Christian Churches To Go Underground in America?

Christian Churches To Go Underground in America?

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

Back in 2009, I wrote a piece in which I asked if the Christian church in America was being forced to go underground.  As I recently read the news that pastors were being sued for preaching that homosexuality is a sin, I saw clearly that yes, the “real” Christian church in America, in order to continue to stay true to their belief and to God, will be forced to do as the early Christians did – go underground.

At the risk of being accused of being a wild-eyed, bible-thumping, Holy Roller, I need to explain what I mean when I say “the REAL Christian Church” in America.

In the past three decades, or so, many of the mainline Christian churches have slipped away from their foundation on the Holy Scriptures and adopted more and more secular tenents and leftist, politically correct, philosophy until they have become only a shadow of the true followers of Christ. In my opinion, those denominations can no longer claim to be “Christian” churches simply because -- they are not.

A few years ago, I left my own denomination, one of the mainline denominations in America, because it had chosen to forsake the tenents of the Bible and the “Good News,” the Gospel, as enunciated by the very person from whom the church had received its mission.

Allow me, please to state, flat out, that I do not hold myself to be a better Christian than any other follower of Christ.  Nosiree!  I am nothing more than a sinner saved by the grace of God – no more, and no less.  It was a gift from a loving God.  There was nothing I could have done and nothing I can ever do, which would have either bought that grace – or -- made me worthy of receiving it.  In the eyes of God, I believe, I am just as bad as the worst murderer on death row and just as good as the Pope. Our shared commonality is that we are all sinners.

Unfortunately, many of our mainline denominations have become nothing more than social clubs with many franchises nationwide. Their pastors “preach” feel good “sermonettes” about the environment, and things like “social justice.”  In my opinion, that is not the mission of a church that purports to follow Christ.  In fact, Christ, Himself, spelled out the mission of the church in what we refer to as The Great Commission.  

After His resurrection and shortly before he ascended to heaven, he gave his followers this mission:  ¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

 ¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

 ²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.  Matthew 28:18-20

That commission from Christ is the reason the church exists … period.  To fulfill that mission the church MUST stand firmly upon the foundation of the Holy Scripture and the teachings of Christ.  That means insisting that the standard(s) set by Christ are, and remain, the guiding force behind everything the church does.  Of course, that means pastors are compelled to preach that those things the Scripture marks as sin are duly, and publicly, noted from their pulpits as SIN.  If a church is reluctant to do this, or refuses to do this, then, in my opinion, that church is not a Christian church.

Today, in America, pastors are fearful of preaching the scriptures.  They are fearful of pointing out man’s failings, man’s falling short of the mark.   They are concerned that they will be dragged into court, and accused of slander or some form of libel because some sinner, as defined by the scriptures, has been offended or even embarrassed.  It is a very real threat, especially to the evangelical church in America.

As a result those churches, which hold true to the gospel, now feel that they must consider meeting in secret for Bible classes, for worship services, or other bible centric gatherings. 

The fact is, dear reader, America has deteriorated into such an ugly mess, that she has become the kind of country to which early America used to dispatch missionaries of The Gospel.  

There is a clear attempt by the government (local, state, and federal) to criminalize biblical preaching and prevent thousands of churches and clergymen from practicing their faith without threat of penalty from our government.

So, yes, the Christian Church, I believe, WILL be driven underground in America, as it has been in other nations around the globe. Otherwise, it will cease to exist in this land many firmly believe was founded by Christians.    

As much as it pains me to say this -- America is no longer a Christian nation. At least, America’s government no longer governs by men and women who base their convictions on the Judeo-Christian code of laws and beliefs.

And very soon now, I believe, the Supreme Court of the land will be in the hands of socialists, as well, and THAT will be the end of the experiment called “America” -- a nation which was to have been governed only by the voice of it’s people and their God.

The wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah could not hold a candle to the wickedness in America today. 

If the true Christian church is to survive in America, it MUST go underground.

J. D. Longstreet

Another Vacation For Obama?

