When Did It Become Wrong for Our Elected Leaders to Talk About God?

JUST ADDED MONDAY: Prayer, God and War: The Media Elites v. Palin, Clinton, JFK, FDR, and Lincoln. See the video below (as mentioned by Newt on the O'Reilly Factor):

ALSO CHECK OUT: Gov. Palin and the Left's religious bias. This link goes to the full speech from yesterday, Sept 12, where Newt discusses the revealing interview of Gov. Palin by Charlie Gibson at the FRC's Values Voters Summit. It's timely and illuminating, you won't want to miss. 18 minutes in length.

In addition below is a video featuring some of Newt's comments on Hannity & Colmes where he talks about the "alien" religious bias of the media.

Finally check out this video below produced by Citizens United on the same subject of our historical religious heritage, which Gov. Palin echoes in her interview with Charlie Gibson.

And remember, for a great lesson on America's Religious Heritage,

you can purchase the DVD or book of Rediscovering God in America here.

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By Anonymous @ Sunday, September 21, 2008 1:06 AM

Today is the day many of our Christian leaders boldly warned us about over three decades ago. These warnings were neither accepted nor supported by the Christian community that they were trying to preserve. Instead they were labeled fanatics, zealots, hypocritical by the very people that should have been standing with them. Jerry Falwell, among others, was made to be the national poster child for the extreme religious idiot. He fought until the day that he died for the rights of the unborn child, proclaiming from the roof tops that life began at conception. He, James Dobson and others have championed the cause for preserving the sanctity of marriage and family values. The Christian community called them extremists.

So, what did we do? Sat back and allowed prayer to be taken out of our schools, allowed laws to be passed that took authority away from teachers, allowed sex education to replace basic education as more important for our children to learn. When the topic of abortion came up, we leaned back and said, "well if my daughter was raped...." there by opening a crack in the door that God Himself sealed in Psalms when David proclaimed that we are knit together in the secret places, fearfully and wonderfully made by a loving God who has a purpose for every life. He doesn't specify how that child is conceived. Now, not only can adult women obtain abortions, but clinics are funded by our taxes, and children have this procedure performed on them without their parents consent, in America, where ear piercing and tatooing require parental consent before age 18. And we sit in judgement of a 17 year old girl who gives birth in a toilet and leaves the baby to die, these children that have no respect for life, when they have observed that life has no value.

When men and women began "coming out" as gay and lesbian, the Christian community sat back and said what consenting adults did in the privacy of their own homes, didn't affect us. Opening a crack in that door sealed shut where God, Himself, says that homosexuality is an abomination to Him. So, now, homosexuality is considered a lifestyle choice, not a sin, and anyone that openly opposes it is labeled homophobic, and in some cases can be prosecuted and jailed.
We sat back and allowed the ten commandments to be removed from our classrooms, and public buildings, believing that there must be a separation of church and state since it was constitutional. Didn't we pay attention is school, those of us over fifty, who, I know at some time or another, were required to read the Constitution?

So, where are we today? A nation that is appalled at the drop out rate and failure rate in our schools. We stand ready to condemn our teachers for their inability to teach our spoiled, insolent, greedy, lustful, lescivious, apathetic children, whom they have no (legal) ability to control. Children whose heroes are rock stars, movie stars, rap stars, jocks and media personalities. Ask any of them who Audie Murphy was, who George Patton was, who Jonas Salk was, who Eleanor Roosevelt was, who Clara Barton was. Most of them are expecting to be superstars, and make mega bucks, and be on the cover of People Magazine, and this is their idea of success. If they don't make it, then the government will take care of them.
The notion of working hard to achieve is as foreign to them as Sunday dinner after church.

We, the baby boomers, are the ones responsible for the mess we find our selves in, because we knew right from wrong, but we compromised our moral view for the word view, and justified those compromises with phases like,"that was then and this is now","that was old school"," this is the modern way", "this is how I see it", and we accepted the lie that what others did had no affect on us......
Sounds kind of like, "if you eat that fruit, you surely will not die"......
Now, we reap what we sowed, and we want to sit back and ask, "what is the country coming to?"
But, it can get worse....if we don't stop in our tracks, and recognize what we have done, reevaluate what it is that we believe, recognize what is truth and make a change in what we do with those beliefs.

