Prison Reform

I have an idea that may sound radical or ridiculous, but if it were at all possible to pull off, I believe it has the potential to bring business and jobs to Ohio, reduce the state debt, increase the tax revenue, reduce the rate of recidivism, provide a new paradigm of thought regarding criminal justice and revolutionize the state prison system.

The whole premise of my plan rests in the belief that when a person commits a crime and serves time in prison for that crime, they HAVE NOT repaid their debt to society. The statement “he paid his debt to society” is both inaccurate and offensive to the society to whom this debt was supposedly paid. The whole society is impacted by crime, so in one sense, the criminal has created a “debt” to that society. The greater truth is that he committed a crime against certain persons in that community, and the real debt he owes is to the victim (but that is another subject that should be addressed as well). Incarcerating a criminal in a county, state or federal prison system does not, in any way, repay that debt. In fact, it is the very OPPOSITE. The criminal, once incarcerated, is now continuing to pile up debt to the society because under the current system the tax payers are forced to provide the funds to feed, house, clothe, reform, recreate, educate, medicate, adjudicate and guard the prisoner. So, after raping the treasury that the hard-working citizens have stored up, he is then released having been said to “paid his debt to society”. Really? He has likely incurred a greater debt to society once incarcerated than what he did by his criminal activity. According the the stats I found, each prisoner costs that state approx. $25,000/yr (I don't know the exact figures). If my source was correct, I believe the cost to the state budget is approximately $1.5Billion/yr. If one criminal is in prison for 10 years, he will cost the state's tax payers 1/4 million dollars.

Under the current penal system, justice is never served because true justice implies that something has been made right, put back, given back or restored to its rightful place. The ones who were the victims were repaid. This is the biblical prinicipal found throughout the Bible.

-- New Living Translation

Leviticus 6:4-5 If they have sinned in any of these ways and are guilty, they must give back whatever they have taken by theft or extortion, whether a security deposit, or property entrusted to them, or a lost object that they claimed as their own, or anything gained by swearing falsely. When they realize their guilt, they must restore the principal amount plus a penalty of 20 percent to the person they have harmed.

MY IDEA: Have the state create a system that would allow private companies to partner with the prison system to employ prisoners in "real" jobs that actually produce profit for the company and wages for the prisoner. Companies could build warehousing or manufacturing plants within the secure borders of the prison system and have a combination of free citizens and prisoners employed in a secure environment.

• The prisoner is trained and goes to work at the work facility just as he would a job on the “outside”, and gets paid a fair wage by the company (the wage would naturally be reduced because of risk). The money earned by the prisoner is managed by the prison system and can be used for a variety of expenses including: payment for the cost of incarceration (food, clothes, housing, medical, legal, education, security, etc.), repayment to the victims, and a small portion could be set aside as a savings account to get a fresh start upon release.
• The prisoner benefits because he is able to live a productive life, rather than just being "warehoused" for his prison term. He is able to pay for his own debt. He learns to take responsibility. Under the current system, the criminal NEVER has to take responsibility for his actions. It is all paid for by someone else (taxpayers). He learns job and life skills that he can take with him after his sentence is served. He is able to save money for starting a fresh life on the outside. A prisoner who works off his debt should be able to significantly reduce his sentence relative to another who is not working.

• The state and local governments benefit because the bottom line of the budget grows. There is lower cost to the taxpayers for the prisoners in each of these facilities. They are helping to pay for their own crimes and for their own “punishment”. Even if a large tax incentive is given to the company, the tax base grows if the company relocates to the prison site. Local utilities and services increase to serve the facility. Managers and executives relocate to the area creating more tax revenue.

• The company benefits because the companies who take this risk should be able to produce products at a much lower cost, which should result in increased profits. There should be significant tax incentives for businesses that are willing to take this risk. The cost for each “employee” who is also a prisoner should be significantly less than the average employee of the company. Hiring prisoners is a risk, and it should be compensated by higher profits.

