Paul Just Might Buckle The Belt!
Submitted by shatari on Sun, 12/09/2007 - 23:03I have been meaning to post this over the last few days...
Liberty University located in Lynchburg VA has officially stated that it will host Dr. Paul the opportunity to speak to it's student body of 10,000. After the Huckster spoke here a couple of weeks back, some folks approached Jerry Falwell Jr. who is chancellor of the university to send an invite to the campaign. Falwell Jr. said he would welcome Dr. Paul to speak and the request was sent immediately.
How important is this? Very!
Jerry Falwell Sr. who founded the "Moral Majority" back in the early 80's has always shared an interest in shaping politics with regards to the Christian vote in America. Everyone knows that Falwell was sometimes a voice to be reckoned with...even when he would make outrages comments, people would listen.
What is beautiful is this...the Christian vote has not been decided. Although Iowa is important, Hucky does not hold the vote among evangelicals and Paul cannot afford to pass up this opportunity. It is still "Open Season" here in Lynchburg.
Now Pat Robinson (700 Club) has decided to endorse Ghouliani...thats fine, he has bet on the wrong horse. But I know this one thing, Falwell Sr. disliked Clinton a lot, even so much so he stated many times publicly that "that our nation has so much to fear if Hillary becomes president". We all know that if the race came down to Huck vs. Hill it would be a slaughter. She would win hands down.
The Republican "Christian-Right" is very important in all this because it has it's hands in the GOP by a large percentage. I only hope that the "Moral Majority" doesn't make the mistake by placing it's bet on Huck, who has obviously become the "fall guy" against Hillary.
So can Paul buckle up the "Bible Belt" or will this grassroots movement hand a large percentage of the Republican vote to the fall guy who has been groomed by the CFR?
Every true Christian...
by definition, must be open to the truth... (And the Truth will make you free)... However, Christian come from the same gene pool as everyone else and we don't get to be smarter or better looking by virtue of accepting Jesus' payment for our sin and His role as Savior in our lives...
Huck is appealing at 1st blush... after that, not so much. The problem is that most people (including Christians) don't spend much time looking at what takes place beyond the end of their own noses.
A simple approach that should reach most of those swimming in the rational end of the gene pool is this;
Present Dr Ron Paul as he is. (Radical huh?) It worked on me... a formerly Neo-conned Conservative, Bible Believing Christian, White - Male- Heterosexual-College Graduate-Married Father of three, Grandfather of 2, professional counting the days to retirement and looking at a second career in lieu of Social Security.
Be Blessed... Rememeber, Remember, the 16th of December
....where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY. 2 Corinthians 3:17(b)
***wants are unlimited, means are scarce...***
I could not agree more
I just hope those who profess Christ do not squander their vote again like they did with little Bush.
Love Has No Opposite!
Love Has No Opposite!
I was one of those who squandered
my vote in 2000 and 2004 on the little Bush... (They say confession is good for the soul) But now I have seen the LIGHT!! There are a few of us who have turned from our wicked past and have been set free by the TRUTH!!! OK getting a bit silly, but you know what I am getting at.
RON PAUL!!! RON PAUL!!!
....where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is LIBERTY. 2 Corinthians 3:17(b)
***wants are unlimited, means are scarce...***
Evangelical Christians? group-identity? bible belt?
Hello? Don't talk about us like we're not here! haha.
I'm an evangelical Christian, and I love freedom as the gift of a Benevolent Creator and I heartily support Dr. Paul for presidnet. - and I agree with what you guys are saying.
I emailed a handful of my Christian friends about Dr. Paul tonight... A few have been convinced recently, and are going to vote for Dr. Paul.
To be honest, there's alot of Christians that were surprised at Pat Robertson's endorsement of Guiliani and Bob Jones' endorsement of Romney... I spoke to a Pastor last night, who was also disappointed in BJ's endorsement of Romney - and he said he's heard good things about Ron Paul... We can still win this group of voters, regardless of any ill-advised endorsements.
Also, does anyone know if James Dobson is endorsing anyone yet? Which other big name Christian leaders endorse people?
I think Dobson is in a quagmire
He has been recently "blindsided" by the arguments of Ron Paul concerning abortion.
What I mean is that he was one of the driving forces behind the whole approach to reverse Roe V Wade via the following:
1) Infiltrate and Support the GOP
2) Get "promises" that they will appoint "conservative" Justices to the Supreme Court.