Sorry for the epistle, God Bless you Mr. Speaker

By JeffreyMoore @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:50 AM

"We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a religious and moral people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other."
John Adams in an address to the military in 1798

By JeffreyMoore @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:32 AM

Maybe I'm naive, but I'm amazed at how completely and purposefully Charlie Gibson took Sarah Palin out of context. Twice while looking directly at her, he left out the important part, the verb "pray", in her statements! That amounts to bold-faced lies! And all the while, using a reasonable tone of voice like he's just a reasonable guy trying to get at the truth. Apparently, he has no scruples! Shame on you, Charlie Gibson! Shame on you!

By WORLDMIGHTY @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:09 AM

I am amazed! Palin is vilified for referring to Lincoln's 2nd inaugural address and praying that God will be leading us. Then, to prove his absolute ignorance, Charlie tries to bait her into calling the war we are in a Holy War. Well, Charlie, what does jihad mean in your book? If the other side thinks it is a holy war, why are you offended that we agree, although that is not what Palin was saying? Our forefathers must be spinning in their graves. The Judeo-Christian principles our nation was founded upon have been trampled upon by the press, the politicians and the perverted public. God help us.

By Zeke39 @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 6:07 AM

By the way - if you ask most people in this country whether they belive in Bhudda, Allah, or Jesus, I think the majority would say Jesus. Although we may be a post-Christian nation in practice (sadly) we are still one in our foundational beliefs. So I believe Obama miss-spoke again. Sarah Palin is a Christian and thus will have a Christian world view as opposed to a Hindu or Muslim world view. I perfer the Christian world view myself and I have every right to vote someone into office with the same world view as mine regardless of how much the 1% of athiests (maybe less) in this country despise my view. May God have mercy on this nation and draw us back to Him in deed and not just in word only. If we are to have His continued blessing on this nation, then we would be wise not to push Him out of our lives, both public and private. Only in a politically correct environment does there even have to be a delineation between the two. How's this for change - let's stop killing over 3000 innocent children in this country every day! Even if we know before birth that the perfect little blessing may have Down Syndrome. God may just have a plan that we don't fully understand there as well. You go Sarah!

By Zeke39 @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 5:35 AM

Not long ago Obama declared, with some satisfaction, that we are no longer a Christian nation. Then he proceeded to grossly misinterpret the Bible, what seemed to me in a mocking manner. More recently he "miss-spoke" by saying, "MY muslim faith." I don't know a true Christian in my world that would ever miss-speak in such a way. As much as the elite liberal media would like to just ignore faith, God will not seem to acquiesce and just go away! And now we have this pathetic comment by Gibson about a "holy war" as if there is such a thing in the corporeal world. This is a vain attempt to equate Christian faith with radical Islam which declares proudly its designs to dominate the world by force if necessary. Gibson is sadly hideously ignorant and ashamedly biased to what he has erroneously believes to be the Christian faith. Christians love even their enemies but nations are given charge (even in the Bible) to protect the truth and the freedom of His people. Yes Charles, we believe that Jesus is the ONE True God. Is that so WRONG? Is it wrong to believe in His words that proclaim, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life and there is no other way to the Father but through me." Now if i claim to believe in Jesus then I must believe in His claims about Himself. Please go back and read the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, Charles. You will find the words of love and life and purpose for this life and the life to come. A PLAN, if your will - yes God's plan!

