Faith in our future?

From Michael Barone's latest column:

Fifty years ago, secular liberals were confident that education, urbanization and science would lead people to renounce religion. That seems to have happened, if you confine your gaze to Europe, Canada and American university faculty clubs.

But this movement has not been as benign as expected: The secular faiths of fascism and communism destroyed millions of lives before they were extinguished.

America has not moved in the expected direction. In fact, just the opposite. Economist Robert Fogel's "The Fourth Great Awakening" argues that we've been in the midst of a religious revival since the 1950s, in which, as in previous revivals, "the evangelical churches represented the leading edge of an ideological and political response to accumulated technological and social changes that undermined the received culture."

I keep hearing from commentators like Bill O'Reilly that we are becoming less religious and churches are empty. I think those people are either Catholic or in a mainstream denomination such as Episcopalian or Presbyterian. Not all, but many of these churches offer nothing but empty religious rituals. The evangelical churches that don't waver in their beliefs and aggressively court prospects are thriving. Those mega churches such as Saddleback and Willow Creek aren't hurting for members. They keep building and building.

'Good sex for teens': The war against abstinence

Given the almost universal popularity of abstinence education, it seems strange that Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) soon will introduce legislation that would effectively abolish federal abstinence education programs. These programs supply nearly all the governmental support for teaching abstinence in U.S. schools.

The Baucus anti-abstinence plan would take federal funds that are devoted to teaching abstinence and turn them over to state public health bureaucracies to spend as they will. Since these bureaucracies have been wedded for decades to “safe sex” and fiercely opposed to teaching abstinence, the implications of this change are obvious.

Why is it that the Democrats are always on the opposite side of parents on morality issues? Promoting abstinence means promoting a key tenet of the Christian worldview that sex is between a husband and wife, and so therefore even if it makes the most sense as a solution to a social problem they can't possibly support it. And they just can't bring themselves to pass moral judgments on behavior. Who are they to tell YOU that sex between 14 year old kids is wrong...unless those 14 year olds don't use a condom of course.

Sebelius vetoes abortion bill

~sigh~

From the Capital Journal:

Criticizing legislators for choosing "pure politics over good policy," Gov. Kathleen Sebelius vetoed a bill Friday imposing additional regulations on abortion clinics.

Yeah, it's bad policy to obtain an annual license from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, hire surgeons as medical directors and report patient deaths to the state within a day. It's simply ridiculous to mandate that KDHE set standards for equipment, medical screenings, ventilation and lighting.

The complaint from the Governor is that the law didn't apply to other medical procedures...just abortions. Well, she HAD to come up with SOME ridiculous reason to veto the bill. She couldn't say, "I get a lot of campaign contributions from George Tiller, so I can't support any bills that he opposes."

California may have Arnold, but Kansas has the REAL Terminator Governor. Governor Kate will do anything to protect abortionists and keep raking in those donations from "Doc Tiller the Baby Killer."

Pro-Life Bills Await Governor's Signature

Governor Sebelius has one more day to sign or veto the abortion clinic bill. If she does nothing, the bill becomes law.

The child rape-tissue preservation law deadline for decision is Monday.

The deadline for funding crisis pregnancy centers is Monday.

Pray that the Governor has a change of heart and that if she vetoes the three pro-life bills, our legislators will override her vetoes when they return April 27.

The phone number to call the Governor's switchboard is 296-3232. Ask to be transferred to her office staff. Ask her to do the right thing and sign all three pro-life bills. They'll know what they are.

It's Tax Day

Remember Christian brothers and sisters:

"Render unto Caesar what you owe Caesar..."

I say that as I file for my extension. ;)

Secularism in Europe--will it come to America?

From the Wall Street Journal: Why Europe's Great Churches are Empty

Practicing Christianity in Europe today enjoys a status not dissimilar to smoking marijuana or engaging in unorthodox sexual activities--few people mind if you do so in private, but you are expected not to talk about it or ask others whether they do it too. Christianity is considered retrograde and atavistic in a "progressive" society devoted to the good life--long holidays, short work hours and generous government benefits.

"If there is no such thing as human nature," Mr. Weigel argues, "then there are no universal moral principles that can be read from human nature." If there are no universal moral truths, then religion, positing them, is merely a form of oppression or myth, one from which Europe's elites see themselves as liberated.

As Christianity spreads across Africa and departs rapidly from Europe, America is left in the middle with still a sizable amount of the faithful--but a growing number of coastal elitists who long to be more "European" -- enlightened, secular, sophisticated, progressive. I'm not saying it will happen in the next decade, but I see the day when the truly faithful Christian in America is an abhoration...a very slim minority who won't let go of their "delusions about God" (as will be the description layed upon them by the vast enlightened ones). We're already losing our moral compass as we have to actually wage a holy war to protect the institution of marriage...something so accepted a few years ago that we couldn't imagine having to modify a constitution to protect it; we see monuments to the Ten Commandments removed from the public square; we're told we can't pray before a football game!

