#76 - The Desire for Freedom

1. Thanks to the half dozen or so who emailed me about Sancity of Human Life Sunday being recognized at their church. It was encouraging to hear though I suspect the vast majority of churhes did not have any mention of it.
2. Don't forget to catch "The Coral Ridge (half) Hour" this Sunday (and every Sunday). Always a great message and an Christian update on an issue facing our country.
3. And be sure to check out the articles and especially the editorial cartoons posted at World.com for a Christian perspective on the news each week.
4. Be sure to check for a special posting this Super Bowl SundayIt's Written on Our Hearts By: Chuck Colson|: February 1, 2011 12:00

What’s going on in Egypt may be the most significant event on the world stage since 9/11.Unless you’ve been living in a cave the past week, you’ve seen video of the massive protests rocking Egypt and shaking the foundations of the Middle East. The stakes could not be higher for the Middle East or the rest of the world.

One authoritarian regime—that of Tunisia—has already been overthrown. Another, Saudi Arabia’s, is decrying the protests. Israel is nervously watching events, concerned that Hosni Mubarak, the most reliable Arab leaderin their eyes, may be toppled. Islamic hardliners in Iran and Palestine are cheering on the protesters, hoping that a moderate Islamicgovernment will be replaced by a fanatical Islamist one. Meanwhile, global financial markets have their eyes on the vital Suez Canal, throughwhich two million barrels of oil flow each day. What’s happening in the Middle East is one of the most volatile international situations since 9/11. Will the government win? Will radical Islamists highjack what might be a nascent democratic movement? Nobody knows.

But one thing should be very clear to anybody who is paying close attention—especially to Christians: People everywhere, we see it in the streets, are yearning to be free. And they yearn to be free precisely because every man, woman, and child, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, or otherwise, is made in the image of God. We know, as Augustine taught, that God, who has a free will, bestowed upon us the gift of free will. The desire for freedom—the freedom to choose right from wrong, the freedom to order our lives—is imprinted in our very DNA. This is what the biblical worldview teaches us. And that is why tyrannical governments can put a lid on freedom for only so long. Inevitably that human desire for freedo mwill boil over—just like it is doing in the streets of Cairo today. Just like it did in Iran last year, where protesters tried—but failed—to overthrowAhmadinejad and his theocracy of the mullahs.

As Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries teeter on the brink, we can see so clearly that the biblical worldview is the only worldview that is rationally sustainable. The only one on which to order our lives as individuals and nations and prosper. Yet another worldview may soon be on display in Egypt for all to see. That’s the worldview of radical Islam. A worldview that denies that humans are born free or that humans are made in God’s image (that would be akin to idolatry according to Islamic teachings). It’s a worldview that preaches ultimately one goal: submission to Allah.
Already, a democratic opposition leader, Mohammed ElBaradei, is talking with the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood about participating in a coalition government. Could an Islamist foot in the door lead to an Islamist Egypt? If so, the clash of civilizations, which historian Samuel Huntington predicted nearly two decades ago, may be unavoidable—particularly a clash between the West and a more radicalized, expansionist Islam.The ramifications of such a clash would be hard to imagine. But they will be real, significant, and will affect the world for generations to come.

At the same time this can be a teaching moment. As the world’s eyes are focused on the earth-shaking events in the Middle East, we need to be able to explain why the biblical worldview gives humans the only basis for dignity, peace, and freedom We need to explain this winsomely to our neighbors.
FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION

Egypt News - The ProtestsThe New York Times
NEW FROM CHUCK: The Events in Egypt: A Worldview PerspectiveChuck Colson | BreakPoint.org | February 01, 2011
Egypt Protests Show George W. Bush Was Right About Freedom in the Arab World, Elliot Abrams | The Washington Post | January 29, 2011

ALSO: Information and Freedom: The Two Go Hand in Hand Breakpoint.com, Feb. 2, 2011( http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/16328)(excerpt: “…If there’s an object lesson about what we’re seeing in the Middle East, it is that every Christian should be working diligently to preserve the right to free speech, to preserve the free flow of information. Aquinas noted eloquently that civilization advances on well-reasoned discourse—on conversation, which is the heart of democracy.”)

#75 - The Roots of My Interest in Public Policy Issues or Why My Blog Is So Politically Oriented

I’m aware that some of you who’ve read my blogs may believe that Christians should not be so concerned about something like politics. It seems like such a contentious area that you may have concluded it to be “a waste of time” and/or “too nasty or dirty” for believers to pay it any attention. Obviously I disagree and let me explain why by sharing with you my awakening in this regard.