By ar.kay @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 3:42 AM

I have read the posts prior to mine with great interest. I am in agreement with most if not all the comments made but I found myself somewhat amazed that the one simple comment was overlooked. The discussion is basically defending Sarah Palin where a defense is not needed.
My comment or question is who is Charles Gibson? He is to me only what I allow him to be and in my being God makes Mr. Gibson look very very small and Mr. Gibson is showing how small he really is.
Praise God

By Grandsanta @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:55 AM

I would like to go back in time to where the media elete knew what they were talking about and were not condiming people that believe in God. The ones that reported the facts as they were, not putting a spin on everything to make out God as Bad for America. It breaks my heart the way the Media of today portrays only the bad things in the Iraq War, nothing about the great thins our troops are doing for the people of Iraq, building schools, infrastructure, loving the children. We don't have real journalist today. We have reporters, Low level at that, that just follow the Liberal line. There is not enough true leadership in Congress now to carry a casket. This I must say goes for both sides of the isle.
Govenor Sarah Palin of Alaska is a shining star of honesty, faith, good sense, common sense, and willingness to shake up the status quo. I think the Media and Congress better get them some iron pants, because I think this woman can kick like a Mule and slap like a Bear, and isn't afraid of any of the Media or Politicians of today. We need term limits, two terms for anyone in a life time, and force our Congress to listen to and honor the wishes of the citizens. You don't know anything about real life across the country, so do as the citizens say, not as you want. It is a Government of the People, For the People, and by the People. I am a People, and our Government is Totally out of Control.

By KenW @ Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:38 AM

I read, with interest, the post by shamangs. It strikes me the question, "Who's God?" is the wrong question. The right frame of this is clearly we have many ideas about God represented in this great country. We are proscribed by the language laid down by our founding fathers not to discount the God of our fellow citizens. So, you see, it matters not whether an American is praying to Allah, Yahweh, or Jesus, rather we are not to characterize any devotee as wrong to recognize their particular faith's God. They, as we Christians, are perfectly to hold forth the Creator endowed them with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Moreover, each of us can see the Creator as we believe the Creator is. So, shamangs, it is not the founders intent to 'push' any particular God belief, rather to prevent the Government, or anyone for that matter, forcing a particular State identified God belief on us.

Finally, shamangs, those social ills are the province of all of us. God has empowered us with intellect, and will. We can address the ills of society, in fact God demands we do so. I know intellectually the drug lifestyle is wrong as it destroys the body God designed for a human. I know the lifestyle called homosexuality is wrong in the eyes of God as it is a perversion of the design God fashioned for us for sexual needs and procreation. I know the sin of murder of the unborn is wrong as God created the ability to make life and He formed the process, and we are killing our future. God would not have wanted us to do such a thing.

Now you see, it matters not who's God you are looking to, as these precepts are found in all their communications. Pick one and learn.

By altucci @ Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:05 PM

Every day I say a prayer thanking for people like Newt Gingrich who devote their time and talents toward presenting a rational, reasoned argument refuting the lll conceived and knee-jerk positions of the Charlie Gibsons of the world. This very smug and very uninformed interviewer needs to view this piece. "Are we fighting a holy war?" indeed! What a clever and effective way to expose his idiocy. Can you do a similar piece on the obsequious, fawning interview the women on "The View" did with Obama (embarrassing!) vs. Senator McCain's treatment on the same show?

By PapaBC @ Tuesday, September 16, 2008 1:19 AM

I have liked Sarah Palin from the time she became Gov of Alaska. Her values seem more in line with my own than many others that are in Holleywood or Washington. May Sarah stay on God's side.

No I am not from Alaska but I do search the wed for impressive people. I found Sarah Palin there.

By CowboyJoe @ Monday, September 15, 2008 10:47 PM

Lindsay Lohan slams Sarah Palin.

Lindsay Lohan?? Lindsay.....Lohan????
OMG you've got to be kidding me. Lindsay is the last person who should have anything to say about Sarah Palin.

She should keep very quiet along with her friends Paris Hilton the sex tape queen, Matt Damon, Meg Ryan and the rest of the Leftist Communist Kooks. But you know what....on second thought go right ahead. Keep slamming Ms. Palin. Expose yourself for the people that you are.

Obviously Ms. Palin has you unhinged. You act like little demons who are being sprinkled with Holy Water. Very well then..please continue your attacks. To your detriment.

