Freedom of religion is under attack

Can you tell me another country in the world that has the tradition of freedom of religion (not worship, that's different) written into its constitution by Christians who offered this to all, even those they didn't like? Christians who didn't want to be ruled by the crown or the church wrote a Bill of Rights to protect themselves from both.

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

I know many Protestants who do not agree with Catholic teaching, but they need to be reminded that Roman Catholics, the largest Christian group in the world, are the ones being targeted by the Obama Administration. Recognizing the divisions among Christians (the infighting is recorded in the book of Acts, so it's nothing new), they are hoping we'll all stand by in silence while the largest and most powerful among us, the mother church of all Christians, is brought to her knees and assaulted through laws, regulations, in house squabbles, and gossip. If you say nothing, or do nothing, your denomination, house group, temple, or humanist non-profit for good works will be next. All religions are a threat to the crown, and our founders knew that.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) was gullible and they were lied to.  Because the Roman Catholic church is the largest non-government social agency in the country, they were scammed and snookered by people much more clever. But fortunately, they have come out of their long liberal sleep.

This is not about birth control or health insurance for employees.  This is about the power of the federal government to determine how Christians practice their religion.

http://www.catholicleague.org/hhs-mandate-targets-catholics/

Why did Catholics support Obama

Fifty seven percent of practicing Catholics (attend mass at least once a week) voted for Romney.  Forty three percent who call themselves Catholic but rarely attend services, voted for Obama, the pro-abortion president. Every U.S. Bishop opposed the HHS mandate,  and it clearly looked like Obama stabbed them in the back after they’d supported him on immigration, taxes, etc.  But they just couldn't fight the fact that Catholics have been primarily Democrats for way too long.  I can’t imagine that they couldn’t see this coming when they supported a pro-abortion candidate in 2008.  So that also means that 43% of practicing Catholics think it is OK for Catholic charities and schools and hospitals to go under because of Obama's mandates.

http://www.lifenews.com/2013/02/15/why-did-so-many-faithful-catholics-vote-for-obama-again/

Envy, one of the seven deadly sins

Envy is one of the 7 deadly sins--something all Christians used to know, determined in the 6th century and popularized by Chaucer in the 14th c. The rest are pride, lust, anger, gluttony, greed and sloth. Envy is at the root of President Obama's campaign.

The questions I haven't seen about Wright and Obama

Am I the only one who thinks donating $20,000 over 20 years is paltry for a two income, political, Ivy-League educated family? That's less than $5 a week each for Barack and Michelle.

Where was the United Church of Christ higher ups (don't know if they are bishops or deacons or just chairs) in all this? Having a preacher of their denomination give rousing, hate-filled sermons and not losing his credentials. I'm guessing they wouldn't be so kind, so open, so understanding if a a UCC minister tried to preach on what Paul mean about sexuality and God's wrath in the book of Romans. The guy or gal would have been shown the door before she could hang up her robe.

Even if Obama won't repudiate his mentor, Jeremiah Wright, does he grasp how this hate speech fuels crime and hopelessness among people who didn't have his advantages?

Why are white liberal Christians even surprised (or maybe they weren't)? They've known about black liberation theology for about 30 years and embraced it warmly. Maybe it just feels so good when the whipping stops? I read James Cone's book years ago--when I was a member of a large liberal church. I've heard elements of it from black pulpits when I listen to services here in Columbus on Sunday morning. Apparently, his sermon didn't surprise African Americans. They agree with him.

"Last Friday, in an effort to gauge just how "out there" Wright's sermons are in the context of the African-American church tradition, Newsweek phoned at least two dozen of the country's most prominent and thoughtful African-American scholars and pastors, representing a wide range of denominations and points of view. Not one person would say that Wright had crossed any kind of significant line." James Taranto, WSJ, Mar 19

It's become a way for white churches to keep the black Christians separate and out of their power structure--down on the plantation, as it were, because it's a theme you wouldn't hear any where else. It's the same hypocrisy that had a gang of white liberal preachers in Columbus going after Rod Parsley's tax exempt (World Harvest Church) status at his conservative church while ignoring the political preaching that goes on Sunday after Sunday in black churches.

The Audacity to Hope

Here's the sermon by Jeremiah Wright preached in 1990, from which it is said comes Barack Obama's theme.

The Audacity to Hope

The assistant pastor of Obama's church was at Lakeside the summer of 2007. He was a fine preacher with a good message.