3) Put your faith in those men (politicians & appointees)
4) ...Repeat above [until it "works"]
Problem is that it hasn't worked. Twenty, thirty PLUS years on and it still hasn't worked. The GOP "took" the support, used (and some would say abused) that support, and then only "kind of" delivered on that "core" issue.
But on everything else, they also "scr*w*d" the proverbial (and sometimes not so proverbial) pooch.
And I think Dobson is (perhaps) finally coming to realize that... not just that he "backed the wrong horse" but that he essentially "sold his own soul" AND those of his "flock" and they received all of "nothing" in return.
For him to reverse course (aka "repent") and endorse Ron Paul would require him to at least internally admit that for the past 30+ years, he has been proceeding down a very UNBIBLICAL path -- a path of attempting to use essentially "papal" edicts and to use legislation and the force-filled hand of government to push evangelical theology down onto the country.
In part, he has come to (finally) realize that they DID achieve everything they purportedly were working for with the Bush/Cheney and Republican control of Congress (BOTH houses no less) -- but that once in power, they in essence "betrayed" Dobson et al and went on their war & spend spree.
He *should* have known better; but he didn't.
So, now comes Ron Paul... gaining in popularity (and so no longer able to be so easily dismissed as a "kook") -- with a proposal that can accomplish in one fell stroke MORE than Dobson & gang have achieved through all the years of brown-nosing the GOP.
But again -- to endorse Ron Paul (which he KNOWS he should do) -- is to have to engage in a true act of PUBLIC repentance (we're talking ashes and tearing of clothes here) -- and reversing his course to teach people that he (Dobson) was wrong all these years. And to teach that instead of trying to use government to force his OWN views on the country, we need to reign-in government to strictly constitutional limits, INCLUDING putting abortion back down to the states.
THAT is a very tough thing to do. Especially for someone as proud as Mr. Dobson... he risks ridicule, loss of his "empire" and even somewhat open "revolt" against his various organizations.
Because he has a third option -- the cowards way out -- and just to NOT endorse anyone. To "step back" from all the political work, and instead retreat to where he came from, and continue with his organizations, etc.
Now maybe I am giving Dobson TOO MUCH CREDIT... but if he truly IS and has been attempting to BE an honest, faithful man... then, I think he is struggling. He may even now still be deluding himself into thinking that he is "waiting" on God... but IMHO, he's just being human, sinfully, proud-fully human, and that means NOT wanting to admit he has been wrong all these years. It means NOT wanting to confess that he went forward based on his OWN ideas, his OWN "instincts", his OWN will and desires -- and that he only and errantly pretended that he was doing God's work.
And I think he just hasn't been able to bring himself to do that. At least not yet.
Josiah (2 Kings 22-23) after all, was a very young man just coming into his own, and for a young man, repentance is a relatively easy thing. It becomes much, MUCH harder to do what Josiah did once one is no longer so young. Harder, but even more important.
Not sure about Dobson...
I haven't heard of anything from him as of yet, but I think the reformed group is starting to take a serious look at Paul. It will not surprise me to see people like Gary North, Kenneth Gentry, Sproul, Gary Demar ect..What is awesome is that once the reformers get started, they will hit the ground running. Dobson may be supporting Romney because of family values come to think of it.
Love Has No Opposite!
Love Has No Opposite!
We don't pander to any group, save one.
Well, I don't want to speak for all americans, however I'm sure that I speak for most of the Ron Paul supporters that I know, when I state that we do not pander to any group, save one. The American Patriot. Either people believe in Freedom, Prosperity, and Liberty or they believe in something different than what Ron Paul supporters believe. What do people believe, if anything, is more important than freedom? Must religion always be a requisite for freedom. I differ with that logic. No religion owns morality. Ron Paul supporters, that I know, come from many different backgrounds. We don't, and are not required to agree on everything. However, the one thing that we all have in common is our freedom. I believe that without freedom, religion would cease to exist and slavery would be the new doctrine. I also believe that we must all agree in a creator or a god. No specific religion...only that there is a creator who created the universe and all that we know and are. This belief is where we, as americans, derive our rights from. These rights are unalienable rights. Meaning that man did not make them therefore man cannot take them away. America is a great concept for a country...only if we tested it's theories and practiced it's doctrine as Dr.Paul has suggested so many times. Don't fall for group labels and such. Dr.Paul is against this, as he has said, "We don't derive our rights from groups". Any Patriot is welcome in this rEVOLution and that is all that is required, in my eyes. Freedom is our message, like it or not.