In the fall of 1987, I attended a 3 month retreat with about 100 other Christians to learn more about developing a Christian worldview. One day, for our class session, we were shown the film “The Silent Scream” (which I had never heard of before then) in which a former abortionist described the nature of an abortion by using sonogram images. Though the images were not as clear as 3D imaging available today, I remember feeling very uncomfortable a the final sequence showed a scalpel being inserted into the mother’s womb and the baby inside instinctively backing away from what it recognized as impending danger. While the film thankfully did not show the actual work of dismemberment of the very alive baby that is the work of the abortionist, by that point I was out of my seat and standing at the back of the room.

When I realized later that abortion had been legalized in our country the year I became a Christian (1973), I began to reflect on my never having heard anything about this from the churches I had belonged to or the ministry I had served with since 1975. I was shocked when I concluded that the omission of any reference to the subject came with the implication that abortion was simply “a Catholic issue” and that we evangelicals were involved in the “more important thing” of doing evangelism. Seeing the images in that film made me realize that that perspective was simply wrong as abortion was not only a human rights issue but was an offense to our Holy Life-Giving and Life-Sustaining God. That film was a turning point in my Christian life as I came to realize that Christians were never meant to divorce themselves from the issues of society, especially from an ongoing evil that so blatantly destroys unborn human life and damaged women emotionally, spiritually, and very often even physically.

Beginning with abortion, I believe that Christians have a responsibility before God to stand up for righteousness in the public square. I believe that with citizenship as Americans comes an inherent duty to be educated about the issues of the day in order to be good stewards of this great country that God has truly blessed . I find it appalling that I have rarely even heard a prayer for our nation uttered from pulpits I have sat in attendance over the years. The relative absence of any comment about what is going on in our country – if only to offer the prayers of the Body of Christ - communicates to non-believers as well as believers that we just don’t care or just don't have anything to say in regards to the issues of our day. And it’s not just social issues such as abortion and homosexuality but even such things as the economy and foreign affairs. While in fact the Bible has so much to say on so many public policy issues, the shear absence of any comment from our pulpits Sunday after Sunday instead implies that the Bible and Christianity is silent and irrelevant concerning those things that trouble our nation and the world.

I’m obviously not advocating promoting a political party or politician from the pulpit but simply that we be educated from time to time about a clearly Biblical position on issues of the day. (For example, simply knowing that “abortion is wrong” is not being prepared to engage with the non-biblical pro-abortion position we will often hear.) God has placed us in the world to be “salt and light” (Matthew 5:14-16) and we can’t do that if we excuse ourselves from the pivotal discussions in our society by being uninformed or indifferent. And as far as politicians go, it has been my experience that just where he or she stands on the issue of the sanctity of human life is a great determinant of whether the individual has a humanistic or Biblical worldview. (Knowing that our current President was the only US Senator to vote against a bill that protected an aborted baby if it was somehow born alive was all I needed to know in voting in the last Presidential election.)

And that is why, dear friends, I started this blog. You will note that I will often just post the commentary of Chuck Colson of Breakpoint ministry since he is faithful to eloquently give a clearly Biblical worldview of some item in the news. (You may subscribe to his free email commentaries at Breakpoint.com) Whenever possible, I will also give you references to the writings of others who present what are in essence a Biblically sound viewpoint on an issue. For example, I refer you to:

THIS SUNDAY IS A SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE SUNDAY. IF HE DID NOT LAST WEEK, PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR PASTOR THAT HE RECOGNIZES THIS EVENT WITH AT LEAST A PRAYER FROM THE PULPIT. (On January 22, 1973, the US Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the entire term of a mother's pregnancy. As a result, in the past 38 years, over 50 million unborn babies have been murdered and tens of millions of mothers and fathers left wounded.)

1. http://michellemalkin.com/? fronthttp://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/Franklin- … in which the author gives details of the abortionist in Philadelphia who was arrested this past week for the murders of 7 babies whom he stabbed with a scissors when they were born alive and also caused the death of one mother.

2. http://michellemalkin.com/2011/01/20/h-r-3-the-no-taxpayer-funding-for-abortion-act/ This is an article about the bill just submitted to the House of Rep. to ban ALL federal funding of abortions. I would think this would be one bill that could be prayed about from pulpits, especially this Sunday, the second Sanctity of Human Life Sunday for the year.

