Perkins on Point: Kansas Edition

Perkins on Point: April 17, 2009

More from Honduras

Yesterday was a rainy day, but a very productive day! We received a warm reception from the local officials in Tela this morning as we inquired into the local government process that we would have to go through in order to construct an orphanage. I'll be honest; I was prepared for a more "involved" process that might require campaign contributions - but that didn't happen. They seemed to be genuinely appreciative of our humanitarian efforts to address what they recognize as a very serious problem - children with no parents.

While officials in Tela have certain jurisdiction over Tornabe, the Garifuna who live in the village operate with a lot of autonomy. In fact, from what we gathered the Garifuna refused to recognize the outside government, at least when it comes to paying taxes.

Ray, a friend in a local church that my home church helped establish here, also operates a taxi, so he drove us around. While it is not more than seven or eight miles to Tornabe (on the Caribbean), the condition of the roads and paths-along with the stray animals-make the trip somewhat of an adventure. In fact, at one point near the village, the taxi got stuck in the sand on the road and we had get out and push.

When we arrived, Pastor Marvin, the pastor of the local evangelical church was out picking up food for the orphanage. We had not spoken to him since we were in the village last summer and he was not expecting us. We had not been able to communicate with him regarding our desire to work in his local community until today. When we shared with him what we would like to do his eyes began to tear up and he said "glory." He then told us they had taken the first steps toward establishing an orphanage but did not have the resources and had been praying that God would some how intervene on behalf of these children give them the ability to feed them three meals a day and provide a safe place for them to live.

After looking at what they have already started the process will go much quicker than we had originally thought. In July we planned to return to complete a kitchen, dining area, and a small sleeping area. Plans will then be made for a much larger dormitory divided into two areas: one for boys and one for girls.

It is certainly rewarding to serve the "least of these" who have been orphaned by parents who died of AIDS, but as we walked and drove through the village, seeing the children run in the midst of the trash that was strewn throughout, I was reminded of why we do what we do at FRC. Deny as we might, there are consequences for a community or a country that rejects the proper nature of human sexuality within the context of marriage. Unfortunately, far too often it is children who pay the price for the "sexual liberties" of adults.

Notes from Honduras: Vol. 1

We arrived in Honduras last night on our trip to make preparations to build an orphanage for children whose parents have died from AIDS.  On our medical mission trip this past summer we went to a village outside of Tela, called Tornabe, and discovered homeless children everywhere. The reason, we found out, was that Tornabe has the highest rate of AIDS infection in the Western Hemisphere.  These children sleep on the beach, the streets, or -- if they are lucky -- the house of a friend where they are safe.  We are working with a church in the village to host the facility.

Our arrival last night was delayed a few hours after a passenger in Miami made a threat and was removed from the plane -- along with his luggage and mine! I am told it will be here this afternoon.

This morning our plan is to meet with local governmental officials to make sure there are no unforeseen obstacles that could pop up in the process of building the orphanage.

No Deal on This New Deal

In a cedar chest at my home is a woolen thermal shirt. This is not just any thermal shirt; it is a part of history and a reminder. The shirt was a government issue, given to my grandfather. As a young man during the Great Depression, he worked with the Civilian Conservation Corps planting trees, building parks, and working on other public conservation projects. My grandfather earned a dollar a day.

The debate still continues among economists as to whether or not those vast public works projects that President Roosevelt launched through the CCC and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) along with other government spending helped end the nation's worst economic crisis.

Regardless, FDR's New Deal and the opportunities that it offered were significant to the many struggling families who were unemployed during a time when unemployment stood at almost 25%. Between 1935-1943 over 8 million Americans were on the payroll of the WPA alone.

FDR's actions were controversial as he took the counterintuitive approach  promoted by English economist John Maynard Keynes to increase government spending during hard economic times. They called it "priming the pump." FDR's efforts led to a radical and lasting expansion of the power and reach of the federal government.