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
I agree, however...
I am in total agreement with your response, however we cannot easily dismiss the importance of the evangelical voter who is looking for their candidate. As a critical realist, one has to consider that we are not all on the same stage of development in the sense "We don't derive our rights from groups"...as this may be true, our social dialectic says otherwise. From an integral perspective, we must transcend but include that which has come before. Let us not make the mistake of "throwing the baby out with the bath water". The support of the Christian voter is vital if we are to win this election...so that we might have the opportunity to live in such a world that is beyond groups and people are truly free.
Love Has No Opposite!
Love Has No Opposite!
I agree to disagree.
We, Ron Paul supporters, may easily dismiss whatever we choose. I'm not a critical realist as you put it. I don't care for labels. Either one is a realist or not. Critical Realist? Is that like super-duper? We are also not pandering to any individuals who have achieved a certain level of development. A child understands the concept of freedom. No higher education is needed. Either you support Freedom or you do not. I don't mean this in the sense of GWB's "either you're with us or you're against us" idealogy. If Freedom is to survive, those who cherish it must be drawn to it like a moth to flame. Freedom does not piggy-back on a religious quorum either. No one person speaks for the people, whom you label as you see fit, known as christians. We are all americans, on a quest to restore and protect Freedom, and that is the important issue. Not wether or not we, Ron Paul supporters, extend our hand to a specific religion. We as Ron Paul supporters, I hope, reach-out to any individual who considers themselves a Patriot. Freedom is our message and creed. Either you hear the call, or you do not.
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
...hmmm
I agree with 99% of what your saying. To be honest with you, I do not care to much about organized religion, however whether we like it or not, it matters a whole bunch to those who profess a faith. See for the Christian, Freedom is not so much an outward objective experience so much as it is an inside-subjective one that bubbles up from the inside-out. The message of Christ spoke about an inward FREEDOM that was far superior to anything that we can wrap our heads around...It's certainly not American nor is it religious, it's bigger than you, me, us, America, Christianity or anything else for that matter that humans so dearly like to attach to it. But to the Christian (who we are speaking about) they are looking for someone in modern day America who has integrity that best represents that inner-working so that their values and morals are translated in a broader sense. I am not saying that I agree with this approach, just that it matters to them. The way I see it (IMO) you can clean the outside of the cup all you want, but it is the inside that needs to be cleaned. Maybe thats why I like Paul as much as I do..Live and Let be. Who am I to decide what is right for your life, as long as you don't go out your way to hurt another person intentionally, more power to ya.
Oh and BTW, a "critical realist" (which I am) is one of four epistemological positions within philosophy that determines a person's worldview...sort of a lense per se'
Love Has No Opposite!
Love Has No Opposite!
I understand your premise.
I don't agree with your opinion of what Christians are, want, feel, think, etc. No one person speaks for religion or christianity. If you mean that these are your opinions, not based on facts or lack thereof, then I have no opinion of your opinions. I do understand your premise. If one follows the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, then one must support Freedom. In my opinion, Jesus did not come to earth to prophecy his kingdom as many believe. Jesus himself is the kingdom. Jesus represents a choice. The freedom to choose ones destiny or Freedom in general. So one could propose that Jesus is Freedom and vice-versa. The united states of america was and is an experiment. Man was set free from bondage for the first time in history. How do we believe the experiment is going? I would also like to point out that a revolution is a cycle or a completion of an event. What cycle has completed. Do we remember? Was it a good cycle? Many questions and no answers. Of course there is one eternal truth, in my eyes. If Freedom is ones purpose, then one will certainly have a positive rEVOLution.
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
Nothing to argue with :)
I am glad we understand each other.
you wrote: "I would also like to point out that a revolution is a cycle or a completion of an event. What cycle has completed. Do we remember? Was it a good cycle? Many questions and no answers. Of course there is one eternal truth, in my eyes. If Freedom is ones purpose, then one will certainly have a positive rEVOLution."
AGREES!!!!!!
Love Has No Opposite!
Love Has No Opposite!
Thank you for the insightful conversation Elton.
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism."
-George Washington
Source
Someone sent me an email from the Lynchburg meetup with the original reply from Jerry Falwell Jr. about the invite for Dr. Paul to speak. From what I can remember, this person is considered faculty at Liberty University.
"Love Has No Opposite"
Love Has No Opposite!