3. Please remember to check out the “Coral Ridge Ministries” broadcast this Sunday (in Central Florida, 10 a.m. and 5 pm). This Sunday’s broadcast (I understand) will deal with the sanctity of human life and also the effort in the House to de-fund Planned Parenthood. Please also encourage your friends to check it out.

4. Also, I ask you to check out the editorial cartoons of World Magazine (though not necessarily Biblically based) ar:http://www.worldmag.com/editorialcartoons/ as well as the articles in the bi-weekly issues themselves in this Christian news publication.

Finally, I welcome a healthy discussion of any position I post and so please leave me a comment after you’ve read any blog, whether or not you agree with the content or not.

#74 - Abortion - Black Genocide?

'My People Are Dying' By: Chuck Colson|, January 14, 2011

Is abortion akin to genocide? That's certainly the opinion of one African-American pastor.

Last fall, I had the privilege to listen to a speech by Walter Hoy, one of the great African-American leaders of our era. His life and ministry offer some amazing parallels to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Like King, Walter Hoy of Oakland, California, is a minister who focuses on the plight of African-Americans. Last year, Hoy went to jail for his non-violent action on behalf of the smallest of humans--unborn children. He violated a "bubble zone" ordinance in an abortion facility, where he was quietly offering choices to abortion-minded women.

Hoy, the founder of the Issues for Life Foundation, is deeply concerned about what he calls "black genocide"--the horrific rates of abortion within the black community. That's why Hoy is working on what appears to be an impossible goal: passing a human life amendment in liberal California.

When Dr. King wrote his letter, From a Birmingham Jail, he addressed those who thought his civil rights activities unwise and untimely. In his speeches, Hoy also addresses those who say that his cause is worthy and just but that he should just wait. "I can't wait." Hoy says. "You see, my people are dying."

Since 1973, he notes, over 14.5 million black babies have been killed by abortion. Every, single day, 1,200 black babies are put to death in abortion facilities, making abortion the leading cause of death among African Americans! Nearly half of all black babies conceived die in abortion chambers today. Hoy says this means that a black child is safer on the streets of the worst neighborhoods in American than in his mother's womb. Hoy notes that between 1882 and 1968, 3,446 blacks were lynched by the Ku Klux Klan. Today, abortion kills more black Americans in less than three days than the Klan killed in 86 years! Think of it.

American blacks make up twelve percent of the U.S. population, yet thirty-seven percent of all abortions are performed on black women. This is because eugenic-minded pro-abortion forces target American blacks by putting abortion clinics in black neighborhoods, according to Hoy.

He's also turned his rhetorical guns on America's first black president. Quoting Elvita King, niece of Dr. King, he says that "those of us who care about the civil rights of all Americans-born and unborn--oppose Obamacare because we oppose the expansion of the most racist industry in America--the abortion industry."

The high black abortion rate has ominous implications down the road. According to the 2006 U.S. Census, the black fertility rate is 1.9--well below the replacement rate of 2.1. "Within a few decades," Hoy warns, "African Americans may well be an endangered species." This is why he calls abortion the "Darfur of the black community."

Walter Hoy provides a worldview lesson to those who desperately need it. Liberal elites teach women to view abortion as a simple procedure that will enhance their lives. Uh, no. Hoy reveals the ugly truth: those who promote abortion in the black community are racists of the worst kind--and that each abortion of a black child is one more step towards black genocide. And this is why Hoy cannot wait for the right time to try and outlaw abortion in California. His people are dying by the millions.[Bold and Italics emphasis throughout, mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION
Issues 4 Life Foundation www.issues4life.org
A Mess of Pottage Chuck Colson | BreakPoint | March 24, 2010
Life in the Balance Chuck Colson | BreakPoint | November 01, 2010

#73 - Adios, Christmas

Controlling Language and Minds
By: Chuck Colson| December 22, 2010

Want to control peoples’ minds? Simply control the words they use -- or don’t use.
I recently met a man who left his native Cuba when he was eleven years old. He came from an upper class family and remembered Cuba as a very beautiful country where the people got along well with one another.

Fifty years later, he finally got a chance to go back. Sure, he knew that Communism had impoverished the country, but nothing prepared him for the shock of seeing first hand what had become of his native land. The country has been totally sapped of its energy and strength and resources. People get a ration of food for a month that only lasts them two weeks; so the rest of the time they lie, steal, borrow, beg, whatever they have to do to get food.

