Prayer is still important for our Nation -- Falwell

[Khephra]

(For those keeping an eye on the RR. From mail, no link.)

Falwell Confidential

Date: May 5, 2004
From: Jerry Falwell

PRAYER IS STILL IMPORTANT FOR OUR NATION

If groups like the American Atheists and Americans United for the Separation
of Church and State had their way, American presidents would not be free to
proclaim National Days of Prayer for our nation.

"Declarations that Americans should pray, worship a god, or even read a
particular spiritual text like the Bible, clearly endorse religious belief
and have a sectarian character. They divide, rather than unify, Americans,"
the American Atheist website said this week.

Thankfully, such groups remain in the minority (for now) and our nation will
continue in the tradition of honoring God this May 6. This tradition goes
all the way back to 1775, and the First Continental Congress which called
for a National Day of Prayer. That call to prayer secured for all time
the fact that America was to be reliant on God. That is an undeniable fact
of history. In 1952, Congress established the National Day of Prayer as an
annual event by a joint resolution, with President Harry S Truman signing it
into law.

President Bush is preserving the legacy of his predecessors, declaring
Thursday as the National Day of Prayer. In his proclamation, President Bush
noted that, in his first Inaugural Address, President George Washington
"prayed that the Almighty would preserve the freedom of all Americans."

"All," in this case, includes the American Atheists. What members of these
groups fail to grasp is that our nation's spiritual pursuits do nothing to
discount the beliefs of others. American Atheists remain free to their
non-belief while the rest of the nation pauses for one day to publicly
contemplate the blessings of God on our nation.

America's presidents have routinely issued prayer proclamations that express
the nation's dependency on Almighty God. Like it or not, our nation's
religious heritage served as the groundwork for this land of the free.

Sure, some scoff at our tradition of national prayer, but I believe it is
important because it compels all Americans to at least momentarily recognize
that this nation has an ongoing practice of reverence and dependence on the
Almighty.

President Bush beautifully stated, "Prayer is an opportunity to praise God
for His mighty works, His gift of freedom, His mercy, and His boundless
love. Through prayer, we recognize the limits of earthly power and
acknowledge the sovereignty of God. According to Scripture, 'the Lord is
near to all who call upon Him. ... He also will hear their cry, and save
them.' Prayer leads to humility and a grateful heart, and it turns our
minds to the needs of others."

Similarly, President Abraham Lincoln, on March 30, 1863, signed a
Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day. It read, in part: "And whereas
it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon
the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in
humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to
mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy
Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed
whose God is the Lord."

On May 6, 1982, President Ronald Reagan said, "Our Pledge of Allegiance
states that we are 'one nation under God,' and our currency bears the motto,
'In God We Trust.' The morality and values such faith implies are deeply
embedded in our national character. Our country embraces those principles
by design, and we abandon them at our peril. Yet in recent years,
well-meaning Americans in the name of freedom have taken freedom away. For
the sake of religious tolerance, they've forbidden religious practice in the
classrooms. The law of this land has effectively removed prayer from our
classrooms. How can we hope to retain our freedom through the generations
if we fail to teach our young that our liberty springs from an abiding faith
in our Creator?"

What remarkable words from an equally remarkable man! These words should
inspire us to fight to regain our rights of public religious expression that
our Founders secured for us.

Meanwhile, as we prepare to participate in the National Day of Prayer, may
we remember the words of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who said, "Without
God there could be no American form of government nor an American way of
life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the ... most basic expression of
Americanism."

That's America in a nutshell.

[pscot]

1. The higher pantheism in a nutshell

ONE, who is not, we see; but one, whom we see not, is;
Surely this is not that; but that is assuredly this.

What, and wherefore, and whence? for under is over and under;
If thunder could be without lightning, lightning could be without thunder.

Doubt is faith in the main; but faith, on the whole, is doubt;
We cannot believe by proof; but could we believe without?

Why, and whither, and how? for barley and rye are not clover;
Neither are straight lines curves; yet over is under and over.

Two and two may be four; but four and four are not eight;
Fate and God may be twain; but God is the same as fate.

Ask a man what he thinks, and get from a man what he feels;
God, once caught in the fact, shows you a fair pair of heels.

