A Blueprint for a Monarchy in America [How Two Catholic Monarchists view the rest of us Americans]

The Altar and Throne Monarchy Site ^ | December 19, 2008 | Nick

[Alex Murphy]

A reader recently sent me a constitution he drew up for a monarchy that would be applicable for the United States, where no one religion stands in the majority. I found his hypothetical constitution intriguing, and was impressed by the depth he went into. While I do not necessarily endorse his proposal in its entirety, I did want to post it for my readers to look over and to comment upon it. (Note: the author of this constitution wished to remain anonymous due to "the current political situation.")

The People

Recognized Churches Must Adhere to the Following Precepts:

Belief in a single God, the Father Almighty, who is eternal and unchanging, the sole creator and master of the universe
Belief in Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, who is co-eternal with the Father, partaking fully in both the human and divine essence
Profession of the Trinity: belief that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist as three separate and distinct persons while sharing a single essence
Belief that salvation comes only through the redemptive sacrifice of Christ
Belief in the literal existence of Heaven and Hell
Belief in the Revealed Truth of Scripture
Promotion of Proper Morality: condemnation of abortion, euthanasia, fornication, polygamy, homosexuality, bestiality and artificial birth control
Rejection of Modern Heresies: condemnation of Marxism, racism and/or ethnocentricism, dispensationalism, relativism, pantheism, and pacifism
Recognition that the mandate to rule comes from God, not popular acclamation
Possession of 10 million adherents within imperial domains

Subjects

While the constitution allows for complete freedom of religion for all inhabitants of the imperial domains, not all religions are equal in the eyes of the state. Subjects are those people who do not belong to Recognized Churches; they are divided into those with religion (Moral Theists) and those without it (Heathens), both groups are free to practice their belief systems in privacy and without interference from imperial authorities. Moral Theists may vote for and hold the office of Tribune of Subjects, an officer who represents them in the Senate. Both Moral Theists and Heathens are barred from all other elections and elected offices, the military officer corps, teaching positions at government schools and the practice of law.

Those Without Religion (Heathens)
Atheists
Those Apathetic to Religion
Pagans, Muslims, Wiccans, New Age Spiritualists, Satanists
Reformed/Progressive Jews
Heretics: Pseudo-Christians not conforming to any one the first nine precepts

Those With Religion (Moral Theists)
Monotheists/Deists: must conform to seventh, eighth, and ninth precepts
Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Zoroastrians
Theravadin and Mahayana Buddhists
Orthodox/Traditional Jews
Independent Christians: Christian sects with less than 10 million adherents
Citizens

Citizens are those people who belong to Recognized Churches; the constitution recognizes two classes of citizens: plebeians and patricians. Though all inhabitants of the imperial domains stand equal before the law, the extent to which one can participate in political life is determined partly by one’s social standing. Citizens, however, possess rights that Subjects do not: these include the freedom of assembly, the right to imperial petition, freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Children born to Citizen Families attain citizenship with a proclamation of faith and featly on their 18th birthday in the presence of the County Magistrate; those who decline to make this statement are demoted to Heathen Status.

Plebeians

Plebeians, or commoners, are citizens who hold no official titles; they are divided into two classes: Proletarians and Equestrians. Citizenship is a gift, not a right, and is awarded to those who conform to certain moral standards. As such, Plebeians may be stripped of their status by judgment of the Country Magistrate should they engage in manifest public sin.

Proletarians

Proletarians are Plebeians who hold taxable assets whose net worth is less than $500,000; they are barred from all elected offices and may only vote for one official: the Tribune of Plebeians, who must be a member of the Equestrian class.

Equestrians

Equestrians are Plebeians who hold taxable assets whose net worth is more than $500,000; they may vote in any election and hold any elected office. One may be born to the Equestrian class if one’s father is also an Equestrian but this status may be lost if they fail to accumulate $300,000 worth of taxable assets before their 35th birthday. All officers in the military automatically attain Equestrian status upon their commission which cannot be lost regardless of the value of their assets.

