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From ladiesagainstfeminism.com Comments and Letters Hello ladies! First of all, I would like to thank you for the many excellent articles on LAF. I'm a nineteen-year-old SAHD (stay-at-home-daughter). I check the site almost daily, and have printed off scores of articles to keep in a big binder. :) I do have a concern, though. You recently posted two articles denouncing President Bush and encouraging a vote for Michael Peroutka. While I do not necessarily agree with everything that President Bush has done, he would be a MUCH better President than John Kerry! A vote for Mr. Peroutka, especially in a swing state, is in essence a vote for Mr. Kerry. This is why the Left fears Ralph Nader; because a vote for Mr. Nader ends up being a vote for President Bush. Much as I would love to see a bold and uncompromising Christian President, I will vote for a candidate that actually has a possibility of winning. If you could please tell me what your thoughts are on this, I would really appreciate it. As I said, your site is a blessing to me. I was just troubled by the election articles. Thank you very much for your time! May our Lord bless you in your work. Sincerely, Michelle I am quite dismayed that you chose to post two anti-Bush articles just one week before the election. The result of lost Bush votes may very well be a win for the extremely liberal Senator Kerry. John Kerry, who voted against banning partial-birth abortion. It seems this website is now being used for political purposes, I suppose to turn voters towards the Constitution Party candidate. What a shame. ~ Laura Dear Laura, From the very first, LAF has been pretty "political" in nature, since we are anti-feminism. ;-) But, yes, my husband and I support the Constitution Party. We believe Bush is a sincere man. We also believe he is sincerely wrong on the issues that should matter most to Christians. Under his watch, funding for Planned Parenthood, AIDS research (heavily skewed to favor homosexuals), government eduaction, and more has increased exponentially (moreso than under President Clinton, who basically lived in deadlock with a Republical congress for eight years). Bush has also appointed more homosexuals to high office than any other president in the history of the United States. It is very easy to overlook this if we don't pay attention to what is really going on and just listen to the feel-good rhetoric. And on a personal level, Pres. Bush's family is a mess. His wife is pro-choice and has said so publicly (http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1160384/posts, though she has softened that stance considerably during this year's campaign). His daughters are wild, rowdy party girls who were arrested for underage drinking several times and then caroused their way through Yale before graduating earlier this year. Their speech at the Republican National Convention was a disgrace (making fun of their grandparents for not knowing about "Sex and the City," talking flippantly about being "young and irresponsible," etc. -- see the article at http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/article_1298.shtml). If you do not believe that God gives Christians clear guidelines for electing public officials (Ex. 18:21; Deut. 1:9-18; Rom. 13:1-6), then there is nothing to argue about here. If God leaves us on our own, then we can just haggle over "lesser evils" and go our own ways as Christians. We've all heard the tired old arguments about how it's impossible for a godly third-party candidate to win, so we'd better not "waste" our vote on one. After all, putting a "lesser" evil into office is better than a "greater" evil, right? But this lesser and greater evils argument is nowhere found in scripture, either directly or by principle. God doesn't require us to vote for evil at all. If we had a choice between Hitler and Stalin, after all, wouldn't it be far better to abstain or to write in a godly candidate? An earthly victory isn't the point; only obedience to God matters. So that brings us to the case in point: can Christians vote for Bush and still be obedient to God? I would urge you to read the record (as seen in the articles below) and compare them with God's requirements for us as Christian citizens (see http://www.visionforumministries.org/sections/hotcon/ht/ballotbox/2004-07-07_einwechter.asp). When we stand before God, He is not going to berate us for failing to vote Republican in 2004. He has already declared the end of history from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10), and it is He who raises men to power and removes them from it (Ps. 136, Prov. 8:15, Dan. 2:21 & 5:21). Kingdoms will rise and fall, but Christ will remain on His throne forever (Ps. 2). This should give us an incredible amount of faith to obey the Lord! We know that all the Lord requires of us is to obey Him, even when that obedience seems utterly foolish in the eyes of the world. There are no "wasted" votes in God's economy. Getting more Republican-nominated judges on the Supreme Court will not help one iota, either, because seven of the nine justices there now were nominated by Republicans. Seven! That's easily enough to overturn Roe and tons of other unconstitutional garbage. Electing Republicans will not save us from the slide into perdition. Ultimately, we just have to remember that Christ is on the throne, and it is He who appoints kings and brings them down. We do not walk by sight but by faith. We can obey God's directives for voting for godly men with absolutely zero fear: "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD Than to put confidence in princes." ~ Psalm 118:6-9 Sorry! I didn't mean to start a sermon there. ;-) My husband is very passionate about applying the Bible to our understanding of politics and our political decisions, and he has written extensively about the issues of the day from a biblical perspective. With me as his sounding-board, we've both come to have a great desire to see Christians return to the unchanging standard of God's Word and walk by faith instead of trying to trust to limited sight. I pray the articles below are helpful to you. These represent just the tip of the iceberg, but perhaps they will lead you and your husband to further reading and thinking. In Christ, Jennie Chancey http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=31308 - "Instead of payback, stone-cold retribution, Republicans did nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. They increased Planned Parenthood's public funding. In 2002, Planned Parenthood received an estimated $60 million of the $265 million in