An American Journal In the 21st Century - Thursday, January 7, 2010

We are awakening to find ourselves in a topsy-turvy world. Each new day, starting before the election in the fall of 2008, we have seen actions by government officials which not only anger and frustrate us but are hard to comprehend. Their actions cause us to say things like, "What are they thinking?" or "How can they think that will possibly work?" and "It just doesn't make sense."

I am convinced that our officials are intelligent people; they are not stupid. I am also convinced that they believe that their actions will bring about a better America; they are not suicidal. So if they are not stupid and they are not suicidal, why are they convinced that their actions will "fundamentally transform America" into a better place, while many of us believe they are destroying the America that we know? Why are they convinced that their actions will solve our problems and we believe that their actions are irrational?

Worldview.

I am not a conspiracy theorist. I am not convinced that there is a secret group of individuals using well-known-faces as puppets to "take over the world." It is possible, but not very probable; there's always a snitch that squeals and the plot is revealed, or a deathbed confession, or memoirs that are published after someone's death.

What IS possible (and, in fact, irrefutably true) is that everyone has a worldview; a fundamental way that a person sees the world and how it works, or how it should work.

For years in America, the predominate worldview was biblically based. In fact, America was founded on a God-centered worldview: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

But there are competing worldviews in America, including Progressivism. A person with a Progressive worldview typically believes in economic and social justice. Economic justice, for Progressives, means that we should take from those who have too much and give it to those who have too little. (Who will decide what is too much and too little?) Social justice, for progressives, means promoting policies that say that a woman has a right to her own body (as well as to the life or death of the one in her womb). Social justice also asserts policies that say there are all kinds of families (meaning straight families and gay families) and that they need to be recognized and celebrated equally.

What we are awakening to is the reality that many of those who wield political and social power in this nation subscribe to a Progressive worldview. And, just like one who rubs the sleep out of his eyes in the morning to make his surroundings clearer, the picture that is becoming clear to us is that a Progressive worldview is contrary to a God-centered worldview and contrary to the worldview that founded this nation.

Again, I am not a conspiracy theorist; I don't believe there is a grand "master-planner" who seeks to dominate the world . . . at least, not one that is human. And I don't believe this is a Republican or Democrat plot. What IS happening, from my perspective, is that many individuals, regardless of party affiliation, all wielding considerable political and social power, and all with a similar Progressive worldview, are now in a position to make decisions and establish policies that "fundamentally change America" and make it the "way it should be." In fact, Progressives from both major parties, beginning with Republican President Teddy Roosevelt and continuing down through our current President, have been making decisions based on this worldview for more than 100 years.

I also believe that, if the recent decisions and policies of Progressives are allowed to take place and mature, we will witness the greatest crisis this nation has faced since the Civil War. If we do not change our course, we will wake up in a society that is not only frustrating and confusing, but unrecognizable as the nation that was founded nearly 234 years ago. In essence, we will suddenly become citizens of a very different nation - immigrants in our own country.

If we fail to act, we will witness what one Progressive hero called, "Act II of the American Revolution." This Progressive hero was the subject of our current Secretary of State's senior thesis when she was attending Wellesley College. Our President valued the thoughts and ideas of this Progressive hero so much that he taught a course promoting his hero's philosophy and worldview. And on December 23, 2009 an MSNBC's news anchor, while interviewing the only socialist Senator in the US, affirmed that Saul Alinsky, the Progressive that penned the quote above, was one of his heroes as well.

Why should you care?

Saul Alinsky's worldview is clearly articulated in his most popular book, Rules for Radicals. As I read it, I was shocked that this worldview was admired and emulated by some of the most powerful people in our nation's capitol. On the page following the dedication, Alinsky praised "the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom - Lucifer." On the final pages of this book, he calls for "Act II of the American Revolution" and likens it to the "revolution of the soul."

On the pages between these bookend quotes, Alinsky makes statements like these: "[A person] should ask of ends only whether they are achievable and worth the cost; and of means, only whether they will work." "He who sacrifices the mass good for his personal conscience has a peculiar conception of 'personal salvation'; he doesn't care enough for the people to be 'corrupted' for them." "The third rule of ethics of means and ends is that in war, the ends justifies almost any means." "Ethical standards must be elastic to stretch with the times." "Reviewing and selecting available means is done on a straight utilitarian basis - will it work?"