• The community benefits because local communities would share in the tax revenues from the business and from the additional employees necessary to run the business and the additional security staff. Re-entry job training is already taken care of and paid for by the prisoner himself, not the taxpayers.

PILOT PROGRAM:
• A pilot program could be established to see if it is feasible.
• In our hometown, Lima, Ohio, there is a state prison that was closed by Governor Taft. This would be an excellent location for such a program.

Many details, many legal hurdles, and many smart people needed...but I think it would make Ohio's prison system the best in the country.

The Dark Side of Abortion - and the Light of Forgiveness

"I have often said that maybe if there had been one person in that line [abortion clinic protestors] who looked at me with love and compassion and spoke to me of God's love for me and my child things might have ended differently." - Anonymous Friend

Far too often, it is easy for those of us who are concerned about social issues, morality in our nation, and the affects of politics on the fabric of our society to lose sight of the real "scoop" on the issues that are so often used as debate fodder for the talking heads and pundits. Homosexuality and gay marriage become talking points and a source of faction between various political persuasions. Illegal immigration is talked about only in terms of national security, political posturing or in terms of practical "solutions". While all of those views have their place and need to be discussed on those levels, there is one element that, for the Christian, cannot be by-passed. It's the human element. The issue of homosexuality is not just about politics, scientific data or legal terminology. It's about people. People who are, according to the Bible, trapped in a lifestyle of sin and darkness. And as with every sin, there are consequences. Illegal immigrants are law-breakers whose lives are a deception. They are guilty. But they are also people. And if we as Christians are caught up too far in the political rhetoric regarding these people, we can lose sight of this simple truth: illegal immigration is not just about politics, a wall, amnesty, or worker permits. It’s about millions of people.

The same is true when we look at the issue of abortion. Some of us (myself at the top of the heap) believe that abortion is a sin against God, murder of a fellow human being, and a sin for which our nation is most assuredly to be held accountable. And for that reason, we support politicians and policies that are "pro-life". We pray for Justices to be appointed to the Supreme Court who may one day reverse the tragic decision of Roe v. Wade. But sometimes in our zeal for turning the political tide towards the cause of life, we can forget that there is a woman (or young girl) who has chosen or has been forced to kill her unborn baby. There is a human side. And that side is often one of darkness, despair, loneliness, and guilt. And it is a side that we must always remember when we are engaged in the debate on other levels.

JESUS – FRIEND OF SINNERS

Jesus shows us and teaches us the way in which we, as Christians, should respond to those who are living in sin. Jesus was uncompromising when it came to sin. He preached it “straight”. Not only was it sin to commit an act against God’s law; Jesus taught that it was possible to sin in our heart even if we don’t commit the act. He commanded that we love God with our entire being (heart, soul, mind and strength). He commanded that we love others as we love ourselves. I don’t think I have ever met one person yet who can meet the standard of holiness laid out by Jesus. He called a “spade a spade”, a sinner a sinner, and warned of the eternal damnation that was the just due of those who live lives of sin.

Yet, Jesus was known as a friend of sinners. Sinners – notorious, blatant sinners – were comfortable around him. He ate with them, talked with them, reasoned with them, spent time at their houses, and loved them. Loved them? That’s really quite an understatement. He saw their sinful condition, saw their wickedness and evil deeds, saw how they hated him and his standards of holiness – and still he came to give his life for them. There is something quite powerful about unconditional love. The sinners that he pronounced as guilty are the same ones that he showed unending love towards. And it’s no surprise that we find among his followers former prostitutes, former swindlers, former ruffians, former tax collectors, former murderers, and the list goes on.

As for the women and young girls who have made the choice to end the life of their unborn baby, I have a message for you. There is forgiveness – total forgiveness. The stories I have heard about women who have had abortions is a story of darkness, pain and guilt. They are so ashamed of what they did, so guilty, so hurt. And often the church has not made it any easier on them. If this is you, you are not without hope. You do not have to live the rest of your life in the darkness and shadows. You do not have to suffer the endless nightmares. You do not have to search for new ways to cover up or run from the tormenting memories. The same Jesus that tells you of the depth of your sin is the same Jesus who died on a cross to raise you from the pit of that sin. He demonstrated his love for you by dying FOR YOU so that you might be free from the burden and guilt of your sin. He can take away that broken heart and replace it with a heart of peace, joy and love. He can erase the pain. Cry out to Jesus.