Title X federal family-planning funding. Pocketing a cool $60 million sure takes the pressure off fundraising for the world's largest provider of abortions. This, apparently, is the Republican notion of teaching your political enemies a stern lesson." http://www.conservativeusa.net/abortion.htm - This is a big page on the Conservative Caucus site all about Bush funding "family planning" through our tax dollars--and about how he has supported pro-abortion candidates like Arlen Specter. (Note that this information isn't hidden in some backwater publications -- it's all out front in the NY Times, Washington Post, and other large newspapers and magazines). http://www.planetwire.org/details/1146 - This article talks about how Bush has continued funding "family planning" programs overseas (all the while saying he is "banning" those funds). The important point to note is that funding has not been decreased and money is still flowing into the pockets of abortion clinic workers in foreign countries. http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40248 - "Here we have a president, who professes a faith in Christ, who has been endorsed by the religious right and heralded as the new leader of the conservative movement, giving his stamp of approval to gay unions." http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig5/ernst1.html - "Bush’s No Child Left Behind agenda is but the logical extension of our current educational system. Is this a bold statement? I think not. Those who think the act radical or otherwise intrusive have not studied the history of education in this country. Such is the nature of the beast." http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/bovard2.html - "Truth is a lagging indicator in politics. A president's promises and speeches receive far more publicity than subsequent reports and revelations about how his cherished programs crash and burn." http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/blogs/dwp/?archive=/2004_10_01_index.htm#109769738878972827 - "It is interesting to me to read how different preachers are approaching the 2004 presidential elections. I can honestly say that I have never seen more acrimony hurled at godly Christian men who believe in principled politics from others who profess Christ than in this election year." And just as an interesting side issue, here is an article about Pres. Bush's plans to mandate psychological screening for all Americans: http://www.conservativeusa.net/action.htm#drugyou http://www.visionforum.com/hottopics/civil/2004-10-06_001.aspx - Interview with Michael Peroutka, Constitution Party presidential candidate http://www.daveblackonline.com/if_john_kerry_was_president.htm - Are Bush and Kerry all that different? Response from Laura: On Oct 25, 2004, at 11:34 AM, Mrs. Jennie Chancey wrote: "If we had a choice between Hitler and Stalin, after all, wouldn't it be far better to abstain or to write in a godly candidate?" I just had to respond to this. In the example you provided, of course one could not vote either way. But I would not compare President Bush to either of those men. If Christians vote the Constitution Party in large numbers, Kerry will win the election. Christians will be directly responsible for electing a president who supports all abortion, including partial-birth abortion. I understand voting your conscience, but that's not something I want on my conscience. Hello again, Laura! I think I didn't make my initial point very clear, but I'll give it another go. ;-) And please keep in mind that my husband and I are not seeking to make enemies out of fellow Christians over this issue. We have dear friends who are voting for Bush, and we can continue to be friends. Christian fellowship should not hang upon our voting decisions, though we should certainly seek to "sharpen" one another, "as iron sharpens iron" (Prov. 27:17). :-) You've come to this discussion with an assumption that a vote for Bush is a good thing (something you wouldn't mind "having on [your] conscience." I'd ask you to demonstrate how voting for someone who believes that murdering babies who are the products of rape or incest is "better" than voting for someone who supports murder of all the unborn, regardless of their parentage. Both positions are reprehensible. I'm not saying Bush is identical to Stalin or Hitler. I am attempting to draw a comparison to another time in history to show that a choice between two evils is no choice at all. Imagine you were living in Europe during the time Hitler was proposing his mass executions of Jews (and many Christians) and Stalin was growing the Soviet empire (which resulted in the deaths of over 100 million people). Given a choice between the two, would you say, "I'd have to support Hitler, because he'll only kill a few million people, while Stalin's designs for a communist state will kill tens of millions more than that?" The point here is that when you are told to choose between two men who will both murder innocent people (or support their murder), you cannot choose either one, even if one proposes to murder fewer people than the other. In all the information I sent, I demonstrated that Bush is not doing what he says he believes. He claims to be a Christian and pro-life, but he is funding abortion. He is also pro-life with exceptions, believing that children whose fathers were rapists should be put to death. This is unbiblical, because God tells us that a child cannot be punished for the sins of his parents: "The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself" (Ezekiel 18:20). Bush is also pro-homosexual "unions," pro-welfare state, and pro-big government. He may talk a good line, but he doesn't live it. Our government is larger and more statist with Bush at the helm than it has ever been. It is debatable that Kerry could do much worse -- but, again, that isn't the point. You said you could not vote for a third-party candidate, because you would be "responsible" for getting Kerry into office if Bush lost--and you wouldn't want that on your conscience. But this is also not scriptural. Show me from the Bible that God holds us directly accountable if the wicked prosper when we obey Him. Are you directly responsible for the 1.3 million abortions that happen in this country every year? Your tax dollars are paying for many of them. But God does not hold you personally responsible for those murders, because you are bound by law to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's"--e.g. your tax dollars. You can register a formal complaint with the government, saying that you do not approve of your taxes being used for this (and any other number of