an effective garage sale to help Faith and Action continue the work of “Challenging Capitol Hill with Biblical Truth and Changing the Nation One Policymaker at a Time!”
This past week I learned something much more important than how old furniture, unused kitchen appliances, worn out rugs and ugly knick-knacks can advance the work of the Gospel; I learned that I still have things to learn from my kids.
Stand by for information on Sales for the Soul of America—and start collecting all those hideous knick-knacks!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
30 YEARS AND GOING STRONG!
I often speak and write about the three key moral principles of the Sanctity of Life, the Sanctity of Marriage and the Public Acknowledgment of God. This past week I spent a lot of time reflecting on the second principle about marriage.
Cheryl and I celebrated our 30th anniversary April 9. Hard to believe it’s been three decades. I know it doesn’t sound like much to couples marking their 50th and 60th or longer, but 30 years means Cheryl and I have spent twice as long with each other than we did alone. (Counting our courtship years, that is!)
Cheryl and I met at 15 in a church prayer group. My brother Paul and I had only begun exploring Christianity. Part of that search included attending a Friday night gathering of young people at a nearby Methodist church. Cheryl Smith was one of them.
I knew of Cheryl because her family made big news a year earlier when their house burned. In our little community of 25,000, a house fire was headline material. We began a conversation one night and it continued for three more years—until we graduated high school. By then, we were convinced God meant for us to be together permanently. In our minds, there was no use in waiting. So, while today neither of us would recommend it to others (not even our own kids!), we got married—right out of high school! We did everything married and later with kids: college, graduate school, world travel, ministry, everything. In fact, Cheryl and I have few memories of what it was to be single.
Getting married as kids ourselves and taking on all those challenges as a young family certainly had its downside. (I think it was a lot harder on Cheryl because she was running the house and taking care of our kids while I was consumed by other, more “exciting” things.) Still, we don’t regret it. Now, if you know Cheryl, she speaks very effectively for herself, so I’ll make this my statement: I wouldn’t have had it any other way. And, as testimony thereof, I’m more in love with Cheryl these 30 years later, than I was when I proposed!
I say I’m more in love now because I know a little more what it means to love. When I first “fell in love” it was pure rapture. Cheryl could do no wrong; she was perfect! To me, she was (and remains) beautiful, interesting and smart. I knew she wanted terribly to be a mom, and that she would be a wonderful one. (And she is—ask my kids!) I also knew I felt more secure when I was with her. I knew I wasn’t meant to be alone and that Cheryl was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be with always. Somehow I knew even at such an early age that I would be “complete” in sharing my life with her.
But, after 30 years you learn, of course, no one is perfect—not even the love of your life. (And, for Cheryl, that insight about me runs ditto times ten!) Still, it’s precisely this revelation that allows you to truly love and be loved. Nobody can have a true relationship with a fantasy.
In thinking about our 30 years together, the two children we raised, the countless good and bad experiences we’ve shared, I’ve realized anew just how “sacred” this relationship has been and remains. For me, our marriage is second only to my relationship to Christ. In fact, in my estimation, there is no better earthly instructor than holy matrimony in what a relationship to God is to be.
In a marriage—and throughout a marriage—we learn what it means to give ourselves to another. We learn how dependent we really are. We learn transparency, vulnerability, fidelity, complimentarity. We also learn how to fess up to our mistakes, our shortcomings and failures. And, I’ve learned just how necessary it is to say, “I’m sorry.” (It’s hard to remain married if you won’t accept responsibility for your offenses against your mate.)
If I could say there are any surprises at 30 years into marriage, it’s this: how much I don’t know about marriage after 30 years! In many ways, those first 29 years were easy because they were dominated by so many distractions—both positive and negative. But our lives now require Cheryl and me to face each other without the convenient deflections of raising and educating kids, buying and selling houses and cars for the first time, figuring out how we’re going to pay for things, etc., etc.
Instead, Cheryl and I must face each other and each other’s needs and desires. In some ways it’s a bit like dating again, only without the buffer of idealistic fantasies! We now know who we really are and what life really brings with it. So, 30 years into this, we’re just getting to truly know each other. Maybe in another 30 years we can move on to the next phase of our relationship!
Here’s to the Sanctity of Marriage—and to God who gave me such a wonderful gift in the woman I married 30 years ago!
Cheryl and I celebrated our 30th anniversary April 9. Hard to believe it’s been three decades. I know it doesn’t sound like much to couples marking their 50th and 60th or longer, but 30 years means Cheryl and I have spent twice as long with each other than we did alone. (Counting our courtship years, that is!)
Cheryl and I met at 15 in a church prayer group. My brother Paul and I had only begun exploring Christianity. Part of that search included attending a Friday night gathering of young people at a nearby Methodist church. Cheryl Smith was one of them.
I knew of Cheryl because her family made big news a year earlier when their house burned. In our little community of 25,000, a house fire was headline material. We began a conversation one night and it continued for three more years—until we graduated high school. By then, we were convinced God meant for us to be together permanently. In our minds, there was no use in waiting. So, while today neither of us would recommend it to others (not even our own kids!), we got married—right out of high school! We did everything married and later with kids: college, graduate school, world travel, ministry, everything. In fact, Cheryl and I have few memories of what it was to be single.
Getting married as kids ourselves and taking on all those challenges as a young family certainly had its downside. (I think it was a lot harder on Cheryl because she was running the house and taking care of our kids while I was consumed by other, more “exciting” things.) Still, we don’t regret it. Now, if you know Cheryl, she speaks very effectively for herself, so I’ll make this my statement: I wouldn’t have had it any other way. And, as testimony thereof, I’m more in love with Cheryl these 30 years later, than I was when I proposed!
I say I’m more in love now because I know a little more what it means to love. When I first “fell in love” it was pure rapture. Cheryl could do no wrong; she was perfect! To me, she was (and remains) beautiful, interesting and smart. I knew she wanted terribly to be a mom, and that she would be a wonderful one. (And she is—ask my kids!) I also knew I felt more secure when I was with her. I knew I wasn’t meant to be alone and that Cheryl was exactly the kind of person I wanted to be with always. Somehow I knew even at such an early age that I would be “complete” in sharing my life with her.
But, after 30 years you learn, of course, no one is perfect—not even the love of your life. (And, for Cheryl, that insight about me runs ditto times ten!) Still, it’s precisely this revelation that allows you to truly love and be loved. Nobody can have a true relationship with a fantasy.
In thinking about our 30 years together, the two children we raised, the countless good and bad experiences we’ve shared, I’ve realized anew just how “sacred” this relationship has been and remains. For me, our marriage is second only to my relationship to Christ. In fact, in my estimation, there is no better earthly instructor than holy matrimony in what a relationship to God is to be.
In a marriage—and throughout a marriage—we learn what it means to give ourselves to another. We learn how dependent we really are. We learn transparency, vulnerability, fidelity, complimentarity. We also learn how to fess up to our mistakes, our shortcomings and failures. And, I’ve learned just how necessary it is to say, “I’m sorry.” (It’s hard to remain married if you won’t accept responsibility for your offenses against your mate.)
If I could say there are any surprises at 30 years into marriage, it’s this: how much I don’t know about marriage after 30 years! In many ways, those first 29 years were easy because they were dominated by so many distractions—both positive and negative. But our lives now require Cheryl and me to face each other without the convenient deflections of raising and educating kids, buying and selling houses and cars for the first time, figuring out how we’re going to pay for things, etc., etc.
Instead, Cheryl and I must face each other and each other’s needs and desires. In some ways it’s a bit like dating again, only without the buffer of idealistic fantasies! We now know who we really are and what life really brings with it. So, 30 years into this, we’re just getting to truly know each other. Maybe in another 30 years we can move on to the next phase of our relationship!
Here’s to the Sanctity of Marriage—and to God who gave me such a wonderful gift in the woman I married 30 years ago!
Monday, April 09, 2007
SUDAN REPORT
I've returned safe and sound from my visit to the East African country of Sudan. Once the ancient kingdom of Kush (also known as Nubia and Meroe), Sudan is the largest country by area in Africa as well as in the Arab world. As we saw in an excursion into the desert, the ancient Nubian civilization was a lot like the later Egyptian one that built the Great Pyramid. We saw smaller but older pyramids in Sudan. They just loom out of the desert with absolutely no distracting tourists around them. In fact, there’s nothing around them but sand! (See my soon-to-be-posted Sudan video gallery at http://www.nationalclergycouncil.org/.)
While our home staff enjoyed a much-deserved Holy Week vacation, I had jetted first to London, then to Amman, Jordan, and finally to my destination of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. This surprisingly modern city is situated at the point where the Blue and White Nile rivers meet. My hotel sat right at the apex, its front door facing the white waters and it’s back facing the blue waters.
I was one of five members of a special delegation from the Washington, DC based Institute on Religion and Public Policy founded by my friend, Joseph Griebowski. Joe is a highly educated, experienced and gifted international advocate for fundamental human rights and religious liberty. I may be the Institute’s token Evangelical / Conservative board member, but if so, I serve happily!
The purpose of this seven-day mission was to talk to members of Khartoum’s new Unity Government about the progress (or lack thereof) of human rights and religious freedom since the January 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The CPA was signed by the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and the break-away Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Sudan People’s Liberation Army. This instrument was aimed at ending a civil war between the Islamic North and the principally Christian South. Atrocities were admitted by both sides, but the North is still widely blamed for a genocidal campaign against non-Arabs in the southern areas of Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei. Notwithstanding today’s exclusive focus on another conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur state, it’s the South where the worst effects of the internal conflict were felt.
The Institute got involved in Sudan because of Joe Griebowski’s long-time friendship with Sudan’s former ambassador to the United States and now its foreign minister, His Excellency Khidir Haroun Ahmed. “Kadir,” as we came to call him, is one of the most congenial men I have met in Washington. Now based in Khartoum, he was our official host and guide while in country. Helping him with our visit were two attaches named Omar and Abdulrachim, brilliant and capable young men who, like their boss, speak impeccable English.
Despite my initial apprehensions about everything from security to food, I never felt insecure or got sick. (Well, except for some prayer-laden jitters about the flight from Khartoum to Darfur.) I will say this was one of my more difficult international missions. My first experience in what I call “religious diplomacy” was to Lebanon at the height of its civil war 25 years ago. Russian Ketusha rockets whizzed over our heads. I was also in Moscow days after Russian tanks fired on their own federal government headquarters, called, oddly, The White House. Boris Yeltzin was still holed up inside. And I’ve preached the Gospel in plenty of Islamic countries where it is illegal to do so. But this trip to the Sudan was the most spiritually intense and challenging mission I have taken. Still, there were hopeful signs both in the government and among the people:
1) The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) appears to be working. Things were generally calm and people were, on the whole, happy. While police and military were visible, there is not the oppressive feel of a police state or of a country at war.
2) Much to my surprise, there are Christians in high government office. This is a result of the power sharing element of the CPA. Certain seats must go to the southern religious minorities, the largest of which is Christian. To be sure, some of these are apparatchiks and are Christian in name only, but others demonstrate a serious faith and sincere love for their country and her people. There is also a prayer breakfast movement in Sudan. (This is the same one behind the annual National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington.) It wasn’t clear to me if a breakfast has already been held, but I was told President Omar Hassan al Bashir plans to host one in the near future. (Incidentally, while we had an appointment with President Bashir, he took an unexpected trip to Senegal that would have forced us to stay in country two more days. Because of Easter and family commitments, the delegation decided to forgo rescheduling and wait until a follow-up visit is made in June.)
3) There are churches in Sudan, mostly in the South, but even in Khartoum. They do suffer significant discrimination, but it doesn’t appear (nor were we told by Christians there) that the church suffers egregious persecution. It’s more like in Egypt and other “progressive Islamic countries” (a relative term). Christians are tolerated, but just barely by the government bureaucracy, and they are limited in their freedoms, especially evangelization. Obtaining permission for building new churches is nearly impossible. Sudan also bans all forms of “proselytizing.” Conversion from Islam to any other religion, particularly to Christianity, is theoretically punishable by death. However, there are no contemporary reports of such. Still, the Sudanese people get along very well with one another. Christians and Muslims enjoy easy friendships, business partnerships and even live together in the same houses.
