Actually, that's 1 Chronicles 16:22 and/or Psalms 105:15. But your point is absolutely correct.
Posted on 12/18/2004 7:37:17 PM PST by ambrose
I Am A Conservative Christian, And The Religious Right Scares Me, Too
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By Chuck Baldwin
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The Covenant News ~ December 15, 2004 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For those readers who are unfamiliar with my biography, let me here provide a thumbnail sketch of my conservative bona fides:
I attended, graduated, or received degrees from fundamentalist Christian schools such as Midwestern Baptist College in Pontiac, Michigan, Thomas Road Bible Institute (now known as Liberty Bible Institute at Liberty University) in Lynchburg, Virginia, Christian Bible College in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and Trinity Baptist College in Jacksonville, Florida.
I am currently in my thirtieth year as the Senior Pastor of the Crossroad Baptist Church (Independent) in Pensacola, Florida. I was the Executive Director of the Florida Moral Majority in the early 1980's. I was an active member of the local Christian Coalition.
I have marched and protested against abortion clinics. I have led several pro-life rallies and even led our church to construct A Memorial To Aborted Babies. I have conducted small and large (some drawing crowds numbering in the thousands) pro-life, pro-family rallies and meetings in the Pensacola area and in many towns and cities across the state of Florida.
When Ronald Reagan was running for President, I helped Dr. Jerry Falwell register more than fifty thousand new conservative voters in my state. I have attended White House functions with former President Reagan and former Vice President George H.W. Bush.
I supported and defended Chief Justice Roy Moore and his fight to display a Ten Commandments monument at a pro-Ten Commandments rally in Montgomery, Alabama and even on national television.
I am an annual member of the National Rifle Association and a life member of Gun Owners of America. I have been the featured speaker at several pro-Second Amendment rallies.
No one can honestly question my commitment to pro-life, pro-family, conservative causes. That being said, the Religious Right, as it now exists, scares me.
For one reason, on the whole, the Religious Right has obviously and patently become little more than a propaganda machine for the Republican Party in general and for President G.W. Bush in particular. This is in spite of the fact that both Bush and the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., have routinely ignored and even trampled the very principles which the Religious Right claims to represent.
Therefore, no longer does the Religious Right represent conservative, Christian values. Instead, they represent their own self-serving interests at the expense of those values.
It also appears painfully obvious to me that in order to sit at the king's table, the Religious Right is willing to compromise any principle, no matter how sacred. As such, it has become a hollow movement. Sadly, the Religious Right is now a movement without a cause, except the cause of advancing the Republican Party.
Beyond that, the Religious Right is actively assisting those who would destroy our freedoms. On the whole, the Religious Right comports with those within the Bush administration and within the Republican Party who, in the name of "fighting terrorism," are actually terrorizing constitutional protections of our liberties.
The Religious Right offered virtually no resistance to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the passage of the Patriot Act, or the recently created position of National Intelligence Director. Neither did the Religious Right offer even a whimper of protest as President Bush and Republicans in Congress created a first-ever national ID card in the new intelligence bill, which eerily has more in common with early Twentieth Century German and Russian intelligence institutions than anything envisioned by America's Founding Fathers.
Another disconcerting feature of today's Religious Right is its attempt to Christianize political entities which it supports and to demonize political entities which it opposes. This trend is especially scary.
When people are told that they are voting "Christian" by voting for Republican Party candidates, it is being intimated that they are voting non-Christian by voting for any other candidate. This is not only silly on its face, it is downright dangerous!
I don't remember anyone saying people voted "Christian" when they elected the outspoken Christian candidate, Jimmy Carter, President. Yet, Carter, in his personal life, demonstrated as much, if not more, Christianity than does George W. Bush. If you recall, Carter even taught Sunday School in a Southern Baptist Church while President.
However, in spite of the fact that President Bush and the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., have repeatedly supported copious unchristian (not to mention unconstitutional) programs and policies, Christians act as if Bush and his fellow Republicans have ushered in the Millennial Kingdom.
More than that, the Religious Right appears to believe that G.W. Bush is the anointed vicar of Christ. But instead of wearing the garb of a religious leader, he wears the shroud of a politico and a military commander-in-chief.
As such, in the minds of the Religious Right, Bush's war in Iraq is a holy crusade. America is fast taking on the shape of the old Holy Roman Empire and President Bush is quickly morphing into a modern day Caesar.
The willingness of the Religious Right to give President Bush king-like subservience is easily seen in the way they demonize anyone who dares to oppose him. This is very unnerving.
Are we heading for a modern day religious inquisition, this one led not by the Catholic Church but by the Religious Right? Are we witnessing the type of marriage between Church and State that America's founders originally feared?
I used to believe that liberals were paranoid for being fearful of conservative Christians gaining political power. Now, I share their trepidation.
Of course, the sad truth is, neither George W. Bush nor the Republican Party in Washington, D.C. represents genuine Christian or even conservative principles. If they did, they would take their oaths to the Constitution seriously and then neither liberals nor conservatives would have anything to fear, for the U.S. Constitution protects the rights and freedoms of all men.
Unfortunately, when the seed of Bush's unconstitutional policies come to fruition, it will produce large scale fallout economically, socially, and politically. And sadder still will be that, instead of blaming Bush's infidelity to constitutional government and conservative principles, people will blame Christianity and conservatism itself. The result of this miscalculation will doubtless be a massive tide of support for more and greater unconstitutional government, but only under a different name.
Chuck Baldwin chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com Chuck Baldwin Live http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com
Marvel to behold how some claim 'Christ' and then all they talk about is themselves.
Amazing Christ Himself warn us about those wolves in sheep clothing.
No, never vote the man, vote the policy. Voting the man leaves you adrift, helpless in the irrestible popular draft which propels a mountebank like Slick into office. If the policy yields a fraudulent man, he will more likely have surrounded himself with men whose policy you find compatible and will offer some buffer to the doublecross of the man. At least you will have a chance that the faithless leader will be curbed by his subordinates.
Modern American government works by the chief executive having his policy carried out by like minded subordinates, he can not do it all. The idea that the man is all important is a favorite shibbolith of the left and often manifests itself in attacks against Republicans for being "supid." Government works by staffing up the ranks with like minded men. If we vote for charisma, we know not what sort of government we will get. What kind of government will you get from a President Schwarzenegger?
That is not to say that one should vote for a man of known or suspiciously weak character. Bad character trumps policy but policy trumps "charisma." The left has no use for "character" but only for policy which they confuse with character and for "intelligence" which they equate with it. Their way leaves the path open to the man on horseback at worst or to a bamboozler like Clinton at best.
Sounds like a case of McCainism. Wants to be everything to everyone and craves attention.
A number who agree with what? Lancey Howard is right--where are the specifics?
Chuck's just a provacateur...Chuck's the name, spin's the game
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I don't know who Chuck Baldwin is, but after reading the article, the name BALDWIN raises a red flag............
Actually, that's 1 Chronicles 16:22 and/or Psalms 105:15. But your point is absolutely correct.
Huh? The Constitution Party is so far off that it scares ME. And he says that the religious right scares him?
Lets start with "National Security Letters".
Do you consider that procedure to be Constitional or "likable"?
It is very very easy to fool some Christians, especially some Baptists.
Carter said himself he 'lusted', he used profanity, he begged Soviet Communists for help in defeating Reagan and now this author pins his argument on Carter teaching Sunday School in a Southern Baptist Church while President.
As a Christian and a Conservative I vote for those that most reflect my views and values. Many Republicans are a way too liberal to ever get my vote.
Jimmity Carter can call himself whatever he wants but as a Christian he smells bad and as a President he was the biggest failure ever in office.
Religion should scare the sinner. It lets me know when I'm screwing up.
Be very, very afraid! ;)
Interesting that Baldwin spends so much time giving specifics that support his claim to be a conservative, but doens't give a single example... not a single one... of the policies that Bush and Christian Conservatives support that are a problem. All he can do is generalize about "they act like.." and "they could..." Rhetorically, a very poor argument.
Marking...
And try to find something you're good at.
Dan
Biblical Christianity web site
Biblical Christianity message board
Biblical Christianity BLOG
Additionally, Bush's support of Annan, despite the unparalled comic level of logical contortions by people on this forum to spin it as some Machiavellian move by Bush, is a disgrace performed after the election.
Where is the President actively going out and supporting Annan's remaining at the helm of the UN?
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