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

It seems our over-worked President is off on another vacation … this time for over two weeks – seventeen days, to be exact.  It seems only yesterday he was on vacation in Massachusetts.  Wait!  That WAS earlier this year, but it was only eleven days at Martha’s Vineyard.

One would have to surmise that ruining a country is stressful for Obama.  It must be all his leading from behind that does it.

Why do we not hear the cries “Imperial Presidency” from the Mainstream Media these days?  Two reasons:  Obama is not a republican – and -- Obama is a socialist democrat -- as is the bulk of the Mainstream Media.

Does Obama not realize there is a recession on?  The man must be completely tone-deaf to the cries of the average American today.  I mean, you would think a person running for President, especially a candidate who swears he is “fighting” for the middle class would be a tad more circumspect when it comes to grandiose vacations and such, but not Obama.  You would think that candidate would also be circumspect about spending the taxpayer’s dollars when the country is broke, but again, not Obama.

Its as if the rules don’t apply to Obama. In his arrogance he comes across as being above all that.  I mean, act with some class, for heaven’s sake! 

People are hurting out here in fly-over country but our President is living it up at great expense to US taxpayers, the very same ones worried over how they are going to pay the rent, put groceries on the table, make the payments on their house or car, and yes – how they are going to afford gifts for their children this Christmas.  NOT our illustrious President, however.  He just flies over it all in that gorgeous 747 on his way to a tropical island state for a Hawaiian Christmas with his family… you know, the kind of Christmas vacation we all dream of … knowing full-well we will never realize that dream.

What is it with this guy? Is it that he knows he is a one term President with only a year left to enjoy all the perks of the office of President of the United States -- and his intention is to take advantage of all of them he possibly can?  Frankly, I believe that is partly the answer.  But I think there is more to it.  I think he just doesn’t give a damn what you or I think about his extravagance in office.  

“The President's family covers the cost of a private beach front residence in Kailua, Oahu, for their vacation - a ‘Winter White House’ that costs up to $3,500 a day, or $75,000 a month.

But the local and federal taxpayers help pay the bill for travel and security.

Last year the trip cost more than $1 million, according to the Hawaii Reporter.

It follows an 11-day stay in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, earlier this year, which is also believed to have cost the U.S. taxpayer millions.” (SOURCE)

Over the past few months there has been a plethora of commentaries about which is the worst President the United States has ever had – Jimmy Carter or Barack Obama.  Having survived BOTH (so far) I have to tell you Obama leaves Jimmy Carter in the dust when it comes to a contest over which of them is America’s worst President.  I mean, COME ON!  At the very least, Jimmy Carter was humble.  No one can call Obama “humble” with an iota of veracity.

Obama has spent America into the poorhouse while he wallows in the lap of luxury.

You have to wonder if Obama’s campaign has a public relations firm on the payroll.  Somehow, I cannot see Obama accepting advice from any one, let alone acting upon that advice.  The man’s lifestyle, as a public official, would be a nightmare for any public relations firm.

These days Mr. Obama comes across as a caricature of a cartoon politician (if that is possible).  With his soaring oratory, his lifestyle, his total ineffectiveness as a national leader, and his rejection of a global leadership role, well, he appears to be a pretty fair public speaker – and not much else.

It has become as clear as crystal to the American voter that if America is to make it out of this mess, in which we currently find ourselves, then we desperately need someone, other than Obama, to take charge and lead.

Great nations make great mistakes.  America made one in November of 2008.  Now it is time to set the matter aright.

J. D. Longstreet

Paper Money, Real Debt, and Spendthrift Nations ... Alan Caruba

Paper Money, Real Debt, and Spendthrift Nations

By Alan Caruba

As the citizens of the United States and the seventeen member-nations of the European Union look on, a great drama regarding the future of the EU and its currency, the Euro, is occurring.

The essential problem is that both the U.S. dollar and the Euro are just so much paper, despite the promises and guarantees that they will be honored as real money. The trick has been to keep everyone believing there are sufficient real assets to back up those promises.

Since the U.S. dollar is a kind of universal currency to which other nations peg the value of their currencies the problem for everyone is that the U.S. is broke. Its debt exceeds its annual capacity to generate income, otherwise known as its Gross Domestic Product. Every hour of every day it must borrow billions to meet its obligations. Forty cents of every dollar the U.S. spends is borrowed.