Parallels have been drawn between the New Deal and the present government response to the financial crisis - but there are vast differences. The stimulus measure signed by President Obama this week, which according to estimates by the Congressional Budget Office will cost about $1.3 trillion, will, according to the President, preserve or create 3-4 million jobs. Keep in mind that adjusted for inflation this stimulus measure will probably cost 3 times what the New Deal cost.

The overall cost of government spending designed to revive the economy will go even higher as the President announced a mortgage bailout this week that could cost up to another $250 billion dollars.

There is a vast difference between spending government money to create short-lived public works jobs and expanding the size and scope of federal agencies and directly bailing out bad mortgages. It may sound simplistic, but a government inspired hand up is much different than a government handout, and the implications will be lasting and far reaching, not only on the size of government but also on the American ethic.

The effect of FDR's economic philosophy was so pronounced that 30 years later in 1971, President Richard Nixon said "We're all Keynesians now." The impact of this present economic approach is even more powerful -- so much so that before it has even been implemented, a recent cover story of Newsweek declared: "We are all Socialists Now."

Perkins' Perspective: Icing on the Stimulus Cake

As the ice melted off my computer yesterday morning in D.C., I was able to find an email from Chicken Little--disguised as Al Gore. He's the Chairman of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Mr. Gore was reaching out to the UFO crowd and others about how the "entrenched interests in Washington will be working hard to weaken" President Obama's stimulus bill.

The closer one looks at the so-called stimulus bill, the more you see that is a pork-laden political payoff which includes billions of dollars to those "entrenched interests in Washington" which Mr. Gore speaks of, most of whom have been at the public trough for years. They include groups like Planned Parenthood and the controversial and corrupt ACORN. Because this measure--which is now estimated to cost taxpayers $1.1 trillion--is so big, there are billions to be passed out to all kinds of left wing groups. Near the top of this list is the green lobby that Al Gore and his global warming alarmists are a part of.

By the way, in a recent Pew Research Center Poll of what Americans said were their public policy priorities - Al Gore was left out in the cold - global warming ranked dead last.

Perkins Perspective: Another Homosexual Sex Scandal

Another openly gay politician is snared in a sex scandal with a teen.  Portland's first openly gay mayor, Sam Adams --- who just took office earlier this month --- has now acknowledge he lied to cover up a sexual relationship he had with a young man he was "mentoring" in 2005.

This is reminiscent of former Congressman Mark Foley, who was caught hitting on male teens who served as pages on Capitol Hill. 

While I know that not every homosexual person preys on youth, it sure seems that many of the sex scandals involving homosexual public figures disproportionately involve young, easily influenced and impressionable teens.

Repeated incidents like these only serve to validate the Boy Scouts policy prohibiting homosexual scout masters.  The Boy Scouts have stood their ground despite enormous pressure from homosexual activists and their corporate allies who have cut off donations to the Scouts.  These businesses and government agencies that are carrying the water for the homosexuals on this issue should be forced to explain their intolerance of the truth every time there is a case like this.

Perkins' Perspective: Bailouts - where do they end?

FRC has not officially weighed in on the various bailouts simply because the topic is not central to our mission.  There is no question that financial irresponsibility, whether by government or business, impacts the family, but we have to pick our battles and the bailouts are not one of them.  However, having said that, I do get a number of calls and emails from folks across the country asking for my thoughts on this parade of bailouts.  I am not an economist, but I have worked with and on budgets in the private and public sector and studied the basics of our free market system.  From that perspective, this latest failed effort to bailout the auto industry raises a number of questions that require answers. 

First, where do the bailouts stop?  Certainly the auto industry is an important part of our economy.  In fact, most of our manufacturing base has left the country, so it is surely important.  But you could also make the case that as our economy is increasingly driven by the service sector actions should be taken for those businesses as well.  Bottom line - where does it stop?

Second, could this not be the result of poor business practices that come to light in a tough economy?  Economist Walter Williams raises these issues in a recent column.  Williams points to the "cozy relationship" between the Big Three and the United Auto Workers union that drives up hourly wages.  Williams points to GM's $73 hourly wage cost and compares that to Toyota's five U.S. assembly plants where the hourly cost is $48.  It doesn't take an economist to figure that one out.  But it apparently does take more than a congressman like Barney Frank. 

