The Dominionist Spartan Army ~ The ’300′

by Susan Cardoza

The New Apostolic Reformation or the group commonly known as Dominionist/7 Mountains Christians has yet another new iniative called “The Oak Initiative” and they have a plan they call the 300. A couple weeks ago we had a column on this group but today we will give you information into a plan to add to the group’s goals. For this initiative, Tony Perkins has joined forces with Jerry Boykin and Rick Joyner. They have devised this group based loosely on the movie of the same name and they plan to form some Spartan-like army of activists called 300 that is going to rise up and save America from the forces of evil bent on its destruction.

If you did not see the movie 300, it is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The plot revolves around King Leonidas, who leads 300 Spartans into battle against Persian “god-King” Xerxes and his army of more than one million soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios. Concluding his tale before an audience of Spartans on the edge of the battlefield a year after Thermopylae, Dilios relates how the Persian army has suffered desertions, out of fear and the heavy casualties they suffered at the hands of a mere 300 Spartans. Word of their valiant resistance spread across Greece, inspiring the different city-states to unite against the Persians. Now, the Persians face 10,000 Spartans leading 30,000 free Greeks. Although still outnumbered three to one, Dilios declares that the Greeks shall be victorious and praises the sacrifice of the 300. He then leads the Greeks in a charge against the Persian army, beginning the Battle of Plataea.

There was criticism of the violence and negative portrayal of Iran (Persia) in the movie and the movie writer Frank Miller stated:

“The Spartans were a paradoxical people. They were the biggest slave owners in Greece. But at the same time, Spartan women had an unusual level of rights. It’s a paradox that they were a bunch of people who in many ways were fascist, but they were the bulwark against the fall of democracy. The closest comparison you can draw in terms of our own military today is to think of the red-caped Spartans as being like our special-ops forces. They’re these almost superhuman characters with a tremendous warrior ethic, who were unquestionably the best fighters in Greece. I didn’t want to render Sparta in overly accurate terms, because ultimately I do want you to root for the Spartans. I couldn’t show them being quite as cruel as they were. I made them as cruel as I thought a modern audience could stand.”

So you might ask yourself why Dominionists would choose such a group to name themselves after and I really do not know because historically they appear to be a ruthless cruel people. The only thing I could come close to is the term “the bulwark against the fall of democracy”. If you are familiar with Dominionists you know they plan to conquer the world for Jesus and they appear to be willing to do most anything to achieve their goal. Perhaps these 300 will be their special OPS who will be allowed to step outside the bounds of society and do what Christians do not want to do or perhaps they will be their “CIA” as has been mentioned more than once by Rick Joyner.

It is hard to tell because they have been fairly cagey about their purpose. At one point Rick Joyner said they were to be agents who seek public office to take control for the Dominionists. In a conversation between Joyner, Boykin, Perkins and Frank Turek they discussed the importance of Christians getting deeply involved in politics.

Perkins explained the absolute necessity of getting Christians into all levels of government while Boykin compared Christians today to the Spartan army and quoted King Leonidas by declaring “molon labe” ["come and get them"] when he and his army were told to lay down their weapons.

Likewise, Boykin declared “molon labe,” stating that he will not be silenced and challenged those in Washington who are out to take his liberties, rob his grandchildren, and destroy America to just try to take them from him.

Finally, Joyner announced that Christians have more than enough people to take control, but they need to bind together and, as such, would soon be unveiling coalition called “300″ which they did on February 3, 2011 to members of the Oak Initiative as follows:

Feb 03, 2011

Dear Oak Member,

This is an update on The Oak Initiative. No doubt 2011 is going to be one of the most exciting years yet. I have a lot of exciting news about how OAK is positioned for an increasing impact on our times. A number of the Oak Board members have spent a great deal of time meeting and planning throughout the month of January. There was an extraordinary grace on these meetings for increased clarity, strategy, and result whole new initiatives have been born. As members I want to give you more in-depth and behind the scenes information about these, but first I want to lay out the basics, and then I will share more information on each one.

New Initiatives:

300 Defenders: Seeking 300 leaders to run for public office at all levels.

Christian Information Service: Information Gathering; vetting and processing; and distribution as ‘force multipliers’.

The Order of Esther: Mobilize the church to combat the present slavery of women

A Presidential Campaign: Preparing the way now.

This was born out of several days of meetings with Gen. Boykin, Tony Perkins, Frank Turek, Mike DelRosso and myself. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council has been one of the main point men in the culture wars raging in Washington. While working closely with Sen. John McCain on the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” issue for the military, the senator asked Tony, “Where is the church?” This started a resounding echo in us and was the same question that gave birth to The Oak Initiative. It is our resolve that this question does not have to be asked again.

I shared the dream I had a few months ago about how the foundations of our nation are burning, and the whole house is about to go up in flames if the church does
Unfortunately I did not pay $100.00 dollars to obtain access to the entire letter so I do not know what the rest of the letter said. What I do know, thanks to an excellent researcher is that:

“The Spartans–particularly as depicted in the movie and comic, much less in real life–did a number of things that even NARasites would frown on, like abandoning babies with birth defects or who were otherwise “imperfect” to die (this is actually depicted in the movie “300″, with a hideously deformed hunchback eventually defecting to the side of the Persians as a double agent).

Of particular note Rick Joyner’s documented history of borrowing concepts from the racist right (including the adoption of the term ”Phineas Priesthood” from the Christian Identity tome “Vigilantes of Christendom” to denote pro-NAR domestic terrorism)–a specific term
from the Battle of Thermopylae, “Molon labe” has had quite a bit of popularity in “Christian patriot” militias and militia-aligned “second amendment” circles for some years, even predating the release of the film “300″. Literally translated, Molon labe means “Come and get them”, and more loosely/idiomatically means something akin to “You can have my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands - it was a direct response to the Persian army asking the Spartan home guard to drop their weapons. At least one pro-right-wing site even acknowedges the use of “Molon labe”(mentioned above) as a specific dogwhistle in this regard dating to the 1990s.

Of note, the phrase in Greek isn’t used in the movie, but IS used in the original “The 300 Spartans” along with its English (literal) translation.

This is actually part of a fairly long history of “pop culture appropriation” of “warrior images”, starting with Rambo (in the 80s) and more recently with two Mel Gibson movies (“The Patriot” and especially “Braveheart”), with NARasites* being cast in the roles of
the minutemen (in “The Patriot”) and of William Wallace’s army (in ”Braveheart”).

Just to give you an example of a real true-to-life possible member you can take a look at Congressman Jeff Duncan. Jeff Duncan was sworn into Congress in the wave of Teapublicans of 2010. He is a strict “Constitutionalist” and like most of the Teapublican freshman is very much into the idea of cutting the debt but not raising taxes. He was profiled in the book, “Do Not Ask What Harm We Do” by Robert Drake and he was one of many Teapublicans who used the movie “Braveheart” in their declaration of support for John Boehner in the efforts to defeat the payroll tax cut. Some asked if they actually remembered how the film ends? Answer: The hero of “Braveheart,” Scottish rebel William Wallace, dies at the end of the movie.

Viewed as being most conservative by Heritage Action may be alright for Heritage but the truth is Duncan has wasted a lot of time on bills that have no chance of being passed. He seems particularly interested in Islam and the danger they pose to our country. Sound familiar?

Here he is with Tony Perkins and Tim Wildmon, brother to Donald who is the founder of the American Family Association on their own AFA radio show. They act like they are barely acquainted but my guess is he could be one of the 300. They are discussing raising the debt ceiling limit and as we all know not addressing the issue could have brought not only our country but the world down financially. What better outcome for the Oak Initiative and all their tales of the end of this country where they emerge victorious over us all.

And here he is at Peter King’s well-publicized Muslim Radicalization hearing on 6/15/11

I will go out on a limb here and assume that more of the Freshman Teapublicans may have been sponsored by the Oak Initiative but have not had the time to research them all. At any rate, you can see how easily they could reach their goal. I probably would never had Jeff Duncan would most likely never hit my radar had I not read the Robert Draper book and known about this action by the Oak Initiative.

It is easy to talk with other people who are informed about this group and people like you who read this blog but I sure wish there was a wider media apparatus/organized group or foundation to spread this information to the masses. That is one area where the religious right has us beat, they have been organizing for years.

Contrary to the evidence available for God and everybody to see, their followers are dwindling each year. Oh I know – they made a lot of noise on their web site claiming dramatic events and prayer gatherings, but the evidence is in their own numbers, such as the Twitter feed below in Cardoza’s article reflecting less than 7,000 followers and their Facebook page has barely over 50,000. Without a doubt, participation has been significantly higher in years past.

I know this all sounds antithetical to what the leaders of political Christianity are claiming – but why let facts get in the way and confuse their audience at this stage in the game? Reality trumps false claims every time such as these articles pointing out declining membership from Baptist and Catholic to mainline Protestant congregations.

While Americans unabashedly claim themselves to be followers of Christianity in overwhelming numbers, the story is markedly different when it comes to rising on Sunday mornings and motivating ones derriere into the pews. The numbers drop like a sheep falling from a cliff. As most of you know, I am from Alaska which pulls up the rear with regard to actual church-going population ranking in at #46 out of 46 in the United States with only 22% of our population showing up. (Quite a different reality from the perception during the years that Palin was in the news-cycle). 

This week, contributor Susan Cardoza weighs in on this goat show known in today’s America as the Dobson Empire sponsored National Day of Prayer. A very overtly arrogant display that thumbs their sanctimonious noses at every American who is not “the right kind of Christian” as defined by their club membership rules – and that includes mainstream Christians as well. Cardoza includes President Obama’s proclamation that attempts to be inclusive of the fact that America is not a nation made up exclusively of Christians – thank you, Mr. President.

National Day of Dominionist Muscle-Flexing Brought to You by the Dobsons

by Susan Cardoza

In response to the National Day of Prayer (NDP) this year, there was also a National Day of Reason (NDR) celebrated on the on the Capitol Mall, May 3, 2012. Some people think there would not be a need for the National Day of Reason if there were not a National Day of Prayer. While the President and Congress claim the National Day of Prayer is a day for interfaith coalitions to pray for the world at large, the actual event is led by Shirley Dobson of Focus on the Family, a sect of an extreme version of Christianity that dangles under the umbrella of Dominionism. Make no mistake – this is nothing more than an unconstitutional use of government recognition and promotion of conservative Christian agendas.

Here is the introduction on their Twitter page:

Focus on the Family is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado and just what do they mean by “personal repentance”? Well, anyone who is familiar with evangelical churches would know that it means you must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior and declare that you have been “born again” in Jesus Christ.

So the question would be how is that compatible with Muslim or Jewish faiths?  And, even if the event were religiously inclusive, it would still exclude millions of Americans who do not pray, marginalizing them as second-class citizens. Our President, the same one who most of the religious right thinks is a secret Muslim, issued this year’s proclamation about the National Day of Prayer as follows:

“Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world.

On this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their conscience. Let us pray for all the citizens of our great Nation, particularly those who are sick, mourning, or without hope, and ask God for the sustenance to meet the challenges we face as a Nation.

May we embrace the responsibility we have to each other, and rely on the better angels of our nature in service to one another. Let us be humble in our convictions, and courageous in our virtue. Let us pray for those who are suffering around the world, and let us be open to opportunities to ease that suffering.

Let us also pay tribute to the men and women of our Armed Forces who have answered our country’s call to serve with honor in the pursuit of peace. Our grateful Nation is humbled by the sacrifices made to protect and defend our security and freedom. Let us pray for the continued strength and safety of our service members and their families. While we pause to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending liberty, let us remember and lend our voices to the principles for which they fought — unity, human dignity, and the pursuit of justice.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim May 3, 2012, as a National Day of Prayer. I invite all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I call upon individuals of all faiths to pray for guidance, grace, and protection for our great Nation as we address the challenges of our time.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.”

Despite the government’s endorsement of the holiday, for years the National Day of Prayer has been criticized, largely by secular activists, as a violation of the principle of the separation of church and state. So this year secular advocates are holding a counter event calling it the day a National Day of Reason.

As a secular country with a secular Constitution, our government should not favor one religion over another, or religion over non-religion. There are some who would ask for a National Day of Non-Prayer and while that may happen every day of the year, singling out one day could provide Christians with an opportunity to feel how non-believers do every year on the National Day of Prayer. I imagine that Christians would scream that the government is sponsoring a day of “heathenism”, or possibly seeking to “marginalize” the event that Christians hold. Personally, I don’t need a President telling me to set aside a day of prayer because I do not pray much, however, even if I did I would hope that my dedication to prayer would not need a “special” day set apart for the event.

The organizers of this event can describe it however they want but the real purpose is stated very clearly on their Twitter page, to coerce people into accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior and yes, I paraphrased their original statement because it is a white wash of their intentions.

Some people wonder just when this National Day of Prayer become a government proclamation and the answer is in 1952. In 1952 a joint resolution by Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual, National Day of Prayer. In 1988, the law was amended and signed by President Reagan, officially designating the day as the first Thursday of May, and each year the President signs a proclamation, inviting all Americans to take part. Typically, all 50 state governors issue similar proclamations. I guess all of the people involved here forgot the words and meaning of our First Amendment, which says:

“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.”

Just to set the record straight, I have no personal feelings one way or another about a National Day Prayer. My philosophy is to live and let live but I do have a problem using subterfuge in order to win souls for Christ. If you want to do that, just say so. Don’t hide behind praying for the Military, the country and whatever else you use to justify your “one day nationwide revival”, call it what it is.

There is a difference between the National Day of Prayer and a National Day of Reason. Many secular groups plan to observe the National Day of Reason by advocating and performing community service projects or other good works. After all, Robert Ingersoll, a nineteenth-century Republican and humanist said, “The hands that help are better far than the lips that pray.” Too bad more Republicans and Democrats do not share this view.

When I think about a National Day of Reasoning I must say this is my personal preference – not because it is the opposite of the National Day Prayer but because it is a day that can remind Americans of a past they seem so eager to let go. A past when science was respected, a past when a women’s right to choose was not under constant attack, a past when education was accepted and revered. From the Washington Post:

“There was a time when Americans would feel embarrassed by their ignorance of science or their disdain of reason. Not so much, anymore. An article in the Christian Post described how the American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America have joined forces to counter the National Day of Prayer by promoting a National Day of Reason. In the article, a Christian Coalition spokesperson, Billy McCormack, called the National Day of Reason “a blatant assault on Christianity.” One hopes that some Christians will be uncomfortable on learning that their fellow Christians describe “reason” as an assault on Christianity.”

When did we, as a nation, come to this point? How have things gotten so bad that a day of reason would be called an assault on Christianity? Is Christianity of today so simple minded that reason has no place in it? The answer is a resounding “no”, many mainstream Christians today feel secure in their belief and include reason as essential to their faith.

In fact, our founders – who wisely separated religion from government – would be appalled by those who call for the separation of reason from government. The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence would never have been written without the gift of reason. Perhaps that should be the way it is described, “the gift of reason”, people might be more inclined to try it on for size.

Recently I did a post that included photos and short bios of some of the speakers that were lined up to attend a gathering called, The Awakening 2012. You will see that if you open that article in a different tab and compare the main characters of that gathering to the organizers of The Oak Initiative gatherings…it comes as no surprise to those of us tracking Dominionists that they are one in the same.

The numerous similarities are not accidental. These people are experts at marketing their message and it is not enough for them to do it from one source – they are skilled at splintering their efforts into numerous organizations, performances and churches so that the unsuspecting are barraged by this misinformation from seemingly every angle.

This diversification of branding is why, several years ago, I started describing the effort involved in monitoring and tracking these people is like playing the game “whack-a-mole”, writing about this just last year in an article at PoliticusUSA. No sooner do you identify them as one entity and before you know it, they pop up as another…and another…and another.

The connections between all these leaders, and all these groups, creates a dangerous perception that the message they are peddling must be righteous because look at how many sources are telling their audiences identical agendas with the same bible-based sense of urgency and patriotism. Adding to that perception that this is a legitimate movement to take dominion over secular institutions and “Reclaim America for Christ” are the growing list of political Christians running for offices from school boards to the Presidency. Note that this was the phrase that Rick Santorum plastered all over his campaign material; and it is now a Republican PAC; and is the name of a Marco Rubio video; as well as the cry of frantic End Times believers – just to name a few of its uses.

The only way that we can stem their tide – and I firmly believe that we can – is by exposing them as often as possible. Every time they show up, a broad group of us are writing about them across the web and we will not stop. Exposure is their Kryptonite. We will continue to do the leg work, but we rely on you to spread this as far and wide as you can. This is the march of the theocrats happening right under our noses.

 What is the Oak Initiative?

by Susan Cardoza

A few months ago I decided to get up very early on a Sunday morning to view a relatively new program on MSNBC, Up With Chris Hayes. I had seen Chris in various political pundit situations and was somewhat impressed with his quiet way of speaking the truth so I was curious to see what his show was all about. For the most part the discussion was pretty general about politics and the coming election. Then the subject changed to Latinos and their role in the coming election and Chris Hayes had invited Pastor Samuel Rodriguez to participate in the discussion.

