What does "Thanksgiving" make you think of? I'd guess a lot of us think about getting together with family, and we do think more about how amazingly blessed we are around this time. But the truth is, we're supposed to be celebrating "Thanksgiving" all year long, not just in November. The Bible says that we're supposed to thank God always, for everything. So think about what God has done this last year. We can thank Him for the Supreme Court's decision in the Hobby Lobby case. We can thank Him that the UN CRPD was blocked again when Sen. Mike Lee objected to a unanimous consent motion that aimed to pass the treaty. Thank God for the freedom we have here in America. Thank Him for all the races we won this election. Sometimes we forget all the things God has done for us. It's good to take some time to remember all those things, and to thank God for them! So we hope you've had and will continue to enjoy a great day with family and friends, but most of all that you are enjoying a day of thanking God for how great He is. Happy Thanksgiving! -Katrina B
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No matter what your opinion is of the circumstances and the grand jury ruling in the Ferguson case, please join us in praying for the people of Ferguson, Missouri. Jesus Christ, and only Jesus Christ, can bring real and lasting peace to this troubled town.
Specially remember the law enforcement officers and National Guard troops in Ferguson. Pray for their safety and that their efforts would be effective in protecting life and property. Since the President's immigration speech, I have read various articles claiming to be giving the "Biblical" Principles in this immigration debate. I found them all severely lacking. The common error in all of them was the propensity to mix up the role of the church and the role of the Government. Most even go so far as to say that because the church and the government have two different roles to play that Christians should not get involved in this debate. This is an error, Christians should be involved in all aspects of public discourse.
So let us examine this issue. First according to the Bible the role of Government is to, "Governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and thepraise of those who do right." - 1 Peter 2:14. The role of Government is to enforce the law of the land. The role of the people is to, "be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil." -Romans 13:1-3. It is only right to act against the Government when the government is 1. failing to protect its citizens or 2. commanding its citizens to do the exact opposite of a command of God. Just from the above analysis one can see that the government has the duty to punish those who come to this country illegally. If the government were not to punish those who fail to follow our immigration laws it would be shirking its duty to protect the American people. Boarders exist to protect the Nation. Without boarders our enemies would have easy access to our country. So we must enforce the boarder. Even worse, when we fail to punish those who follow our laws, we fail to be a nation of laws. Many of the above mentioned articles quoted the Old Testament passages the Israelites to welcome the alien. They note that the church is supposed to reach out to everyone. These are two separate topics and I will treat them as such. Firstly, though the Old Testament does command the Israelites to welcome the stranger and foreigner, it never commands the Government to ignore the laws of the land when aliens are involved. Secondly, yes the Church is supposed to reach out to everyone - and should, but this does not mean that the Government should ignore the laws. Basic Biblical analysis leads back to a simple conclusion. It is the Government's duty to punish those who illegally enter our country, not to be mean, but because we are a nation of laws. The Church still must reach out to illegal immigrants, but should not shield them from lawful prosecution. Those who do wrong must face the consequences of their actions. "Ok I want to know y'all's thoughts on Ben Carson.... And go!" - Cally on Facebook Dr. Benjamin Carson's life is a testimony to the working of God helping a young man from Detroit achieve his American Dream. Although he grew up in inner-city Detroit, where his mother worked multiple jobs to make ends meet, at age 33 Dr. Carson became the director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Medical Institutions. His autobiography, Gifted Hands, details this journey in a powerful and moving way. Ben Carson's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast in 2013 catapulted him into the political arena at a time when conservatives were searching for and brainstorming what the GOP needs in a potential 2016 Presidential candidate. Carson's willingness to take a stand for the truth -- and against President Obama's policies -- while the President sat just a few feet away caught the attention of conservatives across the country. We greatly admire Ben Carson. He isn't afraid to venture outside the realm of "political correctness," and he understands the values and principles that made this country great. On the flip side, Dr. Carson's position on gun control and the right to keep and bear arms are unclear. It seems that he has made statements at various times that place him on different sides of the issue. His stance on this important issue needs clarification. UPDATE: Dr. Carson hosted a conference call to "clarify" his stance on the second amendment, outlining a constitutional position against gun control. Read about that here. Dr. Ben Carson is expected to run for President, and is moving closer to officially putting his hat in the ring for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination. His supporters have launched a petition drive asking him to run, which can be found at www.runbenrun.org. PLEASE NOTE: Freedom's Defenders has not endorsed any candidate for the 2016 Presidential election.
In 2014, Republicans faced a relatively "friendly" Senate map: most of the competitive races were seats held by Democrats in states that are considered Republican or swing states. That allowed us to flip 8 seats from Democrat to Republican, while holding all the Republican seats. The end result is a 53-47 GOP majority in the United States Senate for the next two years. Enter the 2016 map. Here, the map is more or less flipped. While there are two Democrat-held seats that are expected to be competitive (Nevada and Colorado), the majority of races that are expected to be very competitive will be for Republican-held seats -- Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and a handful of others . As it currently stands, the GOP can only lose two of these races in 2016 -- if it loses three or more, Republicans will lose their Senate majority. The first race in the 2016 cycle? Louisiana's Senate run-off election on December 6, 2014. Yes, I know. 2014 and 2016 are two years apart. But here's the key: if Republicans win the Louisiana race, our incoming majority will be stronger -- a 54-46 seat majority. That means we have a bigger cushion in case 2016 shapes up to be a tough year for the GOP. Don't get me wrong. I am not giving up on holding (and even expanding!) our Senate majority in 2016. We have some very exciting opportunities, such as defeating Harry Reid in Nevada. However, it's better to be safe than sorry, and whether we win or lose the Louisiana Senate race this year could literally decide whether we hold or lose our Senate majority in 2016. Defeat Mary LandrieuMary Landrieu, Louisiana's Democrat Senator up for re-election this year, faces a tough battle. After a well-fought Republican primary, Republicans have united behind Dr. Bill Cassidy, who represents Louisiana's 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The latest poll for the race shows Cassidy up by 11% -- but in a December run-off, with Election Day on a Saturday, nothing can be taken for granted.