Patricians

Patricians, or nobles, are Catholic citizens whose families have been endowed with titles and estates by the Emperor or higher orders of nobility; they are divided into three classes: Dominates, Magnates and the Imperial Family. Both the imperial and provincial governments include appointed offices which are reserved exclusively for Patricians. To be born into the Patrician class, one’s father or grandfather must also have been a Patrician; one’s status as a Dominate or Magnate is inherited from their father or grandfather as well. As with Plebeians, one can also lose Patrician status if they engage in manifest public sin; this demotion results in automatic Heathen status with the loss of all endowed property and inheritance rights.

Dominates (Lords)

Dominates, or lesser lords, are Patricians who have been ennobled by individual Magnates; these appointments must be ratified by the provincial Council of Magnates. Certain positions at the provincial and imperial levels of government are reserved exclusively for Dominates; among these are those of Censor, Legate and Lictor. Dominate status may be revoked, along with all hereditary titles and property rites, should the individual be found guilty of manifest public sin by the regional Council of Magnates.

Magnates (Great Lords)

Magnates, or great lords, are Patricians who have been ennobled by the Emperor in recognition of their extraordinary achievements or exemplary service to the state. Certain positions at the imperial level of government are reserved exclusively for Magnates; they alone are permitted to assume the offices of Aedile, Dux, Quaestor, Senator and Princeps Senatus. All senior Magnates in a province also belong to the Council of Magnates, responsible for electing Senators to represent them in the Comitia Magnus; the leader of this body is given the honorary title of Dux. Magnate status may be revoked, along with all hereditary titles and property rites, should the individual be found guilty of manifest public sin by judgment of the Emperor.

Imperial Family

The Imperial Family consists of the Emperor, his wife, his children and grandchildren, his siblings and their spouses, and their children and grandchildren. These people possess Magnate status at birth and may be appointed to any position normally reserved for members of that class. Upon his ascension to the throne, the Emperor designates his own successor from among his sons, brothers, nephews, uncles or male cousins over the age of 25; a new successor may be chosen at any time when circumstances demand it. This choice must be verified by the Council of Duxi and the consent of the Papal Tribune.

The Government

The imperial government operates at five levels: municipalities, counties, provinces, eparchies, and the imperial government; with the exception of eparchies, at every level there are both elected and appointed offices open to members of the Plebeian or Patrician class. Any official may be removed from office should he be found guilty of manifest public sin, which could also result in the loss of his citizen status; the court which tries him is dependent on the status of his elected or appointed office. With the exception of Tribunes, only Equestrians and Patricians may vote in elections or hold elected offices; the particulars are listed below.

Municipal Offices

Mayor

The Mayor acts as the municipal executive and may be a member of the Equestrian or Patrician class; terms of service, executive powers, age restrictions, and election particulars are determined by individual provinces and municipalities.


Municipal Councilor

Municipal Councilors act as advisors to the Mayor and may be members of the Equestrian or Patrician class; terms of service, councilor powers, numbers, age restrictions and election particulars are determined by individual provinces and municipalities.

Prefect

The Prefect acts as the municipal judge and may be a member of the Equestrian or Patrician class; he is appointed by the county Magistrate and has the power to appoint further municipal judges beneath him if necessity demands it. The Prefect serves for a term of five years and may be reappointed indefinitely though the associate judges he creates may be dismissed at any time. Prefects must be at least 35 years of age at the time of their first appointment.

County Offices

Magistrate

The Magistrate acts as both the county executive and judge and may be a member of the Equestrian or Patrician class. He is responsible for appointing municipal Prefects, approving mayoral appointments, overseeing public services and facilities and hearing appeals from municipal courts, deciding which cases will be heard by higher courts. The Magistrate is appointed by the Governor with the approval of the Censor and serves for a term of five years; he must be at least 35 years of age at the time of his first appointment and may be reappointed indefinitely. Other powers and duties are determined by individual provinces.

Provincial Offices

Governor

The Governor acts as the provincial executive and may be a member of the Equestrian or Patrician class; he is elected by popular vote and must have held county or municipal offices prior to his election as Governor. His primary duties are to appoint county Magistrates and oversee public facilities and services. Other terms of service, powers, age restrictions and election particulars are determined by individual provinces.

