From the Pulpit

(This post is a reprint in it's entirety from Dr. Jack Chinn who is a retired USAF chaplain. Please follow the link through the title back to the original source.)

Separation of faith from the state

Jack Chinn

"The first and governing maxim in the interpretation of a statute is to discover the meaning of those who made it." These are the words of James Wilson on The study of Law (circa 1790). Alexander Hamilton sustained that maxim stating, "The Constitution ought to be the standard of construction for the laws, and wherever there is evident opposition, the laws ought to give place to the Constitution." (circa 1788). Thomas Jefferson's take on the subject was even more pointed as he adds, "On every question of construction carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." (circa 1823). The case in point is the first amendment in which the phrase "establishment of religion" has been twisted and squeezed by secular justices into an interpretation of the "separation of church and state." This has occurred solely to justify prohibition of the free exercise of faith in God on the premise that an exercise of faith becomes a threat to take over the government and make it religious in rule. It is no secret a faith in God is held by the majority of the citizens yet, there is a false fear that all churches and believers in God have to be separated from any connection with government be it state or nation.

The word "Church" is the most misunderstood word in the secular vernacular of today's world. Because of stereotyping, it is only known as a visible edifice found throughout the nation that house the various corporations of entities, organized for mundane purposes and spiritual worship. "Church" has the abstract meaning of "the universal spiritual body of Christ" which has no connection with the political furor of those who are not a part of that body, and some stupidly affirm its believers in God would seek to exchange that spiritual body for a temporal one.

Those of us who are members of that body gained entrance by means of faith in God. Consequently, only He will admit members who demonstrate faith that He exists and then will He impart His Spirit to them. The proof is self evident among its members who are reborn spiritual persons exactly as God promised.

The inconsistency of secular minded individuals who attempt to negate the first amendment clause of the free exercise of that faith, resides in their non-faith in God. Yet, in our Constitution and the Constitution of all 50 individual States that comprise our United States, in their preambles all of them honor God, His Divine guidance, and grace for the rights of worship, liberty, and freedom.

The Enterprise Record (7-24) carried an article on Faith vs. Secularism as a duel for supremacy but, that is a misnomer. What really is at stake is the Christian's right to free expression of faith guaranteed by the Constitution which the atheists want to eliminate. These who fight so hard to remove faith in God from public discussion are exercising the opposite of what they try to forbid, namely, free exercise of one's faith.

In my lifetime I have witnessed the decline that has brought about this miserable attempt to eliminate God from our society by silencing His witnesses' testimony and reinterpreting the words and intent of the founders of this nation, while some of the Supreme Court justices have fallen victims of Constitutional myopia.

When one enters the Supreme Court Building, look up on the facade and view the figures of the ancients: Among the engraved images is that of Moses holding the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Then, as you enter the Supreme Court courtroom observe the two huge oaken doors which have the Ten Commandments engraved on the lower section of each door. If that isn't enough, as one sits inside the courtroom, above where the judges sit, is a display of Moses holding the Ten Commandments. Yet, the justices can rule on where they may or may not be displayed to the delight of the ACLU and other unbelievers who file lawsuits for their removal from public buildings which all of us as taxpayers have paid for, whether Christian or not.

If that isn't evidence of a faith in God, Bible verses are etched in stone on monuments and buildings all over Washington, D.C., while every session of Congress since 1777 is opened with prayer offered by a paid minister.

Patrick Henry, if living today, would be crucified by secularists for declaring his faith publicly with the words, "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religions but on the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Two hundred and twenty years later it suddenly becomes unconstitutional for 86% of the population to have faith in or mention God. If the other 14% do not want to hear about that gospel ( the good news) which is the quintessential of life eternal through a spiritual faith in God, then for them that is unfortunate. There can be no separation of one's Faith from the State that has acknowledged God as the Sovereign over life and men's destinies. Those who are against Christ are identified as antichrist. Only the grace of God could change an unbeliever's mind, and then, only, if faith in God be manifested.

Oklahoma City Terrorist Alert Credible Says FBI/AFOSI

Both the FBI of Oklahoma City and the AFOSI [Air Force Office of Special Investigations] have agreed that the threat of a possible terrorist attack is credible and have released alerts to military facilities. Read about this here.

Muslims Are Not Embracing The ACLU

This is a Stop The ACLU Thursday Blogburst!