Finally, someone needs to explain how a Washington "Car Czar" would to make sure the auto industry keeps it between the lines.  I am not one of those who say government needs to run like a business.  It is just not the nature of government to be efficient.  Those areas that can be run like a business are the areas that governments most often privatize, but they are a small percentage of the overall responsibilities of government.  Conversely, the last thing America needs is business that runs like government. 

If NAE's Rich Cizik Doesn't Speak for Them, Who Does He Speak For?

The president of the National Association of Evangelicals, Leith Anderson, has been trying to reassure the association's board and members that the NAE hasn't left the reservation on the issues of life and marriage. The reason? Because NAE's vice president for governmental affairs left the reservation - a long time ago!

In a recent interview with NPR's "Fresh Air," Cizik stated he voted for President-elect Obama and said, "I think it's (faith) very important, but it is not the factor nor should it be [when voting]..." Cizik said the same thing about issues like life: "It's possible for me to disagree with a candidate on high-profile issues and still believe that on a basis of character or philosophy he is the better of two candidates." When asked by the host, Terry Gross, if his efforts to identify with younger voters and their priorities had caused him to change his view on gay marriage he said, "I'm shifting, I would have to admit.  In other words I would willingly say I believe in civil unions.  I don't officially support redefining marriage from its traditional definition, I don't think."

This revelation should not come as a surprise. This is the risk of walking through the green door of environmentalism and global warming - you risk being blinded by the green light and losing your sense of direction. How else can you explain enthusiastic support for what will probably be the nation's most pro-abortion, anti-family president in our nation's 232 year history?

The question, however, remains. If Cizik does not speak for the NAE, as the Rev. Anderson has said, why is he on Capitol Hill representing NAE and claiming to speak for Evangelicals? Is it possible for a human being to come with a disclaimer?

A Ghost from Christmas Past

The clock in downtown Ponchatoula, Louisiana had not even struck one but like a bad dream from the past the Louisiana ACLU was back haunting city officials with threats of lawsuits if the town's Christmas Lights Festival included an illuminated cross.

Having served in public office in Louisiana I've traveled the state many times and Ponchatoula, the Strawberry Capital, is one of my favorite places. It is a quaint little southern town that most have only seen in the movies, kind of Norman Rockwellish. The downtown area is bisected by train tracks. Main Street is lined with antique stores that attract folks from around the state.

My wife's family comes from that region of the state where a majority of the people attend church and overwhelmingly identify with traditional values. This is the same area of the state where the ACLU has filed multiple suits against a school board for opening their school board meetings in prayer. The leftist lawyers also sued a local court because a picture of Jesus was in the court house building.

Why is the ACLU so active in this predominately conservative area of the country? The answer is in the federal district court, the Eastern District of Louisiana, which is a hotbed of liberal activism. Ginger Berrigan, the judge who ruled against the Tangipahoa school board on the matter of prayer and whose ruling was later overturned, is the former president of the ACLU in Louisiana appointed to the bench by Bill Clinton in 1994.

This is another example of why the courts matter, even at the lowest level of the federal system. As is the case with so many elected officials operating with tight budgets, Ponchatoula's mayor, Bob Zabbia opted not to fight the baseless claim of the ACLU for fear of what it might cost.

Tragically, it cost citizens a whole lot more in the end when their elected officials won't defend their religious heritage and freedoms.

Republicans and Marriage

In yesterday's Washington Update I wrote about how the exit polling from November 4 clearly shows that the marriage amendments are non-partisan. In 2004 and to a lesser degree in 2006 supporters of various marriage amendments were accused of using them for partisan purposes to help the Republican Party. There is no question that certain Republican candidates, including President Bush who campaigned in support of the amendments, were aided by the amendments' presence on the ballot. The benefit to the candidates was in proportion to their alignment with the amendments, not with their party allegiance.

