To save America, take your family to church

Bill Fitzpatrick/Wikimedia

Recent polls now show that almost three quarters of Americans believe the nation is on the wrong track. The reality is that regardless of whether Republicans win control of the Senate this year and the presidency in 2016, it will be very difficult to solve the problems facing America today. Many of the most serious issues facing the country stem from cultural changes that cannot be solved solely by changes to government policies. Americans who are serious about changing the direction of the country should begin by taking their families to church. To save America, it will take a moral revolution that can only come from God, not government.

Even though some polls show that church attendance is still strong in the US, ChurchLeaders.com reports that counts by denominations and local churches show that church attendance is down and still declining. Although about 40 percent of the population reports that they attend church, the real number is probably less than 20 percent and not keeping pace with population growth.

 

Read the full article on Examiner.com

Rick Perry indictment is part of liberal campaign of harassment

Travis County Sheriff

The news of the indictment against Texas Governor Rick Perry on charges of abuse of official capacity and coercion of a public official surprised the country and shook up the early presidential race for 2016. Debate ranged from how the charges would affect Perry’s chances at winning the Republican nomination and the White House to whether Perry would be convicted. A surprising number of liberals and Democrats have broken ranks to defend what many call an unconstitutional attempt to criminalize politics as usual. This is not the first time in recent memory that prosecutors have pressed charges against Republicans on dubious grounds.

 

In Texas, the Travis County DA office has prosecuted other high profile Republicans. In 1993, Rosemary Lemberg’s predecessor, Ronnie Earle, indicted newly elected U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison on charges of misusing her previous office of state treasurer according to National Review. Hutchison was originally elected in a special election and faced the prospect of running for reelection in 1994 with the indictment hanging over her head. She pressed for a quick resolution and, when the case went to trial, Earle told the court that he could not proceed without the admission of records seized from Hutchison’s office without a search warrant. The judge promptly ordered the jury to return a verdict of not guilty.

 

Read about more harassment of conservatives on Examiner

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter

Five things Republicans should just stop talking about already

Ted Cruz (Gage Skidmore)

The Republican Party is doing well in recent polling.  The Obamacare implosion has left the party in position to make significant gains in this year’s midterm elections.  The nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report shows the Republicans to be competitive in at least seven Senate seats held by Democrats.  Only six seats are needed for the Republicans to win control of the Senate.

 

The recent Republican success is not purely by strategy.  It can be said to be as much or more in spite of the actions of Republicans than because of them.  For example, the most memorable strategic move by the Republican Party in the past year was the drive to defund the Affordable Care Act.  The strategy resulted in a shutdown of the federal government that caused Republican approval ratings to plummet to levels normally inhabited by used car dealers and lawyers that advertise on daytime television.  The shutdown likely sealed the fate of Virginia gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli.

 

Read the whole article on Atlanta Conservative Examiner

 

Chris Christie’s good, bad and ugly

 

 

When Examiner published an article last week detailing how Chris Christie was the current Republican frontrunner for the 2016 elections as well as the only Republican who currently beats the likely Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, it set off a firestorm of indignation among some conservatives.  Many deride Christie as a “RINO” who would be almost as bad as Clinton.  Others go further and claim that Christie is a Democrat in disguise.  A number of angry conservatives say that Christie is dead to them.

 

A good place to start when trying to determine whether a Republican is a RINO is the American Conservative Union.  The ACU rates members of Congress and state legislatures by their votes and determines whether they are “true conservatives” or not.  In a previous article, Examiner found that most Republicans who are commonly labeled RINOs easily pass Ronald Reagan’s 80 percent rule.  The ACU does not rate governors, however, so one must examine Gov. Christie’s record in New Jersey.

 

Read the rest on Examiner.com:

The Good – The Bad – The Ugly

Blue state laws enshrine gender confusion

A new trend in blue states seems to be the notion that gender is less a biological reality than a choice that can be made by each individual. The most recent example of this came on Tuesday when California governor Jerry Brown announced that he had signed a law which will allow transgender students to choose which bathroom and locker room to use based on their self-perception and regardless of their biological gender. According to the Casa Grande Dispatch, the new law will even give transgender students the right to participate in either boys or girls sports and other “sex-segregated programs, activities and facilities.” Karen England, executive director of the Capitol Resource Institute, noted that the law does not require any proof of a gender-identity issue. Instead school administrator must rely on the student’s opinion of their gender identity.