The ACLU filed a lawsuit in Wake County Superior Court in North Carolina on Tuesday of this week to adopt a policy allowing the Quran and other religious texts for oath-taking in North Carolina courtrooms. Guilford Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Albright and Guilford Chief District Court Judge Joseph E. Turner decided that they could not accept the Koran or other religious texts for courtroom use after an attempt by Muslims from the Al-Ummil Ummat Islamic Center in Greensboro to donate copies of the Quran to Guilford County's two courthouses last month.

Seth Cohen of Greensboro an ACLU attorney, is arguing that the judge's decision is a violation of the First Amendment establishment clause by favoring one religion over another. The key to the argument is interpretation of the original 1856 state Supreme Court decision which was called "Administration of oath upon the Gospels" that was revised by legislators in 1985 who took out "the Gospels" in the title and changed the language to simply read "Holy Scriptures". The ACLU is arguing that the Koran is considered "Holy Scriptures" and should be accepted for the swearing in of witnesses in the courtrooms.

Where are the Muslim's in this lawsuit? Mr. Cohen and the North Carolina ACLU are not getting any support from the Al-Ummil Ummat Islamic Center in Greensboro, nor are local Muslim leaders such as Imam Charles Abdullah advocating that this be done. The ACLU has filed WITHOUT a defined person or entity to seek damages for.

"We certainly envision this ultimately ending up in the North Carolina Supreme Court," said Jennifer Rudinger, the executive director of the state ACLU."The main thing is everyone has to be treated the same," Rudinger said. "The government has to be neutral, whether it allows all texts or no texts. Those are the choices." Rudinger said her organization tried to contact members of the Islamic center but ultimately decided the lawsuit could go forward without them.

So the ACLU is going it alone. They decided to file on behalf of some 8000 Muslims and Jews that live in the state. It seems that this is one fight that they will fight alone, because the Muslims and Jews are not endorsing it. And why should they? Would it help them so much in the long run, or would it make a mockery of religion in general, when the Satanists bring in their backwards Bible and upside down cross to swear by. Possibly, the religious leaders of these two communities understand the ramifications of a ruling to allow all "sacred documents" will be sacrilegious to all religions, not only their own. The Muslim community was not trying to make any changes to the law, only make the Koran available to Islamic believers without a major controversy.

I doubt that the Al-Ummil Ummat Islamic Center really thought that it would go this far. But then too, the ACLU is being investigated by the FBI - perhaps that may be the reason that they are trying to distance themselves from involvement with the ACLU, although this would never be the reason that would be given publicly, it may have some bearing on their decision to pass in the lawsuit.

Besides, it's the ACLU - they don't need anyone to stand up for. They will stand up for you whether you want them to or not. And whether you like it or not.

This was a production of Stop The ACLU Blogburst! If you would like to join us, register at the Protest The ACLU Portal. You will be added to our mailing list and emailed further instructions.

cross posted from Is It Just Me?

ACLU Working Overtime To Keep Jesus Out

Click Here To Watch The Video

Here is another good one

Petition Schumer Now For Ginsburg Standard

Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends!

Ask Sen. Schumer To Apply The Same Standard To Supreme Court Nominee Roberts As Was Applied To Justice Ginsburg

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York has gone on record as saying he would question John Roberts, President Bush’s nominee to the Supreme Court, about his views on abortion and a host of other issues.When asked questions concerning abortion in her Senate confirmation hearings, now Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (then the nominee of President Clinton) responded by saying that the abortion issue could possibly come before her. Therefore, she said, it would be inappropriate for her to give an opinion on the question of abortion. (Incidentally, she had previously served as general counsel for the ACLU.)Her refusal to answer questions concerning abortion has become known as the "Ginsburg Standard." Ask Sen. Schumer to apply the same standard to nominee Roberts as was applied to nominee Ginsburg. It is the only fair thing to do.

Click Here To Send Your Email To Senator Schumer Now!

Sincerely,

Don
Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and ChairmanAmerican Family Association

P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends.

Additional contact information:

Charles Schumer, Senator
Senator Schumer
335 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Primary Phone: (202) 224-4124
E-Mail: Charles Schumer (david_hantman@schumer.senate.gov), Senator Schumer

More information

Hellewell Blasts ACLU And The Heathen Masses

Republican Senator Parley Hellewell from Utah is taking the kidd gloves off. He is calling upon the religious of Utah to get behind him and support a new bill he is planning on introducing to bypass the First Amendment rulings of the Supreme Court dating back to the 1960's that set up the separation of church and state and began the removal of religion from schools and government.

