#586 (7/21) SUNDAY SPECIAL - "Our 'Godless Constitution' - The Complicated Truth

REMINDER: Check out this week's "Truth That Transforms  broadcastb (Cen. FL  - Sun, 5 pm , ch. 55.1, Mon. 7 pm, 52.2 a at www.truthinaction.org). This week's broadcast is about how God's institution of marriage has been under assault and is esp. so by homosexual activists. What is amazzing is that this message was delivered 10 years ago! Also presented is a special feature on the value of fathers to society and the increasing tragedy of fatherlessness. Don’t miss it

PRAISES AND PRAYER REQUESTS:

PRAISE! July 18 -" Planned Parenthood Closes Down Abortion Clinic Abby Johnson Managed "-  The Planned Parenthood abortion business announced today that it is closing three of its facilities following Gov. Rick Perry’s signature on a bill to ban late-term abortions and hold abortion clinics accountable to higher safety standards. Apparently the abortion clinic Abby Johnson once managed can’t meet those standards expected of legitimate medical centers, and it is closing.http://www.lifenews.com/2013/07/18/planned-parenthood-closes-down-abortion-clinic-abby-johnson-managed/

PRAISE! July 18 - "Baby [in Brazil]Who Doctors Declared Dead Comes to Life After Placing Her on Church Altar" - A little girl who doctors declared dead after she was born prematurely has come back to life after she was placed on a church altar. http://www.lifenews.com/2013/07/18/baby-who-doctors-declared-dead-comes-to-life-after-placing-her-on-church-altar/

ATTENTION: TODAY is the 13th day of the 30 days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. (see link below for resource material you can download.) Please join me in focusing your prayers EVERY DAY for these over one billion people who need to hear the gospel of Jesus.[NOTE: 1) You can download a  page of helpful basic information about Islam and Ramadan at: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/downloads/pdf-downloads/Islam_reference_guide-1.pdf ; and 2) The following is from a 30-day prayer guide you can download at: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/downloads/pdf-downloads/2013-ramadan-prayer-calendar-1.pdf (The following is from that prayer guide.) July 21 – 13^th Day of Ramadan - HOLY ONE (Tunisia) -  “You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.” (Acts 3:14) - Home of the Jasmine Revolution which gave rise to the Arab Spring,Tunisia is the country where democratic transition seems to have the greatest chance of success. However, elections in October were won by the Islamic Ennahda party, which announced its intention to transform Tunisia into an Islamic state. Foreign Christians have reported increased surveillance. During Ramadan, pray for courage and discernment in sharing the gospel; and for many to turn to Jesus,the Holy One, making Him the foundation of government and life.

American Pastor Saeed Held Prisoner in Iran - June 5th Update - "Saeed's Wife Uses UN Speech to 'Plant Gospel'," by George Thomas, CBN News Sr. Reporter, June 05, 2013, http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2013/June/Saeeds-Wife-Uses-UN-Speech-to-Plant-Gospel/?cpid=EU_CBNNEWSPM_2013_156"Prayers from Prison: American Pastor Held in Iran Releases Letter," May 22, 2013; http://www.presidentialprayerteam.com/Prayerwatch?pw=1458"...Abedini has been held at the brutal prison for 238 days, enduring long stints in solitary confinement, and, according to his supporters, beatings and torture at the hands of his jailers and fellow inmates. For months, he has been suffering from serious injuries, including internal bleeding from beatings with no proper medical attention, according to his family and attorneys."(Sources: Fox News, Assemblies of God website) Please PRAY:1) For the imprisoned Pastor Abedini, and for those Iranians who tend to his needs in prison to treat him more humanely. 2) For his family in Boise, Idaho. and their efforts to involve the U.S. State Department in securing Pastor Abedini’s release. And 3) For the impact of his witness upon believers and non-believers, in America and across the world. And if you have not yet, join the over 600,000 worldwide who have signed the petition asking for his release at www.SaveSaeed.org

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Our 'Godless Constitution' - The Complicated Truth" - By: Eric Metaxas|Breapoint.org,July 16, 2013 - http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/breakpoint-commentaries-archive/entry/13/22824?spMailingID=6557271&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=78409373&spReportId=Nzg0MDkzNzMS1

This Fourth of July, I opened up the New York Times, and whammo! I found an extremely misleading ad sponsored by the Freedom From Religion Foundation.  “Celebrate Our Godless Constitution,” it read. The ad featured pictures of six founding fathers, and cherry-picked quotes that made it appear that these men were die-hard atheists—or at least, did not approve of Christianity influencing our nascent nation's government.