Knowing what I know about Dominionists I immediately perked up. First of all, how did Chris Hayes find this guy? Did he do any back-check on the man at all, or did he just see the title, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and go all out? I listened to the conversation and Mr. Rodriguez does make for a good conversationalist, however, I was struck at how one can be lulled into thinking a person (who would not know anything about Rodriguez) could think, hey, this guy is speaking for all Latinos. Unfortunately for Chris Hayes I know who Rodriguez is and I was furious that he would produce this man as some harmless Latino pastor – and in doing so, give the impression that Samuel Rodriguez speaks for all Latinos.

I don’t usually do this, but I wrote Chris Hayes a scathing email on his choice of guests and his terrible lack of due diligence in validating his guests. I told him how he deceived his audience by portraying this guy as some social justice warrior for all Latinos, purportedly based on the name of his organization. Of course Hayes did not have the grace to respond to my email. I guess he is “the” journalist and I am simply a lone watcher of no significance to him. But this lone watcher has taken action by relaying that experience to others who now may join me in questioning his due diligence.

So, you might be wondering why Samuel Rodriguez might warrant such a spirited response from me and it is because he is involved in The Oak Initiative. The Oak Initiative is another dangerous Christian Dominionist franchise spawned by followers of C. Peter Wagner’s New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) and their cleverly packaged sales tool called the 7 Mountains mandate. A majority of Latinos have never heard of his organization or the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, let alone the rest of America, so I will endeavor to share with you what I have learned about the Oak Initiative.

You can best understand who they are by knowing what their purpose is although intentionally they will describe themselves as pretty bland. Only by knowing their background would one know their true purpose: To dominate all the nations of the world for Jesus Christ – take dominion. You can read the entire purpose statement on their web site at the…. but make no mistake this is part of the 7 Mountains movement:

“Our Purpose”

America is in crisis, possibly the greatest threat to its continued existence yet. However, we can do something about it, and that is the Purpose of The Oak Initiative.

Along with a political and spiritual shift we find our self in need of a shift in our core values and there are signs that this shift is happening. Unlike many other groups, our goal is to see the development of leaders and leadership skills in our members so that along with a shift in the spirit of America, we are ready to champion the core values that are based on biblical or kingdom principles and wisdom. Then it will be the blend of a spiritual awakening with sound wisdom that will lay a foundation for lasting results…

For us, it is not simply about measuring, evaluating, or responding to the change around us but rather being change-agents and facilitating change in every aspect of our culture as we, the Oak Initiative, become infused into the areas of social, cultural, and political impact wherever we find ourselves….

For us, it is not just about less taxes, correction in government spending, large or small government, liberal or conservative agendas, or correcting the balance of power in our legislative branches at local, state, and federal levels….

For us, it is about awaking our people to the voice of our Founding Fathers recorded in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. It’s about bringing wisdom, which we have gained from our personal relationship with the Lord and study of His word, into the market place at every level of social, cultural, and political expression.

Our goals will not have been accomplished when we simply provide solutions that impact today’s problems but will only be accomplished when we have been a part of a spiritual awakening that lays a foundation for course correction in the future of America.

For us, it is not just a voting ballot or a single set of issues – it’s about being a part of an historical shift in a nation that is called to a destiny by God to disciple other nations…

We are The Oak Initiative

So, there you have it, straight from the horse’s you know what. They are overtly in the business of dedicating their time and resources to bringing lasting change to America/The World and only a biblical resolution will be the successful conclusion of that change.  They named themselves as a result of their interpretation of Isaiah 61:3:

“and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.’

I submit that in actuality, all they really did is search the Bible for a verse that would fit their agenda and then take up that mantle, I just do not buy that God really joins them for lunch dates and lays out directives for taking dominion over cultures and countries. These are their stated beliefs in a nutshell:

• They believe in charity, but only at the local/non-government level.
• They claim they want to defend individual freedom but hold “Awakenings” around the nation to turn Muslims to Christ and that freedom is based upon eternal law that God is sovereign and grants all rights.
• They claim to defend political freedom but their website is geared toward Republican voters.
• They will establish, maintain and defend religious liberty and challenge attempts to inhibit such liberty
• Their conviction is that the development of the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States were guided by biblical principles and morality. These are the basis of legitimate government of the United States, and any who seek to void or circumvent these must be opposed.
• The (claim) to seek resolutions for healing moral offenses, prejudices and justice(except if you are a Muslim so their all does not really mean all)
• They are pro-life except when the state decides to kill someone
• And they are guided by The Lausanne Covenant

“The Church must be in the world; the world must not be in the Church.”  I found that statement in one section of The Lausanne Covenant and thought it rather strange. To me it means, no matter what they do in the world, the world will never be able to enter their realm. Perhaps that is somewhat simplistic but knowing these people as I do I just thought it strange for them to claim dominion over the world but tell the world “you have no say in what we do.”

So, who are these people? If you have followed the Dominionist movement you will recognize their names. They do not list Samuel Rodriguez on the website but he is a Vice President and there is plenty of information on the web to prove he is involved. I have provided a couple links below. Sometimes, even if you have followed them, new names will emerge for you, as they did for me. I will add comments below but I urge you to read their full bios, there are some surprises, like no religious background asserted?

Chairman: Marc Nuttle is an attorney, based in Norman, Oklahoma, who represents corporations, business projects and political entities nationally and internationally. He is managing partner of Oklahoma Sovereign Development, LLC (OSD), an Oklahoma based industrial development company.

They make no mention of his religious leanings but this man is well versed in political campaigns. Of course, being the defenders of political rights that they are, he has only helped Republican candidates.

President: Rick Joyner is the Founder, and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries, which includes MorningStar University, and The MorningStar Fellowship of Churches, as well as Heritage International Ministries, the restored Heritage USA Grand Hotel and Conference Center. He is the author of more than 30 books, including The Final Quest Trilogy, There Were Two Trees in the Garden, and his latest, I See A New America. Rick and his wife, Julie, live in South Carolina with their five children: Anna, Aaryn, Amber, Ben and Sam.

He also believes that Sarah Palin was anointed to be the leader of our “great nation” and that her turn would come. Of course, if that failed he has Michelle Bachmann waiting in the wings. Sadly for them, this year, that failed as well.

Lt.Gen. (U.S. Army Ret.) W.G. “Jerry” Boykin was one of the elite warriors chosen in 1978 to make up the first unit in America’s ultra-secretive and deadly Delta Force. He then became commander of the unit, and later still, commander of all U.S. Army Special Forces. His thirty-six years in the military included a tour at the Central Intelligence Agency and clandestine missions around the world. Jerry retired in 2007, serving his last four years as the deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence.

Don’t let the intelligence function fool you, this man is more delusional than Dick Cheney or George Bush, in fact, even George Bush had to reprimand him for describing military efforts as a holy war against Islam while in uniform and that is saying something. Boykin has all sorts of conspiracy theories he is more than happy to expound on to anyone who will listen and many do.

Here is a link to Right Wing Watch where you can read all about him. Boykin is also a member of the Knights of Malta, a Catholic organization seen by some as a dangerous group. I will include some links below written by people who have done research on them. There are claims in the research community that we are seeing Catholics, Mormons and Evangelicals joining together in the United States – united by their joint hatred of Muslims.

Bishop Larry Jackson is the founding pastor of Bethel Outreach International Church in Charlotte, NC. He currently serves as a regional bishop for the Fellowship of International Churches (Bishop Wellington Boone, Founder and National Bishop) in the southeastern region of the United States and the Vice President of Strategic Planning.

Bishop Jackson is one of their media people, he has founded Shachah Records, a newly formed Christian record label; Kingdom Writers and Music Association, established to facilitate the advancement of new and independent artists while at the same time serving as a vehicle to unite them; and Kingdom Distribution Network, a distribution company that distributes Christian products directly to the public.

Cindy Jacobs is a respected prophet who travels the world ministering not only to crowds of people, but to heads of nations.  Perhaps her greatest ministry is to world influencers who seek her prophetic advice. She and her husband Mike have founded Generals International. The heart and mission of Generals International is to bring Godly transformation to the societies and nations of the world through intercession and the prophetic. More…

Cindy Jacobs is a longstanding member of the 7 Mountains organization. She specializes in prophetic intercession. The ministry, now known as Generals International, was founded as Generals of Intercession. Intercession is still a major thrust of the ministry as they have “generals” around the world who are starting prayer networks in regions such as Central Asia and Turkey.

Nicholas F. Papanicolaou was born in 1949 in Athens, Greece.

He was educated at Williston Academy, Easthampton, MA where he graduated cum laude in 1967. He then earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at Harvard University from where he graduated with advanced placement in 1970, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Columbia University in 1972.

Nicholas’s father, Georgious, discovered the Pap Smear, unfortunately Nicholas has pursued a far darker path than his esteemed father. Nicholas is a Grand Master in the Knights of Malta. I searched the net for a wiki on him and found nothing. Strange since he is an active member in the Oak Iniative. There appears to be a dark connection between Nicholas and Boynkin, both are in the Order of Malta and both are virulently against Islam.

Rev. Lou P. Sheldon is Chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, a lobby organization representing churches and the grassroots that works to preserve the Judeo-Christian ethics upon which America was founded. The Traditional Values Coalition, founded in 1980 by Rev. Sheldon, speaks on behalf of more than 43,000 churches across the United States regarding pro-family legislation and policy. With an emphasis on the restoration of the values necessary to maintain strong, unified families, TVC focuses on such issues as religious liberty, marriage, the right to life, the homosexual agenda, pornography, family tax relief and education. He is a familiar face and voice for the family before the U.S. Congress and the White House.

At first I did not recognize this man but when I read his full bio, I immediately recognized him and changed his name above from Louis to Lou. This is Lou in a nutshell:

“A strong voice of the traditional values that have been the foundation of America’s greatness is essential if we are to have good government policy. We need to have these values expressed and no organization does that better in Congress than Traditional Values Coalition” ~ John Ashcroft, Former United States Attorney General

Enough said about Sheldon. He is there to lobby Congress and if Ashcroft thinks he is special, you know he is batshit crazy when it comes to strict religious beliefs. Ashcroft is the AG who went around DOJ covering the naked statues.

Bob Weiner was moved by God to found Maranatha Churches and Campus Ministries, now with locations on 150 campuses in 20 nations.  During the last 10 years, Bob trained 50,000 youth in Russia for ministry and covered all the training expenses for them.  God multiplied this ministry, and today many hundreds of thousands of youth have been saved, established in churches and cell groups by the thousands.

Weiner’s ministry in the 70’s and 80’ recruited young people mainly on college campuses. It was reported to be a cult-like ministry with an authoritarian hierarchy where the individual was taught not to think individually but in group-speak. Weiner’s main targets were the best and brightest on campus. Members were told to work hard, get the best grades, and look as good as you could in order to rise in the economic and political ladders of success to be next to influence decision-makers. The Christian Research Institute said of Maranatha Ministries, “Until we have clearer understanding of the changes which MCM claims are being implemented, and until we see more discernible evidence of change in the lives of people being impacted by MCM, we would not recommend this organization to anyone.”

You can read more about Maranatha Ministries (here) but I find it strange that Weiner once issued an apology for his work with the ministry and now is right back in the mix. I guess I should not be surprised.

Ardell “Danny” Daniels is an apostle and oversees Spoken Word Ministries with his wife, Kimberly Daniels, in Jacksonville, Florida. Together they travel the globe touching lives for Jesus. They have six lovely children that range from the ages of 11 to 30. Ardell is an ex-drug dealer and addict.  God has miraculously transformed and raised him up for the last days.

Not much is written on Ardell but Kimberly Daniels uses her strength and determination for another purpose. She’s known as the Demon Buster, the leader of a small army of deliverance ministers who are exercising spiritual authority through prayer to confront demons of drug addiction, violence and witchcraft in their community.

Janet L. (Folger) Porter is the President and Founder of Faith2Action – turning people of faith into people of action to WIN the cultural war TOGETHER for life, liberty and the family. She reports from the front lines of the cultural war on her nationally syndicated daily program, Faith2Action with Janet Folger, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST (heard on the VCY, REACH FM (Calvary Chapel), Bott Radio, National Pro-life Radio, and Christian Worldview Networks, as well as individual stations throughout the Midwest).  She also hosts a 60-second daily radio commentary which airs on more than 100 stations and at www.F2A.org.

“When the killing stops Operation Rescue and Troy Newman will be among the first to receive our thanks.”  ~ Janet Folger Porter. Enough said about Porter.

Dr. Lance Wallnau  has been described by People For The American Way as the hidden architect behind the increasingly viral and politically potent seven mountain template for cultural impact. From forums at Harvard, to work with the United Nations, and training and serving on Ken Blanchard’s board, Lance has taught and shaped the contemporary worldview and strategy of leaders on a global level. Taking ideas rooted in the life labors of Abraham Kuyper, Francis Shaeffer, Lorren Cunningham and Bill Bright, Lance has reinvigorated and updated their relevance to a new generation of leaders wrestling with the complex business of societal transformation. For this reason Lance’s network spans a diversity of nations and spheres of influence including artists, business leaders, government officials and Universities.

All you really have to do is look at how his ideas were influenced and you know enough about him as well. There are numerous pieces written about Wallnau on the internet and in order to give my son an idea about this movement I actually bought one of his books.  My son was getting involved in a “dominionist” church and now he has moved on.  Wallnau is bad news.

Dr. Negiel Bigpond  has been in ministry for over thirty years and has been both evangelist and pastor, evangelizing in over 143 native reservations and currently serves as Apostle of Morning Star Church of All Nations. He is an accomplished musician and singer and is also a certified drug and alcohol abuse counselor. Dr. Bigpond is a full-blood Euchee (Yuchi) Indian and a fourth generation minister of the gospel. He and his wife Jan have been married for 39 years and have 3 children, 2 sons-in-law, 1 daughter-in-law, and 6 grandchildren. Read more about Dr. Bigpond here.

Thomas Hall  has worked for Lou Engle, the founder and visionary for TheCall and TheCall to Conscience. TheCall is a ministry that has filled stadiums with youth crying out for the nation and for the ending of abortion, for seven years. TheCall is divinely initiated by God and is multi-racial, multi-generational, and cross-denominational. On September 2, 2000, 400,000 youth gathered together to fast and pray for America. Since the year 2000 TheCall has touched hundreds of thousands of people all over the world through the power of prayer and fasting.

Thomas started his own company called Hall & Brown Associates, which offers event management, event production, marketing, etc. With this company he is actively working with many organizations in the Political and Christian sectors to help mobilize young people across the nation. How convenient for the Initiative right?

The basic strategy of The Oak Initiative according to them is to be a grassroots movement but I have to ask how can you claim grassroots with so many people who are have influence in high places in the Catholic Church or the Dominionist movement? They claim they will find and help develop principled and effective Christian leaders who can mobilize and organize a cohesive force of activated Christians. According to their website:

“These will be called to work on every level where government is found, from the most local to state and national levels.

Believing our strategy will only be effective to the degree that we have leaders and active members who are the most informed and best trained possible, a basic purpose of The Oak Initiative will be the development and dissemination of resources for the purpose of constantly increasing knowledge and upgrading skills to be effective citizens.

Action plans of The Oak Initiative may include everything from community service, promoting commerce, disaster response, as well as the evaluation, proposing, and when necessary, the challenging of government legislation and/or actions that are deemed immoral or hurtful.

The Oak Institute is being developed to raise up effective leaders for all of the dominant areas of influence in the culture, including: government, business, education, arts and entertainment, family services, media, and the church.

The Oak Initiative will help mobilize for and work with other organizations that share our common goals and values.”

If you doubt their purpose, then you have not been paying attention. We have heard so much lately about these groups and their works, usually not in a good way. What can appear to be innocent activity with these people is always not the case.

Dig deeper at these links below:

This info touches at the edges of the group and their activities. Perusing the web you will find much darker information.

http://www.rightwingwatch.org/category/organizations/oak-initiative

Samuel Rodriguez – Washington Post – His story has now changed since he hooked up with the Oak Iniative

http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/samuel_rodriguez/2008/04/parsley_islam_mccain_and_21st.html

Before I post his article – consider this email that we received just today at the Military Religious Freedom Foundation from professed devout patriotic Christians. (Please note: All spelling and grammatical errors are exactly as the author wrote them).

From: E-Mail Address Withheld

Subject: We Pray Christ Jesus to stop You

Date: April 23, 2012 5:00:31 PM MDT

To: Information Weinstein <mikey@militaryreligiousfreedom.org>

Mickey Wienstien, we called you on the weekend to advice you that our womens prayer circle at our church will be ending your wickedness against Christ Jesus and his anointed of the USA in our military. In America which is Jesus’ country we can pray all we want for anything we want, wicked Mickey.

Our prayer circle has never failed to acheive our hosts granting of the scripture we pray. for direct intervention against you as you are a true demon to America. Luke 9:1 We will not stop our prayers until you stop the evil you do with Lucifer on a daly basis. Luke 9:1 But not against you Mickey. We know by your internet site and your book who it is to be.

