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Local News & Opinion
01.26 Local Democrats Invited to Brainstorming Session on Sun., Jan. 31 Ref. : Local Newsbriefs Travel
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02.04 'The Power of Nightmares': Underwear vs. Reason Letters
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Video National Health Care Systems In Other Countries 02.09 States Launch their Own Health Care reforms 02.03 States Face Worsening Recession with Health Care Funds on the Chopping Block 01.18 Drugmaker Got Kickbacks for Nursing Home Patients Media Watching
02.04 Err-America 02.03 The Right Gets Itself 'Wired' Ref. : The Daily Howler Legal Matters
01.25 Thinking About Fictions 01.24 US Democracy's End of the Road 01.22 Editorial: U.S. Supreme Court Nails Down the Coffin of Democracy 01.22 Security Fools US Politics, Policy & Culture
02.09 Palin, Psy-Ops & 'Condescending' Libs 02.09 Growing Hunger in America 02.08 The US Government has Lost its Reason for Being 02.08 Thinking About Oracles 02.06 No Direction Home: Pakistan and the Imperial Principle 02.04 Howard Zinn and the State of the Union 02.04 The US Supreme Court: Vanguard of Friendly American Fascism? 02.04 The New War Against Money 02.04 David Brooks Goes After Greedy Geezers 02.02 Obama's Budget Ducks Pentagon Cuts 02.02 Budgets, War and Blind Ambition: The Limited Minds of the American Elite 02.01 Thinking About Definitives 02.01 Remembering Howard Zinn (1922 - 2010) 01.29 American History 101: We Are Devo 01.29 Obama's Outreach to Americans: Empty Rhetoric, Business As Usual 01.28 The Supreme Court's Partisanship 01.27 Freeze Frame: Flopsweat and Farce in the Hollow Halls of Power 01.25 Granny D on Campaign Finance Reform 01.25 S.C. Republican’s Plan: Starve the Poor So They’ll Stop “Breeding” 01.23 It's Time for Kucinich, Conyers, Feingold and Other `Progressives' in Congress to Take a Stand 01.21 Massachusetts' Message of Stupid 01.21 Terrorism Defined: Bill Clinton Lights Our Way to Truth 01.21 How Obama Lost His Way 01.21 Political Earthquake Rocks Massachusetts 01.20 Obama Cuts Deal that Will Reduce Social Security, Medicare and all Entitlements 01.20 Critical Mass: Dem Agenda Opens Right-Wing Doors 01.19 Outsourcing War: The Rise of Private Military Contractors High Crimes?
01.25 The Silence and the Shield: Depraved Indifference to the Atrocities of Power 01.19 Dark as a Dungeon: A Brutal System Stripped Bare Economics & Business Non/Mis/Malfeasance
02.07 AIG-Gate: The World's Greatest Insurance Heist 02.06 The Free Market Fetish 02.04 The Crisis is Not Over 02.03 States Face Worsening Recession with Health Care Funds on the Chopping Block 02.02 Rule by the Rich 01.29 The Battle of the Titans: JPMorgan vs. Goldman Sachs 01.27 State of the Union: Obama’s “Automatic IRA” Plan Could Make Bush’s Wildest Dreams Come True 01.26 Obama, Read Your Reagan on Capital Gains Taxation 01.24 Funding Public Health Care with a Publicly-Owned Bank: How Canada Did It 01.18 Thinking About Accelerants International
02.08 Aafia Siddiqui: Victimized by American Injustic 02.07 Annals of Liberation: Obama Surge Driving Thousands From Their Homes 02.05 Human Rights Abuses in Israel and Occupied Palestine 02.03 Child Slavery in Haiti 01.30 Blood is His Argument: Tony Blair's Gentle Cuddling at Iraq "Inquiry" 01.28 Obama Ignores Key Afghan Warning 01.27 Haiti's Earthquake: Natural or Engineered 01.26 Helping Haiti’s Elders 01.26 Focus on Israel: Harvesting Haitian Organs 01.25 Focus on Haiti: Washington's Militarized Takeover 01.22 The Lessons of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions 01.18 Disaster Capitalism Headed to Haiti We are a non-profit Internet-only newspaper publication founded in 1973. Your donation is essential to our survival.