As for this article about OBAMA trying to delay the pull out of troops....it's no surprise really. Not for a Radical like OBAMA. He never did like AMERICA very much. Just look at his background and his interesting associations with his Radical friends. You think he cares about our Men and Women in Uniform??? HA!!!

No surprise that he would try to delay the pull-out till after the elections. This way if OBAMA were to win (fat chance) he would surely seem, to the eyes of his followers, like the savior he claims to be. Is that not SICK !!!! Do you not find something mentally wrong with a man that could do something like this?? And this is the man that is running for President of the Greatest Country in the World???

GOD HELP US ALL.

By lgaswint @ Monday, September 15, 2008 3:13 PM

It is uninformed to equate the Judeo-Christian heritage that founded and guided this nation for years with Islamic fundamentalism. In a more thorough reading of letters and other documents penned by the founders. You will find they believed that our inalienable rights do come from the God of the bible. You will also find that since they believed this God allowed free will to individuals, that government should not take away that free will. The Judeo-Christian system is called to something higher than "tolerance" for other beliefs; (tolerance that is not easily found in secular thought when it comes to a belief system that has actual consequences for behavior) instead, it is called to love.

By deeze @ Monday, September 15, 2008 2:12 PM

It’s really quite simple… the liberals believe they’ve actually found a true living “deity” in Jr. Senator Obama and are extremely offended when another god is presented in front of them. Liberals believe in “one” god… it’s just a false one…

By CowboyJoe @ Monday, September 15, 2008 4:14 AM

Another Financial Institution gone!!

Thank you DEMOCRATS for forcing lenders to give out loans to people who had no possible way of paying them back. Thank you for forcing them to give out these loans with a wink and a nod and then the mere stroke of a pen. Thank you for making them feel that this was so easy.

FANTASTIC.

Now the Financial Institutions think that the Government is going to bail them out whenever they get themselves into trouble by using TAX PAYER MONEY. That's just great. You gave them the incentive to be careless and arrogant.

Whatever happened to the old school way of buying a home. By saving money and coming up with 20 percent !!!

By Memesusan @ Monday, September 15, 2008 1:48 AM

Ronald Reagan
A Prayer for Healing

To preserve our blessed land we must look to God... It is time to realize that we need God more than He needs us... We also have His promise that we could take to heart with regard to our country, that "If my people, which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

Let us, young and old, join together, as did the First Continental Congress, in the first step, in humble heartfelt prayer. Let us do so for the love of God and His great goodness, in search of His guidance and the grace of repentance, in seeking His blessings, His peace, and the resting of His kind and holy hands on ourselves, our nation, our friends in the defense of freedom, and all mankind, now and always.

The time has come to turn to God and reassert our trust in Him for the healing of America... Our country is in need of and ready for a spiritual renewal. Today, we utter no prayer more fervently than the ancient prayer for peace on Earth.

If I had a prayer for you today, among those that have all been uttered, it is that one we're so familiar with: "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace...." And God bless you all.

--From a speech to the American people, February 6, 1986

By Memesusan @ Monday, September 15, 2008 1:31 AM

Today we still welcome those winds of change--and we have every reason to believe that our tide is running strong. With thanks to Almighty God for seeing us through a perilous passage, we ask His help anew in guiding the "Good Ship Union."
John F. Kennedy ~ Third State of the Union Address

By shamangs @ Sunday, September 14, 2008 5:59 PM

When Did It Become Wrong for Our Elected Leaders to Talk About God?

For me, bringing God into the political conversation became a problem when the Religious Right and the Moral Majority began to push a social agenda (abortion, homosexual rights, school prayer, creationism oops, Intelligent Design, etc). These are all good topics for religious people to deal with, but they are subject to your individual or collective religious belief and as such subject to separation between church and state since not everyone is required to believe or adhere to the same beliefs.

I also have a question for anyone willing to help. Who's God are we talking about? We have this discussion about God, but there are many beliefs and many Gods. My guess is that we are talking about the Christian God, and does that not smack of an inherent bias and a prima facie problem of separation of Church and State? In God we Trust. I doubt that mean Zeus or Allah.

