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The Passion of the Christ: The Key to a Republican Landslide
Men's News Daily ^ | March 11, 2004 | Bruce Walker

Posted on 03/11/2004 9:36:13 AM PST by presidio9

John Kerry looks strong now; George W. Bush looks weak. What are the chances that John Kerry could actually win the 2004 Election? What are the chances that Democrats could win a broadly based victory in November? Not good. America is not divided into two relatively equal ideological camps. America is conservative - overwhelmingly conservative. The highly respected, bipartisan Battleground Poll in the September 2003 reveals that 59% of the American people describe themselves as conservative (42%) or very conservative (17%) and 35% of Americans describe themselves as liberal (25%) or very liberal (10%). The September 2003 Battleground Poll results are not an anomaly. The two previous Battleground Poll results show an almost identical ideological breakdown. Even if those who identify themselves as moderate or who do not express an opinion regarding ideology are included as actually liberal, Americans conservatives constitute a far greater percentage of the electorate than those other groups combined. So how does President Bush begin to draw the ideological line in the sand? There are several different approaches, and there is no reason not to take each approach slowly and consistently beginning now. President Bush begin the refrain "I am a conservative and my opponent is a liberal."

How does Kerry respond to that? If he acknowledges that statement is true, then he has placed himself firmly in the camp of the minority ideology. If he denies that statement or equivocates, then he opens the door to a pandora's box of past statements and votes. If he ignores the statement, then he allows President Bush to define that issue completely.

But there is a stronger demarcation in American society today, and that vast chasm appears most clear in the success of The Passion of Christ, despite all the Leftist hatred of Mel Gibson and his film. President Bush should fight this campaign on religious faith, and he should fight it in a way that shows just how intolerant and bigoted Leftists are about religion. The Passion of Christ is excruciatingly vivid, but Hollywood has been churning out excruciatingly vivid films with graphic violence, explicit sex and often perverse sex scenes and highly offensive dialogue and images for years. It is the message of The Passion of Christ that infuriates Leftists.

Americans overwhelmingly believe that Jesus was crucified for the sake of mankind. Mel Gibson has done nothing more than restate and defend what the American people believe. President Bush should do the same, but he should restate and defend even more generally held religious American beliefs. How? The Republican Platform ask for a constitutional amendment that requires the words "Under God" be included in the Pledge of Allegiance, that the phrase "In God We Trust" be on all American currency and coins, and that the existing references to God in our national anthem remain. Most people are not familiar with the last stanza to The Star Spangled Banner, but these lines from that stanza are unmistakably religious:

Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation! Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto: ““In God is our trust!”

The platform provision, endorsed by President Bush, should also make it quite clear that preserving these three formal and long held demonstrations of the religious faith in our federal government are the only demands that religious people will make upon the American government recognizing the importance of God in our public life. President Bush should endorse this amendment and point out that the amendment threatens only the agenda of those people who wish to remove all symbols of God from our existing federal government. This is an amendment, like the Bill of Rights itself, intended to preserve those values which the Founding Fathers considered so obvious that these rights were not included in the original Constitution. What would John Kerry say about this proposed amendment? Kerry could ignore the issue, and appear weak and craven. Kerry could say that the amendment "is not important," and then hear President Bush explain to him that moral values are at the very heart of our national and even our global problems.

Kerry could warn that such an amendment would open the door to a national religion, but because the amendment would only preserve the existing and because the amendment process itself is so arduous, Kerry would look silly. Kerry could warn that the amendment is unconstitutional, but because it is an amendment to the Constitution, then unless it deprives a state of its equal representation in the Senate, it could not be "unconstitutional."

Kerry could endorse this amendment, but if he did so, he would appear to be following President Bush on an important issue and this would badly fracture the Leftist core of the Democrat Party. Kerry could pretend to support the amendment, but if he did so, Republicans could pass the resolution quickly in the House of Representatives and then present it as a resolution in the United States Senate and Kerry would either have to support it or support a filibuster or vote against it.