unbiblical things, like the welfare state). You can speak out against the government using our taxes to pay for things we find abhorrent, just as Thomas Jefferson wrote: "To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." But, because our money has the government's name upon it, we must "render it," just as Jesus said. This does not make us personally responsible for what the government does with that money. I would challenge you to find one example in scripture where God judged someone or held them accountable for obeying His commandments. Over and over again, we see that God is in control, and our simple duty is to obey Him. Again, "He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding" (Daniel 2:21). Do we really believe that? Are we willing to have faith that God is totally in control, even when things seem so insanely out of control from our perspective? Yes, our job as Christians households is to vote with wisdom and to be good citizens. No one is saying Christians should just give up and not vote. Quite the contrary. If the 80% of people in this country who call themselves Christians would use the Bible as their guide when choosing civil leaders, we would send an incredible message to Washington. Mark Twain wrote about this in 1904: "It will be conceded that a Christian's first duty is to God. It then follows, as a matter of course, that it is his duty to carry his Christian code of morals to the polls and vote them. Whenever he shall do that, he will not find himself voting for an unclean man, a dishonest man. If Christians would vote their duty to God at the polls, they would carry every election and do it with ease. Their prodigious power would be quickly realized and recognized, and afterward there would be no unclean candidates upon any ticket, and graft would cease. If the Christians in America could be persuaded to vote God and a clean ticket, it would bring about a moral revolution that would be incalculably beneficent. It would save the country" (from Collier's magazine, September 2, 1904). For too long Christians have held their noses and swallowed hard to vote for the "lesser of two evils." Where has this gotten us? We now have leaders who oppress the family and murder innocents in the name of the Republican party instead of in the name of the Democratic party. Where's the difference? God does not hold us responsible for the sins of others, but He does call us to obey His Word. If His Word has nothing to say about the requirements for civil magistrates, then we're all left to lean upon our own understanding at the ballot box -- and who's to say which choice is "more wrong" if that's the case? But if God does have clear commands for us when it comes to electing earthly rulers (Exodus 18:21, Romans 13:1-7), He will hold us responsible if we do not obey them. Obeying God doesn't mean we always get what we vote for, either. But that's not the point. God does not hold us accountable for the end results--only for our obedience to Him. If Christians are willing to support "lesser" evils, we are going to get what we ask for (evil). We will send a message to the Republican party (or whoever) that we can be bought as long as they say things to tickle our ears ("pro-life," "pro-family," "pro-marriage," etc.). But if Christians vote according to God's Word and say, "Enough is enough" to those leaders who wish to buy our silence and compliance, those leaders will see the handwriting on the wall and realize it isn't enough to talk a good line. God does not require us to put kings on the throne. That's His job. He does not command us to advance His kingdom by using the sword to create a top-down conversion of government (far from it). We are not to look to earthly elections for our hope of the future or to short-term gains for our confidence--even as we participate in elections and fulfill our obligations as Christian citizens. God simply requires us to obey Him, even when that obedience seems futile at best (as it has many, many times throughout history--remember Gideon, Daniel, Esther, etc.). We do not need to fret, even when evil men are in power, because we know Who sits on the throne of Heaven. Indeed, we can "rejoice at the time to come" (Prov. 31:25), because we have confidence that God is in control and will "work all things together for good" (Romans 8:28). I'll close with Psalm 37, which is a wonderful picture of the confidence and joy we can have as we consider God's control of the affairs of men and His promises to us when we obey Him without fear: Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret--it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. The wicked plots against the just, And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees that his day is coming. The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct. Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. A little that a righteous man has Is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, But the LORD upholds the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the upright, And their inheritance shall be forever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, And in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. But the wicked shall perish; And the enemies of the LORD, Like the splendor of the meadows, shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away. The wicked borrows and does not repay, But the righteous shows mercy and gives. For those blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, But those cursed by Him shall be cut off. The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand. I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lends; And his descendants are blessed. Depart from evil, and do good; And dwell forevermore. For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land, And dwell in it forever. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, And his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; None of his steps shall slide. The wicked watches the righteous, And seeks to slay him. The LORD will not leave him in his hand, Nor condemn him when he is judged. Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the blameless man, and observe the upright; For the future of that man is peace. But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; The future of the wicked shall be cut off. But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble. And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, And save them, Because they trust in Him. In Christ, Jennie Chancey © Copyright 2002-2008 by LAF/BeautifulWomanhood.org
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