4) Darfur, where the eyes of the world are now focused, is more complex than I imagined it but far less chaotic. The situation boils down to a very long-standing independence streak in the Darfurian culture. It was once its own kingdom until brutally subjugated by the British and incorporated into the Sudan. Unlike the South, Darfur is overwhelmingly Muslim, but ethnically non-Arab. Separatist rebels have been staging attacks against the central government for four years. Khartoum has struck back by bombing, among other targets, civilian villages where rebels are believed to hide. It’s principally the fear of being caught in this crossfire that has driven so many Darfurians to refugee camps. (Estimates are from hundreds of thousands to 2.5 million.) We visited one of the main camps outside Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur state. We were told by the camp manager there had been up to 30,000 refugees there, but the number is down to 13,000. The camp was well run, relatively clean and orderly and there were numerous non-governmental aid groups working there, including American-based and Christian World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse. (I was distressed, though, to find a Saudi Arabian umbrella group coordinating all aid programs.)
In a meeting with tribal leaders at the camp, we learned what life is like there. These mostly agrarian people miss their farms but feel safer in the camps. The women we met said they were afraid to go out into the bush surrounding the camps to collect necessary firewood because of rapacious gangs of marauders who wander the countryside. While there is widespread reporting that victims blame the Khartoum regime for arming such gangs, nothing like that was said to us by the refugees. In fact, it appeared that the government was cooperating in every way with camp managers.
The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed between the government and rebels in May, 2006, but has failed to calm world concern for the refugees now in the camps as well as the fear of future attacks that place unarmed civilians at risk.
My estimation, from an admittedly limited perspective, is that while any number of civilian deaths is a humanitarian disaster and completely unacceptable, the numbers being used in reports (and a lot of Darfur fundraising campaigns) are grossly exaggerated for effect. There is also a dearth of information on just what is really going on in Darfur. The so-called janjaweed civilian militias blamed for much of the raping, pillaging and killing of innocents are not formally connected to the Khartoum government and never have been.
There is no doubt many in the camps went there to escape injury and death. But these many years into the crisis, it appeared there was a growing problem of people seeking refuge simply from the hard work required to plant and harvest their fields. That is a problem for any country, including the Sudan. The camp inhabitants we talked to now seem to suffer from a sort of torpor caused by sedentary routines and from being separated from their families. There’s a lot more to be said on this, but space doesn’t allow. Suffice it to say the situation is complex, involving many different groups and individuals, and that American or UN solutions don’t always work among historically tribal societies. The situation demands another fresh look before continuing on tired old paths.
My overall impression after visiting Sudan and Darfur is that there is a lot more for us to learn. 20-second sound bites or video clips can't do justice to what is happening. There are both victims and victimizers on all sides of this humanitarian problem. Tribal turf wars contribute to the tensions. No one side has the total solution. The CPA with its power sharing component and the Darfur Peace Agreement are auspicious beginnings towards a resolution. The real missing piece is pressure on the Darfur rebels to come to the table and negotiate, as have all other parties. Without such pressure, there’s absolutely no incentive for the rebels to cease fighting. Both their moral support and financial support are ensured by keeping the conflict going.
The one very certain message I came away with was from the leaders of the oldest and only Evangelical church in the national capital of Khartoum. They told me the current sanctions and threatened future sanctions will only “plunge the country into darkness” and place all Christians at greater risk. We observed the nearly ubiquitous Chinese presence in Sudan, from petro-chemical plants to hotels and office buildings, to the same inexpensive kitsch we see here in America. The atheist Chinese regime is buying Sudan. It’s an odd partnership, Islamists and communist atheists. I’m afraid, though, our sanctions are not just hurting the Christians (which is bad enough), but is thrusting Sudan deeper into a dependency on the communist Chinese. That can’t be good for us, for Christians in Sudan or anyone else. I will ask the President to reconsider his call for increased sanctions.
Thank you for your prayers (they sustained me) and your generous financial gifts that made this momentous trip possible. So much good has already come of it, including new friendships among Sudan’s top government leaders. But the most moving part of this otherwise grueling experience were the tears of one of our hosts as we left. He said he was “really touched in his heart” by the way we conducted ourselves. He also told me in an aside that he really liked “the way I talked about God. It was very deep. I never heard anything like that.”
Enough said for now. I’ll post more later.
While our home staff enjoyed a much-deserved Holy Week vacation, I had jetted first to London, then to Amman, Jordan, and finally to my destination of the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. This surprisingly modern city is situated at the point where the Blue and White Nile rivers meet. My hotel sat right at the apex, its front door facing the white waters and it’s back facing the blue waters.
I was one of five members of a special delegation from the Washington, DC based Institute on Religion and Public Policy founded by my friend, Joseph Griebowski. Joe is a highly educated, experienced and gifted international advocate for fundamental human rights and religious liberty. I may be the Institute’s token Evangelical / Conservative board member, but if so, I serve happily!
The purpose of this seven-day mission was to talk to members of Khartoum’s new Unity Government about the progress (or lack thereof) of human rights and religious freedom since the January 2005 signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The CPA was signed by the Government of the Republic of the Sudan and the break-away Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and Sudan People’s Liberation Army. This instrument was aimed at ending a civil war between the Islamic North and the principally Christian South. Atrocities were admitted by both sides, but the North is still widely blamed for a genocidal campaign against non-Arabs in the southern areas of Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei. Notwithstanding today’s exclusive focus on another conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur state, it’s the South where the worst effects of the internal conflict were felt.
The Institute got involved in Sudan because of Joe Griebowski’s long-time friendship with Sudan’s former ambassador to the United States and now its foreign minister, His Excellency Khidir Haroun Ahmed. “Kadir,” as we came to call him, is one of the most congenial men I have met in Washington. Now based in Khartoum, he was our official host and guide while in country. Helping him with our visit were two attaches named Omar and Abdulrachim, brilliant and capable young men who, like their boss, speak impeccable English.
Despite my initial apprehensions about everything from security to food, I never felt insecure or got sick. (Well, except for some prayer-laden jitters about the flight from Khartoum to Darfur.) I will say this was one of my more difficult international missions. My first experience in what I call “religious diplomacy” was to Lebanon at the height of its civil war 25 years ago. Russian Ketusha rockets whizzed over our heads. I was also in Moscow days after Russian tanks fired on their own federal government headquarters, called, oddly, The White House. Boris Yeltzin was still holed up inside. And I’ve preached the Gospel in plenty of Islamic countries where it is illegal to do so. But this trip to the Sudan was the most spiritually intense and challenging mission I have taken. Still, there were hopeful signs both in the government and among the people:
1) The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) appears to be working. Things were generally calm and people were, on the whole, happy. While police and military were visible, there is not the oppressive feel of a police state or of a country at war.
2) Much to my surprise, there are Christians in high government office. This is a result of the power sharing element of the CPA. Certain seats must go to the southern religious minorities, the largest of which is Christian. To be sure, some of these are apparatchiks and are Christian in name only, but others demonstrate a serious faith and sincere love for their country and her people. There is also a prayer breakfast movement in Sudan. (This is the same one behind the annual National Prayer Breakfast here in Washington.) It wasn’t clear to me if a breakfast has already been held, but I was told President Omar Hassan al Bashir plans to host one in the near future. (Incidentally, while we had an appointment with President Bashir, he took an unexpected trip to Senegal that would have forced us to stay in country two more days. Because of Easter and family commitments, the delegation decided to forgo rescheduling and wait until a follow-up visit is made in June.)
3) There are churches in Sudan, mostly in the South, but even in Khartoum. They do suffer significant discrimination, but it doesn’t appear (nor were we told by Christians there) that the church suffers egregious persecution. It’s more like in Egypt and other “progressive Islamic countries” (a relative term). Christians are tolerated, but just barely by the government bureaucracy, and they are limited in their freedoms, especially evangelization. Obtaining permission for building new churches is nearly impossible. Sudan also bans all forms of “proselytizing.” Conversion from Islam to any other religion, particularly to Christianity, is theoretically punishable by death. However, there are no contemporary reports of such. Still, the Sudanese people get along very well with one another. Christians and Muslims enjoy easy friendships, business partnerships and even live together in the same houses.
4) Darfur, where the eyes of the world are now focused, is more complex than I imagined it but far less chaotic. The situation boils down to a very long-standing independence streak in the Darfurian culture. It was once its own kingdom until brutally subjugated by the British and incorporated into the Sudan. Unlike the South, Darfur is overwhelmingly Muslim, but ethnically non-Arab. Separatist rebels have been staging attacks against the central government for four years. Khartoum has struck back by bombing, among other targets, civilian villages where rebels are believed to hide. It’s principally the fear of being caught in this crossfire that has driven so many Darfurians to refugee camps. (Estimates are from hundreds of thousands to 2.5 million.) We visited one of the main camps outside Nyala, the capital city of South Darfur state. We were told by the camp manager there had been up to 30,000 refugees there, but the number is down to 13,000. The camp was well run, relatively clean and orderly and there were numerous non-governmental aid groups working there, including American-based and Christian World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse. (I was distressed, though, to find a Saudi Arabian umbrella group coordinating all aid programs.)
In a meeting with tribal leaders at the camp, we learned what life is like there. These mostly agrarian people miss their farms but feel safer in the camps. The women we met said they were afraid to go out into the bush surrounding the camps to collect necessary firewood because of rapacious gangs of marauders who wander the countryside. While there is widespread reporting that victims blame the Khartoum regime for arming such gangs, nothing like that was said to us by the refugees. In fact, it appeared that the government was cooperating in every way with camp managers.
The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed between the government and rebels in May, 2006, but has failed to calm world concern for the refugees now in the camps as well as the fear of future attacks that place unarmed civilians at risk.
My estimation, from an admittedly limited perspective, is that while any number of civilian deaths is a humanitarian disaster and completely unacceptable, the numbers being used in reports (and a lot of Darfur fundraising campaigns) are grossly exaggerated for effect. There is also a dearth of information on just what is really going on in Darfur. The so-called janjaweed civilian militias blamed for much of the raping, pillaging and killing of innocents are not formally connected to the Khartoum government and never have been.
There is no doubt many in the camps went there to escape injury and death. But these many years into the crisis, it appeared there was a growing problem of people seeking refuge simply from the hard work required to plant and harvest their fields. That is a problem for any country, including the Sudan. The camp inhabitants we talked to now seem to suffer from a sort of torpor caused by sedentary routines and from being separated from their families. There’s a lot more to be said on this, but space doesn’t allow. Suffice it to say the situation is complex, involving many different groups and individuals, and that American or UN solutions don’t always work among historically tribal societies. The situation demands another fresh look before continuing on tired old paths.
My overall impression after visiting Sudan and Darfur is that there is a lot more for us to learn. 20-second sound bites or video clips can't do justice to what is happening. There are both victims and victimizers on all sides of this humanitarian problem. Tribal turf wars contribute to the tensions. No one side has the total solution. The CPA with its power sharing component and the Darfur Peace Agreement are auspicious beginnings towards a resolution. The real missing piece is pressure on the Darfur rebels to come to the table and negotiate, as have all other parties. Without such pressure, there’s absolutely no incentive for the rebels to cease fighting. Both their moral support and financial support are ensured by keeping the conflict going.
The one very certain message I came away with was from the leaders of the oldest and only Evangelical church in the national capital of Khartoum. They told me the current sanctions and threatened future sanctions will only “plunge the country into darkness” and place all Christians at greater risk. We observed the nearly ubiquitous Chinese presence in Sudan, from petro-chemical plants to hotels and office buildings, to the same inexpensive kitsch we see here in America. The atheist Chinese regime is buying Sudan. It’s an odd partnership, Islamists and communist atheists. I’m afraid, though, our sanctions are not just hurting the Christians (which is bad enough), but is thrusting Sudan deeper into a dependency on the communist Chinese. That can’t be good for us, for Christians in Sudan or anyone else. I will ask the President to reconsider his call for increased sanctions.
Thank you for your prayers (they sustained me) and your generous financial gifts that made this momentous trip possible. So much good has already come of it, including new friendships among Sudan’s top government leaders. But the most moving part of this otherwise grueling experience were the tears of one of our hosts as we left. He said he was “really touched in his heart” by the way we conducted ourselves. He also told me in an aside that he really liked “the way I talked about God. It was very deep. I never heard anything like that.”
Enough said for now. I’ll post more later.