In short, many of our political and societal leaders revere a man who said, in essence, that when it comes to political power there are no morals. Many of the current influencers in our society are agnostic or simply religious in name only. They do not believe that there are unalienable Rights given to us by a Creator; they believe that rights are given and taken away by those who have the political power and the will to do so. If they proceed, unchecked, they will succeed in "fundamentally transforming America" by re-laying a foundation for our nation; one without a Creator, with a less restrictive Constitution, and a more powerful centralized federal government that does not have a moral compass.

What can you do? Here are four ideas. If you have more ideas, please send them to me so that I can pass them along in future journal entries.

1. You can pass this journal entry on. It is the first of many. Hopefully it will educate and stimulate a good and noble people to action; the very same people described in the constitution as "We the People . . ." You are free to make copies and distribute them by hand or 'snail-mail.' Please make sure that the last paragraph of this journal is included with your copies so that individuals can contact me with comments or questions.

If you forward this in e-mail form, please remove the "FW:" from the subject line. Many people delete Email Forwards without even opening them up. Also, take the time to e-mail it to one or two individuals at a time. You are encouraged to send this to everyone in your contact list, but many spam filters block emails that contain too many addresses in the "To:" box.

2. You can write or call the offices of your Senators and Congressmen and Congresswomen. How can you pay for the phone charges and postage? You could pay for the calls by dinning out one less time a month. How can you find the time to write? You could find the time by sacrificing one of the TV shows or movies or video games that consume a good portion of our lives.

And don't stop with just one phone call and one letter or email. Contact your representatives weekly or twice a month. At the very least, your representative will know that you are watching.

3. Organize a trip to your representative's office (local or in Washington D.C.). By carpooling you can share the expense while making a stronger impact by arriving in greater numbers. By the way, if you haven't done so already, you should make at least one trip to D.C. in your lifetime. Go to the memorials; read the inscriptions on the walls; examine the statues and paintings. You will discover a strong Godly heritage, clearly on display and quite possibly forgotten by your representative.

4. If you are a person of faith, pray. Pray fervently for your nation and for her leaders. Pray daily or hourly. Pray for a good and noble people to wake up and take action. Pray also for those who wish to reshape America in a Progressive image - pray for their safety and protection, but pray that their efforts will be thwarted.

My name is Curtis Ferrell, and this is An American Journal In The 21^st Century. You can contact me at curtisferrell1962@gmail.com . If you do not wish to receive these journal postings, please email me so that I can remove you from my contact list or click here: Remove

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Freedom Of Speech No Longer Exists In America

Courier-Times Christian Perspectives Article for 10/17/09

Just four months ago I wrote these words: "The Bible speaks very clearly about the sanctity of life; about our responsibility to the poor, the orphaned and the widow; about God's view of homosexual behavior. The church needs to rediscover the authority found in the Word of God and stand on it. However, that kind of stance could become something more than politically incorrect, it could become illegal. The U.S. Senate is considering a Hate Crimes Bill (S.909) which could be used to prosecute ministers for declaring God's truth on homosexuality."

As I write this article, the President of the United States is set to sign the Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010. Hidden in this bill, which will fund our troops around the world for the coming year, is an amendment which couldn't pass the House of Representatives on its own merit. A handful of legislators from the U.S. House and the Senate quietly included the Senate Hate Crimes Bill as an amendment to the Defense bill during the development of a conference report that was supposed to merge two different versions of the Defense bill, one from the House and one from the Senate.

When that merged bill is signed, it will establish restrictions in U.S. law preventing certain kinds of speech. At that point every Christ-follower, including and maybe especially pastors, priests, and ministers, will have to determine if they are willing to risk prosecution and jail time to proclaim the whole truth found in scripture.

Many will be tempted to ignore the topic of homosexuality and what the Bible has to say about it. If you don't talk about it you cannot be arrested and charged.

Others will be tempted to deny the authority of the Word of God so that they can pick and choose which verses they like and which verses they don't like.

You may be thinking, "Curt, you are crazy! It would never come to that!" Let me tell you what is happening around the world, where speech has been limited with recent hate crimes legislation.

In the Netherlands, film maker Geert Wilders will stand trial on January 20th, 2010 for true statements that he included in a film he produced that is offensive to Muslims.

In June 2001, A Canadian man was found guilty of hate speech, when he advertised bumper-stickers he was selling which depicted the outline of two men holding hands inside a red circle with a slash through it. Next to this image was an equal sign and four bible references: Romans 1, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. As a result of this court decision, the nation of Canada has found that these four scripture passages constitute hate speech, and to affirm them as true is to commit an act of hate speech, punishable by law.

In the United States we see other efforts to curb biblically-centered speech. Colleges and universities, long thought to be bastions of free thought and free expression, have increasingly established hate speech codes to protect students from racial, sexual, and other forms of harassment. In 2004 the Colorado Supreme Court upheld a ruling in a custody case which required Cheryl Clark to protect her daughter by making sure "that there is nothing in the religious upbringing or teaching that the minor child is exposed to that can be considered homophobic." This would include the first chapter of the book of Romans. A high school in the U.S., while approving the Day of Silence, which promotes a homosexual lifestyle, tried to deny the observance of the Day of Truth, which tried to counter the ideas promoted in the Day of Silence.

Through the decades of this experiment called the United States of America we have heard voices warning against limiting free expression and free speech. Political scientist Martin Gruberg said that we, "should confront offensive ideas by rebuttal, not by suppression." Ben Franklin stated “Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom; and no such thing as public liberty, without freedom of speech." And consider this statement from President Harry S. Truman: "When even one "American" -- who has done nothing wrong -- is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth, then all Americans are in peril."

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The idea that speech should be free from constraint is not universal. We see this in a response during the investigation into the Canadian ruling to outlaw the four offensive scripture passages. When asked, "What value do you give freedom of speech when you investigate one of these complaints?" Investigator Richard Steacy said, "Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value."

Actually it is a biblical value, the first chapter of the Old Testament Book of Isaiah contains these words: Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. "Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Reasoning together requires freedom of thought and freedom of expression. These ideas, these truths, did not originate in a civil document authored by the founders of America. These ideas originated in the heart of God.

There are those who try to say that this bill will not be used to attack religious expression, and can only be activated if someone commits a felony and says that he or she was encouraged or enticed to commit the crime based on "hate speech" statements. These are the same people that assured us that abortion on demand would never happen in America and euthanasia (mercy killing or assisted suicide) could never be seriously considered in such a civilized society.

What can you do? Encourage your spiritual leaders to boldly preach the Word of God without fear or hesitation. Defend the authority of scripture. Pray for the church in America. Love and pray for those who disagree with the truth found in scripture. Support politicians who value freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Encourage the appointments of judges who value freedom of speech and freedom of expression. Prepare yourself to boldly face the consequences of the words you speak or write.

Someday, we will be reading the report of an individual being charged under this new law for simply speaking his or her mind and defending biblical truth. It could be your pastor. It could be me. It could be you. We were warned and failed to do enough to defend the right to freedom of speech. Someday, someone will have to fight to win it back.


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It's Time To Think . . .

Courier-Times Article for June 6th, 2009

It's time to think . . .

Earlier this year, a prominent U.S. politician said , "Our moral authority is derived from the fact that generations of our citizens have fought and bled to uphold these values, [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], in our nations and others. And that's why we can never sacrifice them for expedience's sake."

The statement sounds thoughtful and profound, but is it? It sounds like a truth that spans generations, but is it?

As Americans, we've gotten lazy. We don't like to think much. Just go with the flow; live and let live; my truth may not be your truth. Unfortunately, in many cases, the church has stopped thinking as well.

We used to be called people of the WORD, but now we spend much of our time debating whether that word is TRUE. Should churches ordain homosexuals or bless homosexual unions? After all, THOSE parts of the bible might not be true. Should we be more concerned about babies who were aborted or those chained by poverty? Let's pick one and ignore the other . . . That's the content of many of our discussions.

The Word of God is the Law that governed the Israelites, and the foundation that birthed the church. At some point, many in the church have become untethered from the Word of God and have now turned around and questioned its veracity. This behavior would have utterly confounded the Christ-followers in Berea.

Dr. Luke records that the believers in Berea, after listening to the preaching of Paul, examined the Scriptures every day to determine that what Paul said was true. To the Breans, scripture was the source of truth, the measuring stick to determine whether the greatest preacher of their time was speaking truth. Moral authority was found in holy scripture, not in the sacrifice of fellow citizens.

The Bible speaks very clearly about the sanctity of life; about our responsibility to the poor, the orphaned and the widow; about God's view of homosexual behavior. The church needs to rediscover the authority found in the Word of God and stand on it. However, that kind of stance could become something more than politically incorrect, it could become illegal.

The U.S. Senate is considering a Hate Crimes Bill (S.909) which could be used to prosecute ministers for declaring God's truth on homosexuality. Will the church "search the scriptures" to find the truth, or will we poll the people to find out what is acceptable?

If we fail to think through all of these issues, and instead follow "thoughtful and profound words" blindly, we will end up in places we never thought we would be. After all, if our moral authority lies in the sacrifices made by our fellow citizens, then both the Palestinians and the Israelis have moral authority. The Nazis and the Japanese had moral authority during World War II, just like the Allied Forces. If shedding blood is the only prerequisite for establishing moral authority then gangs like the Bloods, the Crips, the Mafioso, the MS-13, and the Yakuza each have the same moral authority as the fighting men and women of the U.S. military.

