A coalition of Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christians has formed and published a document stating a firm position on a few fundamental points:

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have defended the weak and vulnerable and worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

We are Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians who have united at this hour to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are (1) the sanctity of human life, (2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, and (3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty. Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Human Life

The lives of the unborn, the disabled, and the elderly are ever more threatened. While public opinion has moved in a pro-life direction, powerful and determined forces are working to expand abortion, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. Although the protection of the weak and vulnerable is the first obligation of government, the power of government is today often enlisted in the cause of promoting what Pope John Paul II called “the culture of death.” We pledge to work unceasingly for the equal protection of every innocent human being at every stage of development and in every condition. We will refuse to permit ourselves or our institutions to be implicated in the taking of human life and we will support in every possible way those who, in conscience, take the same stand.

Marriage

The institution of marriage, already wounded by promiscuity, infidelity and divorce, is at risk of being redefined and thus subverted. Marriage is the original and most important institution for sustaining the health, education, and welfare of all. Where marriage erodes, social pathologies rise. The impulse to redefine marriage is a symptom, rather than the cause, of the erosion of the marriage culture. It reflects a loss of understanding of the meaning of marriage as embodied in our civil law as well as our religious traditions. Yet it is critical that the impulse be resisted, for yielding to it would mean abandoning the possibility of restoring a sound understanding of marriage and, with it, the hope of rebuilding a healthy marriage culture. It would lock into place the false and destructive belief that marriage is all about romance and other adult satisfactions, and not, in any intrinsic way, about the unique character and value of acts and relationships whose meaning is shaped by their aptness for the generation, promotion and protection of life. Marriage is not a “social construction,” but is rather an objective reality—the covenantal union of husband and wife—that it is the duty of the law to recognize, honor, and protect.

Religious Liberty

Freedom of religion and the rights of conscience are gravely jeopardized. The threat to these fundamental principles of justice is evident in efforts to weaken or eliminate conscience protections for healthcare institutions and professionals, and in antidiscrimination statutes that are used as weapons to force religious institutions, charities, businesses, and service providers either to accept (and even facilitate) activities and relationships they judge to be immoral, or go out of business. Attacks on religious liberty are dire threats not only to individuals, but also to the institutions of civil society including families, charities, and religious communities. The health and well-being of such institutions provide an indispensable buffer against the overweening power of government and is essential to the flourishing of every other institution—including government itself—on which society depends.

Unjust Laws

As Christians, we believe in law and we respect the authority of earthly rulers. We count it as a special privilege to live in a democratic society where the moral claims of the law on us are even stronger in virtue of the rights of all citizens to participate in the political process. Yet even in a democratic regime, laws can be unjust. And from the beginning, our faith has taught that civil disobedience is required in the face of gravely unjust laws or laws that purport to require us to do what is unjust or otherwise immoral. Such laws lack the power to bind in conscience because they can claim no authority beyond that of sheer human will.

Therefore, let it be known that we will not comply with any edict that compels us or the institutions we lead to participate in or facilitate abortions, embryo-destructive research, assisted suicide, euthanasia, or any other act that violates the principle of the profound, inherent, and equal dignity of every member of the human family.

Further, let it be known that we will not bend to any rule forcing us to bless immoral sexual partnerships, treat them as marriages or the equivalent, or refrain from proclaiming the truth, as we know it, about morality, marriage, and the family.

Further, let it be known that we will not be intimidated into silence or acquiescence or the violation of our consciences by any power on earth, be it cultural or political, regardless of the consequences to ourselves.

We will fully and ungrudgingly render to Caesar what is Caesar’s. But under no circumstances will we render to Caesar what is God’s.

Source: ManhattanDeclaration.org

Whether you are an outspoken believer in God or a quiet follower of his principles, I encourage you to learn more about The Manhattan Declaration and, if your conscience directs you, to support it in any way you see fit. Even if you are not a Christian, it should be readily apparent that the positions taken are morally sound and ask for your support.