Friday, March 30, 2007
REPORT FROM SUDAN
I'm writing to you from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, the most expansive country in Africa and the world's geographically largest Muslim country.
Our delegation of five from the Institute on Religion and Public Policy is being treated exceedingly well. We are here by official invitation of the Sudanese government; they could not be more polite, gracious and accomodating hosts. This country demands to be re-examined in light of recent changes. Part of my purpose in joining this delegation is to see for myself what is happening here, rather than rely on old news and out-of-date perspectives.
We've had several high-level meetings and are scheduled to visit with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir Thursday. This will be after we tour the deeply troubled Darfur region Monday and Tuesday.
I was surpised to find many Christians serving in government here. Although an officially Islamic state, Christians fill important positions. A power-sharing agreement also mandates that certain seats go to Christian believers.
Please pray for us and especially that God will grant to me the right words at the right time. No restrictions have been placed on us--and today we spoke with our hosts about spiritual things. There are churches here and we will visit several this Sunday. I will bring back with me startling news--and an even more startling invitation to Christian leaders to come to this country soon! (Details to follow my return home.)
Thank you for praying and making this historic mission possible. More later . . .
Our delegation of five from the Institute on Religion and Public Policy is being treated exceedingly well. We are here by official invitation of the Sudanese government; they could not be more polite, gracious and accomodating hosts. This country demands to be re-examined in light of recent changes. Part of my purpose in joining this delegation is to see for myself what is happening here, rather than rely on old news and out-of-date perspectives.
We've had several high-level meetings and are scheduled to visit with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir Thursday. This will be after we tour the deeply troubled Darfur region Monday and Tuesday.
I was surpised to find many Christians serving in government here. Although an officially Islamic state, Christians fill important positions. A power-sharing agreement also mandates that certain seats go to Christian believers.
Please pray for us and especially that God will grant to me the right words at the right time. No restrictions have been placed on us--and today we spoke with our hosts about spiritual things. There are churches here and we will visit several this Sunday. I will bring back with me startling news--and an even more startling invitation to Christian leaders to come to this country soon! (Details to follow my return home.)
Thank you for praying and making this historic mission possible. More later . . .
Sunday, March 25, 2007
MOSES AND PHARAOH REDUX
I am scheduled to leave today for a 10-day mission to the Sudan and its western region of Darfur. As you may have seen in the news, things are quite delicate there after recent events brought further tension to the area. Please pray God's will be done in the scheduling of this mission. I amstanding by as I type for word on whether or not it is a go.
Most Americans have a difficult time understanding what is happening there. We hear words like genocide, ethnic cleansing and sanctions, but few really know what led to this tragic state of affairs and what solutions there are to it, if any at all.
Well, I’m among those who have been deeply troubled and confused. So, I was pleased to receive the invitation of Joseph Griebowski, president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, to join both their board of directors and this delegation to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
As far as I know, I am the only Evangelical in both assignments. As a member of the board of the Evangelical Church Alliance and chairman of its Committee on Church and Society, I am looking forward to bringing an Evangelical perspective to talks with the top governmental officers in Khartoum, including President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir is blamed by many for the slaughter of tens of thousands in the South and the brutal rape and maiming of many more. Not only so, but Bashir and his government are widely faulted for doing nothing to ensure the security and well-being of some 2.5 million displaced refugees who are terrorized by militia groups sympathetic to the Khartoum regime.
So far, criticism and sanctions from outside have done nothing to resolve what is probably the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world. So, when Mr. Griebowski and his organization were invited to meet with Bashir and his top leaders, he wisely accepted.
I liken this mission to Moses who was told to go directly to Pharaoh and deliver God’s message to the potentate. I don’t know if I’ll have that opportunity, but if I do, I will take it. With the U.N.’s absolute ineptitude, the unwillingness of other countries to intervene (including our own) and the uselessness of bureaucratic “process,” it seems time to try a whole different angle.
No doubt many will criticize the Institute and those of us who meet with the people many Darfur watchers blame for this modern-day holocaust. But the Word of the Lord is powerful, and the Rod of God omnipotent. I believe God is in this mission and my friend Joe and the Institute are right in seizing a unique moment.
After meeting with all the top-level Sudanese officials, we will tour the Darfur region and see it for ourselves. My wife, Cheryl, said she sees a life-changing experience for me on the horizon, not unlike the one I had 24 years ago when I toured the miserable inhabited garbage dumps outside Mexico City. That epiphany led me to make a 2000-mile fundraising and awareness trek from the border with Canada to just across the border with Mexico. The result was the launch of Operation Serve International. Though it’s been ten years since I’ve been directly involved in this fine ministry that I had the joy of founding, it remains a huge part of my heart and soul.
Cheryl also lists the more recent Christian Friendship Mission that came from my first encounters with another African nation, Morocco.
I don’t know what may come from the visit to Sudan and Darfur, but it will certainly be something. The Scriptures say in Proverbs 3:27-28, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
“Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.”
God will want us to do something for these suffering souls or He wouldn’t send us over there. We will make that offer to the Sudanese. It will be up to them whether or not to accept.
Please pray for our delegation. This will not be an easy nor comfortable assignment for any of us. I look forward to reporting to you what happens.
For now, you can get more details in our article on the trip. Thank you for praying—and many, many thanks to those who gave financially to make the trip possible. We haven’t raised the full amount of $4000 yet, so if you’d like to plant some spiritual seed in the soil of Sudan, you can give a special gift at our website. We still have 24 hours to collect the balance of $1500. You can make your tax-deductible contribution here.I’ll be back to tell you how the Lord moved in hearts and minds!
Most Americans have a difficult time understanding what is happening there. We hear words like genocide, ethnic cleansing and sanctions, but few really know what led to this tragic state of affairs and what solutions there are to it, if any at all.
Well, I’m among those who have been deeply troubled and confused. So, I was pleased to receive the invitation of Joseph Griebowski, president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, to join both their board of directors and this delegation to the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
As far as I know, I am the only Evangelical in both assignments. As a member of the board of the Evangelical Church Alliance and chairman of its Committee on Church and Society, I am looking forward to bringing an Evangelical perspective to talks with the top governmental officers in Khartoum, including President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. Bashir is blamed by many for the slaughter of tens of thousands in the South and the brutal rape and maiming of many more. Not only so, but Bashir and his government are widely faulted for doing nothing to ensure the security and well-being of some 2.5 million displaced refugees who are terrorized by militia groups sympathetic to the Khartoum regime.
So far, criticism and sanctions from outside have done nothing to resolve what is probably the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world. So, when Mr. Griebowski and his organization were invited to meet with Bashir and his top leaders, he wisely accepted.
I liken this mission to Moses who was told to go directly to Pharaoh and deliver God’s message to the potentate. I don’t know if I’ll have that opportunity, but if I do, I will take it. With the U.N.’s absolute ineptitude, the unwillingness of other countries to intervene (including our own) and the uselessness of bureaucratic “process,” it seems time to try a whole different angle.
No doubt many will criticize the Institute and those of us who meet with the people many Darfur watchers blame for this modern-day holocaust. But the Word of the Lord is powerful, and the Rod of God omnipotent. I believe God is in this mission and my friend Joe and the Institute are right in seizing a unique moment.
After meeting with all the top-level Sudanese officials, we will tour the Darfur region and see it for ourselves. My wife, Cheryl, said she sees a life-changing experience for me on the horizon, not unlike the one I had 24 years ago when I toured the miserable inhabited garbage dumps outside Mexico City. That epiphany led me to make a 2000-mile fundraising and awareness trek from the border with Canada to just across the border with Mexico. The result was the launch of Operation Serve International. Though it’s been ten years since I’ve been directly involved in this fine ministry that I had the joy of founding, it remains a huge part of my heart and soul.
Cheryl also lists the more recent Christian Friendship Mission that came from my first encounters with another African nation, Morocco.
I don’t know what may come from the visit to Sudan and Darfur, but it will certainly be something. The Scriptures say in Proverbs 3:27-28, “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
“Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.”
God will want us to do something for these suffering souls or He wouldn’t send us over there. We will make that offer to the Sudanese. It will be up to them whether or not to accept.
Please pray for our delegation. This will not be an easy nor comfortable assignment for any of us. I look forward to reporting to you what happens.
For now, you can get more details in our article on the trip. Thank you for praying—and many, many thanks to those who gave financially to make the trip possible. We haven’t raised the full amount of $4000 yet, so if you’d like to plant some spiritual seed in the soil of Sudan, you can give a special gift at our website. We still have 24 hours to collect the balance of $1500. You can make your tax-deductible contribution here.I’ll be back to tell you how the Lord moved in hearts and minds!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
HEADING FOR HELL
Read on to the end for an explanation to the title of this post.
It’s been a very busy time around here—thank you to those who sustain us by your prayers! I must constantly remember Gideon because it seems our army at Faith and Action is so small to take on so much. But as the (now old) Gospel song says, “Little is much when God is in it!”
I was one of the first in the country to speak out in support of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace. I had met Gen. Pace some years ago when our Thursday morning breakfast group hosted him. He’s a good, God-fearing man and—needless to say—an excellent military leader. To pan him for saying what we all instinctively know—that homosexual conduct and adultery are immoral—is the height of absurdity.
I thought one of the greatest shames visited on this nation was the forcing of Gen. Pace to back down in a genuflection to the media idols in this country. (I must admire him for not actually apologizing!) He did what his bosses obviously ordered him to do. (I think Defense Secretary Robert Gates is one of the worst picks the President has ever made.) Nonetheless, the General did it with strength and panache. (You’ve heard me say that here in Washington, you must be—as Jesus said—wise as a serpent. I say, sometimes downright snaky!)
Well, the Pace brouhaha kept us consumed for a week as I put out statements, did endless interviews and held a news conference in front of the White House.
I’ve also had my own little stink-a-poo going on as the Washington area affiliate of “American Atheists” has come after me and our Ten Commandments display in front of the ministry house here on the Hill. They’re badgering the Government of the District of Columbia to try and force a review of the legal opinion that settled our right to display God’s Word. Keep in mind these atheists are the folks whose slogan is “Stabbing Religion in the Neck with a Screwdriver.”
Imagine what would happen to us if our slogan was “Stabbing Atheism in the Neck with a Chiseled Cross!” We’d be in front of a judge right now! (Relax Jeff and Jeff, our duty is to pray for you and to love you in Christ—and that doesn’t include stabbing you anywhere—except perhaps in your conscience!)
Speaking of stabbing—and to turn quite serious (and to explain the title of this post)—as you know for years now there’s been a terrible slaughter going on in Darfur, the southern region of the East African country of Sudan. In just a few days, I will leave for the Sudanese capital of Khartoum where I will join a delegation of U.S. religious leaders under the auspices of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy (IRPP). The IRPP was founded and is headed by my good friend Joseph Griebowski, who is not only a man of deep Christian faith but is also a genius. Joe’s organization was recently nominated for a Nobel Prize and deservedly so. (Incidentally, it was Joe who introduced me to Morocco and was the catalyst for our Christian Friendship Mission there.) In Sudan we will meet with President Bashir, virtually every top Sudanese official and religious leaders from Muslim, Christian and even Jewish communities—all in an effort to bring pressure on Sudan to allow a peace initiative to protect the 2.5 million displaced persons in the South.
Please pray for us. I’ve ministered in 37 countries of the world, including some at war, but this is the most difficult and challenging foreign mission I have ever undertaken. Even more so, please pray for the millions of victims of this terrible violence.
If you can, please listen (or now, watch) my weekly missionary field report, Faith and Action Live, for March 21. I report on the big change in reception for our annual Passover / Easter outreach among members of Congress. There’s an ominous turn-for-the-worse here. You need to know about it. God help us!
Over and out! - RS
It’s been a very busy time around here—thank you to those who sustain us by your prayers! I must constantly remember Gideon because it seems our army at Faith and Action is so small to take on so much. But as the (now old) Gospel song says, “Little is much when God is in it!”
I was one of the first in the country to speak out in support of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Peter Pace. I had met Gen. Pace some years ago when our Thursday morning breakfast group hosted him. He’s a good, God-fearing man and—needless to say—an excellent military leader. To pan him for saying what we all instinctively know—that homosexual conduct and adultery are immoral—is the height of absurdity.