There is a reason why television these days if filled with commercials offering to sell gold. Gold has always retained its value though it does fluctuate. The U.S. Treasury’s gold hoard has a value of more than $400 billion these days, but that value is the flip side of the Federal Reserve’s demolition of the dollar which has lost 95% of its value since1913, the same year the Fed was created.

Currently the Federal Reserve has been printing vast quantities of dollars—quantitative easing—that only serves to devalue it. The dollar is backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States, but for the first time in our history our credit rating has been downgraded by agencies such as Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.

Not that the rating agencies haven’t also been part of the problem. They are famous for telling everyone that the bundled mortgage assets of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were okay right up to the day the 2008 financial crisis occurred and Lehman Brothers collapsed

When the 2008 financial crisis hit, the American taxpayer was tapped to bail out a number of banks, a huge insurance company, and even General Motors. This was followed by “stimulus” spending, all of which drove U.S. debt levels to historic highs. The vast matrix of Federal Reserve central banks, government agencies charged with oversight of financial institutions, and the ratings agencies all contributed to the crisis.

The U.S. went off the gold standard in 1931, in effect exporting deflation around the world. Other nations followed suit. At the time, Americans were experiencing high debt burdens, unemployment, and money hoarding. If that also sounds like 2011, you’re right.

The crisis of 2008 was brought about by the “bundling” of mortgage assets. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, two Depression-era social justice inventions, currently own 50% of mortgages, many of which were the result of pressures on banks to make loans to people who clearly could not pay them back. What the banks considered “assets” were phantoms whose collateral could often not be traced.



Ben Bernanke, Fed Chair

 Little noted is the role of the Federal Reserve. A government investigation into the causes of the 2008 financial crisis concluded that “The prime example is the Federal Reserve’s pivotal failure to stem the flow of toxic mortgages which it could have done by setting prudent mortgage-lending standards. The Federal Reserve was the one entity empowered to do so and it did not…”

What the Fed had done, in fact, was to lower the interest rate it charged for lending to banks to very nearly zero.

In his book, “Currency Wars: The Making of the Next Global Crisis”, author James Rickards explains what is actually occurring.

“The United States now has a system in which the Treasury runs non-sustainable deficits and sells bonds to keep from going broke. The Fed prints money to buy those bonds and incurs losses by owning them. Then the Treasury takes IOUs back from the Fed to keep the Fed from going broke.”

We’ve been here before in two previous currency wars, the latter of which led to World War II. The problem then and now is the need for job creation, something that can only be achieved by private enterprise.

The United States government has not provided a good environment for its business and industrial community to invest and expand. It has, as just one example, very nearly the highest corporate tax in the world; beyond that, a vast matrix of regulations makes doing business in America expensive, difficult, and often uncompetitive.

How this will all play out depends in large part on whether Americans are prepared to reduce the size of a government that grew precipitously in the 1930s and the second half of the last century. We must begin to slowly and fairly phase out the “entitlement” programs.

The great question facing Europe is whether the EU disbands and its members return to individual national sovereignty in a response to a continent-wide economic disruption caused by unsustainable debt in its southern tier nations. The EU was a response to a history that generated two major wars in the last century, bankrupting the continent morally, socially, and economically. The road back has been in part due to U.S. aid and protection against the former Soviet threat.

While the possibility of abandoning the Euro was unthinkable bare months ago, it is now an option; a very difficult option because of the vast interconnectiveness of Europe’s and our own banks.

In America the only real hope we have is that in November 2012 we will elect men and women who will turn the ship of state around before the latest currency war sinks ours and the world’s economies.

© Alan Caruba, 2011

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Alan Caruba's commentaries are posted daily at "Warning Signs" his popular blog and thereafter on dozens of other websites and blogs. If you love to read, visit his monthly report on new books at Bookviews. To visit his Facebook page, click here For information on his professional skills, Caruba.com is the place to visit.

