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September 20, 2006
Volume 2, Number 32
1) Americans United Tries Intimidation Again
2) Chaplain Klingenschmitt Convicted
3) Muslims Prove Pope's Point
4) AFA Asks NBC To Cancel Madonna Special
5) Rallies Spread and Intensify
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Americans United Tries
Intimidation Again
Whenever a national election approaches, Attorney Barry Lynn (who sits on the executive board of the ACLU and heads Americans United for The Separation of Church and State) inevitably resorts to tried and tested tactics of intimidation. He attempts to scare churches to prevent them from engaging in perfectly legal activities, by trying to persuade them that to do so threatens their tax-exempt status. Such scare-tactics have been enhanced this year by the added weight of threats from the IRS.
In the current issue of Americans United’s publication -- “Church & State” -- the group complains about the activities of ministries, including Vision America, to educate Christians on their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
One of the objects of its wrath is Rev. Russell Johnson , who -- along with my friend Rev. Rod Parsley -- participated in launching the Ohio Restoration Project, which seeks to register Christian voters. Barry Lynn and his allies don't object to that. They object to the fact that people who hold values that reflect their Biblical worldview might actually vote for candidates with values that the left knows will change the moral landscape of America.
Americans United is well aware that all of this is perfectly legal. Churches can’t campaign for candidates. They most certainly can register new voters, educate them on the vital issues of the day and even inform them on the positions of candidates for public office. Though it knows full well that election guides which describe candidates’ stands are legal for tax-exempt organizations, the group still tries to keep pastors from distributing them.
The article mentions my work in Missouri, describing me as a “protégé of the Rev. Jerry Falwell” (though this is an exaggeration, I’m honored by the connection.) and implying that my efforts to counter the lies and deceit of embryonic stem-cell research advocates is part of a well-oiled religious right crusade.
Again, they simply illustrate that their true agenda is to prevent Christian people from engaging the great issues of our day. They would prefer for us to simply go to church and shut up. But, the fact is, if we do, they will then demand that we not be able to even practice our faith in church without governmental intrusion.
As I told one reporter earlier this week -- We are not going away and we are not going to be silenced.
Chaplain Klingenschmitt Convicted
Sadly, Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, a Navy chaplain, has been convicted by a courts martial of insubordination for praying in Jesus' name while in uniform. (I was informed that my name was mentioned several times at his trial as I stood with him on the steps of the White House back in March when he courageously and correctly defied this unconstitutional mandate and prayed in Jesus' name.)
Chaplain Klingenschmitt received an official reprimand and was ordered to pay a fine of $250 per month for one year. The sentence is being appealed.
In March we were accused of exaggerating when we proclaimed a "War on Christians," at our national conference in DC. Who wants to debate our assertion that there is an orchestrated war on Christianity in this country now?
The Navy has decided that chaplains will only be allowed to say “inclusive” prayers, unless involved in sectarian services. But the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, not the right not to be offended by religious expression.
These orders notwithstanding, Chaplain Klingenschmitt prays in Jesus' name. As Christians we are commanded to do so by a much higher authority than the United States Navy.
When will the bureaucrats get it through their heads: America was built by men who were firm in their faith, not by those who were so afraid of giving offense that they watered down their prayers to the point of making them meaningless?
Please click here to sign ourpetition in support of this brave Christian
Muslims Prove Pope's Point
In a speech at a German university on September 12, Pope Benedict XVI quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor, who reportedly asked a “learned Persian" to “Show me just what Muhammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”
Despite the Pope's apology to those who were offended, Muslims are once again on a rampage. From Jeddah to Jakarta, Islamic authorities have issued death threats against the leader of the Catholic Church. Moslem mobs have burned the Pope in effigy. In the West Bank and Gaza, seven churches were firebombed.
And in Somalia, a nun who had devoted her life to aiding the sick was shot to death as she left the hospital where she worked. All of this was the work of Moslems who were outraged by the implication that Islam promotes violence. Am I the only one who finds this ironic?
Violence and threats prompted by the Pope’s comments reflect the suffering Christians endure on a daily basis in the Middle East and elsewhere in the Muslim world. (For documentation of this, visit http://www.persecution.com/)
AFA Asks NBC To Cancel Madonna Special
The American Family Association has asked NBC to cancel a Madonna special scheduled for the November sweeps.
Madonna specializes in mocking Christian symbols. Her 1989 video for the song “Like A Prayer” featured burning crosses and other blasphemy. The performer once remarked, “Crucifixes are sexy because there's a naked man on them.”
Christians must protest such obscenities. In a letter to NBC chairman Robert Wright, Don Wildmon, chairman of AFA, said, “I write to ask you to cancel this program which makes a mockery of the crucifixion of Christ.”
Click here to e-mail a protest directly to NBC
Rallies Spread and Intensify
The rallies that we have been conducting in Missouri have been so successful that we’ve now been invited to go into Vermont and South Dakota and hold additional rallies, as well as conducting two more rallies in Missouri before the November election. We are now taking steps to answer these demanding but urgent requests.
Thursday night, we will conduct our next Missouri rally in Springfield. The landmark Assembly of God Church, Central Assembly, will be our host. We are expecting more than 125 Pastors for the Pastor Briefing at 5PM and more than 2,000 for the rally itself which begins at 7PM.
Once again, I will be joined by Dr. Alan Keyes and Kim Noblitt. Please pray for this important rally against human cloning.
I will be leaving on Friday for the National Value Voter's Summit in Washington, DC where I will be speaking at 3:30 PM on Saturday.
Then, on Sunday, my wife and I will be driving through New England to Burlington, Vermont, where I have been invited to join a stellar lineup of conservative religious leaders to address pastors from across Vermont on the subject of pastor involvement in civil government. Please pray for all of these important assignments this week.
Meanwhile, we have booked rallies in South Dakota, October 16-18, in three major cities across the state. Each rally will follow the same format we have successfully employed in Missouri, and -- if God chooses to bless us as He clearly has in Missouri -- we hope to educate, inspire and mobilize hundreds of pastors in South Dakota to stand up for Christ in the civil arena
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As a minister, no invitation has ever more encouraged me than the one I received this week from an inner-city black church in St. Louis. The "Rock" Church is an historic, 140-year-old Catholic church. The pastor's representative wrote and implored Alan Keyes and me to come to his church and conduct a Rally Against Human Cloning there. We have consented and are raising the needed funds to make it happen.
If you have ever thought about contributing to a work where your offering could make a crucial difference, why not give to Vision America today?
We need it and I know that God will bless you and your gift. Just click here to make your secure donation. And if you can afford to give without receiving a tax deduction, then click here and give to Vision America Action, which enables me to speak freely without fear of IRS and Barry Lynn harassment. Either way, I am grateful for your giving. I remain...Your friend and servant;
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