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SPEAKING OUT:Churches Should Stay Out of Government
To any honest observer of history, the conditions of the Church in America today are eerily similar to those of the Church in Nazi Germany.
January 4, 2008—If the reader has not already done so, I again urge you to read the book, Hitler's Cross, which was written by Erwin Lutzer and published by Moody Press. This book should be "required reading" for every pastor and Christian layman in America. In his book, Lutzer focuses on the attitudes and actions of Germany's pastors and churches during the rise and reign of the Third Reich. It is a masterpiece.
For one thing, as did the Church in Nazi Germany, the Church in America has become infatuated with Big Government. Historically, patriotism in the United States meant love for God, love for family, and love for freedom and independence. Today, however, Christians of all persuasions have come to accept and even embrace the Nanny State, complete with its intrinsic obsession with an omnipotent federal bureaucracy that exercises perpetual surveillance and absolute control over every area of our lives. For example, according to today's Republican Presidential candidates (with the exception of Ron Paul), patriotism demands that we click our heels to the Department of Homeland Security and that we enthusiastically support aggressive, preemptive war. This is exactly the kind of redefinition of patriotism used so brilliantly by Hitler and his fellow propagandists. Yes, Martha, it appears that history really does repeat itself.
When Ron Paul was asked about Mike Huckabee's overt usage of a cross for a campaign advertisement, he quoted Sinclair Lewis as saying, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."
When Ron Paul was asked about Mike Huckabee's overt usage of a cross for a campaign advertisement, he quoted Sinclair Lewis as saying, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross." Many Christians railed against Dr. Paul for making this comment. However, the truth is, Ron Paul (himself a committed Christian) is one hundred percent right! (To see how Hitler used this same tactic, I invite readers to note the photograph of the German Fuhrer in Lutzer's book, on page 75, which shows Hitler coming out of church with a large emblem of the Cross directly over his head. This photo was used extensively by Hitler during his political campaigns.) More than any other Republican Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee carries his Big Government machinations on a cross. I strongly recommend that readers take a look at Selwyn Duke's excellent exposé on Mike Huckabee.
Christians throughout Germany were convinced that Hitler was "God's man." They saw him as more than a political leader: he was a spiritual leader as well.
In his book, Lutzer notes that the tool Adolf Hitler used to ascend to power in Germany was his ability to wrap the Nazi flag around the Cross of Christ. In fact, Hitler often required that the Cross be emblazoned directly in the middle of the Nazi flag. These flags were not only prominently displayed in parades, but also in church auditoriums. As a result of Hitler's brilliant deception, Christians throughout Germany were convinced that he was "God's man." They saw him as more than a political leader: he was a spiritual leader as well. They saw him as their country's President and as their Christian brother. If Hitler said the German people needed to surrender their firearms, they saw it as their Christian duty to comply; if Hitler said they needed to enact a total surveillance society, they freely gave up their privacy; if Hitler said Germany needed to invade other nations for its security, Christians were among the first to volunteer; and if Hitler said they could only be good Christians if they supported the Nazi Party, they enthusiastically supported the Nazi Party.In short, Germany's Christians and pastors surrendered their hearts and minds to Adolf Hitler, because they believed him to be one of them. What they never would have surrendered to a professing agnostic, they gladly surrendered to a professing Christian. Truly, fascism came to Germany "wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian minister who actively opposed Hitler by organizing what he called the "Confessing Church." These were believers who would not surrender Christ's sphere of authority to Hitler. They saw through "Hitler's Cross."