President Bush increased his support among African-American voters in Ohio going from 11% nationally to 16% in the Buckeye State, enough to give him the edge in that battleground state and secure a second term. Those gains among minority voters evaporated in this election even though these voters continued to vote to protect marriage from redefinition.

One could argue that the marriage amendments may have actually hurt Republicans in this cycle, especially John McCain. Literally millions of dollars were invested in the efforts to protect marriage in California and Arizona. Thousands of volunteer hours were spent in those two states and Florida to secure passage of these amendments. The McCain campaign was virtually silent on the amendments and as a result received little benefit from the efforts, which was especially significant in the battleground state of Florida.

It is quite possible that a large portion of the time, energy and resources that were spent in this election cycle to protect marriage would have been invested elsewhere had the federal marriage amendment been approved by the Republican-controlled Congress in 2005. The irony is that Sen. McCain opposed the marriage amendment and joined the Democrats and a handful of Republicans in blocking a vote on the amendment. On Election Day the protect marriage movement ran ahead of the Republican candidates.

Perkins Perspective: Bailing Out - An issue of Responsibility

On Friday the USA Today carried a story of Nebraska's "Safe Haven" law. I authored and passed Louisiana's version of that law back in 1999. Several states now have those laws on the books which are designed to encourage frightened and confused young mothers not to throw their newborn babies in the trash but drop them at a "Safe Haven" like a hospital or fire station, no questions asked.

Since the Nebraska law went into effect in July there have been some unintended results. Over a half dozen parents have dropped off not new born babies, but kids ranging in age from 1 to 17.

A few parents with challenging teenagers might be tempted to chuckle and leave the article in their teen's room as a veiled threat, but when you get beyond that temptation you can't help but realize that this speaks to a profound problem in our nation - a lack of commitment and responsibility.

Men and women faced with the difficulties of parenting find a way for government to bail them out, or should we say rescue them. No matter what street we drive down, whether it is Main Street or Wall Street, the growing refusal to assume responsibility cast a dark and ominous cloud over our nation's future.

Perkins Perspective: Gustav Update - Back in the FRC Saddle

First, let me thank all of you who have been praying for my family and for all the families of Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. I also want to thank the churches from around the country that have responded once again by sending much-needed supplies and help. Secondly, let me apologize for not keeping you updated on what has transpired over the last week in Louisiana.

This storm, while not as spectacular as Katrina, impacted more Louisianans and has done extensive damage to homes and businesses in multiple parishes. The Baton Rouge area was one of the hardest hit. Gustav caused much greater damage to Louisiana's power infrastructure than Katrina did -- over two-thirds of Louisiana was without power in the hours after Gustav. Nearly one quarter of the population remains without power, and it could be more than two weeks before power is restored to the entire state.

Being without power doesn't sound like a big issue, but when it is so widespread it quickly creates a crisis. No electricity not only means lack of refrigeration of food, but also lack of fuel for vehicles. For those few gas stations that were able to acquire generators and pump fuel, the lines in some cases were nearly a mile long. Without power, sewage and water facilities were incapacitated, creating problems for drinking water is some parishes.

This crisis once again gave the Church the opportunity to respond to the real and pressing needs of people, an opportunity they immediately seized. I spent this past week first of all helping PRC Compassion pastors and Gene Mills, the executive director of the Louisiana Family Forum, organize and coordinate the church response. A few days into the crisis, Governor Bobby Jindal asked me to assist the Commissioner of Administration, Angela Davis, in getting food to the hardest hit areas of the state.

Governor Jindal is a friend of mine with whom I worked closely during my time in the legislature when he was the Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals. Having the opportunity to work alongside him and his staff in the last several days from sun-up to past sundown, I am greatly encouraged and impressed with his leadership and the dedication of his staff to getting essential relief to the citizens of the state and restoring critical infrastructure.