Provincial Councilors

Provincial Councilors act as provincial legislative officials and belong to a body called the Provincial Council; they may be members of the Equestrian or Patrician class and are elected by popular vote in proportion to the population of individual counties within the state. The powers of the Provincial Council, numbers of councilors, age restrictions and election particulars are determined by individual provinces.

Praetor

Praetors act as the provincial judges and may be a member of the Equestrian or Patrician class; they are appointed by the Censor to a ten year term and must have held county or municipal offices prior to their appointment to Praetor. Three Praetors sit on the High Court of each province and are responsible for hearing appeals from lower courts.

Censor

The Censor acts as the eparchial representative in each province and must be a member of the Dominate class; he is appointed to a life term by the Viceroy and is subject to no age restrictions. Censors have the power to appoint Praetors and Dominate Triumviri and veto any law passed by the Provincial Council or any decree from the Governor; their decisions may be appealed to and overturned by the Viceroy.

Eparchial Offices

Viceroy

The Viceroy acts as the imperial representative in each eparchy; he must be a member of the Magnate class and is appointed by the Emperor with the approval of the Senate. The Viceroy holds the position for life and has the power overturn the decision of any Censor in his eparchy and recommend cases for the Legate Court to hear. He presides over meetings of the Provincial Councils within his eparchy and has the responsibility of appointing Legates and Censors.

Legate

Legates act as eparchial judges and must be members of the Dominate class; they are appointed by the Viceroy and serve for life. The five Legates serving on each eparchial Supreme Court are subject to no age restrictions and have the responsibility of hearing appeals from lower courts; they are not obligated to accept every case.

Dux

The Dux is the mostly honorary position held by the leader of each of the eparchial Councils of Magnates according to their own parliamentary rules. The position is held for life; each Dux is also a de facto member of the Council of Duxi, responsible for electing the Princeps Senatus, approving Quaestor appointments and determining imperial succession.

Imperial Offices

Quaestor

Seven Quaestors, or judges, are appointed by the Emperor to officiate on the Imperial Court; all seven must be chosen from among the Magnate class and are subject to no age restrictions. It is their duty to hear appeals from lower courts, though they are not obligated to hear every case; Quaestor appointments, however, must be ratified by the Papal Tribune and the Council of Duxi. Quaestors serve for life and the longest-serving member of the Imperial Court is granted the honorary rank of Quaestor Magnus; at official functions, the Quaestor Magnus carries the Hand of Justice, symbolizing the triumph of law over chaos and the subservience of human law to the divine order.

Triumvir

Three Triumviri represent each province in the Comitia Minor; of these three representatives, two must be Equestrians and one must be a Dominate. All Triumviri must be at least 25 years of age. Equestrian Triumviri are elected by a majority vote of the provincial legislature with the approval of the Viceroy while Dominate Triumviri are appointed by the Censor of each province; they occupy their office for a term of five years and may be reelected or reappointed indefinitely.

Lictor

Elected by the Dominate Triumviri of the Comitia Minor; those holding the rank of Lictor must be Dominates themselves and at least 35 years of age. In this largely ceremonial role, the Lictor presides over all meetings of the Comitia Minor and carries the Fasces of State, symbolizing imperial power, at all official functions.

Senator

Two Senators are elected by each Council of Magnates according to their own parliamentary rules. Those holding the rank of Senator must be Magnates themselves and at least 35 years of age. Senators are barred from holding any other governmental office and serve in the Comitia Major for life.

Princeps Senatus

Elected by the Council of Duxi according to their own parliamentary rules; the one holding this office must be a Magnate himself and a Dux. The Princeps Senatus is subject to no age restrictions and holds the title for life. It is his duty to preside over all meetings of the Comitia Major and to cast the deciding vote in the event of a tie. At official functions, the Princeps Senatus is granted the honor of carrying the Sword of State, representing the duty of government to protect its people.

