Posted on 02/28/2016 4:35:14 PM PST by Kaslin
Much will be written about the utter thrashing GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump took at the hands of the far-more prepared, knowledgeable, qualified and otherwise principled Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio during Thursday night's Republican presidential debate on CNN. I will, therefore, focus, instead, on another Republican candidate who's absolutely got to go: Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Many thanks to Hugh Hewitt for asking the question. In a campaign where the noise of myriad, and in many cases less critical, issues has drowned out the single greatest threat to God-fearing Americans' individual liberties - the secular left's tireless efforts to end our constitutional religious free exercise and freedom of conscience - Hewitt exposed John Kasich as an avowed enemy to the First Amendment and a devoted ally of Democratic sexual change agents.
In one exchange, Hewitt said, "Senator Cruz mentioned the issue that keeps me up at night, which is religious liberty." He later added, "Governor Kasich, back to religious liberty. You've been a little bit less emphatic. You've said, same-sex couple approaches a cupcake maker, sell them a cupcake. Can we trust you as much on religious liberty as the rest of these people?"
Kasich went off the rails. The New York Times summarized his response thusly: "Mr. Kasich went further than any of his rivals in dismissing - even belittling - the idea that businesses should be able to claim religious freedom and allow them not to cater to gay and lesbian couples."
"Religious institutions should be able to practice the religion that they believe in …" he said, "but, look, the court has ruled and I've moved on. And what I've said, Hugh, is that, look, where does it end? …
"I mean, if you're in the business of commerce, conduct commerce. That's my view. And if you don't agree with their lifestyle, say a prayer for them when they leave and hope they change their behavior.
"But when it comes to the religious institutions, they are inviolate in my mind, and I would fight for those religious institutions," he concluded.
What a cop out. What a straw man. What a maroon.
Kasich lacks even a rudimentary understanding of the First Amendment and freedom of conscience. He's a threat to our first freedoms. No less so, in fact, than Oligarchy Obama, High-handed Hillary or Bolshevik Bernie. His evasive twaddle about, "Religious institutions should be able to practice the religion that they believe in," betrays his utter ignorance of the U.S. Constitution and our nation's founding. Not because it's untrue, but because it's intentionally incomplete.
The First Amendment follows, not only the religious institution, but the individual American citizen - be he a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker. The Constitution secures both religious free exercise and liberty of conscience. It protects individual rights first, and institutional rights thereafter.
"Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live and work consistent with their faith," notes Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney Jeremy Tedesco. "Government has a duty to protect people's freedom to follow their beliefs personally and professionally rather than force them to adopt the government's views."
Indeed, religious liberty is non-negotiable. Freedom of conscience is the bedrock of American society. Today's anti-Christian lynch mob, which evidently includes John Kasich, indignantly imagines that some newfangled "gay right" to not be offended trumps the First Amendment. Those who believe so are not only on the wrong side of the U.S. Constitution and history, they're on the wrong side of public opinion.
Consider, for instance, a 2015 Marist poll which established that, by a 2-to-1 margin, Americans reject the very kind of anti-Christian penalties and fines Kasich supports. Christians "in the business of commerce," as he flippantly calls them, are, even now, being persecuted by left-wing "human rights" Star Chambers with increasing frequency and intensity.
Christian clerks, judges, bakers, florists, innkeepers, caterers, photographers and a litany of other small-business owners from coast to coast are being summarily harassed, sued and even jailed, not because these Christian individuals won't "serve gays" (they will and do without hesitation), but, rather, because they politely decline to spend their time and talent contributing to, and thereby endorsing, the message behind specific events that run counter to biblical principles and otherwise infringe their deeply held religious convictions.
Let us be direct. According to the unequivocal moral precepts of biblical Christianity, explicit throughout both the Old and New Testaments, homosexual behavior is sin. Sin is evil. Homosexual behavior is the central, defining characteristic of counterfeit "gay marriage." Therefore, "gay marriage" is evil. Christians are obligated to avoid sin - to "do no evil." "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality … will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
It's really that simple. This is why, dear homosexual, as faithful Christians (apostate "Christians" notwithstanding), we will never have anything whatsoever to do with your pagan, sin-based "same-sex wedding" rituals.
We will not bake your fake wedding cake.
We will not arrange your fake wedding flowers.
We will not take your fake wedding pictures.
We will not host your fake wedding reception.
(And we will, most certainly, not be voting for you, Gov. Kasich.)
To be sure, we will not do these things because to do these things is to disobey God. It is to aid you in your sin - to cause you to stumble, which, in and of itself, is to layer sin upon sin. "It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he would cause one of these little ones to stumble" (Luke 17:2).
