Randy

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Archives for the ‘Religious Freedom’ Category

The future of the Boy Scouts

Thursday, February 7, 2013, 5:49 pm | Randy Thomasson

ScoutsaluteThe latest attack of homosexual activists against the Boy Scouts is very important, perhaps more important than the Boy Scouts and scouting families know.

First, let’s establish some facts about what’s being debated. There is no “gay gene” and no biological basis to homosexuality. Homosexual behavior is unnatural, unhealthy, unbiblical, and its political agenda is tyrannical against those who don’t support it. So keeping out homosexual-bisexual-transsexual role models and influences is definitely in the best interest of training boys to be “morally straight.”

Understand the first two facts by visiting SaveCalifornia.com’s Not Born This Way page. Understand why all sexual activity outside of man-woman marriage is immoral by seeing Matthew 19:4-6, Mark 7:21-23, Romans 1:26-27, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, to name a few scriptures.

The good news is the newest push by homosexual activists to invade scouting tents has been temporarily stalled. But the bad news is the homosexualization of the Boy Scouts may eventually occur, unless they get back to the Bible.

I fully acknowledge the likelihood that, in May, the 1,400-member national council of the Boy Scouts of America will affirm the current policy against homosexual staff, scoutmasters, and members.

But  as long as the Boy Scouts remain a non-religious/non-Biblical organization and don’t insist on board members who love morality more than money, I’m concerned that their days as a “morally straight” youth organization are numbered.

Consider all the Christian-format hospitals and universities that were founded more than a century ago, but are now bastions of unbiblical values. And don’t forget the Christian church denominations that have been systematically taken over by those who despise the revealed word of God in Scripture. For if “Christian” institutions can fall when future generations of leaders ignore Biblical standards, how much easier can officially “non-religious” organizations with only “moral” principles eventually implode from within?

To protect boys from immoral values emanating from within Scouting, I recommend the Boy Scouts consider doing the following:

1.    Make the Bible the standard of the Boy Scouts, not merely holding beliefs based on society’s frequently-changing perspectives on “God” and “morality.” Draft new bylaws stating its commitment to Biblical values and name core principles.

2.    Prohibit anyone from being in the Scouts unless they agree, in writing, with these core principles.

3.    Dramatically downsize the paychecks of Scout executives and size of Scout offices to reduce the temptation to pursue money over morality.

4.    In order to maintain religious freedom, be willing to abandon its Congressional charter and government support, if necessary.

5.    Restore this policy statement to the Boy Scouts’ official websites, which was posted from 2004 to 2010, when it was taken down: “Boy Scouts of America believes that homosexual conduct is inconsistent with the obligations in the Scout Oath and Scout Law to be morally straight and clean in thought, word, and deed. The conduct of youth members must be in compliance with the Scout Oath and Law, and membership in Boy Scouts of America is contingent upon the willingness to accept Scouting’s values and beliefs. Most boys join Scouting when they are 10 or 11 years old. As they continue in the program, all Scouts are expected to take leadership positions. In the unlikely event that an older boy were to hold himself out as homosexual, he would not be able to continue in a youth leadership position.”

The new policy, posted on June 7, 2012, is: “While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

And now, here in 2013, some national board members in the Boy Scouts reportedly agree with homosexual activists — and agree with both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney — to get rid of this standard altogether. Do you see the slide?

As the Boy Scouts struggle comes to a head, it’s time for a spiritual reality check about what’s best for morally-sensitive families, which is why, over the years, many “Bible-based” and “Christian discipleship” alternatives to Boy Scouts — and Girl Scouts — have sprung up.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.
Romans 12:9 NASB

Teach your children about the San Diego cross battle

Saturday, January 8, 2011, 9:42 am |

Why is the “take down the cross” ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals so wrong?

Because federal judges must follow the WRITTEN Constitution, which says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” Thus, the Constitution prohibits the United States government creating an official denomination (such as the Church of England, which had the king at its head). However, the framers wrote that the federal government must never trample the “free exercise” of any religious denomination (religion) — that is, religious speech, expression, action, or activity that is non-violent.

Despite the very bad ruling on January 4, the Mt. Soledad Cross in La Jolla is staying up pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Yet now is your opportunity to teach children and share with young adults the religious freedom and public expressions of faith guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. Because if you don’t tell them the truth, liberal teachers in schools, colleges, the media, and culture will certainly teach them lies and myths.

Print, read and talk about these helpful articles:

Robert Knight: Expression is not coercion

From David Barton and Wallbuilders:
Separation of church and state 
Separation of church and state, part 2 
The founders and public religious expressions
Importance of morality and religion in government

Library of Congress: Religion and the founding of the American Republic

Charles Krauthammer: Constitutionalism

So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus Christ in Matthew 10:32-33 ESV

Blame the wicked Democrats and the self-serving Republicans

Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 5:49 pm |

ALERT: DEMAND THAT U.S. SENATORS FILIBUSTER ELENA KAGAN

SaveCalifornia.com provides the commentary below solely for educational purposes and does not support support or oppose candidates.

I’m justifiably angry that the very liberal Elena Kagan, who opposes relying on the written Constitution and the original writings of the founding fathers in composing our Constitution, has been confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee. She is a liberal political activist of the worst kind.

