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Highlights
- Conservative Preacher Brings National Movement To Nacogdoches
- Meaningful Immigration Reform in Light of God's Word
- DeLay Steps Aside During Indictment - Blunt Steps In
- 50 States Couldn't Be Wrong! But they seem to have forgotten
Conservative Preacher Brings National Movement To Nacogdoches
October 6, 2005
ABC Affilliate station KTRE interviewed Dr. Scarborough at grand opening ceremony at Vision America's new office. Read exerpt below.
Some would say thick in the middle of the Bible belt is a perfect spot for Dr. Rick Scarborough to lead a national movement of religious activism. Scarborough explained, "The ultimate objective is to make Christians aware that, in fact, they ought to be involved in politics. They ought to be engaging the culture. The failure to do so will bring the morass we're in today."
read entire article at ktre.com
Meaningful Immigration Reform in Light of God's Word
October 6, 2005
by Dr. Scarborough
Immigration is a real hot-button issue for our times. It is a subject that brings forth passion on both sides of the debate. In the next few paragraphs Dr. Rick Scarborough offers insight from scripture and history to help as we go forward in this national debate.
In looking at the scripture, I find at least three concepts that I believe apply to the subject of immigration:
- The principle of treating the stranger who dwells among us as one of your own (Lev. 19:33-34)
- The principle that cities were traditionally protected by gates, especially during times of foreign trouble (Nehemiah 1:9 and the Book of Nehemiah generally)
- The principle that the laws of a civil nation should be obeyed unless they cause us to violate a law of God (Acts 4:18-21).
I believe we must treat the stranger among us as we treat ourselves. This certainly applies to the laws of the land. In other words, we should apply the law evenly with regard to residents and aliens. For example, if a resident and an alien commit an illegal act, they should be measured according to the same standard and not a different one based upon the status of their citizenship. I believe this admonition also has a relational aspect. God wants us to love the stranger and to remember what it is like to be an outsider. We are to exhibit the love of God to all people and to reach them with the Gospel.
read entire article click here
DeLay Steps Aside During Indictment - Blunt Steps In
October 3, 2005
One Baptist has replaced another as House majority leader in the wake of a Texas indictment Sept. 28 charging Rep. Tom DeLay with violations of state election laws.
Serving at least on a temporary basis as the new majority leader in the U.S. House is Roy D. Blunt, a Republican and a member of First Baptist Church in Branson, Mo. Blunt, 55, was elected to Congress in 1996.
Rick Scarborough, president of Vision America and a former pastor, described DeLay as "a man of integrity and a model congressman who loves the people of his district and has served them well. ... I've interacted with Tom as a pastor, and as a friend. I know that Tom is active in his church and that his own pastor speaks highly of him. I also know that Tom is a true Christian who has performed many acts of kindness -- often for friends, and sometimes for total strangers, whose situation touched his heart."
Scarborough took aim at the Travis County prosecutor, Ronnie Earle, who was instrumental in DeLay's indictment.
"This was not the first time Ronnie Earle has tried to bring down someone of Majority Leader DeLay's stature," Scarborough said. "And on this, the last day this particular grand jury sat, this highly partisan prosecutor finally realized the object of his ambitions -- having the Majority Leader indicted, which, by the way, he boasted he would do in fundraising letters and speeches to fellow Democrats."
read article at bpnews.net
Family Seeks Legal Relief So Son Can Read Bible During Recess
September 26, 2005
Luke Whitson and his parents have filed a motion for preliminary injunction against Knox County School officials, who allegedly threatened to punish the boy for reading his Bible during recess at Karns Elementary School. The district claims the Bible reading jeopardizes student safety and that, because recess is not "free time," they can prohibit Bible reading during that time.
But Whitson's attorney, Nate Kellum with the Alliance Defense Fund, says school officials are wrong to claim reading the Bible on a school playground violates the so-called "separation of church and state."
read more at agapepress.org
50 States Couldn't Be Wrong! But they seem to have forgotten
Judge Roy Moore was removed from his elected position as the Chief Justice of Alabama because he refused a court order issued by Federal District Judge Myron Thompson to cease acknowledging God. Was the Chief justified in his refusal? You be the Judge!
read the following state constitution exerpts
Right rift over Roberts
September 22, 2005
A rift has opened between conservatives in the nation's capital and those outside the Washington Beltway over John Roberts and his carefully worded testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee last week.
The split has divided those on the right who communicate regularly with the White House from conservative activists whose view of Roberts was shaped by the recently completed hearings.
"After four days of testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, there is much that we know about Judge John Roberts and yet much that we still do not know," said Dr. Rick Scarborough, president of Vision America, a Texas-based Judeo-Christian advocacy group.