Now for our prayer, we pray that the women who work in your MFRR and the women in your family will befall fast moving breast cancer which can not everbe cured. We pray this for Leah Bruton, and Becki Miller, Patricia Corigan, Chris Rodda, Edie Disler, Vicky Garrison, Kristin Leslie, Melinda Moeton and Joan Slish. And you evil clan too, we pray this for Bonnie Wiensten and Amanda and Amber Wienstein and the woman lawyers Cariline Mitchel and Katherin Ritchy and all women of all who work at with for Military Freedom Against Religon Foundation.

know that we pray and pray hard all the days until you stop your destruction of our American army and accept Christ Jesus as Lord and join His army.

That is a perfect lead-in to this guest post who I am happy to announce will be contributing original content here from time to time.

Will the “Real” Christian Please Stand Down

by The Agnostic Pentecostal

Who’s really a “true” Christian? It seems every time someone points out a flaw about Christianity, perhaps calling out the questionable behavior of a Christian leader or even something more subtle, other Christians use the defense, “That’s right! But they’re not a true Christian.” Some examples:

When non-Christians speak of the failings of Ted Haggard or Eddie Long as proof that Christianity is worthless, liberal-progressive Christians like to point out how they’re not like that, or even use it as an example of how their form of faith is better. How that (conservative, Charismatic, megachurch) stream of Christianity is not the real Christianity. How real Christianity is about social justice and sound reasoning and such.

Or when people who leave the church explain to Christians that they left it because it was dry, ritualistic, boring, and irrelevant. Those belonging to the more energetic traditions, Charismatic for example, say, “Oh, but that type of Christianity (Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran) is really not what Jesus had in mind… Jesus came to bring life!”

Or when those within the hallowed realms of ancient Orthodoxy and Catholicism claim that, because of apostolic succession, they are the true heirs of Christendom. They criticize protestant churches of heresy. And when they themselves are exposed of oh, I don’t know, sexual abuse let’s say…the Protestants come running to use it as a chance to protest that, because of the priesthood of all believers,they (the protestants) are the ones who the truth has set free.

And then you have Emergence Christianity, which seems to be trying to get beyond the labels, but is having a hard time doing so. One reason is that everybody else calls them heretics.

And Emergents often respond by calling the traditional churches “narrow-minded modernists” who are too tied to their traditions that they don’t leave room for Jesus.

And the next time Pat Robertson makes an idiotic statement on international television (and he will) or another televangelist misuses money (and they will) or another priest is said to have molested boys (it will happen) or another deep-south pastor with a dozen congregants makes inflammatory protests about gays or Muslims (and they will), the “other” “real” Christians will come to Christianity’s defense.

Now it’s definitely a good thing when the “other” Christians, the silent majority, speak out against extremism. But there will always be “the other Christians,” the ones who consider themselves to be the “real” followers of Christ. And what gets me is all the talk about who is and who is not a “real” Christian. Every single denomination thinks they’re the ones who got it right.

Of course this is nothing new. It’s been going on, literally, since 1 AD (and before), and it will most likely continue. There were even the Gnostics, who believed they had received the secret, the real truth. And it seems every denomination today believes that same way.

And for years people have been complaining that because of the fact of Christianity’s countless divisions, it’s just not worth the trouble, and it’s proof of the religion’s illegitimacy. To which the Catholics would respond, “It’s the protestant’s fault…without Luther we’d still be one Church (capital ‘C’), except for those pesky Orthodox kids in the East who caused the Great Schism.” To which progressives and Emergents would respond, “But it’s not division… It’s diversity!” and on and on it goes.

Jesus talked about this problem with someone from another religion. He even brought the conversation beyond Christianity, into the debate about which religion (in general) is right. To the Woman at the Well, a Palestinian and declared unclean by the Jewish religious authorities, Jesus said something to the effect of: “Your religion says we should worship God one way, and mine says we should worship God another way. But there will be a day when we’ll all worship God together, from the heart, sincerely, beyond all these arguments.”(John 4)

That day has yet to come. Christians claim that Jesus was the one who brought that day here, 2,000 years ago. But apparently, seeing as we’re not all Universalists or Baha’i or anything, that’s not the case. And I won’t pretend to have an alternative. But one Jewish writer did touch on something that may be helpful, when he said, “True religion is this: Taking care of the widows and orphans and guarding against corruption.” (James 1:26-27)

And Jesus himself hit on it with the advice that he said sums up all the religious rules. Unfortunately, many Christian leaders might say that something like it is too vague, too nonspecific, and not clear enough for the average person to put into real practice. It was Jesus’ primary directive: “Love God. Love others. That’s it.” (Matthew 22:36)

It just seems to me that no Christian tradition has still, after 2,000 years, never really mastered both of those two simple things. Especially if all the blaming and bickering is any indication. And when so many Christians say that they’re simply being persecuted for righteousness sake…I think it’s more accurate to say it’s for self-righteousness.

But if that’s what Jesus meant by what true spirituality is — just loving God and loving others — perhaps all of us still have some growing (and loving) to do.

Until then, would all you “real” Christians please… Shut. Up. You’re giving me a headache.

About the Author

This is the subject of this week’s article by contributing writer, Susan Cardoza. The NY Times wrote about this last week, yet it received absolutely no mention in the mainstream media. Am I surprised? Not really…it is an issue that isn’t as appealing to most like repeating ad nauseam the Ted Nugent quotes, or President Obama’s comment about not being born with a silver spoon, or Mitt’s undying defensiveness over his and his family’s wealth.

No, this subject is about a very dangerous story of Mitt palling around with Bibi. Apparently that is not sexy enough to report on – after all it is merely about conflict and real life positions that involve war, nuclear weapons and an adherence to biblical prophecy. Yes, bible prophecy…remember President George Bush’s letter to then French President Chirac about Gog and Magog? This is part of this volatile puzzle that puts the global community at risk – and we aren’t paying attention. Andrew Brown of the Guardian wrote this…

“President Jacques Chirac wanted to know what the hell President Bush had been on about in their last conversation. Bush had then said that when he looked at the Middle East, he saw “Gog and Magog at work” and the biblical prophecies unfolding. But who the hell were Gog and Magog? Neither Chirac nor his office had any idea.

Bush seems to have taken the threat of Gog and Magog to Israel quite literally, and, if this story can be believed, to have launched a war to stop them.”

This developing situation between Israel and Iran, and the political Christian response is sounding far too reminiscent of Bush’s clarion call.  This is why we are writing about this today in hopes that you will spread this article as far and wide as possible. This is deadly serious.

Just yesterday I wrote a piece about a gathering called “The Awakening” where over 60 political Christians will be speaking, including a video appearance by Netanyahu. This is significant to our discussion.

Another article I am linking back to from last week is about Mitt Romney and the Mormon tale of the White Horse Prophecy. Consider these when reading this article today as we talk about why we have serious concerns about this cozy relationship between these two – Mitt and Bibi.

Palling with Bibi

by Susan Cardoza

In an article published by the New York Times on April 7, 2012, Michael Barbaro wrote about an ongoing relationship between Benjamin Netanyahu and Republican presumptive nominee Mitt Romney. The piece seemed to be harmless to me however it seems the Ambassador to the U.S. for Israel, Michael Oren, took exception to the relationship being discussed and a particular telephone call that took place when Mr. Netanyahu was here in the United States to meet with the President.

Now why would Israel want to take such pains to correct the circumstances of a single telephone call between the two, a Prime Minister of Israel and a citizen of the U.S. (who just happens to be running for the highest office in the land)? Why would conservative magazine, The American Thinker, want to try to turn the piece into a gigantic conspiracy theory? What are the Israelis and The American Thinker hoping to gain by their actions? I can only guess.

Usually, when someone reacts in this manner, it is most often to discredit the original story, yet when Mitt Romney announces “we will not have an inch of difference between ourselves and our ally Israel,” he really means Mr. Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud coalition. For a President Romney’s America, that could make conflict with Iran much more likely and an Israeli peace agreement with the Palestinians virtually impossible.

In his letter to the editor of the NY Times, Ambassador Oren made it perfectly clear that there were no improprieties during the call – which makes me wonder if there were improprieties – so I began to look further. What I found were articles in other Israeli newspapers and conservative blogs and websites in America about the situation, all it would appear, in a desperate attempt to keep discrediting the NY Times.

Strangely, Mr. Romney has not kept their friendship quiet, he has made reference to his long talks with Mr. Netanyahu many times but between all the disputing articles, it would appear they are worried about the consequences of the relationship. The relationship does beg the question, is it appropriate for Mr. Romney, as the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, to have even the hint of possible meetings with Mr. Netanyahu without telling the public? Is it a breech of national security for the two to be discussing Mideast policy between Israel and Iran? I submit that the answer is “yes” and is precisely why the Ambassador and others tried so hard to discredit the NY Times article.

I won’t go into the entire history of the relationship with the two, that can be read by going to the NY Times link, but I will give you some highlights you need in order to understand the relationship and the potential fallout for our country and Israel.

So what is the story? It seems that Netanyahu and Mitt Romney met in 1976 in the 16th-floor offices of the Boston Consulting Group, where both had been recruited as corporate advisers. That shared experience decades ago led to a warm friendship and many meetings between the two, unknown to outsiders. One can infer that such a close friendship would naturally lead to a degree of agreement on various subjects.

Consider the fact that Mr. Netanyahu is making the case for military action against Iran as Mr. Romney, the likely Republican presidential nominee, is attacking the Obama administration for not supporting Mr. Netanyahu more robustly. Is it a concerted attack by both sides? If so, President Obama does not appear to be concerned. But to get back to this friendship, it has spanned the decades since 1976. Over the years, they have had meetings both here in the U.S. and in Israel that entailed discussing political strategies and ideologies. According to the NY Times:

“When Mr. Romney was the governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Netanyahu offered him firsthand pointers on how to shrink the size of government. When Mr. Netanyahu wanted to encourage pension funds to divest from businesses tied to Iran, Mr. Romney counseled him on which American officials to meet with.

That is far too cozy, but the article goes on to share that they have discussions often enough to chat about everything from billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s financial backing of Newt Gingrich to the latest situation regarding Israel’s position on Iran. The NY Times goes on to quote…

“We can almost speak in shorthand,” Mr. Romney said in an interview. “We share common experiences and have a perspective and underpinning which is similar.” Mr. Netanyahu attributed their “easy communication” to what he called “B.C.G.’s intellectually rigorous boot camp.”

“So despite our very different backgrounds,” he said through an aide, “my sense is that we employ similar methods in analyzing problems and coming up with solutions for them.”

This sounds like a match made in heaven if you are a Dominionist or a Messianic Jew – but it is a recipe for disaster for millions upon millions who live on this planet who do not share their enthusiastic interpretation of biblical prophecy. Barbaro goes on to point out a very important perspective on this friendship…

The ties between Mr. Romney and Mr. Netanyahu stand out because there is little precedent for two politicians of their stature to have such a history together that predates their entry into government. And that history could well influence decision-making at a time when the United States may face crucial questions about whether to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities or support Israel in taking such an action on their own.

Mr. Romney has suggested that he would not make any significant policy decisions about Israel without consulting Mr. Netanyahu — a level of deference that could raise eyebrows given Mr. Netanyahu’s polarizing reputation, even as it appeals to the neoconservatives and evangelical Christians who are fiercely protective of Israel.

In a telling exchange during a debate in December, Mr. Romney criticized Mr. Gingrich for making a disparaging remark about Palestinians, declaring: “Before I made a statement of that nature, I’d get on the phone to my friend Bibi Netanyahu and say: ‘Would it help if I say this? What would you like me to do?’”

During Romney’s time as Governor of Massachusetts the two men sat down for a conversation where his friend Bibi outlined the new conservative view, recommending that Mitt follow the examples he laid having implemented in Israel …

“Mr. Netanyahu, who had recently stepped down as Israel’s finance minister, regaled Mr. Romney with stories of how, in the tradition of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, he had challenged unionized workers over control of their pensions, reduced taxes and privatized formerly government-run industries, reducing the role of government in private enterprise.”

Union-busting, privatization of government, lower taxes, a free and unregulated market – where are we hearing this? It sounds so familiar! Oh! Right…it smacks of the talking points by the Republican Party and their presumptive nominee – one Willard Mitt Romney. There is a great deal more to learn from reading Barbaro’s entire article that I have linked to in several places, giving an in-depth look into details about the relationship between these two men.

So, unlike The American Thinker’s contention that the NY Times was making a big deal out of nothing, there is plenty of factual evidence that Romney has acquiesced to Netanyahu’s persuasion. If Romney is willing to follow the advice his long-term friend, as he has demonstrated he will do, what would lead us to believe he would act more rationally and independently as President of the United States?

Romney has shown a predilection to making “off the cuff” proclamations that he later needs to walk back, although he seldom does. As President of the U.S. that is not something you can do, you need to make sure you are always offering well thought-out statements in the interest of National Security. We all know what happened when a President (e.g. GW Bush) makes idiotic statements that he obviously has not thought through completely and I am confident that none of us relish a repeat of that Presidency.

We must also consider the fact that Romney has surrounded himself with hawkish advisers from PNAC and the Bush administration. These advisors were the architects of the Iraqi war and in considering that fact, you also have to consider the cost of human life and the damage to our economy as a result of not paying for that war.

I wish that the average American voter would take the time to consider all the ramifications for any candidate seeking the highest office in our land, however that is rarely the case. At the very least, I would ask them to consider that President Obama has not brought these same people into the White House and during his administration we have put an end to the war in Iraq and are on schedule to end the war in Afghanistan.

The war proponents Romney surrounds himself with want the U.S. to be “the” empirical nation in the world so the idea of another war would work right in to their plans, despite the fact that trying out their philosophy in Iraq led to catastrophic results. The United States cannot sustain another era of “war mongering” in the world. If we do, we will either destroy this nation completely or be left “naked” on the world stage with most other nations pulling away.

Despite the PNAC’s notion that we could survive in this manner, history has always proven them dead wrong.

This group of approximately 60 political Christians represents the 7 Mountains that they have stated openly is their program for “re-claiming America”. You can view the entire gallery of attendants here.

The 7 Mountains Mandate include these 7 categories:

• Religion
• Family
• Education
• Business/Banking
• Arts/Entertainment & Sports
• Media
• Government/Military

As you read about these people, note the Mountain I label under their Bios showing which ones they are assigned to scale and conquer.

Uniting our Voices Around Shared Values: Turning Voices into Votes

A war is raging against our shared values. Our faith and freedom are under attack. Silence in the face of this war is not an option. Decisive action is needed. Join with others who share the core values that make America a great nation. Take a stand for righteousness and justice and be part of a new revolution to take back America. The time has come to turn our voices into votes and to change the course of history.

See this year’s exciting program!

Reserve your tickets today! Only $10 for indiduals and $20 for families.

Calvary Assembly of God
1199 Clay Street
Winter Park, FL 32789

More than 60 national religious and political speakers bring their insight and excitement to this event. It will be an in-depth Prayer and Patriotism event where people are united by love for our country’s freedom and our faith in Christ.

Check out this year’s schedule and pick the breakout sessions that fascinate you, with topics from Israel to immigration, from our families to our nation’s future, from human trafficking to the ticking clock of our national debt. We welcome all ages, denominations, and ethnicities to unite around Christian and conservative values.

We hope to educate, motivate, and activate you to make a difference in your community in 2012. As our nation’s honor is deteriorating, now is the time to take a stand and restore our country’s strength and dignity!

Speakers

Dean Shawn Akers, J.D. Esq., is the Dean of Liberty University’s Helms School of Government and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law. He regularly works with national conservative, faith-based, and public policy leaders and organizations on matters of public policy, lobbying, and elections. [...] Dr. Akers provides counsel to public officeholders and has served as a consultant to political candidates and campaigns. Dr. Akers earned his Juris Doctorate and a Masters Degree in Public Policy from Regent University. [...] During his tenure at the law school, Dr. Akers designed and launched the law school’s first public policy courses which cover all aspects of public policy, including running political campaigns, as well as election law, lobbying, grassroots activism, nonprofit and political organizational structures, political action committees, and proposing and drafting public policy.

Mountain of Government

Ted Baehr is Founder and Publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®: The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment and Chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission® ministry, as well as a noted critic, educator, lecturer, and media pundit. His life’s purpose is to be used of God to redeem the values of the media while educating audiences on how to use discernment in selecting their entertainment. [...] Ted is Chairman of the Christian Film & Television Commission® ministry (CFTVC), a non-profit organization dedicated to redeeming the values of the mass media of entertainment by influencing the entertainment industry and by informing and equipping the general public of the impact that the mass media has on its audiences. The CFTVC is the only active liaison between studio executives and the general public for issues of family entertainment and faith.

Mountain of Arts & Entertainment

J. Ken Blackwell has a distinguished record of achievement as an educator, diplomat, and finance executive. As Ohio’s 51st Secretary of State, he was the state’s constitutional officer chiefly responsible for elections, the management of business records, and the protection of intellectual property and corporate identities. [...]He is co-Chairman of the board of directors of the Campaign Finance Institute in Washington, D.C., a member of the Advisory Panel of the Federal Elections Commission, and [...] a member of the national advisory boards of the Princeton Review and Youth for Christ.