In 1962 in Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court sided with the New York ACLU and found "the nondenominational prayer a religious activity 'wholly inconsistent' with the First Amendment." It held that "the decision did not imply hostility to religion and that it specifically exempted from the decision references to God in government ceremonies." (In Defense of American Liberties - A History of the ACLU, Samuel Walker, p. 224, Southern Illinois University Press (2nd ed. 1999.)

The first of many rulings that the ACLU (the leader of the heathen masses in Sen. Hellewell's opinion) incurred upon the American religious. This was followed quickly by

Abington School District v. Schempp and Murray v. Curlett in 1963, when the ACLU challenged the Bible reading law. The Supreme Court ruled the law unconstitutional and "reaffirmed its view that the government" should be "firmly committed to a position of neutrality." "The Court's decisions also encouraged more activity by the ACLU and its allies. (...) [I]n a subtle but important shift the ACLU's role increasingly became that of a watchdog fighting for implementation of civil liberties principles that were now a matter of law." (In Defense of American Liberties - A History of the ACLU, Samuel Walker, pp. 224, 226, Southern Illinois University Press (2nd ed. 1999.) "As a result, according to Richard and Susan Vigilante, they have effectively reduced 'the place of religion in American life' and have restricted religious speech 'in a way they would never allow other forms of speech to be restricted.'" (Trial and Error - The American Civil Liberties Union and its Impact on Your Family, George Grant, p.70, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc. (1st. ed. 1989)

To those add the recent rulings on the Ten Commandments in which Barrow County lost against the ACLU in its' attempt to hold on to the document that hung in a breezeway of the Courthouse complex. (Did I mention that the ACLU is being rewarded $150,000 for their efforts in that case?) And then you have the hypocritical rulings to teach Islam in the schools of California. No wonder Sen. Hellewell, " plans to introduce legislation to take back control for the majority he insists wants God in government meetings and public schools. "

Quoting from the book Original Intent, Hellewell argued that religion infused American life until the Supreme Court interpreted the First Amendment's establishment clause 40 years ago to block prayer in public schools. He held up a copy of his sister's tiny New Testament, passed out in school, and The Primer, a religiously-tinged schoolbook he said was the basis of American education for 200 years. He quoted the Founding Fathers speaking about God and religion. And Hellewell cited apocryphal stories of school administrators pulling the Bible off school library shelves, prohibiting the display of the word "Christmas" and blocking religious artwork.
"I don't think we're doing what the Founding Fathers of our country intended. The first 50 to 200 years of our country, we had a lot more religious freedom than we have now," Hellewell said. "The Supreme Court is doing what we call 'legislating from the bench.' There's one heck of a lot of prohibiting. There's a movement out there saying you can't practice your religion. We're living by the atheist religion."

Hellewel intends to write state legislation that would allow the Pledge of Allegiance, prayer at high school graduations and student blessings of their lunch, all of which are allowed under specific circumstances, but Hellewell wants more protection for such shows of devotion.

The response from the heathens was swift. "When the good legislators pass that law, they should also budget $100,000 for attorneys' fees", said civil rights attorney Brian Barnard. (Now we have an idea of the average cost of litigation when the ACLU gets involved).

Was Hellewel worried? Hellsfire no. His reply to that was, "I don't care if it starts a lawsuit," he said. "We have to defend our freedom".

Amen to that, Senator Hellewel.

Cross posted from Stop the ACLU

Show Your Faith In God And Country

When we started out Crosses aCross America, the one point that we wanted to stress and spread was for American's of all faiths to demonstrate their faith by placing symbols of their faith on their private property. We were motivated by recent legal cases in which public displays of faith were being challenged under the First Amendment establishment clause - separating church and state.

This hangs by my front door. It isn't large - it isn't in your face. It is a greeting, that is a testimony to my family's belief in God and our country. I am the daughter of a WWII veteran and a mother of a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. To our family, without God there would be no country. And without those willing to fight for that country, we would not have the freedom to believe. The two are intertwined and go back to the very beginnings of our nation, when those first pilgrims came here seeking a place where they could worship freely.

Join me please, in showing your faith. Join us here at Crosses aCross America by sending pictures of your testimony of faith and your personal story to be published on this blog.