Instead of writing more on this myself, I wish to finish this article with portions of a letter from an anonymous friend of mine. After reading my article “Abortion is Pagan Worship”, she wrote to me and shared some of her journey with me. I think her words will speak for themselves. She gave me permission to post this, and wants her perspective of this issue to be known.

“…By the time I had my second child at the age of 21 I had already suffered two miscarriages. The first pregnancy was the result of a rape (which was my first intimate experience) when I was 17 years old. I miscarried that baby at 12 weeks. I became pregnant with my son (and apparently his twin which we weren't aware of at the time) at 19 and miscarried his twin at 16 weeks. I then had my son and 17 months later had my second son. I married a man I thought was everything he wasn't. My marriage was horrific and traumatic. My husband cheated constantly, got another woman pregnant and beat me on a regular basis. Once my second son was born he had become my captor and not my partner. I was not allowed to take birth control because he felt that way he could ensure my fidelity. I was also not allowed to say "no". I was raped repeatedly by my own husband whenever and wherever he felt was appropriate-sometimes in front of my babies. It was made abundantly clear to me that leaving was not an option "or else".

My first abortion was when my second child was just an infant. My husband was not willing to wait for me to recover from childbirth and I became pregnant when [boy] was just 2 weeks old. My husband beat me on a regular basis in hopes of causing me to lose the baby. When I didn't he drug me to a clinic in [city] and walked me in to kill our child. I was told during that car ride that if I so much as thought about walking out of the clinic or telling anyone I didn't want to have the abortion I would never see me kids again (he had taken them somewhere to be watched while we were gone and I was unaware of where) or he would beat them to death in front of me. Needless to say I endured the "walk of shame" through the protesters who spit on me, screamed at me, called me a murderer and shoved horrific photos in my face. And I felt I deserved every bit of it. Through the course of the next three years there were three more of these scenarios. Each time the beatings were worse. Each time the threats were more graphic and more vicious. And because I was weak I obeyed. Had I been stronger emotionally, physically and more importantly in my relationship with God I would have known that I could walk away and survive. Had I trusted in Him I would have known that He would keep my children safe and show me the way.

In any case....I have never forgotten what that time in my life was like. I have never forgotten my children or the fact that I was not strong enough to stand up for and speak for them. What I have done is beg for forgiveness for the lives I took. I don't blame my ex-husband because I was accountable. I forgave him. If God is able to forgive me who am I not to forgive my ex? What has been a struggle is forgiving myself…I can say that I believe it is necessary when discussing the magnitude of abortions that are performed to realize that not every woman WANTS to be on that table. And yes-they are ALL sacrifices and more so than naught it is for materialistic reasons or purely selfish ones. I guess after all this time I am still unsure where mine happen to fall in those classifications…

I have never understood how someone can kill another person in the name of Jesus and think it's acceptable. When the clinics are bombed, the doctors are killed or the mothers are harassed it is "all in the name of Jesus" or they are "doing God's work". It infuriates me. You stated it so perfectly when you say that Jesus did it with love and compassion. I have often said that maybe if there had been one person in that line who looked at me with love and compassion and spoke to me of God's love for me and my child things might have ended differently. (By no means does that place blame on the protesters...that is mine alone. )"

Politically Correct Seasons Greetings

This is not mine, but I don't know where it came from. Someone emailed this to me a couple years ago.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Politically Correct Seasons Greetings

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious or secular traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all, and a medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for him/herself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tiding for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)

