A short list of the many ways BO is bringing the country together:

• Americans are now united behind the repeal of Obamacare. According to a recent Rasmussen poll of likely voters, 60% of likely voters at least somewhat favor the repeal of Obama’s health plan. If we could just get the same percentage of Senators on board we could actually make repeal happen.
• On the Bush tax cuts, set to expire at the end of 2010, 71% of Americans think the cuts should be left in place “for one more year until the economy recovers.” They also feel strongly about not letting the tax cuts expire permanently. Obama wants to let them expire even as the dreaded “double dip” looms and economic forecasts get dimmer.
• Americans are surprisingly united about the Ground Zero Mosque. Time published a poll that says 61% of people oppose GZM. A sizable majority – 70% – think GZM is insulting to those who died there. Of course, we all know where BO stands, or at least we thought we did last Friday when he spoke about religious freedom. He later “clarified” his remarks.
• A super-majority of Americans also think the country is on the “wrong track” according to Rasmussen, who put the number at 67% this week. The Real Clear Politics average is sitting at 61% which is still a pretty good majority.
• On Arizona’s immigration bill, BO is suing to stop it even though 55% of Americans support it.
• Two of every three Americans think the economy is getting worse while Obama continues to insist “Slowly but surely we are moving in the right direction.“

It’s not what he intended but BO is bringing Americans together. The question now is: why is Obama so consistently on the wrong side of the majority of Americans?

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Yesterday’s ruling by U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker that Prop 8, the measure approved by California voters in November 2008 establishing Marriage as between men and women, escalates an already heightened culture war. August 4, 2010 was a day of cultural crossfire as conservatives celebrated a shot-over-the-bow victory in Missouri against Obamacare and then were hit with a heavy air-strike from the court.

How long can these legal battles continue before the fissures are too deep to heal and secession or revolution is the only choice? Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating for either but the sheer volume of issues amplified by the Obama administration is enough to break anybody. Like when the CIA blasts heavy metal music at a terrorist, it is only a matter of time before we crack.

Evangelical Christians are in a particular pickle when it comes to the issues because being conservative is no longer enough. Take immigration, for instance. We believe in the rule of law and that governments are instituted by God for the administration of justice (see Romans 13), so we call on the government to do so by enforcing the current immigration law or to change it. And yet, the Bible is full of concern for the fair treatment of the aliens among us. The Church is rightly concerned about the devastating effects of deportation on Mexican families. The only way to make sense of it is to take a radical view of the separation of church and state such as the Church never has before in  America. It amounts to the Church saying to the Feds: “You worry about enforcing the law justly and blindly and we’ll worry about the human consequences.”

Of course, it is not so simple on all issues. Separation of church and state does not mean people are prohibited from publicly exercising their religious views. Two left turns last week proved the absurdity of trying to do so. First there was the ruling that a student at a public university could not hold her religious views and still graduate from the program. The court essentially institutionalized -read “established” and recall the First Amendment – a secularist worldview. The matter would be completely different were we discussing a private institution responsible for raising its own funds but this is a public center of learning. It runs on taxpayer dollars. How dare they rule that Christians, in essence, cannot come to their school? Does anyone seriously believe someone of another religious faith would be similarly targeted?

The second left turn is the discussion of the proposed mosque two blocks from Ground Zero. The very idea is revolting. Again, our values are being used against us, just as they were on the fateful day when 19 Islamic hijackers living freely in the U.S. used our airplanes as guided missiles. We know that advocating against the free exercise of religion anywhere potentially limits our own exercise of faith. That’s why Hugh Hewitt makes the case he does. There is no other way.

On the same-sex marriage issue thoughtful Christians feel a similar tension. The Bible rings a clear bell in both Testaments that sex is best kept within God’s design between a man and a woman united before him. Stories abound both in Scripture and those around us about the heartbreak and carnage that occurs when the opposite is true. On the other hand, how can we not be concerned about legitimate claims of inequality for homosexuals? Callously dismissing the issue fuels only the fires of hatred, not the flame of God’s love for the world. It is hard to call sin what it is in a culture that no longer believes in an offended God and still demonstrate Christ-like love. We must bless when we are cursed and give an answer full of love when asked spiteful questions. The Church has faced far worse in her history but never in the United States.

That’s why I wonder how much longer this can go on politically. Americans generally and Christian Americans in particular are already tolerating way more tyranny at the hands of liberals than the colonies ever did from King George. The screws are tightening around our freedom of religion. How much longer could that possibly be the case?