The rebuilding process is just beginning as officials keep one eye on the Gulf for more potential hurricanes this summer. Please continue to pray for the governor and his dedicated staff. As my schedule allows, I hope to continue to assist when and where needed. For now I am back in the saddle at FRC speaking to a gathering of pastors in New Hampshire and heading to New York to appear on the Lou Dobbs television show. It is only appropriate for me to thank my extremely capable staff, headed by Chuck Donovan, for holding down the fort in my absence.

Perkins Perspective: Post-Gustav Update

I now have better access to internet. Here is the latest official information on what is happening (in short). The Governor has asked for me to assist in coordinating volunteer food relief. The need is overloading state government resources. Here is our biggest need: mobile food kitchens and food. As of last night at the joint command meeting, which I am now attending, a little under 1/2 of the state was without power. That is changing by the hour, but some areas will be 3-4 weeks before power is restored, especially in South Louisiana.

Beyond food kitchens, basic food staples that can be cooked is needed: beans, rice, meat (with refrigeration truck). Contributions can be sent to PRCCompassion.net.

Perkins Perspective: Gustav Reveals Winds of Change

Unfortunately, I had to cut short what was really shaping up to be a very productive trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota Sunday afternoon in order to return to Baton Rouge for hurricane Gustav that is scheduled to make landfall later this morning. The good news is that several members of the FRC team are still on site to participate in the many events taking place this week and I am confident that they are able to more than cover for me while I am down here taking care of the family and assisting where needed if relief efforts are required.

Before heading south I was extremely encouraged Sunday morning by Pastor Steve Goold and the folks at New Hope Church just outside of Minneapolis where I spoke at two services Sunday morning. New Hope Church is one of the hundreds of churches across the country that is partnering with FRC to make a difference in our nation.

Back to Gustav. Before taking off I checked in with Governor Jindal's staff in Louisiana and was amazed at how things have changed since Katrina three years ago. Not a single detail has been left unaddressed by Governor Jindal's team. Of course the Federal response has vastly improved as well. There has also been advance coordination with churches and other non-government entities involved in relief efforts to make sure they were equipped and prepared to handle evacuees and first responders.

Unprecedented preparations have been made, now we pray and just wait out the storm.

Perkins Perspective: Last update from Honduras - for now

There are many things we take for granted in the U.S, safe and reliable water, electricity and internet access.

As we prepared to say good bye to our friends at Antioquia Evangelica Bautista Iglesia, we had an opportunity to take in some of the scenery as we visited Lancetilla Botanical Garden outside of Tela. Lancetilla is the second largest tropical botanical garden in the world, with a various species of trees from tropical climates from around the world. As we hiked through, our guide would routinely point out the various fruit bearing trees and let us taste their fruit.

As we spent our last night together, we reflected on how a team of 47 people, many of whom did not know each other one week ago, worked together to touch the physical and spiritual needs of over 2,000 people. In the process, we gave these Hondurans a different view of Americans than what their televisions have provided.

Based on what I saw and the discussions we've been having about our future efforts in Honduras to help the orphaned children in Tornabé, I am sure at some point there will be more updates from Honduras again. But for now I am headed back to the States to defend faith, family and freedom! For those who joined us in praying for our trip - THANK YOU!

Perkins' Perspective: More from Honduras

Today I was far away from the news whirl with all the prognostications about vice presidential picks. Our team here in Honduras was in a small village about 20 minutes from Tela called Tornabé. Our first challenge of the day was just getting there on the old American school buses that have been given a second life here in Honduras and serve as our transportation. These buses, which are the main means of transportation for most people in the area, had to navigate the craters in the dirt road and the occasional animal that would wander into our path.

Once we are on location it takes about 30 minutes to set up the various aid stations. The people are first registered where basic information is written on a form that will accompany them through the process. Their second stop is where I spent the bulk of my time with the gospel presentation. It was there we soon discovered our second challenge.

The folks in Tornabé do not speak Spanish; they have their own dialect called Garifuna. They understand Spanish well enough to communicate, but in some cases we had to interpret from English to Spanish to Garifuna. I am pretty certain some things got lost in translation. I am accustomed to some people not laughing at my jokes, but when they laugh and I didn't say anything funny, that causes me to wonder.