This issue - we should hope - would sharply divide America, and this division would be reflected in every state and federal election, because states and the federal government all have a clear constitutional role to play in the ratification of constitutional amendments. Republicans in the House of Representatives could compel a vote very quickly on this amendment. What if 340 House members voted for the amendment and 95 House Democrats voted against it? What would those 95 House Democrats say in the November 2002 election? Republicans could convene special sessions of state legislatures. What if the legislatures in South Dakota, North Dakota, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Louisianan, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Colorado, Oregon and Florida passed a resolution endorsing the amendment? Which members of those state legislatures would vote against the amendment? What would the Democrat and Republican senate candidates in those states say?

Leftists love to whine about wedge issues, even as they create wedge issues all the time. Their real concern is when conservatives fight back. It is time to fight back. It is time to ask Americans if they want a government based upon their sovereignty and their faith in a Blessed Creator or if they want a government based upon the sovereignty of judges and other bureaucrats and their faith in atheism. If the question is asked, the good guys - that’s us - will win. Let’s ask.


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To: PeoplesRep_of_LA; ALOHA RONNIE; rodeo-mamma
>>"Jesus gave us a wonderful message through the movie this thread is talking about, in forgiving those who did such unspeakable things to Him. You've never even met Kerry, do you think He would be pleased that you hold such bitterness in your heart for another over politics?"<<

I saw the movie, and it made me re-examine the way I view the scripture.

When Christ said "Forgive them for they know not what they are doing." It could be possible that at that moment, Christ asked God to forgive us, and God who loved His Son, did so.

Each beating that Christ endured symbolized our sins, and he took our sins upon himself, bearing the pain and the injustice so that he could mediate between us and God.

61 posted on 03/11/2004 8:45:01 PM PST by Joy Angela (Hillary's Passion: *Absolute Power* over America)
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To: Joy Angela
I couldn't agree more, I had the exact same experience, let us not deevolve into embittered partisan attack dogs, and let go of our hate, no matter how hard that is.

The Demos practically corner the market on hate. Lets let them own it! Come election time that will only help us. We can beat the likes of John Kerry on the issues...easily, without resorting to malicous spite. You are right, if Jesus can forgive the guy hammering a nail into his hand, we can at least forgive the Democrates for lying about us.
62 posted on 03/11/2004 9:23:46 PM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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To: presidio9
Light your candle!

And DON"T hide it under a bushel basket!
63 posted on 03/11/2004 10:23:31 PM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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Comment #64 Removed by Moderator

To: Dog Gone
The assumption is not far from wrong.

I am sure there are more agnostics and athiests in the liberal camp than in the conservative camp.

As much as we are all sinners, satan surely found a home in the Democratic Pary. Otherwise abortion and gay rights would not be an issue. The Deomcrats have an open door policy to these groups and their agendas
65 posted on 03/12/2004 11:58:05 AM PST by franky (Pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Pray for our own souls to receive the grace of a happy)
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To: franky
I could see a Bush commercial with him saying, "I saw The Passion of The Christ and loved it. If you did, vote for me.

Without a doubt a winning campaign statment based on the demograpics of the less than 50% who vote. It could get people out who have not voted in years.
66 posted on 03/12/2004 12:03:34 PM PST by franky (Pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Pray for our own souls to receive the grace of a happy)
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To: presidio9
If you want to see the Republican party tap into spiritual strength as well as the fundamental Conservatism of much of America, you need to insist that Karl Rove go. Rove is the fly in the ointment. He simply does not understand the context of issues. He suffers from a severe form of tunnel vision, and would only superficially even begin to grasp what you are discussing. (See Karl Rove--Dysron, Quack Or Mole?, for a preliminary assessment of Rove's analytical ability.)

William Flax

67 posted on 03/12/2004 12:14:41 PM PST by Ohioan
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Comment #68 Removed by Moderator

To: Salve Regina
Do you think all those murdered babies he has killed by his bloodthirsty votes might hold a twinge of bitterness for the lives and simple pleasures that were forever stolen from them?

No, not if they are in heaven as you believe with Jesus.

Sure. I am quite bitter about the enemies of my country, my Church, my people, my family and my God.

Doesn't make your emotional response wise, productive, or Christian.