My sense is a lot of Americans are biding their time waiting for the fall elections. That’s our chance to win a decisive victory in American politics. Hell hath no fury like voters scorned. Election 2010 will not end the cultural fighting but it is a crucial flash point in the war for America’s future.

Related Articles:

• Lawsuit alleges university threatened student over religious views.
• Immigration Reform: Another Christian View

Countdowns

Election 2010 is rapidly approaching, less than 100 days away, and something is stirring. A movement is afoot, a tide is welling up just below the surface so you can see the evidence but not yet the waves. Nothing less is at stake than the very bedrock principles upon which this fine country was founded. Americans sense it. To inspire and further the return to our great ideals, I offer the following 100 days of quotes. Many are from our greatest presidents and dignitaries. Come back every day for a new quote.

61. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. – John Quincy Adams

62. A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law. -Alexander Hamilton

63. Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it. -Abraham Lincoln

64. America will never run…and we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders. -George W. Bush

65. The most effectual means of securing the continuance of our civil and religious liberties is always to remember with reverence and gratitude the source from which they flow. -John Jay

66. All men having power ought to be mistrusted. – James Madison

67. The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” -Ronald Reagan

68. Americans are a free people, who know that freedom is the right of every person and the future of every nation. The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world; it is God’s gift to humanity. -George W. Bush

69. There are persons who constantly clamor. They complain of oppression, speculation, and pernicious influence of wealth. They cry out loudly against all bands and corporations, and a means by which small capitalists become united in order to produce important and beneficial results. They carry on mad hostility against all established institutions. They would choke the fountain of industry and dry all streams. -Daniel Webster

70. Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it. -Abraham Lincoln

71. The Constitution preserves the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation where the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms. -James Madison

72. A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. -The Constitution of the United States of America, The Second Amendment

73. I believe freedom is the deepest need of every soul. -George W. Bush

74. A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law. -Alexander Hamilton

75. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. – John Quincy Adams

76. Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers. – John Jay

77. The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. -The Constitution of the United States, the Ninth Amendment

78. They are not to do anything they please to provide for the general welfare, but only to lay taxes for that purpose. To consider the latter phrase not as describing the purpose of the first, but as giving a distinct and independent power to do any act they please which may be good for the Union, would render all the preceding and subsequent enumerations of power completely useless. It would reduce the whole instrument to a single phrase, that of instituting a Congress with power to do whatever would be for the good of the United States; and as they sole judges of the good or evil, it would be also a power to do whatever evil they please … Certainly no such universal power was meant to be given them. It was intended to lace them up straightly within the enumerated powers and those without which, as means, these powers could not be carried into effect.
 -Thomas Jefferson, Opinion on National Bank, 1791

79. The world must be made safe for democracy. Its peace must be planted upon the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek no indemnities for ourselves, no material compensation for the sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind. We shall be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them. -Woodrow Wilson

80. A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy. While the people are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external or internal invader. -Samuel Adams, 1779

81. I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth. -John Adams

82. There, I guess King George will be able to read that. -John Hancock, Remark, July 4, 1776

83. Dependence begets subservience and venality, suffocates the germ of virtue, and prepares fit tools for the designs of ambition. -Thomas Jefferson

84. The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. -The Constitution of the United States, the Tenth Amendment

85. There is America, which at this day serves for little more than to amuse you with stories of savage men and uncouth manners, yet shall, before you taste of death, show itself equal to the whole of the commerce which now attracts the envy of the world. -Edmund Burke in his Speech on Conciliation with America, March 22, 1775

86. The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally stacked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people. -George Washington, First Inaugural Address, 1789

87. The public cannot be too curious concerning the characters of public men. -Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, 1775

88. All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression. -Thomas Jefferson

89. . . .In defense of the freedom that is our birthright. . .we have taken up arms. We shall lay them down when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, and all danger of their being renewed shall be removed, and not before. -John Hancock,
 In his pamphlet, Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of taking up Arms, July 6, 1775.

90. Nevertheless, to the persecution and tyranny of his cruel ministry we will not tamely submit — appealing to Heaven for the justice of our cause, we determine to die or be free. -Joseph Warren, 1775

91. Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt. -Samuel Adams, essay in The Public Advertiser, 1749

92. As far as an army may be considered as a dangerous weapon of power, it had better be in those has of which the people are most likely to be jealous than in those of which they are least likely to be jealous. For it is a truth, which the experience of ages has attested, that the people are always most in danger when the means of injuring their rights are in the possession of those of whom they entertain the least suspicion. -Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Number 25

93. Kings will be tyrants from policy, when subjects are rebels from principles. -Edmund Burke from Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790)

94. Yesterday the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, that those United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States. -John Adams in a letter to Mrs. Adams (July 3, 1776)

95. We are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of Nature has placed in our power…The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. -Patrick Henry

96. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value. -Thomas Paine

97. Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it. -Thomas Jefferson in his First Inaugural Address

98. When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. -Edmund Burke

99. Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. -Benjamin Franklin

100. Where law ends, tyranny begins. -William Pitt

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Last week found my father and me at Coors Field making our annual pilgrimage to see the Cardinals play the Rockies. Over the years we have watched our share of wins and losses and took them all in stride but these last two games were something else. Both games ended with spectacular come from behind, walk-off wins by the Rockies. Ouch! What a way for the Birds-on-the-Bat to lose!