I was able to find out a little bit about the origins of the Garifuna people. They were African slaves taken from the Island of St. Vincent who were then marooned on the Island of Roatan in 1797. The Spaniards later moved them to Trujillo where they dispersed along the coast of the Caribbean. They remain pretty segregated in their small communities like Tornabé.

Today we saw around 600 people, again mostly women and children, bringing the total that we've been able to help with food, medicine and the gospel to over 2,000. I am constantly amazed at the natural beauty of Honduras, but at the same time the poverty and despair. I've also noticed that most of the area is in need of a good anti-litter campaign.

An unfortunate distinction of Tornabé is that it is reported to have one of the highest concentrations of HIV-positive people in the Western Hemisphere. The local church, under the leadership of Pastor Marvin, which hosted our clinic today, helps feed and clothe over 60 children of various ages who have been orphaned primarily because their parents died from AIDS. I have to confess that talking to these little ones, who have little more than the clothes they are wearing, was not easy. I thought of my own children having to survive on their own as these little ones do. But for a while we laughed with them, shared God's love with them in word and in our actions, and brought smiles to their faces.

Before I shared the gospel with them I went to the back room of this cinder block building and watched as 60 children were given their one hot meal of the day. We were able to give many of the orphaned children clothes as well as leave Pastor Marvin enough food to feed the children for several weeks. We ended the day with a dinner and multi-church service at Centro Americano Iglesia where Pastor Luis Eucedo's church made a great Honduran dinner for us. More tomorrow!

Perkins' Perspective: Greetings from Honduras!

As reported in the Update, I am taking a week off to join my oldest daughter, Kendal, on a medical and humanitarian mission trip to the impoverished areas surrounding Tela, Honduras. This was her 16th birthday present. There has not been much downtime to blog on our activities as the doctors, nurses and others from our church have treated nearly 1,500 people in three days. The team has provided the people, mostly women and children (more on that topic later), with basic medicines, food and, in some cases, glasses (we had a limited supply of them). Of course, everyone heard and saw the gospel in action. Sunday night I had the opportunity to preach at Antioquia Evangelica Bautista Iglesia in Tela, which is a mission of our home church of Greenwell Springs Baptist.

It has been pretty hot but the afternoon rain showers help cool things off in this subtropical climate. It is a beautiful country and the Honduran people are extremely hospitable, receptive to us and grateful for what we are doing.

One thing I noticed right off in the various communities that we've been in, besides the abject poverty, is the absence of the men. I began asking around, talking to the local pastors through our interpreters. Two reasons were given. First, a number of the young men have gone to America (illegally) in search of job opportunities. Unfortunately, according to those I've spoken to, few of the men are sending money back in support of the children and their mothers. The second reason given was the influence of the messages sent from the United States through our television programs. It's not just our families that are affected by what American entertainment puts out.

Perkins Perspective

Earlier this week I returned from my first trip to the beautiful state of Alaska. I was a part of a double header service at Anchorage Baptist Temple where I preached the first service and Franklin Graham preached the second. Great folks. But I'll have to say the highlight of the trip was a flight with two former Air Force bomber pilots who flew me in a float plane for a close up of some of Alaska's most famous glaciers in Prince William Sound.

We flew over the Harvard Glacier at about 50 feet as it descended into the College Fjord. What an awesome view!

On the way we passed the Exit Glacier which my hosts pointed out has become a magnet for the Global Warming crowd. Global Warming alarmists point to the receding glaciers as evidence of the crisis. In fact, just a few months ago the Exit Glacier was the site where two presidential candidates pledged their support to stop Climate change. News reports say the glacier has receded a 1000 feet in the last decade.

According to my ace pilots, as the Exit Glacier, receded it uncovered trees that had been mowed down by the glacier when the big ice was on the move the other way, as the glacier was forming. The trees were reportedly carbon dated. Guess what? They weren't 7,000 years old; they were 700 years old! That is similar to what was discovered in Switzerland. As the Schnidenjoch glacier was retreating a 4,700-year-old archer's quiver was exposed in 2003.