Tribune of Subjects

Elected by a popular vote of Moral Theists over the age of 18; the one holding this office must be a Moral Theist himself and be at least 35 years of age. To attain the position, candidates for this office must gain a simple majority of votes; in the event that one of the candidates fails to achieve a majority, another election will be held between the two leading contenders. The Tribune of Subjects serves a term of five years and may be reelected indefinitely; he has the power to veto any legislation he feels is detrimental to his constituents, but this veto can be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote in the Comitia Major or by imperial proclamation.

Tribune of Plebeians

Elected by a popular vote of all Plebeians, both Proletarians and Equestrians, over the age of 18; the one holding this office must be an Equestrian himself and at least 35 years of age. To attain the position, candidates for this office must gain a simple majority of votes; in the event that one of the candidates fails to achieve a majority, another election will be held between the two leading contenders. The Tribune of Plebeians serves a term of five years and may be reelected indefinitely; he has the power to veto any legislation he feels is detrimental to his constituents, but this veto can be overridden by a four-fifths majority vote in the Comitia Major or by imperial proclamation.

Papal Tribune

The Papal Tribune is appointed by the Supreme Pontiff and holds the position for life; the one holding this office must be a Catholic clergyman holding the rank of bishop. The Papal Tribune has the power to veto any legislation that betrays the principles of Christian morality; this veto is final and may only be overturned by imperial decree.

Imperator (Emperor)

The Emperor acts as the chief executive; his succession must be ratified by the previous Emperor, the Council of Duxi, and the Papal Tribune. It is his responsibility to defend the rule of law and Christian Civilization from all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Though his power to declare war, appoint certain officials, and use state monies is abrogated by the Senate or the nobility, the Emperor may overrule the decision of any court, create new Magnates and preside over all meetings of the full Senate.

The author of this also gave these additional disclaimers:

I have divided the people living in any hypothetical imperial realm into subjects and citizens, based on their religious creed. Basically anyone adhering to the seventh, eighth and ninth precepts is considered a moral theist, as are Christian groups which conform to all the other nine precepts but have less than 10 million members. Only state-recognized churches receive tax-free status; by requiring 10 million members for this I hope to force the myriad of independent Protestant churches to combine into larger organizations with a more strict emphasis on doctrinal orthodoxy. Catholics of course get preeminent status in the government. As you can see, people may lose their citizen status or office should they be found guilty of manifest public sin.

Upon their 18th birthday, young people from citizen families will be required to take an oath in which they adhere to the first nine precepts; those converting to one of the Recognized Churches can apply for citizenship and, after a period of political and spiritual instruction, will be administered the same oath. Young people from citizen families who refuse to take the oath will be demoted to heathen status, as are people who leave one of the Recognized Churches; this may be appealed only after 10 years and the testimony of credible witnesses attesting to that person's conversion.

The government operates on five levels: municipalities, counties, provinces, eparchies, and the imperial government. The day to day governance is mostly conducted at the municipal/county/province level by elected officials. The eparchies are mostly judicial units consisting of several provinces designed to provide direct imperial oversight of lower offices. This system tries to allow people to run their own affairs as much as possible with limited interference but nonetheless has safeguards to ensure that new laws passed do not conflict with Christian morality. Hence the division between citizens and subjects/nobles and commoners. You'll also notice a distinction between Proletarians and Equestrians based on wealth; I do not hate the poor, but I do recognize that people without wealth and education tend to support destructive policies, hence the reason they are banned from all but one election.

The Imperial Senate is the legislative body of the Empire and is divided into an upper house (Comitia Major) and a lower house (Comitia Minor). The latter is at least 1/3 noble at all times, limiting the power of commoners to make direct policy at the highest level of government. The Tribunes exist to ensure that the people's voice is at least heard, but they can still be overruled by the Comitia Major. Basically the Comitia Major has the powers we Americans would associate with the Senate while the Comitia Minor is comperable to the House of Representatives.

Officially the Emperor's powers are comparable to that of a US President insofar as his ablility to declare war, raise taxes, and appoint certain officials is concerned; but he is capable of exerting far more influence over the government should he have the backing of the Church or other circumstances demand it.