You can download the full document in pdf format here:
Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience

Up until the creation of our great nation, man had ALWAYS been subservient to other men. MANY were slaves to others. MOST were subjects of some ruler, be he king or tyrant. Throughout history, power was held by few and the masses were beneath them.

Think about that. If man has a history of 5,000 years and the average age of a person (or “generation”) was only, say, 25 years… that means there have been about 200 generations of man in that entire time. Doesn’t seem like much, does it? And during all that time, most men were dominated by a mere handful of others. “Rights” were decided by decree of a king, “rights” were whatever a master decided. “Rights”, as we know them today, did not exist. That’s just the way it was and those at the bottom could do precious little about it.

The founding of the United States brought into existence a totally “new” idea… new for a government. Not new in the teachings of Christianity, but new to the way countries were formed and managed. Like it or not, it was from those Christian beliefs that the most powerful fundamental principles of our country and Constitution were derived:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

So, is it our government that declares us all equal? No. That would be the same as a KING declaring us all equal (though, obviously, some “more equal” than others since there would be, in fact, a king). EQUALITY was given to us by God, by our Creator. Whether that equality is recognized by our fellow man is a different story, but we are all equal in God’s eyes.

Furthermore, government does not grant power to the people… it’s the other way around. WE, the people, grant certain powers to the government and retain all other powers for ourselves.

Even in just these two basic principles, the “American Experiment” distinguishes itself greatly from every other nation formed prior to it. We REJECT the ideas that one man is better than another or that we answer to a ruler or government… we EMBRACE the fact that we are all equal and WE are superior to our government. THAT was entirely new… something the world had not seen before.

It took almost 200 generations of mankind before this happened. Wow! And the U.S.A. has only been in existence for the last 9 of them.

In the past generation, it seems many citizens of the U.S. have shifted their perspective… and not for the better. When we take freedom for granted, it’s easy to become complacent and trust that all will continue as it was. But, there is a very real risk when government is left unchecked… it seems to be a natural inclination for some people to grab for power, to seek control over others, to take away choices that rightfully belong to each of us and to dictate to us instead. This begins in a subtle, creeping manner but, after a while, can become quite stifling.

I believe we are moving in a bad direction… where power is being concentrated into the hands of few via a federal government that seeks to control aspects of our lives that they Constitutionally have no right to be involved in. Worse, many people seem to think that it’s OK for government to “take care” of us… some people even think that’s what government is supposed to do! I guess those people would have loved being slaves and depending on their masters to take care of them.

If the American Experiment is to survive, it will require a return of our collective mindset to the idea that our government is not here to do things for us… but to enable us to do things for ourselves.

At the very root of the current economic downturn was INTERFERENCE by Congress in bank lending practices… rules requiring lenders to provide mortgage loans to people who objectively did not qualify for them (that is, had a high probability of not repaying the loan)… and GUARANTEEING those risky loans (which led to many other bad practices, such as leveraging via mortgage-backed securities and such). It was an unsustainable scenario… one that ignored “real world” realities… and resulted in inevitable defaults. And that started a cascade of problems that we will be years trying to work out of.

NOW, even though we nowhere close to being out of “trouble”, Barney Frank wants to loosen standards yet again:

Back when the housing mania was taking off, Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank famously said he wanted Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to “roll the dice” in the name of affordable housing. That didn’t turn out so well, but Mr. Frank has since only accumulated more power. And now he is returning to the scene of the calamity — with your money. He and New York Representative Anthony Weiner have sent a letter to the heads of Fannie and Freddie exhorting them to lower lending standards for condo buyers.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Even children who don’t listen to Mom and burn their fingers on a hot stove remember their lesson longer than Barney Frank!

If ever there was an example of why we should NOT allow elected officials to make a career out of government service, this is it. Just like we allow a President two terms and no more, the same rule should apply to members of Congress. That body of government has become far too populated with a power elite who are either arrogant, idiots, or entirely self-serving.