Abortion Is Pagan Worship

The Old Testament, as well as other historical records, documents the ancient practice of sacrificing children to gods. In the Bible, the most notorious of these gods is Molech (or Moloch). Various accounts of this practice all indicate the same basic horrors. The god (idol) was a large bronze statue that was hollow on the inside. The pagan priest would light a huge fire on the inside of this statue and then wait until the bronze was searing hot. The child to be sacrificed was then placed on the outstretched hands of this now scorching hot metal idol. The statue was engineered so that the child, once placed into the hands of the god, would then tumble down into the mouth or belly of the statue, giving the impression that the god had eaten the child alive. Of course, the flames would soon consume the innocent, screaming victim. The pagan priests would instruct the drummers and dancers to make loud, frenzied noises during this process, presumably to keep the parents of the child from hearing the cries for help and screams of torment.

The reasons for these sacrifices may not totally be known, but there is enough evidence to get a good idea. These gods were believed to control nature, give victory in battle, provide power and wealth, make crops grow, bring rain, ward off disease and famine, and give protection to the land. To achieve these things, children would have to be sacrificed. The gods had to be appeased. In order to secure the “blessings” that one desired, sacrifices had to be made.

Today in America, just like in those Ancient Eastern cultures, there are plenty of gods. The reason why we don’t see them clearly is because they don’t look like the ancient gods of brass and gold. They are gods that we, as a culture, have erected in our hearts. These gods dictate our actions, demand sacrifices, consume our resources and receive our worship. Some of these gods are: pleasure, freedom, independence, sexual exploration, financial security, wealth, success, career, material possessions (houses, cars, TVS, clothes, electronic gadgets, etc.), peer recognition, convenience, and the list goes on.

When we give our lives to things such as these, they ARE OUR GODS, whether we intend for them to be or not. And occasionally, it is becomes necessary to make sacrifices for the sake of these gods. If the sacrifices are not made, the “blessings” of these gods will be taken away.

One very interesting scripture also links the practice of child sacrifice to the practice of sexual misconduct. Ezekiel 16 says: “Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough? 21 Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols?” Amazing. It appears as though God’s people had engaged in prostitution and then took the children born as a result of this prostitution and offered them to idols. These were “unwanted” and “illegitimate” children, so they were expendable. They were simply the result of “having fun” and “accidentally” getting pregnant. But by exercising their free "choice", the worshippers could engage in whatever sexually behavior they wanted and not have to worry about being “burdened” with a baby as a result. Just kill it.

Since 1973, Americans have sacrificed over 50 million innocent unborn children to the gods of Convenience, Career, Independence and the like in the name of “pro-choice”. The truth is, our culture worships at the shrine of success, sexual freedom and independence; and these idols must be kept happy. So whatever sacrifices are necessary to insure the blessings of success and independence must be made. A baby would interfere with a career path, a job situation, a relationship, our independence, etc. The parent would be tied down to a baby and lose their freedom to do whatever they wanted to do whenever they wanted to do it. A baby would just “get in the way of my plans”.

So, the couple (or the mother) decides that the baby must be sacrificed to keep these gods happy. But just as it was difficult for the parents in ancient times to drown out the cries of their baby as it was being burned alive in a furnace, so too the parents these days must find ways to drown out the cries of their conscience. So, they create new names for murder whose aims are to diminish the barbarity of the act. “Terminating the pregnancy” sounds so much better than “Sacrificing my baby to the gods of the world so I can do what I want to do”.

The good news for all of us, and for those who have had an abortion, is that there was one time when it was good and right for a parent to sacrifice their son. That’s when God the Father gave His Son Jesus to die a cruel and horrendous death. But that sacrifice was not for self-gratification or self-indulgence, or because the Son was an inconvenience. It was an act of love. And because of that sacrifice, mercy, grace and forgiveness is available for the worst of sinners. For every woman who has sacrificed her baby to please the gods of self and pleasure, and for every Doctor who has been like the ancient pagan priests who placed those babies into Molech’s hands, there is forgiveness. There is healing. There is mercy. There is hope. Jesus died for you also.