Body and spirit are twins; God only knows which is which;
The soul squats down in the flesh, like a tinker drunk in a ditch.

More is the whole than a part; but half is more than the whole;
Clearly, the soul is the body; but is not the body the soul?

One and two are not one; but one and nothing is two;
Truth can hardly be false, if falsehood cannot be true.

Once the mastodon was; pterodactyls were common as cocks;
Then the mammoth was God; now is He a prize ox.

Parallels all things are; yet many of these are askew;
You are certainly I; but certainly I am not you.

Springs the rock from the plain, shoots the stream from the rock;
Cocks exist for the hen; but hens exist for the cock.

God, whom we see not, is; and God, who is not, we see;
Fiddle, we know, is diddle, and diddle, we take it, is dee.

Algernon Charles Swinburne

[whistle]

2. A nice diversion...

...If Americans are not praying, then they are part of the problem. I just said a prayer for Rev. Falwell asking God to receive him in heaven as soon as He can.

[Q3JR4]

3. I'll

ask the goddess to do so too.

;)

[The Zanti Regent]

7. Oh no, don't let Fartwell go yet!

If Fartwell wants to play the politics game, then he and every other bible thumping boob should be taxed.

The time has come to tax all churches, and I want to make sure the IRS gets as much of Fat Fart's Swiss Bank account as they can!

[crossroads]

10. May the Lord hear and answer that prayer soon...

'Save' that slug...

amen

[alvis]

4. Here's Falwell in a nutshell

Help, help, get me out of this nutshell...

[SlavesandBulldozers]

5. i can never figure out

if Falwell wants the government to intrude in religion or not. He certainly wants religion intruding into government, but what about vice-versa?

If the government started getting all up in his shit, he'd be the first one begging for the separation of church and state. In fact, if the government lifted his tax-exempt status, he'd probably go bonkers (wait a second, he's already clearly bonkers).

I hope there is a God, and He created a hell, so that in His infinite wisdom, he can throw Jerry into it.

[Khephra]

6. I believe 99% of humanity is going to Heaven

(Or whatever Afterlife they choose)

But Falwell is in that 1% that is unsavable.

[starroute]

26. I'm not sure you can be just 99% universalist

A number of years ago, I looked up universalism in the 1911 Brittanica. It said that at some point there was a Jewish belief that everyone got three chances to be saved. If you screwed up in your first two lives, they sent an angel with you the third time to hold your hand and make sure you got it right.

I expect Falwell will really be needing that angel the next time round.

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. Sadly, I must argue that even Falwell gets to go in

Though I imagine it will be something like this:

"Welcome, Jerry, Welcome to Heaven! Come on in! Everybody's inside. But before you go in, we need to have a little talk to prepare you, because I mean, everybody is inside and because, well, Jer, pal, you didn't do too well..."

[Old and In the Way]

8. Got the entire Republican pantheon named in his "confidential"

Not a mention of Carter who may have been the most truly religious President I can remember.

[crossroads]

11. Carter was the 'real deal'

this Rugs bunch ring like Counterfeit Christians.

[pacifictiger]

9. I pray every day the false prophets

will be exposed for who they really are.

[opihimoimoi]

12. My evening was going rather well until this thread fucked it up.

Fal is not well. He is a sicko whore who leeches off his flock. He is a maggot who feeds upon our society for his own greed. Why people listen to this jerk is beyond my comprehension. Glib tongue, much faster thinker than Bush for sure, he nevertheless focuses on finding ways to fill his church and televised services. Its all about Business and he is the Head Whore of his Scamesque Sermon.

He took the Hustler guy to court and LOST

:hi: Keph

[anarchy1999]

13. America, Beware! This is one Dangerous POS! God help us all and

the people that believe this s@%$#&!

While we are at remembering the words of Ike, can we remember his farewell speech to the nation when he cautioned and warned us of the "military-industrial complex"?

F U, Mr. Falwell, you are bringing hell fast upon us all.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. Methinks this Foulwell be getting a very nasty surprise. . .

when he finally meets his Maker.

His friends better bury him in an asbestos suit.