It wasn’t only the diminished standard of living that shocked him: He told me about the extent to which the church has been suppressed by the Castro brothers. In fact, not only is freedom of religion severely curtailed in Cuba, there is an effort to expunge words and phrase that contain references to God!

An obvious is the Spanish word for “goodbye,” adios. It literally means “to God.” So, this gentleman told me, it is now suspect. In fact, there is a whole host of other common Spanish idioms being expunged from the language—expressions people had used all their lives. And they're being expunged precisely because they refer to God. In Cuba, as in any totalitarian state, you can get into serious trouble for using the words and expressing ideas banned by the government.

Listening to him, I realized that our culture is doing something similar right here at home: shape people’s beliefs and attitudes by controlling the language they use. The pressure may be more subtle, and the people doing the controlling may be private, not governmental actors, but the goals and effects are the same.

The effort is on obvious display during Christmas. Case in point: for seventy years, Tulsa has held a Christmas parade. Now, no one would ever mistake the parade for a church service: Santa Claus plays a far bigger role than the infant Jesus.

Yet even this watered-down reference to Christ was too much: in the last year, “Christmas” was dropped from the title in favor of “holiday.” If “Christmas” is too much for what is arguably the buckle of the “Bible Belt,” where can you use the phrase?

If you think that this is much ado about nothing and that “happy Holidays” is a perfectly acceptable substitute, you’re missing the whole point. The issue here isn’t avoiding offense – it’s redefining the terms of our discussion, eradicating or at least marginalizing any references to God in the public square. It’s to make people think twice about invoking God, even in passing, in public. Once you control their language, you control the way they think and behave.

The irony is that the approved word “holiday” is itself derived from “holy day”! In fact, today on my Two Minute Warning, I talk more about the need for ChrisAll of this linguistic nonsense is another reminder of why Christians need to reclaim Christmas. The larger culture may be intent on taking Christ out of Christmas but, that’s all the more reason for us to place Him at the center of ours.tians to recapture the true meaning of Christmas. Please, go to ColsonCenter.org and watch it today.

And may you and yours have a blessed Christmas, and a happy holy-day season.

#72 - THE SUNDAY SPECIAL - Just Call Me A Jackie Groupie

When you were a teen, who were some of your favorite music personalities?

It might surprise you to know, but though I was a teen during the decade of the Beatles (yes, I am that old!), I really did not care for them. If I was a fan of any music performers, it was The Carpenters. Their music never had an edge or a message; it was just music that made you feel good singing the lyrics on your own. I even remember being crushed when I was overseas and read that Karen Carpenter had died; it was like losing someone in my own family

Today, teen music stars include Justin Beiber, Lady GaGa (sp?), Katy Perry (whose parents, I just learned this morning, are evangelical pastors, though you would not guess that with the outfits she wears). I’ve not had a teen singer I enjoyed for almost 30 years, but about a month ago, I think I actually became a groupie for a pre-teen, a ten-year old named Jackie Evancho.

As I alerted you earlier this month, Jackie had been performing on a national talent show that went on for months called “America’s Got Talent.” I will never forget the night she first performed. The judges, the audience, and I’m sure the millions who heard her were as stunned as I was because her operatic voice was so clear and powerful that you couldn’t believe that it was coming out of a diminutive little girl. So many other acts were flashy, Las Vegas style acts. But suddenly, there was this little girl, in a simple dress, singing like you would expect angels in heaven would sound. It just took your breath away. That first night she performed on national television and EVERY time I’ve seen her perform, the audience rises to give her a standing ovation.

Maybe I find myself so fascinated by her is not just her music, but because she calls us back to a time when performers simply performed. Jackie reminds us older folks of a time when they didn’t need flashy clothes or an edgy reputation or persona to get you to listen to them. As one of the judges said, she’s just pure talent. For me, the fact that two of her songs – “Pie Jesu” and “Ave Maria” – touches a spiritual cord in me that moves me to tears, something that even many Christian music cannot do. And I don’t even understand the words as I don’t of any opera performance.

I can only pray that, by the time she gets to high school (around 15 or 5 years from now), Jackie isn’t remade into another product of Hollywood. The world certainly doesn’t need another Britney Spears or Lady GaGa. The world needs more performers who can take your breath away by their pure, God-given talent. Maybe that’s why I’m not ashamed to say I’m a groupie of a 10-year old.

