Re: Is Religion a Threat to Democracy?

On Jan 18, 11:47�am, Bill Dukenfield <BillDukenfi...@nospam.net>

wrote:

> buckeye wrote:

>

> > Is Religion a Threat to Democracy?

>

> > Commentary: Faith talk on the campaign trail.

>

> > By Ira Chernus

>

> > January 14, 2008

>

> >http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/tomdispatch/2008/01/is-religion...

>

> Religion in general is not. However, religious fundamentalism, of all

> flavors, is the greatest threat to freedom in the 21st century.

>

> JAM

We Desperately Need The "Confessing Church"

by Chuck Baldwin

January 4, 2008

If the reader has not already done so, I again urge you to read the

book, Hitler's Cross, which was written by Erwin Lutzer and published

by Moody Press. This book should be "required reading" for every

pastor and Christian layman in America. In his book, Lutzer focuses on

the attitudes and actions of Germany's pastors and churches during the

rise and reign of the Third Reich. It is a masterpiece.

For those of us living in a country and time far removed from Hitler's

Germany, it is hard to comprehend how that nation's Christians--and

especially its ministers--could have been so thoroughly taken in by

old Adolf. We assume such an event could never happen again--

especially to us. However, to any honest observer of history, the

conditions of the Church in America today are eerily similar to those

of the Church in Nazi Germany.

For one thing, as did the Church in Nazi Germany, the Church in

America has become infatuated with Big Government. Historically,

patriotism in the United States meant love for God, love for family,

and love for freedom and independence. Today, however, Christians of

all persuasions have come to accept and even embrace the Nanny State,

complete with its intrinsic obsession with an omnipotent federal

bureaucracy that exercises perpetual surveillance and absolute control

over every area of our lives.

For example, according to today's Republican Presidential candidates

(with the exception of Ron Paul), patriotism demands that we click our

heels to the Department of Homeland Security and that we

enthusiastically support aggressive, preemptive war. This is exactly

the kind of redefinition of patriotism used so brilliantly by Hitler

and his fellow propagandists. Yes, Martha, it appears that history

really does repeat itself.

When Ron Paul was asked about Mike Huckabee's overt usage of a cross

for a campaign advertisement, he quoted Sinclair Lewis as saying,

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and

carrying a cross." Many Christians railed against Dr. Paul for making

this comment. However, the truth is, Ron Paul (himself a committed

Christian) is one hundred percent right! (To see how Hitler used this

same tactic, I invite readers to note the photograph of the German

Fuhrer in Lutzer's book, on page 75, which shows Hitler coming out of

church with a large emblem of the Cross directly over his head. This

photo was used extensively by Hitler during his political campaigns.)

More than any other Republican Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee

carries his Big Government machinations on a cross. I strongly

recommend that readers take a look at Selwyn Duke's excellent expos�

on Mike Huckabee at http://www.newswithviews.com/Duke/selwyn79.htm

(There is a candidate in the presidential race who has a serious

religion problem. No, it's not Mormon Mitt or recently-religious Rudy.

It is Mike Huckabee.)

In his book, Lutzer notes that the tool Adolf Hitler used to ascend to

power in Germany was his ability to wrap the Nazi flag around the

Cross of Christ. In fact, Hitler often required that the Cross be

emblazoned directly in the middle of the Nazi flag. These flags were

not only prominently displayed in parades, but also in church

auditoriums.

As a result of Hitler's brilliant deception, Christians throughout

Germany were convinced that he was "God's man." They saw him as more

than a political leader: he was a spiritual leader as well. They saw

him as their country's President and as their Christian brother. If

Hitler said the German people needed to surrender their firearms, they

saw it as their Christian duty to comply; if Hitler said they needed

to enact a total surveillance society, they freely gave up their

privacy; if Hitler said Germany needed to invade other nations for its

security, Christians were among the first to volunteer; and if Hitler

said they could only be good Christians if they supported the Nazi

Party, they enthusiastically supported the Nazi Party.

In short, Germany's Christians and pastors surrendered their hearts

and minds to Adolf Hitler, because they believed him to be one of

them. What they never would have surrendered to a professing agnostic,

they gladly surrendered to a professing Christian. Truly, fascism came

to Germany "wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."

Of course, there were a few in Germany who saw through Hitler's

deception. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a Christian minister who actively

opposed Hitler by organizing what he called the "Confessing Church."

These were believers who would not surrender Christ's sphere of

authority to Hitler. They saw through "Hitler's Cross." Unfortunately,

of the more than 14,000 pastors in Germany, only 800 joined with

Bonhoeffer.

To the vast majority of Germany's pastors, Bonhoeffer was an

"extremist," or a "kook," or a "nut." They relegated Bonhoeffer to the

fringe of Christendom. They believed Hitler and repudiated Bonhoeffer;

they chose Hitler's "German Church" over the Confessing Church. In

retrospect, however, who would they follow today, if they had the

chance?

Likewise, many Christians and ministers today have succumbed to the

purveyors of internationalism. Issues such as trade, climate control,

health and education--and even war--are the tools globalists use to

contruct their One World Order.

For example, Mike Huckabee's success in Iowa is largely due to the

pastors and Christians of that State buying into his "Christian"

campaign. In a manner very similar to the 2000 campaign of George W.

Bush, Huckabee has carried his political campaign on the Cross. At the

same time, however, Mike Huckabee (as does George W. Bush) embraces

and promotes globalism. And, unfortunately, many Christians and

pastors do not seem to notice or care.