This all suggested what many scientists have suggested; the planet operates in 1,500 year cycles of warming and cooling Of course you don't hear too much from those who would proffer such a view and question global warming, because it has become modern day blasphemy.

By-the-way, most of the folks I was with in both Anchorage and Fairbanks were saying a little warming would actually be nice. Their summer has been unusually cold. Of course the explanation for that is as is the explanation for everything else these days, it's caused by global warming.

Ted Turner: hungry for a headline

Ted Turner, apparently chomping at the bit to promote the agenda of the global warming alarmists, says we will be eating one another by mid-century. Always hungry for a headline, Turner is sure to grab a few by suggesting that the world's population, exacerbated by global warming, will lead to scarcity of resources.

What's on Turner's menu of solutions? Population control.

"We're too many people; that's why we have global warming," Turner said. "Too many people are using too much stuff."

In an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Turner suggested that "on a voluntary basis, everybody in the world's got to pledge to themselves that one or two children is it."

Of course what happens when people don't comply? If it is a good idea, then government has to make you comply, whether it's wearing seatbelts, bicycle helmets or limiting your quiver to two.

There is even more to the call for population control, like China's forced sterilization and infanticide and the liberal West's advancement of same-sex relations.

Stanford University professor Paul R. Ehrlich, in his book The Population Bomb, predicted millions of people would die of starvation in the 1970's and 1980's without the type of population control that Turner is calling for. The hysteria created by Ehrlich paved the way for the United Nations Population Fund.

The UN projected that the planet would be overrun with 11.5 billion people. Ehrlich was wrong. The UN now is quietly saying the population boom will fall far short of their projections. World population is projected to peak at 8.5 billion and then start a steady, long-term decline which many countries are already experiencing and multi millionaires promoting doomsday scenarios.

So we might very well have fields where no crops grow, not because of climate change, but because of an intemperate climate for humans caused by radical public policies.

CNN Doesn't Approve of the “God-like stuff”

Just when I thought CNN was starting to treat Evangelicals fairly they let Jack Cafferty out of his cage. On Thursday he went on a tear accusing Republican Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee of wanting to “put more God-like stuff in the Constitution.” The “God-like stuff” that he was referring to was amending the constitution to ensure the right to life and to prevent the courts from redefining marriage. Cafferty went on to say that Evangelicals are the reason George Bush was in office for eight years and, therefore, they are responsible for all of America’s troubles. Cafferty then said that Huckabee is “trying to bring out those Evangelical voters, to get them to the polls” by using the God-like stuff talk. Cafferty didn’t even try to cloak his disdain for Christians, leaving me to think he would much rather be reporting on bringing out the lions or staking Christians to the poles instead.

This all started when Mike Huckabee, in a speech last Monday night in Michigan, said he supported a Constitutional amendment ending abortion. [I]t’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living God and that’s what we need to do, is to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards, rather than try to change God’s standards.” Huckabee made a similar comment about his support for a marriage amendment several weeks ago, but not being a front-runner at the time little was said about that statement.

Continue reading "CNN Doesn't Approve of the “God-like stuff” " »

A Unifying Message

Yesterday in the Washington Update I wrote about the fact that Republican voters, including evangelicals, are distributing their votes among three leading candidates – Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, and John McCain – handing them victories at the ballot box in the hope that one or more of the GOP candidates will fully embrace all three parts of the conservative coalition – social, economic, and defense.

On the eve of the voting in South Carolina, the race may be wide open, but the base is not wide open about its agenda for unity. Not everyone is sounding this theme. Yesterday the economic conservative Club for Growth assembled a team led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey that crisscrossed the Palmetto State attacking Mick Huckabee as, in Armey’s words, a “misguided populist.”

The candidates themselves seem to be trying harder to generate unity. Huckabee used a speech in Tigerville, South Carolina, to emphasize his nine-point immigration plan that one anti-illegal immigration group hailed as “the strongest no-amnesty, attrition plan of any of the candidates.”

