Senseless, Shameless, Lawless, and — Godless?
“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert those great pillars of human happiness.” George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796
“Government is ordained of God to commend those who do right … and to punish those who do wrong.” Romans 13:3, 4; I Peter 2:14
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Summary
Events of recent weeks have simply reinforced what we all know to be true. America is in serious trouble, domestically and internationally. Spiritually, morally, economically, and politically.
We can find many reasons for how and why this has happened, but they can all be boiled down to this: We have turned our backs on God and are now reaping the predictable consequences.
More specifically, it has also become more and more evident that the Democratic Party is largely responsible for taking us down this wayward path against our will. At both state and federal levels, its leaders are in many instances senseless, shameless, lawless, and some would even say “Godless” in the positions they are taking. It’s time for a change!
Details follow, including an Action Request at the end.
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Danger! The Democrats’ Long War on Virtue
Judicial Tyranny: Recent court rulings on marriage have added yet one more chapter in a sad saga of judicial tyranny in America and the damage that activist judges have done and are doing to our republic and to our families. In clear disregard of the U.S. Constitution’s carefully crafted separation of powers, unelected and unaccountable judges are repeatedly usurping the role of legislatures and the authority of “We the People” to make our own laws.
Constitutional Disdain: The Democratic Party, and President Obama in particular, are complicit in this judicial arrogation of powers by appointing and approving judges who interpret the Constitution, not as written but as they believe it should have been written, and who then impose their extra-constitutional and ideologically driven dictates on all of us.
Evil Cabals: Moreover, the Democratic Party has drifted far away from core values that once enjoyed universal support, including respect for the sanctity of human life, for natural marriage, for morality, and for religious liberty. Instead, it has become a willing and even enthusiastic lapdog for groups like pro-abortion Planned Parenthood, the pro-homosexual Human Rights Campaign, and enemies of religious freedom like the ACLU and the Freedom from Religion Foundation. Once again, President Obama has led the charge.
Confront, Convert, or Replace: As a consequence, the Party must be stopped in its pursuit of this destructive agenda before it does further damage. We must confront them, contain them, convert them, or — if they will not be converted — replace them with men and women who understand and are willing to fight for the timeless Virtues of Faith, Family, and Freedom in the culture and in the public square.
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Senseless! SCOTUS Punts on Marriage
The Supreme Court’s inexplicable refusal last Monday to review lower courts’ rulings which knocked down state laws that recognized only natural marriage between one man and one woman has thrown the legal landscape into confusion. In many of the 30 states that had passed such laws, including Virginia with 57% of the votes cast in 2006, the people had voted to place that law into their state constitutions as a protection against court interference.
While SCOTUS avoided an explicit repeat of the tragic Supreme Court decision in 1973 that overturned pro-life state laws and “legalized” abortion, its inaction in this instance served essentially the same purpose by allowing unelected federal judges to usurp legislative authority and override the will of the people – just as it did in 1973.
Shameless! Gov. McAuliffe, AG Herring, and Sen. Kaine Celebrate
“Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all. They do not even know how to blush.” Jeremiah 6:15
Following the Court’s decision, Attorney General Mark Herring boasted that “we have put Virginia on the right side of history in one of the defining civil rights (sic) issues of our day, … and one step closer to fulfilling the promise of equality.”
Not to be left out, Sen. Tim Kaine said the decision has brought an “end of the discriminatory ban … and a major step toward Jefferson’s ideal that ‘all men are created equal’.”
In a shameless display of his own ideology and personal support for the destructive homosexual lifestyle and agenda, Gov. Terry McAuliffe boasted of his earlier participation in a gay pride parade – “the first governor in Virginia history to have done so.”
In a sharp contrast with his promotion of the homosexual agenda, McAuliffe earlier this year bowed to ACLU bidding and vetoed a bill that would have reaffirmed religious liberty protections for public school students. He justified the veto by stating that such a bill would have infringed on the rights of other students to be free from religious expressions!
Lawless! McAuliffe and Herring Usurp Legislative Authority and Will of the People
“Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this Commonwealth and its political subdivisions. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage ….” Article 1, Section 15A, VA Constitution.
“I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me … , according to the best of my ability (so help me God).” VA Oath of Office
In this specific battle over marriage, both Gov. McAuliffe and AG Herring have violated their oaths of office to “faithfully and impartially” discharge their sworn duties. They opposed a law they had sworn to defend, they overrode the authority of the General Assembly, and they flouted the will of the people.
Even though this is not yet a settled issue pending possible further action by SCOTUS on separate appeals from other states, that didn’t stop McAuliffe and Herring from ordering state agencies to accept it as definitive – including the right of “married” same-sex partners to adopt and to receive tax and health care benefits equal to that of natural marriages.
In two separate actions, AG Herring has also determined on his own authority that abortion clinics in Virginia are not required to comply with all of the standards of health and safety that were approved by the General Assembly and implemented earlier by the Board of Health. In the second case, he also stated that clinics and health care professionals may in some cases not be required to report cases of suspected rape involving underage children.
Godless?
“Woe unto those who call evil good, and good evil, … who are wise in their own eyes, … who have cast off the law of the Lord, and who have despised His Holy Word!” Isaiah 5:20, 24
“We will either be One Nation Under God, or we will become a nation gone under.” Ronald Reagan
During the 2012 Democratic Convention, delegates tried to remove a reference to God from their platform. Although they failed in that attempt, actions such as those described above appear to have already achieved that purpose. They also raise questions about what the Declaration of Independence refers to as “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God”, such as the following situations:
1. In His Word, God clearly defines marriage as only between one man and one woman. So, since Democrats do not accept His Word as their standard for “marriage”, what is their standard and where does it come from? Does it accept marriages between and among multiple partners?
2. In His Word, God clearly forbids sexual intimacy between members of the same gender. Since Democrats don’t accept that as their standard, what is their standard regarding what is and is not acceptable sexual conduct? Does anything go as long as it is “consensual”?
3. In His Word, God clearly refers to life as beginning at conception. Since Democrats don’t accept that standard either, at what point does life begin for them, after which abortions should be made illegal? Moreover, since Democrats are so deeply committed to “equal rights under the law” and an end to “discrimination”, when will it extend such protection to unborn babies?
4. In His Word, God clearly sees situations in which we must choose between obeying Him and Caesar. Since many people accept God’s standards for marriage, for life, and for morality, will Democrats respect and protect those people and their beliefs or will they be forced to accept and to participate in Democrat-imposed policies and programs that violate their beliefs?
Action Request
So, what can we do to reverse this course and restore Virtue in our culture and in our government?
For now, simply be sure you are registered to vote on November 4. The deadline for doing so is this coming Tuesday, Oct. 14. If you are not yet registered, it might be best to register in person at your local registrar’s office to make sure you meet the deadline. Stay tuned for more information about the differences in party platforms and candidates.
In addition, if you would like to contact Governor McAuliffe and/or AG Herring about any of these issues or ask them questions such as those listed above, go to www.governor.virginia.gov or www.oag.state.va.us.
Thank You, for God and Country!
Dean Welty serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Christian Alliance and is Director of the Valley Family Forum, a network of families in the Shenandoah Valley that helps build Faith, Family, and Freedom in the culture and in the public square. He also hosts a weekly television program entitled “Valley Faith in Action“.
Valley Faith in Action airs at 8:00 p.m. on Friday and at 8:30 p.m. Sunday on WAZT-TV, which is Comcast Cable Channel 13 in the Harrisonburg area. It will air again at Wednesday midnight. You can also access it and other recent programs by clicking HERE.
