Consecrate a Fast; Call a Solemn Assembly

I believe this presidential election is the most critical election of my lifetime so far. America is at a crossroads, and depending on who we elect, we will either return to the values and principles that have made the United States a great nation, or we will descend into secularism, European-style socialism, and increasing size of both government and national debt.

This Super Tuesday will be critical to Rick Santorum's success; 419 delegates are at stake. I support Rick not only for his sound economic ideas, but for his corageous stand on social issues. All of the GOP candidates have at least paid lip service to pro-life issues and religious liberty, but Rick has been more outspoken on these issues by far. In fact, he hasn't just spoken of life and liberty--he's fought for them.

This is bold (and even a little risky) in an age in which even "conservatives" are urging candidates to avoid discussion of  abortion and same sex unions and focus on the economy. I believe this is a mistake. A conservative movement without social conservative is a watered-down, compromised conservatism. What we need in this hour is a strong conservative, both fiscally and socially. Rick Santorum is the strongest conservative currently running for the GOP nomination.

That is why tomorrow I will be fasting and praying that the American people would awake from their slumber and take their country back. I am also calling on all people of faith, especially Christians, to fast and pray with me for another Great Awakening. I am fasting and praying on Super Tuesday in hopes that Rick will get the necessary boost he needs to win, because I honestly believe he's the best candidate. If America picks Rick, it will be a sign that my fellow Americans are hungry for a return to the Judeo-Christian values our nation was founded on.

In the words of the prophet Joel:

"Yet even now," declares the Lord,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
and rend your hearts and not your garments."
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.
Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
and leave a blessing behind him,
a grain offering and a drink offering
for the Lord your God?

Blow the trumpet in Zion;
consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
gather the people.
Consecrate the congregation;
assemble the elders;
gather the children,
even nursing infants.
Let the bridegroom leave his room,
and the bride her chamber.
~Joel 2:12-16 ESV

Let's fast and pray and bring an end to this wretched age of compromise. Let's send a message to the world that we are still one nation, under God, and we still believe in liberty and justice for all. Let's send a message to Barack Obama that we're not interested in his hope, his change, or his fundamental transformation of America into a Marxist republic. Let's send a message to Washington D.C. that we are sick of pork-barrel spending, high taxes, special interests, gratuitous mandates and programs, and all other waste and corruption. Let's start by crying out to a merciful, Almighty God Who can set this nation right again.

Rick Santorum, the American Taliban?

On This Week, Rick Santorum told George Stephanopoulos that John F. Kennedy's 1960 speech on the separation between church and state made him want to throw up.

In the particular statement Rick referred to, JFK said, "I believe in an America where separation of church and state is absolute..." Not surprisingly, extreme elements of the left-wing media are spinning Rick's statements to make him sound like a fundamentalist bigot, who wants to transform the United States into a Christian theocracy.

I found an article in the Huffington Post with the inflammatory headline, "Santorum: Separation of Church and State 'Makes Me Want To Throw Up.' In a another article, with a similarly twisted title, the author quotes Ibraham Hooper, spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic relations as saying, "It seems (candidates like Rick Santorum) are not really opposed to the separation of church and state--as long as it's their church." This is a little odd, considering Hooper once said, "I wouldn't want to create the impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be Islamic sometime in the future..."

It seems as though the left-wing media will stop at nothing to smear anyone who opposes them. The truth is irrelevant. Only political victory counts. Personally, I care more about the truth than partisan politics.

Rick Santorum's political enemies are doing everything they can to discredit him. Since he is a man of integrity, they have to lie to make him look bad. After hearing or reading Rick's full comments, no clear thinking person could ever say the former senator was speaking against the separation of church and state. What Rick actually told Stephanopoulos was,

"I don't believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute. The idea that the church can have no influence or no involvement in the operation of the state is absolutely antithetical to the objectives and vision of our country. This is the First Amendment. The First Amendment says the free excercise of religion. That means bringing everybody, people of faith and no faith, into the public square."

Clearly, Rick does believe in the separation of church and state; he just doesn't agree that this separation is absolute. This is hardly a controversial idea, since sessions of congress open with prayer, the military has chaplains, and important religious figures like Billy Graham and the Dalai Lama have visited our nation's presidents.