Elections Have Consequences

Elections Have Consequences
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

It is less than a year to Election Day 2012.  By now, we should all know that elections have consequences.  We are all suffering as a result of the consequences wrought by turning the entire US government over to the democrats beginning as far back as 2007.   We very nearly lost our country … and the danger isn’t over yet.



Over the next few months, we are going to see the Mainstream Media in America pull out all the stops as they run interference for President Obama and the Democrats.  It will become increasingly difficult to dig through the layers of bovine scatology the MsM will pile up to camouflage the damage the Obama administration has done to America.  They will make every effort to destroy the republican candidates – and -- when the GOP nominee is decided, expect the MsM to tear him to shreds.
 
Already, Obama is declaring how he needs another term to finish the job.  I agree.  One more term of Obama and America WILL BE FINISHED. 
  
It appears that Obama is planning on a “Blame it on Bush” themed campaign.  Don’t expect “The One” to take responsibility for anything!  Our fearless “Bystander-in-Chief” will happily take the credit -- but never the responsibility or the blame.  He’s just that kind of guy.


Over the next few months the Republicans will be blamed for everything that has happened to America under the Obama administration. But before you buy into all the leftist propaganda we suggest you consider the article below, which has been floating around the web. 
 
I have no idea who authored the article below but it IS interesting.  Please read on: 


Remember January 3, 2007


The day the Democrats took over was not January 22, 2009 when Obama took office with Democratic control of both house of Congress. It was actually January 3, 2007 the day Democrats gained control over the House of Representatives and the Senate. The infamous start of the 110th Congress. The Democratic Party controlled a majority in both chambers for the first time since the end of the 103rd Congress in 1995.
For those who are listening to the liberals propagating the fallacy that everything is the Conservatives or Bush’s fault, think about this:

January 3, 2007 was the day the Democrats took over the Senate and the Congress.
At the time:


The DOW Jones closed at 12,621.77


The GDP for the previous quarter was 3.5%


The Unemployment rate was 4.6%


George Bush’s Economic policies had just set a record of 52 STRAIGHT MONTHS of JOB CREATION after orchestrating a recovery of a mild recession he inherited from the aftermath of the Clinton era!



Remember the day… January 3, 2007


It was the day that Barney Frank took over the House Financial Services Committee and Chris Dodd took over the Senate Banking Committee. The economic meltdown that happened 15 months later was in what part of the economy?
  
Remember, the Community Reinvestment Act they sponsored? You can thank Congress for taking us from 13,000 DOW, 3.5 GDP and 4.6% Unemployment to this CRISIS by dumping 5-6 TRILLION Dollars of toxic loans on the economy from YOUR Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fiasco’s! 

(BTW: Bush asked Congress 17 TIMES to stop Fannie & Freddie – starting in 2001, because it was financially risky for the U.S. economy, but no one was listening).


And who took the THIRD highest pay-off from Fannie Mae AND Freddie Mac? Then Senator Obama.

 
And who fought against reform of Fannie and Freddie? Obama and the Democratic Congress.

REMEMBER JANUARY 3rd, 2007…. “THE DAY THE DEMOCRATS TOOK OVER!”

Bush may have been in the car, but the Democrats were in charge of the gas pedal, the steering wheel and they were driving. Set the record straight on Bush!

So, as you listen to all the commercials and media from the Democrats who are now distancing themselves from their voting record and their party, remember how they didn’t listen to you when you said you didn’t want all the bailouts, you didn’t want the health care bill, you didn’t want cap and trade, you didn’t want them to continue spending money we don’t have.

I’m not forgetting their complicity in getting us into this mess, and I’ll be marking my vote accordingly!

“It’s not that liberals aren’t smart, it’s just that so much of what they know isn’t so” -Ronald Reagan

Every election is important.  But I cannot think of a single election in my lifetime of over seven decades that was as important to America as the election in November of 2012.  

As we stand on the cusp of a global financial collapse America will need a leader, indeed, the WORLD will need a leader not afraid to lead from the front.  What America does not need is another four years of Obama.

J. D. Longstreet

The Sino-America War

A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet

It is coming as sure as the sun rises in the east.  China and America are headed for a military showdown. 

