Tracy Talk

The First Amendment of the Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . .” The two parts of that statement, formally known as the “establishment clause” and the “free exercise clause”, provide the foundation for the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the “separation of church and state” doctrine.  The First Amendment, as it reads, is in line with the teaching of Scripture.  God has ordained the government of the church as well as civil government.  Each has a distinct sphere of operation.  The purpose of civil government is stated in Romans 13:1-7.  The purpose of the church is declared in Matthew 28:19-20.  As stated in the First Amendment, I do not believe that the government should control the church.  Neither do I believe that the church should be in power over the affairs of civil government.

Unfortunately, the First Amendment is often interpreted in a way that attempts to drive religious principles and morals out of government and even to limit the role of religious individuals, particularly pastors, from being involved in civil government and community service.  I believe that every individual American has a responsibility to seek to have as great of an influence in society as possible for the good of the nation.  A church employee (i.e. a pastor, priest, rabbi, mullah, etc.) should be no less engaged in current affairs and community service individually than a person representing any other profession.  What should not take place is for a particular church or denomination to be placed in a position of power in government.  In other words, I do not believe in a theocracy, where a particular religion is required for all citizens.  That is an entirely different matter from that of an individual Christian (regardless of profession) who serves in a political office, and is the exact concern of the First Amendment.

I believe in religious freedom.  Religious belief is a personal matter of the heart.  What you and I believe will certainly influence our decisions, or morals, our judgment, and our behavior, all of which will bear specific consequences.  You cannot separate one’s beliefs (religious or other) from their actions.  The one will inevitably influence the other.  It is for this reason that I believe that people with character and Christian beliefs and values are exactly the kind of people that are needed to lead our nation.  They are the ones who founded our nation.  Almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, as well as most every Founding Father graduated from orthodox Christian teaching seminaries and were pastors, church elders, and church officers.  Here is a sample:

Samuel Adams: Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Father of the Revolution, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Hancock: First signer of the Declaration of Independence, Acting President of the United Sates, Started the “Minutemen,” commissioned George Washington as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, Governor of Massachusetts, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Quincy Adams: Sixth President of the United States, Vice-President of the American Bible Society, Vice-President of the Massachusetts Bible Society, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Robert Treat Paine: Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Military Chaplain, Helped write the Massachusetts Constitution, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Rufus King: Signer of the Constitution, Selected as manager of the American Bible Society, Signer of the Constitution, Ratifier of the Bill of Rights, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Bushrod Washington: U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Vice-President of the American Bible Society, Vice-President of the American Sunday School Union, Attended William and Mary (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Lowell: Revolutionary Officer, Member of the Continental Congress, Member of the Society for the propagating of the Gospel among the Indians and others, Authored Article I in the Massachusetts Constitution of 1779 and insisted that it be adopted into the Bill of Rights—“All men are born free and equal, and have certain natural, essential and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties…”, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Jonathan Trumbull: Governor of Connecticut, Ordained Pastor, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Timothy Pickering: Revolutionary General, Secretary of State, His ideas formed the Northwest Ordinance, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

William Samuel Johnson: Signer of the Constitution, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Zephaniah Swift: Author of America’s first legal text, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

James Bowdoin: Governor of Massachusetts, Member of the Society for Propagating the Gospel Among the Indians and Others, Attended Harvard (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

James Kent: Father of American Jurisprudence, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

Joel Barlow: Diplomat under Washington and Adams, Chaplain in the American Revolution for three years, Did not become liberal until 1794, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Cotton Smith: Governor of Connecticut, U.S. Congressman, Puritan Minister, President of the Litchfield County Foreign Missionary Society, First President of the Connecticut Bible Society, President of the American Bible Society, President of the American Board of Foreign Missions, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

John Treadwell: Governor of Connecticut, Member of Continental Congress, Member of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, Attended Yale (an orthodox Christian seminary at that time)

These men, and others, are the same ones who declared that all Americans are free to practice religion in whatever way that we deem best.  Our country was founded by religious men, but they recognized that government cannot require religion or disallow it, it can only protect religious freedom.  Who better to do that, than those who are religious?

In Romans 13:1-3 the Bible also uses similar terms to make it clear that a Christian individual seeking to be an influence in politics is not the same as a denomination or group of churches running the government.  Thus, I do believe in the separation of church and state as originally presented in the First Amendment of the Constitution.  I do not believe that statement to in any way be in conflict with my personal desire to serve my community and country in the realm of politics.  My beliefs and values certainly shape the decisions that I make, and have led me to my current role of a minister.  Those values and beliefs have also driven me to step out and lead in the arena of politics.  Again, I believe strongly that religious people with character and integrity should not be excluded from political leadership, but I do not believe that religion should be regulated by the government whether it is done so in a positive sense by requiring a particular system of belief, or done in a negative sense by denying religious freedoms.  Both are an infringement upon Constitutional rights.  I will not seek to use any political platform to regulate religious belief and practice.  At the same time, I will stand up for religious freedom and the individual’s right to make whatever religious choice that he deems best, so long as it does not hinder another’s equal rights and freedoms.