It looks like Kagan’s going to be a Supreme Court judge to rule over us for 30 to 40 years. This is what a Democrat-run Senate does. But it’s also what happens when Republican senators are self-centered and don’t fight for families.

Some conservatives get angrier when Democrats push their immoral policies, and some conservatives get angrier when Republicans don’t do their jobs. Both have occurred – ker-splat! — in the Elena Kagan fiasco.

Prior to the Kagan confirmation vote, SaveCalifornia.com spoke out , joining a handful of small pro-family activist organizations who were frustrated with how Senate Republicans and large, national pro-family organizations seemed to be solely focusing on how bad Kagan is, and why she should be voted against. Republican senators didn’t seem to be focusing on how they could win – how Kagan could actually be stopped in committee — and national pro-family groups weren’t holding Republican committee members accountable.

REFUSING TO SHOOT TO KILL

It’s like an armed robber who breaks into a house at night. The homeowners are gun owners and the husband, with a cocked, laser-beam-sited, large-caliber gun in his hands, has the element of surprise over the dangerous intruder. They fear for their lives. But now, imagine that instead of shooting the bad guy, the homeowner turns on bright lights, and starts lecturing him about how he shouldn’t break into houses, how he should get a job instead; bottom line, he refuses to point and shoot to kill, as if words were enough. If you were the wife of such a man, you would be both angry and scared out of your wits, completely let down and utterly unprotected from the worst that was yet to come.

This paints the picture of what the Republican senators on the Judiciary Committee didn’t do. They didn’t use the power they had to stop their mortal enemy, Elena Kagan. According to the official rules of the committee, two minority committee members must be present in order to establish a quorum and do any committee business.

Even though “Republican” Lindsey Graham — who seems to enjoy helping liberals harm pro-family citizens — showed up ready to vote “yes,” if the six other Republicans had stayed away from committee, and not even shown up, the Kagan nomination would have been derailed and bottled up indefinitely.

Don’t believe it? See the official rules as posted on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s website. Rule IV means a nomination can be stopped if a Republican objects and no Republican votes to override that objection. Rule III means even if there’s a Republican sell-out (such as Lindsey Graham), the rest of the Republican members can still derail a nomination if they refuse to show up and register their attendance. 

III. QUORUMS

1. Six Members of the Committee, actually present, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of discussing business. Eight Members of the Committee, including at least two Members of the minority, shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of transacting business. No bill, matter, or nomination shall be ordered reported from the Committee, however, unless a majority of the Committee is actually present at the time such action is taken and a majority of those present support the action taken.

IV. BRINGING A MATTER TO A VOTE

The Chairman shall entertain a non-debatable motion to bring a matter before the Committee to a vote. If there is objection to bring the matter to a vote without further debate, a roll call vote of the Committee shall be taken, and debate shall be terminated if the motion to bring the matter to a vote without further debate passes with ten votes in the affirmative, one of which must be cast by the minority.

WHY THE COWARDICE?

The halls of Congress are the zenith of worldly desires for power, position, fame, self-idolatry, self-seeking, and people-pleasing comfort. With free staff that treats you like a little prince or princess, and people high and low calling you “Senator” or “Congressman,” having this exalted position reinforces earthly desires that are the opposite of serving others and suffering for righteousness.

When Democrat after Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee thanked Jeff Sessions, the ranking Republican, for conducting “respectful,” “fair,” and “even-handed” hearings on Elena Kagan, the Democrats were basically thanking Sessions for “playing nice” instead of having the stomach to “go to war” to kill Kagan’s nomination, as the rules allowed.

Love is not necessarily “nice,” because loving hundreds of millions of innocent people enough to go to war never pleases your enemies or bystanders who only recognize “soft love” but never “tough love.” Instead of playing “nice,” Republicans, led by Jeff Sessions, could have boycotted the committee and indefinitely derailed Kagan’s nomination. It would have been a glorious fuss, and a worthy price to pay to stop an enemy of the written Constitution. But they didn’t want to suffer or to endure opposition from their peers, so they let Kagan slip through their grasp.

What can be done to fix this problem? Short-term, pro-family Republicans must change their minds and sincerely want to stop Elena Kagan. They must dedicate themselves to mount a lengthy, productive filibuster, but unfortunately, that can be cut off with 60 votes, and there are already 60 Kagan supporters on the Senate floor.

Long-term, pro-family citizens and their children and grandchildren need much better Republicans (or more independents or members of other political parties), who are motivated to run for public office because they want to do good, fight evil, and suffer for Jesus Christ — not because they like the money or fame or attention. And they must be tested beforehand to discover whether they are true or false, strong or weak. Because the self-serving Republicans choked in this, the hour to stop the wicked Democrats’ relentless assault against the written Constitution.

He appointed judges throughout the nation in all the fortified towns, and he said to them, “Always think carefully before pronouncing judgment. Remember that you do not judge to please people but to please the Lord. He will be with you when you render the verdict in each case. Fear the Lord and judge with integrity, for the Lord our God does not tolerate perverted justice, partiality, or the taking of bribes.”
2 Chronicles 19:5-7 NLT