I thought one of the greatest shames visited on this nation was the forcing of Gen. Pace to back down in a genuflection to the media idols in this country. (I must admire him for not actually apologizing!) He did what his bosses obviously ordered him to do. (I think Defense Secretary Robert Gates is one of the worst picks the President has ever made.) Nonetheless, the General did it with strength and panache. (You’ve heard me say that here in Washington, you must be—as Jesus said—wise as a serpent. I say, sometimes downright snaky!)
Well, the Pace brouhaha kept us consumed for a week as I put out statements, did endless interviews and held a news conference in front of the White House.
I’ve also had my own little stink-a-poo going on as the Washington area affiliate of “American Atheists” has come after me and our Ten Commandments display in front of the ministry house here on the Hill. They’re badgering the Government of the District of Columbia to try and force a review of the legal opinion that settled our right to display God’s Word. Keep in mind these atheists are the folks whose slogan is “Stabbing Religion in the Neck with a Screwdriver.”
Imagine what would happen to us if our slogan was “Stabbing Atheism in the Neck with a Chiseled Cross!” We’d be in front of a judge right now! (Relax Jeff and Jeff, our duty is to pray for you and to love you in Christ—and that doesn’t include stabbing you anywhere—except perhaps in your conscience!)
Speaking of stabbing—and to turn quite serious (and to explain the title of this post)—as you know for years now there’s been a terrible slaughter going on in Darfur, the southern region of the East African country of Sudan. In just a few days, I will leave for the Sudanese capital of Khartoum where I will join a delegation of U.S. religious leaders under the auspices of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy (IRPP). The IRPP was founded and is headed by my good friend Joseph Griebowski, who is not only a man of deep Christian faith but is also a genius. Joe’s organization was recently nominated for a Nobel Prize and deservedly so. (Incidentally, it was Joe who introduced me to Morocco and was the catalyst for our Christian Friendship Mission there.) In Sudan we will meet with President Bashir, virtually every top Sudanese official and religious leaders from Muslim, Christian and even Jewish communities—all in an effort to bring pressure on Sudan to allow a peace initiative to protect the 2.5 million displaced persons in the South.
Please pray for us. I’ve ministered in 37 countries of the world, including some at war, but this is the most difficult and challenging foreign mission I have ever undertaken. Even more so, please pray for the millions of victims of this terrible violence.
If you can, please listen (or now, watch) my weekly missionary field report, Faith and Action Live, for March 21. I report on the big change in reception for our annual Passover / Easter outreach among members of Congress. There’s an ominous turn-for-the-worse here. You need to know about it. God help us!
Over and out! - RS
Saturday, March 17, 2007
DOES HOMOSEXUALITY HAVE A CURE?
“For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” (Romans 7:22-23 NKJV)
The Debate over homosexuality was reignited this week by the comments of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Peter Pace and the blog musings of well-known Southern Baptist theologian Albert Mohler.
General Pace said to the Chicago Tribune he personally believes homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral. Dr. Mohler wrote:
“Christians must be very careful not to claim that science can never prove a biological basis for sexual orientation. We can and must insist that no scientific finding can change the basic sinfulness of all homosexual behavior. The general trend of the research points to at least some biological factors behind sexual attraction, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This does not alter God's moral verdict on homosexual sin (or heterosexual sin, for that matter), but it does hold some promise that a deeper knowledge of homosexuality and its cause will allow for more effective ministries to those who struggle with this particular pattern of temptation. If such knowledge should ever be discovered, we should embrace it and use it for the greater good of humanity and for the greater glory of God.”
He went on to recommend that should a chemical “cure” be found for homosexual orientation, Christians should embrace it.
Wow! Talk about the perfect storm. The President’s top uniformed military advisor and a well-known Baptist seminary president in the same week!
I responded to the General’s pronouncement in two statements and during a news conference in front of the White House.
(See http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/553152465.html, http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/240692485.html,
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/725042500.html.) I responded to Dr. Mohler in an interview with the Washington Post’s Lynne Duke, who asked me specifically if I agreed with his proposition (that there may be a biological cause for homosexuality) and his hypothetical cure, the application of a hormone patch to a pregnant mom’s abdomen.
My conversation with Ms. Duke lasted about 30 minutes. My guess is if she uses anything I said in her article, it will be one or two lines long. That’s always my frustration with the media, friendly or otherwise. They play to the average American’s attention span, which isn’t very long.
Doubtless, whatever is printed will cause trouble for me from one side of the argument or the other, as did a previous interview I granted with the Post a year ago. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/14/AR2005061401531.html.) Back then, reporter Alan Cooperman took great license with what I said and constructed a non-reality—that is the appearance of a partnership between me and pro-homosexual advocates.
So, let me revisit the whole matter again. It is of paramount moral importance. Here are my positions on all these questions, namely:
Do I believe, as Dr. Mohler apparently does, that we may soon discover a biological contributor to same-sex sexual attractions?
Would such a discovery change my opinion of the moral nature of homosexuality?
Do I endorse Dr. Mohler’s hypothetical use of a medical treatment to “fix” a pre-born child’s sexual orientation?
I will begin by going back to last year—in fact, almost two years ago—when I started reading through the research material on investigations into animal and human same-sex sexual behavior. That led me to correspond with one of the top genetic scientists in the world. (He will remain nameless to protect his job.) Believe me, if I can ever disclose who he is, you will see just how qualified he is to opine on this. One of his peers told me, “If you want to know more about genetics than he knows, you need to go to God.”
It happens this revered scientist is also a born-again, Evangelical Christian. He told me it will be only a few years before a gene affecting sexual orientation is identified. Now, before anyone goes apoplectic, he also said this gene will only pre-dispose the carrier toward certain sexual behavior, it will not pre-determine that behavior. My scientist contact explained that sexuality is extremely complex and depends on many factors.
As a result of this information (and much more that I read) and now Dr. Mohler’s commentary on sheep studies, I am convinced that IN SOME PEOPLE, biological factors such as genes, hormones or other anatomical and bio-chemical contributors COULD play important roles in making THESE PEOPLE vulnerable to homosexual SIN.
Note my use of the word SIN. The Bible is quite clear, the Christian church has consistently taught, and virtually every major religion holds that sexual activity between persons of the same sex is WRONG; it is contrary to God’s moral law for human beings and to nature. In my book, Ten Words That Will Change A Nation, on the Ten Commandments (revised and updated version due out soon), I point out homosexual sex is a form of adultery—a behavior explicitly prohibited, whether homosexual or heterosexual in nature. (See Exodus 20:14.)
My answer then to the first question is a cautionary, yes; cautionary because it is still largely hypothetical. The evidence points there (as Dr. Mohler notes), but it is not yet concrete.
On the second question, about the moral nature of homosexual behavior, my answer is an unequivocal, no. Such a discovery of a biological contributor to same-sex attractions does not change the nature of homosexual behavior from immoral (or sinful) to moral (or righteous.) The Bible clearly condemns sexual intercourse of any kind between persons of the same sex. (See Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27.) In both these cases, however, the proscription is on the actual behavior—the acts. Temptation, while it is rooted in our sinful nature, is not immoral or sinful in and of itself. But neither is it normative or Godly:
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. But each is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15 NKJV)
My point here is that some persons will be especially vulnerable to certain sinful desires or temptations, while others will not. According to St. Paul’s instruction in Romans 7, as I quoted at the beginning of this post, there is no doubt there is a physical dimension to sin and temptation. It may be hormonal, it may be genetic, it may be some other bio-chemical or even anatomical anomaly, but it expresses itself physiologically. That shouldn’t surprise us. But this biological factor might explain why some people have persistent temptations no matter how much prayer, discipline, counseling or spiritual experiences they may have. As one great Christian leader has said, “Once a homosexual, always a homosexual.” (I know some will refute this and will convincingly testify to an actual change in sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. I don't doubt that. But in many, temptations toward the same sex persist in spite of subsequently happy heterosexual lives, marriages and sexual experiences.)
On the last question about a possible future “cure,” I am much more cautionary. Again, I believe we will discover in the near future that sexuality is one of the most complex aspects of human nature. There will never be a quick, easy, strictly physical “cure” for sexual disorders and dysfunctions, hetero or homo. I’m convinced we will learn that spiritual, psychological, relational, experiential and environmental factors all combine with biological factors to produce certain human sexual proclivities and predilections—as is no doubt true of ALL human behaviors. Ultimately, of course, such dysfunctions are linked to the Fall and our resulting sinful state and consequent alienation from God the Creator. The cure for that underlying cause has already appeared. As we sing in Toplady's great Hymn:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee, Let the water and the blood from Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.
None of this is simple, but then mankind is the crown of God’s creation, made in His image, and is therefore enormously complex by design.
I don’t know a lot about this right now, but what I do know is we must prayerfully have this conversation NOW so we are not caught off guard in the near future, ill-prepared and unable to give critically important spiritual, biblical and moral insight into whatever discoveries are made, and whatever proposals or actions follow.
Let’s all keep praying, reading and talking; talking, reading and praying.
Thanks to Dr. Mohler for keeping the conversation moving forward!
The Debate over homosexuality was reignited this week by the comments of Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Peter Pace and the blog musings of well-known Southern Baptist theologian Albert Mohler.
General Pace said to the Chicago Tribune he personally believes homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral. Dr. Mohler wrote:
“Christians must be very careful not to claim that science can never prove a biological basis for sexual orientation. We can and must insist that no scientific finding can change the basic sinfulness of all homosexual behavior. The general trend of the research points to at least some biological factors behind sexual attraction, gender identity, and sexual orientation. This does not alter God's moral verdict on homosexual sin (or heterosexual sin, for that matter), but it does hold some promise that a deeper knowledge of homosexuality and its cause will allow for more effective ministries to those who struggle with this particular pattern of temptation. If such knowledge should ever be discovered, we should embrace it and use it for the greater good of humanity and for the greater glory of God.”
He went on to recommend that should a chemical “cure” be found for homosexual orientation, Christians should embrace it.
Wow! Talk about the perfect storm. The President’s top uniformed military advisor and a well-known Baptist seminary president in the same week!
I responded to the General’s pronouncement in two statements and during a news conference in front of the White House.
(See http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/553152465.html, http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/240692485.html,
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/725042500.html.) I responded to Dr. Mohler in an interview with the Washington Post’s Lynne Duke, who asked me specifically if I agreed with his proposition (that there may be a biological cause for homosexuality) and his hypothetical cure, the application of a hormone patch to a pregnant mom’s abdomen.
My conversation with Ms. Duke lasted about 30 minutes. My guess is if she uses anything I said in her article, it will be one or two lines long. That’s always my frustration with the media, friendly or otherwise. They play to the average American’s attention span, which isn’t very long.
Doubtless, whatever is printed will cause trouble for me from one side of the argument or the other, as did a previous interview I granted with the Post a year ago. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/14/AR2005061401531.html.) Back then, reporter Alan Cooperman took great license with what I said and constructed a non-reality—that is the appearance of a partnership between me and pro-homosexual advocates.
So, let me revisit the whole matter again. It is of paramount moral importance. Here are my positions on all these questions, namely:
Do I believe, as Dr. Mohler apparently does, that we may soon discover a biological contributor to same-sex sexual attractions?
Would such a discovery change my opinion of the moral nature of homosexuality?
Do I endorse Dr. Mohler’s hypothetical use of a medical treatment to “fix” a pre-born child’s sexual orientation?
I will begin by going back to last year—in fact, almost two years ago—when I started reading through the research material on investigations into animal and human same-sex sexual behavior. That led me to correspond with one of the top genetic scientists in the world. (He will remain nameless to protect his job.) Believe me, if I can ever disclose who he is, you will see just how qualified he is to opine on this. One of his peers told me, “If you want to know more about genetics than he knows, you need to go to God.”
It happens this revered scientist is also a born-again, Evangelical Christian. He told me it will be only a few years before a gene affecting sexual orientation is identified. Now, before anyone goes apoplectic, he also said this gene will only pre-dispose the carrier toward certain sexual behavior, it will not pre-determine that behavior. My scientist contact explained that sexuality is extremely complex and depends on many factors.
As a result of this information (and much more that I read) and now Dr. Mohler’s commentary on sheep studies, I am convinced that IN SOME PEOPLE, biological factors such as genes, hormones or other anatomical and bio-chemical contributors COULD play important roles in making THESE PEOPLE vulnerable to homosexual SIN.
