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"I
have wondered at times about what the Ten
Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run
them through the U.S. Congress." - Ronald
Reagan.
Shortly
after the fall of 2003, the Blue Dog decided to
reevaluate his mental, physical and spiritual life.
After my unsuccessful state Senate campaign, I
needed a time out. A friend from the Brookings
Institution suggested writing a newspaper column,
losing weight and changing my public image. The Dog
has been successful at his goals.
The
spiritual journey has been a tad harder to realize
because Christianity is a lifetime quest. Of course,
I've attended an evangelical church and have taught
Bible studies for Sunday school there for a number
of years. But for the past 18 months, I've attended
a number of Christian gatherings and walks along
with joining a weekly Bible-study group.
As
well, I've made changes in personal lifestyle
dealing with the music I listen to. I listen only to
Christian music and radio stations, and have even
joined a local Christian-oriented fitness gym.
The
Blue Dog decided to rekindle the flames of July 4 as
well, featuring the state of religion in
relationship to statewide politics in the
Commonwealth. Is our current media evangelistaphobia
actually a retreat from the intentions of the
American Revolution? Nowadays, the message to
evangelical Christians running for elected office is
to stay out of Virginia politics and don't let the
door hit you on the way out.
Revolutionary
patriot forebears founded this country on their
religious faith, hard-work ethic and perseverance
for truth with their eyes on the Lord's word. We
Americans can take comfort in their sacrifices for
our liberties and convictions for a democratic
republic.
Our
first president, George Washington, steadfastly
believed the foundation of our government depended
on Christianity training and Biblical principles.
But public prayer, the Ten Commandments and the war
against Christian values have been in the forefront
of news lately - and those issues have been
controversial, to say the least.
Author
David Limbaugh's bestseller, "Persecution:
How Liberals Are Waging War Against
Christianity," endeavors to demonstrate how
the U.S. Constitution and the freedom of religion
are being undermined and endangered across America
by the liberal left wing. Throughout the history of
man, nations across the globe that reject God's word
have perished. Has our freewheeling society, where
anything goes at any cost, lost sight of our
founding fathers' vision in the name of selfishness,
self-indulgency and out-of-control personal freedom?
Liberty
that demands zero accountability has created a
nation of immorality and excuse makers. George
Bernard Shaw wrote, "Liberty means
responsibility. That is why most men dread it."
Responsibility
is not solely a Christian ethic, but it stirs the
faithful allegiance of followers to walk in Christ's
steps and be more Christ like in their personal
lives. But there's an increasing
hostility toward Christianity in our society - and
toward those who call themselves Christians. In
fact, evangelical Christians are routinely described
as the American Taliban by the news media and
left-wing politicos.
Blue
Dog question: Why not leave religion out of the
Virginia's campaigns? Too late! Because the Tim
Kaine trap that has been set - as I paraphrase a
good friend, who said, "Let's not keep religion
out of the public spaces, but not the gubernatorial
campaign" - is an attempt to made one's
religious credentials as relevant as intelligence,
experience or policies.
The
Democratic National Committee chair, Howard Dean,
who is bankrolling Kaine's gubernatorial campaign,
said Republicans are "not very friendly to
different kinds of people, they are a pretty
monolithic party ... it's pretty much a white,
Christian party." Of course,
everybody knows who the white Christians are, right?
By
the way, Mr. Dean has noted that he, unquestionably,
is also a white Christian. Is he a liberal
Christian? I read where Dean is forming a new
Christian Coalition to recruit evangelicals and
other faith denominations to the Democratic Party.
Holy Moses! You mean there's a roving busload of
screaming Deaniacs on Virginia's roads heading to
the nearest Sunday church service as we speak?
Say
Amen and pass the cornbread.
With
all that religious Democratic outreach from sea to
shining sea, do you suppose Kaine's gubernatorial
campaign will end its gag order against the Blue Dog
soon? That's not very faith-based, or
Christian-acting of the Kaine staff. Especially with
all of the GOP candidates responding back to the
Blue Dog's request for the politics of religion
column. In fact, attorney- general candidate Creigh
Deeds was the only Democrat to reply, but,
then, it's obvious to the Blue Dog that Sen. Deeds
is the only conservative Democrat on the ballot.