[Religion Moderator]

Do not carry arguments from one thread to another, argue on the original thread.

Also do not attribute motives to other Freepers, that is a form of "making it personal."

[Cronos]

Ah, typical -- making it personal when you can't answer how many of your particular denomination voted democrat? 75%+?

Nope, I didn't give up American citizenship -- I don't have Polish citizenship either as I've lived here only 10 months and have no blood ties to this country. Dual citizenship is allowed after 3-5 years I think, but I haven't even thought about that yet

I vote republican because the Republican Party is the only one that can put some sanity in government. Voting for the Democrats (let's raise taxes) is brain-dead. So, how many of your particular denomination voted democrat? 75%+?

Did you vote Democrat like the majority of your group?

[Cronos]

sorry, but I did not carry any argument from one thread to another. Alex posts links to articles. I posted links to articlesas below

This an entire cover-up of religion to keep their group's true agenda of fomenting discord -- just like the Westboro Baptist Club

There are articles like these below designed to make Christianity look like a laughing stock -- and we know this agenda don't we?

In the General/Chat forum, on a thread titled Image of Jesus found!, :

Image of Jesus found!

Image of Jesus appears in Ponderosa

04/11/2011 2:18:27 PM PDT · by Alex Murphy · 7 replies
ConnectTriStates ^ | 3/17/2011 | Sarah Deien
HANNIBAL, MO. — This is not a story of the image of the Virgin Mother on a grilled cheese sandwich or Jesus on a tortilla. Hope you’re not disappointed, but I think this is far better. This is the story of a spiritual journey that transformed a beam into a masterpiece, and the spiritual journey of the amateur artist himself. It takes a big leap of faith to go from carving ducks to chiseling the image of the crucified Jesus. It also takes inspiration. And time. In fact, the idea first stirred in Delbert Hayes’ imagination a dozen years ago...

Image of Jesus Appears at Church [Following ceiling work at Fairmont’s First Presbyterian]

04/11/2011 2:16:02 PM PDT · by marshmallow · 8 replies
West Virginian Times ^ | 4/8/11 | J. Miles Layton
FAIRMONT — Parishioners, the faithful and even curious skeptics can look to the heavens at what appears to be an image of Jesus on the ceiling of one local church. “That’s inspirational because it makes people stop and think,” said Rev. Bill Sadler, First Presbyterian Church of Fairmont. “No matter what, you have to stop and deal with it being here.” The image was mysteriously formed in the plaster high above on the vaulted ceiling of the church’s sanctuary.

Jesus Christ appears on rocking chair

04/11/2011 1:28:52 PM PDT · by Alex Murphy · 31 replies
The Metro UK ^ | February 18, 2011 | Ted Thornhill
Of course, the Saviour’s face has been getting around a fair bit recently. We’ve already availed you of his face’s visit to an MRI scan, to some chicken feathers, Google Maps, a drainpipe, a Marmite lid and a student’s frying pan. Well now it’s the turn of a rocking chair in, appropriately, the City of Angels to host the holy visage. The chair belongs to Lou Balducci, who lives in the Mission Viejo area of Los Angeles, and he was understandably taken aback. ‘When I first saw the image, I didn’t know what to think. As I thought about it,...

Face of Jesus appears on log

04/11/2011 12:06:16 PM PDT · by Alex Murphy · 51 replies
The Metro UK ^ | April 10, 2011 | Ted Thornhill
The log’s owner, Mel Robertson, calls it the ‘holy log’ and says that she keeps it as a ‘lucky charm’. However, she admits that it ‘hasn’t brought any luck yet’, but is hopeful that one day it will. Fingers crossed, Mrs Robertson. The mum of two from Solihull told Metro.co.uk that the face first appeared back in October 2009, but got clearer and clearer as the months went by. She said: ‘We had some firewood by the fireplace – at first it looked like a skull and crossbones – but as the months wore on, it just appeared around the...

