Mark Steyn: It's the secular Left vs. the Christian Left

ocregister ^ | January 5, 2008 | Mark Steyn

[Puzzleman]

-- snip --

So, Iowa chose to reward, on the Democrat side, a proponent of the conventional secular left, and, on the Republican side, a proponent of a new Christian left. If that's the choice, this is going to be a long election year.

[Puzzleman]

Steyn's take on the Iowa caucus.

[Vision]

Bingo!

[SubMareener]

As usual, Mark is spot on!

[sirchtruth]

Great obeservation: The secular Left vs. the Christian Left.

I can't believe the GOP has gone essentially goo-goo rino/moderate. If conservatives don't get determined to rid this party of these Huckabee's, Romney's, McCain's and the Northeast rino's then here's looking at another 40 years of liberal democrat control.

[6SJ7]

...looking at another 40 years of liberal democrat control

Not sure the country will last that long following the Venezuelan model.

[kindred]

[Iowa chose to reward, on the Democrat side, a proponent of the conventional secular left, and, on the Republican side, a proponent of a new Christian left.]

Indeed. The Christian left is the non doctrinal, lets all get along and for the children do gooders who have abandoned the right ways of the God of Israel and His son Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ of God and who trample underfoot His Holy Word. In other words, the rino GOP has joined with the Marxist left to destroy America in their godless quest for money and power, the dems who like religion but hate God’s Christ are part of the Christian left, as is Huckabee.

[kindred]

[I can’t believe the GOP has gone essentially goo-goo rino/moderate. If conservatives don’t get determined to rid this party of these Huckabee’s, Romney’s, McCain’s and the Northeast rino’s then here’s looking at another 40 years of liberal democrat control.]

That battle is over. Perhaps a third party for conservative values and Christian right wingers of the Bible believers is in order or the whole house will be destroyed by the fool politicians in their lust for power.

[Dudoight]

Best lines in the whole column:

In the long run, the relativist mush peddled in our grade schools is a national security threat. But, even in the short term, it’s a form of child abuse that cuts off America’s next generation from the glories of their inheritance.

[Vision]

While Rush has been on this of course it’s nice to see the message condensed in one article.

[kindred]

[While Rush has been on this of course it’s nice to see the message condensed in one article.]

I like Rush but I do not think he will take a stand on the true conservatives of the GOP like Duncan and Fred because he has believes it is not appropiate to say who he supports. Personally, I now believe he is becoming weaker on conservatism as his monies grow.

[9YearLurker]

Steyn at his best—current and penetrating.

[Puppage]

But, even in the short term, it’s a form of child abuse that cuts off America’s next generation from the glories of their inheritance.

Which is exactly their plan

[SubMareener]

At least Rush still knows how to spell “government”.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

I think the sad fact is that a large segment of the American people--perhaps the majority--still look to government to solve their problems. So in addition to Americans being "addicted to oil," they're addicted to socialism.

While in dismay about the rise of Huckabee, it's interesting that Steyn thinks he could potentially win:

As for Huckabee, the thinking on the right is that the mainstream media are boosting him up because he's the Republican who'll be easiest to beat. It's undoubtedly true that they see him as the designated pushover, but in that they're wrong. If Iowa's choice becomes the nation's, and it's Huckabee vs. Obama this November, I'd bet on Huck.

[uncbob]

YEp

Terrorism and Illegal Immigration are the main problems facing this country so the GOP in Iowa vote for a minister

Wonderful

And just look at this web site —founded as a conservative medium and yet the Hucksters —Milties and Julies are all over
the posts

[kindred]

He knows how to spell but he takes no stand on the true conservatives who are running. He is becoming a talking head and the fire in his belly is growing cold as the government of America self destructs.
PS, you are a rude person.

[chicagolady]

We Desperately Need The “Confessing Church”
By Chuck Baldwin
January 4, 2008

This column is archived at
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20080104.html

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 those of us living in a country and time far removed from Hitler’s
Germany, it is hard to comprehend how that nation’s Christians—and
especially its ministers—could have been so thoroughly taken in by
old Adolf. We assume such an event could never happen
again—especially to us. However, 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.

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.” 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 at
http://www.newswithviews.com/Duke/selwyn79.htm

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.”

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.