The first game was a particularly instructive metaphor for worst-case scenarios in the mid-term elections this fall. The Cardinals were up 9-2 going into the seventh inning. They were firing on all cylinders. Hits were plenty, pitching adequate, and the lead sizable. In the top of the seventh I noticed the Cards’ batters were less patient and swinging away. The Rockies made short work of them. In the bottom of the frame the Rockies picked up a run. No big deal. The score was still 9-3. The eighth inning and top of the ninth were uneventful and the odds of the Cardinals winning this game were soaring by the minute.

What happened next has never been done by any major league team. The Rockies, in the bottom of the ninth, roared back pushing across as many runs in one half-inning (9!) as the Cardinals managed in the entire game. It was easily  the most dramatic win of the year anywhere in baseball. Rockies fans were elated, floating as they filed out of the stadium. We were stunned.

Here’s a gut-wrenching question: Can what happened to the Cardinals happen to the Republicans? Might the two teams I root for so passionately share similar defeats? While I am doing everything I can to support Republican candidates this fall, I cannot escape a lingering doubt that somehow the election may not turn out as expected. Who said not to underestimate the Republican’s ability to mess this up?

Let’s look at the similarities between the Cardinals and potential Republican pitfalls:

• An Insurmountable lead – All signs point to a huge blowout for Republicans in November. A quick look at the Real Clear Politics average shows solid leads for Republicans in all the right categories and many analysts-even among Democrats-are predicting huge Republican gains. Democrats are even planning a sore loser, poke ‘em in the eye agenda to implement immediately after the election. It looks like Republicans can’t help but win. Of course, that’s what I thought about the Cardinals in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings, too. There was no way to lose the game. Unless…
• Inevitability leads to laziness – There is an unwritten rule in baseball that when the game is a blowout you don’t work the count. The Cardinals honored this rule in the late innings as they swung away without really trying to pad the lead. Nine runs are usually enough, especially in the latter innings. Election 2010 is rapidly approaching and there could be danger if the Republicans are merely willing to let the Democrats lose rather than put them away with better ideas. That’s why Fred Barnes suggests Republicans adopt Paul Ryan’s Roadmap for America’s Future; it gives Republicans something positive to push. If they do adopt the Roadmap then it should be adopted by everyone. A house divided cannot stand, especially if…
• The best team isn’t on the field – Tony LaRussa is famous for his tinkering with the lineup. In a game with a considerable lead he is even more prone to making substitutions to get his bench some at-bats. That’s why Randy Winn was in the game. The player he replaced, Jon Jay, was doing a fine job on both sides of the ball but LaRussa wanted to get Winn in the game. This came back to haunt them as Winn made a couple of misplays in right field. LaRussa’s pitching decisions (e.g. leaving his lefty specialist in the game against righties) were questionable, too. For Republicans, this question will be unresolved until the votes are counted. Will Tea Party favorites like Rand Paul and Sharron Angle win? If so, the Tea Party will be hailed as a movement with momentum. If not, it will only be because…
• They simply did not execute – In the big leagues, your job is to make plays: hit the ball, throw the ball, and catch the ball. The Cardinals simply did not execute their pitches and missed more than one catch they should have made. (Interesting fact: Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina had as many passed balls in this one game as he did in all of last season: 4.) The team was good enough to win and conditions favored them but when the cleats met the grass they did not play well enough to win. That’s why they actually play the games: you never know what might happen. It could happen to the Republicans, too. We are rapidly approaching the late innings of the campaign: August, September, and October. Even with large and unusual leads Republicans will have to be united and on message to turn out voters. Any hint of failure to execute will depress turnout and lead to poorer than expected results.

What Constitutes a “W” in November?

This is an increasingly important question as expectations mount. In baseball, getting a “W’ means scoring more runs than the other team over 27 outs. In normal elections, securing more votes than the other guy is sufficient but this election is not normal. We need to get more votes in every district and state that is even close right now. Expectations of a Republican blowout are so high that I am afraid they will commit one of the simple but fatal errors above. Republicans could win but not as huge as expected and this would be interpreted as a Democrat victory, albeit a moral one.