Face of Jesus appears on tea towel

04/11/2011 11:50:57 AM PDT · by Alex Murphy · 15 replies
The Metro UK ^ | April 7, 2011 | Kavi Shah
It’s well known that cleanliness is up there next to Godliness, but Roisin McCourt wasn’t expecting Jesus to pop out of her washing machine load. Dance teacher Ms McCourt was shocked when she saw the unusual brown stain, which shows what seem to be the facial features of a long-haired, bearded man. Ms McCourt, 31, has since been mobbed with requests from believers wishing to make a pilgrimage to see the holy imprint. The Coventry resident said: ‘When I took it out I could not believe it. I could see it was Jesus straightaway. I took it to my husband...

Jesus Statue Set Ablaze in Minn.

04/11/2011 11:30:54 AM PDT · by mandaladon · 36 replies
The Blaze ^ | 11 Apr 2011 | Jonathon M. Seidl
It was a clash of images on Sunday in St. Paul, MN when a local man, Tuan Pham, awoke to see his beloved, custom-made Jesus statue in flames. According to family, someone took wood from a nearby pile and used a spray can to ignite a fire at the base of Pham’s 7-foot ode to Christ. It’s statue that has been controversial from the beginning: It may have burned for awhile; Pham’s daughter took pictures of her father trying to knock down the flames. Fire investigators were going over the garden a few hours later. If they find evidence of...

Surprise as ‘face of Jesus’ appears in Bristol barbecue plot

04/11/2011 10:42:49 AM PDT · by Alex Murphy · 31 replies
This Is Bristol ^ | April 1, 2011
WHEN his next door neighbour called over the fence and told him Jesus had appeared in his back garden faithful church-goer Ron Sims first thought he was joking. But when the pensioner caught a glimpse of the concrete barbecue his friend had knocked down six years before he couldn’t believe his eyes. Mr Sims, 77, of Magpie Bottom Lane in Hanham, said: “When I saw it I just couldn’t believe the likeness. “It’s such a strong image, it’s almost eerie.” The image is formed by the remains of concrete blocks Mr Sims used to build an outdoor barbecue when he...

[Cronos]

NL, The problem is that we have a number of leftists here posing as Christians. The left only writes articles that make Christians look evil (distortions mostly) or that cause Christians to fight.

This group may pretend to be Protestant, which is a joke as Protestants are our Christian brothers, but under this mask, this group of leftists says the following about Christians and Jews (more details on my profile page)

:

1. Hatred for Pentecostals and Methodists -- calling them
   1. of a failure to grasp the Biblical teaching concerning the history of salvation.
   2. saying that Methodists and Pentecostals worship the gospel of Satan -- a very serious and false allegation
   3. as damnable heretics
2. of course we know that their group hates Pentecostals as much as Catholics,and their group believe us to be no different
3. Against Lutherans -- accusing them of liberalism and not following Martin Luther
4. Against Adventists - accusing them of being the same as Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses
5. Against Orthodox, trying to say they don't have charity
6. Against Christian martyrs in Pakistan -- Shahbaz Bhatti
7. against Jews - no celebrating with Jewish friends, eh?

[Cronos]

And at the same time, they start fomenting anti-Christian thought and causing inter-Christian arguments saying

The OPC (OrthodoPresbyterian C) and PCA (Presbyterian C in America) attack on America and Christianity

preaching hatred against Pentecostals	from the OPC doctrinal website It will be noted that the Confession sharply contradicts the view popularized today by the neo-Pentecostal movement. In essence this view would have us believe that we can have the same charismatic gifts that we read about in the age of the Apostles - such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and healing - today. This is a very serious error. In essence it is a result of a failure to grasp the Biblical teaching concerning the history of salvation.
preaching hatred against Lutherans	Accusing all Lutherans LCMS, WELS etc. of preaching in contradiction to Martin Luther and being liberals
preaching hatred against Pentecostals and Methodists:	From the opc doctrinal website: . Are Arminian (Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptist etc) preachers heretics? yes . Is Arminianism (Methodism, Pentecostalism, Baptists) a damnable heresy? Yes. . the teachings of Arminianism are contrary to Scripture, they are manifestly false. They are serious perversions of the gospel of Jesus Christ the inherent Satanism of Free-Will Arminianism(Methodism/Pentecostalism); (accusing Methodists, Pentecostals, etc. who disagree with Calvin of preaching a gospel of Satan
preaching hatred against Methodists	article on how "John Wesley preached Universal Infant Damnation for unbaptized infants "
preaching hatred against Judaism	Acording to the OPC OrthoPresbyterianC: "Christians should not celebrate the Seder or other Jewish festivals. "
preaching hatred and evil against Christians martyred by Moslems in the Middle East	The OPC has said that Shahbhaz Bhatti will go to hell as he wasn't OPC
preaching hatred against Adventists	The Adventists are a cult that is as dangerous as the Jehovahs Witnesses or the Mormons