Mountain of Government

Vonette Bright is cofounder of Campus Crusade for Christ, along with her late husband, Dr. William R. Bright. She earned her B.A. in home economics from Texas Women’s University and did graduate work in the field of education at the University of Southern California. Vonette taught in Los Angeles schools before joining Bill full-time at Campus Crusade. Vonette’s commitment to help reach the world for Christ has fueled a passion for prayer and a desire to help others develop a heart for God. She serves as Chair for The Bright Media Foundation and maintains an amazing schedule from her home in Orlando.

Mountain of Education

Carlos Campo, Ph.D., is President of Regent University. [...] Working with Regent’s Board of Trustees, Campo helped form a “Spiritual Vitality Committee,” which initiates and enhances spiritual activities on campus to sustain the University’s Christ-centered mission.

Mountain of Education

Cynthia Dunbar, J.D. Esq., has almost twenty years of experience in private law practice and currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law. In addition to her experiences in law, Prof. Dunbar has been extensively involved in Public Policy and Governmental Relations. In 2006 she was elected to the highly controversial Texas State Board of Education, to serve a four-year term through December 31, 2010. [...] frequently travels around the nation discussing the Biblical framework for civil jurisprudence and America’s founding.

Mountain of Education

Lou Engle is the visionary and cofounder of The Call solemn assemblies. Lou’s passion is to call young adults into a lifestyle of radical prayer, fasting, holiness, and acts of justice. With over 30 years of history in praying for revival, Lou has helped plant two churches, the pro-life ministry Bound4LIFE, and helped raise up the first Justice House of Prayer (JHOP) in Washington, D.C., to pray for the Supreme Court and for righteous leaders in America. Since 2004, JHOPs have emerged in San Francisco, Boston, New York, Montgomery, and San Diego. (Added Note: Also a member of C. Peter Wagner’s New Apostolic Reformation)

Mountains  of Family and Government

Frank Gaffney is the Founder and President of the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C. [...] In April 1987 Mr. Gaffney was nominated by President Reagan to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, the senior position in the Defense Department with responsibility for policies involving nuclear forces, arms control, and U.S.-European defense relations. He acted in that capacity for seven months, during which time he was the Chairman of the prestigious High Level Group, NATO’s senior politico-military committee. He also represented the Secretary of Defense in key U.S.-Soviet negotiations and ministerial meetings. From August 1983 until November 1987, Mr. Gaffney was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy under Assistant Secretary Richard Perle. From February 1981 to August 1983, Mr. Gaffney was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by Senator John Tower (R-Texas). And, in the latter 1970′s, Mr. Gaffney served as an aide to the late Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson (D-Washington), in the areas of defense and foreign policy.

Mountain of Government/Military

Newt Gingrich* is well-known as [...]

(You can all fill in the blanks on Newt and what he represents to you)

Mountain of Government

Adriana Gonzalez has dedicated much of the last three years to the protection of parental rights. As the Florida State Coordinator of ParentalRights.org, Adriana worked to pass the Parental Rights Memorial in the Florida legislature in 2011. Most recently, she has helped to found a new organization, Catholics Called to Witness, a call to action to the Catholic community.  Adriana is blessed to be married to her best friend, Manny. Together they are raising and homeschooling their seven children.

Mountain of Family

Thomas Hall* worked for Lou Engle, the founder of TheCall and TheCall to Conscience from 2004-2011. TheCall is a ministry that has filled stadiums with youth crying out for the nation and for the ending of abortion, for seven years.  It is divinely initiated by God and is multi-racial, multi generational, and cross-denominational. [...] Thomas sits on the Executive Committee for the Freedom Federation; serves as a board member for The Oak Initiative along with major Christians and political leaders to serve as a youth liaison. [...] his company is actively working with many organizations in the Political and Christian sectors to help mobilize young people across the nation.

Mountains of Family and Government

Debbie Hart has performed for churches, conventions and conferences across the United States as well as overseas. In 2010 she traveled to the Holy Land with a tour hosted by Gov. Mike Huckabee and was honored to be asked to sing on the trip along with Pat Boone. Most recently, she was the soloist for the Freedom Federation meeting held at Liberty University with guest speaker Newt Gingrich. She is currently the Vice-President of Investor Relations for the Timothy Plan, a Biblically based mutual fund, located in Maitland, Florida.

Mountain of Business/Banking

Cindy Jacobs is president and cofounder, with her husband, Mike, of Generals of Intercession, a missionary organization dedicated to training in the areas of prayer and spiritual warfare. She is also coordinator of the U.S. Spiritual Warfare Network. (Added note: She is also a Senior Apostle in the New Apostolic Reformation).

Mountain – All of them

Phillip Jauregui, J.D. Esq., is the President of the Judicial Action Group, a former member of the Council for National Policy [...] (Added Note: That he is recognized as a member of the CNP is in itself significant).

Mountain of Government

Gabriel Joseph III is the President and CEO of ccAdvertising. Under the leadership of Mr. Joseph, ccAdvertising has developed and employs proprietary, innovative Artificial Intelligence Call (AIC) and Smart Phone-based processes to identify voters and consumers, [...] and Voter Identification and Get-Out-The-Vote campaigns for thousands of candidates for office at the local, state, and national levels, including presidential, congressional, state legislative, and mayoral candidates. ccAdvertising also provides commercial market research and customer identification services for a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, national media companies and professional sports teams. Mr. Joseph has developed, introduced, manufactured, marketed, and applied new and innovative products in the financial, information technology, telecommunications, heavy equipment, mechanical engineering and food processing industries.

Mountains of Media, Government and Banking

Rev. Rick Joyner is the founder of MorningStar Publications and Ministries, which is comprised of many ministry programs and publications. MorningStar Minitries in an international outreach of ministries and churches. Joyner is also the founder of The Oak Initiative, a grassroots movement to unite, mobilize, equip, and activate Christians to be the salt and light they are called to be by engaging in the great issues of our time from a sound biblical worldview. Started by more than 300 Christian leaders from across the spectrum of the body of Christ, within months of its founding, The Oak Initiative had a presence in all 50 states and more than 78 nations, with Oak Gatherings and Oak Chapters springing up rapidly which is a outreach to pastors to equip and empower them to be politically active. (Added Note: And here is another Senior Apostle of the New Apostolic Reformation)

Mountain – All of them

Ken Klukowski, J.D. Esq., serves as Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council. Klukowski recently co-authored The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the Constitution and Build an Imperial Presidency with FRC’s Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment, Ken Blackwell.

Mountain of Arts/Entertainment & Sports

Dr. Richard Land has served as president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission since 1988. During his tenure as representative for the largest Protestant denomination in the country, Dr. Land has represented Southern Baptist and other evangelicals’ concerns in the halls of Congress, before U.S. Presidents, and in the media. In 2005 Dr. Land was featured in Time Magazine as one of The Twenty-five Most Influential Evangelicals in America. Dr. Land speaks passionately and authoritatively on the social, ethical, and public policy issues facing our country. He is heard by listeners each week on over 600 radio stations across the country and throughout the world (via webcast).

Mountains – All of Them

Ron Luce is the president and founder of Teen Mania Ministries, a Christian youth organization that reaches millions of young people worldwide. Ron passionately declares the truth of the Gospel without compromise, as he challenges teenagers to take a stand for Christ in their schools, communities, and throughout the world.

Mountain of Family and Religion

Guillermo Maldonado* is a man called to establish the Kingdom of God at the local and international level. He is the founder of King Jesus International Ministry; the largest Hispanic church in the United States, [...] earned his MA in Practical Theology from Oral Roberts University and a Doctorate in Divinity, stands firm and focused on the vision God gave him, which is to evangelize, affirm, disciple, and send. His purpose is to encourage leaders to become true spiritual fathers capable of leaving a legacy of blessings to future generations.The mission the Lord gave him embraces the United States, the Caribbean, Central America, South America, and Europe. He is the spiritual father to many leaders and apostles of local and international churches through The New Wine Apostolic Network.

Yuri Mantilla is the International Government Affairs Director for Focus on the Family. His work focuses on communicating the organization’s pro-life and pro-family perspectives to government, church, and business leaders in foreign nations and the Hispanic community in the United States. Before joining Focus on the Family, Mantilla worked at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., as Counsel for International Human Rights and Hispanic Affairs.

Mountain of Family and Government

Herman Martir is the Senior Pastor of the Nations Worship Center in Fort Worth, TX, as well as the Director of HELP International and the Global Transformation Resource Group and the President of Emerging Leaders International. He [...] takes an active role in seeking and encouraging right leadership for the United States.

Mountain of Government

Congressman John L. Mica represents the 7th Congressional District of Florida.

Mountain of Government

Rev. Dean Nelson* joined Care Net in 2010 as Vice President of Underserved Outreach. [...] Dean has previously served as the executive director for the Network of Politically Active Christians (NPAC) and as vice chairman for the Frederick Douglass Foundation (FDF). Under his leadership, both organizations informed thousands of faith leaders about relevant political developments and trained hundreds in Biblical worldview and public policy. In addition, he recruited and equipped pro-life Christian minorities to run for office on the local, state, and national levels.

Mountains of Family and Government

Benjamin Netanyahu** is the Prime Minister of Israel. As Prime Minister he implemented policy that combined fighting terror with advancement of the peace process. He led the liberalization of foreign currency regulations, accelerated privatization of government-owned companies and reduced budget deficit. He initiated policies that encouraged growth by reducing the public sector and strengthening the private sector, which put an end to economic decline, lowered unemployment and spurred growth. (Added Note: He is also a devoted ally to the Dominionists and the absolute position of a One State policy in Israel. His appearance is by video).

Mountains – All of Them

Dan Pennell serves as a Technology Consultant to the Freedom Federation, Military Culture Coalition, and is also a member of various coalition leadership counsels and coalitions based out of Washington D.C. His company, WMtek, works with some of the largest missions organizations in the world including Wycliffe, The Navigators, Word of Life and many others. He is currently the CEO of WMtek Corp, spending the majority of his time consulting with Christian non-profit ministries.

Mountain of Government/Military

Janet (Folger) Porter is the founder and president of Faith2Action – created to WIN the cultural war by working together with the most effective organizations on the side of faith and family. She has a 60-second daily commentary that is heard on about 200 stations. She has debated Planned Parenthood president, Gloria Feldt, National Organization of Women (NOW) president, Kim Gandy, former NOW president, Patricia Ireland, Jack Kevorkian, as well as spokespeople from the ACLU, The Human Rights Campaign, NARAL, GLSEN, and Atheist Organizations. Janet has also appeared on hundreds of radio programs, including multiple appearances on Focus on the Family, USA Radio Network News, SRN News, Family News In Focus, as well as programs hosted by: Colonel Oliver North, Alan Keyes, Pat Buchanan, Janet Parshall, and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Mountain of Family

Greg Quinlan is the President of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX), a non-profit organization providing outreach, education, and public awareness in support of families and the ex-gay community. [...] Greg departed from homosexuality in 1993 and has since shared his compelling testimony on the 700 Club, TBN, countless radio programs and has been quoted in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and WorldNet Daily, to name only a few. Greg has successfully debated a person’s right to self determination. [...] defended marriage as “the union of one man and one woman” in more than 18 states. Greg Quinlan now works with the New Jersey Family Policy Council to protect natural marriage. [...] Greg also provides teens with insight into this complex issue of sexual orientation that is not made available through the mainstream media or the culture at large.

Mountain of Family

Judith A. Reisman, Ph.D. is a Visiting Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law. She is the author of Sexual Sabotage, and is sought worldwide to lecture, testify and counsel individuals, organizations, professionals and governments on the sabotage of Judeo-Christian sexuality and society by Kinseyan “sexology” and “soft” pornography. In the former case she has exposed sexology as grounded in mass child sex crimes committed by Dr. Alfred Kinsey and his team at Indiana University, with his followers still leading, directing and shaping global human sexuality education and conduct. [...] Dr Reisman is a consultant and president of the Institute for Media Education, Distinguished Senior Fellow, The Inter-American Institute, Scientific Adviser, California Protective Parents Association and Former Scientific Adviser to the The American Legislative Exchange Council’s Education Subcommittee on Junk Science. She is a regular commentator for WorldNetDaily and Salvo magazine and has authored several books.

Mountains – Media, Education and Family

Lila Rose, a recent UCLA graduate, has dedicated herself to building a culture of life and ending abortion. At age fifteen, Lila founded Live Action, which is now a growing nonprofit with several chapters in California. Live Action is a youth-led organization which works to expose abuses in the abortion industry and advocate for human rights for the pre-born, using new media to educate and mobilize both local and national audiences.

Mountain of Family

Marco Rubio was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010 to represent the State of Florida. He is highly regarded for his principled, energetic, and idea-driven leadership. Senator Rubio currently serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. (Baptized Mormon and later converted to Catholicism, Rubio is often mentioned as a potential Romney VP pick).

Mountains – Government and All the Rest

Richard “Rick” Santorum* is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum is a member of the Republican Party and was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. Santorum is considered both a social and fiscal conservative. He is known for his stances on the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Social Security, intelligent design, homosexuality, and the Terri Schiavo case. In March 2007, Santorum joined the law firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, LLC. He was to primarily practice law in the firm’s Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., offices, where he was to provide business and strategic counseling services to the firm’s clients. In addition to his work with the firm, Santorum also serves as a Senior Fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C., and was a contributor to Fox News Channel.

Mountains of Family, Education, Government – All of Them

Pastor Rick Scarborough founded Vision America in 1998, whose mission is to “inform and mobilize Pastors and their congregations to become salt and light, becoming pro-active in restoring Judeo-Christian values in America.”  Dr. Scarborough’s work has been featured in numerous articles and publications including the New York Times and the Washington Post.  He has also appeared on Larry King Live, Fox News, MSNBC, CBS Evening News and numerous other television and radio programs, including with Dr. James Dobson numerous times. Scarborough believes that the tenets of fundamentalist Christian morality apply to civic affairs. He was quoted on Christiane Amanpour’s documentary series “God’s Christian Warriors” on CNN as saying, “I’m not a Democrat, I’m not a Republican. I’m a Christocrat.”

Mountain  - All of Them

Ryan Sorba is currently serving as Chairman of the Young Conservatives of California (YCC). Prior to YCC Ryan served as the Chairman of the California Young Americans for Freedom as well as National Director of Membership and Campus Leadership for the DeVos Freedom Center at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Wilmington, Delaware. Ryan recruited 13,876 new members his first year at ISI -more than doubling the Institute’s 55 year annual membership recruitment record. In 2009 Ryan participated in the now famous undercover ACORN investigation along with Hannah Giles and James O’Keefe. The investigation led John Boehner to introduce H.R. 3571, the Defund ACORN Act, which was eventually adopted as part of H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. In February 2010, fresh off the ACORN investigation Ryan gave his famous CPAC 2010 Speech. During his speech Ryan condemned organizers for bringing the left-wing homosexual activist organization GOProud to the event. Ryan has given numerous lectures on college campuses nationwide on subjects such as The History of the Conservative Intellectual Movement Since 1945 and the subject of his forthcoming book The “Born Gay” Hoax, which he hopes will serve as a great asset to conservatives in the culture war.

Mountains – Family, Government and Education

John Stemberger is an AV Rated Orlando, Florida, attorney who has worked in the pro-life, pro-family movement for over 25 years. He serves as the President and General Counsel of the Florida Family Policy Council, where he regularly advises pastors and churches on legal and First Amendment issues and has led the statewide campaign to amend Florida’s constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Stemberger has a unique understanding of law, government, and the media from his extensive political background, having served as a consultant to state, federal, and presidential campaigns. In 1992, he was appointed as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Florida during the George H. Bush campaign. [...] In 2001 and 2005, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Stemberger to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida. He is a member of the Council for National Policy and the Arlington Group in Washington, D.C.  In a feature article on his work, The Miami Herald called him “one of the most interesting and influential people you’ve never heard of.” (Added Note: Council for National Policy, Arlington Group and Jeb Bush appointed).

Mountains – Family and All of Them

Caleb Sylvester is the Director of Client Services with WMtek, a fast growing software development company in Vero Beach, Florida.  He has worked with dozens of international ministries and political organizations to invent new media strategies and to sucessfully execute large software development projects.  He has the privilege of working everyday on technology challenges that included; creating ways to advance the work of Bible translation, engage people in interactive Bible study, recruit missionaries through the internet, engage the millennial generation in ministry, organize grassroots efforts to end abortion and much more.  Caleb is also passionate about hunting, sports and the second amendment.  He is a member of his church board, director of his churches Men’s Ministry and a board member of Remote Island Ministries. He resides in Vero Beach, Florida with his wife Bethany and two small children, Clara and Wyatt.

Mountains – Family and Media

Sue Trombino founded Woman Impacting the Nation (W.I.N.) in the fall of 2008 because she felt called to make a difference. Sue is on the advisory board of Florida Pastors Faith & Works and serves on the board of Liberty Counsel Action. Sue Trombino wants to embolden every Christian to be involved in the political process at any level. You will often hear her say “What does God say?” as she speaks to various organizations, groups, and individuals across the country. W.I.N. has been created to answer that very question for all who seek the truth. “I feel so blessed to be [...] someone whom God has chosen to impact the lives of others. W.I.N. is God’s idea, founded on Godly values and driven by God’s word. Women can make a difference and women can impact the nation.