God, help us. When it becomes even more unpopular to be your servants, help us to remain faithful and obedient. Most of all, help us to be the ones who puts our fingers in the dike and keep the European river from quickly flooding our society and sickening our people even more than they are. Let us be the light and defenders of the faith. Help us to keep America a land where Christ can still touch hearts, change lives and be a barrier to further moral decay.

Upcoming presentation on "The Courts in the USA"

Jesse Paine, law student at Washburn University, will be speaking tonight at Concerned Women for America of Kansas regarding the court system in the United States. (CWA, the nation's largest women's public policy organization, is open to both women and like-minded men.)

With all that's happening in the news regarding judicial activism, filibustering, judicial nominations, etc., it is important for us to know how the courts are set up, what framework they are to work within, and how to reign in judges that make the law instead of interpreting the law.

The when and where: 7:00 pm at First Southern Baptist Church, 19th and Gage.

Marriage Amendment Won't Alter Companies' Benefits

Voter approval of the marriage amendment to the Kansas Constitution won't prompt communication giants Sprint and SBC to pull the plug on domestic partner benefits offered to employees, company officials said Wednesday.

That's fine with me. If companies choose to offer domestic partner benefits on their dime, that's their business. I just didn't want it imposed on us by the government.

Considering that the homosexual population of this country is estimated at around 2%, I doubt there's a big demand for it...so these companies are likely offering these benefits out of a sense of political correctness than anything else. But hey, that's THEIR business and they're entitled to spend their money on whatever they want.

A note from Americans for Progress...

Friends:

The votes are in and Kansas strongly supports traditional marriage!!!

Thank you all for your hard work in the effort to spread the word about the amendment as it was voted on in the Kansas House and Senate. And also, for helping in various ways to inform your friends and neighbors that a “yes” would put that support in our Kansas Constitution. It was a tremendous grassroots effort with many, many people, pastors, churches and pro-family groups coming together, each doing what they could.

There was an incredible amount of misinformation spread to confuse people. Thank you for all the ways you were a voice for clarity and truth.

And thank the Lord for graciously allowing the truth to prevail.

Check statewide Amendment vote at:

http://www.accesskansas.org/ent/kssos_ent.html

Check Shawnee election results at:
http://www.co.shawnee.ks.us/ELResults/results.htm

All the best to you,

Phillis Setchell

An Excellent Day for Kansas

What a wonderful election...a great day for those with Christian values. Voters rejected the hysterical claims of the pro-gay marriage movement that a YES vote was a vote for discrimination and hate. And our city council election was also a great step. Even though voters recently, and to my dismay, rejected the measure that would have stopped efforts to codify sexual preference as a protected class, they did manage to elect mostly council members who will not even bring up the subject (hopefully).

Here's a letter I received from Dan Walker, director of Family Action Network:

Dear Pastors and Christian Leaders,

I thought I would share an analysis of Tuesday's election results. Praise the Lord, it was a landslide for family values!

The constitutional amendment to protect marriage in Kansas received 71% of the vote statewide and 67% in Shawnee County. It passed in 104 of the state's 105 counties (only liberal Douglas county rejected it). This measure will permanently protect Kansas from recognizing other state's homosexual "marriages" and civil unions. It will also protect us from rogue state judges who would redefine what constitutes marriage.

We even had a greater landslide for our families in the Topeka city elections. We won 5 of 5 city council races and the Mayor's race. We have gone from a pro-homosexual majority on the city council and a pro-homosexual mayor prior to the election, to a 2/3 majority of pro-family council members and a pro-family mayor now. Two pro-homosexual city council incumbents were resoundingly defeated. Duane Pomeroy, the longest serving council member (who voted for special homosexual rights every time they came up) got only 37% of the vote; and Tiffany Muller (the radical homosexual lobbyist who received tens of thousands of dollars from national homosexual groups) got only 36% of the vote. The difference in city government will be night and day. Praise the Lord!

Our next challenge with the City of Topeka will be to ensure they hire a pro-family City Manager. Topeka voted last fall to change its form of government to one with a city manager. Please let the members of the Topeka City Council know that you want them to hire a pro-family City Manager. In many liberal cities the city manager is the cheerleader for expanding special rights for homosexuals.

We also have good news from the Kansas legislature. The homosexual rights bill that had a hearing in the state senate is now dead (for this year). Businesses and churches will not be forced to hire homosexuals. We will have to stay vigilant in the future as this will come up every year in the legislature.

I would like to thank everyone for all of their hard work that made these results happen. No longer will the radical homosexuals be able to claim the public mandate in Topeka or in Kansas for their cause. The people have spoken loud and clear.

Because of Jesus,

Dan Walker