Pedro's Podium: religion

Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Thoughts from Thursday 2-16-2012

ObamaCare So Far:
The passage of ObamaCare and the way it as passed heralded a new age of government control of the American people. There were many, including myself, who warned that this process was the death of the republic and the beginning of tyranny. Over the last week many became aware of the newest regulations that attacked religious freedom in this nation.

This latest attack on our liberty is the most visible, but much of ObamaCare law consisting of unwritten regulations. Since the bill was passed into law the DHHS has been busy implementing total control of our health care. Thousands of pages of regulations have and are being created to allow the government to implement a system that is designed from the beginning to intrude on every aspect of our lives. The Democrats were certain that they could create a system that gave so much to their base that we would surrender our lives to total government control. It is still possible, but this week’s events show that that prediction may not occur.

We’ve lost control of our lives at the most basic level. It was not enough that the government created millions of people who are dependent on government hand-outs, but they’ve now made each of us wards of that state. As the Department of Health and Human Services continues to regulate our lives we may soon find out that our options will become even more limited. With these new controls there will come exploding cost, fewer doctors, and an overall poorer America.

The principals that drive the Progressive movement are at odds with my view of life. When you look at the life of our president you must consider that he was not born in poverty. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He never has really known the life of the people he proposes to help. He and his progressive allies refuse to realize that the policies that have been enacted over the last century have and are destined to fail.

Bigger is better is not a winning strategy. Throughout history as power is centralized into fewer hands with fewer people making life and death decision, the less successful are a people. As the government confiscated the earnings from those who have created the wealth to give to those who only take will end in the destruction of all prosperity. This will only end in poverty for all. If no one is allowed to prosper than we are doomed as a people. The tyranny of ObamaCare and single payer healthcare will create tragedy and despair.

As those in the massive bureaucracy take more actions that redefine the way in which we care for ourselves and our families our choices are going to be limited to what someone in Washington considers prudent and affordable.

Faith:
In 1620 the Mayflower Pilgrims landed in North America as they fled religious persecution. Over the years religious liberty and the freedom from persecution have been one of the foundations upon which our nation has thrived. Basic morality, self-reliance, hard work, and faith in something greater than us are the foundation of this nation's success. We’ve built communities that reflect our individual values. Many of these communities still have an independent spirit. But today we find our communities under attack.

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The basic ideas of religious freedom that guided this nation for over 200 years are under attack even more than ever. For the last few decades the ACLU (Atheist Civil Liberties Union) has push an agenda that is a clear violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution. By attacking all public demonstrations of religion they continue to propagate the idea that there can be no display Christian religious imagery on public property. They also continue to attack any public officials who dare to display Christian faith. There seems to be no objections at the ACLU to the promotion of Islam, but then again the target only seems to be Christianity.

There are many pages of redefinitions written about the First Amendment, so I think it is important to repeat the contents as many times as possible.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The most important part of this entire sentence is the first five words: Congress shall make no law. But today the ACLU and the courts have redefined this to mean that any display is a violation of this very clear statement. The part that is always left out is the prohibition of the free exercise of religion. Several resent court decisions have only emboldened these attacks. This includes the attacks on the Church that has worked to silence the free speech of those who wish to promote and practice their faith and beliefs.

The attacks from the Atheists continue to push for a day when only their religion will be allowed in the public square. This is not what was meant by the founders. By the courts not only allowing but supporting this religious persecution the goals of those who came to this land to breathe the air of freedom will be forever gone. This removal of faith from our society will be the end of the land of the free. This promotion of the Atheist religion must be halted and our Constitutional rights must be restored.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Changing the Subject

If you have nothing to good to say then change the subject. That seems to be the current strategy of the President and his willing allies in the Left Stream Media. It started several weeks ago with during the GOP presidential debate when a question that seem to come out of nowhere about birth control. This was just the first attempt to move so called women health issues to the front of the American psyche. It really seemed strange and did attract some attention when it occurred. But now that it is clear that the last thing that President Obama wants to do is to actually run on his record. The only thing to do is energize his ultra-left base.