Now, it's quite true our Constitution is secular; the founders were well aware of what can happen when kings and countries force a particular religion on its citizens. Think Iran today.

But there's a big difference between believing a Constitution should be secular, and believing that religion—in this case, Christianity—should have no influence on one's country and its laws.  Five of the six founders listed in the ad strongly believed that America would not survive if her people were godless.

For instance, John Adams warned in 1798, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” George Washington shared this view. In his Farewell Address, the old general said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”  And, he added, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”

Benjamin Franklin—no doubt a rather worldy man—urged participants in the Constitutional Convention to pray, because, he said, “the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid?”

While James Madison, like Franklin were against a state-imposed religion, as of course I am, our fourth president also noted that “before any man can be considered as a member of civil society, he must be considered as a subject of the governor of the universe”—that is, God.

So while the Constitution cannot be considered a religious document, many of our founders’ religious views deeply informed their thinking about the kind of government America should embrace. To suggest otherwise is intellectually dishonest.

They also considered freedom of religion so important that they enshrined it in First Amendment to the Constitution. This includes the right to bring our beliefs into the public square to influence our fellow citizens on issues like slavery, as antebellum believers did, and abortion, as Christians in Texas recently did, and as many are trying to do with marriage.

Ironically, the New York Times itself revealed how silly and misleading the Freedom from Religion Foundation ad is just a few pages later. Every Fourth of July, it reprints the Declaration of Independence—and kudos to them for doing it.Allow me to read from the text: “We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America... [appeal] to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions.” But wait, there's more! The Declaration’s signers wrote that they were acting “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.”

We need to help our kids understand the complicated truth about religion and America's founders—and with “firm reliance” appeal to God to both bless America, and to forgive the sins of our nation. Because Franklin was right: God does govern the affairs of men.

[bold and italics emphasis mine]

FURTHER READING AND INFORMATION - While it’s true that our nation is and always has been a secular one, that does not mean that we should justify disregarding the Christian roots of our government and culture.  There is a push today to forget our country’s Christian heritage; it is our job to push back. If you have kids, be sure to teach them about the influence Christian principles had in the lives of our founders. And, while you’re at it, be sure to read up on the topic yourself, starting with the links below.

ARTICLES:

Celebrate Our Godless Constitution - Freedom From Religion Foundation | New York Times | July 4, 2013

A Christian Nation? - Eric Metaxas | BreakPoint.org | August 10, 2012  http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/20051

The Faith of the Founders - by Gary Scott Smith | ColsonCenter.org | June 11, 2012  http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/worldview/17942-the-faith-of-the-founders?spMailingID=6557271&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=78409373&spReportId=Nzg0MDkzNzMS1

History Is Complicated - Benjamin Wetzel | BreakPoint.org | April 27, 2012;  http://www.breakpoint.org/component/blog/entry/12/19295?spMailingID=6557271&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=78409373&spReportId=Nzg0MDkzNzMS1

America's Religious Roots  - Chuck Colson | BreakPoint.org | August 20, 2007;  http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/articles/entry/12/9203?spMailingID=6557271&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=78409373&spReportId=Nzg0MDkzNzMS1

What Makes America Different? -  Regis Nicoll | BreakPoint.org | July 2, 2010  http://www.breakpoint.org/component/blog/entry/2/14784?spMailingID=6557271&spUserID=MTMyMjM2ODE5OQS2&spJobID=78409373&spReportId=Nzg0MDkzNzMS1

This week's broadcast is about how God's institution of marriage has been under assault and is esp. so by homosexual activists. What is amazzing is that this message was delivered 10 years ago! Also presented is a special feature on the value of fathers to society and the increasing tragedy of fatherlessness.