"We View Litigation As A Last Resort"

So says ACLU's West Virginia executive director, Andrew Schneider. But, intimidation is the ACLU's first resort. He forgot to mention that...

Clay County, West Virginia Courthouse has become one of the newest Ten Commandments news items. Nearly 200 county residents attended a meeting of the County Commissioner's to decide whether to leave up a plaque of the Ten Commandments or bring it down. Why? Because two county residents thought the Ten Commandments should go and utilized the ACLU cards they carried, calling in the ACLU to back them up with threat of a lawsuit if the plaque was not retired.

Said Andy Waddell, a county resident and an admitted ACLU member, of the plaque, "it's scary" that Clay County places more weight in the Ten Commandments than Supreme Court rulings.

Last October, the American Civil Liberties Union, which Waddell is a member of, sent a letter to the commission stating that if the plaque was not removed, there could be legal action.

Prompted by the letter and recent rulings of the Supreme Court Clay County Commissioners decided to put the vote to the people, as to whether the Ten Commandments should continue to hang along side several historical documents, including the Bill of Rights. The vote was nearly 40 to 1 in favor of leaving the Ten Commandments hang in the Courthouse. (And told the ACLU, by this action, to go hang themselves).

The ACLU's West Virginia executive director, Andrew Schneider, said Wednesday that the group was still considering a lawsuit but has not filed one. "It's not as if we haven't decided that the Ten Commandments plaque in the county commission room of Clay County is violating the law. . . . We are only considering how to deal with that violation," Schneider said. "We view litigation as a last resort."

Intimidation is nothing new to the ACLU. The following was written in 1989:

"And considering the fact that the ACLU no longer has to take many of its cases before the bench - its influence is so great that even a threat of a lawsuit is often enough to change policies, reshape legislation, and redirect priorities in case after case - those achievements are even more remarkable." (Trial and Error - The American Civil Liberties Union and its Impact on Your Family, George Grant, p.28, Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc. (1st. ed. 1989)

How well does intimidation pay? The ACLU bragged themselves,

“In 1978, the national ACLU's annual income was $3.9 million and the organization ran a small deficit. By 1999, annual income was an off-the-charts $45 million. The endowment fund has gone from $780,000 to a whopping $41 million. ” (ACLU National Director Retires for Much More Freedom, Robyn E. Blumner, St. Petersburg Times, Aug. 3, 2000)

The residents of Clay County, West Virginia have spoken. They have been intimidated, but stand firm in their convictions and have shown their choice through the democratic process of voting. The majority will not be intimidated by the minority in this matter, and as far as the ACLU is concerned, Clay County residents have sent a clear message - they will not be intimidated by a threat of litigation.

The Constitution Does Not Reflect People's Will

Peter Eliasberg, an ACLU attorney may have well gone on to say, "and don't you Christians forget it...". Eliasberg is representing the ACLU in Los Angeles County in a lawsuit, which has spurned a petition drive by a non-profit group called the Los Angeles County Heritage Coalition to bring back the original county seal that has been targeted by the ACLU for it's Christian images.

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and county Supervisor Mike Antonovich are leading the supporters to reinstate the original seal. Ms. Hahn's father designed the seal and she has stressed that the seal originally was designed to reflect the history of the people of the area, not a single religion.

Peter Eliasberg, the ACLU attorney who is seeking the change of the seal stated,

"Unlike many other government decisions, things that are prohibited by the Constitution cannot be changed by the will of the people, any more than the voters of Los Angeles could vote to close all the synagogues or all the mosques."

So, the ACLU wishes to have religious symbols removed from the court.

BUT, in North Carolina the opposite is the case...

The ACLU of North Carolina has called on the state Administrative Office of the Courts to adopt a policy allowing the Quran and other religious texts for oath-taking in North Carolina courtrooms. Guilford Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Albright and Guilford Chief District Court Judge Joseph E. Turner decided that they could not accept the Koran or other religious texts for courtroom use after an attempt by Muslims from the Al-Ummil Ummat Islamic Center in Greensboro to donate copies of the Quran to Guilford County's two courthouses last month.