While we all fall short of His glory, the history of God's people has shown that no unjust law or arbitrary court ruling presuming to force us to do otherwise, will ever make us disobey God in this or any other regard. I realize, my "LGBT" friends, that forcing others to affirm that which offends God makes you feel better about your sin for a time. I also realize that it infuriates you when we refuse to join in as you attempt, ineffectively, to justify your wickedness by calling it "marriage."
This is nothing new. We Christians have been infuriating pagans by refusing to bend on truth for over 2,000 years.
And we will continue to do so until Christ returns.
So, it's time for John Kasich, the sole remaining liberal RINO in this race (aside from Trump), to drop out. He was never going to be president of the United States anyway, but on Thursday, he found the one free spot in his political coffin to hammer home the last nail.
You blew it, governor. Move aside.
Now, I absolutely DO support religious exemptions for businesses. A "live and let live" philosophy. If someone doesn't want to sell you a cake, just go to someone else. You can't legislate acceptance or celebration.
On the issue of life... that is MY non-negotiable.
Kasich supports amnesty.
Kasich is not well-liked in Ohio. Here’s a YouTube video of him where he calls a police officer an idiot because he was pulled over. Kasich traffic stop:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nTf_qyRXhxk&feature=share
Kasich is fine with persecuting Christian business owners. He’s moved on from the first amendment. It’s the “law of the land”.
Maybe he was nervous?
It came up for us when they threatened to bomb/kill/assault people at our private religious for refusing admission to a lesbian’s daughter, because they taught traditional religious values at mass each day.
They declined the child to avoid conflicts for that family of “Mommy, Mommy 2, the priest says you’re a sinner”, and then were smeared in the media AND no one reported death threats on the principal, threats to burn down the school, etc. Police said it was almost all from out of town, so there was nothing to prosecute.
The LBGTA try to get into such institutions and demand such in the name of tolerance, then demand groups STOP teaching what they teach because it is hurtful to them.
It is a deliberate invasion of institutions to force them to change to accommodate the minority. You can not only be shouted down and smeared if not hate mobbed out of a job for expressing a politically incorrect opinion in public and online, but they seek to destroy all institutions that teach traditional religious views as well. And that is an assault on our freedom of religion, freedom of association and freedom of speech.
That's exactly what I'm against, as I posted.
My philosophy on this is libertarian (not liberal). Live the way you want, but don't expect everyone to agree with you, accept you, or celebrate you.
"Middle ground" is weasel language for compromised principles. You cannot allow both religious liberty and sexual perverts their wishes. It's impossible.
Earlier in your comment, you said that SSM just doesn't affect your marriage and so it doesn't concern you. Well, how does abortion (I assume that's what you mean by "life") affect you either? You are making an incoherent argument.
News to all you Trumpeters, Trump agrees with Kasich on this issue.
Two consenting adults having sex (or calling themselves "married") is simply not something I care about. The argument used to be how it weakened the institution of marriage. I haven't found that to be true in my own case. If it has somehow had an impact on you, I'd be interested in knowing exactly how.
My post also included my support for religious freedom. Businesses, including private schools, should not be forced to cater.
The slaughtering of unborn children is something we all should care about. It is morally no different than entering a hospital nursery with a machete.
Don’t be surprised if Kasich gets the nod for VP.
Again, the slaughter of unborn children doesn’t affect you, if that is the controlling criteria you’re using to justify, or at least disclaim, any affect of marriage redefinition. You can’t have it both ways. If marriage redefinition doesn’t affect you, then the slaughter of innocent children doesn’t affect you in the same way either.
Just admit that you simply don’t care about the dilution of the meaning of marriage. I’d at least respect your honesty.
If that is what it takes to win Ohio in the General Election I suppose.
Well at some point when its clear Trump is winning and nothing can stop his nomination the party and Trump will start mending fences. It has to happen and Kasich is a faithful party foot soldier. He’s the Joe Biden of the GOP. So it would not shock me if he gets tapped for VP. Or Rudy.
Well I amend my VP comment to delete Rudy as he’s from NY and not eligible if Trump is the nominee. I feel certain Kasich is on the short list.
They not only threaten, but do bring suits and win many of these court cases and we just sit around a opine. The florist in Washington state has lost her 30 year business, her home due to no income from her business and has drained her 401K account to defend herself. she has nothing else left, they have utterly destroyed her and all who see what happens to you if you go against the facists.
Look what they did to Governor Perry, the facists on a grand jury indicted him for vetoing a budget item?? Of course he is exonerated from all charges with his day in court, but what about his reputation? What about his career? utterly destroyed by the facists, thats what they do!
I think that is possible. He would be the “political” guy that Trump needs.
But who knows.
Not sure about that, he does not let anyone speculate what he stands for, and outlines his position, like it or not, clearly.
Do not misunderstand my statement please. I fully agree with you, except I would not stand by someone who got physical with one of these people. I firmly believe that shop owners and businesses should be able to reserve the right to refuse business to anyone. So what if it was to refuse service to black people? Still feel the same way?
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