Note my use of the word SIN. The Bible is quite clear, the Christian church has consistently taught, and virtually every major religion holds that sexual activity between persons of the same sex is WRONG; it is contrary to God’s moral law for human beings and to nature. In my book, Ten Words That Will Change A Nation, on the Ten Commandments (revised and updated version due out soon), I point out homosexual sex is a form of adultery—a behavior explicitly prohibited, whether homosexual or heterosexual in nature. (See Exodus 20:14.)
My answer then to the first question is a cautionary, yes; cautionary because it is still largely hypothetical. The evidence points there (as Dr. Mohler notes), but it is not yet concrete.
On the second question, about the moral nature of homosexual behavior, my answer is an unequivocal, no. Such a discovery of a biological contributor to same-sex attractions does not change the nature of homosexual behavior from immoral (or sinful) to moral (or righteous.) The Bible clearly condemns sexual intercourse of any kind between persons of the same sex. (See Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27.) In both these cases, however, the proscription is on the actual behavior—the acts. Temptation, while it is rooted in our sinful nature, is not immoral or sinful in and of itself. But neither is it normative or Godly:
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he himself tempt anyone. But each is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15 NKJV)
My point here is that some persons will be especially vulnerable to certain sinful desires or temptations, while others will not. According to St. Paul’s instruction in Romans 7, as I quoted at the beginning of this post, there is no doubt there is a physical dimension to sin and temptation. It may be hormonal, it may be genetic, it may be some other bio-chemical or even anatomical anomaly, but it expresses itself physiologically. That shouldn’t surprise us. But this biological factor might explain why some people have persistent temptations no matter how much prayer, discipline, counseling or spiritual experiences they may have. As one great Christian leader has said, “Once a homosexual, always a homosexual.” (I know some will refute this and will convincingly testify to an actual change in sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. I don't doubt that. But in many, temptations toward the same sex persist in spite of subsequently happy heterosexual lives, marriages and sexual experiences.)
On the last question about a possible future “cure,” I am much more cautionary. Again, I believe we will discover in the near future that sexuality is one of the most complex aspects of human nature. There will never be a quick, easy, strictly physical “cure” for sexual disorders and dysfunctions, hetero or homo. I’m convinced we will learn that spiritual, psychological, relational, experiential and environmental factors all combine with biological factors to produce certain human sexual proclivities and predilections—as is no doubt true of ALL human behaviors. Ultimately, of course, such dysfunctions are linked to the Fall and our resulting sinful state and consequent alienation from God the Creator. The cure for that underlying cause has already appeared. As we sing in Toplady's great Hymn:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee, Let the water and the blood from Thy riven side which flowed, Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power.
I think we need to be extremely careful and prayerful about any attempt to physically change a nascent child. This comes dangerously close to violating the sanctity of human life. There is the question of the science itself, its long-term affects, its unintended and unpredictable consequences. And there is the question of INTENT. And here lies the rub: In the end it is intent that matters most. If our intent is to help a child develop normally and to enjoy a life designed by God for his or her happiness in service to the Lord and to His moral will--and there is a reasonable and demonstrable possibility of doing so with limited risk, then we should pursue it. On the other hand, if the intent is to experiment on a child, manipulate him or her, or change them in some way simply for our enjoyment, that is immoral and must be rejected.
None of this is simple, but then mankind is the crown of God’s creation, made in His image, and is therefore enormously complex by design.
I don’t know a lot about this right now, but what I do know is we must prayerfully have this conversation NOW so we are not caught off guard in the near future, ill-prepared and unable to give critically important spiritual, biblical and moral insight into whatever discoveries are made, and whatever proposals or actions follow.
Let’s all keep praying, reading and talking; talking, reading and praying.
Thanks to Dr. Mohler for keeping the conversation moving forward!
Monday, March 05, 2007
ATHEIST ACTIVIST EXPLAINS MEANINGLESS REMARK
ATHEIST ACTIVIST EXPLAINS MEANINGLESS REMARK
Before I write anything else, I want to give the atheist activist I referred to in my last post a chance to clarify his statement to me regarding the recent Supreme Court case on President Bush’s Faith Based Initiative programs.
I mentioned to you that I ran into this man last week as he returned from staging a protest against public funding of faith-based programs in front of the US Supreme Court. I also noted that when I asked him how he felt the case would go, he conceded it would likely be a winner for our side. In response to my report, the same activist wrote me a blistering E-mail saying, among other things, “When you approached me on the street, I had just come from our demonstration on the steps of SCOTUS(Supreme Court of the United States). I was not privy to the proceedings inside and I certainly was not expressing a legal opinion. My one-liner was nothing more than humorous, self-effacing cordiality. It doesn't seem possible the (sic) it could have been mistaken for anything beyond that.”
I attempted to respond to him, but his E-mail address was rejected twice. So, hoping you’re still reading Rick, here’s what I tried to send to you:
Hi Rick! Thanks for taking time to read my blog and respond. I plan to reflect on your comments in my next posting, but I need to get something straight: Did you or did you not give me your honest opinion in that remark? If it was not honest, but simply a cordiality to placate me, should I say that? I took you to be a straight-forward guy who would give me your true opinion.
I also respect you as a savvy player in this consequential high-stakes game. You guys are sharp, determined, articulate, shrewd and committed to your cause. You know what you’re after and you’re (to quote Hillary) “in it to win!” I don’t know about you, but I see this as a struggle for the very soul of our American—and even broader human civilization. That’s no small thing. Let’s not be naïve. This is bigger than the Civil War and even more bloody—if you consider every human life to be as valuable as another.
So, pardon me for making more of your conciliatory statement than you wanted me to, but I am neither your apologist nor your publicist. If you mean to be sure to be taken in a certain way, only say so and I will respect that. I will now report your taking umbrage at my interpretation of your comment, but I must wonder if you’re being honest with yourself. Again, if you didn’t mean what you said, just say so.
Incidentally, I’m grateful to God that we’re now doing battle with you guys and not the old guard who spit on us, punched, scratched and kicked us. (Back in ’92, they even urinated on us!) For your civility, I say thank you. While we will always have very sharp disagreements and different interpretations of one another, we can—and I am determined to—remain civil.
Thank you again for sharing your feelings with me. Be assured of my constant prayers for you.
Respectfully,
Rob Schenck
That being said, let me say I still believe what I heard in Rick’s words, his tone of voice and our eye contact, was a concession. But, he can speak for himself and is invited to do so by posting at this blog.
Speaking of speaking, last week I attended CPAC—the Conservative Political Action Conference. These are the hard-core conservative activists and (according to even the liberal Washington Post) a very important constituency within the Republican Party. That’s why leading presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback and Rudy Giuliani appeared there. I had a great time spending most of the hours with our colleagues and friends, Pat Mahoney and Jay Sekulow, among others--including Sean Hannity. (Jay was busy talking up Mitt Romney, whom he is supporting.)
I have said all along that Sam Brownback is—and remains—the gold standard on our three key principles of the Sanctity of Life, the Sanctity of Marriage and the Family and the Public Acknowledgement of God. But, I must also say the most impressive campaign organization at the conference was Mitt Romney’s—and that extends nationally. Perhaps that’s why Romney won First Place in the straw poll (mock election) held during the event. The pro-abort, anti-family values, not-much-on-religion Giuliani came in Second (Egad!) and Sam, the champion of all that is good, came in Third. It’s clear if moral conservatives are looking for someone with a capacity to win, Mitt comes out on top.
On the other side, it appears Hillary is staging a no-holds-barred campaign against formidable challenger Barack Obama. You probably saw on the news both attended recent Civil Rights commemorations in Selma, Alabama. Pat Mahoney and I visited there not long ago and marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the one made so infamous by the brutal attacks against marchers on "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965. I was only seven years old, but I can remember the television coverage of that awful event. I believe it contributed to my formation as an activist. The odd thing is neither Barack Obama nor his family experienced any of that. He was born to a highly educated white mother and African father. He was raised by white grandparents in Hawaii and later graduated from Harvard where he served in the prestigious post of editor to the Law Review. I must wonder if the senior leaders of the civil rights movement have any attitudes about that.
In any case, the big feature of this campaign stop for both the Clinton and Obama camps was the unseemly quoting of Scripture and singing of hymns as jousting weapons. This competition for the prize of “most religious” is degrading to the candidates and to the rich history of the black church. Any charges by the Democrats that Republicans politicize faith (and too many of them do) is nullified by their own Elmer Gantryism on the campaign trail.
While I'm in a critical mood (a constructive one, I hope), let me say in summary that I'm very concerned our conservative movement maintains a Christian conscience. I'm deeply troubled by signs it's slipping. Without a Christian conscience there will be no morally qualitative difference between liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican. I, for one, am not interested in investing in a morally banckrupt movement.
This is all I have time for now, be back later . . .
Before I write anything else, I want to give the atheist activist I referred to in my last post a chance to clarify his statement to me regarding the recent Supreme Court case on President Bush’s Faith Based Initiative programs.
I mentioned to you that I ran into this man last week as he returned from staging a protest against public funding of faith-based programs in front of the US Supreme Court. I also noted that when I asked him how he felt the case would go, he conceded it would likely be a winner for our side. In response to my report, the same activist wrote me a blistering E-mail saying, among other things, “When you approached me on the street, I had just come from our demonstration on the steps of SCOTUS(Supreme Court of the United States). I was not privy to the proceedings inside and I certainly was not expressing a legal opinion. My one-liner was nothing more than humorous, self-effacing cordiality. It doesn't seem possible the (sic) it could have been mistaken for anything beyond that.”
I attempted to respond to him, but his E-mail address was rejected twice. So, hoping you’re still reading Rick, here’s what I tried to send to you:
Hi Rick! Thanks for taking time to read my blog and respond. I plan to reflect on your comments in my next posting, but I need to get something straight: Did you or did you not give me your honest opinion in that remark? If it was not honest, but simply a cordiality to placate me, should I say that? I took you to be a straight-forward guy who would give me your true opinion.
I also respect you as a savvy player in this consequential high-stakes game. You guys are sharp, determined, articulate, shrewd and committed to your cause. You know what you’re after and you’re (to quote Hillary) “in it to win!” I don’t know about you, but I see this as a struggle for the very soul of our American—and even broader human civilization. That’s no small thing. Let’s not be naïve. This is bigger than the Civil War and even more bloody—if you consider every human life to be as valuable as another.
So, pardon me for making more of your conciliatory statement than you wanted me to, but I am neither your apologist nor your publicist. If you mean to be sure to be taken in a certain way, only say so and I will respect that. I will now report your taking umbrage at my interpretation of your comment, but I must wonder if you’re being honest with yourself. Again, if you didn’t mean what you said, just say so.
Incidentally, I’m grateful to God that we’re now doing battle with you guys and not the old guard who spit on us, punched, scratched and kicked us. (Back in ’92, they even urinated on us!) For your civility, I say thank you. While we will always have very sharp disagreements and different interpretations of one another, we can—and I am determined to—remain civil.
Thank you again for sharing your feelings with me. Be assured of my constant prayers for you.
Respectfully,
Rob Schenck
That being said, let me say I still believe what I heard in Rick’s words, his tone of voice and our eye contact, was a concession. But, he can speak for himself and is invited to do so by posting at this blog.
Speaking of speaking, last week I attended CPAC—the Conservative Political Action Conference. These are the hard-core conservative activists and (according to even the liberal Washington Post) a very important constituency within the Republican Party. That’s why leading presidential candidates Mitt Romney, Sam Brownback and Rudy Giuliani appeared there. I had a great time spending most of the hours with our colleagues and friends, Pat Mahoney and Jay Sekulow, among others--including Sean Hannity. (Jay was busy talking up Mitt Romney, whom he is supporting.)
I have said all along that Sam Brownback is—and remains—the gold standard on our three key principles of the Sanctity of Life, the Sanctity of Marriage and the Family and the Public Acknowledgement of God. But, I must also say the most impressive campaign organization at the conference was Mitt Romney’s—and that extends nationally. Perhaps that’s why Romney won First Place in the straw poll (mock election) held during the event. The pro-abort, anti-family values, not-much-on-religion Giuliani came in Second (Egad!) and Sam, the champion of all that is good, came in Third. It’s clear if moral conservatives are looking for someone with a capacity to win, Mitt comes out on top.
