Chuck Baldwin

GOP LEADERSHIP SEEKS TO ENSCONCE JUDICIAL TYRANNY

Tue Apr 26, 2005 14:38

69.43.20.96

GOP LEADERSHIP SEEKS TO ENSCONCE JUDICIAL TYRANNY

GOP LEADERSHIP SEEKS TO ENSCONCE JUDICIAL TYRANNY
http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin232.htm
By Pastor Chuck Baldwin

April 26, 2005

NewsWithViews.com

Speaking to church groups around the country, Senate Majority Leader Bill
Frist tried to rally support for President Bush's judicial nominees. In so
doing, Frist promoted his intention to change Senate rules in order to
prevent Democrats from using filibusters to delay Senate votes on
presidential nominees. Several elements of this story are very disturbing.

First, it is now painfully obvious that the Republican Party considers
evangelical churches mere partisan political pawns. Instead of receiving her
message and mission from Christ and the Scriptures, many churches apparently
now receive their marching orders from the Republican Party. Though I have
never personally received such a letter, I have heard that many pastors
regularly receive "suggested" sermons from Republican officials.

Can you imagine the Apostle Paul being told by Nero's administration what to
preach? Or, imagine Herod "suggesting" a sermon subject to John the Baptist!

That Republican officials even think that they can directly suggest or
influence church teaching and practice reveals just how deeply many
evangelicals have become mired in political partisanship. It would seem,
therefore, that instead of being prophets for God, many pastors and churches
have become lackeys for the state.

Second, I wonder how Senator Frist and his fellow Republicans would feel if
it were a Democratic Senate Majority Leader who was attempting to deny
Republican Senators from using their legal right to filibuster? Does Frist
really believe that laws governing the behavior of legislators are only
proper when applied to one political party? In other words, does he really
believe that only Republicans have the right to filibuster, but Democrats do
not?

Third, while Senator Frist seems to suggest that President Bush wants to
appoint conservative justices to the federal bench, his stated comments on
the role of the judiciary (and Congress) reveal just the opposite. For
example, according to AP reports, Senator Frist said, "judges deserve
'respect, not retaliation,' no matter how they rule."

In other words, Senator Frist believes that the judiciary has no
accountability to anyone! According to Frist, the legislative and executive
branches of government have constitutional checks and balances, but the
judicial branch of government has none. In essence, Senator Frist is serving
to ensconce judicial tyranny into American government.

Obviously, Senator Frist has not read the U.S. Constitution. If he had, he
would know that Article III, Section 1, clearly gives Congress the power to
hold Courts accountable. It states, "The judicial Power of the United
States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as
the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of
the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good
Behavior." Obviously, it is Congress that must determine what is and what is
not "good Behavior."

Additionally, Article III, Section 2, states, "In all other Cases before
mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to
Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the
Congress shall make."

Clearly, the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the authority and power to
hold the judiciary accountable. Nowhere does the Constitution grant to the
judiciary, or to any other branch of government, unrestricted, unlimited
power. By stating that Congress has no right to retaliate against judicial
abuse "no matter how they rule," Senator Frist is ceding tyrannical power to
the judiciary, contrary to both the spirit and letter of the U.S.
Constitution.

Will Senator Frist succeed? We should all pray that he does not!

© 2005 Chuck Baldwin - All Rights Reserved

Sign Up For Free E-Mail Alerts

E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale

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.