Mountains – Family, Government and the Rest

Rick Tyler is the Founding Director for Renewing American Leadership, a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and advancing American civilization by restoring Judeo-Christian heritage.  Rick has also assisted the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, where he has served as the Spokesperson.

Congressman Daniel Webster currently serves Central Florida in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the Rules Committee. [...] Congressman Webster is a small business owner, a family man with six children and seven grandchildren. Known for many things, Daniel Webster holds his faith, his family, and his principles as his biggest assets. (Added Note: Alan Grayson lost to Webster but is challenging him in 2012).

Mountains – All of Them

Congressman Allen West [...] A proud conservative and American patriot, West’s fresh, no nonsense approach launched him from being a virtual unknown to raising the second highest amount of money for a Congressional candidate in the entire country. (Added Note: A classic T-Party candidate with more misinformation to share than reality – and Sarah Palin pick for Romney VP in 2012)

Mountains – All of Them

Minister Moshe Ya’alon is the Vice Premier, Minister of Strategic Affairs, Likud Knesset Member in Israel. He served as the 17^th IDF Chief of Staff, from 2002 to 2005. He served as the head of the military intelligence, OC central command and was appointed Chief of Staff on July 9, 2002. Some of his positions include service as a distinguished military fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, distinguished fellow at the Shalem Center’s Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies, chairman of Beit Morasha’s Center for Jewish Identity and Culture, and president of “Shekel”, an organization which provides community services for people with disabilities.

Mountains – Military and Government

Liberty and Regent University Lawyers and Staff:

Mandi Campbell – is the Legal Director of the Liberty Center for Law and Policy, a partnership between the Liberty University School of Law and Liberty Counsel; the Director of Public Policy for Liberty Counsel Action; [...] Mandi focuses her time on monitoring and analyzing legislation and policy and working with local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials and agencies in drafting legislation that relates to the sanctity of life, the family, and religious liberties. Mandi also interfaces with elected and appointed government officials to open opportunities for internships and externships for students.

Matthew H. Krause, J.D. Esq., – is Litigation Counsel for Liberty Counsel. Matthew focuses his practice on appellate practice, free speech, traditional family values, pro-life, and religious liberty constitutional law. He has worked with Liberty Counsel in various capacities since May 2005. [...] recognized as a NAIA All-American Scholar Athlete. His athletic efforts earned him a mention in ESPN the Magazine, and the college named an award after him. Every year, the Matt Krause Award is given to one student athlete who has exhibited athletic, academic, and spiritual leadership on campus. Matthew has a passion for politics and the law and hopes to use these passions to help America return to its moral and spiritual foundations.

Rena Lindevaldsen – is Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor of Law, and Associate Director of Liberty Center for Law and Policy at Liberty University School of Law. She is the author of “Only One Mommy: A Woman’s Battle for Her Life, Her Daughter, and Her Freedom: The Lisa Miller Story,” which offers a first-hand account of how people are lured into believing they are born “gay” and cannot change. She offers truth to those struggling with homosexuality, encourages churches to minister to those caught in the lifestyle, and stirs freedom-loving Americans to get involved in the culture war that is raging all around them. Previously, she served as Senior Litigation Counsel to Liberty Counsel, where she was actively involved in efforts throughout the country to preserve traditional marriage through litigation, legislation, and constitutional amendments.

Ryan Messmore D.Phil. – is a fellow in religion and a free society at The Heritage Foundation. His research and writing examines how religious commitments are brought to bear on political life to improve public discourse and strengthen civil society.

Anita L. Staver, Esq., is the  President of Liberty Counsel. Her practice before the United States Supreme Court and numerous federal courts has resulted in more than 30 published opinions.

Mathew D. Staver, Esq. – is the Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel and also serves as Dean and Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law and Chairman of Liberty Counsel Action. He has the highest AV rating given to attorneys by Martindale-Hubbell and is board certified in Appellate Practice. He has written ten books, most of which focus on constitutional law, including the most comprehensive book ever written on religious freedom called, Eternal Vigilance: Knowing and Protecting Your Religious Rights. He has published hundreds of articles on constitutional law. Mr. Staver produces and hosts Law & Justice, a 30-minute weekly TV program discussing religious liberty issues, Faith & Freedom, a 15-minute daily radio program, and Freedom’s Call, a 90-second daily radio program.

Joshua Straub, Ph.D. – has served on the executive staff for the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) for more than five years and is an adjunct professor at Liberty University for the Center for Counseling and Family Studies.

Dean Matt Barber, J.D. Esq., – is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. He serves as Associate Dean and Adjunct Professor of Law at Liberty University School of Law. In addition to his law degree, Matt holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Regent University. Matt is a published, freelance columnist. Many newspapers and online publications regularly run his columns, including The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner,WorldNetDaily.com, TownHall.com [...] Matt also co-hosts “Faith and Freedom,” a daily legal and cultural issues talk radio program heard on 90 stations across the country. Mr. Barber has a background in political campaigns, was press secretary for former gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis (R-IL), and is Vice President of Liberty Counsel Action.

All Liberty University, Heritage and their affiliated organizations strive to fulfill the 7 Mountains Mandate in their entirety. 

There are more attending but you can see that this turned out to be quite long as it is. The reason why I spent the last few hours pulling this together to put in a post is because it is crucial that we keep seeing these same leaders of political Christianity when they crop up at these events across the country. The more I bring it up, the more familiar these faces and names will become and the more confident you will get in appreciation just how organized they are.

Few pay attention to these gatherings because they seem innocuous and that is precisely why I took this time to list the ones I did. These people either have direct influence in our political landscape, are members of legislative bodies or both. This is the seed of theocracy and they have unquestionably infested the Republican Party and redefined ”conservative” politics in the United States.

I do hope you will take the time to at least skim through each one that I included here, and go to the site where you can see a complete list to dig deeper.

It’s the March of the Theocrats and they are getting louder. Don’t be fooled by their 2012 rhetoric now – they are absolutely organizing for 2016 – and so are we.

Marines Return to Being “Crusaders”

by Chris Rodda

In 2008, when Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 was preparing to deploy to Iraq, the unit’s commander, Lt. Col. William Lieblein, did something very wise and sensible — he changed the nickname of the unit from “Crusaders” back to its former name, the “Werewolves.” Stating the obvious, Lt. Col. Lieblein said, “The notion of being a crusader in that part of the world doesn’t float.”

But now, under new leadership, the unit is going back to being the “Crusaders,” complete with an insignia of a crusader shield with a big red cross on it and a crusader knight as its mascot.

According to the Beaufort Gazette, the squadron’s new commander, Lt. Col. Wade Wiegel, just doesn’t see calling a U.S. military unit the “Crusaders” as being “politically incorrect.” The paper quoted Wiegel saying of the name change: “It’s a way for our Marines to draw on the service of the Marines before them, and to make their own history under the same name. As the squadron prepared to celebrate its (70th anniversary), my intent was to return the squadron to the Crusader name since 50 of the squadron’s 70 years were under that name. The name change is a reflection of our heritage.”

So, apparently, because it was the unit’s 70th anniversary, Lt. Col. Wiegel decided that continuing to call the unit the “Werewolves” — the name originally given to the unit by its WWII Marines 70 years ago — didn’t reflect the unit’s heritage! This is as nonsensical as the historical revisionists who insist that “In God We Trust,” which didn’t become our national motto until 1956, somehow reflects the intent of the founding fathers more than “E Pluribus Unum,” the motto that the founding fathers themselves actually chose in 1782.

This …

…and changed it to this…

Sources at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort have also confirmed that the “Crusader” insignia is being repainted on the planes flown by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122. These U.S. Marine Corps planes will once again have a great big red crusader cross on them, as shown in this pre-2008 photo.

While the renaming of the unit from “Werewolves” to “Crusaders” in 1958 was obviously just because the plane the unit was flying at the time was called the F-8 Crusader, and it was all in good fun in that era to do things like dress up the unit’s mascot, a little statue of a crusader knight, in a unit baseball cap, it is not at all cute or funny now. With our troops deployed in Muslim countries where the disregard of religious sensitivities has led to the deaths of U.S. service members and others, it is just sheer stupidity.

And, of course, there is also the pesky little constitutional issue of a U.S. military unit having a big red crusader cross as its insignia. It seems that Lt. Col. Wiegel is having a bit of trouble understanding his own “Command Philosophy,” in which he states: “Everyone wearing the uniform has sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and this oath provides the guideposts of what our country expects in return.” Yeah, Lt. Col. Wiegel, that’s what we expect in return — a version of upholding the Constitution that includes using a big red crusader cross to represent our country!

Mikey Weinstein, the president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), after speaking to a number of Marines, including one from the “Crusaders” who is disgusted by the renaming and is “expecting MRFF to do something about this,” issued the following statement:

“This universally disgraceful ‘renaming’ action by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122′s Commander is a literally breath-taking example of a wretched alloy of both blatant unconstitutionality and boundless stupidity. It will absolutely serve as a priceless propaganda bonanza of jovian magnitude for our nation’s fundamentalist Islamic foes and, thus, represents a veritable national security threat to the United States of America. Likewise, it will incontrovertibly, directly and indirectly hasten the maiming and deaths of our armed forces members. To this world class cretin masquerading as the MFAS 122′s Squadron Commander, I ask, has your motto now become ‘The Few. The Proud. The Crusaders?’ We’ll be seeing you in Federal Court, chump.”

We will keep you posted on what the response is to the demand that they remove the Crusades symbolism.

I routinely attempt to use the K.I.S.S. method when beginning these discussions because they can quickly get entirely out of control. So here goes…we are talking about what are considered the Abrahamic Faiths. Traditionally, there are only three categories – Jewish, Islamic and Christian. The reason they are referred to in this way is that they all claim to be descendants of Abraham and they all recognize the same God. Their religious views and traditions vary from slight to significant. Religion Facts.com has several charts that illustrate the origins and comparisons of these three major faith categories. This one shows the origins:

All these major religions have their own subcategories and sects. Christianity, it can be argued, is home to the most diverse sects dangling beneath its umbrella, covering a vast territory. Think Protestant, Pentecostalism, Charismatic Evangelicalism, Catholic, Latter Day Saints, and a bunch more. For me to openly tie LDS to Christianity will surprise a lot of people because the understanding of the LDS faith by the general populace is limited almost entirely to polygamy and funny underpants.

But, hey…what religion doesn’t have its standout traditions? Ash smudge on the forehead; kissing the ring of the Pope; speaking in tongues; fasting for Jesus; grasping a live chicken by the shoulder blades and moving around one’s head three times, symbolically transferring one’s sins to the chicken; or drinking shot glasses of grape juice or wine and eating wafers or crackers and pretending that is the blood and body of Christ; that Mary was a virgin; or believing that hell is a real place full of actual fire and brimstone…

Instead of me going on, please add to what I have put here in the comments section if you would about any and all rituals that come to your mind as you think about this.

They all seem a bit eccentric to those who are outside the faiths.

The rise of Mitt Romney as the Republican Presidential nominee for 2012 has now required that we all become aquainted with the mysteries of a faith commonly referred to as Mormonism. What are the common depitctions that cross our minds when are asked what we think of when we hear the term Mormon? For some of us it is limited to…

• they have multiple wives
• they have their own bible

For others, a few more thoughts come to mind…

• they have to wear odd undergarments
• they think black people are here so that Satan has representation on earth

And those of us who have been brought up in what are thought of as the mainstream Christian faiths were taught that “Mormons” are not real Christians, and that is the pervasive view of most Americans whether they adhere to religious beliefs or not. Here is a list from a site called What Mormons Believe:

Facts:

• Mormon is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president.  Today the headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah, with Gordon B. Hinckley as the present prophet.

• Mormons number over 13 million members in 176 countries.  About 6 million members are in the USA making the Mormon Church the 4th largest Christian denomination in America and one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world.

• The Church completes a new chapel every working day.  Members pay a 10% tithing of their income to make such building projects and other extensive welfare programs possible.

• Local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members.Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions.  Leaders are called to serve and do not seek out leadership roles.

• Brigham Young University and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir are two very popular institutions associated with the Mormon Church.

• Mormons are well represented in high and trusted positions in politics, government, business, medicine, law, education, media, sports and entertainment.

Faith:  

• We believe in the eternity of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to Him after death.

• We believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior and Redeemer.  We try to model our lives after Him and His teachings.  We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind.  We have much in common with other Christian faiths.  There is no other way for salvation except through faith in Jesus Christ.

• We believe the original church Jesus Christ established was lost and has been restored in our day.

• Priesthood authority has been restored again in our day.  Priesthood is defined as the authority given to man to act in the name of God.  We believe God has called apostles and a prophet to lead us.

• We believe in the Holy Bible as the Word of God.  We also believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture that support the Bible and testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ.

Interesting…now back to the position of born again Christians on Mormons. This assertion was articulated on the GOP 2012 Presidential campaign trail this past year by a preacher named Robert Jeffress who, while endorsing then candidate Governor Rick Perry of Texas, a Dominionist Christian – had this to say (listen from beginning to 1:20 second mark for the main message)…

That was way, way, way back in October of 2011! And here we are today, April 18, 2012, with this breaking endorsement of Mitt Romney for President by none other than Born Again preacher Jeffrus himself as reported in USA Today by Catalina Camia::

Rev. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, told the Associated Press that he still believes Mormons are not Christians. But he is backing Romney, the likely GOP nominee, because President Obama does not believe in “biblical principles.”

Jeffress sparked an outcry last October when he called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a “cult” and said “Mormonism is not Christianity.” At the time, Jeffress was backing Texas Gov. Rick Perry for president.

“I never said Christians should not vote for Mitt Romney,” Jeffress said Sunday in a Fox News interview, which is just now gaining wide attention from various news outlets.

“When I talked about his theology, I was answering a question about theology,” Jeffress said. “And I still maintain there are vast differences in theology between Mormons and Christians, but we do share many of the same values, like the sanctity of life and religious freedom.”

With time I will go deeper into this rabbit-hole as we discover the similarities which are numerous – rather than focus on the differences between LDS and the bible-based cult Dominionist sects – because it is the ideologies that their theologies have in common that constitute a threat to our democracy when they set their sights on saving America from the evils of secular humanism.

Theologians argue constantly about who is a “real” Christian. Whether faith is enough or you have to be “born again”. Is baptism at birth recognized? And is it true that the richer you are the more God shines on you? Or that the poorer you are the more evidence there is that you have turned your back on Jesus. These questions represent a fraction of the debates and the truth is? There is not a blessed soul on this earth who can answer these.

So, I am not interested in getting into a debate about who the “real Christians are. My concern, as I stated above, is that what ever any of these sects claim or call themselves…if they are seeking to insert their religious beliefs into our laws with the intent to govern Americans under their theology – I do not want to have anything to do with what they are peddling. But, given that political Christiannity has permeated conservative politics in America – I have a lot of questions…

• Are they implementing social legislation regarding women’s rights from health care to equal pay?
• Are they using their religious views to define marriage and justify discrimination of minorities?
• Is their intention to cut programs for the poor, indigent and downtrodden based on their scripture-twisted versions of Christianity?
• Does their belief in a version of Prosperity Gospel make them slaves to enriching the rich?
• Do they deny global warming because of their biblical world view and a belief that we are in the End of Days?
• Is their Israeli policy based on their religious views? And Iran?

These are just a few of the very serious questions that I am just getting warmed up with. I will be discussing this and more on the Forward Blitz Radio Show tonight. You can tune in by clicking here. I am certain that it will be a lively discussion that we will all learn from.

With the recent decision by Rick Santorum to bow out of the competition, Mitt Romney is now the clear frontrunner for the nomination by the Republican Party in the quest to unseat President Obama in November 2012, barring something highly unorthodox occurring between now and the GOP Convention in Tampa Bay, Florida in August. (Ya just never know!)

While much has been discussed about the religious roots of the numerous presidential candidates, the time has arrived to have a conversation about religion and politics with respect to Romney’s faith – Mormonism. Romney has avoided this like the plague, snapping at those who dare to ask him about his beliefs, squirming when it comes up or overtly diverting the topic entirely. This discussion is now unavoidable.

It is no mystery that Willard Mitt Romney is a generational Mormon, (7th generation to be exact) but what does that mean – politically? My guest writer, Susan Cardoza, gives a provocative introduction to the religio-political “noise” going on in the background of our first Mormon presidential Republican Party nominee.

The story of Mormon founder Joseph Smith’s “White Horse Prophecy” is a major piece in the discussion about a Mormon President of the United States. This tale has been debated, endorsed, denied and decried by various adherents and critics of the Mormon faith – in much the same manner that understandings of the Christian bible are hashed over and disputed by bible-believing Christians.

What do they both have in common? The debates rest on accountings of what was said or not said by Christ and Smith long after their deaths. And we are talking about people who never spoke to either personally – yet insist that they are recounting their words verbatim. In the case of the White Horse Prophecy, it is a familiar argument – that Joseph Smith is being misquoted in writings after his death when he predicts that a Mormon will save America as President of the United States on the heels of the U.S. Constitution hanging on by a mere thread. (Well-known Mormon, Glenn Beck loves to refer to this).