Since
the 1950s, the mass media and Hollywood needs to be
scrutinized for their complicity with eradication of
Christian beliefs and morals within our modern
society. Television has saturated the American
public with anti-religious imagery and the modern
mystique of self-centered, humanistic philosophies.
From
prayer in school to the words "under God"
in the Pledge of Allegiance, numerous
civil-liberties advocates and atheists activists
have filed suit to halt these Christian practices.
President Bush was named in a court suit due to Rev.
Franklin Graham offering of a prayer "in Jesus'
name" during Bush's presidential
inauguration. There have been a number of court
rulings manipulating and limiting prayers at public
meetings, schools and government facilities.
Locally,
the Blue Dog believes the city of Harrisonburg
recently approved nonsectarian prayers only for
their public meetings. Many local governments
discourage the use of Christian references during
prayers at public meetings and hearings. In the past
year, there have been minor skirmishes over public
prayer at government meetings in the cities of
Waynesboro and Staunton and the town of Elkton.
While
serving on the Rockingham County Planning
Commission, I sometimes referenced to Jesus Christ
at the end of my prayers. I'm not sure whether now
26th District House of Delegates GOP candidate Matt
Lohr remembers, but on several occasions, angry
local citizens confronted me after those meetings
during which I conducted those prayers. A few local
citizens said I was violating the law and infringing
on their rights as U.S. citizens.
At
the time, Matt consoled and counseled me after those
incidences. And we both agreed that there's nothing
wrong with praying and expressing one's beliefs at
public hearings. Last week, I questioned Lohr on his
feelings about public prayer, and he stated, "I
support public prayer at government meetings."
Sen.
Bill Bolling, the Republican candidate for
lieutenant governor, said, "I believe it is
helpful to begin all public meetings with prayer. Prayer
is an important part of my life, and if there is
anywhere it is needed, it is in the halls of
government."
Deeds
said, "I support public prayers at local and
state government meetings" Amen, Mr. Democrat,
Amen.
The
Republican AG candidate, Bob McDonnell said he
supports public prayers as well.
The
Blue Dog firmly believes that freedom of religion is
constitutionally guaranteed for all citizens,
especially dealing with public service, whether
appointed or elected. And furthermore, I believe
religious tolerance is a two-way street in America.
GOP
gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore said, "I
believe that it is an important part of our
government meetings to allow individuals to focus on
the task at hand and to pray for guidance on the
important decisions they will make."
Del.
Chris Saxman, R-Staunton, stated unequivocally,
"I support public prayer at local and state
meetings."
But
the Valley Yellow Dog, a Staunton resident,
disagrees. "I oppose public prayers at local
and state government meetings. Individual bodies
should be free to choose to have moments of silence
for prayer or meditation. The notion that God
hears us better when we stand up in front of our
peers and bray loudly is ignorant - and decidedly
unscriptural in the Christian tradition.
"I
elect and pay officials to do the peoples' business,
not to worry about making sure all possible
religions get a chance to pray or to spend my tax
money fighting religious wars in court. I am
hard-pressed to understand those who must make a
public display of their private faith outside their
places of worship.
"Quite
frankly, public displays of religion by public
officials do not reassure or comfort me. Looking to
Clement of Alexandria, for example, we find him
saying, 'When we hear, 'Your faith has saved you,'
we do not understand the Lord to say simply that
they will be saved who have believed in whatever
manner, even if works have not followed.' "
The
Blue Dog recalls that when he announced intentions
to run for the Virginia Senate in 2003, the campaign
had scheduled kickoff announcements at nine
different locations, and we began each with an
invocation to God and the singing of the national
anthem. At the time, I was advised by a few local
Democrats not to include a Christian prayer at
several locations, and more to the point, to refrain
from mentioning the name Jesus Christ while praying.
Needless to say, we upset a few liberal Democrats
that day while pacifying a few others. But without a
doubt, I found the unpleasant episodes rude,
disrespectful and unsettling.
Former
Georgia Sen. Zell Miller wrote, "The national
Democratic Party is in eminent danger of being
cannibalized, eaten alive by the special-interest
groups with their single-issue constituents who care
about only their narrow agenda."
Hey
Zell, welcome to my world ... And the
muzzling of the Valley Blue Dog.
--
July 11, 2005
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