“If America is to survive, we must elect more God-centered men and women to
public office, individuals who will seek Divine guidance in the affairs of state.”
Rev. Billy Graham
 

“I often hear it said, ‘Do not bring religion into politics.’ This is precisely
where it ought to be brought…. We have had enough of clever men without
conscience. Now let us see what honest, God-fearing men will do.” Charles Finney
 

IT IS A SAD COMMENTARY ON THE Church that fewer than 1 in 4 churchgoing Americans voted in the last election. In 2000, more than 4 million
evangelical Christians who voted in the 1996 election stayed home. This resulted in an election that had to be decided by the Supreme Court and a nation more
divided than at any time since the Civil War.

That tragedy must not be repeated.

We face an election so momentous that our very survival as a nation could well depend on its outcome. What difference can one election make? I would ask you to prayerfully consider the following:

• The next president will appoint federal judges (including members of the United States Supreme Court) who will either uphold the Constitution or use it as an excuse to radically remake our society.
• The next president will support or oppose a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
• The next president will either work to protect the sanctity of human life, or will promote federal funding of abortion and embryonic stem-cell research .
• The next Congress will pass a constitutional amendment protecting marriage – and send it to the states for ratification -- or it will allow judges to “legislate” gay marriage from the bench, and impose their godless morality on us all.
• The next Congress will pass legislation reining in the judiciary on its distorted interpretation of the First Amendment, or it will allow judicial activists
to continue the process of banishing God from our public life.
• The next Congress will appropriate funds for abstinence education or will provide federal funding for condom distribution to school children and underwrite sex education curricula which are nothing less than the facilitation of fornication.

In short, the leaders we elect in November – including governors and state legislators – will decide if America continues its descent to a society which
could best be described as Sodom and Gomorrah with instant messaging and satellite technology, or if our nation will begin the process of returning to the godly
values on which it was founded, and thus demonstrate that it is worthy of being saved.

The one factor which will most influence the outcome of this election – and, by extension, shape America’s destiny -- is Christian involvement. This isn’t optional. It is our duty.

In this regard, the Bible is quite clear. Consider Exodus 18:21 – Select capable men from all the people – men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain – and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.

Also, Proverbs 29:2 – When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

It is up to us to give the authority of government to godly men and women – individuals who are trustworthy and hate dishonest gain, those who understand that life is God-given, officials who are committed to the sanctity of marriage and know that the family was established on an eternal foundation, those who understand that America can only endure as one nation under God, and men and women who – at the end of the day – will humbly bow their heads and acknowledge God’s sovereignty.

The enemies of faith, family and freedom are making every effort to ensure the election of those who hate Christian values – those who believe that
ending the life of an unborn child is an exercise of choice, who think the family is any random collection of individuals, and who believe that Christians who
take their beliefs into the public arena are a threat to democracy.

It is their intent to marginalize people of faith, by: portraying “us as right-wing-bigots” (through the media they control), institutionalizing immorality through unelected judges acting without constitutional authority, and criminalizing dissent
through hate-crimes legislation written by anti- Christian or ill-informed politicians.

If those of us who are called upon to be salt and light refuse to get involved, those who reject our values will win by default.

We must reject the fallacy that the Church can withdraw from the battle and our nation will still endure. We must debunk the poisonous myth of so called
Church-State Separation -- recognizing that it is a flagrant distortion of the Constitution designed to undermine Judeo-Christian values.

In short, we must get involved – not as Republicans, Democrats or Independents, but as sons and daughters of the Living God. To sit back and do nothing isn’t apathy; it is wickedness.

What Can We Do?

1. If you are a senior pastor of a local congregation, between now and the election, devote at least one sermon to educating church
members on what’s at stake in this year’s campaigns. This is perfectly legal, as long as you do not endorse specific candidates. Pastors
can go to www.visionamerica.us and download our Citizenship Manual (which some state attorneys general now distribute to those making inquiries). The manual provides a list of dos and don’ts for political involvement by the Church.
2. Investigate our Patriot Pastor Program (which includes weekly e-mail alerts) and consider joining us in the great cause of restoring our nation to its Judeo-Christian heritage
3. As a Christian, educate yourself on where all of the candidates stand on the great moral questions that confront America today, then
educate others.
4. Vote accordingly.

For a fuller explanation of what churches and ministers can and can’t do, see “Guidelines For Political Activities By Churches and Pastors” by James Bopp, Jr. at www.visionamerica.us.

In closing, I would remind you of the words of the great 19th century evangelist Charles Finney: “Christians must do their duty to their country as part of their duty to God…. God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.”
 

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Selected past newsletters

October 2000  January 2001  March 2001  April 2001 

May 2001  September 2001  December 2001 

July 2002  August 2002  Sept 2002 

December 2002  March 2002  April 2003  June 2003

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