Of course, there were a few in Germany who saw through Hitler's deception. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian minister who actively opposed Hitler by organizing what he called the "Confessing Church." These were believers who would not surrender Christ's sphere of authority to Hitler. They saw through "Hitler's Cross." Unfortunately, of the more than 14,000 pastors in Germany, only 800 joined with Bonhoeffer.To the vast majority of Germany's pastors, Bonhoeffer was an "extremist," or a "kook," or a "nut." They relegated Bonhoeffer to the fringe of Christendom. They believed Hitler and repudiated Bonhoeffer; they chose Hitler's "German Church" over the Confessing Church. In retrospect, however, who would they follow today, if they had the chance? Likewise, many Christians and ministers today have succumbed to the purveyors of internationalism. Issues such as trade, climate control, health and education—and even war—are the tools globalists use to construct their One World Order. For example, Mike Huckabee's success in Iowa is largely due to the pastors and Christians of that State buying into his "Christian" campaign. In a manner very similar to the 2000 campaign of George W. Bush, Huckabee has carried his political campaign on the Cross. At the same time, however, Mike Huckabee (as does George W. Bush) embraces and promotes globalism. And, unfortunately, many Christians and pastors do not seem to notice or care. In a previous column, I wrote this:
After reporting the connection between Mike Huckabee and the CFR, numerous Christians quickly consigned my soul to the regions of the damned and accused me of being a "nut." Some emphatically declared that I had no right to criticize "a Christian brother." Now, who does that sound like? More importantly, however, is the question, Were my remarks accurate? And the answer is, Yes, they were. We now learn that Mike Huckabee has named Richard Haass as his advisor on foreign policy. And just who is Richard Haass? He is the President of the CFR. And what does Haass believe? He believes that the United States (and every other country) must surrender its sovereignty to international or global entities. On February 21, 2006, Haass wrote a column for the Taipei Times entitled, "State Sovereignty Must be Altered in Globalized Era." This treatise is nothing more than an explicit solicitation for global government. In his treatise, Haass writes, "For 350 years, sovereignty—the notion that states are the central actors on the world stage and that governments are essentially free to do what they want within their own territory but not within the territory of other states—has provided the organizing principle of international relations. The time has come to rethink this notion." He also wrote, "Moreover, states must be prepared to cede some sovereignty to world bodies if the international system is to function." He went on to say, "[S]overeignty must be redefined if states are to cope with globalization." He further said, "Globalization thus implies that sovereignty is not only becoming weaker in reality, but that it needs to become weaker. States would be wise to weaken sovereignty in order to protect themselves...Sovereignty is no longer a sanctuary." Haass also wrote, "Our notion of sovereignty must therefore be conditional, even contractual, rather than absolute." Haass then summarized his desire for global government by saying, "The goal should be to redefine sovereignty for the era of globalization, to find a balance between a world of fully sovereign states and an international system of either world government or anarchy." These are the sentiments of the man that the "Christian conservative" Mike Huckabee has chosen to be his foreign policy advisor. Can you not see how, once again, a global government elitist wraps his Big Government ambitions around the Cross of Jesus Christ? We desperately need Bonhoeffer's "Confessing Church" in America. If pastors do not quickly wake up to the way most of our politicians—even those who profess to be Christians—are selling out America's sovereignty and independence, our wonderful country will not long survive. I have attempted to resurrect the "Confessing Church" in the form of a 21st Century "Black Regiment." Students of U.S. history recognize the "Black Regiment" as those Colonial Patriot-Pastors who led their churches to assist the efforts of America's fight for independence. Currently, we have over 100 pastors, evangelists, and missionaries listed on our Black Regiment directory. (See the Black Regiment directory here.) I, once again, encourage readers to buy Lutzer's book, Hitler's Cross. I'm praying that this time there will arise an army of Dietrich Bonhoeffers to lead a modern-day revival of true patriotism: love for God, love for family, and a strong love and commitment to freedom and independence. Call it the "Confessing Church," or the "Black Regiment." Call it what you will: we need it desperately, and we need it now. (c) Chuck Baldwin 2008. This article was originally circulated atchuckbaldwinlive.com and is republished in the Chronicle with permission of the author. The author, a minister who holds two doctorates of divinity, hosts a radio program called "Chuck Baldwin Live," whose broadcast area includes the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama. The program is described on its website as "conservative, Christian, pro-life, pro-family, and patriotic. We support constitutional government and the Bill of Rights. We hold fast to the principles and values expressed by the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence." The author was the Constitution Party's 2004 vice-presidential candidate on a ticket headed by Michael Peroutka of Millersville, Md., a graduate of Loyola College in Maryland and the University of Baltimore School of Law. Chuck Baldwin may be reached at chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com.
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Republication or redistribution of Baltimore Chronicle content is expressly prohibited without their prior written consent. Baltimore News Network, Inc., sponsor of this web site, is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed in stories posted on this web site are the authors' own. This story was published on January 7, 2008. |
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