Perspectives; Thoughts; Comments; Opinions; Discussions

Posts tagged ‘speaking out’

Christians May Be Unwittingly Hastening America’s Transformation


Obamacare

Susan Calloway KnowlesOctober 11, 2014

Read more at http://joeforamerica.com/2014/10/christians-may-unwittingly-hastening-americas-transformation/

It’s a bold statement to make that Christians may be unwittingly hastening America’s transformation but it needs to be said.

Most Christians would be shocked to think that they had anything to do with negatively impacting the country that they love so much and have, in many cases, even fought to protect.

However, it needs to be discussed because America as we know it is being changed beyond recognition on a daily basis.

As state primaries occur and as the 2016 elections draw near, it is high time that Christians recognize their invaluable potential in changing the course of our country.

For far too long now, many Christians have chosen to stay home instead of getting out to vote in national, state, and local elections. The reasons vary for their apathy, but commonly there are two factors which keep Christians home.

Either Christians believe that there is no one worth electing because the candidate does not hold their same Biblical beliefs or Christians wonder if they, pursuant to Biblical principles, should even vote at all.

While I am not a Biblical scholar, I know one thing for certain and that is the Bible is not filled with a lot of indifference or the absence of actions taken by Christians.salt and light

David didn’t slay Goliath by staying home. Joshua didn’t bring down the walls of Jericho by refusing to obey God’s direction to join in the battle.

Certainly, Christ didn’t raise Lazarus from the dead by choosing not to travel to Bethany. Christ was anything but apathetic. He stood for truth and continued to speak out until the day He was crucified. He was and is a model for Christians to follow.

Christians have many modern day battles that call for them to respond. Every day in the news there are stories about Planned Parenthood and their continuing efforts to abort unborn children. Christians can effectuate positive change in this area by opposing congressional, presidential, or even state and local candidates who are in favor of abortion.

By not voting, Christians are tacitly showing their approval or at least not voicing their opposition to this highly controversial issue.

Additionally, problems involving the education of Christian children are at the core of Biblical principles and need the support of Christians everywhere. Issues regarding how children are raised and the principles they are taught are at the forefront of importance to most parents or guardians. Only parents or guardians should determine what is ultimately appropriate for their children to learn or eat in school, not the government. Parents or guardians need to attend local school board meetings, extracurricular school activities, and other important school meetings concerning their children to ensure that moral principles are being taught. Christians standing up and speaking out in local school districts is a reminder to government that parents, not government, are ultimately in charge of their children’s education.

Parents may also have to consider changing school districts, enrolling their child into charter schools, searching for faith-based programs, or looking at the benefits of homeschooling in order to remain in control. Recently, it was discovered, that while spending less toward each child’s education, charter schools, produce far better educational results than do traditional public schools. Charter schools, typically do not get extensive funding that traditional public schools receive from the federal government. What charter schools do receive, however, appears to be used more efficiently. In addition, because charter schools are not heavily funded by the government, they appear far more receptive to parent decision-making in their programs.

You may recall earlier this year, that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, moved to prevent three charter schools from using public space. His actions caused some charter schools to close. His unilateral decision, took the issue out of the hands of parents and placed it solely in the hands of government. De Blasio only began to backtrack on his decision when those who had helped him get elected, began to voice their displeasure because their children attended the very charter schools he closed. Had proponents not raised concerns, de Blasio’s plan to rid New York City of charter schools may have succeeded, leaving parents with one less excellent choice.

To paraphrase, Christians are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, according to Matthew 5:13-14. Remaining complacent, when it comes to the important issues in this country that impact our children and our constitutional rights, surely is not what God envisioned for Christians when He said those words.salt and light

Freedom of choice allows all of us to continue to shape this country and this world. This does not mean taking away the rights of others in the process. What it does mean, however, and what history has shown us is that we are obligated to be preservers of the truth and freedom until the very end.

Christians may hold the key to stopping or at least slowing the transformation of this country into an unrecognizable nation. Taking no action guarantees that we will continue to see our constitutional rights eroded and our right to speak out as Christians eventually suppressed.

Choose this election season to make a difference for yourself, your children, and others! Get out and vote

Article collective closing

Watch as These Five People Boldly Proclaim: We’re Not Ashamed to be Pro-Life


Obamacare

by Josh Shepherd | Washington, DC | LifeNews.com | 10/7/14

http://www.lifenews.com/2014/10/07/watch-as-these-five-people-boldly-proclaim-were-not-ashamed-to-be-pro-life/

Those who serve faithfully in the pro-life movement rarely get the opportunity to look up from day-to-day work and see the big picture.

For many, the March for Life every January is their one chance to rub shoulders with like-minded advocates. One other annual event stands out for its variety of high-caliber, pro-life leaders and interactive breakout sessions: the Values Voter Summit sponsored by Family Research Council Action.