Separation of church and state has never been absolute, nor ought it be. Religious movements have been a powerful influence in our nation for good, without dictating government policy in a theocratic way. English Separatists, the Pilgrims, came to the shores of Plymouth Rock to practice their faith freely, without government oppression. Quakers led the movement to abolish slavery. One of this nation's greatest heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a Baptist minister who led an explicitly religious fight for civil rights.

The very notions of liberty and the cry for independence from Great Britain originated in the pulpits of Reformed churches. The English journalist G.K. Chesterton wrote, "The United States is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence." He was referring to the familiar words,

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness...

As Rick would point out, although our highest law is the Constitution, the Constitution without the Declaration is like peanut-butter without jelly. The rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are endowed by our Creator God. Rick Santorum stands up for these rights, while opposing the new "rights" that government has given: abortion and entitlements, now including government-mandated healthcare.

That is why the left hates him, lies about him, and tries to crush him with their propaganda machine. He stands for everything they hate, while standing against everything their hero, Barack Obama, stands for. Well, to borrow a line from Herman Cain, "How's that workin' out for ya?"

If you want higher gas prices, higher unemployment, higher taxes, a weaker military, and more government, I suppose you'll vote for Barack Obama. But if you're like me, you'll vote for Rick Santorum because he sticks up for the rights of the unborn, he sticks up for religious liberty, and he isn't running for "pastor-in-chief." These are all things this pastor finds encouraging.

And he is not just a strong social conservative, but has a solid economic plan to help the United States prosper once again.

He stands in sharp contrast to our current President. If you're sick of Barack Obama's hope and change, please support Rick Santorum with your vote in your state's primary or caucus. Get the word out among your friends that Rick Santorum can win the GOP nomination, and beat Barack Obama. If we support Rick, we might get our country back in November.

Rick Santorum Headlines the Chattanooga Tea Party Liberty Forum

Rick Santorum headlined the Chattanooga Tea Party's Liberty Forum, held at Abba's House at Central Baptist Church in Hixson, TN. I attended the event with my wife and in-laws, and I thought I would share some of my thoughts and experiences of the event.

We arrived about 1:30 PM; Rick was scheduled to speak at 2:30. The first thing we saw as we pulled in to the parking lot at Abba's House was Occupy Chattanooga out front on the side walk, holding up signs in support of abortion and against Rick Santorum. They chanted, "Tell me what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!" and offered anyone who passed by condoms.

As we entered and sat down in the auditorium Michael Patrick Leahy of the National Tea Party Coalition took the stage, followed by state Senator Bo Watson, who gave a rousing speech about the 10th amendment. The next scheduled speaker was Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, however the headliner showed up a little earlier than expected and took the stage instead (Congressman Fleishmann ended up speaking after Santorum left).

Rick Santorum was extremely well received by the Tea Partiers present, and spoke for an hour. Rick had a lot of great things to say, but several comments stood out to me. Rick said that, "True happiness comes from doing God’s will. It comes not from doing what you want to do, but doing what you ought to do." He spoke on his experiences fighting against entitlements and for the right to life of the unborn. "It’s one thing to be pro-life; it’s another thing to go out and fight for life. I have fought for life.”

An awkward moment occurred at the end of Santorum's speak, when the host interrupted him and told him the speech was over. This took Rick aback, as well as most in the audience, who were eating up everything the presidential candidate said. It is still unclear to me why they did not just let him finish his speech--whether it had to do with the Chattanooga Tea Party's schedule, Rick's schedule, or something else. Many (including my father-in-law) thought that the host was a bit rude to Rick.

Seeing Rick in person only more deeply confirmed my support for him. He showed himself to be a sincere conservative, and not a "fake" as some of his opponents have claimed. I believe he stands out from the other candidates, especially in his consistent stand for pro-life issues and religious liberty. Some in the media have tried to paint him as a bigot or a theocrat, but he has made it clear that he is running for President, not "Pastor in chief." In the most recent GOP debate in Arizona, he spoke knowledgeably, citing scientific studies which confirmed that out of wedlock births were detrimental to children and society. He said, "We have a society… the increasing number of children being born out of wedlock in America, teens who are sexually active. The left gets so upset: ‘Oh, look at him talking about these things.’ Here is the difference between me and the left — and they don’t get this — just because I’m talking about it doesn’t mean I want a government program to fix it. That’s what they do. That’s not what we do.”

Please tell your friends, your family, and your churches, that Rick Santorum is the man to beat Barack Obama in 2012. If you have cash to spare, please support his campaign with a financial donation.