Seth Cohen of Greensboro an ACLU attorney, is arguing that the judge's decision is a violation of the First Amendment establishment clause by favoring one religion over another. The key to the argument is interpretation of the original 1856 state Supreme Court decision which was called "Administration of oath upon the Gospels" that was revised by legislators in 1985 who took out "the Gospels" in the title and changed the language to simply read "Holy Scriptures". The ACLU is arguing that the Koran is considered "Holy Scriptures" and should be accepted for the swearing in of witnesses in the courtrooms.

So, in this instance the ACLU wishes to include even more religious symbols in the court.

Now, isn't this a farce? Does the ACLU really want religion to be part of our courts or not? It would appear that as long as there is a possible reason to sue, the ACLU doesn't care to what end purpose the lawsuit will have. That doesn't reflect practicing good law, it reflects greed. In both cases, should a lawsuit actually come about the people of these states will pay and pay dearly for a ruling. Rulings that, if the ACLU has their way, would be in direct opposition of each other.

A Reading

I have been falling short in my responsibilities to this blog since I agreed to be apart of it. Starting this week, I will offer the morning reading each Sunday morning.

JOB, 41 the second part of Today's morning reading

God's power seen in the leviathan.

41 Canst thou draw our leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

2 Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

3 Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee?

4 Will he make a covenant with thee? wilt thou take him for a servant for ever?

5 Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

6 Shall the companions make a banquet of him?shall they part him among the merchants?

7 Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons?or his head with fish spears?

8 Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more.

9 Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

10 None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me?

11 Who hath prevented me, that I should repay him? whatsoever is under the whole heaven is mine.

12 I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

13 Who can discover the face of his garment? or who can come to him with his double bridle?

14 Who can open the doors of his face? his teeth are terrible round about

15 His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal.

16 One is so near to another, that no air can come between them.

17 They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

18 By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

19 Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

20 Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

21 His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

22 In his neck remaineth strength, and 'sorrow is turned into joy before him.

23 The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

24 His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

25 When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breaking they purify themselves.

26 The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon.

27 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

28 The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble.

29 Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

30 Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

31 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

33 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

34 He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Source The King James Bible. The first part of today's reading is JOB 40.

The Cross We Must Bear

If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me." (Luke 9:23)

The war against terror is as much a spiritual one as it is a physical one. The war we fight is on many fronts. We fight in the dessert, and against organizations right here in America that try to take away our religious liberty. We also fight within our very souls daily. Prayer is THE most powerful weapon we have in this war against pure EVIL. Continue to pray for the world in these dark times. Hold to your faith with all that you have.

Thank you Mudville Gazette and Wizbang carnival of trackbacks.

London We Cry With You - AND FIGHT WITH YOU!

God bless you all in this time of horror.

To have the enemy strike on your own soil, is an outrage. We feel your pain and anger at this time.

We understand the difficult times those who have suffered, because of the terrorist attack, are going through and will live with in the future. You are not alone.

Our countries will stand together and stand strong. The enemy will have no peace and will not be able to hide from our combined resolve. We will together win this war on terrorism.

Our prayers and thoughts are with the citizens of London and everyone in England.

Stop The ACLU BlogBurst 6/7/05

It is my pleasure to announce the opening of one of the greatest sites to ever hit the web. Stop The ACLU has moved to its own hosted site and promises to be a beacon of truth to the blogsphere.

So Please stop by and pay a visit to the new home of our movement. Stop The ACLU!!!!

This week we are running a caption contest. There are 2 pictures to choose from. The winner of the contest will be announced next Thursday.

Also, for members of the BlogBurst, we are starting with this week a Blog of the Month contest. Each week, Jay, a secret judge, and myself will be selecting a Feature Blog of the Week. Those winners will put up for a public vote for Blog of the Month. Prizes are yet to be determined.

So drop by, pay us a visit, enter the contest, and if you are not a member of the blogburst sign up. We are planning some good stuff ahead.

Feature Blog of the Week will be announced and linked at Gribbit Online - BlogBurst page.

Blogger's 1st Amendment Pledge

If the FEC makes rules that limit my First Amendment right to express my opinion on core political issues, I will not obey those rules.

Christians Fight Back

While the interpretation of the First Amendment differs greatly between conservatives and the far left, one thing is quite clear...Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercize of religion. While the far left like to focus on the establishment clause, and Conservative's like to focus on the free exercise Clause, there should be no argument when it comes to private property. As a matter of fact that is what this site is all about.... Encouraging people to practice their Constitutional rights to express their religion. So the following article should be good news to Conservatives and Christian liberals alike.