Values Voter Summit 2014  #VVS14

Popularly referred to as #VVS14 — a top-trending Twitter topic nationally during the event — Values Voter Summit features conservative luminaries who garnered significant media attention in discussing America’s most pressing issues leading up to the mid-term elections: Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Bobby Jindal, talk show host Mark LevinGov. Sarah PalinSen. Rand Paul, Alan Robertson (of Duck Dynasty fame) and many others.

While most touched on life issues, five leaders elevated current contentions over abortion policy and the value of every life as a primary thrust of their remarks:

prolifewomen20
Young woman wearing Life Tape, in a video by Lt. Gov. Dewhurst recapping Texas’ fight for life


1. Star Parker: “Abortion May Be Legal Today, But It’s Not Lawful in God’s Eyes 

President of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), Star Parker brought an impassioned plea for Congress to investigate abortion-center horrors like Kermit Gosnell‘s clinic — and enact penalties in the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act signed into law over a decade ago.

“We’ve been concerned for years about minority women that have been targeted by the abortion lobby,” Parker said. “While black women of childbearing age represent only 7% of the American population, they represent 35% of all abortions.” This important advocacy effort by the National Black Pro-Life Coalition is poised to make a great impact starting with the next Congress in January. 

star


2. Young Mother Tells Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst: ”We Have Our Son Today Because of You” 

As Lieutenant Governor of the Lone Star State alongside Governor Rick Perry, David Dewhurst played a significant role in ensuring the democratic process was not shut down in Texas by outside pro-abortion interests that attempted to end HB 2, the “pro-life law of the century” enacted last year by overwhelming majority vote.

“We had a group of people who took over the Senate chambers and kept our Senate from doing business,” Pastor Steve Riggle said in a new video premiered at Values Voter Summit. “We decided we would all show up so we could save some lives.” The video also features a young woman in red Life Tape, a strategy that originated with Bound4LIFE in 2004 and now widely adopted by pro-life groups.

david


3. Ryan Bomberger, African-American Pro-Life Leader: “For Exercising a Civil Right, I’m Being Sued by a Civil Rights Group” 

“Any time anybody wants to silence you,” began Ryan Bomberger, chief creative officer of The Radiance Foundation. “You know they’re up to no good.” He proceeded to tell (to the degree he legally can) of how his 2013 op-ed on the NAACP, which engages in parody — a hallmark of American social commentary since Mark Twain and even before. Yet a pro-lifer’s parody was too much; the massive membership group sued him.

ryan

“The writers of the Constitution were considered extreme too,” he noted. “Silence is never an option.” After a Virginia judge placed a gag order on Bomberger and ordered him to “deliver up for destruction” any prior use of his NAACP parody, The Radiance Foundation recently appealed the case to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

It’s clear what drives Ryan Bomberger in his creative work, as he weeps over America’s “56 million lives obliterated in the name of ‘reproductive freedom.’” A leader in promoting adoption and foster care, he left attendees with a strong appeal: “Never be silenced.”

Ryan Bomberger / The Radiance Foundation


4. Brigitte Gabriel: “I Know My Freedom is Built Upon Your Shoulders and Your Sacrifice” 

With the rise of the Islamic State internationally — and, tragically, even in America — many #VVS14 speakers addressed this emerging threat. None were more enlightening than Brigitte Gabriel, who comes at the issue of defeating terrorism from a unique perspective.

As Founder and President of Act for America, the nation’s largest grassroots organization devoted to national security, Gabriel knows the facts. And as an immigrant to America from Lebanon, which she fled due to Islam’s increasing influence, her words carry a true depth of life experience.

Addressing veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, Gabriel’s final remarks reveal surprising connections between the sacrifice of military families and standing up for the value of every life. “As an immigrant who came to this country, thank you for building a nation where I can come and be all that I can be,” she concluded. “You are my heroes.”

britgitte


5. Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “Let This Generation Be the One to Stop Abortion in America” 

A small-town Indiana farmer voted into office in 2010, Rep. Marlin Stutzman has proven to be one of the rarest of Congressmen: stating upfront his unequivocal support for defending life, even in an election year. One powerful story unearths the roots of his strongly pro-life perspective… and from the first line, you could hear a pin drop.

“There was a young lady, 17 years old, who all of a sudden found herself in an unexpected pregnancy,” Stutzman began. First told in the Washington Times, his account reveals how intensely personal the issue of life is — and how vital to discuss it in human terms.  

rep

As elections quickly approach, join us in lifting up our nation’s leaders. Pray for all Americans to vote with wisdom, demanding honesty and uprightness from those serving in public office.

LifeNews Note: Josh M. Shepherd has served in communications/marketing roles for the past 10 years at Focus on the Family and The Heritage Foundation. Reprinted with permission from Bound4LIFE.

Article collective closing

Tag Cloud