What are we to learn from this? That despite the denials and attempts to distance himself from these extreme ideologies, Romney is joined by far too many who really do adhere to these beliefs. This is important to all of us now because Romney’s path, from a very young age, has all the earmarks of someone who was raised believing in this religio-political doctrine. And despite his protests and repeated attempts to avoid the discussion, this man appears to be on a spiritually led mission to fulfill what he has been told is his destiny.

White Horse Prophecy

by Susan Cardoza

What is the White Horse Prophecy and is it important in the presidential race of 2012 or does it mean nothing at all? I will explore the prophecy and then you can decide for yourself. The White Horse Prophecy is a statement purported to have been made in 1843 by Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, regarding the future of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons) and the United States of America.

The Latter Day Saints, according to the prophecy, will “go to the Rocky Mountains and … be a great and mighty people”, which is identified figuratively with the White Horse described in the Revelation of John. The prophecy further predicts that the United States Constitution will one day “hang like a thread” and will be saved “by the efforts of the White Horse”. ~ Wikipedia

So is the Mormon Church the White Horse or is the candidate the White Horse? I don’t really think the differentiation matters all that much, the fact is that it has been said that if a Mormon ever reaches the White House, they will take their orders from the Church in Salt Lake City. The Church has been known to elicit a stronghold on its’ members and a 7^th generation Mormon like Romney has proven, in the past, to take very seriously the teachings of his church.

Writers of varying degrees of credibility and motive have speculated, on the basis of the prophecy, that Mormons expect the U.S. to eventually become a “Mormon-ruled theocracy divinely ordained to ‘not only direct the political affairs of the Mormon community, but eventually those of the United States and ultimately the world’”, and that “a Mormon, if he were elected president, would take his orders from Salt Lake City.”

In addition, many LDS members of the Republican Party and some LDS Democrats have also been inspired to run for office as a direct result of the White Horse Prophecy. As is referred to below, Michael Moody ran for Governor of Nevada in 1982 and made statements to the effect he was doing so to help Mitt Romney in the future. That would have been 9 years after Romney graduated from college and he would have been around 32 or 33.

The authenticity of the prophecy as a whole, which was not made public until long after Smith’s death, is debated, and the leadership of the LDS Church has stated that “the so-called ‘White Horse Prophecy’ … is not embraced as Church doctrine.” However, the belief that members of the LDS Church will one day need to take action to save the imperiled U.S. Constitution has been attributed to Smith in several sources and has been discussed in an approving fashion by Brigham Young and other LDS leaders. In fact, Congress member Orrin Hatch alluded to this belief when he was a candidate for president.

From the JOD{journal of discourses}:

“The Saints Will Yet Save the Constitution-When the day comes in which the Kingdom of God will bear rule, the flag of the United States will proudly flutter unsullied on the flagstaff of liberty and equal rights, without a spot to sully its fair surface; the glorious flag our fathers have bequeathed to us will then be unfurled to the breeze by those who have power to hoist it aloft and defend its sanctity. (JOD 2:317).”

“How long will it be before the words of the prophet Joseph will be fulfilled? He said if the Constitution of the United States were saved at all it must be done by this people. It will not be many years before these words come to pass. 12:204.”

“The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith there would be an attempt to overthrow the country by destroying the Constitution. Joseph Smith predicted that the time would come when the Constitution would hang, as it were, by a thread, and at that time “this people will step forth and save it from the threatened destruction” (Journal of Discourses, 7:15). It is my conviction that the elders of Israel, widely spread over the nation, will at that crucial time successfully rally the righteous of our country and provide the necessary balance of strength to save the institutions of constitutional government.”

“If the Gentiles on this land reject the word of God and conspire to overthrow liberty and the Constitution, their doom is fixed, and they “shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant” (1 Nephi 14:6; 3 Nephi 21:11, 14, 21; D&C 84:114-15, 117). (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 618-619 & God, Family, Country, p. 345.)”

Perhaps, like the Bible, Mormons would say there are many translations for these entries. However, I think they are fairly clear that LDS think they are going to be in a position to save this country and if Proposition 8 in California is any indication of their determination and influence, they will pour funds in to a campaign in order to affect the outcome.

We must also consider that Mitt Romney has not only lied continuously, but he has flip-flopped all over the place and it would not be beyond the pale for him to lie about his beliefs in the White Horse Prophecy as well. What would it gain him to actually tell the truth? Certainly not a smart move with Dominionists who may have to hold their noses and vote for him as we know they believe they are the chosen ones for the job – not someone from what they consider to be the faux cult-religion of Mormonism.

Consider this, when Mitt Romney received his patriarchal blessing as a Michigan teenager, he was told that the Lord expected great things from him. All young Mormon men receive such a blessing as they embark on their requisite journeys as religious missionaries. Understanding the beliefs of Mormons helps us to tie all of this together and more clearly understand these significant rights of passage that young Mitt scaled. At 19 years of age, the youngest son of the most prominent Mormon in American politics, a seventh-generation direct descendant of one of the faith’s founding 12 apostles in the Mormon heirarchy, Mitt Romney had been singled out as a destined leader.

A patriarchal blessing is a blessing (similar to a prayer) given to worthy members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by a stake patriarch (a priesthood holder ordained to this calling) and is a sacred, personal blessing from the Lord. Members who are worthy and ready may receive their patriarchal blessing by first meeting with their bishop, and once approved by the bishop they make an appointment with their stake patriarch. The blessing given (said) by the patriarch is recorded and later typed up (usually by the patriarch’s wife) and is sent to LDS Church headquarters where it is kept on file. A printed copy of the patriarchal blessing is also mailed to the recipient.

Upon completion of his foreign mission, he immersed himself in the 1970 senatorial campaign of his mother, Lenore Romney, who was running against Phillip Hart in the Michigan general election. That same year, the Cougar Club, the all male social club at Brigham Young University, was humming with talk that its president, Mitt Romney, would become the first Mormon president of the United States. “If not Mitt, then who?” was the ubiquitous slogan within the elite organization. The pious world of BYU was expected to spawn the man who would lead the Mormons into the White House and fulfill the prophecies of the church’s founder, Joseph Smith Jr. Even from this early date, Mitt Romney has avidly sought to realize this prophesy/expectation.

At BYU, he was idolized by fellow students and referred to, only half jokingly, as the “One Mighty and Strong.” He was the “alpha male” in the rarefied Cougar pack, according to Michael D. Moody, a BYU classmate and fellow member of the group. Romney, who had been the assistant to the president of the French Mission where he was personally in charge of more than 200 missionaries, easily assumed a leadership position in the club.

So one can see how it seemed disingenuous to his former club-mates when, in a 2006 magazine interview, Romney denied his longtime political aspirations. “I have to admit I did not think I was going to be in politics,” he told the American Spectator. “Had I thought politics was in my future, I would not have chosen Massachusetts as the state of my residence. I would have stayed in Michigan where my Dad’s name was golden.” (Or you could surmise making millions at an LBO firm would put him in the best position to take time off to run for that position). Romney is a shallow man and he would probably not understand that others would look at his plans as anything other than a man trying to make a living.

Contrary to this lack of interest in political aspirations, Michael Moody, a fellow Cougar member, says political success was an institutional value of the LDS church.

“The instructions in my
Fast Tube by Casper blessing, which I believed came directly from Jesus, motivated me to seek a career in government and politics,” he wrote in his 2008 book.

Moody recently said that he ran for governor of Nevada in 1982 because he felt he had been divinely directed to “expand our kingdom” and help Romney “lead the world into the Millennium. Once a firm believer but now a church critic, Moody was indoctrinated with the White Horse Prophecy. Like Romney, Moody is a seventh-generation Mormon, steeped in the same intellectual and theological milieu.

“We were taught that America is the Promised Land,” he said in an interview. “The Mormons are the Chosen People. And the time is now for a Mormon leader to usher in the second coming of Christ and install the political Kingdom of God in Washington, D.C.”

Mormonism defines not only Mitt Romney’s character, but what kind of president he would be and what impulses would drive him in both domestic and foreign policy. Like his father before him, Romney has charted a course from missionary to businessman, from church bishop to politician, to presidential candidate. The influence that Mormonism has had on him has dominated his decisions every step of the way.

The Mormon Church is one of the world’s richest institutions, a multi-billion dollar business empire that includes agribusiness, mining, insurance, electronic and print media, manufacturing, movie production, commercial real estate, defense contracting, retail stores and banking, and oil. The Mormon church has unprecedented economic and political power.

This picture to the left is the Hawaii Temple on Oahu and is typical of the lavish design all their temples, most topped with actual gold statues. Despite their beliefs against any act or tolerance of gambling, Mormons have been heavily invested and exceptionally influential in the Nevada gaming industry since the great expansion of modern Las Vegas in the 1950s. Numerous examples of this type of hypocrisy abound.

Mormons have long been recruited into top positions in government agencies and multinational corporations, likely because of their strong adherance to the prohibition of liquor, tobacco and other vices. They are prominent in such institutions as the CIA, FBI and the national nuclear weapons laboratories, giving the church a sphere of influence rivaling political Christianity’s 7 Mountains Mandate with significant gains in the top echelons of government and business.

Mitt Romney has been groomed all along for a prominent position in the church; first as a missionary, then as a bishop, and then as a stake president, becoming the highest-ranking Mormon leader in Boston, the equivalent of a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Mormonism’s founding theology was based upon a literal takeover of the U.S. government. In light of the theology and prophecies of the Church, not amended by the LDS hierarchy, it would seem that the office of the American presidency is the ultimate ecclesiastical position to which a Mormon leader might aspire. Given all that we are learning the question remains, does Romney believes that the American presidency is also a theological position?

Romney is uncomfortable and has said he will not discuss his religion on the campaign trail as he claims, rightly so, that religion is not a constitutional requirement for office of the President. So, perhaps, the question is whether, based on all of the flip-flops on virtually every policy, he has an underlying religious conception of the presidency and the American government but is fearful of talking about it as it could lead him to divulge information he does not want the public to know.

We do know that at the GOP presidential debate in Florida, Romney claimed the Declaration of Independence is a theological document, not specific to the rebellious 13 colonies, but establishing a covenant “between God and man.” This in and of itself would suggest that Mitt Romney views the American presidency as a theological office.

Whether or not the whispers are true about the White Horse Prophecy, it does bear investigation. All too frequently, known members of religious sects have not been candid when confronted with certain aspects of either their doctrine or statements they may have made when they thought no one was looking. All I can say is I do not want to be in a position to find out if it is true or not – after the fact. It is so clear that Romney is not a person who should be trusted with the highest office in this land by virtue of his propensity to flip his position on any and all issues to garner votes. Winning, at any cost, is the primary goal.

However, when you look at the total man, for me, it only gets worse. Given the ease with which he lies, what credibility would he have with world leaders? What would he do with Congress? But most important of all, what would he do with the American people? We already had a George W. Bush, we do not need another Liar in Chief.

(Just a side note, I am not sure if this is very well known but a little tidbit of trivia here, Huntsman and Romney are cousins).

Mitt Romney in a presentation to students at Harvard Business School in 1978: “Your children don’t pay any evidence of achievement for 20 years,” Mr. Romney said. But if students failed to invest sufficient time and energy in their spouses and children, their families could become “dogs” — consultant-speak for drags on the rest of the company — sucking energy, time and happiness out of the students. The presentation was a hit: Mr. Romney had proved the value of family-time based not on emotion but on yield.

Michael Moody to Romney in his new book, Mitt, Set Our People Free, Moody States:

“Either you see it or you don’t, and since you still don’t see it, I can’t quietly stand aside and watch you march into the American Presidency with your ankle chained to Joseph Smith.

The White House must not be controlled by a man who believes in a phantom ancient culture, believes the fictitious Book of Mormon the most correct book on earth and who reveres Joseph Smith as a Christian prophet. Your political success would advance the Mormon cult kingdom, and that’s unacceptable. Not on my watch!”

***************************************************************************

Admin Notes: Susan’s article has revealed more about political indoctrination of its members by the Mormon Church than most people have ever heard of before. The teachings are available and you will find all of this and more in a cursory research. Here are a couple articles that might be of interest: The N.Y. Times, Al Jazeera, for more in-depth articles that give you insight into the world Willard M. Romney was reared.

But back to thoughts about the Christian observance of this day, just because I am absolutely anti-Dominionist does not mean that I am in any way anti-religion. In fact, there is one retired minister whose writings I often post here that teaches what I chose to believe Christianity truly has to offer – that we learn to be kind, considerate and compassionate to ourselves, our families and our neighbors who share this earth with us.

Religion and politics are now inextricably entwined. This has been the case since religion was invented, but in American politics it is taking center stage with increasing intensity. We have to look no further than the bible-thumping parade of GOP contenders for not only the presidency, but local school boards, city councils, legislatures and congress as well. They are clearly making my job easier as I work to get out the message that there really is a pocket of extreme political Christians who are the last ones to actually follow the teachings of Jesus Christ.

The Dominionists whose quest for power and control supersedes the warnings and undermines the message of the story of Easter. Many times the writings of Pastor Bess best represents this ideal of faith that I ascribe to. It is the antithesis of Dominionist fundamentalist, Pentecostal, political Christianity. It is about being humble. Here is an excerpt from an email from Pastor about Easter and what it means today…

Easter by Pastor Howard Bess In understanding and interpreting the life of Jesus, we correctly place him growing up in an unimportant town named Nazareth.  He did most of his teaching in rural settings. He was respected as a teacher and gathered a significant following. However, we seriously err if we fail to recognize the significance of his week in Jerusalem.

That final week in the life of Jesus is very important. The story needs to be mastered by serious followers of Jesus. As important as it is to remember the details of that week, the greater challenge is to figure out the meaning of what happened. It is all too easy to follow traditional interpretations and repeat “Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification.”

Without denying this central Christian message, I am suggesting that there are deeper meanings of profound importance to be found in Jesus’ last week. We have a body of Jesus’ teachings that come from his rural Galilean ministry. The accounts of his final week are a great pageant that depicts with realism the implications of what he taught in Galilee.

Central to the teachings of Jesus is the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth.

It was to be a kingdom not of might and power but of justice, peace, love and kindness.To establish this kingdom, Jesus taught the servant ideal. Servanthood was the character of this new kingdom and its leaders. Serving was at the heart of his message. He told his disciples “If any of you desire to be great, let him be the servant of all.”

If these self-anointed leaders of today’s face of political Christianity understood even a shred of this – I would be happily working on something far more pleasant in my life rather than constantly watch-dogging these false prophets. What ever your faith. Whatever your belief. I think that we can all get behind promoting “justice, peace, love and kindness” – and find the fun in traditions like hiding eggs and watching the awe in little faces who aren’t wise to the realities of the Easter Bunny.

So when these ‘new’ groups form selling us that they are offering a revolutionary solution to the two-party system that is non-partisan – aren’t we really looking at a third party? In the case of Americans Elect and No Labels I see nothing new here. A message is always best evaluated on its sales staff and these players have been around for a long time, many of them with huge stockpiles of money to invest. There is a lot hiding under the facade of these groups that we must educate ourselves on or we will wind up sucked into the same partisan vacuum with a shiny new look. A new look that they have branded with a question mark – and that may say it all.

GOP? contributor, Susan Cardoza gives us the thumbnail sketch of what some of the hidden concerns are and demonstrates that getting answers are not that easy.

Americans Elect ~ Why/What Are They Hiding?

by Susan Cardoza

Remember Ralph Nader and the spoiler position he was “awarded” in 2000? Well, it would appear the 1% is going to try to replicate this themselves in the form of Americans Elect(AE). “They’re very secretive,” said Richard Winger, the long-time publisher of Ballot Access News. “I found out about their petition drive independent of them.”

AE was incorporated on April 6, 2010 by Peter Ackerman as a follow-up to his work on Unity08 for the 2008 U.S. presidential election. In September, Americans Elect became a 501(c) 4 corporation, and now they can be as secretive as they want. As a 501(c) 4 it is not required to report who its contributors are. However, prior to becoming a 501(c) 4, the group was required to divulge it’s sources of income. Now they do not and to top it off, they can register on ballots across the nation. All of this will be done with no sunshine whatsoever. I can think of some places this reminds me of but the United States of America is not one of them.

Consider one of AE’s big backers: Lynn Forester de Rothschild, currently the largest non-institutional investor in The Economist magazine, also its largest “trust share” investor (according to the Economist Groups 2011 Annual Report), which grants her principal rights to select its Editor. A huge Hillary Clinton supporter, financial and vocal, she never accepted President Obama’s nomination, supported McCain, and has ridiculed Obama ever since. (Note: The Economist supported Obama, though quickly turned critical but I am sure it had nothing to do with de Rothschild). However, since 2010 de Rothschild has been a major Huntsman supporter, precisely the kind of candidate some hope Americans Elect would produce. No wonder Huntsman went quietly into that dark night, he probably knows Lady de Rothschild will give him another chance.

Their website was started to begin recruiting delegates for its 2012 Presidential Primary in July 2011. During 2011 AE was placed on the 2012 Presidential ballot in 12 states. In February 2012, its website began accepting draft candidates for possible selection in the upcoming convention to be on the ballot under Americans Elect for the web. Can anyone but me see how this could go horribly wrong?