As a side note: If the current health care bill passes as anything close to what it is today, Christians in America will be faced with a crisis of conscience. The bill, as currently written, would force all Americans to pay for abortions. That means that all of us would be funding the pagan priests who sacrifice the children, and funding the construction and operation of Molech shrines. We are probably coming close to the time in this formerly “Christian” nation that we will have to decide whether we will bow to the golden idol or be thrown into the furnace ourselves.

Universal Gun Ownership Legislation

The late Senator Kennedy was notorious for his belief that access to affordable health care was not a privilege but a right. That basic stance seems to have been accepted by almost all of the current members of congress, as each side of the isle is now convinced that they have the best strategy for making sure that all Americans have affordable health coverage. My "beef" is not so much with those who have accepted the notion that health care is an unalienable right not spelled out in the Constitution but implied in the ninth amendment (although that notion is silly at best). My beef is with the giant leap that we have now made, without any Constitutional authority, that has transformed a "right" into "universally mandated Fiat".

Even if it could be proven that access to affordable health care or health insurance is a right of all Americans, how does that give the Congress the "right" to demand that all Americans exercise this "right"? When a supposed "right" is imposed on the citizenry under penalty of law, it can no longer be regarded as a right. A right guarantees "free" exercise thereof without government interference.

So, I now propose that, if we are going to turn our rights into universally mandated fiats, that we at least include those rights that are explicitly spelled out in the Bill of Rights. In the spirit of fairness, and to start the process, I suggest that we take the right to bear arms and make that a universal mandate - a law similar to my example below (he says sarcastically :-)

Whereas it is the right of all citizens of this land of freedom and liberty to bear arms for their own defense, we the Congress of these United States do declare:

 1) All citizens are required to buy hand guns for their own defense and the defense of their community.

2) If you are happy with your current gun dealer, you will be allowed to purchase your guns from them. 

3) If your current gun dealer is greedy and charges too much for handguns, which is prohibiting you from exercising your right, we are establishing public, government-run gun shops that will allow you to purchase your guns at an affordable price.

4) If you choose not to purchase a gun, putting yourself and your community at risk, you will be charged $2800/year to offset the cost of your stupidity (and as incentive to do what Big Brother says)

5) If you cannot afford to purchase the gun that you are now being required to buy - because it is your right - no problem. We are going to give you a "tax refund" on taxes you never paid so that you will be able to afford this free gun.

6) To help pay for this new deficit-reducing program, a new tax will be levied on all "luxurious" guns, superfluous guns, and on the windfall profits of successful gun businesses.

7) If your current guns are being provided for you by your employer, and those guns do not meet the new government gun standards, your employer will be forced to choose new guns for you or pay for you to get guns from the public gun shop.

8) O yes...we almost forgot to mention you greedy, capitalist, profiteering gun shop owners who have been raping gun owners for decades. You will still be able to operate your gun shops as you always have, except for that you will only be allowed to sell the guns that we tell you. Furthermore, we are going to tell you how much you can charge for the guns. And what else? O yeah...if you don't do what we say, we will close your business.  Cheerio!

9) The government expressed no desire to take over the gun business. But to bring free market competition into the gun industry, we will be offering guns at our new government-run gun shops for much less than you can buy them anywhere else. And our new gun shops do not have to be profitable, because if they need any extra cash for overhead or advertising, we'll just print some more money for them and raise the taxes of all the "rich" people who can afford to do their patriotic duty of paying for this new gun program.

10) The government guarantees that, in spite of having no real incentive to do so, it will provide gun owners with customer service that is better in quality than what is offered by gun businesses who actually have incentive for serving you better than other gun shops.

11) The President will appoint a non-Senate-approved, tax-evading, anti-second amendment Marxist of his choice to be the new gun "czar". This person will advise the President on all the new gun policies.

12) The increased taxes to pay for this fiscally neutral gun program will be imposed immediately upon passage of this never-to-be-read-by-a-single-Congressman legislation, but the new gun shops will not be opened for business until the month after the current President's re-election votes are counted.