When the details of the attack on faith first became public I, like many, thought that this was just a blunder on the Administrations part. But with further consideration I began to wonder how a political machine that has been so affective in the past could make such a blunder. I finally wondered if it really had been such a blunder. Although the actions that were part of his “final” accommodation did make him look weak in my eyes, it also made him look strong in the eyes of his followers. He has been playing upon the sympathies of many of his loyal supporters who think that somehow the party that was in the minority for the first 2 years of his reign. During over half of his time in office he should have been able to pass anything that he wished. The truth he did do a lot of what he wanted. It was just that some of his plans where too radical for many in his own party.

With the published unemployment rate over 8.3%, the unofficial rate topping out at well over twelve percent and gas prices headed toward $5 a gallon the President is desperate to take your mind off the economy. It is amazing that the numbers seem to all be heading the President’s way. Of course with the government saying that there is no inflation how can you believe anything the government says? The truth seems to matter little to many people. As long as they are being told what they want to hear, they will believe anything. This is a recipe for disaster. As long as we have so many of the citizens in this country unwilling to look at the truth and accept it, there is no way that the country can chart a successful path.

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I really wonder how many people really are still that mesmerized by his speech patterns? Anyone who really listens to his speeches, not just hear but listen to what he says, can not honestly say that he is full of lies and deceptions. He constantly says one thing and then says the exact opposite. It helps if you read his speeches and not listen to his voice. He is a master of changing the subject and diverting attention.

This week I’ve heard a change in the conversation on all the media outlets. Everyone is talking about “women health issues” and little else. I don’t know how long this will last but it seems to me that the President and his willing army of mindless zombies will continue to try and change the subject. If they can maintain this narrative that diverts attention away from his failure as a leader. I fear that none of the current candidates running to replace him are able to return the conversation to this total failure of Mr. Obama.

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Sunday, February 12, 2012

Thoughts from Thursday 2-9-2012

Obama Goes PAC-ing:
Well once again the President decided to take the path with the most cash. With all the talk of him being able to raise $1 billion for his reelection war chest, there seems that that is not enough. Could it be that he is not raising the large amount of money that they were bragging about? Could it be that all of the rich Democrats that he was sure would back him, no matter what, are not coughing up the donations? Could it be that his campaign chest is not filling up as quickly as he and the machine backing him thought? It seems that the DNC Convention is running into some issues when it comes to funding.

Could it be that he is see the damage that the GOP Super PACs are doing in the primaries and now beginning to understand how they will be going after him? He has lived a very charmed political life. His opponents have fallen before his campaign and their dirty Chicago style tricks and thuggery. So now it seems that the man who promised to limit his 2008 fundraising, and his opponent did, to the government level of matching funds has once again decided to take the low road. He will do exactly what I expected and is now getting ready to release his Super PAC.

Once again Mr. Obama says one thing and does the exact opposite. If a person really believes in something they will not compromise their principals. Unless of course a person has no core principals of honesty. Over the last few years, since Mr. Obama has come to national prominence, I’ve come to doubt the integrity of the current President. He is willing to do anything, is seems, to win. I can not believe that such a person has the best interest of the American people as his first objective. I would seem that he only wants to win. That winning will not help the nation as a whole. His winning will only continue the pain that he has inflected on those who work hard, follow the rules, and believe that the American dream has not died. His idea of the it will turn it into a nightmare. His Super PAC may or may not succeed, but if he wins due to attacks that it makes on the American system, it will be a lose for all of us.

I can only hope that come November the Obama's will not be PAC-ing but are packing.

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The Obama Compromise:
If you don’t have faith in anything then you can not understand a person who does believe in something greater than themselves. The one thing that I find that those of the Progressive mind set have the least amount of faith in, is the American people. The only thing that they seem to believe in, is themselves. This is really troubling for the country now that progressives have such a strangle hold on the nation.

This last week’s compromise involving religion and forced financing of birth control shows how the President believes that his ability to persuade people is greater than the faith of thousands of years. The attack on the core beliefs of so many people is the height of arrogance by the Administration. I’ve noticed that one characteristic of the President is a total lack of understanding of faith and the heart of the American people. The idea that Americans are willing to toss out centuries of human experience and knowledge for the orders of a government overreaching the authority given to it.