[Cronos]

And of course, these groups are not only aiming at fomenting discord between Christians but also are anti-semitic

This contrasts with the Christian brotherhood with Jews from the catechism

When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, "the first to hear the Word of God."

The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant.

To the Jews "belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ", "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."

Contrast this with the OPC which has from it's creation by Machen in the 30s, been anti-semitic and it's pretense of being Christian wears thin. The OPC as part of its core doctrines states that the OPC believes that God's chosen people today are not the Jews

It's very own doctrines, as I linked to above dictates terms against Jews and Jewish festivals

On the contrary I see the OPC and the PCA folks being stridently, vehemently anti-Israel, such that they have spittle coming out of their mouths most of the time when they mention Israel

Besides this post you have

1. Jerusalem, the have-not whore
2. Israel -- where there is a comparison of Biblical Israel to Modern Israel -- and you can guess it's not a pleasant one
3. All Israel will be Saved, but not all Israel
4. Jerusalem, Mother of all Harlots
5. The restoration and conversion of Israel -- this soon descends into a fre for all anti-semitic fest

I'll agree that the overwhelming majority of Christians do not voice these opinions, yet the trend on Freerepublic is for the extreme hate groups like the OPC/PCA (members include such illustrious evictees as rjr_fan, orthodoxkirkpresbyterian, orthodoxpresbyterian,hankkerchief etc all zotted for either anti-semitic, anti-Christian or communist outbursts) to shout out more and more.

I fear that with their increasingly shill statements, they bring FR into disrepute. I'd rather they stayed on their website the stum OPC

[Cronos]

Oh, ooops, sorry RM, you were right, I did in post 201 link to where Alex had photomorphed Batman’s face on to Christ. I apologize — you were correct to delete that post. Thank you and sorry again

[Natural Law]

I’m trying to figure out what was objectionable in post #202, other than it was embarrassing to certain anti-Catholics.

[Religion Moderator]

The reference to handlers and that the poster should do his own homework were mind reading and attributing motive and therefore, making it personal.

[Natural Law]

"where are they found on the below chart?"

Some of you are pretty good at cut & regurgitation but obviously critical thinking is beyond the scope of anti-Catholic tutors. Many contend the best learning tool is to do your own homework. It might not be a bad idea in determining how the oft cited percentages of specific demographics contributed in terms of total numbers of votes. Some simple logic may help you along the way.

Determine what percentage of the 68 million Catholics in this country are registered to vote and of that percentage what percentage actually turned out to vote. Of that number 54% voted for Obama. Can you arrive at a number greater than 12 million? (I didn't think so).

Another approach would be to determine what percentage of the total population of the US is Catholic and apply 54% of that percentage to the total number of votes cast for Obama. Now can you arrive at a number greater than 12 million? (I didn't think so).

Now how did the rest of the population vote...........go ask someone who cares.

[Natural Law]

"The reference to handlers and that the poster should do his own homework were mind reading and attributing motive and therefore, making it personal."

That is really a stretch, but I get it. wink, wink.

[Gamecock]

I don’t see where you need anyone to approve - your obsession began in your first or second post. How many threads did you start on Protestant Pedophilia this year?

Dunno. 5-7.

But there are far fewer reported daily than from the Catholic religion, so there is not as much material.

Try it yourself and see. Google "priest" and on any given day there are 2-5 hits on the first page of Google News. Type minister/pastor and om most days you have to go to the 4rd or 4th page.

