#71 - Politics, Economics and Morality

(1) As always, please be sure to check out “The Coral Ridge Hour” this Sunday (5 pm, Ch. 40.1 in Orlando) This week’s entire broadcast will be about heaven and hell, two subjects you don’t hear spoken of directly very much despite their centrality to the gospel and the Scriptures.
(2)Be sure to check out Crossexamine.com to find out the CABLE broadcast of this new series by the Coral Ridge ministries to help believers understand key issues from a Biblical perspective.
(3)Be sure to check out this week’s editorial cartoons at: http://www.worldmag.com/editorialcartoons/
(4)Be sure to check out (my health permitting) my Sunday Special post this week.

Not So Fast
By: Chuck Colson, Breakpoint.com, September 9, 2010

The politicians just don’t get it: Our nation’s economic health depends on our moral health. Summer is over, but the heat is on. I have just learned from people who would know, that the Republican congressional leadership, in preparation for the mid-term elections, may be stepping away from issues we Christians hold dear.

The Republican leaders, you see, are so confident they can sweep back to power by focusing only on economic issues, that they are ready to promote an election agenda that ignores the party’s historical commitment to life, marriage, and religious liberty. I believe that we, as Christians, need to tell them they are dead wrong. And here’s why. You’ve heard me say many times that the Church can never be captive to a political agenda, that we can never place our hope in any political party.

But we are always free to let leaders in both political parties know that they must hear our concerns. They must realize our allegiance is not to their party, but to those causes that promote the common good. This is why we launched the Manhattan Declaration—to make an unequivocal statement in support of human life, traditional marriage, and religious freedom. And I truly long for the day when both of our great political parties will embrace these causes.

Now, you may say that what the Republicans are doing is just good election strategy. The economy is in the tank, people want jobs and they want Obamacare repealed, so concentrate on those things. But there’s a flaw in that logic. Actually, it’s an enormous blind spot. If the Great Recession of 2008 has taught us anything, it’s that you can’t detach economic prosperity from moral issues. Greed, imprudent spending by individuals and by government, debt, all of these things brought our economy to where we are today. As I’ve said many times on BreakPoint, our economic collapse is the result of our moral and ethical collapse.

We don’t teach our kids that there are such things as right or wrong, and we wonder why they grow up to cheat and steal. And the social costs of disintegrating traditional families in terms of crime, divorce, juvenile delinquency, are truly staggering. You don’t think supporting traditional families—and marriage—matters? Well, then you’ve never been inside a prison, like I have. You haven’t met the thousands of young men and women I have who have told you about their missing fathers or their drugged-out moms.

No society that rejects the moral good can possibly stay solvent. The price tag for moral corruption, as we have learned, is simply too high.

So here is what I want you to do. Call your congressmen and senators, Democrat and Republican alike, tell them you support the sanctity of human life, traditional marriage, and religious freedom. And then tell them you vote.[Note the buttons to the left to help you to locate your Senators and Congressman(or woman).]

Next, also contact information for House Republican leader John Boehner and Republican Whip Eric Cantor.

Let them know you expect the Republican Party to stay true to its traditional support for these supremely important moral concerns. Because America’s economic health depends on America’s moral health.

Further Reading and Information
Representative John Boehner’s office:Kevin.smith@mail.house.gov Phone number (202) 225-6205
Representative Eric Cantor’s office: Kristi.way@mail.house.gov Phone number (202) 225-2815.
The Republicans' Agenda Dilemma in the 2010 Elections, Robert Schlesinger | July 28, 2010 | US News
Fiscal Focus Splits GOP on Social Issues, Ralph C. Hallow | The Washington Times | June 10, 2010
The Manhattan Declaration, Life, Marriage, Religious Liberty | Manhattandeclaration.org

Email sent to Senator Mitch McConnell, (Republican) Minority Leader of the Senate, September 9, 2010

Dear Senator,
As Senate Leader, I assume that you can pass on this message that I was unable to post on the RNC website.
I hope that all of you in the Republican leadership will NEVER take the votes of us registered Republicans for granted. While I take comfort that you at least have taken stands against President Obama's outrageous actions, I am alarmed to hear that you are planning to just focus on the economy and "shut up" about the social issues. This kind of "strategy" to win more elections just will not work with a lot of us Republicans.
In case you don't get it, that's what's given birth to the Tea Party movement. It's not just folks upset about economic policies but folks who are tired of our "representatives" more interested in maintaining their power than in truly representing the views of the majority of people in their party.
I am and will maintain a Republican PRIMARILY because of it's stand on issues of the Sanctity of Life, the preservation of marriage, and the protection of religious liberties. If you choose to remain silent, let alone change your traditional positions on these issues, and you can count on millions of usually Republican voters like me to SIT OUT on your candidates that "shut up" on these issues just so they can get elected.
Senator, for that reason, I will NEVER be sending money to the RNC but will only support candidates who will NOT "shut up." I will always vote on principle, and I don't ever mean economic ones in the main.
Lead the party otherwise, and be sure that I am far from being alone in what I say.
Sincerely yours,
Stan M. Yonashiro