"We do know that Judge Roberts says he will perform the proper duties of a judge, which is to apply the laws of the land according to the intent of the drafters, and will not legislate from the bench," he said in a statement given to The Hill that praised Roberts for being well spoken and intelligent.
But Scarborough also raised concerns: "We don't know whether he recognizes that the judiciary is subject to checks and balances by the other branches of government. We don't know whether he believes that the Roe v. Wade abortion decision was wrongly decided and should be overruled, or whether the court's homosexual 'rights' cases were wrongly decided and should be overruled."
"In short, we don't know whether a Chief Justice Roberts would be more like Justice Scalia, who is regularly faithful to the Constitution, or like Justice Souter, who regularly betrays the Constitution," he said.
read more at thehill.com
Frist urged to halt 'special protections' for homosexuals
September 22, 2005
Southern Baptist public policy chief Richard Land and other pro-family leaders are calling on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to block passage of legislation that would expand rights for homosexuals.
When the government establishes "more and more special rights," it places limitations not only "upon actions, but speech and thought as well," the pro-family leaders told Frist. "This trend will prepare the way for the outright ban of criticism of a lifestyle believed by millions of people of religious conviction to be contrary to the laws of God and nature. Thus, granting special rights and protections to homosexuals is inevitably a step toward removing rights from those who oppose homosexuality."
read more at bpnews.net
America is in Peril - an interview with Dr. Scarborough
September 19, 2005
Dr. Scarborough sat with Rare Jewel Magazine recently to discuss the spiritual condition of our country. He addressed several issues that concern pastors and their congregations as they are called to be "salt and light" in their communities. Dr. Scarborough said:
"I would say, one of the things that drives me forward is there are a lot of preachers and a lot of Christians in America who have basically washed their hands of this culture as if to say, 'We're living in the last days, it's only going to get worse, some of the end times problems are being fulfilled, so why dirty your hands with the culture? Let's just get as many off this sinking ship as we can.' But there's one verse of one very clear prophecy regarding end times that gives me great encouragement for an Awakening in America:
"In Matthew 24 Jesus said, 'This Gospel shall be preached to every creature. Then shall the end come' [verse 14]. I see a great ray of hope in that one verse -- that a great, sweeping revival can come to America. There's no nation on earth better prepared theologically, economically, and technologically than the United States of America to quickly take the Gospel around the world, if, in fact, true revival were to break out in this country. The eyes of the whole world are focused on our nation... we have every tool we need to do it swiftly but the one thing we lack right now is revival."
read entire interview at rarejewelmag.com
Federal Court Flags Pledge of Allegiance as Unconstitutional
September 15, 2005
U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton in San Francisco ruled that the pledge's reference to "one nation, under God" violates schoolchildren's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."
School leaders in Santa Cruz County say they plan to continue allowing students to recite the pledge, saying it's a protected act under current state education code.
read entire article at santacruzsentinel.com
More Headlines: agapepress.org
VISION AMERICA'S 2005 GALA A STUNNING SUCCESS
August 28, 2005
Last week, Vision America held its 2005 Gala at The Westin Galleria Hotel in Houston. Over 500 were in attendance at this event to honor courageous legislators as well as the pastor presented with our first annual Daniel Award.
For their work on the Texas Marriage Amendment, which will appear on the state ballot in November, Texas State Representatives Warren Chisum and Robert Talton were honored. Pastor Steve Riggle was the first recipient of the Daniel Award. This award honors a pastor who displays exemplary courage in entering the public arena to contend for God's truth. Pastor Riggle has done so on countless occasions, especially in the summer of 2003, when he joined me in Montgomery, Alabama in standing with Roy Moore.
Our final honoree and keynote speaker was U.S. Senator Sam Brownback. A humble and courageous public servant, the senator received our Hero of the Faith Award for his commitment to applying God's truths to civil government. Sam told us of his last encounter with Mother Teresa, who left him with the words, "All for Jesus."
If you missed this year's Gala, I hope you can participate next year.
VISION AMERICA RALLIES THE FAITHFUL IN LONGVIEW, TEXAS
August 26, 2005
On the evening of August 23, Vision America and Christians Building Unity in Longview held a much-anticipated rally. More than 2,000 people packed the Maude Cobb Convention Center to hear former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore discuss America's religious roots.
"There is hope, and it begins right here with you today and your children," said the man who's a hero for refusing to obey the unconstitutional order of a federal judge to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Judiciary Building. "There is a spiritual war raging. Every one of you are warriors," the judge reminded his listeners.
I was honored to share the podium with Judge Moore on that special evening. The event in Longview is one more example of the way Vision America is mobilizing pastors and concerned Christians for the political battles ahead.