Posted on 12/31/2007 5:47:12 PM PST by Graybeard58
CEDAR RAPIDS — "You're about to experience a Pentecostal service," Pastor Jeff Schmitz told a visitor at the First Pentecostal Church in northeast Cedar Rapids.
Tonight's regular service at the church included a guest sermon from Alan Keyes, reminding the faithful he's again mounting a long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination. And while former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee might be the only ordained minister in the race, politically active Christians have another option in Keyes.
Taking the microphone about an hour into the service, Keyes sang and preached for nearly another hour, casting his candidacy as a revival of "the freedom that comes to us through our surrender to the will of God."
According to Keyes, the issues usually cited by more secular candidates in either party can only be solved spiritually.
He blasted "the myth of separation between church and state," compared the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, to "the holocaust of abortion" and said even health care can be solved largely through moral discipline.
"We eat too much and exercise too little," said Keyes. "The key to bringing down our health cost is the very thing we've been talking about — the moral responsibility."
Keyes, a former United Nations ambassador and State Department official in the Reagan administration, also mounted presidential bids in 1996 and 2000. The last of his three unsuccessful Senate bids came in 2004, when Keyes, who lives in Maryland, was drafted by Illinois Republicans to face Democratic presidential Barack Obama after the Republican nominee withdrew due to a sex scandal. Keyes polled 27 percent of the vote in that race.
"The question before the nation today is whether America still believes," he said. "If there is no god, we have no liberty."
Keyes declared himself a candidate in mid-September, when most of his rivals had been campaigning for at least a year. But he said more than a political office is at stake.
I live in Illinois and voted for Alan Keyes in the senatorial election, he was bashed without let up in this forum and look who we got for our U.S. Senator in Illinois.
Yes, I remember that election and the words that he took here. But with Illinois, what do you expect?
I just was amazed at the bashing that went on, on this conservative forum. Carpetbagger? Yes but a damn sight better than his opponent, Barak Hussein Obama.
No matter what charge can be made about Keyes, he’s 100 times better than Obama.
I never expected him to win.
But you supported him, and that’s what matters. :-)
Has he paid off his campaign debts from ‘96 and ‘00. That’s usually why he’s running. He’s just a tired act in my book. A cliche.
I saw this and thought of you. Happy Reading and Happy New Year!
Yuhp, defintely better than Obama but he is a very passe performer who does not know when to hang it up.
Reparations?
“Reparations”, was pandering and dishonest on Keyes part as he knew it would never happen. Allow me to reiterate: Any charge made against Keyes wheter it has validity or not, he’s still 100 times better than Obama.
And a happy New Year to you!
Amen!!
He needs to be elected to something - somewhere.
I don't know about religious solutions to national problems. I do know what happens to societies when they turn their collective backs on God. It isn't pretty.
In my opinion the best man for the job of POTUS. Too bad he doesn’t stand a chance.
Amen!!
_________________
And, Amen again.
I was looking at Keyes for #1 spot, but would have settled for Duncan Hunter. Now appears I’ll have to settle for Huckabee.
Surely his mission here on earth labeling all those who disagree with him politically not only wrong but "evil" must go on. (remember him publically calling Bush "evil" over the stem-cell debate?)
I'm surprise we haven't yet witnessed this intemperate, intolerant smug self-righteous bag of wind ascend to Heaven before our mortal eyes.
Please don't confuse Allen Keyes with Huckabee. Huckabbe is a good man but I fear a bad leader. Allen Keyes would fill any slot, including POTUS, and excel in it. Keyes, and Newt have Founding Father qualities. Their knowledge is beyond being a politician.
We know for a fact that socialist solutions to national problems don't work.
I'm a bit envious of the previous poster who had met Keyes, I'd like to shake his hand and maybe have a brief chat with him.
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