Landrieu votes with President Obama over 95% of the time. She scores a dismal 3% on the Heritage Action scorecard. And even when she tried to rally Senate Democrats to vote in favor of approving the Keystone Pipeline, she fell just short of the 60 votes needed. Even with all 45 Republican Senators voting for the bill, Landrieu failed to persuade even just 15 Democratic Senators who would be willing to work together and pass the bill. It's time to send Mary Landrieu home. Learn how you can get involved to #DefeatLandrieu by visiting LAGOP.com! State Representative Frank Foster has introduced House Bill 5959 -- a bill to amend Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include "sexual orientation" as a protected class -- in the Michigan House of Representatives. This bill seeks to create "protections" for homosexuals in the Civil Rights Act, and if passed, would seriously infringe on religious freedom in Michigan. As we noted before, House Speaker Jase Bolger is seeking to pair the Foster bill with a Michigan version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which has been introduced as House Bill 5958. Unfortunately, however, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), whether at the federal or state level, may not give as much protection as originally thought. According to the United States Supreme Court's decision in the Hobby Lobby case, the Federal RFRA does not "provide a shield for employers who might cloak illegal discrimination as a religious practice.” In other words, there is no guarantee that the RFRA would protect religious groups, including churches. Regarding the risks of passing House Bill 5959, Citizens for Traditional Values notes: All one needs to do is look at other states that have passed similar legislation to see what will be coming to Michigan. Christian business owners in Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, New York, Colorado, and other states are facing fines, legal action, and potentially the loss of their businesses, all for simply exercising their religious freedom and rights of conscience. Remember that Frank Foster was defeated in a Republican primary earlier this year, in large part because of his support for homosexual "marriage." With the help of Speaker Bolger, Rep. Foster is now seeking to push this legislation through in the lame duck session before his pro-traditional marriage successor takes his seat in January.
Read the Citizens for Traditional Values white paper on the issue here. In a desperate attempt to save her campaign, Senator Mary Landrieu, a Democrat from Louisiana, did what seemed impossible: she convinced outgoing Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow a vote on the bill to approve the Keystone Pipeline. The reason? Landrieu is facing an uphill battle to hold her Senate seat in a Dec. 6th runoff election against Republican Bill Cassidy. She needed evidence to prove she can actually get things done for Louisiana -- and she needed it fast. As it turns out, even trying to salvage their last chance at holding a Senate seat wasn't enough to make Senate Democrats do the right thing. The Keystone bill failed by a single vote, 59-41 -- and with it, Mary Landrieu's hopes of returning to the Senate in January. Even though the Keystone Pipeline is estimated to add 42,000 jobs during the construction period*, and would greatly reduce our dependence on oil from the unstable Middle East, Senate Democrats said no. * Projections at www.gop.gov/5-things-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-will-do-to-build-our-economy Will Democrats Approve The Keystone Pipeline in a Desperate Attempt to Save Senator Mary Landrieu?11/18/2014 It is said that some politicians will do anything to stay in power. Sometimes, they'll even do the right thing.
The Keystone Pipeline, a route for Canadian oil to be sent to United States oil refineries, has been blocked by President Obama and the Democrats for years. It is estimated that the pipeline would create 42,000 new jobs over the 2-year construction period, as well as adding approximately $3.4 billion to the U.S. GDP during construction*. Yet Democrats have blocked it on trumped-up claims of "environmental concerns." Now, that may have changed. The reason? Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu is locked in a run-off election with Republican Bill Cassidy in Louisiana, and so far, it looks like Cassidy will emerge the victor on December 6. Landrieu's entire general election campaign centered around her "clout," which, as a prominent member of the majority party, would enable her to get things done for Louisiana. That argument completely fell apart on the evening of November 4, when the GOP took over the Senate. No committee chairmanships -- and no more "clout" -- for Senator Landrieu. In a desperate attempt to save Mary Landrieu and allow her to prove that she still has "clout," the outgoing Democratic Senate leadership is allowing a vote on the Keystone Pipeline. Landrieu failed to secure a vote before the general election, but with her run-off election in the balance, Democrats are doing everything they can to save her. Or are they? While Reid is allowing a vote on the bill to approve the pipeline, which will happen today, Senator Landrieu is now scrambling to find the 60 votes she needs to pass the bill. The vote will happen today. If you have a Democratic Senator (or two), give them a call and tell them to vote for the Keystone bill. Even this desperate measure is not likely to save Mary Landrieu's campaign, and it is critical that the Keystone Pipeline be built without further delay. Find your Senators' contact information here. * Read these projections at www.gop.gov/5-things-the-keystone-xl-pipeline-will-do-to-build-our-economy State Representative Frank Foster (R) may have lost his primary in Michigan's 107th House District earlier this year, but that will not stop him from pushing through his pet legislation - an Amendment to the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act of 1976 to include "protections" for homosexuals. House Speaker Jase Bolger would like to pair this Amendment with a Michigan version of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, but the RFRA may not give as much protection as originally thought. According to the Hobby Lobby decision the Federal RFRA does not "provide a shield for employers who might cloak illegal discrimination as a religious practice.” In other words, there is no guarantee that the RFRA would protect religious groups.
Even with Republicans controlling both State Houses of Congress and the Governor's Mansion there is no guarantee this bill will not pass. The Governor himself stated he would like to see it brought up for a vote. Freedom's Defenders will continue to watch for more developments. |
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