On the other side, it appears Hillary is staging a no-holds-barred campaign against formidable challenger Barack Obama. You probably saw on the news both attended recent Civil Rights commemorations in Selma, Alabama. Pat Mahoney and I visited there not long ago and marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, the one made so infamous by the brutal attacks against marchers on "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965. I was only seven years old, but I can remember the television coverage of that awful event. I believe it contributed to my formation as an activist. The odd thing is neither Barack Obama nor his family experienced any of that. He was born to a highly educated white mother and African father. He was raised by white grandparents in Hawaii and later graduated from Harvard where he served in the prestigious post of editor to the Law Review. I must wonder if the senior leaders of the civil rights movement have any attitudes about that.
In any case, the big feature of this campaign stop for both the Clinton and Obama camps was the unseemly quoting of Scripture and singing of hymns as jousting weapons. This competition for the prize of “most religious” is degrading to the candidates and to the rich history of the black church. Any charges by the Democrats that Republicans politicize faith (and too many of them do) is nullified by their own Elmer Gantryism on the campaign trail.
While I'm in a critical mood (a constructive one, I hope), let me say in summary that I'm very concerned our conservative movement maintains a Christian conscience. I'm deeply troubled by signs it's slipping. Without a Christian conscience there will be no morally qualitative difference between liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican. I, for one, am not interested in investing in a morally banckrupt movement.
This is all I have time for now, be back later . . .
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Will Jesus’ Tomb Bury Christianity on Capitol Hill?
The atmosphere here on Capitol Hill is growing more and more hostile toward the people of God as the new congressional leadership hunkers down for a long siege against religion. The new secularists on the Hill see religion as a threat to their political agenda and philosophy—and boy, are we feeling the heat!
Now comes another boost to embolden the enemies of faith. Filmmaker James Cameron (of Titanic fame) has partnered with a discredited investigative journalist and self-proclaimed Indiana Jones to make a Discovery Channel documentary purportedly proving Jesus never rose from the grave.
In a recent New York news conference to hype “The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” Cameron and his business partners displayed what they claimed were stone boxes (called ossuaries) that once contained the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ “wife.” They say the boxes were part of a larger find that included other bone boxes for Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his “son” Judah.
Amazingly, the story follows closely novelist Dan Brown’s fictitious tale The Da Vinci Code, later made into a blockbuster film staring Tom Hanks. How amazingly “coincidental” that this supposedly colossal story would break just as we approach Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection. Of course, it’s Mr. Cameron’s intent to cast doubt on that pivotal event for Christians.
I’ve done a lot of interviews on this subject during the last week. I talked about it on my Faith and Action Live missionary field report, too. I’ve also posted a lot of material about it on our Faith and Action website. (www.faithandaction.org) While it doesn’t intersect precisely with our mission on Capitol Hill, the story most certainly affects it indirectly. Here’s how: Since the change in congressional leadership and—as many believe—the specter of a Democratic White House in ’09, the anti-Christian sentiments here have exploded exponentially. This kind of attack—especially by Hollywood—suggests to the secular elite that Christian cultural moorings are giving way. They’re looking for anything that will help “finish us off.”
I did all I could to demonstrate this story is not what it appears to be. It’s a farce, and I proved it by presenting the facts. To my utter amazement, two days after I launched my first response, none other than the Washington Post agrees! Today reporter Alan Cooperman had a headline story on page A3 entitled, “’Lost Tomb of Jesus’ Claim Called A Stunt.” Believe it or not, I’m urging my circle of friends to read and distribute this article—it’s the best yet at debunking this story. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022600442.html)
Thank you Mr. Cooperman for an excellent expose of this modern-day circus sideshow!
Just before I went on the Internet today, I dashed across the street to the Supreme Court where the justices heard arguments for and against President Bush’s program on Faith Based Initiatives. US Solicitor General Paul Clement (a believer) argued for the President and the Administration in support of funding faith based social programs. Outside the courthouse I caught up with my good friend Jay Sekulow who was very involved in this case. He felt it was a winner for our side. I later saw my erstwhile nemesis, Barry Lynn, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He seemed resigned to a loss. I affectionately slapped him on the back and told him (with tongue in cheek), “Barry, you’ve got to keep the faith!” I told the same thing to a representative of the Beltway Atheists who agreed it was a loser for him and his fellow religion haters. (This was the guy who authored his group’s slogan, “Stabbing religion in the neck with a screwdriver.”) I always treat these guys with the love of Christ, as St. Paul said, “Heaping hot coals on their heads.” More importantly, we love them in Christ, waiting for that breakthrough moment when their soul cries out for Living Water!
Last item of the day: After public comments I made about Governor Mitt Romney’s membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), one of our Faith and Action supporters—a member of the LDS himself—invited me into a dialogue on things religious. I took him up on it and spent more than an hour with him this afternoon. It was a delightful exchange. I learned a lot about LDS beliefs that I didn’t know previously. I’ve also been invited to a gathering where Utah Senator Orin Hatch will talk about his journey of faith in the LDS church. In both my teaching and practice of evangelism I have always asserted that gaining a hearing begins by listening. I figure it’s my turn to listen this time. After this experience, I’ll speak. Pray for me in this worthwhile endeavor. It’s our mutual intention not to try and proselytize one another, but simply talk to each other candidly. While I have enormous theological differences with the LDS, they are at the same time our allies in the struggle to reclaim moral sanity. So, if nothing else, I will come away with a better comprehension of what LDS people are all about. More on this as it moves along.
For now, I’m over and out!
Now comes another boost to embolden the enemies of faith. Filmmaker James Cameron (of Titanic fame) has partnered with a discredited investigative journalist and self-proclaimed Indiana Jones to make a Discovery Channel documentary purportedly proving Jesus never rose from the grave.
In a recent New York news conference to hype “The Lost Tomb of Jesus,” Cameron and his business partners displayed what they claimed were stone boxes (called ossuaries) that once contained the bones of Jesus and Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ “wife.” They say the boxes were part of a larger find that included other bone boxes for Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his “son” Judah.
Amazingly, the story follows closely novelist Dan Brown’s fictitious tale The Da Vinci Code, later made into a blockbuster film staring Tom Hanks. How amazingly “coincidental” that this supposedly colossal story would break just as we approach Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection. Of course, it’s Mr. Cameron’s intent to cast doubt on that pivotal event for Christians.
I’ve done a lot of interviews on this subject during the last week. I talked about it on my Faith and Action Live missionary field report, too. I’ve also posted a lot of material about it on our Faith and Action website. (www.faithandaction.org) While it doesn’t intersect precisely with our mission on Capitol Hill, the story most certainly affects it indirectly. Here’s how: Since the change in congressional leadership and—as many believe—the specter of a Democratic White House in ’09, the anti-Christian sentiments here have exploded exponentially. This kind of attack—especially by Hollywood—suggests to the secular elite that Christian cultural moorings are giving way. They’re looking for anything that will help “finish us off.”
I did all I could to demonstrate this story is not what it appears to be. It’s a farce, and I proved it by presenting the facts. To my utter amazement, two days after I launched my first response, none other than the Washington Post agrees! Today reporter Alan Cooperman had a headline story on page A3 entitled, “’Lost Tomb of Jesus’ Claim Called A Stunt.” Believe it or not, I’m urging my circle of friends to read and distribute this article—it’s the best yet at debunking this story. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/26/AR2007022600442.html)
Thank you Mr. Cooperman for an excellent expose of this modern-day circus sideshow!
Just before I went on the Internet today, I dashed across the street to the Supreme Court where the justices heard arguments for and against President Bush’s program on Faith Based Initiatives. US Solicitor General Paul Clement (a believer) argued for the President and the Administration in support of funding faith based social programs. Outside the courthouse I caught up with my good friend Jay Sekulow who was very involved in this case. He felt it was a winner for our side. I later saw my erstwhile nemesis, Barry Lynn, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. He seemed resigned to a loss. I affectionately slapped him on the back and told him (with tongue in cheek), “Barry, you’ve got to keep the faith!” I told the same thing to a representative of the Beltway Atheists who agreed it was a loser for him and his fellow religion haters. (This was the guy who authored his group’s slogan, “Stabbing religion in the neck with a screwdriver.”) I always treat these guys with the love of Christ, as St. Paul said, “Heaping hot coals on their heads.” More importantly, we love them in Christ, waiting for that breakthrough moment when their soul cries out for Living Water!
Last item of the day: After public comments I made about Governor Mitt Romney’s membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), one of our Faith and Action supporters—a member of the LDS himself—invited me into a dialogue on things religious. I took him up on it and spent more than an hour with him this afternoon. It was a delightful exchange. I learned a lot about LDS beliefs that I didn’t know previously. I’ve also been invited to a gathering where Utah Senator Orin Hatch will talk about his journey of faith in the LDS church. In both my teaching and practice of evangelism I have always asserted that gaining a hearing begins by listening. I figure it’s my turn to listen this time. After this experience, I’ll speak. Pray for me in this worthwhile endeavor. It’s our mutual intention not to try and proselytize one another, but simply talk to each other candidly. While I have enormous theological differences with the LDS, they are at the same time our allies in the struggle to reclaim moral sanity. So, if nothing else, I will come away with a better comprehension of what LDS people are all about. More on this as it moves along.
For now, I’m over and out!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
MET WITH ROMNEY AND MCCAIN
Another hiatus since I’ve posted, but I’m determined to do more writing and posting. So, bear with me, I’m working on it!
Since I wrote last, a lot has happened. I’ve been to Florida twice. (I know, someone’s got to suffer!) Down and back for ministry in a new church in the Sarasota area: The Fellowship of Believers. What a warm and wonderful group of people! They were enormously generous in every way. Outside what I do here in Washington, DC, visiting and ministering in churches is one of the things I enjoy most. I love being with God’s people, sharing the vision of Faith and Action, and encouraging Christian Americans by reporting how God is answering their prayers for our nation’s leaders. If you’d like me to visit your church, please approach your leadership and ask them if I may come and give your congregation a first person missionary field report from our nation’s capital! (For more information, contact Allyson Black, our director of supporter relations at allysonblack@faithandaction.org or call her at 202-546-8329, extension 104.)
While on my second trip to the Sunshine State, I hosted a lunch for new and old friends. We call these “Family Circles” because that’s exactly how I feel about our growing network of Faith and Action supporters—we’re family! Watch your E-mail for notice of an upcoming Family Circle breakfast, lunch or dinner in your area. The next Family Circle is a dinner in Lewes, Delaware, near Rehobeth Beach this Saturday, February 24. Again, contact Allyson Black for more information.
It was also on this second trip south that I participated in a private meeting with two of the top ’08 presidential contenders, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Arizona senator John McCain. I’ll talk about those interesting conversations on today’s Faith and Action Live! (You can listen to my special report at www.faithandaction.org, "Radio Archives" on left-hand menu.) On other fronts, I ministered in the new and burgeoning Calvary Chapel South Orlando, pastored by Charles Nestor III, son to our long-time friend and colleague Dr. Charles Nestor of Lakeland. This is one great father-son duo!
(In case I’m confusing you on schedules, I had been down to Florida the weekend of Feb 10-11 for the visit to Fellowship of Believers church, returned to Washington for meetings, then flew back down for a full schedule of activity, Feb 14-19.)
I had a delightful but bitter-sweet surprise while I was in Sarasota on the second round. You may recall my sad odyssey among the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, last October following the tragic murder of five Amish schoolgirls. Many of our Faith and Action supporters were connected to that awful event because of how tight the Lancaster County community is, and because of family and business relationships. I spent nearly a week up there visiting the homes of both the shooter and the victims. It was a life-changing experience for me. You may have caught my telling of the story on Larry King Live, among other shows.
In any case, one of our Sarasota supporters told me the grandparents of seven-year old Naomi Rose Ebersole, one of the youngest of the Lancaster victims, keep a winter home in an Amish enclave of Sarasota. The grandparents, whom I had met in Lancaster on the day of their granddaughter’s funeral, heard I was in the area and invited me to visit with them, which I did. They told me of their pain, how the Lord is helping all of them heal, and showed me pictures of their beautiful little Naomi Rose. They went on to thank me profusely for the prayers sent in by Faith and Action supporters. We had printed out a selection from among the thousands that were sent to us by E-mail. We then placed them in binders that were later circulated among the victims’ families. Please continue to pray for these lovely people.