[Clara Lou]

Personally, I now believe he is becoming weaker on conservatism as his monies grow.
Can't agree with you. How many of his listners do you think he annoyed when he said, and I quote, " Huckabee is not a conservative"?
Even Sean Hannity said yesterday that Huckabee isn't a conservative by saying Romney, Giuliani, and Thompson are. (I don't know how he could put R & G on the same level as Thompson. Talk about your apples and oranges!)

[chicagolady]

THE CHURCH OF HUCK: GROWING GOV’T. IN THE NAME OF RELIGION

by Selwyn Duke
December 25, 2007
NewsWithViews.com

There is a candidate in the presidential race who has a serious religion problem. No, it’s not Mormon Mitt or recently-religious Rudy. It is Mike Huckabee.

Just for the record, I share Huck’s faith in Jesus Christ. Not only have I no problem with religion in public life, I also understand that one can’t really separate a person’s world view from his politics. The political is merely a reflection of the spiritual; our politics doesn’t emerge in a vacuum.

So what is my problem with Huck? Do I accuse him of false religiosity?

No, what scares me is that his beliefs are all too real.

To that enormous secular conservative voting block out there, I will say, be not afraid. It’s not that Huck would impose religion through government. No, his actions would truly offend you.

He would impose statism in the name of religion through government.

While Huck will say what you want to hear to win office, he will not hear what you want to say once there. He will make tone-deaf Bush seem like a maestro. How do I know this?

He believes.

Belief can be a great thing, of course. Our Founding Fathers’ unprecedented respect for liberty was born of their Christian belief that rights were bestowed by the divine king and not worldly ones. Mother Teresa’s Christian beliefs inspired her to toil tirelessly to aid the destitute and dying in India. But whereas the founders kept charity out of government and Teresa kept government out of charity, Huck conflates the two in a disastrous mix of bad theology and bad political science. Perverting Christianity’s message and violating 2000 years of its tradition, he believes it is his Christian mandate to do good works through government.

With, of course, your money.

Huck invokes faith to justify ambitions ranging from the insidious to the idiotic. For the former, look no further than immigration, where Huck espoused the Christian principle, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” while advocating an apparent open-door policy. This, despite the fact that if any good Christian were to find himself in a country illegally, he would expect its citizens to demand he return home.

This illegal-enabling attitude was also apparent in a deal to establish a partially taxpayer-financed Mexican consulate office in Little Rock, a scheme involving the lease of building space to the Mexican government for $1 a year. Then there was Huck’s support of drivers’ licenses, government benefits and in-state tuition rates for illegals and his opposition to a bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote.

What was the motivation for these outrages? While some critics assert that he created a “magnet” for illegals at the behest of business interests, for certain is that Huck invoked his Christian faith while attacking supporters of the proof-of-citizenship bill. He labeled the measure irresponsible, un-American, anti-life and un-Christian. This prompted one of the assailed legislators, Jim Holt, to say that “Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye to lawbreaking.”

The problem, according to many, is that Huck doesn’t agree. For instance, Daniel Larison at the American Conservative wrote,

“. . . Huckabee regards it as his Christian duty to help subvert and liberalize U.S. immigration laws. Together [with Sam Brownback], they embrace the notion that fidelity to the Gospel requires privileging the interests of non-citizens over those of fellow citizens.”

(Note: This is why immigration crusader Tom Tancredo just exited the presidential race and endorsed Romney; he knows Mexicali Mike must be stopped.)

Huck explicitly cited the same “Christian duty” when explaining a lenient attitude toward felons that would allow for twice as many pardons under his Arkansas administration as those of his last three predecessors combined. Among those pardoned was the notorious Wayne Dumond, a thug serving 25 years for raping a teenage high school cheerleader. But Dumond had no feeling of Christian duty. He then raped and murdered a woman named Carol Sue Shields.

http://www.newswithviews.com/Duke/selwyn79.htm

[Cannoneer No. 4]

great line on multiculturalism. Dr. Sanity sez:

Multiculturalism and political correctness are two of the fundamental pseudo-intellectual, quasi-religious tenets that have been widely disseminated by intellectuals unable to abandon socialism even after its crushing failures in the 20th century. Along with a third component, radical environmentalism, they make up three key foundations of leftist dogma that have been slowly, but relentlessly, absorbed at all levels of Western culture in the last decade or so--but primarily since the end of the Cold War.