By the way, you might pray for she and her family as it was revealed AFTER the contest that they have been in danger of losing their home because they can’t keep up their mortgage. (It’s interesting and noteworthy that the person who beat her out for the million dollar prize kept talking about using the money to buy his grandparents a new home, their having lost their through Hurricane Katrina. I have to wonder if the needs of her family were made known during the contest it might have made a difference in swaying enough people to vote for her. Oh yeah, I voted for her the 10 times maximum you were allowed; I’ve never voted on a call in show for anyone before.)

I invite you to go to her website: www.jackieevancho.com (Just her home page makes you want to smile.) Click on the button at the top of the home page labeled “Media,” and you can listen to any of her four of performances. (If you listen to only one, I suggest you check out “Pie Jesu.” I would love to know what YOU think!

#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

#70 - Obama Tax Hikes Defended by Myths and Straw Man Arguments: Summary

(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.

Straw Man: Extending current tax policy will not stimulate the economy.

Reality: Extending current tax policy will provide at most a modest boost to the economy, but raising taxes will slow down recovery.
This is a straw man argument because proponents do not argue that continuing current policy would add much to stimulus. Effective economic stimulus requires some new policy.
Myth: Preventing a tax hike is a tax cut.
Fact: Extending the 2001 and 2003 tax provisions is not a tax cut; failure to extend these provisions is a tax hike.
Failure to extend current tax policy would impose massive tax hikes on millions of Americans. Preserving current tax policy is not a tax cut.

Myth: An extension of the tax cuts must be paid for.
Fact: It is neither necessary nor logical to raise taxes to avoid a tax hike elsewhere.
The “fact” in this case may seem so obvious as to be perplexing. Extending current tax policy is not a tax cut; it is the prevention of a tax hike and the deficit is not increased thereby.

Myth: Higher tax rates would not weaken the economy in the short run.
Fact: Higher tax rates would sap the recovery.
Raising taxes on work and investment would mean less work and less investment and can be regarded only as an overtly hostile anti-jobs policy.

Myth: Small businesses would be only marginally impacted by higher taxes rates.
Fact: Successful, growing, hiring small businesses are especially targeted by higher tax rates.
Many Americans report business income from hobbies, sideline businesses, etc., thus inflating the number of so-called “small businesses.” True small businesses have employees and machinery, offer goods and services widely, and are far fewer in number. Yet they earn most of the small business income that would be subject to the higher rates.

Myth: Tax rates matter little in the long run.
Fact: Tax rates have their most powerful effects on long-run growth and wages.
The effects of tax changes take time to manifest fully because major business investments typically require extended evaluation, planning, and implementation. Similarly, while workers respond quickly to changes in tax rates, a full response takes time as they adjust their spending and budgets accordingly.

Myth: The country cannot afford not to raise taxes.
Fact: The problem is spending, not revenues. The country cannot afford to let current spending levels continue.
Taxes as a share of the economy will soon exceed the historical average. The current and projected unsustainable deficits are due to Obama’s spending surge, not a shortage of revenue.

Myth: The Obama tax hikes would alleviate the long-term budget crisis.
Fact: The Obama tax hikes, while enormous in their own right, are almost inconsequential compared to the size of the unfunded spending in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Tax relief enacted a decade ago did not cause excessive entitlement spending. Tax increases today and in the future would do little to address the long-term fiscal picture.

Myth: A strong economy would solve America’s budget woes.
Fact: A strong economy would help, but only aggressive spending reductions would restore a sound fiscal policy.
A strong economy would increase revenues to federal coffers but would not by itself restore a sound fiscal policy. Only significant spending reductions can simultaneously preserve a strong economy while establishing a sustainable fiscal policy.

Myth: President Bush intended the tax cuts to expire.
Fact: The tax cuts were to be permanent and were enacted on a temporary basis solely to overcome a parliamentary hurdle.
President Bush proposed permanent tax relief and repeatedly called for it to be made permanent.

Spending Is the Problem
Obama and his allies have increased spending radically. A sound, responsible budget policy absent tax hikes does not demand radically lower levels of spending but only reversing Obama’s radical spending. Congress should make current tax policy permanent and then get about the business of paring government spending to sustainable levels.

J. D. Foster, Ph.D., is Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy in the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at The Heritage Foundation.

[For another perspective on the President’s view on taxes, check out: http://online.worldmag.com/2010/09/16/obama-vs-castro/]