China’s recent announcement that it will now consider roughly 90% of the South China Sea it’s territorial waters will certainly cause our two navies to brush up against each other and create sparks… sparks that could easily ignite a global conflict between the US and China.

“China’s aggressive behavior and threatening rhetoric are complemented by massive militarization. Beijing is projecting military power far from its shores with a rapidly growing, modern blue-water navy, long-range aircraft with refueling capabilities, a global satellite network, anti-access ballistic missiles (read aircraft carrier killers) and its first aircraft carrier. These instruments of war provide Beijing an expeditionary capability that could lead to a shooting war.” (SOURCE)

Things have gotten so touchy between the US and China militaries that “… the U.S. established a cold war-like hotline between China’s People's Liberation Army and the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff …”) (SOURCE)

With tensions so high it is prudent to expect the US 7^th Fleet to find itself in perilous situations with China’s navy as the 7^th fleet patrols the South China Sea.

All this pugnacious behavior by China has scared the dickens out of many of the neighborhood’s Asian countries. They have begun banding together and they are asking the US to join with them to aid them in countering China’s expansionist moves in the region.

Just as things are reaching critical mass in the Middle East and China is showing signs that it is about to begin throwing it’s military weight around, the US government is seriously discussing massive cuts in the US military.  If the huge cuts in the military budget, made possible by the failure of the Congressional “Super Committee’s” inability to reach some sort of agreement, are actually allowed to come to pass, the US will have a military slightly larger than it had at the beginning of World War One. The feared “hollow military” will become a fact --  and the world will be defenseless against such opportunist countries as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, not to mention the Islamofacists and their terror machine.

Look.  Cutting the US military at such a critical time in world history would be stupid and idiotic -- not to mention suicidal.

A US-China war has been brewing since shortly after the Second World War.  With Chinese interests and assets all over the world now, when it comes, it will be a global conflict.  

The ‘dogs of war” are inevitably set loose when America elects a weak President.  Mr. Obama has proven to be an astonishingly weak President. His administration has been a “by-stander” administration. He enjoys leading from the rear much as “parade ground generals” do.  It looks good, but it does absolutely nothing to either maintain the peace or instill confidence in the military -- let alone our friends and allies.

If history has taught us anything -- it is that a weak US President invites trouble from America’s enemies.

Leftist and liberal presidents usually ARE weak in defending America.  It appears they are embarrassed for being an American citizen, and they jump at every chance to apologize to the world for what THEY consider America’s mistakes.  Such weakness only emboldens America’s enemies and makes a laughing stock of America’s President. More importantly, it places the people of the United States in danger.    

Some in the Obama Administration are suggesting to the President that the US should reduce its military commitment in the Middle East and re-focus on Asia.  They are claiming the US has allowed Asia to “slide,” if you will, in the past few decades.  I agree with only a part of that suggestion.  It seems to me that America should focus on China and prepare for the inevitable – military conflict with the Chinese. At the same time, the US cannot afford to turn its back on the Middle East.  The plain truth is -- we MUST have Middle Eastern oil.  AND we have Islamic enemies based in the Middle East who are intent on the destruction of the US (and Israel).  In fact, the US will not BE ALLOWED to turn away from the Middle East, even if we wanted to.

China’s neighbors in Asia are seriously seeking to create a sort of NATO of Asian states with the US as the anchor, just as in NATO.  That may, in fact, turn out to be a good idea.  Even the former enemy of the US, Viet Nam, is angling for an American security blanket in Asia. THAT should tell you just how frightened China’s neighbors really are.

Even Europe is unstable these days.  European history teaches us that European states tend to go at each other’s throats when desperation sets in -- as it seems bound to do in the very near future.

The US simply cannot afford to reduce its military when the world is on the brink of utter chaos.

The wisest course, it seems to me, is for the US to BUILD-UP its military, and prepare for the coming contest between itself and China.  On the other hand, the US needs to accept that America is in the Middle East for many decades to come.  To make huge cuts in the US military budget now, or in the immediate future, is a pipe dream and should be trashed and forgotten.

J. D. Longstreet