I recently had an interaction with a gentleman who introduced himself to me as a recruiter for AE. He sensed that I had some questions and was not quite ready to support his positions so he offered me his email to discuss and answer my questions. Well, I took him up on it and asked the following questions (mind you, I had an avatar that was our current president on twitter where I ran into him and he still wanted to convince me). Here is our conversation:

My Questions:

How can AE claim they are a grassroots driven organization while big money is behind everything you do?

How is it that AE’s corporate leadership can make a decision on the Internet vote if they so choose.

How can Kahlil Byrd, a former CFR [Council on Foreign Relations] member, possibly understand the plight of the poor and the middle class? Same with Ackerman whose father bankrolled the startup?

You claim you are different but I see the same big money behind your work. This makes you no different than Democrats or Republicans.

Byrd never answers questions put to him on Twitter, legitimate questions.

Whoever works the AE twitter feed ignores questions, generally speaking, you are the only one who has responded so far.

How do you answer the claims that this is being used as a spoiler in the election? All you can possibly do is put the choice into the Congress so Republican control is totally suspected by many.

And his answers:

Most of your questions aren’t able to be answered as you already have a clear opinion on the issue. What’s to say Barack Obama and whoever the Republican nominee is won’t “spoil” the election for the AE candidate? Spoiling is in the eye of the beholder when it comes to elections.

I can tell you as an employee and former volunteer and donor that there are well over 7000 individual donors to this organization. Really not sure where this “big money” thing comes from to be perfectly honest. We’re a very small time operation ($36 million operating budget) compared to either of the major two parties. The Democrats alone plan on raising over $1 trillion for this election. Seems like you may be focusing on the wrong group if you ask me. You assert Kahlil and Elliot are out of touch with the “plight of the poor and the middle class.” Not really sure how that applies to this process. This organization merely works to gain ballot access and run a nominating process to decide who gets it.
And I can personally attest to the grassroots nature of our work. My job is to find the over 1200 volunteers we’ll need to actually achieve ballot access. Signature gathering is only one piece of a large puzzle requiring thousands of volunteers. I’d say the fact that we’re so dependent on those individuals in order to achieve victory; we can be nothing but grassroots.

Comparably, party officers for both the Democrats and Republicans fill those positions and usually stand to benefit (either monetarily or reputation-wise) from their appointment or election to them. You’re obviously a Barack Obama supporter based on your Twitter picture and I’d challenge you to look more closely at the way we choose candidates in this country. Obama is there because party leadership has allowed him to be. Doesn’t seem very democratic. Just a thought. Thanks for your question.

This was my personal interaction with them and you can see the pushback I got from my questions. Personally I thought my questions were pretty good and not accusatory just penetrating which I think AE did not authorize this recruiter to answer. If they are not answering questions from other organizations, not sure why they would answer mine. My purpose was to draw him into the exact situation that evolved. My response back to him was to let him know he and his organization are being disingenuous and secretive. He did not respond to that so I guess he either agreed or was too afraid.

One reason Americans have the right to know about Americans Elect is that the stakes are so high. Americans Elect is trying to arrange the election of the next President of the United States of America, the most powerful single position on the planet. As citizens in a democratic republic, we have the right to make an informed decision, and that means transparent disclosure on the part of groups like Americans Elect that have appointed themselves to stage-manage the election.

Indeed, Americans already have public access to contribution and expenditure for the Democratic and Republican parties. If Americans Elect will not share similar information about its funders, then it represents a step backward for democracy, not a step forward.

From Irregular Times Website:

Another reason why Americans Elect needs to disclose information about its origins, funding and activities is its unfortunate history. It’s not just that Americans Elect is currently making claims that don’t match the observable facts; there’s a history of misrepresentation, misdirection and malfunction in Americans Elect’s previous effort under the name Unity08 (see here for the names of four Unity08 leaders who are in the leadership of Americans Elect). As a series of articles on the history and ethics of Unity08 shows:

In its initial filing as a corporation, in its first six months’ original IRS disclosures, and in its initial website registrations Unity08 claimed a primary business address identical to the business address of a political public relations firm working for Republican clients, Peak Creative Media, run by the former adviser to Roger Ailes of FOX News. That same individual is also the person who is the registered owner of the Americans Elect domain names.

While Unity08 proclaimed its opposition to the influence of lobbyists in politics, it quietly brought former and current lobbyists into leadership positions; when confronted with this information, Unity08 responded that “You have to have been in it to know what’s wrong with it.”

Unity08 declared that it would grow its “people’s movement” using only small donations from “everyday Americans” of “people like you.” Unity08 released a “Clean Money Pledge” in which it challenged members of the public to commit to the following plan of action: “I will only vote for a presidential candidate who has raised more than half of his/her funds through small contributions of $250 or less.” It demanded that the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates abide by this “Clean Money Pledge.” Yet at the same time it was quietly suing the Federal Election Commission to win the right to take contributions of unlimited size without public disclosure — a right Americans Elect now exercises. And an analysis of Unity 08′s 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Quarter 2006 IRS disclosures reveals that a full 82% of Unity08′s 2006 donation money came from donors of more than $250. Unity08 appears to have violated its own Clean Money Pledge.

While Unity08 leaders were insisting to the public that they weren’t using their effort to promote any particular presidential candidate, they had already reserved the domain draftmichaelbloomberg.com in June of 2007. In January of 2008, multiple Unity08 executives and staffers put Unity08 on hiatus and immediately began working on a Draft Michael Bloomberg campaign, hosted at the very same draftmichaelbloomberg.com web address that Unity08 had reserved. Despite Unity08 leaders’ declarations that the two campaigns were “completely separate,” Unity08 gave money to the Draft Bloomberg campaign and shared an office with the Draft Bloomberg campaign.

As the continuation of the factually-challenged Unity08, Americans Elect needs to take affirmative steps earn Americans’ trust. Hiding information does not help in this regard.

What can be detected so far is that Peter Ackermen started AE with a donation of his own. He brought in his son Elliot and also added Kahlil Byrd as CEO who most recently served on the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Can you just see it now with the names I have mentioned how this group is looking out for the 99%? Well neither can I.

An article in the Capitol Weekly shined light on some other notables, a few of them are:

• Arno Political Consultants of Carlsbad
• Wendy Drake of The Webster Group
• Joshua Levine – E*Trade Financial
• The Honorable Christine Todd Whitman Former Gov NJ
• Lawrence Lessig – Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership, Harvard Law School
• Mark Burnett – Television Producer
• Michael Eisner – Former CEO, The Walt Disney Company
• The Honorable William H. Webster – Former director, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency; Chairman, Homeland Security Advisory Council; Retired Partner, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy

And these are just a few, you can click here to see the extensive list of names that have leant themselves to AE. Also if you want to see what John Huntsman’s thoughts really were on the 2012 election? Well, he said this:

“The Republican Party is broken,” said Huntsman. “What do we need? We need campaign finance reform. The system is broken. We need term limits. We need something to compete against a duopoly that’s getting old and tired. It reminds me a little bit of 1856, when there was the advent of a Republican Party under (John C.) Fremont, who lost the first round, but Lincoln went on to win the next time. I think we’re going to have problems politically until we get some kind of third-party movement or some kind of alternative voice that can put out new ideas.”

That sounds to me, knowing all of this about AE that he knows something about AE that he is not likely to discuss until he and AE are ready. If you take into account his response to Romney now being the presumptive nominee for the Republican party, he stopped just short of full endorsement of Romney as the Republican Nominee. It is a scary thought that certain people in our country think they can buy an election but when the Supreme Court ruled on Citizens United that is exactly what has now happened.

They are trying to take your country away from you little by little. Luckily there are people out here who are shining the light on these groups and perhaps someday the people will rise up and fight back. It happened at the end of the 19th century so we know the American people do have that fighting spirit – we just need a way to catapult people out of their homes and into the streets to stand up, recognize these high-stakes games and make themselves heard.

If not, it will be business as usual and it won’t matter what they call themselves.

ALEC 101

by Susan Cardoza

If you were to go to the website Alec.org, you would find a benign site that tells you how the group American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was founded to “advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty”. They will tell you they do this through a “nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators, members of the private sector, the federal government, and general public”. Then they further tell you they are doing this for us by “developing policies that ensure the powers of government are derived from, and assigned to, first the People, then the States, and finally, the Federal Government”. Further they will do this by “enlisting state legislators from all parties and members of the private sector who share ALEC’s mission”.

But wait, I thought this was for we the people but now they tell us only “we the people” who agree with their mission? I wonder what else they are going to do for we the people?  Well, they tell us in a further statement: They will “conduct a policy making program that unites members of the public and private sectors in a dynamic partnership to support research, policy development, and dissemination activities”. And according to them, if we trust them, “they will prepare the next generation of political leadership through educational programs that promote the principles of Jeffersonian democracy, which are necessary for a free society”.

Well that sure sounds like a great organization and I am sure that little part about agreeing with their mission is just an oversight, right? I suppose if you were to peruse their site and not dig any further, you could walk away with that impression. The problem comes into play if you do dig further because what you will find out is that ultimately ALEC is looking after Corporations and not we the people, in any respect. They dress it up to lull the public while in the background they work to ensure legislation is geared toward the benefit of Corporations alone. We may realize some crumbs they deign to throw at us, but make no mistake they are in it to win it for themselves and their corporate masters alone.

A quick note for those of you new to this particular area of muckraking: the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt not-for-profit organization that bills itself as being the nation’s largest “bipartisan” public-private legislative partnership. As such, ALEC consists of more than 2,000 state lawmakers and more than 300 of the nation’s leading corporations, lobby firms and ‘think tanks.’ Some of those leading corporations are: Bayer, Glaxco,Smith.Kline, Centerpoint360, Exxon/Mobil, Phrma, Kraft Foods, Walmart and Koch Enterprises to name a few.

Of course it would be difficult to name them all here, but you get the general idea. To give you a good idea of the stealthness, watch Real Time with Bill Maher and look for a gentleman who appears as guest from time to time named Stephen Moore on the show.  Bill introduces him as a senior economics writer for various publications, mainly the WSJ. (The same Wall Street Journal that is owned by Rupert Murdoch of NewsCorp and FOX News). Never once does he say anything about Mr. Moore’s connection to ALEC.  I don’t know about you but it makes me question Bill Maher’s due diligence in investigating his guests’ backgrounds and HBO’s decision to hire someone who would portray this gentleman as just another economics scholar, never mentioning his seat on ALEC’s Board of Scholars. But then again, perhaps that is intentional.

So you are probably wondering exactly what it is that ALEC does and I am thrilled to share what I have learned with you. ALEC has members in nearly every state of the union in Congress, State Legislatures, State Assemblies, Governorships, perhaps even in the White House either in the past or currently. That is not to say our current President is aware of it, but it is only a matter of time.

It is hard to determine all the areas they cover but knowing these people are the ones determining legislation in your state and country is chilling enough. You can email your representatives all you want expressing your views on a particular piece of legislation, if it is not in line with ALEC’s mission, your representative is not going to vote for it, especially if they are Republican. This is partisan Caucus voting on steroids.

It could not be clearer that the interest is devoid of any concern for the voters who put them in office, but for the power behind organizations like ALEC. You can see where their mission, not your needs, comes into play because they and their corporate board members have the money, you do not. You will also probably not be too surprised, at this point, to know most members belong to the Republican party. I have found a few Democrats but not nearly enough to consider them truly “bi-partisan”. Understanding that, you have another problem because who do you think they are going to favor in legislation and at the voting booth? You guessed it, Republicans.

So what are some of the legislation they have sponsored and won? Voter ID laws for one and in the mid-term elections of 2010 you could also guess they were behind the majority Tea Party and Republicans gaining control of the House of Representatives. They knew if they won the house and local elections, they would gain the upper hand in re-districting and that is exactly what happened. Remember the Koch brothers are members and it was the Koch brothers who bankrolled the “grassroots” Tea Party Patriots and by association their candidates.

The “Stand Your Ground Law” is another piece of legislation that was sponsored (always in the background) by ALEC. I am sure you have all heard about the tragedy that befell the Martin family in Florida. In case you have not heard, the shooter, George Zimmerman, of Trayvon Martin, a 17 year old high school senior, is claiming he should be protected by Florida’s stand your ground law. In short, he was a self-appointed “neighborhood watchman”, who, despite being advised by 911 not to follow a “person of interest” in his gated community, did so anyway. An altercation occurred and George Zimmerman (the watchman) shot and killed Trayvon Martin claiming the young man accosted him as he was returning to his vehicle. The “Stand Your Ground Law” protects citizens if they need to use deadly force in the process of defending themselves. In short, it makes you or I a vigilante and it may be coming to a state near you thanks to ALEC.

But where does the encouragement of vigilante (in) justice fit into this picture? It is the same old story, the long-standing exploitation of public fears. Republicans have done this again and again. During the Bush administration they even had a color-coded chart to tell us exactly how afraid we should be, red was terrified and green meant to go out shopping.  It should come as no surprise that the NRA and ALEC have been allies for a long time as well. Who benefits from lax gun laws? The NRA and the manufacturers and retailers of weapons.

Many ALEC-drafted bills pursue standard conservative goals: union-busting, undermining environmental protection, tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy. ALEC seems, however, to have a special interest in privatization — that is, on turning the provision of public services, from schools to prisons, over to for-profit corporations. And some of the most prominent beneficiaries of privatization, such as the online education company K12 Inc., EdisonLearning and the prison operator Corrections Corporation of America, are, not surprisingly, very much involved with the organization.

What this tells us, is that ALEC’s claim to stand for limited government and free markets is misleading. To a large extent the organization seeks not limited government but privatized government, in which corporations get their profits from taxpayer dollars, dollars steered their way by friendly politicians.

In short, ALEC isn’t so much about promoting free markets as it is about expanding crony capitalism.

And in case you were wondering, the kind of privatization ALEC promotes isn’t in the public interest; instead of success stories, what we are seeing is a series of scandals. Private charter schools take tax money to operate and seldom show increased educational achievement. In fact, EdisonLearning is being funded by the Florida Teacher’s Pension and the funding was done while Jeb Bush, as governor/trustee, agreed to use the funds to help Liberty Partners prop up the company which, in it’s history, has consistently lost money. And like Bain Capitol, Liberty Partners is in the business of LBO’s. If things go wrong again, they will file Bankruptcy again and most in the Pension fund will never know.

There is one thing these people do not like and that is sunlight. No, I do not mean like vampires although you could see them in that light. Sunlight on their organizations means trouble for them, whenever sunlight is brought to bear they need to refute it, if serious enough.

Next week I will cover a new organization you may have heard of, Americans Elect. Of course I will not be covering that organization in quite the way they would want either.  They have positioned themselves as a grassroots organization which is implausible. First, of all they were funded with Wall Street assistance and they have hired a CEO from the CFR (Council for Foreign Relations). How can a member of the CFR possibly understand the everyday problems of the 99%? Second, they have positioned a member of ALEC on their rules board. So a member of ALEC is going to judge and make decisions in the nominating and voting rules? You just finished reading this piece, don’t you just wonder how that could possibly go wrong? Would you question their motives? We are.

Admin Note: Susan has articulately informed us about who ALEC is and now we have to take initiative to keep this discussion going. One of the ways to do that is to talk about them until we are sick of saying the name ALEC. There have been many great articles written about this organization, but too many still have no understanding of who they are.

So here at God’s Own Party, we will continue to bring them up and write about them in our effort to get people talking. One way to begin the push back is to find out who your local legislators are that are bought and paid for by ALEC and work to get them out of office.

I will close with this graphic depicting the connections that I introduced Susan’s article with today, courtesy of Hector Salon at the Daily Kos in his article about ALEC…

SITES: ALECWatch.org - SourceWatch - Common Cause - Progressive States -RightWingWatch

ARTICLES: Ghostwriting the Law (Mother Jones 2002) - Outing Alec: The most powerful lobby you’ve never heard of. (American Prospect 2002) - ALEC Meets is Match: State Activists Are Learning How To Fight Back Against The Right’s Powerhouse (Nation 2003)- What makes ALEC so Smart (Governing 2003) - Creating a Right-Wing Nation, State by State (Alternet 2005) - Big Political Player you’ve never heard of (Fortune 2011) -The Power Brokers Behind Health Care Repeal Legislation (Wash. Indep. 2010) - ALEC Behind Voter Disenfranchisement Efforts (Campus Progress 2011)

http://www.alec.org/2012/03/alec-response-krugman%E2%8 o0%99s-erroneous-claims/

ALEC response to Krugman also ALEC website: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/27/4371134/krugman-lobbyists-firearms-and.html

Krugman on ALEC: http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

http://www.aikencountydemocrats.org/ACDP/Welcome.html

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=ALEC_Politicians

“[…] The quoted language above of “Three Important Documents” is in violation of the U.S. Constitution and should be immediately removed. MRFF also demands that the Air Force immediately conduct a review of all its training materials to ensure that similar language be deleted from the mandatory reading materials.