California is only the most recent state to enact laws that prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

 

Read the rest on  Atlanta Conservative Examiner

God save America

http://dummidumbwit.wordpress.com/ (labeled for commercial reuse)

This Fourth of July it might be time to amend the traditional patriotic song and sentiment of “God bless America.”  In recent years, America has become so divorced from godly values that it now seems mocking and irreverent to seek his blessing.  It might be more appropriate to prostrate ourselves and seek his forgiveness.

 

The most recent rejection of God is the wave of gay marriage laws sweeping the nation.  Twenty years ago, gay marriage was unheard of.  Denmark passed a gay partnership law in 1989, but same-sex marriage did not exist legally until 2000 when the Netherlands first passed a gay marriage law.  In what would become a familiar theme, gay marriage was legalized in Canada the next year after two gay couples sued.  In the U.S., Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage in 2004, again after a lawsuit.  In 2007, Iowa followed suit, again after the state’s marriage law was struck down by courts.  Gay marriage did not pass through the legislative process until 2009 when Vermont’s legislature approved the redefinition of marriage.  At this point, gay marriage is legal in twelve states, but recent Supreme Court decisions indicate that the Court will probably strike down state definition of marriage laws in the near future.

 

It isn’t just about gay marriage.  As society rots, it threatens our economic foundation.  Read the rest on Examiner.com

 

What’s next for defenders of marriage?

Wikimedia

Wednesday’s Supreme Court rulings on marriage, while hardly unexpected by most traditional marriage advocates, have nonetheless left social conservatives disappointed.  For supporters of traditional marriage, the saving grace of the rulings was that they did not apply to the 35 states with definition of marriage laws or constitutional amendments.

 

That situation is likely to change.  If, as Justice Kennedy wrote in United States v. Windsor, a traditional marriage definition “violates basic due process and equal protection principles” then it is likely that future Supreme Court rulings will invalidate the right of the states to keep marriage between a man and a woman.  This may come through a direct challenge to a state constitutional marriage amendment or through the Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause, which requires that states respect “the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.”  Barring a change in the balance of the Court, it is likely that the justices will continue to chip away at traditional marriage.

Read the rest on  National Elections Examiner

Ten myths about gay marriage

Kurt Löwenstein Educational Center International Team/Wikimedia

Same-sex marriage is once again in the news. This week the Supreme Court is hearing two cases on same sex marriage, either of which could conceivably make gay marriage the law of the land and strike down the definition of marriage laws in place in 37 states and the federal government.

There are many myths and much misinformation surrounding the same-sex marriage issue:

Myth #1: Defense of marriage laws are “gay marriage bans.”

While the media and homosexual activists often refer to these laws as “gay marriage bans,” in reality they do often do not ban anything. The laws simply create a definition of marriage according to the government. The heart of the federal DOMA simply states, “… the word `marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word `spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”

 

Read the rest on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/list/ten-myths-about-the-gay-marriage-debate?cid=db_articles

Family studies should impact gay marriage debate

Studies indicate that children of gay couples may fare worse than those of traditional families. (Melinda/Wikimedia)

This week the Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether same sex marriage is a protected right under the Constitution. Along with whether the ability to marry anyone you choose is indeed a constitutional right, one of the issues that the justices must consider in answering this question is the question of what is best for children.

As the small number of same-sex families increased, several studies were done on the issue. Proponents of same-sex marriage have claimed that such studies have shown that gay families fare as well or better than heterosexual parents. Breakpoint quotes an American Psychological Association statement that says, “Not a single study has found children of lesbian or gay parents to be disadvantaged in any significant respect relative to children of heterosexual parents.” According to the New Republic, the Ninth Circuit Court’s decision striking down California’s definition of marriage law says, “Children raised by gay or lesbian parents are as likely as children raised by heterosexual parents to be healthy, successful, and well-adjusted. The research supporting this conclusion is accepted beyond serious debate in the field of developmental psychology.” In truth, the evidence so far has been inconclusive, but two recent studies shed doubt on these claims.

Read the rest on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/recent-family-studies-may-impact-supreme-court-gay-marriage-decision?cid=db_articles

Answering the religious left

(David MacDonald/Wikimedia)

The religious left, while still small, has grown somewhat over the last decade. While often perceived as hostile to religion, particularly Christianity, Democrats are somewhat tolerant of religious leftists. As an example, black voters are both heavily religious and heavily Democratic.

The signature issues of the religious left are war, the environment, and poverty. As the American involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq winds down and concerns about global warming abate, the major point of contention between the religious right and left concerns how to address poverty.

Read this article on Examiner.com:

http://www.examiner.com/article/answering-the-religious-left