I think many of our problems have come about due to the inability of new representatives to influence change since they are up against a firmly entrenched core of lifetime Senators and Representatives who know how to exert their power effectively.

The best long-term solution is TERM LIMITS. Yes, now is the time for CHANGE.

From Pravda-

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives. They care more for their “right” to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our “democracy”. Pride blind the foolish.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different “branches and denominations” were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the “winning” side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the “winning” side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America’s short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their thefts, loses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should we congratulate them?

These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress (parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.

Then came Barack Obama’s command that GM’s (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of “pure” free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

So it should be no surprise, that the American president has followed this up with a “bold” move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too. Prime Minister Putin, less then two months ago, warned Obama and UK’s Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so let our “wise” Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.

Again, the American public has taken this with barely a whimper…but a “freeman” whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set “fair” maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses? Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort. He stresses that this only affects companies that receive government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left.

The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only snicker.

It’s enough to make you cry.

“The physical sciences capitalize on the lessons of the past, but the social sciences seldom do.”

We would never have the great technology tools and toys, the miraculous medicines, or the comfortable lifestyles that we do if we had to start all over again every generation or two to establish the underlying knowledge gained by previous engineers and scientists. It was a relatively few years after the Wright Brothers that commercial jet airlines were commonplace and, shortly after that, man walked on the moon! Each step forward became the foundation for the next.

Seems very logical, right? WHY would we want to move backwards and go through all the trials and troubles, all the research and experimentation to find the answers again if we already know them? It would be crazy to do that! Repeating the same mistakes would waste time, effort, and money… not to mention the benefits gained from whatever good things the results lead to. You seldom see the scientific community behave that way… on the whole, it steadily moves FORWARD.

But, when it comes to human behavior, it seems we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes periodically. A small percentage of those might be classified as disease or addiction, such as drinking or gambling, and are a bit easier to understand. A person can intellectually know that, say, drinking disagrees with them… but cannot control themselves. Such individuals often require assistance to correct their actions, need a support network to help them deal with the problem.

But what about “regular” behavior?

Perhaps it has to do with short memories, or the hubris of the young rejecting ideas of their elders, or simply not thinking about the ultimate implications. For example, it is not uncommon to find people who spend more than they make or drive recklessly or engage is some other dangerous behavior. Unless they’ve been soundly taught and can exercise personal restraint and discipline, the obvious association between immediate excesses and future repercussions is either unknown or ignored. Despite the predictable outcome, it seems they will not listen to reason and, sadly, must learn the lesson on their own. With luck, that will happen without permanent damage being done… but sometimes the lesson is fatal.

This occurs on a collective level, too. Societies once dominant fall into history. Consider the ancient Romans. From virtually nothing, the Roman Empire became a great military and technological people. At its peak, Romans lived a life of luxury surpassing that of other cultures… and it became their downfall. They forgot the precepts of their founding and declined into depravity.

Could the USA be experiencing the same thing?

We have enjoyed a level of freedom and individual success unmatched in the history of mankind. At times, it seems many of us take it for granted. Assume everyone has the same rights. Presume we will always have our freedom… that it will never go away, that it CAN never go away.

These same people apparently think the governing system that conveyed that freedom and established the basis of our success can… and should… be “tinkered” with. That it can be improved. While nothing is perfect, and there is room for improvement in most things… the path to better things is not to repeat the mistakes of the past. It took our Founding Fathers much thought, considerable debate, and several actual attempts to develop the BEST foundation for our country, the Constitution. It did not come easily and certain options were purposely omitted. One of the original goals was to avoid a dominating, centralized government… to put MORE power in the hands of the people rather than put government in control of the people.

Are we making progress or repeating old mistakes?

Today, I fear we are moving in the wrong direction… that people are willingly handing over some of their power to government for some promise of well-being. A promise that is easy to give and virtually impossible to deliver.

Bigger government is NOT the answer to our problems. WE, individually, must look to ourselves for the solutions and assert our power and authority over the government… while we still have it… to guide our nation back to the basics of its greatness.