Accordingly, we demand the Air Force’s prompt assurances and written undertaking, within fourteen (14) days from the date of this letter, that will cease and desist any and all use of the above-quoted language from “Three Important Documents” and that the Air Force open a review of mandatory training materials to identify and remove other similarly unconstitutional language. If this request is not honored, we shall consider other such legal action as may be deemed advisable to protect our client’s interests.”

Here is an initial email that we received at MRFF about this practice of proselytizing through the command chain wherein he refers to some of this specific language in “Three Important Documents” document used to train officers from a Christian who understands the dangers of Dominionist Christians in our military. (Emphasis added by me)

From: USAF Officer’s E-Mail Address Withheld March 27, 2012 10:31:32 PM MDT To: Information Weinstein <mikey@militaryreligiousfreedom.org>

Subject: Seeking Help From The MRFF

“I am a United States Air Force Officer, a CGO (“Company Grade Officer”; meaning 2Lt, 1Lt. or Captain ) born and raised in an evangelical household. I am writing this statement because I feel compelled to tell people about this. I am horrified and shocked at the blatant violation of the Constitution, and what I feel is a direct attack towards me and officers like me.

Why I write anonymously:

I never thought I would write anything anonymously. I am straight, white, and male. I never experienced being in the “out-group,” the minority. When I imagined whistle blowing about a possible corruption in the government, I imagined I would do so openly; after all, what could they do?  Spending these years in the Air Force has taught me the answer to that question. You simply do not know whom to trust when it comes to these particular Christian fundamentalists. The forces at work behind the scenes easily obfuscate themselves, and they they can be brutal. The last person, who spoke out about this on the record, had his career ended, and his service dog poisoned; right in the middle of the faculty offices of the Air Force Academy. It is sad but true I must remain anonymous for the sake of my USAF career and those I love. I hope that someday soon, at least in the 21^st century, officers like me can feel safe without fear of reprisal, for fulfilling my oath to support and defend the Constitution.

And so I write, but do so anonymously. This is not the first time, just the most blatant. I have felt this way before, many times. Perhaps not this intensely, because its’ never been so blatant. The instruction to go to chapel was just the last straw that broke the camel’s back.   I’ve wanted to tell someone about these abuses. Someone who would care. I think I’ve found that person now in Mikey Weinstein.  So here goes…”

Selected Letter Excerpts:

• I am a United States Air Force Officer, a CGO (“Company Grade Officer”; meaning 2Lt, 1Lt. or Captain ) born and raised in an evangelical household. I am writing this statement because I feel compelled to tell people about this. I am horrified and shocked at the blatant violation of the Constitution, and what I feel is a direct attack towards me and officers like me.

• Often, in one’s career, you hear that it is an unwritten rule you need to be the right type of Christian to be a good officer. But it turns out it IS written! Not in some obscure corner of the Air Force library but front-and-center in the Squadron Officer School (SOS) curriculum. Unit 1, Module 1, the required reading assignment called “Three Important Documents.”

• The real problem, the one that chills me to the core and gave me flashbacks to my 2nd LT days and being pressured by my superiors, came a few sentences later. In order to be a good ethical officer, according to the example in the text, you should attend chapel regularly and make sure your subordinates know you attend chapel. Otherwise, your command would be seen as ethically lax, and the morality of the unit will deteriorate. There, in black and white, what I always heard being said with winks and nods, and read between the lines, there clear and crisp, as the ink printed on the paper, is the enshrined Air Force Policy – Attend chapel, or be a deviant officer with questionable ethics. There, in my required reading, I read I would be considered not up to the standards of an officer unless I went to church.

• Evangelicals, as a whole, are not the problem. It is those who are deliberately plotting to convert the Air Force to their Version of Christianity; by planting proselytizing material in the textbooks of AETC, pamphlets in break rooms, and plan mandatory chapel events in units across the DoD. They violate our Constitution, marginalize Air Force members, and if left unchecked, could usher in a time where being their type of Christian will determine whether or not you may serve your country.

• I personally have been told by a Major, two Lt Colonels and numerous CGOs, that it would be good for my career to be obviously Christian. One Lt Col. recommended I should play Christian Contemporary music in my office loud enough for people to hear – as he was doing at that very moment – when I arrived at my first duty location as a young impressionable 2nd LT.

• When my fellow Company Grade Officers (CGOs) and our even higher-ranking leaders begin proselytizing, it creates an uneasy pressure for me; a seasoned CGO. I can’t imagine the pressure a young Airman, straight out of high school, might feel upon being exposed to such fervency.

What this officer is sharing from the heart is vitally important and to hear the bulk of his story drives that home. You can read his entire letter by clicking here. In the name of full disclosure, I am on the Executive Board with Mikey Weinstein and former U.S. Ambassador Joe Wilson IV. We all take seriously these backdoor attempts to “harvest souls” using our military as the breeding ground for conversion in an authoritarian environment ripe with fear, sense of mortality and a longing for meaning. This is parasitic proselytizing at its worst and in the most dangerous institution of all – our military.

Today’s article is about a story that is getting very little attention. It is about a disgruntled worker (it would seem on face value) that is suing for wrongful termination claiming that he had a right to proselytize to his co-workers whether they wanted to hear his sales pitch or not about Intelligent Design and anti-gay marriage rhetoric.

This case that is now being heard in a California courtroom, while on the surface may appear to be a wrongful termination suit, is really about attempts by the Discovery Institute to win a battle of Creationism v. Science in the courts.

An Unintelligent Defense in the Jet Propulsion Law Suit

By Susan Cardoza

This is the case of David Coppedge, a Creationist v. Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL) law suit. The Discovery  Institute and Mr. Coppedge are claiming a civil rights violation, but it is really about religion. David Coppedge was let go from JPL as a result of budget issues along with approximately 200 other employees. The fact that he had been counseled about proselytizing prior to the layoff, the staff at JPL insist was not a factor in his dismissal.

The trial started in March 2012 and Judge Ernest Hiroshige will be hearing testimony sans a jury. In a quick review: David Coppedge, a former systems administration lead on NASA’s Cassini mission to Saturn, claims he was unfairly terminated from his JPL job for discussing religion and for giving employees DVDs promoting intelligent design.

Intelligent design is the theory that life and the existence of the universe are best explained as the result of the influence of God or an intelligent agent. Point of fact, his supervisors explicitly warned him what he was doing was disruptive and amounted to proselytizing. The warnings were a result of complaints from co-workers who were at the receiving end of his “enlightenment” of creation and religion in general.

“Eugene Volokh, a professor of First Amendment law at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law says that while the case has attracted interest because of the controversial nature of intelligent design, it is at its heart a straightforward discrimination case.

“The question is whether the plaintiff was fired simply because he was wasting people’s time and bothering them in ways that would have led him to being fired regardless of whether it was about religion or whether he was treated worse based on the religiosity of his beliefs,” said Volokh. “If he can show that, then he’s got a good case.”(from the Human Resources Journal)

Unfortunately, Coppedge and his friends at the Discovery Institute are more than likely not going to let this stand as a clear cut civil rights case but rather hide behind the civil rights issue to further their Creationist beliefs on a public stage. Especially when Coppedge himself has raised the question of his ideas regarding his termination, specifically he claims he did not “coerce” or “compel” anyone and that he was singled out because of: “his religious convictions generally, and specifically for his belief in God as the creator of the universe.

Adding to his Intelligent Design promotion was his open support for California’s Proposition 8, which was adopted by voters in November 2008 (striking down the rights of same-sex couples to marry), and his request that JPL’s annual “holiday party” be renamed the “Christmas party,” as it had been called in the past” also added to the troubles he has experienced in the workplace.  When you demand a workplace adhere specifically to your religious beliefs, it violates the rights of the faith of others.

Dominionists have been fighting this fight in venues around the country for years now. They have fought it in the classroom, in politics and now in the workplace.

Based on their history on the subject and their tactics in other areas, it would not be a huge surprise to find out that David Coppedge, at some point, became a “stealther” for the Discovery Institute.  A “stealther” is a person placed in a specific area of influence to push a certain point of view and attempt to “convert” people over to their belief system, in this case, The Discovery Institute or Dominionist teaching. You might wonder why I use the term “stealther”. If you have studied the activities of these Dominionists, you have learned that this is a tactic promoted by their leaders.  I am providing a few examples here so you understand their method of operation and how Mr. Coppedge might have been a stealther for the Institute.

“I want to be invisible. I do guerrilla warfare. I paint my face and travel at night. You don’t know it’s over until you’re in a body bag. You don’t know until election night.” –Ralph Reed, The Hill, December 17, 1997

“What Christians have got to do is take back this country, one precinct at a time, one neighborhood at a time and one state at a time. I honestly believe that in my lifetime, we will see a country once again governed by Christians…and Christian values.” –Ralph Reed, Los Angeles Times, April 1990

And from one of the leaders of the Dominionist Show, johnny Enlow – author of “The Seven Mountain Mantle”, had this point to make:

“The goal is not just to have Christians in high places, but rather to have Christians who are called to be in high places step into that role. And wearing a ‘Christian’ label on our sleeve isn’t the point. We need to learn to be ‘as wise as serpents and harmless as doves’ and realize that stealth authority and influence are much preferred over overt authority and influence. A low profile diffuses resistance from the opposition.”

The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian civil rights group, and the Discovery Institute, a proponent of intelligent design, are both supporting Coppedge’s case. No surprise there, both groups are actively involved with Dominionists in many areas of our culture. What they are trying to do here is to establish some new kind of constitutional right or employee’s freedom to promote their religious beliefs in the workplace and creationism is one step in that direction.

Casey Lusken of the Discovery Institute is advising Coppedge’s attorney, William J. Becker, Jr. who appears to be mostly a personal injury and worker’s comp attorney. Becker, however seems to be the Discovery Institute’s point man for the Los Angeles area as he has worked on another “creationism” case for the Institute in the past. This suit appears to be complementary to another suit in the state of California, Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, where free speech with regard to Creationism was also fought. The ruling concluded that intelligent design is not science and contravenes the constitutional restriction on teaching religion in public school science classes.

It would appear as a result of this ruling they have no science, so they are approaching the subject from a Bill of Rights position. They have even requested the court to allow an expert on religion to testify to the lack of religious content in the DVD’s Coppedge was passing out. Luckily, the Judge was smarter than them and let it be known he could formulate his own judgment on the matter.

Basically, what they are trying to do is establish court precedents establishing the “right” to promote their Creationist nonsense in all public facilities. This facility and the Dover Area School District just happen to be convenient test cases.

You may be asking why do they continue down this path? They do so in order to fulfill the “Wedge Strategy” and they have benefactors funding them so why not?  Phillip E. Johnson, the godfather of Intelligent Design and Program Advisor for the Discovery Institute is the author of the Wedge document and if it had not been mysteriously released, most in the secular world would not even known of it’s existence. Johnson is also author of  “The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism.”

Unfortunately for the “Creationists” the Wedge Strategy is out there for the world to see and their consequent activities can be monitored such as this law suit in California by Coppedge. This proves, once again, why they fear knowledge – they know they cannot hide their activities from people who look for knowledge.  (Or I guess you could say they never got over losing the Scopes Trial).

According to Wikipedia, “the Wedge Strategy is a political and social action plan authored by the Discovery Institute, the hub of the intelligent design movement. The strategy was put forth in a Discovery Institute manifesto known as the Wedge Document. This document describes a broad social, political, and academic agenda whose ultimate goal is to defeat materialism, naturalism, evolution, and reverse the stifling materialist world view and replace it with a science consistent with Christian and theistic convictions. The strategy also aims to affirm God’s reality. Its goal is to change American culture by shaping public policy to reflect conservative Christian, namely evangelical Protestant, values.”

So the Dominionists have gone from Creationism to Intelligent Design in an attempt to insert their version of the origin of the species into daily life and have failed at all attempts. Now they will approach it from a Civil Rights/Bill of Rights perspective.

Wikipedia goes on to say, “the Wedge Document outlines a public relations campaign meant to sway the opinion of the public, popular media, charitable funding agencies, and public policy makers. According to critics, the wedge document, more than any other Discovery Institute project, demonstrates the Institute’s and intelligent design’s political rather than scientific purpose.

There are three Wedge Projects, referred to in the strategy as three phases designed to reach a governing goal:

• Scientific Research, Writing & Publicity
• Publicity & Opinion-making
• Cultural Confrontation & Renewal

Recognizing the need for support, the institute affirms the strategy’s Christian, evangelistic orientation:

“Alongside a focus on the influential opinion-makers, we also seek to build up a popular base of support among our natural constituency, namely, Christians. We will do this primarily through apologetics seminars. We intend these to encourage and equip believers with new scientific evidences that support the faith, as well as to popularize our ideas in the broader culture.”

The Wedge Strategy was designed with both five-year and twenty-year goals in mind in order to achieve the conversion of the mainstream. One notable component of the work was its desire to address perceived social consequences and to promote a social conservative agenda on a wide range of issues including abortion, euthanasia, sexuality, and other social reform movements.”

These people will never succumb to the “secular” so you will continue to see related cases such as this pop up in order to fulfill their plans.  As long as you have judges that stick to the letter of the law, there is little chance these people will succeed.  However, all it takes is one win for them to take it to the next level and conclude they have a “right” to replace current science with their Theocratic brand. In the meantime, they will continue to work the issue from your school boards, classrooms and laboratories creating situations they can use to file court cases just as they have done in this instance.

Admin notes: To add to Susan’s article, this is a classic effort in the 7 Mountains Mandate. This is the Business Mountain and they are training thousands of anxious supporters to go into the workplace and stir up trouble after which they claim victimization as persecuted Christians. Of course, ultimately they are being trained to take dominion over these “markets” as leaders. One of their most successful programs is run by a Senior Apostle named Os Hillman and is called Marketplace Leaders.

Yet another example of the Dominion Mandate at work right before our eyes.

Mainstream Christians are as troubled by the march of the Dominionists as anyone else. They recognize the scripture-twisting and snake oil salesmanship that is flourishing in Dominionist churches and sects – siphoning congregational members from the pews of traditional churches into elaborate mega-church theatres. Mainstream Christians are in the majority, but they are being painted with a very broad brush by the verbose and hateful rhetoric spewed by political Christians and it is imperative that we all understand that there are now multiple definitions of what a Christian ‘is’. This extreme minority is becoming more brazen with each passing year – so much so that there is no denying that they exist. We need only look at the money and organizations behind the push for anti-women legislation in this country, and the impossibility of discussing the GOP 2012 candidates without talking about their religious goals as politicians.

This young woman, Emanuella, exhibits the characteristics of a walkaway. I should know, I grew up with a mother who drank the Dominionist Koolade. On top of that, in my work I have the privilege of meeting increasing numbers of walkaways from Dominionist churches of different sects. Granted, most of these franchises under the umbrella of Dominionism refer to those who leave the flock as “fallen” with a not-so-subtle inference to the fallen angel, Satan. But for those of us on the outside it is abundantly clear that it takes a concerted effort on ones’ own behalf to gather the strength to walk away from these cults of Christianity.

It can be a lonely, lonely road. All too often walkaways live in self-imposed isolation, ashamed and convinced that they are but a sparse few who have “let Satan in ” and that they will burn in eternal damnation. Many of them have no idea the numbers who walk – and run – away from these institutions of indoctrination like themselves. They fight the demons that they were taught as they learn that free will and original thoughts are a positive attribute.

So to see the effort, such as the following video, really makes a powerful statement. The message that this young woman is conveying echoes the voices of tens of thousands of walkaways in America today who cringe at the dark side of Christianity represented by the voices of increasingly visible Dominionist leaders.

Walking away does not instantly translate into swinging to a position of non-belief and self-declarations of new-found Atheism. Many times it means that through a simple moment or an event – a song or a movie – the eyes of the indoctrinated follower can fly open and clarity finally reveals itself. Many remain believers in Jesus Christ, but their understanding  can mature into a study of the teachings that are counter to the Old Testament fire and brimstone that they were “born again” into. It is a powerful transformation for walkaways! They are finally able to think for themselves and are free from the shackles of judgement of themselves and others, and are released from being constant messengers and human collection plates for these false prophets.
One of my many walkaway friends was an assistant Minister for a large portion of their 37 years of membership in a Dominionist Assembly of God church before having their own epiphany. This person now works daily to inform people about the dangerous extremism that is infesting Christianity – wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. After years of bringing people into the fold, this person’s goal now is to alert people to the dangers of succumbing to the lure with promises of eternal salvation and redemption. Hell, it sounds simple enough especially because these zealots require little work of their Sheeples – all you have to do is just sit there and accept. And god forbid – don’t ever question or analyze what you are being told, after all, as soon as they are done editing yet another new revised version of the bible, they will tell you again that it is the inerrant word of God.

Embracing walkaways and their message to their fellow Christians is unbelievably important in stopping the bible-based cult of Dominionism. It is one of the aspects of this fight that I value most, the ability to educate mainstream Christians that the Judas living among them are the Dominionists who are co-opting their faith and turning it into a crusade whose mission is Holy War with Islam in preparation for the way for the 2nd Coming of Christ.

It heartens me to see messages like Emanuella’s because it means people are not only waking up – but they are bravely speaking out. I applaud her for making this video as it may very well become the “event” that awakens another future walkaway.