While I’m urging you to watch for things, do watch for upcoming articles and E-mails on our most recent struggle to maintain the display of the Ten Commandments in front of our ministry center here on Capitol Hill. A group called the “Beltway Atheists” has filed a complaint with the Government of the District of Columbia. They claim the government erred in issuing its legal opinion that we have a right under the First Amendment to display the Commandments. In spite of the Beltway Atheists’ motto, “Stabbing religion in the neck with a screwdriver since 2005,” they were granted a hearing before a DC government commission. The founder of the group told the commissioners I was required to obtain a permit for the sculpture in our garden. I responded by quoting the letter to us from the District of Columbia clearly stating that due to the First Amendment issues involved we are not NOT required to obtain such permits. There was no convincing them. The chairman has called for a continued investigation. Please pray—this is the same commission that voted against our display of the Commandments five years ago. So, the beat goes on.
There’s a lot more to tell you, but I’m sure this is all you can stand for now!
God bless—and I WILL be back.
Since I wrote last, a lot has happened. I’ve been to Florida twice. (I know, someone’s got to suffer!) Down and back for ministry in a new church in the Sarasota area: The Fellowship of Believers. What a warm and wonderful group of people! They were enormously generous in every way. Outside what I do here in Washington, DC, visiting and ministering in churches is one of the things I enjoy most. I love being with God’s people, sharing the vision of Faith and Action, and encouraging Christian Americans by reporting how God is answering their prayers for our nation’s leaders. If you’d like me to visit your church, please approach your leadership and ask them if I may come and give your congregation a first person missionary field report from our nation’s capital! (For more information, contact Allyson Black, our director of supporter relations at allysonblack@faithandaction.org or call her at 202-546-8329, extension 104.)
While on my second trip to the Sunshine State, I hosted a lunch for new and old friends. We call these “Family Circles” because that’s exactly how I feel about our growing network of Faith and Action supporters—we’re family! Watch your E-mail for notice of an upcoming Family Circle breakfast, lunch or dinner in your area. The next Family Circle is a dinner in Lewes, Delaware, near Rehobeth Beach this Saturday, February 24. Again, contact Allyson Black for more information.
It was also on this second trip south that I participated in a private meeting with two of the top ’08 presidential contenders, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and Arizona senator John McCain. I’ll talk about those interesting conversations on today’s Faith and Action Live! (You can listen to my special report at www.faithandaction.org, "Radio Archives" on left-hand menu.) On other fronts, I ministered in the new and burgeoning Calvary Chapel South Orlando, pastored by Charles Nestor III, son to our long-time friend and colleague Dr. Charles Nestor of Lakeland. This is one great father-son duo!
(In case I’m confusing you on schedules, I had been down to Florida the weekend of Feb 10-11 for the visit to Fellowship of Believers church, returned to Washington for meetings, then flew back down for a full schedule of activity, Feb 14-19.)
I had a delightful but bitter-sweet surprise while I was in Sarasota on the second round. You may recall my sad odyssey among the Amish of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, last October following the tragic murder of five Amish schoolgirls. Many of our Faith and Action supporters were connected to that awful event because of how tight the Lancaster County community is, and because of family and business relationships. I spent nearly a week up there visiting the homes of both the shooter and the victims. It was a life-changing experience for me. You may have caught my telling of the story on Larry King Live, among other shows.
In any case, one of our Sarasota supporters told me the grandparents of seven-year old Naomi Rose Ebersole, one of the youngest of the Lancaster victims, keep a winter home in an Amish enclave of Sarasota. The grandparents, whom I had met in Lancaster on the day of their granddaughter’s funeral, heard I was in the area and invited me to visit with them, which I did. They told me of their pain, how the Lord is helping all of them heal, and showed me pictures of their beautiful little Naomi Rose. They went on to thank me profusely for the prayers sent in by Faith and Action supporters. We had printed out a selection from among the thousands that were sent to us by E-mail. We then placed them in binders that were later circulated among the victims’ families. Please continue to pray for these lovely people.
While I’m urging you to watch for things, do watch for upcoming articles and E-mails on our most recent struggle to maintain the display of the Ten Commandments in front of our ministry center here on Capitol Hill. A group called the “Beltway Atheists” has filed a complaint with the Government of the District of Columbia. They claim the government erred in issuing its legal opinion that we have a right under the First Amendment to display the Commandments. In spite of the Beltway Atheists’ motto, “Stabbing religion in the neck with a screwdriver since 2005,” they were granted a hearing before a DC government commission. The founder of the group told the commissioners I was required to obtain a permit for the sculpture in our garden. I responded by quoting the letter to us from the District of Columbia clearly stating that due to the First Amendment issues involved we are not NOT required to obtain such permits. There was no convincing them. The chairman has called for a continued investigation. Please pray—this is the same commission that voted against our display of the Commandments five years ago. So, the beat goes on.
There’s a lot more to tell you, but I’m sure this is all you can stand for now!
God bless—and I WILL be back.
Friday, February 16, 2007
THOUGHTS ON CANDIDATES AND ATHEISTS WHO STAB RELIGION IN THE NECK
Thoughts on Campaigns, Candidates and Athesists Who "Stab Religion in the Neck with a Screwdriver!"
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Sorry, but it’s been a frenetic roller coaster these last two weeks. 12-hour days with interspersed ministry travel have sidelined me. But, I’m back!
The question I’m asked most these days is, "So what d’ya think of the campaigns and the candidates?" The second most asked is, "What about this Barack Obama?" I have answers for both.
As far as the campaigns, they are way too early. Campaigns distort reality. Too often, candidates say and do so many things during their campaigns that are not meant to benefit the country, but simply win the prize. Much of what we see at campaign stops, hear in interviews and read in essays and op-ed pieces have nothing to do with who the candidate really is or what he/she intends to do once in office. For this reason, I don’t think excruciatingly long campaigns serve the nation well.
That being said, there is a silver lining in this otherwise dark cloud: We each have time to do serious research. We can find out who these people really are, what they really believe and what their track record has been. With the Internet, it’s easier than ever.
I chose to start this scrutiny with Barack Obama for a number of reasons. He was the first to aggressively attempt to engage the Evangelical community, of which I am a part. He was also the first to boldly invite a public conversation on religion—something I think is more than worthwhile. I took him up on the invitation; you can read what I discovered about his religious identity at www.faithandaction.org. (Scroll down to my article, "Barack Obama: Sheep or Goat?") There are, of course, so many more candidates and prospective candidates to explore. This weekend I meet in a closed door session with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, an apparent front-runner among GOP candidates. Governor Romney’s Mormon faith, reported spotty track record on moral issues and only recent conversion to the sanctity of life and marriage demand intense investigation. I plan to ask him the hard questions. Still, he holds great potential.
On the top moral issues, only one contender has a spotless history: Kansas senator Sam Brownback. I’ve known Sam for some time. He’s a champion for all things that really matter. He defended human life, the integrity of the family and religion in the public square long before it was a way to get Sunday talk show gigs. He’s the real deal. The problem with Sam is whether a senator can be elected (they’re the least favorites) and whether the party will back him. He’s always marched to a different drum. Sadly, that can hopelessly handicap him. But, as he told me before he went public, "I just felt God wanted me to do this, whether I win or not." I’ve felt from the beginning Sam’s role is as prophetic witness to Truth, no matter who emerges as the frontrunner. I told the Washington Post, Sam’s greatest contribution will be to anchor the morality of the Republican Party. That will be critical, particularly with Rudy in the race—a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual political ally. Notwithstanding, his commanding presence during 9-11 just may carry him across the finish line.
Giuliani is a case all his own. I lived in New York, my parents are both New Yorkers (Dad from Manhattan; Mom from Brooklyn), and I visit the Big Apple routinely. New York is unlike anywhere else in the U.S.—and Rudy is unlike any other politician. I’m not sure he can make it work for those reasons, but it’s his personal relationships and personal morality that concern me most. I must give the point to Barack Obama for admitting he was untruthful when he claimed early on that his religious beliefs didn’t affect his policy decisions. He "came clean," so-to-speak, when he confessed that in fact they did animate both his ideas and actions. Ruddy should tell us what animates him.
All this goes for all the candidates—democrats, republicans, independents, socialists, greens and whoever else we may have out there by the time things really rev up. For Christians, what matters most is exactly what matters most: The paramount moral issues. We need to do diligence and exhaustively research what these candidates have said and done on the three biggies: Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of Marriage and the Public Acknowledgement of God. If the candidates don’t have these points of the moral compass straight, all their other equations and trajectories will be off. You can’t navigate the complex roads of life, individually or corporately, with faulty vectors.
Do your research carefully and prayerfully. Go on the Internet and find original source material: 1) The words of the candidates themselves, 2) Their voting records, 3) What other close observers have written about them, and 4) What their friends and enemies say about them. Then pry for wisdom, which God promises to give you "liberally."
I was at a lovely church this past Sunday and a woman said to me, "I watched Barack Obama with his beautiful wife on Oprah Winfrey, and they seemed so nice and beautiful. He just seemed like someone we could get behind." Good looks, intelligence, charm, bright smiles and good humor make for a pleasant seat-mate on a long flight, but it doesn’t necessarily make a good chief executive for the most powerful nation on earth. We shouldn’t elect presidents for their charisma and star-power. We need a chief executive who understands and is utterly committed to the Constitution of the United States that secures those God-given rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the first of which is "Right to Life."
Hillary, of course, needs to commentary. She’s an all-too-well-known quantity, and she ain’t changing.
Honorable (or dishonorable) mention goes to some others: Arkansas governor Mike Hukabee, a good guy with no name recognition. Same can be said for California congressman Duncan Hunter. On the Dem side, runners include Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, the highly unusual Rep. Dennis Kusinich of Ohio, Sen. Joseph Biden. There are others I can’t remember. If you can’t either, it probably says a lot about their chances.
It’s going to be a long road—I fear a nearly intolerably long road—to November, 2008, but let’s use it wisely. I’ve already met and talked with three of the candidates, and my aim is to meet face-to-face with all of them. I’ll let you know what I find.
On a related matter: The counter assault against those of us who publish the facts has begun and it’s ugly. One of our own close allies is the subject of a clever slander and libel attack on the popular YouTube.com. Somebody with a little tech-savvy concocted a video clip taken from a long-ago news conference, mimicked his voice and has him obscenely insulting a national Christian leader. Unless you really study it, you can’t tell whether it’s for real or not. Of course, I’ve known this person for many, many years and know full well he never said such a thing and never would. This is just one diabolically ingenious way of discrediting us before our "truth-telling" even begins.
In my next post, I’ll tell you about the newest attack against our Ten Commandments display in the front garden of our ministry house across the street from the Supreme Court. This time it comes, believe it or not, from the "Beltway Atheists," whose slogan is "Stabbing religion in the neck with a screwdriver since 2005." What’s even more incredible is that the Government of the District of Columbia has granted them a number of private meetings and just recently a public hearing on their complaint against us.
Just imagine an organization with a slogan, "Stabbing gay people in the neck with a screwdriver since 2005."
God help us—and He will!
Back later.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Sorry, but it’s been a frenetic roller coaster these last two weeks. 12-hour days with interspersed ministry travel have sidelined me. But, I’m back!
The question I’m asked most these days is, "So what d’ya think of the campaigns and the candidates?" The second most asked is, "What about this Barack Obama?" I have answers for both.
As far as the campaigns, they are way too early. Campaigns distort reality. Too often, candidates say and do so many things during their campaigns that are not meant to benefit the country, but simply win the prize. Much of what we see at campaign stops, hear in interviews and read in essays and op-ed pieces have nothing to do with who the candidate really is or what he/she intends to do once in office. For this reason, I don’t think excruciatingly long campaigns serve the nation well.
That being said, there is a silver lining in this otherwise dark cloud: We each have time to do serious research. We can find out who these people really are, what they really believe and what their track record has been. With the Internet, it’s easier than ever.