Moral authority can only be found in the author of morality. It's time to learn from the Christ-followers in Berea. It's time to search the Word of God for timeless and time tested truth. It's time to think. Don't ya' think?


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Freedom of Choice?

Courier-Times Article for November 15, 2008

In the halls of our nation’s capital, legislators are considering HR1964 and S1173. These are the United States House and Senate bills titled “The Freedom of Choice Act”. The bills are nearly identical, only about 2 pages long each, and you can read them at your leisure on the internet. Unfortunately, as Christians, we do not have the luxury of being leisurely in our response to this “act” of Congress.

If these bills are passed and signed into law by the President it would impact Indiana communities in the following ways.

Abortions after the first 12 weeks would become legal. (Abortions in the first 12 weeks are already legal.)

A requirement would be removed that women considering abortions be given information regarding: the nature of the proposed procedure; the risks of and alternatives to the procedure; the probable gestational age of the fetus, including an offer to provide a picture or drawing of a fetus, the dimensions of a fetus, and relevant information on the potential survival of a fetus at that stage of development; the risks associated with carrying the pregnancy to term; the name of the physician who will perform the abortion; and the availability of ultrasounds and fetal heart tone services. These women would not receive this additional information: that medical assistance benefits may be available for prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care; that the "father" is liable for child support; and that adoption alternatives are available and that the adoptive parents may legally pay the costs of prenatal care, childbirth, and neonatal care. In addition they could proceed to an abortive procedure with no waiting period to consider all of the ramifications of their decision. (Currently they must wait 18 hours to consider all of their options.)

Physicians, hospitals, and hospital staff members would no longer have the protection of Indiana laws to refuse to provide abortions based on moral or ethical beliefs.

Minors would no longer need parental consent to have an abortion, and parents would not even need to be notified that such a procedure occurred.

Abortions could be preformed by people other than Indiana licensed physicians and in places other than licensed hospitals or surgical centers.

Babies who had grown to the point where they could survive outside the womb would no longer have protection under Indiana law, making second and third trimester abortions and partial-birth abortions legal.

These facts are not from pro-life sources. All of this information comes from The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL) website.

From a biblical perspective, scripture is clear – God asks us to choose life.

Deuteronomy 30:19 reads: This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live . . . (NIV)

Scripture says that life begins in the womb.

Read Psalm 139:13-16: For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (NIV)

Even if scripture were not clear, the “Freedom of Choice Act” actually removes freedoms and safeguards that most Hoosiers hold dear.

Women who were considering abortions would not have the freedom to make an informed choice.

Physicians, hospitals, and hospital staff would no longer have the freedom to follow their own convictions of ethical and moral behavior. Rather, they would be faced with a choice of their own: stop preacticing medicine altogether, or move to a nation that believes in freedom of choice for medical professionals.

Parents would no longer have the freedom of being with their minor daughters during a major medical procedure, nor would they have the freedom of giving their minor daughters guidance and counsel. Children would, in effect, become wards of the state once they are born.

Communities would no longer have the freedom of deciding who can perform abortions and where they can be performed. Nothing would prevent unqualified persons from performing abortions in neighborhoods, schools, or hotel rooms.

Finally, infants would no longer have the freedom to fight for life. Regardless of their “viability” outside the womb, infants who were not “completely” born could have their lives snuffed out with the blessing of the federal government.

That’s where we come in. This is still a nation “of the people, by the people, and for the people” and you and I still have a voice.

So, if you value freedom then speak up! Write, call, and e-mail your national leaders, your Senators and Congresmen and women. Let President Bush and President-elect Obama know that you do not want them to sign that bill if it passes congress.

If you believe in the authority of the Word of God then your responsibility is greater. Not only do you need to use your voice to protect freedom and the lives of the unborn, you have the obligation to pray for your leaders that they will make wise and God-honoring choices. Pray for women who find themselves in the midst of an unwanted pregnancy. Give to ministries like the Henry County Pregancy Care Center and CRADLES that care for women who choose to keep their children. Consider adopting infants born to women who cannot keep their children, or supporting an adoptive family financially.

If we refuse to act, if our busy lives “prevent” us from excersicing our constitutional freedom of speech or our constitutional responsibility of self government, if we remain silent out of fear or apathy, we will lose many of our freedoms to a law called the Freedom of Choice Act. The choice is yours.


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