13) The tax money allocated for this program will be placed securely beside the Medicare and Social Security funds in our secure government lock box to insure its long-term solvency.

14) For a precedent, we cite the public education system. Your right to educate has now become a mandate to educate, with the government controlling the content and quality of the whole system. And that system is going Great! After all these years of spending more money on education than any other nation, we have been able to maintain our less-than-mediocre ranking among the industrialized nations. With any luck, this new gun program will operate with the same efficiency and productivity.

15) Due to the increase in gun ownership this program is designed to produce, and the necessary increase in government regulation of the gun industry, there may be brief, painless times in which there is not enough ammunition for everyone to purchase however much they desire. In that "extreme" case, the government will provide guidelines as to how many bullets/year you may purchase - based on how much ammunition the government deems as necessary.

Next year, we will discuss our plans to introduce our new "Universal Voting Act" that will mandate that each citizen exercise their freedom to vote.

Here comes the Bribe...and the extortion

It amazes me how confident the Democratic house and Senate leaders are about the health care bill. It's almost as if they think they have inside information. And they do.

This whole system stinks right now because so much of our laws are either passed or held up NOT due to the merits of the bill, but due to the blatant corruption in Washington. There are Democrat House members and Senators who are opposed to the health care bill, or at least to certain provisions in the bill. But in the end, it is very likely that they will have a their "Aha" moment and the bad bill will instantly become one that they can vote for. And everyone knows why this is. Bribery and extortion.

Especially at a time when the President's popularity and programs are not in favor with the American people, there is no doubt that there will be no limits as to what all the president's men can offer these "doubters" to persuade them to see it the President's way.

The $300 million for Louisiana is just one of the bribes that will surely be offered to make this bill more pleasant to the other holdouts in the majority party. And it stinks. I don't understand why the press does not "press" the Congress on this issue. How are we any different than Mexico, Columbia or Russia? The only difference I see is that our bribes come from more "repectable" segments of society (lobbyists, power players in Washington, and financial backers) rather than the thugs and mafia-types that control those other corrupt countries.

And let's not forget about the extortion. You can bet that the Chicago thugs are right now letting certain members of their party know what it is going to cost them if they don't find a way to get on board with this bill. I wonder if the press will try to uncover any of that information.

What is touted as "compromise" and "reaching an agreement" is all too often nothing more than simple bribery and extortion. The power players offer perks and privileges and re-election support in exchange for votes on a bill that is full of poison. And if the bride doesn't work, then "suggestions" are made about the party possibly supporting another Democrat in the next primary (one who is more suited to the agenda being put forward).

So, after much contrived "speculation" about a particular Senator's vote, Sooprize! Sooprize!, they somehow found a way to support the very bill they had been critical of just days before.

The Prophet writes in the book of Ecclesiastes, "Extortion turns wise people into fools, and bribes corrupt the heart". Ain't that the truth. But for too many, the bribe taken is worth more to them than maintaining their wisdom and integrity.

Exodus 23:8 says, "Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth".

Any leader who will accept a bribe is automatically disqualified from being a leader. The advice given to Moses when he was selecting leaders for Israel is very fitting for us today: "...but select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes..."

And my prayer is that we can get rid of all those in leadership who do not fit this description.

The Puritans and Rev. Wright?

During this time of Thanksgiving, I want to reflect on one aspect of God's nature. Psalm 103:8 states that, "The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love". This is something we can all be grateful for. God is patient towards us. He is not easily angered or "ticked off" when we mess up. This truth applies, of course, to us as individuals. God knows that we are but dust and that we are going to fail him time and again. But during the process of cleaning us up (sanctification), He is gracious and forgiving. And this also applies to us as nation. God is slow to anger and slow to wrath.

So, what does that have to do with the Puritans or Rev. Wright? The answer is this: the Puritans and the early Christian forefathers of our nation believed that God had ordained this nation into existence. They believed that they were put on this continent by divine providence; that God had a destiny for this continent, and that they were to be the instruments that God would use to make this continent a "city on a hill", a light to the nations, and the glory of the earth.