I chose to start this scrutiny with Barack Obama for a number of reasons. He was the first to aggressively attempt to engage the Evangelical community, of which I am a part. He was also the first to boldly invite a public conversation on religion—something I think is more than worthwhile. I took him up on the invitation; you can read what I discovered about his religious identity at www.faithandaction.org. (Scroll down to my article, "Barack Obama: Sheep or Goat?") There are, of course, so many more candidates and prospective candidates to explore. This weekend I meet in a closed door session with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, an apparent front-runner among GOP candidates. Governor Romney’s Mormon faith, reported spotty track record on moral issues and only recent conversion to the sanctity of life and marriage demand intense investigation. I plan to ask him the hard questions. Still, he holds great potential.
On the top moral issues, only one contender has a spotless history: Kansas senator Sam Brownback. I’ve known Sam for some time. He’s a champion for all things that really matter. He defended human life, the integrity of the family and religion in the public square long before it was a way to get Sunday talk show gigs. He’s the real deal. The problem with Sam is whether a senator can be elected (they’re the least favorites) and whether the party will back him. He’s always marched to a different drum. Sadly, that can hopelessly handicap him. But, as he told me before he went public, "I just felt God wanted me to do this, whether I win or not." I’ve felt from the beginning Sam’s role is as prophetic witness to Truth, no matter who emerges as the frontrunner. I told the Washington Post, Sam’s greatest contribution will be to anchor the morality of the Republican Party. That will be critical, particularly with Rudy in the race—a pro-abortion, pro-homosexual political ally. Notwithstanding, his commanding presence during 9-11 just may carry him across the finish line.
Giuliani is a case all his own. I lived in New York, my parents are both New Yorkers (Dad from Manhattan; Mom from Brooklyn), and I visit the Big Apple routinely. New York is unlike anywhere else in the U.S.—and Rudy is unlike any other politician. I’m not sure he can make it work for those reasons, but it’s his personal relationships and personal morality that concern me most. I must give the point to Barack Obama for admitting he was untruthful when he claimed early on that his religious beliefs didn’t affect his policy decisions. He "came clean," so-to-speak, when he confessed that in fact they did animate both his ideas and actions. Ruddy should tell us what animates him.
All this goes for all the candidates—democrats, republicans, independents, socialists, greens and whoever else we may have out there by the time things really rev up. For Christians, what matters most is exactly what matters most: The paramount moral issues. We need to do diligence and exhaustively research what these candidates have said and done on the three biggies: Sanctity of Life, Sanctity of Marriage and the Public Acknowledgement of God. If the candidates don’t have these points of the moral compass straight, all their other equations and trajectories will be off. You can’t navigate the complex roads of life, individually or corporately, with faulty vectors.
Do your research carefully and prayerfully. Go on the Internet and find original source material: 1) The words of the candidates themselves, 2) Their voting records, 3) What other close observers have written about them, and 4) What their friends and enemies say about them. Then pry for wisdom, which God promises to give you "liberally."
I was at a lovely church this past Sunday and a woman said to me, "I watched Barack Obama with his beautiful wife on Oprah Winfrey, and they seemed so nice and beautiful. He just seemed like someone we could get behind." Good looks, intelligence, charm, bright smiles and good humor make for a pleasant seat-mate on a long flight, but it doesn’t necessarily make a good chief executive for the most powerful nation on earth. We shouldn’t elect presidents for their charisma and star-power. We need a chief executive who understands and is utterly committed to the Constitution of the United States that secures those God-given rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the first of which is "Right to Life."
Hillary, of course, needs to commentary. She’s an all-too-well-known quantity, and she ain’t changing.
Honorable (or dishonorable) mention goes to some others: Arkansas governor Mike Hukabee, a good guy with no name recognition. Same can be said for California congressman Duncan Hunter. On the Dem side, runners include Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, the highly unusual Rep. Dennis Kusinich of Ohio, Sen. Joseph Biden. There are others I can’t remember. If you can’t either, it probably says a lot about their chances.
It’s going to be a long road—I fear a nearly intolerably long road—to November, 2008, but let’s use it wisely. I’ve already met and talked with three of the candidates, and my aim is to meet face-to-face with all of them. I’ll let you know what I find.
On a related matter: The counter assault against those of us who publish the facts has begun and it’s ugly. One of our own close allies is the subject of a clever slander and libel attack on the popular YouTube.com. Somebody with a little tech-savvy concocted a video clip taken from a long-ago news conference, mimicked his voice and has him obscenely insulting a national Christian leader. Unless you really study it, you can’t tell whether it’s for real or not. Of course, I’ve known this person for many, many years and know full well he never said such a thing and never would. This is just one diabolically ingenious way of discrediting us before our "truth-telling" even begins.
In my next post, I’ll tell you about the newest attack against our Ten Commandments display in the front garden of our ministry house across the street from the Supreme Court. This time it comes, believe it or not, from the "Beltway Atheists," whose slogan is "Stabbing religion in the neck with a screwdriver since 2005." What’s even more incredible is that the Government of the District of Columbia has granted them a number of private meetings and just recently a public hearing on their complaint against us.
Just imagine an organization with a slogan, "Stabbing gay people in the neck with a screwdriver since 2005."
God help us—and He will!
Back later.
Friday, February 02, 2007
LEFTIST SECULARISTS SETTLE INTO CONGRESS
The so-called “People for the American Way” (PFAW) routinely cites my brother Paul and me on their nasty “Right Wing Watch,” suggesting we are dangerous extremists. But for every finger PFAW points, there’s three pointing back at them: They are unabashedly pro-abortion, anti-traditional marriage and utterly Godless.
Yesterday, Faith and Action program director Dane Rose and I spied PFAW president Ralph Neas in the US Senate dining room. He sported a huge Cheshire Cat grin. No doubt why; with all the top PFAW Hall of Fame senators now in firm control of the upper house, his long frustrations are over. While Neas previously criticized “the right’s” influence on the majority, there will be no such standard applied to the left. In Neas’ view of the world, the left can do no wrong. The left is always “right.” God help us.
Speaking of God helping us, He certainly has through you. Many of our friends responded generously to our appeal for prayers and financial contributions to steel ourselves for the assaults that have already begun. As I told you in a recent E-mail release, it began when a group I meet with weekly in the US Capitol was thrown out. Bear with me while I give you the whole story:
This Thursday morning breakfast club has been meeting in the US Capitol for 35 years. It is made up of some of the best “God and Country” people in Washington. Sponsored by a different senator each year, the club exists for mutual fellowship and to honor the US Capitol Police for its service to our nation. We begin each meeting with a prayer. (As the club's de facto “chaplain," I'm often privileged to deliver it.) Then we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, someone gives a two-minute “Flag Talk” on a patriotic theme, and we listen to a guest speaker. (Among our speakers we've had everyone from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Supreme Court justices to best-selling authors.) I joined the club five years ago after one of its prominent members invited me as a guest. I later ended up a speaker, and finally as a board member.
Among our club members are numerous heroes. For example, long-time member and retired US Army general Mil Roberts. His harrowing story of storming the Normandy beaches as a 19-year old makes the film Saving Private Ryan look like Disney pap.
As a hail of bullets rained down on Mil, he waded through waters filled with soldiers drowned after their own inflatable life-belts turned them upside down with 60 pounds of gear on their shoulders. Once on the beach, he hid under the bodies of dead comrades, disassembled his sand-encrusted rifle, cleaned and reassembled it, then emerged to fire back, scale a severe bluff with his hands and zigzag his way behind enemy lines where he did a lot of good for America and a lot of damage to the Nazi enemy.
Now Mil and the rest of us are out in the cold. We’re in a sort of exile after California Senator Dianne Feinstein took charge of the Rules Committee that dictates use of US Capitol venues. Our club used to meet in a small private dining room just inside the east Senate entry to the Capitol building. No sooner had the libs taken charge than we were expelled. Ostensibly, the room was needed for other events. But our scouts have confirmed the room has been dark and empty since our eviction.
The old-timers in the group know this is punishment for our leaning conservative. As I said, it’s a “God and Country” bunch. While all of them are not traditional Bible-believing Christians, many are and the rest are good church people. They pray, love their spouses, kids and grandkids and they adore our country. Most have risked their lives to protect our freedoms and some bear the scars of it. Yet, they’re not Ralph Neas’ type, and, after-all, he’s now a king-maker!
The assaults against those who pray to God and love our country don’t stop at the US Capitol door, however. The ascendancy of the Left has emboldened every radical secularist in Washington. The “Beltway Atheists” I told you about back when we first installed the monument of the Ten Commandments in front of our ministry center have returned with a vengeance. I’ll wait till another day to give you all the details. Suffice it to say, they see a new opportunity to nullify our legal victory to display the Commandments in front of our building and they are acting on it; more on this in a future blog.
These are the reasons we really need your prayers and help. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been in office only a few weeks and it seems all h*ll is already being loosed. We’re up for the fight. The battle is not ours, it’s the Lord’s. (See I Samuel 17:46-48.)
This coming week will be a very busy one. Watch for my summary next Friday—it’ll be a doozey!
Yesterday, Faith and Action program director Dane Rose and I spied PFAW president Ralph Neas in the US Senate dining room. He sported a huge Cheshire Cat grin. No doubt why; with all the top PFAW Hall of Fame senators now in firm control of the upper house, his long frustrations are over. While Neas previously criticized “the right’s” influence on the majority, there will be no such standard applied to the left. In Neas’ view of the world, the left can do no wrong. The left is always “right.” God help us.
Speaking of God helping us, He certainly has through you. Many of our friends responded generously to our appeal for prayers and financial contributions to steel ourselves for the assaults that have already begun. As I told you in a recent E-mail release, it began when a group I meet with weekly in the US Capitol was thrown out. Bear with me while I give you the whole story:
This Thursday morning breakfast club has been meeting in the US Capitol for 35 years. It is made up of some of the best “God and Country” people in Washington. Sponsored by a different senator each year, the club exists for mutual fellowship and to honor the US Capitol Police for its service to our nation. We begin each meeting with a prayer. (As the club's de facto “chaplain," I'm often privileged to deliver it.) Then we recite the Pledge of Allegiance, someone gives a two-minute “Flag Talk” on a patriotic theme, and we listen to a guest speaker. (Among our speakers we've had everyone from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to Supreme Court justices to best-selling authors.) I joined the club five years ago after one of its prominent members invited me as a guest. I later ended up a speaker, and finally as a board member.
Among our club members are numerous heroes. For example, long-time member and retired US Army general Mil Roberts. His harrowing story of storming the Normandy beaches as a 19-year old makes the film Saving Private Ryan look like Disney pap.
As a hail of bullets rained down on Mil, he waded through waters filled with soldiers drowned after their own inflatable life-belts turned them upside down with 60 pounds of gear on their shoulders. Once on the beach, he hid under the bodies of dead comrades, disassembled his sand-encrusted rifle, cleaned and reassembled it, then emerged to fire back, scale a severe bluff with his hands and zigzag his way behind enemy lines where he did a lot of good for America and a lot of damage to the Nazi enemy.
Now Mil and the rest of us are out in the cold. We’re in a sort of exile after California Senator Dianne Feinstein took charge of the Rules Committee that dictates use of US Capitol venues. Our club used to meet in a small private dining room just inside the east Senate entry to the Capitol building. No sooner had the libs taken charge than we were expelled. Ostensibly, the room was needed for other events. But our scouts have confirmed the room has been dark and empty since our eviction.
The old-timers in the group know this is punishment for our leaning conservative. As I said, it’s a “God and Country” bunch. While all of them are not traditional Bible-believing Christians, many are and the rest are good church people. They pray, love their spouses, kids and grandkids and they adore our country. Most have risked their lives to protect our freedoms and some bear the scars of it. Yet, they’re not Ralph Neas’ type, and, after-all, he’s now a king-maker!
The assaults against those who pray to God and love our country don’t stop at the US Capitol door, however. The ascendancy of the Left has emboldened every radical secularist in Washington. The “Beltway Atheists” I told you about back when we first installed the monument of the Ten Commandments in front of our ministry center have returned with a vengeance. I’ll wait till another day to give you all the details. Suffice it to say, they see a new opportunity to nullify our legal victory to display the Commandments in front of our building and they are acting on it; more on this in a future blog.
These are the reasons we really need your prayers and help. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have been in office only a few weeks and it seems all h*ll is already being loosed. We’re up for the fight. The battle is not ours, it’s the Lord’s. (See I Samuel 17:46-48.)
This coming week will be a very busy one. Watch for my summary next Friday—it’ll be a doozey!
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