WHITLEY CITY, Ky. - It's one of the more conspicuous road signs on U.S. 27, a scenic route that meanders through the Daniel Boone National Forest on its way to a popular recreational area on Lake Cumberland.

"WARNING. Jesus is coming. RU Ready?"

Such proclamations, already common throughout the Bible Belt, could proliferate along roadsides in reaction to a Supreme Court ruling barring displays of the Ten Commandments in two southern Kentucky courthouses, said Don Swarthout, head of the Kentucky-based Christians Reviving America's Values.

"People want to do something to reflect their principles, and that's one way they can legally do it," Swarthout said.

While some groups continue the fight for the right to post biblical passages in public buildings, others are enjoying their constitutional privilege to post them where they're certain to be seen - in places of prominence on private property along roads and interstate highways.

Some are opting for professional displays on billboards. Others are using hand-scrawled signs on lawns or in cow pastures. Yet others are attaching bumper stickers to their cars. Swarthout said far more people will see the outdoor displays than would see a posting inside a courthouse.

Jimmie Greene, a retired McCreary County judge-executive, said he put a placard of the Ten Commandments on his lawn, as did most of his neighbors, after a judge first ruled that the display in the courthouse had to come down.

"You should have seen it," he said. "The landscape was covered with Ten Commandments."

Swarthout said the turmoil involving the posting of the Ten Commandments in public buildings triggered the reaction by private property owners to show their support for the cause.

"People feel like that is something they can do that shows they feel strongly about the principles of Christianity," Swarthout said.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that such exhibits on government property must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure they don't violate the Constitution. Its ruling said, however, that southeastern Kentucky's McCreary and Pulaski counties went too far and promoted a religious message when they put framed copies of the Ten Commandments on courthouse walls.

Officials first hung framed copies of the Ten Commandments in their courthouses in 1999 and later added other documents, such as the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence, after such displays were challenged as religious by the American Civil Liberties Union.

At the height of the controversy, residents of the two counties began putting blue-and-white Ten Commandments markers on their front lawns to show their support.

David Friedman, who successfully argued the ACLU's case before the Supreme Court, said Monday's ruling reaffirmed a core principle - "that government and religion should not become impermissibly entangled."

Friedman said the ACLU would vigorously pursue cases against other local governments that have posted the Ten Commandments in public buildings.

Speaking to reporters at his downtown Louisville law office, Friedman said he welcomed people celebrating and displaying the commandments, just not on government property.

"They should do it in their homes, in their religious institutions, on their cars, in their businesses and not through their government," he said. "The government is all of ours, and it can only be all of ours when it remains neutral."

Churches, especially, have been making use of their marquees to do just that through what's called sentence sermons.

"We're kind of a sound bite society," said L. James Harvey, of Grand Rapids, Mich., author of three books of sentence sermons. "I'm trying to convince churches that they have a drive-by congregation, and they can reach out to them with these messages and sometimes change a life."

The messages aren't limited to church marquees. Harvey said Christian businessmen are incorporating them into outdoor advertising.

"I just think people have a thirst for truth wherever they can find it," he said. "When people are in their cars, they're kind of a captive audience."

Jim Ratliff, owner of Lighthouse Christian Bookstore near Pikeville, said he is seeing strong sales of ornamental license plates that allow people to share their messages with other motorists.

"Got Jesus?," one asks. "God Is My Co-Pilot," another proclaims.

"Those license plates make as many statements as you could possibly make," Ratliff said.

Others prefer bumper stickers. For pedestrians, it's T-shirts adorned with a list of the Ten Commandments or messages like "Smile, God Loves You."

"It's about freedom of speech," Swarthout said. "It's about sharing principles for people to live by."Source

Sad News

Carol, from American Housewife is mourning the death of her husband. Please take some time to go over and send her condolences. Donate if you can afford to, and definitely keep her and her family in your prayers.

Wishing You A Safe And Happy 4th of July

I wish each of you a safe and happy 4th of July.

May your day be filled with family and friends, sunny weather, tons of wonderful food, and flags waving proudly.

May your night be filled with peaceful thoughts, clear skies, stars twinkling, and bursts of color in the heavens (followed by "ooohs" and "aaahs").

To our military - THANK YOU - for protecting us all - GOD BLESS YOU - You are in my prayers. I hope your day and night is peaceful where ever you are at.