:evilgrin::evilgrin::evilgrin:

[Stuckinthebush]

15. I agree 100% - Prayer is very important to our nation

I pray that George Bush is not elected President in 2004.

[belle]

16. Terrific. I'll be praying to Kuan Yin for mercy on us all tonight.

And be thankful it isn't a personal telegram from Kali instead, you oily motherfucker.

[rebellious woman]

17. Both full of sh*t and both legends in their own minds.

[LibertyorDeath]

18. The man is slime to the core. A truly revolting "human"

[rpannier]

19. I Pray Everyday

That this administration and it's shills get crushed in November.

[opihimoimoi]

20. My Kahuna can beat his ass any day in the week.

[Rabrrrrrr]

21. Falwell's an asshole who so abuses Christianity that he's one of few

I actually feel free to call heretical, even evil. He's psychotic.

When I'm president, people like him will be... ah, hell, I can't fool myself. Unlike the right wing, I dno't condone assassinating people, or quenching their right to free speech, so, sadly, he will be allowed to continue his maniacal, anti-God rantings.

Has that asshole never read the Barmen Declaration? Has he never bothered to learn any history about this country that wasn't written in the early 1900s by religious fanatical morans?

Well, no, of course he hasn't. Knowledge is anethema to psychotic assholes.

[struggle4progress]

25. The Barmen Declaration is not too clear ...

if you don't already know what it's saying:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/barmen.htm

On the other hand, maybe Falwell should notice this sentence:

"We reject the false doctrine, as though the State, over and beyond its special commision, should and could become the single and totalitarian order of human life, thus fulfilling the Church's vocation as well."

[Rabrrrrrr]

27. That's what I'm talking about

that which you quoted from Barmen. I think it's pretty clear. :-)

[yellowcanine]

22. I guess it takes a nutjob to know about nutshells Jerry.

Lying pompous windbag.

[GOPFighter]

23. Eisenhower

Falwell closed with a quote from President Eisenhower. I Googled it to see if I could find the source. Here is the full text of Eisenhower's Speech at the American Legion's "Back to God" campaign in 1955: (he sounds a lot like Bush doesn't he?)

================

THE FOUNDING FATHERS expressed in words for all to read the ideal of Government based upon the dignity of the individual. That ideal previously had existed only in the hearts and minds of men. They produced the timeless documents upon which the Nation is rounded and has grown great. They, recognizing God as the author of individual fights, declared that the purpose of Government is to secure those rights.

To you and to me this ideal of Government is a self-evident truth. But in many lands the State claims to be the author of human rights. The tragedy of that claim runs through all history and, indeed, dominates our own times. If the State gives rights, it can--and inevitably will--take away those rights.

Without God, there could be no American form of Government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first--the most basic--expression of Americanism. Thus the Founding Fathers saw it, and thus, with God's help, it will continue to be.

It is significant, I believe, that the American Legion--an organization of war veterans--has seen fit to conduct a "Back to God" movement as part of its Americanism program. Veterans realize, perhaps more clearly than others, the prior place that Almighty God holds in our national life. And they can appreciate, through personal experience, that the really decisive battleground of American freedom is in the hearts and minds of our own people.

Now, if I may make a personal observation--you, my fellow citizens, have bestowed upon my associates and myself, ordinary men, the honor and the duty of serving you in the administration of your Government. More and more we are conscious of the magnitude of that task.

The path we travel is narrow and long, beset with many dangers. Each day we must ask that Almighty God will set and keep His protecting hand over us so that we may pass on to those who come after us the heritage of a free people, secure in their God-given rights and in full control of a Government dedicated to the preservation of those rights. I can ask nothing more of each of you of all Americans--than that you join with the American Legion in its present campaign.

NOTE: The President's remarks were part of an American Legion program, which was broadcast over radio and television from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/site/docs/pppus.php?admin=034&year=1955&id=38

[swinney]

24. Jerry needs to pray for forgiveness for his lies

In spring of 1998 I caught him in four blatant lies. Lies. Intent to deceive. He is long time family friend but not to me now.
My dad, prominent evangelist in 30-40-50's, helped him start Thomas Roads church.

Dad would be shocked at Jerry's position.