A traditional view of marriage must be upheld to ensure the strength and prosperity of future generations of Americans.  This is a key issue that must transcend party lines and be preserved by all freedom lovers of the United States.  Our true strength as a nation does not flow from our military might or our financial prosperity.  It flows from the core values upon which our nation was founded.  Our values underscore our beliefs about God, family, and country.  It is those values and beliefs that set us apart as unique in the eyes of the world and in turn make us a great nation under God.  The heart and life-blood of American society is the family unit.  There is no debating the fact that children raised in a traditional family with a mother and a father are far better off than those who are not.  A child needs the balance of male and female leadership and guidance.  He needs to learn about love, discipline, and faith from his parents.  Schools should complement what is being taught in the home, but the real educating about how to live and function as a responsible citizen should be provided by Mom and Dad.  The influence that parents have on their children cannot be overemphasized.  That is not to say that single parents cannot overcome their adverse circumstances and prove to do an exemplary job at raising their children.  However, they will most often be the first to tell you, that their situation is far less than ideal.    Statistics show that kids raised without a mother or a father and particularly when born out of wedlock, are likely to be pushed into a lifestyle of poverty and welfare.  They are more prone to drugs and crime.  They often drop out of school and acquire low-paying, dead-end jobs, if they get jobs at all.  Again, this is certainly not the story of every child raised outside of a traditional family environment, but unfortunately it does prove to be the norm more often than not.  Americans must understand that marriage is instituted by God in the Bible.  It is to be for one man and one woman for life.  Divorce, same-sex marriage, premarital sex, and unprepared/underage marriage breaks down the strength of our family structure.

What can be done?
1) A federal constitutional amendment is needed that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  Same-sex marriages should not be recognized on the federal or the state level.

2) The Defense of Marriage Act was passed and became law on September 21, 1996.  It must be supported and upheld as law.  It declares that no state or political subdivision within the United States has to recognize persons of the same sex as married, even if their relationship is declared as a marriage in another state.  It also maintains that the Federal government is not permitted to consider same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if they are viewed as marriages in certain states.

3) All must commit to be part of the solution, not the problem.  Enter into “holy matrimony” only after giving careful thought and prayer to that monumental decision.  Take advantage of every resource available to prepare for marriage, such as pre-marital counseling, books, and seminars on marriage.  Train the next generation to have a reverent view of marriage and to commit to sexual abstinence in relationships until they are married.

Any parent, who has had the amazing privilege of witnessing a baby’s entrance into the world, will agree that life is a miracle.  Life is not only an extraordinary gift from God at the beginning, but the same could be said at every age of our existence.  Why does your heart continue to beat at your current age?  It is a gift from God.  We all have the God-given right to life.  We are all created equal.  Americans should value their fellow citizens at every age.  One life is no less valuable than another, whether in the womb, or in the nursing home.  The question addressed here is, when does life begin?

The Bible repeatedly declares that life begins at conception.  One example is God’s statement about the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5.  “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  David says in Psalm 139:13, 16:  “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”  Not only does life begin at conception, God already knows all about us before we are ever birthed into this world.

Science also proves that life begins at conception.  At the moment fertilization takes place, the unborn child’s full genetic makeup is already in place.  Already determined in that moment is the child’s gender, height, and even skin, hair and eye color.  Life begins at that moment of conception.

Since that is true, is one life more important than another?  Does one life have the right or power to take another innocent life?  Of course not.

Let us be very clear that, based on the unchanging Word of God, murdering an unborn child in the womb (abortion) is a sin that God has always hated and was punishable by death in the Bible. In fact, God condemns murder of all kinds, but particularly the murder of children. In Ex. 20:13 God says, “Thou shalt not kill.” In Lev. 20:1-5, God says that the one who committed the horrible atrocity of child sacrifice should “surely be put to death.” Exodus 21:22-23 is a specific example where an actual abortion is found:

“If men strive, and hurt a women with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life” (Ex.21:22-23).

This is just a sampling of the Biblical evidence on the subject of abortion, but the theme is consistent. What does God think about abortion? … “life for life.”

What does all of this mean for those who are governing the United Sates?

1)    No tax dollars should be spent on promoting and performing abortions or on assisted suicides (euthanasia).
2)    A constitutional amendment designed to protect the right to life should be written and passed as legislation. Ideally the practice of abortion, as well as euthanasia, in any form would be illegal and viewed just as seriously as the murder of any other human life.
3)    Roe vs. Wade should be overturned.  The Supreme Court should continue in the direction of the recent Gonzales v. Carhart case where the gruesome practice of partial birth abortion was forbidden.
4)    In the mean time, numerous legislation should be pursued on the federal level to deter the practice of abortion:  a ban on partial-birth abortion; a bill to establish a woman’s right to know the exact procedure done during an abortion; a mandate that parents be informed and provide consent before an abortion is performed on a minor; requirement that doctors inform the mother that the unborn child will feel pain, and provide the option to anesthetize the baby prior to the abortion.