Winning in November means more than gaining control over the House which is increasingly likely barring some strange, game-changing event. A true triumph will also take over the Senate by striking out long-time Democrat All-stars like Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Harry Reid (D-NV), and Russ Feingold (D-WI) in addition to the seven or so seats that now look winnable. Doing so will take discipline, great candidates, and near-perfect execution. Then the hard part: governing. Are the Republicans up for it? I hope so. I can’t take another brutal, come from behind loss.

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• Peggy Noonan thinks about words that didn’t make the Declaration.
• Rich Lowry also writes about Thomas Jefferson and his work on the great document.
• Michelle Malkin considers what the founding fathers thought of assimilation.
• Joseph Loconte reminds us that Churchill gave a great speech on July 4, 1940. Churchill reminded the U.S. what courage is all about.
• Jeff Jacoby discusses the so-called hypocrisy of the Declaration of Independence.

Have a safe, fun, and reflective holiday!

The parade was a great time for the kids. I got excited because we saw both Chet Culver, the current governor, and Terry Branstad, the once and future governor. It’s anecdotal but the men’s management style was completely different. Culver came through first and was weaving back and forth from side to side skipping people in the process. Branstad was much more methodical. He took one side and his Lt. governor candidate took the other. Very efficient. I shook Gov. Branstad’s hand as he walked by and gave a quick shout that we are supporting him. He is the only governor I remember when I still lived in Iowa. I hope he wins. He sure seemed to have a lot of support on the block we were on and has every reason to be confident. Sen. Grassley also walked by. I let him know we need him in congress.

Today is a good day not only to stuff our faces and enjoy the outdoors and shoot or watch fireworks but also to spend some time reflecting on the qualities that are at the foundation of this country. Naturally, these are best expressed by the greatness of Thomas Jefferson’s words in the Declaration of Independence itself:

Like many Americans, I seldom take the time to actually read the founding documents. We have this general sense of what they they say. It’s all around us like air. Independence and that charming American pluck in the face of disaster is the air we breathe every day of our lives. But there are several points that bear special mention today:

1. Theology of equality – The Declaration makes a theological argument. People are equal because God made them equal. Yes, this is a truth that took too long to be fully realized-and we are still working on it-but God’s role is recognized. The rise of secularism in this country makes this a harder sell and helps explain the drift away from the founding principles.
2. Governmental role – The government is there for the people to secure their rights, not to grant them. This role is granted to the government by the people (“consent of the governed”) to exercise “just powers.” Is there a more important message for a government that seems to feel entitled to every dime and industry?
3. Right to Replace – The Declaration acknowledges the right of the governed to replace the government oppressing them. The Declaration itself laughs in the face of those who think repealing Obamacare is a pipe dream. Not only is it possible thanks to the tremendous government the founders gave us but it is our right.
4. Safety and Happiness – The government’s role is to secure not only rights but safety and happiness. The founders were convinced that England was no longer capable or willing to secure these two basic things. I’m starting to wonder about ours.

Those are the thoughts running through my head as I celebrate today. What are your reflections on God and country today? I’d love to hear how you celebrate Independence Day. And thank a veteran. We wouldn’t have our freedoms but for those who died to secure them.

Peter’s central point is to live more like Jesus in all the situations you find yourself in. So when he addresses people living under the central government in Rome he says, submit yourselves. To slaves, he says submit to your master. To wives he says submit to your husbands. To husbands he says to be considerate and to treat your wife with respect. What is in the middle of all of that is most instructive.

Sandwiched between four commands to submit to authorities in our lives are these words: “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” Doesn’t it always come back to Jesus somehow? Jesus, though he was completely innocent, accepted a death sentence from a corrupt government. He was silent as lies were said about him and held his tongue while wicked men insulted him. I don’t know about you but I could never do that. Eventually someone would say something and I would be all over the comeback. Not Jesus.

Jesus understood that he was under another authority and a greater one. It did not really matter if those who imagined themselves better than the Holy One of God insulted him with profanities. The cowardly judge who finally sent him to death because he had trouble controlling a crowd did not have the final say. “Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”

And now we have come to the real issue. If Jesus can trust himself to God all the way to a hill of death can’t you and I submit ourselves to the authorities over us knowing it is only for a little while? Somehow, that’s not as easy to do as it is to write.

How do you handle authority in your life? Is it a struggle? Share your story in the comments. I’d love to hear it.