Those early settlers, and the ones who followed them for the first 150 years did not, however, believe that America's destiny or greatness was automatic, or that it could be assumed that God would always "shed His grace on thee". They believed in the principle of COVENANT. God had chosen them to spread His glory on this land, and IF they were faithful to that mission, then God would bless, prosper and exalt this nation above the nations of the earth. BUT, if the time came when the people of this nation turned their backs on God and began to worship the idols of the nations around them, then God would remove His hand of blessing and the destruction of this nation would soon follow. They believed that they were the "new" Israel and that this land was their promised land. And just as God instructed Old Testament Israel to walk according to the covenant, so they were to do likewise. Deuteronomy 8:18-19: "Always remember that it is the Lord your God who gives you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors. But I assure you of this, if you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshipping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed".

So, here we are today, as a nation that has, in many ways, broken the covenant. In the church and out, we are a nation of idol-worshipers and a people who have strayed FAR from the vision of the early settlers. One only has to look at the issue of abortion to find ample cause for the wrath of God to be poured out on us. Hitler killed 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, but America has killed about 50 million innocent unborn children since 1973. And the blood of each of those babies cries out against us as a nation. And many in the church are too busy playing and climbing the ladder of upward mobility to even care anymore.

So, when Rev. Wright preaches after 9-11 that America's chickens have come home to roost, the conservatives push back against that statement by touting America's credentials as the most generous and friendly nation on earth - which we are. And to be sure, the Liberation Theology espoused by Rev. Wright is in fact Christianized Marxism. But we still can't ignore the truth of what our founding fathers believed. If we, as a nation, forget God, turn our backs on Him, serve idols, worship the gods of self, prosperity, greed, etc., there will indeed come a day of reckoning for this nation. We have broken the covenant, we have sinned against His commands, and in spite of all the great things this country has done and been, we stand before a holy God with blood-stained hands.

After hurricane Katrina, Pat Robertson made statements that he later retracted. He inferred that Katrina may have been part of God's judgement on America for abortion. Of course, that statement is really politically incorrect these days. But it doesn't change the truth of the matter. I do not know if Katrina was a direct punishment from God for the abortions in America, but I know that if we do not turn from our evil ways, Katrina will look like a slap on the wrist compared to what we may have to face. America has not been favored by God for 200 years because we are innately a better species or because we are smarter than all the other nations. We have been blessed because of the Christian foundation, the Christian laws, the Christian freedoms, the Christian morals, the churches, and the Christian societies that have upheld the covenant.

The fact that Barack Obama had even the slightest chance of being elected as the President of this nation, when he made it clear how far away from Christian principles and American historical values he was, shows how far we have strayed. In 1788, Governor Samuel Johnston of North Carolina wrote: "...those who are Mahometans, or any others who are not professors of the Christian religion, can never be elected to office of President or other high office, unless first the people of America lay aside the Christian religion altogether, it may happen. Should this unfortunately take place, the people will choose such men as think as they do themselves..."

Today, if God were to call us into His court and put forth the evidence against us as a nation, I am afraid that we would have no defense.

For each day that God demonstrates His patience, His kindness, and His slowness to anger, we should be very grateful.

Psalm 103:8 "The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love".

I would hope that America would soon take the advice of Abraham Lincoln who delivered a politically incorrect address in August of 1861: "...and whereas, when our own beloved Country, once, by the blessing of God, united, prosperous and happy, is now afflicted with faction and civil war, it is peculiarly fit for us to recognize the hand of God in this terrible visitation, and in sorrowful remembrance of our own faults and crimes as a nation and as individuals, to humble ourselves before Him, and to pray for His mercy, -- to pray that we may be spared further punishment, though most justly deserved;...that the inestimable boon of civil and religious liberty, earned under his guidance and blessing, by the labors and sufferings of our fathers, may be restored in all its original excellence..." (Abraham Lincoln -- "Proclamation of a Day of Fasting") http://www.historyplace.com/lincoln/proc-3.htm