69 posted on 03/15/2004 8:47:57 AM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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To: presidio9
**President Bush should fight this campaign on religious faith, and he should fight it in a way that shows just how intolerant and bigoted Leftists are about religion.**

Great perspective!
70 posted on 03/15/2004 9:05:52 AM PST by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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Comment #71 Removed by Moderator

To: Salve Regina
Nice try, I'm not upset, and didn't mean to convey any emotion at all.

I'm disappointed that a number of posters on the otherhand are excusing their own bitterness and anger, even in the face of talking about this movie about Jesus, who's message runs directly contrary to that emotion. I'm telling you this because on the topic of Christianity, using the method of bitterness and anger in order to accomplish your worthy goal of eliminating abortion is dangerous because it seperates you from God's love, and in the long run unproductive because you turn people off with such rhetoric.

Just take a lesson from Howard Dean's implosion, you are trying to win elections for Bush, but Bitterness only sells to the hard core minority, which doesn't even win primaries.
72 posted on 03/15/2004 10:12:59 AM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: Salve Regina
Well, let's all just be milquetoast, lukewarm little whisperers and throw flowers to our enemies. How about a great big group hug

Obviously this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, but nobody ever said being a Christian is easy. I am often tempted to hate my enemies. What am I saying? I often HATE my enemies. Its very easy, however no matter how righteous I am convinced my cause is, hatred is never right. That's the polar opposite of Jesus' message. We have to have trust in Him that he can settle the Judicial activism that found the right to abortion, its very very hard, the only thing I can suggest is to actually pray for wisdom and guidance and strength on the issue. You can't wield the power of evil to suit your own gains. No one can. That is the Devil's best trick. It only ends up eating you up. Like the aforementioned Dean. Look at the anti abortion protestors who killed doctors? I am quite certain they had the noblest of intentions in saving the unborn, but look what HATE did for them? Not only did they destroy their lives, it gave the proabortion media talking points till the end of time. It is used to humiliate prolifers and that is undoubtedly the evil their embraced.

NOTHING can separate us from God's infinite love.

Its funny you should say that, its actually quite easy to seperate ourselves from God, and hatred is the key.

Here's a sidepoint for you, you don't need to be milquetoast or stick flowers in guns, but here's a novel suggestion; try sticking to emotionless statistics and hard issues! The people you want to help win elections by convincing them find that amazingly appealing rather than frothing at the mouth screeching.

74 posted on 03/15/2004 3:58:08 PM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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Comment #75 Removed by Moderator

To: Salve Regina
Kinda touchy aren't you? Sure is a different tune than you were singing just a couple days ago when I exposed the antiChristian bigot and you were my friend. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1095743/posts?page=201#201

Your Mr. Spock, emotionless model of human persuasion would be very effective if we were all robots. But we are not.

Tell me about it, which is all the more reason why people need to have better control over their emotions than you; Sure. I am quite bitter about the enemies of my country, my Church, my people, my family and my God.

Perhaps, as a robot, you would not have facial features and, thus, would not be able to self-righteously look down your nose at other people.

See how mean spirited and hateful you sound? This is SO immature, and its another perfect example of how you've lost control. I've said nothing that deservers this personal attack, but you've lost control. Its not to late to turn away from your hate, you're obviously a good person who cares very much for Christianity or you wouldn't post here, but you really need to understand its alot more than a binary political party system

I bet it was bringing up the abortion murdering doctors...that is kind of TKO in the doctrine of anger you are sellin'. Boo-ya.

76 posted on 03/15/2004 4:44:57 PM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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Comment #77 Removed by Moderator

To: Salve Regina
Now your just going complete nonlinear in your name calling. How many times in this post did you insult me? I got bored and lost track, it was wall to wall insults. I have to say evoking such emotion for....nothing is pretty funny.

Once again proving my point in spades about your lack of control of your anger. I was right about you from the get-go, just as I had the anti-Christian spammer pegged as well. I know you will continually claim you don't see your problem, and frankly your hyperdefensiveness is a bit tiresome, so do whatever you think serves God best and have a nice day.
78 posted on 03/15/2004 8:25:04 PM PST by PeoplesRep_of_LA (Treason doth never prosper, for if it does, none dare call it treason)
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