[annalex]

a similar point was made in a book entitled Democracy: The God that Failed. The point being that a permanent governing class has an incentive to preserve the country and hand it over to the next generation

H.H. Hoppe, a libertarian, grasped one, most materialistic reason for monarchy. The other reason is the role of a monarch as an embodiment of the national idea. For example, a monarch may see a national goal in fostering local government and democratic self-government, -- things that America understands and longs for intuitively, but contradict the selfish instinct of anyone in the actual business of governing. That is to say, while the governemnt -- feudal or democratic -- is in the business of governing, the monarch is in the business of recognizing and further shaping the national identity. Even the degenerate monarchies of today, such as the House of Windsor, work as a surrogate national parent. Note how the personal developments in the British monarchy come to matter something rather intangible but at the same time something very important to all Britons. American presidents fill a similar role out of necessity: Reagan morning the Challenger or egging on Gorbachev in Berlin, Clinton in Oklahoma City, W. Bush on the rubble of 9/11, -- but they are not well suited for it, because every time there is a 40% or more who listen to that and say "damn, that improves the bastard's ratings".

When American presidential candidate says "I want to be a president for all Americans" -- and they all do -- he is speaking nonsense. I am an American: I don't want to be for 4 years trying to move myself as far left as I can and in another 4 years moving myself as far right as I can, but these are the rational political goals of a President. Of course, the candidate does not mean that; what he means is "I want to be a king of America". But the truth is, he cannot be a king, that is why in 2 years he is back on the tube selling us more of his government at our expense. One cannot be a father figure one day and hustling an election the next.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Re your post 216:

Of course what you say makes a lot of sense. As you know, the Presidency as originally conceived by the Founders was not what has developed. He was to have been a quasi-monarch, chosen every four years by a select group of non-partisan electors whose only concern was what was best for the country. The person chosen (theoretically without his knowledge) would then be asked if he accepted the office. It sounds like Alexander Hamilton, whom some conservatives consider the father of the "eastern liberal establishment" and "the money power," wasn't so far off after all!

However, there are also elements of your answer that I find troubling and indicative generally of the weaknesses of "palaeoconservatism" (please forgive my use of the term, as I am not sure it applies to you at all). The idea of a slowly developing, "organic" worldview seems to me tainted with henotheism, relativism, and utilitarianism. It implies that there is a different (and equally valid) "truth" for each people. The idea of a slow development through trial and error is also highly utilitarian (as well as organic). As a Biblical Fundamentalist I believe that there is One G-d and One Truth for the entire universe. The particular characteristics of all the various nations are fine of course, provided they acknowledge and submit to this One Truth. I also believe that G-d has provided the human race (in the Noachide Laws) THE laws for living, and no long, organic, trial-and-error development is necessary. Perhaps this is where some "palaeos" see the Jews as the ultimate source of the left's "rationalist blueprints" for human life; for what is the Torah if not G-d's own "rationalist blueprint?"

It is most strange that so many conservatives castigate the idea of a "one world religion," when all orthodox believers (at least in the "western" tradition) who believe their religion is the true one ipso facto believe in a "one world religion" (theirs, of course). I sometimes wonder if the hoo-haw over "one world religion" doesn't have roots in henotheism. Don't get me wrong, though. I am adamantly opposed to any "one world religion" other than the True one.

Pinging wideawake for his interest.

[annalex]

The notion of progressive discovery of the truth is not at all foreign to the Christian mindset; it meshes in very well with the concept of theosis as a gradual process. Nor should it be completely foreign to the Jewish worldview as the Old Testament narrative keeps reminding us of the winding nature of the Jewish path from revelation to apostasy, sorrow, and correction. But be it as it may with Judaism, of which I claim no expertise, it surely has nothing to do with moral relativism. It is simply historicism: the realization that a nation (being comprised of fallible humans) goes through a certain work in the historical context toward its divinely-appointed goal. It is not able to skip ahead; it has to live out its travails, just like an individual does. It also may fail altogether, bot for the fault of God but due to its fallible nature.