McCain took the opportunity to personally address the sanctity of life in Greenville, South Carolina, saying, "I’m proud of my pro-life record in 24 years in the United States Congress . . . and I believe that some of the most sacred words ever uttered were that all of us were created equal ... and that applies to the unborn as well as the born.” He also said that the best way to protect the family and the unborn is "to appoint judges who strictly interpret the Constitution,” and that he would "nominate the closest thing to a clone of (Chief) Justice John Roberts as I can find."

Continue reading "A Unifying Message" »

'Gays' Mock Jesus with Last Supper Take-Off

Homosexuals organizers of San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair are promoting the event with a mockery of Da Vinci's The Last Supper. The poster portrays Christ and His disciples as half-naked homosexual sadomasochists.

Expect more of this type of blasphemous attack on Christianity if hate crimes and ENDA passes. Under the protection of the federal government radical homosexuals will no doubt increase their provocation in an effort to move to the next step of their agenda - hate speech laws that will silence the Church. Their speech, such as this, will be protected but Romans 1 will not, it will be hate speech.

Will Charles Schumer and Ted Kennedy, who championed the Hate Crimes bill in the Senate, denounce this attack on Christianity?

By-the-way, my friend Bill Donahue from the Catholic League is calling for a boycott of Miller Brewing which is a sponsor of the event and has their trade mark emblem on the poster. While I support him in his efforts, I am not sure I can help too much with the boycott.

Perkins' Perspective: The NEA behind closed doors

The National Education Association (NEA) should come clean, be honest, and change their name. The National Indoctrination Association (NIA) would be more fitting. According to a report from the Baptist Press, the NIA has been up to their usual schoolyard bully routine, pushing their radical agenda onto America's children.

At their annual conclave held in Philadelphia early this month, the organization's executive committee -- without the approval of their members -- voted to aggressively advance elements of the homosexual agenda. The committee voted on and approved three proposals. First, the committee voted to put the weight of the so-called education association behind an effort to pass federal hate crimes legislation, a measure that would greatly expanded federal power and would ultimately lead to the silencing of moral opposition. The second resolution would boost the NEA's website to "include all resources" devoted to homosexual causes, and the third resolution called upon them to push to make sexual orientation training to be a requirement for earning teaching credentials.

And people wonder why parents want choice in education!

Perkins' Perspective: AU, the ACLU, and other distortions

I am glad to know that Barry and his boys over at (some) Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU) are on our mailing list and read my updates. Someone forwarded me a blog post by Rob Boston at AU. They are attacking our July issue of Washington Watch, where we outline the growing threat to Christian speech and the intolerance of groups like the ACLU.

In particular, they claim my report of what is happening in my home state of Louisiana with the Tangipahoa school board was a distortion of the facts because we said the ACLU wanted Christians jailed for praying. A distortion? Oh really? The Times-Picayune, the New Orleans newspaper, reported on the incident in the April 6, 2005 edition. The ACLU suits against Tangipahoa are almost too numerous to count, however, the one in question was where a non-school employee opened a high school base ball game in prayer that ended with "in Jesus name." An unnamed father [puppet of the ACLU] complained and according to the last line in the Picayune story "the father asked the ACLU to file a motion for criminal contempt, which carries the threat of jail time and fines" which the ACLU was eager to comply with.

Unfortunately, for the (some) Americans United, I know the Louisiana situation very well. For instance, the federal judge that is handling this case is the former head of the state chapter of the ACLU and she used to lobby the state legislature for all kinds of left wing ideas. And then there is Joe Cook, the executive director of the ACLU that initiated this case. (Cook recently retired so they are without an executive director at present, but they are praying they find a replacement) When Cook was asked about the school board's efforts to pray before their meetings, Cook compared the praying Christians to Islamic terrorists when he said: “They believe that they answer to a higher power, in my opinion. Which is the kind of thinking that you had with the people who flew the airplanes into the buildings in this country, and the people who did the kind of things in London.”

For more information, read my op/ed about the case that was published in the Shreveport Times.