America's Culture War a Second Civil War?
Last week, the American Renewal Project hosted a fourteen-minute call with former Speaker Newt Gingrich. He said:
"We have had a long run of left-wing, secular, often atheistic rules and regulations imposed on our country. We've had a coalition that grew up in the universities, the newsrooms, in Hollywood, that are really opposed to what everyone on this call believes in.
"We have begun, I think, to turn the corner in winning the fight and what really is, as Dennis Prager has said, "A cultural civil war. The second American civil war…"
The crux of the problem is what Gingrich described as a coalition that's "opposed to what everyone on this call believes in." What we're seeing in America is a collision of two competing worldviews — i.e., religions: Christianity vs. Secularism. Each worldview is inherently expansive and evangelistic. One is true and one is false.
The ideology that transports its followers into the public square will dominate the Republic. Why? In a democratic republic, where ultimate power rests in its citizens that are entitled to vote, elected representatives wield the power. If Christians stay home, secularists — proponents of 1) taking the life of an unborn child, 2) same-sex intercourse and marriage, and 3) forcing states to open female restrooms, showers, and locker rooms up to men — will impose their agenda. This is Politics 101.
The powerless state of the modern Church is what is most puzzling; it may be an eschatological problem. Christians have become skilled at imitating the gentle, turn the other cheek, Jesus. Where is the turn-over-the-tables Jesus, indignant at the assault on liberty by godless secularists? But one thing is clear, there is no fear in the itty-bitty stick that Christians bring to the public square as of now.
Let's make an application. Take Hillary Clinton and her husband Bill. Bothersome is the imprecision in the Department of Justice, and the impression of a double standard for the well connected vs. the average citizen. I quoted last fall a portion of Dinesh D'Souza's speech at Liberty University:
EXHIBIT I
"The 'big fries' are still at large. The 'big fries' never get caught, in fact, the system doesn't even go after them. Why? Because they run the system. They're too well connected in the system. Then my mind went forward to Bill Clinton having his little rendezvous with Loretta Lynch on the tarmac. It went to Obama signaling to his boy James Comey and signaling over to Lynch, 'Hey, Hillary's my girl. I'm turning over the baton to Hillary. Lay off Hillary.
"When Hillary became Secretary of State this was a very profitable moment for the Clinton's. Why? Well, you can track it: Bill Clinton's lecture fee went from $150K to $600K — as soon as Hillary became Secretary of State. This is to give a 20-minute speech."
"STEP 1 - "Now you think that people are paying $600K to hear Bill give you the same rubbish that you can listen for free online? No, they're paying for a speech — it's kind of a bribe. It's kind of a down payment for something that the 'Giver' — and by the way, we're not talking about American 'Givers' only, we're not just talking about Goldman Sachs, we're also talking about foreign entities, foreign governments. The 'Giver' wants something, and so they pay Bill Clinton to speak."
"STEP 2 — Hillary now delivers the 'something' that the donor wants. So in a very specific case, there were a group of billionaire Indians that wanted Hillary to change her position and support the Indian nuclear deal. Hillary was against it. But once Bill began to be invited to India, and money began flowing his way, Hillary had a change of heart, she switched her position. She supports the Indian nuclear deal.
"STEP 3 — Millions of dollars now flow to the Clinton Foundation: STEP 1, STEP 2, STEP 3, this happens again, and again, and again, and again…"
EXHIBIT II
Kayleigh McEnany's Op/Ed in The Hill newspaper:
"Clinton had operated nefariously in her dealings with Russia. Bill Clinton had given a $500,000 speech in Russia. Clinton had given her approval in handing one-fifth of U.S. uranium to Russia, after which her foundation received $2.35 million from the Russian-controlled company. Suspiciously, Clinton did not disclose the transaction.
"Likewise, Clinton campaign chief John Podesta sat on the board of a company that received $35 million from the Russian government alongside fellow board members Anatoly Chubais, a senior Russian official, and Ruben Vardanyan, an oligarch." (from The Hill)
EXHIBIT III
"A Clinton Foundation official pushed Hillary Clinton's State Department to approve a request for Bill Clinton to speak at a North Korean industrial complex accused of funding the country's rogue nuclear program.
"Bill Clinton successfully sought State Department approval for 215 speeches while his wife served as secretary of state, earning $48 million on the speaking circuit during her tenure. His frequent addresses to foreign governments and entities that had interests pending before Hillary Clinton's agency has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest." (from washingtonexaminer.com)
That said, The Atlantic magazine reported last week that Hillary Wants to Preach. As slippery as Mrs. Clinton is, she shouldn't have any problem squaring her assault on the unborn, support of same-sex intercourse/marriage, and applause of transgender bathrooms, all the while parsing Scripture.
Pastors and pews have begun to reengage in the public square, which is the good news. Gideons and Rahabs are beginning to stand, there is going to be a resurrection! Why? "Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight…"*
David Lane
American Renewal Project
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