Pastor Chuck Baldwin
AN OPEN LETTER TO CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES
Sat Jan 31 11:26:31 2004
67.1.147.99

http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin161.htm
AN OPEN LETTER TO CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVES

By Pastor Chuck Baldwin

January 31, 2004

NewsWithViews.com

My purpose in writing these columns is to make people think, to confront
current events and trends with an intense appreciation for truth. My
desire is also to awaken a lethargic population to an ever increasing
societal, cultural, political, and spiritual departure from America's
historic Christian roots and from a commitment to constitutional
government.

When I confronted the foibles and fallacies of President Bill Clinton,
Christian conservatives hailed me a hero. I was deluged with
congratulatory emails and letters. Their appreciation for my work could
not be expressed loudly or often enough.

However, when I confront the foibles and fallacies of President George
W. Bush, those same Christian conservatives call me every dirty name in
the book. I am suddenly their enemy. Their songs of praise for my work
have turned into a cacophony of hate. But amazingly, I am saying the
same things now that I said then. So, what has changed?

I submit that what has changed are the attitudes and principles of vast
numbers of Christian conservatives. Where once they stood for truth,
they now stand for political parties. Where once they gave their loyalty
and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the
Declaration of Independence, and even the Bible, they now swear loyalty
and allegiance to G. W. Bush and the Republican Party. It seems that
many Christians have become little more than spineless lackeys for a
political machine. They seem to have lost the ability to think
critically and objectively.

Scores of readers have chastised me for criticizing President Bush,
calling him God's "anointed." Countless numbers of Christians seem to
believe that G.W. Bush deserves the kind of unquestioned loyalty that
they would give to the Apostle Paul or even to Christ Himself. Of
course, such thinking is beyond foolishness; it borders on blasphemy!

G. W. Bush is an elected politician. He was elected President of these
United States. Nothing more; nothing less. He has no more divine
"anointing" than any other elected politician.

Where was all this "anointing" talk when Bill Clinton was elected
President? The same God that permitted Bush to become President
permitted Clinton to become President. Yet, Christian conservatives
called Clinton the Anti-Christ, whereas they now want to add Bush to the
Holy Trinity. However, they can't have it both ways: If Bush is God's
"anointed," so was Clinton.

While we are on the subject, it seems lost to most Christian
conservatives that G.W. Bush is a member of the same church denomination
as Senator Hillary Clinton. Yet, I doubt that we will hear many of them
referring to Hillary's divine "anointing."

The fact is, under our form of government, God has given to "we the
people" the right and responsibility of selecting our leaders.
Therefore, we have the President, the Congress, the courts, and the
state and local leaders that we elect.

There is no king or monarch in America! There is no "divine right" to
any political party or to any politician to any public office in this
country! In America, the people must rule themselves. They do this
through their elected lawmakers and elected chief executives.

When the people's elected leaders stray from their oaths of office, when
they violate their contracts with the people, when they govern unjustly
or unconstitutionally, it is the right and duty of the people to openly
criticize them, scold them, and replace them.

One of America's finer presidents, Theodore Roosevelt, said, "To
announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we
are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic
and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing
but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else. But it is even
more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than
about any one else."

My criticisms of President Bush are consistent with my criticisms of
President Clinton. They are based on his policies, statements, and
administrative decisions. I never attempt to judge his heart, for only
God has judgment and authority there. However, I will continue to judge
his actions, or inactions, as is my constitutional right and duty to do.

Accordingly, I charge G. W. Bush with posturing himself as a
conservative while giving us bigger government than did even Bill
Clinton. I charge him with creating the machinery with which a police
state may emerge. Furthermore, I charge President Bush with attempting
to take more freedoms away from the American people than any president
in modern memory.

I also believe that Mr. Bush has redundantly violated his oath to
support and defend the Constitution of the United States and that he has
given nothing but lip service to the pro-life and pro-family agendas. It
is also my contention that President Bush has jeopardized the security
of these United States and has made a mockery of our nation's laws by
his treacherous illegal alien amnesty proposal. He also lied to the
American people by saying he supported the Second Amendment only later
to endorse the Clinton gun ban.

Even worse, I charge Christian conservatives with willingly surrendering
their independent thinking as well as their American heritage in order
to accommodate President Bush and the Republican Party. I further charge
them with selling their spiritual birthright for a mess of political
pottage!

We should expect more of our leaders than lip service. Indeed, if any
elected office holder talks the Christian talk, he should be held to a
higher, not lesser, standard. Beyond that, the one standard that really
matters for any elected politician is not his rhetoric, but his loyalty
and commitment to America's founding principles. This should be the
overriding determinate as to whether he or she is re- elected or
un-elected, party affiliation or denominational affiliation
notwithstanding.

Therefore, I stand by my criticisms of President Bush. And I will
continue to warn the American people of his big government,
pseudo-conservative policies. I will not be partaker of his political
sins.

Whether readers react with anger or appreciation to these columns is not
my responsibility. If, however, these columns can somehow create a
hunger for truth, a thirst for freedom, and a reverence for America's
founding principles, they will have attained their intended purpose.

© 2004 Chuck Baldwin - All Rights Reserved





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Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in
Pensacola, Florida. In 1985 the church was recognized by President
Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence.

Dr. Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk
show on the Genesis Communications Network called, "Chuck Baldwin Live"
This is a daily, one hour long call-in show in which Dr. Baldwin
addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of
view. Pastor Baldwin writes weekly articles on the internet
http://www.ChuckBaldwinLive.com  and newspapers.

To learn more about his radio talk show please visit his web site at:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com .

• the many....... — rascal, Sat Jan 31 13:51
• Christians — Jer, Sat Jan 31 13:03