On Thu, Nov 1, 2012 a friend wrote:

John, let me say this with all due respect.

Where did you get all this fear?

Obama is not a Muslim, he is a Christian.  Those are his own words, and I really don't know that either you or I are in a position to see into his heart and judge the truth of that.  I think that is God's job.  The video you sent was a lie (did you read the analysis I sent back?).  The people who made that are trying to frighten you through twisting the words of a fellow human being (as in, bearing false witness).  He is not a communist, there are no communists in his 'cadre'.  And you used the word 'slave'?  Really?  You think Obama wants to turn us into slaves of the state?  I think I can say with confidence that he does not.

And on what basis do you fear an Islamic Armageddon?  Do you plan to convert to Islam anytime soon?  If not, why would you think that anyone else is planning to do that?  I can I assure you I do not.

No matter who wins, I don't believe the stakes are as high as all that.  I vote based on what power the office of the president has to impact my family and myself.  And that does not include slavery, or religious conversions.

Nov. 2, 2012

Dear comrade (lol), 

Thank you for your respectful reply. Let me reply in kind...

It is not fear, per se, but rather a sadness at watching the moral fiber of our once great nation slip away. It has been happening for a long time, under both parties, but it seems that under the Dems the decline has sped up, and now they seem to have an agenda of removing any trace of Biblical authority from our land. But, you say, there must be separation of church and state... Yes, that old, worn-out, misapplied phrase only gets trotted out when the state wants to curtail the activities of Christians. Muslims, and other religions are given a free hand to teach and express--even in our public schools--their philosophies, diluting our nation through "diversity." Tolerance of diversity is a good thing unless it dips into the spiritual/morality realm, for truth cannot be compromised, or it becomes less than truth. Truth is not relative; truth is not "As I perceive it.” Unless truth is an absolute it is not even truth. The more truth is compromised, the worse condition our nation manifests. Separation of Church and state is to protect the Church from the tyranny of the state, not the other way around. The Church has always been the conscience of the state, keeping it safe from God's wrath.  

The problems we now face are borne out of government trying to replace God with itself, man thinking he can, without God's help (and therefore owing no gratitude or even recognition to the Almighty) can solve all the social ills that cause such suffering in the world. However, the more they try, the worse they fail. To wit--The War on Drugs, The Great Society, Welfare Reform, Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid... all these "programs" are doomed to fail because they do not deal with the root of the problem--which is spiritual,not political. The real problem is sin! God will allow sin to run rampant in a nation (or a person) for just so long, and when "the cup" is filled with iniquity, God sends judgments intended to bring recognition of sin and repentance. If repentance is not forthcoming, He sends more, increasing judgments until repentance happens or the end of the nation. He did it to Israel of old, his favored people, so what arrogance do we Gentiles have if we think the same rules don't apply to us if, as a once Christian nation, we turn away from Jesus and obedience to His Word?

When did this decay become clearly evident? Back in the sixties--I know, I was an eyewitness to the youth revolution of rock'n'roll, drug abuse and sexual revolution that spawned angry, rebellious movements like the Chicago Seven and Black Panthers. What lynch-pin's removal caused America’s sudden slide into godlessness?

In 1963, Madeline Murray O'Hare sued and got Bible reading and prayer out of public schools. Our decline as a nation can be traced back this cataclysmic moment, for it was at this point that our leaders took it upon themselves to remove God’s standard of morality. Oh sure, there was promiscuity, homosexuality, abortion, drug abuse etc. prior to that, but it was in the shadows. Those who practiced those things were ashamed and didn't draw attention to themselves. Because the Gospel was preached freely, those who wanted to repent of their sins could do so and find freedom and forgiveness. Those who loved their sin could keep it secretly.

But when the Bible—record of God's standard for mankind—was removed from exposure to every school class since 1963, those who wanted to keep their sins wanted to bring it out in the open and flaunt it. Until that moment in time, America had minor problems with unwed mothers, absentee fathers, explosion of drug and alcohol abuse, sexual assaults, child molestation, etc. all of which nowadays, due to a sudden increase, put a drag on the economy as well as the moral fiber of the population.  Prior to 1963, when we were still a nation under God, we had more of a handle on these ills because the Bible's righteousness was extolled as the example to follow. When that example was removed—well witness the last 50 years of greatly increased crime, physical abuse, unwed pregnancies, rampant homosexuality, pornography, drug abuse, etc. Any student of cause and effect, if they care to see it, will recognize what effect removal of the Bible from our public schools has had on our land. 

The problem is that those who are trying to remove any public reminder of the God of the Bible (10 Commandments, Manger scenes, etc.) don't understand that it is the God of the Bible Who has bestowed His grace upon America at the invitation of the founding fathers (recommend The Light and The Glory or any of Wm. Federer's writings for scholarly evidence of America's Christian beginnings). Sure there were strident voices in opposition to America's Christian stance, but back then the majority ruled and America gravitated toward the light, recognizing and righting her wrongs along the way. No other nation of the world has followed such a path of reformation fostered and led by the Christian pulpits of her churches. We had become the beacon of the light of freedom in the world, offering not only liberty and justice, but the pursuit of happiness. But remove the under-pinnings of our freedom-loving nation—The God of the Bible—and we will collapse like all the other nations that either ignored God or replaced Him and His Word with governmental edicts.

This is what I "fear" not for myself, but for the nation that I love and cherish. The "Brave New World" we are headed for under Obama and his ilk, if they win re-election, is surely doomed.