Monday, August 11, 2014

Bibles For Congress


Recently Representative Stephen Palazzo, Louisiana, gave every member of Congress a Bible. Concerned about the lack of morality and ethics in Congress, which could account for the current dismal approval ratings of Congress—only 12% strongly approve while 30% strongly disapprove—he took matters into his own hands. His accompanying letter stated that “the best advice comes through meditating on God’s word” and he offered the Bible to “help guide you in your decision-making”.
Bible 
The Gutenberg Bible, first printed book.

Bravo, congressman! I’ll bet the secular humanist progressives, who don’t believe in God, or believe in a comfortable God who requires nothing, loved it!  Yeah, right!

It took his staff several days to deliver the Bibles, donated by his constituent, retired Biloxi businessman J.B. Atchison, who thought they could “read God’s word and abide by His commandments”.

As you could expect, there’s been a storm of dissent “Oh no, we can’t do that—we believe in separation of church and state!” More truthfully stated, they believe in no church in state. Humanists force the two—the source of morality and laws that require morality—into isolation.

An example: in Colorado in 2005, the death sentence given Robert Harlan for his murder of a cocktail waitress was thrown out after it became known that jurors consulted the Bible to reach a verdict. Three of the five justices said the Bible was an improper outside influence and a reliance on what the court called a "higher authority”.

We should all be so lucky—jurors who consult the Bible for help! And incidentally, you know there is no such thing as separation of church and state—that’s an invention of the left after lifting a phrase from Thomas Jefferson’s letter in 1803 to Baptists in Connecticut.. The Constitution says the federal government has no say in anything to do with religion, pro or con. We can have all the religion we want, so long as we do not require a state-sponsored religion.

Last Sunday I sat next to an elderly Tongan sister in my congregation’s adult Sunday School class. After the lesson, she leaned close and related that she had sent the scriptures to President Obama, along with a personal letter. She has come to love American history since leaving her native Tonga, and is sure the president just doesn’t understand how much God loves America. She thinks he will read, believe and perhaps join our congregation after his presidency. She hopes he might even become a missionary.
The 1861 Lincoln Inaugural Bible against the backdrop of the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress

I laughed—a lot! As we sat side by side ten minutes later, still chuckling together, though for different reasons I’m sure, I felt gladness that she could so innocently believe. I couldn’t join her childlike belief, however!

The communications director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Rob Boston, predictably stated the group’s position about the bibles for Congress: “While it (the Bible) may provide spiritual solace for a lot of people, it was never intended to be a governance document.” How little he knows! The Bible contains the Law of Moses—God’s civil law.

The Founders loved the Bible and it was a major source of input for the Constitution. The concept of three branches of government comes partly from Isaiah 33:22: “The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our King: He will save us.” When the first American English language Bible was printed in America in 1792, Congress recommended it to the inhabitants of the United States.

I long for the word of God to be important in our country again! Meanwhile, I live by the words in the scriptures. They bring me peace.

Link for Newly Released E-book:  http://www.amazon.com/Promises-Constitution-Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow-ebook/dp/B00LEWCS4E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407776265&sr=8-1&keywords=ebook+promises+of+the+constitution

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