The President does have a strange idea of what the word compromise actually means. His lack of experience shines through when you look at how he handled the whole situation. He seems to think that he could sit down and talk with a couple of leaders in the Catholic Church and convince them that they should deny their faith and accept the will of the government. This is the type of stories that were common in Europe, where Churches and the state shared power by enforcing the will of the rulers. He thinks that a compromise is when he gets everything that he wants. That is not a compromise

The separation of Church and State that the liberals love to misrepresented as a total separation of the Church controlling the State is really the principal of the State not controlling the Church. That is the real meaning of the First Amendment. The idea that the government can suddenly take control of the religious life in this country is at total conflict with the ideas of our founders. The First Amendment and the foundations of our government are more important than the ambitions, plotting, scheming, and power hunger of a few individuals. It is time to demand the repeal of ObamaCare and all of the regulations created so far. This 100 year old plan of the Progressives to take control of the nation and its health care system flies in the face of our God given freedoms and the faith. No matter what we each believe. Today all people of faith must unite to defend and preserve this nation.

So to accept the Obama Compromise is to compromise your principals and turn your back on the freedoms and history of our nation. I'll say no to his ideas and his totalitarian rule.

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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Thoughts for Thursday - 10/21/10

1. As the clock winds down toward the midterm elections the definition of extreme has extended to anyone who is not a Democrat. Those in power seem to be working from the basic concept that if you are not a card carrying member of the Democratic party, you are an extremist. Of course if that does not work they want to destroy anyone who is running in opposition. This is no holds barded politics. When you can win on your record lie, cheat, and steal are the rules of those on the left.

2. It seems that too many people in this country believe that somewhere in the Constitution are the words; separation of Church and state. Even though the word Church is not in the founding document. It also seems that too many of our elected officials and lawyers believe that the Constitution includes that statement. The only problem with this belief would be its total absence. At least the belief has been put forward that it appears in the First Amendment. Here is the actual text:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

With all the attacks on religion in this country it would seem to me that those who are saying that there is a separation of Church and state are violating the law. By enforcing this so called separation, they are prohibiting the free exercise of religion. Of course when our elected representatives are so ignorant of the foundations of our government a lot of questions are answered. It explains why they believe that there are no limits on the power of the national government. The founders defined the central government as a Federal government. It has slowly turned into a national government. With this change goes our liberties and freedom.

The atheist that are constantly attacking religion, use the word church which is a reference to Christianity. So I guess that means that they don't want a separation of Temple and state or Mosque and state. The use of the word Church or church narrows down the conversation. Should they not be saying "separation of religion and state?" But since it is a lie that those words appear are in the founding documents, it doesn't matter. Oh I do know that a judge ruled that there is a separation of "church" and state, but rulings can and in this case be overturned.

3. The march of political correctness has been relentless for the last 20 years. It is time for the attack of the first amendment to end. There are limits to speech, but the speech police have gone too far. As long as we sugar coat our language and not allow the open discussion of problems, those problems will continue to fester. Fester wounds never heal.

With the firing of Juan Williams from NPR it is easy to see that there are those who wish to control speech that does not agree with their narrow vision of the world. I'm a freedom of speech guy. I believe that if you suppress speech you only drive it underground. Controlling speech does not control thought. There are too many documented cases of NPR not punishing other reporters and commentators who've voiced their opinion, but their views must have been "right" speech. It seems that it is time to remove all federal money from NPR. Their lack of support of common American values must not go unpunished.

In the marketplace of ideas it is important that good ideas and bad ideas are presented. Those that are good will stand on their own and the bad ones will be dismissed by those who listen. The whole concept of political correctness is a recipe for failure. It should be abandoned and society should decide what is right and what is wrong through the open exchange of speech/ideas. Government officials and the news media have no right to violate the free speech rights of the United States citizens.

It is time to reclaim our freedoms and return to our Constitutional government before it is too late. If we allow those who believe that the treasury is a giant piggy bank to be looted stay in power, then the nation is doomed. We lost our republic last year. We must restore it and return sanity to the nation.

©2010 Pedro Sykes - Some Rights Reserved

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