In a previous column (See it here: http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071207.html

), I wrote this:

"Have you wondered why Mike Huckabee is suddenly getting so much

favorable attention from the mainstream media (who themselves are

controlled by this gaggle of global elite)? To find the answer as to

why a professing pro-life, conservative Christian would suddenly

become the darling of the media, look no further than the fact that

just a couple of months ago, Mr. Huckabee appeared before the

globalist-minded Council on Foreign Relations. (Read his speech here:

http://www.cfr.org/publication/14335/ ) And when he did, it became

abundantly clear that Huckabee was a man globalists could trust.

"By the way, as you read Huckabee's speech, you will find that he is

George W. Bush on steroids! This is a man who intends to meddle in the

affairs of nations around the world like you can't believe. Talk about

entangling alliances: Huckabee intends for our State, Energy, Housing,

Education, Justice, Treasury, and Transportation departments to spend

untold billions of tax dollars on just about anything and everything,

including schools, medical facilities, roads, sewage treatment, water

filtration, electricity, and legal and banking systems in countries

all over the globe. And that is exactly the kind of man the Council on

Foreign Relations (CFR) wants in Washington."

After reporting the connection between Mike Huckabee and the CFR,

numerous Christians quickly consigned my soul to the regions of the

damned and accused me of being a "nut." Some emphatically declared

that I had no right to criticize "a Christian brother." Now, who does

that sound like?

More importantly, however, is the question, Were my remarks accurate?

And the answer is, Yes, they were.

We now learn that Mike Huckabee has named Richard Haass as his advisor

on foreign policy. And just who is Richard Haass? He is the President

of the CFR. And what does Haass believe? He believes that the United

States (and every other country) must surrender its sovereignty to

international or global entities. On February 21, 2006, Haass wrote a

column for the Taipei Times entitled, "State Sovereignty Must be

Altered in Globalized Era." This treatise is nothing more than an

explicit solicitation for global government. (Read it here:

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2006/02/21/2003294021

)

In his treatise, Haass writes, "For 350 years, sovereignty--the notion

that states are the central actors on the world stage and that

governments are essentially free to do what they want within their own

territory but not within the territory of other states--has provided

the organizing principle of international relations. The time has come

to rethink this notion."

He also wrote, "Moreover, states must be prepared to cede some

sovereignty to world bodies if the international system is to

function."

He went on to say, "overeignty must be redefined if states are to

cope with globalization."

He further said, "Globalization thus implies that sovereignty is not

only becoming weaker in reality, but that it needs to become weaker.

States would be wise to weaken sovereignty in order to protect

themselves . . . Sovereignty is no longer a sanctuary."

Haass also wrote, "Our notion of sovereignty must therefore be

conditional, even contractual, rather than absolute."

Haass then summarized his desire for global government by saying, "The

goal should be to redefine sovereignty for the era of globalization,

to find a balance between a world of fully sovereign states and an

international system of either world government or anarchy."

These are the sentiments of the man that the "Christian conservative"

Mike Huckabee has chosen to be his foreign policy advisor. Can you not

see how, once again, a global government elitist wraps his Big

Government ambitions around the Cross of Jesus Christ?

We desperately need Bonhoeffer's "Confessing Church" in America. If

pastors do not quickly wake up to the way most of our politicians--

even those who profess to be Christians--are selling out America's

sovereignty and independence, our wonderful country will not long

survive.

I have attempted to resurrect the "Confessing Church" in the form of a

21st Century "Black Regiment." Students of U.S. history recognize the

"Black Regiment" as those Colonial Patriot-Pastors who led their

churches to assist the efforts of America's fight for independence.

Currently, we have over 100 pastors, evangelists, and missionaries

listed on our Black Regiment directory.

See the Black Regiment directory here: http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/blackregiment.php

I, once again, encourage readers to buy Lutzer's book, Hitler's Cross.

I'm praying that this time there will arise an army of Dietrich

Bonhoeffers to lead a modern-day revival of true patriotism: love for

God, love for family, and a strong love and commitment to freedom and

independence. Call it the "Confessing Church," or the "Black

Regiment." Call it what you will: we need it desperately, and we need

it now.

Chuck Baldwin Live

P.O. Box 37070

Pensacola, Florida 32526

� Chuck Baldwin

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

The American Spectator

John Cornwell, a Roman Catholic, in his book Hitler's Pope (1999)

blamed Pius XII not only for silence, but for active collaboration

with the Nazi regime. ...THE HISTORICAL RECORD is clear. There can be

no minimizing the horrors of those manifestations of Christian anti-

Semitism that were a curse in the story of Nazi-dominated Europe. The

Polish villagers who murdered their neighbors in Jedwabne had been

churchgoers all their lives. The Roman Catholic priests who, on many

documented occasions, turned their flocks against the Jews throughout

Eastern Europe were ordained in the rites of Rome. The Slovak leader,

Father Jozef Tiso, who asked the Germans to deport his Jews to German-

occupied Poland and to slave labor -- and death -- was an ordained

priest.

SEE Hitler's Pope

Pope Benedict XVI - Former Hitler Youth [PHOTOS]

Roman Catholicism's Nazi History Exposed!

On April 20, 1939, Archbishop Orsenigo celebrated Hitler's birthday.

The celebrations, initiated by Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) became a

tradition. Each April 20, Cardinal Bertram of Berlin was to send

"warmest congratulations to the Fuhrer in the name of the bishops and

the dioceses in Germany" and added with "fervent prayers which the

Catholics of Germany are sending to heaven on their altars."

(Source: Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII, by John

Cornwell)

One must not forget that Germany represented the most Catholic country

in the world in the 1930s and 40s.

http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Roman%20Catholicism/former_hitler_youth_elected_pope.htm

GOTT MIT UNS