The human race has the tremendous privilege of living on the only planet in our solar system that is perfectly suited to sustain life.  The earth is a beautiful place.  Everywhere we look we see the evidences of God’s touch.  The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:17 that God “richly provides us with everything to enjoy.”  All good things on this planet are from the good hand of our good God.  Even God, Himself, when creating the universe stopped after each of the six days to say of His work, “It is good.” (Genesis 1)

God made the earth, He owns it, and He sustains it.  We are simply caretakers of this beautiful planet.  As such, we should handle it carefully and respectfully, not unnecessarily destroying it or contaminating it.  We should do our best to be good stewards of our beautiful home.

Having said that, never forget that God did make the earth for us to enjoy.  In Genesis 1:28-29 God said to the first humans that they had dominion over the earth and were to subdue and enjoy it.  Humans are the only members of God’s vast creation that are equipped with a soul and the ability to reason.  We are literally God’s masterpiece and He made the earth for us to enjoy.  It is for us.  As a result, we have the liberty to take pleasure in our beautiful home to the fullest.  Use, but don’t abuse, is a great philosophy.

The theory of an intensifying Global Warming that will destroy the planet and end the potential for life on this planet is absurd.  There is no legitimate proof of that happening, and actually plenty of proof of the opposite.  Again, God is the one who sustains the universe, not man.  We are powerless to completely destroy or to save the earth.  That is God’s business, not ours.  We should not fear that by responsibly enjoying our planet, we might destroy it by leaving our carbon footprint.  The earth has gone through a series of warming and cooling cycles many times throughout documented history.  Scientists do not agree, though some would like to say that they do, that we are on an unprecedented warming trend.   Think of the Vikings, for example, who over 1,000 years ago settled in a place they named Greenland.  They obviously named it after what they saw when they first sailed near the coast….green lands.  They would not have even been able to sail near Greenland if the waters were frozen over like they are today.  The temperature must certainly have been warmer to allow them to colonize on Greenland.  The Vikings had a thriving civilization there for some three hundred years until it did indeed freeze over and by 1408 they had abandoned it.  Greenland has remained frozen for many years, but today we are told to panic because the ice sheet around the edges of Greenland is melting.  History seems to evidence that we have actually had a cooling cycle for the last several hundred years and now we are possibly returning to temperatures that previously existed.  Even in the 1970s environmentalists were warming of a coming Ice Age!  Now we are told that the planet is warming.

The only logical conclusion is that the earth goes through cyclical climate changes.  Funding and legislation related to the myth of Global Warming should be eliminated altogether.

Todd Schnitt, a radio host based out of Tampa, Florida, has put together an excellent list of resources on the subject of Global Warming.  In his own words, it is “one of the largest collections of articles and opinion pieces on the Internet, many written by respected scientists, climatologists, meteorologists and professors who dispute the apocalyptic “man-made” explanation of global warming.”  His collection can be viewed at the following link:

http://schnittshow.newsradio610.com/globalwarming.html

Energy Independence is a must for the future prosperity and security of America.  It is unfathomable that while fighting a global war on terror, our nation is, at the same time, funding some of the very terrorist groups that would destroy us.   When we stop at the local gas station we support two opposing causes.  On the one hand, we support America with our tax dollars paid for that gasoline.  On the other hand, we support terrorists with the gas dollars going to pay for that fuel.  We are literally “shooting ourselves in the foot.”  We have become so dependent on foreign oil that we are truly addicted.  Reform will not be an easy process, but as a nation we must pursue energy independence.

What needs to be done?  Here are some potential ideas:
1) When gas prices soared in 2008, T. Boone Pickens, a visionary oil man, promoted a plan to bring wind power to the middle states of our country.  Wind is certainly not the ultimate long-term example, but it could possibly be a short-term fix while other alternative fuels are explored and developed.

2) Drilling in our country needs to happen NOW!  Drill in Florida.  Drill in California.  Drill in Alaska.  Drill wherever we can to decrease our dependence on OPEC.  Again, this is probably not a permanent long-term solution, but it will take the pressure off of Congress while they develop a plan for other fuel sources.

3) Alternative fuel options need to be brought into production and made available to the American people for a reasonable cost.  Nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, biodiesel, ethanol, and biomass should all be explored.  I’ve heard that Congressional Republicans call this the “all of the above” strategy!  Vehicles, factories, and machinery need to be manufactured that will run on alternative sources.  The federal government should research and develop a budget to fund the exploration of these various possibilities.

To be successful in the future, America needs to make energy independence an absolute priority.  It is critical for our prosperity and security.