Another thing to think about. I have found nothing in the Bible that says we have inalienable rights. We were created in God's image, but my last reading of the Genesis He was a bit ticked off at Adam and Eve and promised them a great deal of suffering but not life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I think the life, liberty and the pursuit was a stroke genius by our founding fathers, but did not necessarily come from God. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is very humanistic.

Religion is good at ruling those who accept it, but it can't be compelled, iy must be accepted. To start down that road is to mimic the Islamic religion and Sharia law.

By Wally @ Sunday, September 14, 2008 10:05 AM

Democrat-Socialist By Nature Are "Undisciplined".

A "Disciplined"Person Realizes That There IS a Being Greater Than Themselves and Live Their Life Accordingly.

Since the Undisciplined consider themselves the "highest" and the Disciplined consider themselves something less than the "highest", the Undisciplined lead a life based on ignorant arrogance. [sigh].

Based on that - its easier to see "Redistribution Reparations" Obama, "Get a Low Interest Loan" Dodd, "Dont Pay Taxes" Rangel, Hillary! the Anointed & the ELITIST Liberal Dinosaur Media - While we Pay $4.00 a Gallon.

By For_The_Gipper @ Sunday, September 14, 2008 2:48 AM

You know it is quite funny, I think a Democrat said in one of the Democratic debates the EXCAT same thing Gov. Palin did. I am not 100% postive but I think they did.

I think are Judeo- Christan belifs are important. Not only are churches more effictive at helping people in communities than any welfare program can hope to be, but they make America better.

Other relgions are equally important as well. When I seen in the Minnestoa brige collapse, the injured man rescuing the school bus of children or the people taking in people of Gustav and Ike hurricanes into their homes. I think, thank god I live in America.

In some areas children are only offered an AK or a suicide vest. This is sadness beyond belief. Everytime I see these figures on the news about such and so killed. I don't look at these as numbers but as people. One death is a tradgey.

I wonder where does that American spirit come from?

I am done ranting lol.

By jdubyahoyt @ Saturday, September 13, 2008 2:49 PM

It's my understanding that the original purpose of the separation of church and state was to ensure the government did not stop anyone from practicing their religion. Today, it seems as if they apply it with the opposite approach; today they stop certain groups, seemingly mainly Christians, from practicing in "public" areas. We need to get back to the original intention.

Find out
http://www.WhatYouCanDoForAmerica.com

By Memesusan @ Saturday, September 13, 2008 1:57 PM

Seems like 7 yrs ago those liberals wanted somebody to pray! I don't understand how they accept Obama saying he is a Christian but get all freaked out if Sarah Palin says the word God. Maybe they don't believe he is what he says! I am so thankful we have McCain and Palin who believe in God and know our Nation needs God's guidance. And I am thankful we have Gingrich to stand up and tell them to study some American history!

By pfouche @ Saturday, September 13, 2008 1:07 PM

I agree 100% in the previous quote! I have been concerned for some time about our nations drift away from our Christian heritage. I found a book written in 1865 by Benjamin F. Morris,"The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States that will answer all your questions about our Christian heritage. It covers the period from 1460 to 1863 with day to day activities of our religious activities both in community and early government up to the end of the Civil War in 1863. I am convienced that their intent was to separate church and state to keep the government from designating one religious party over another and to recognize all religions and to make sure that our government was formed and managed from the power of God! Please read the above book before you make a judgement of our form of government.

By Anonymous @ Saturday, September 13, 2008 11:26 AM

How liberals can deny the influence of religion over the course of our nation's history confounds me to this day. If you actually read history, and not just skim over dates and figures, you'll find where George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and even Philly's own Ben Franklin, sought the guidance of God in their decisions. Moreover, Abraham Lincoln and even Democrats, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, have asked, publicly, for the guidance of God. The 'crusade' by liberals and free thinkers against religion, or more correctly, Christianity, began about a decade after World War 2 and continues to this day. Democrats, although they profess to believe in religion, have done much to hurt the free expression of it in the name of political correctness.

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