NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER --DEFEND IT! DO IT!

I listened to one of those "Freedom From Religion Foundation types" (FFRF) on TV saying the day is unconstitutional because the government cannot tell her to pray.

I wish I could tell her that NO ONE IS TELLING YOU TO PRAY! Just as Mother's Day is for mothers, National Day of Prayer is for those who pray --not for those who choose not to. There is no coercion or denial of liberty here.

There is no establishment of religion, but national respect for religion in general which includes prayer. "God, Bless America!" is a prayer --and a song by a Jewish man, Irving Berlin. You don't have to all become mothers on Mother's Day; you don't all have to become prayers on Prayer Day.

Where is the common sense and the respect for religious free expression in the FFRF? and the ACLU and the mis-named People for the American Way? They would take away the freedom of free exercise of religion in public places and by public figures. That's just plainly Un-American, unconstitutional, and counters the reality of the best aspects of our history.

National Day of Prayer Today

Some of us will be at the flag pole at the Springfield Twp Bldg. on Angola road –the sheriff’s station, from 12: 20 to 12: 40, in conjunction with the American Family Association's challenge to "Meet at City Hall," and the Focus on the Family's promotion of a presidential task force for this day --which task force has largely been ignored and messed with by Obama administration behind the banning of evangelicals who were scheduled to speak, like Franklin Graham of Samaritan's Purse and Tony Perkins of Family Research Council. Obama is not having a service at the White House as his predecessors did. He'd be wise to join one at the Capitol.

Join us.

Wherever we are, let us all...

• Pray especially for our nation, our leaders, our elections
• Pray for help with our oil spill and other natural disasters around the globe.
  
• Pray that hearts will turn to God and return to Him in repentance and desire to know Him and serve Him.
• Pray for religious freedom and moral decency to prevail in our nation.
  
• Ask God to help us be part of the solutions and not the problems of our nation.
  
• Pray that the Church and the Christians will be faithful to proclaim CHRIST, crucified, risen and coming again –to the world.
  
• Pray for the needy and sorrowing that they will receive aid and comfort.
  
• Pray for our men and women in armed services.
  
• Pray that the Church will pursue Holiness over hedonism, purity over pleasure and show the world that Christ is alive in His church as we demonstrate His love to each other, to neighbors, relatives and enemies.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

While Jesus recommended private prayer rather than praying for the purpose of being seen by men (with pride), He also says this:

¹⁹Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18: 19-20

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Conklins in the News: Freedom From Religion Foundation is Squandering Energy Again--against Roadside memorial crosses.

According to an article in the Blade last Sunday, featuring the roadside cross memorial for our friend Tim Conklin, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sees the roadside crosses marking accident sites as “religious” and thus offensive. They encourage atheists to tear them down because they are on government property. I wish the members of the FFRF had something better to do with their energies. This is so petty.

First of all, I bet some of the crosses are really on the easement rights the government maintains on private property for the potential of enlarging the roads.

Secondly, they ARE warnings that we should be careful in our driving and may mark a dangerous curve, as Tim Conklin’s cross memorial does.

Thirdly, they ARE comforts and expressions of grief and remembrance for those who have suffered a terrible loss. Crosses symbolize life after death, salvation for eternity. They ARE more than generic memorials in that Jesus’ death on the cross resulted in Resurrection of the Dead for all who believe. Any one may choose to believe this or not, so why does the symbol enrage or sadden the unbeliever??? Perhaps because he thinks there may be truth in it and he’d rather there be no such hope? Is that rational?

Many such memorials disappear after many months of deterioration. We assume road maintenance or the families might take them down because they were neglected over time as people move on with their lives. Moldy teddy bears, tattered signs and withered flowers are cleaned up –but a cross endures a while longer as a sign that someone cared about this life that was tragically taken.

“That government is best which governs least” seems applicable to such memorial crosses as to national health care. It is liberals and atheists who seem to want to control every aspect of our lives –and deaths –with their vitriolic hatred of all things religious and free.

Tim's father, Joe Conklin, a Christian lay leader at my church, had the last words in the article, including these about the FFRF types: "I think these people are nuts to start out with. This country was brought up with the cross. You won't find the term 'separation of church and state' in the Constitution or in the Declaration of Independence." EXACTLY!



"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible