OCTOBER 2010
GoodNewsTucson magazine A Good News Media LLC Publication
What Was Our Founding Father’s Intent For Good Government?
9/11 Mosque Controversy
Cut Waste Not Cops!!!
What is the Tea Party All About? www.GoodNewsTucson.com
“Are You In?”
2
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GoodNewsTucson PUBLISHED BY: GOOD NEWS MEDIA LLC. 5151 E Broadway, Suite 1600 Tucson, Arizona 85711 United States Telephone (520) 745-4403 Fax (520) 512-5401 EDITOR and ART DIRECTOR: BARNEY HILTON MURRAY Barney@GoodNewsTucson.com ADMINISTRATION JASON WATSON Jason@GoodNewsTucson.com DISTRIBUTION & LOCATIONS: Good News Tucson Magazine (GNT) is distributed in printed format to over 100 locations throughout Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley, Catalina, and surrounding areas. The easiest way to find GNT is to visit any Fry’s, Albertson’s grocery store, 7-Eleven and CVS throughout the area. For a complete list of our locations by zip code visit http://www.goodnewstucson. com/distribution.html. Good News Tucson is a free, monthly Christian publication of Good News Media, LLC. Your comments are welcome - write to: GNT at 5151 E Broadway, Suite 1600 Tucson, Arizona 85711. We reserve the right to reject and/or edit any material submitted for publication, for any reason. Submitting commentary, letters or email automatically authorizes your permission to print your comments in future issues without your express permission. The views expressed by writers in Good News Tucson are not necessarily the views of the staff, management or ownership of GNT/Good News Media LLC, or its advertisers. Advertisements and event listings are not considered an endorsement of Good News Tucson. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, without prior permission. © 2010 GoodNewsTucson.
7 Day of Prayer Guide Please consider joining other Tucsonans in praying each day for a specific area of our city. Sundays – Families *Reconciliation of Families *Happy, Healthy Marriages *Honor of Parents *Covenant–keeping Men *Virtuous Women *Godly Children Mondays - Government *God–honoring & wise President & Cabinet *God-honoring & wise Governor, Senators and Representatives *God-honoring & wise Mayor and Council and County Supervisors *Fair Justice System and Law Enforcement *Strong, Victorious Military Tuesdays - Schools *Righteous Superintendents *Faith–filled School Boards *Bible-believing Principals *Knowledgeable & Godly Teachers *Self-controlled Students *School Choice Opportunities Wednesdays - Business *Trustworthy Employees *Innovative Chambers of Commerce *Good Jobs and Good Work Ethic *Capital and Cooperative Bureaucracy for Businesses *Business Owners and Managers of Integrity Thursdays – Media/Arts *Television Programing Which Glorifies God *Christ-honoring Movies *Uplifting Radio Stations *Truth–Filled Newspapers and Periodicals *Porn–free Internet Fridays - Church True Cooperation and Fellowship Between Churches Prayerful, Caring Sharing Disciple Making Lifestyle Increased Love for God, Fellow believers and the nonbelievers Spirit-filled and Christ-like Christians True Knowledge and Understanding of God and His Word Saturdays - Borders *A Godly Wall of Protection *Righteousness and Justice *No Terrorism, Illegal or Covert Activity *Blessing Over the Infrastructure *Cooperation between Governments *Water
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What Was Our Founding Father’s Intent For Good Government?
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg complained, “The Constitution’s text is very skimpy on individual rights. It details only a few. It doesn’t guarantee individual rights such as housing and health care, he Bible says in Proverbs 29:2, “When the as do approximately 200 other constitutions around righteous rule, the people rejoice; when the the world written since 1970. The document instead wicked rule, the people groan.” focuses on preventing government from depriving In the pre-history of the United States there was much people of their rights. (October 1996, University of Baton Rouge) debate about what constituted good government.
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One view was from John Locke. He wrote Carolina’s state constitution in 1699. Locke believed that good government would be secured through the enactment of good laws. He stated that, “If righteous laws were in the constitution, then no matter who was placed into office, those in office would be bound to obey the righteous laws.” The competing view of good governance was from William Penn. Penn believed that good government was dependent upon good leaders. He stated that, “Wicked people would not obey righteous laws because it was not in their nature to do so.” He said, “Though good laws do well, good men do better; for good laws may lack good men… but good men will never lack good laws, nor allow bad ones.” The Founding Fathers, while forming our American form of government, agreed that the key to good government is found in the quality of the people who rule, not in the quality of the laws they pass. Noah Webster, another founding father, agreed saying, “If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.” 4
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This was not a mistake or an oversight of the part of the Founding Fathers. They believed that the key to a self-governing nation is self-governing individuals. In many of their writings, they state that personal selfgovernment is acquired from the principles of morality and self-control taught by religion. President John Adams said it this way, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion… Our Constitution was made only for a moral and a religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” One thing that was glaringly disappointing in the last election was that only 51% of Americans voted. Many of those who stayed home were Christians. Some Christians have said that they don’t need to get politically involved because our rights ultimately come from God, not from the government. Here is the hard truth – yes, our rights are given to us by God and in America we have governmental protection to exercise those God-given rights. In Saudi Arabia, for example, you may exercise your God-given right to preach the gospel, but you will be arrested and put to death because that right is not
politically protected. The key to political protection is to elect people to political office who know what these God-given rights are and where they come from and who are willing to use their political office to protect those rights. Revivalist Charles Finney said, “The Church must take right ground in regard to politics… Politics are a part of religion in such a country as this, and Christians must do their duty to the country as part of their duty to God… God will bless or curse this nation according to the course Christians take in politics.” If Christians view politics as dirty or other worldly and fail to get involved in the process, we may forfeit the protection of our religious liberty that we cherish and even take for granted. Just because we have the freedom to worship now does not ensure that we will always have it.
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Is America Following the Cycle?
G
reat nations rise and fall. The average age of the
world’s greatest civilizations has been 200 years.
A quote most often attributed to Sir Alex Fraser Tyler, a Scottish jurist and historian says,
“A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of
government. It can only exist until the voters discover
that they can vote themselves largesse from the public
treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always
collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.”
The great thing about America is that we don’t have to
follow the cycle? We are free to make our own destiny.
It is not too late, but we must take responsibility for our future.
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Who’s Christianity?
E
verybody has likely heard about President Obama’s keynote address at the Call to Renewal Conference on June 28, 2006, when he said, “Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America’s population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater. Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers. And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America, whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson’s, or Al Sharpton’s? Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination? How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount - a passage that is so radical that it’s doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application? So before we get carried away, let’s read our bibles. Folks haven’t been reading their bibles.” In the speech President Obama raised an interesting question, “whose Christianity would we teach in the schools?” Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers, shortly before his death was asked by Reverend Ezra Stiles, President of Yale College, about his 8
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understanding of Christianity versus those of the other Founding Fathers. Franklin replied, “You desire to know something of my religion. It is the first time I have been questioned upon it. But I cannot take your curiosity amiss, and shall endeavour in a few words to gratify it. Here is my creed. I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His providence. That He ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render Him is doing good to His other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental principles of all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them. “As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think the system of Morals and his Religion, as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw or is likely to see; but I apprehend it has received various corrupt changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the Truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and better observed; especially as I do not perceive that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in His government of the world with any particular marks of His displeasure. “I shall only add, respecting myself, that, having
experienced the goodness of that Being in conducting me prosperously through a long life, I have no doubt of its continuance in the next, without the smallest conceit of meriting it... I confide that you will not expose me to criticism and censure by publishing any part of this communication to you. I have ever let others enjoy their religious sentiments, without reflecting on them for those that appeared to me unsupportable and even absurd. All sects here, and we have a great variety, have experienced my good will in assisting them with subscriptions for building their new places of worship; and, as I never opposed any of their doctrines, I hope to go out of the world in peace with them all.”
your own home or equal stuff for everybody. The American Dream is about equal opportunity for all. Americans are encouraged to take their talents, abilities and desires and maximize them to the fullest extent possible. If their ideas make money – great. If their ideas help solve one of humanity’s greatest problems – terrific. Everyone is free to dream and work toward the fulfillment of that dream. That’s where the idea of the American Dream came from.
According to Franklin, there is one God who created the universe, He governs the affairs of men, He deserves to be worshipped and the best way to serve Him is to do good to others. That’s still good the best recipe for success today.
Most Americans agree that endless governmental spending is unsustainable. The debate is not whether we have a national problem, the debate is over how to solve it.
What is the Tea Party All About?
I
n the last 18 months we have heard a lot about our government’s intent at all levels to re-distribute the wealth of Americans. What that means is that the government takes money through taxes from those who create wealth and turns around and gives it to those who don’t have as much. All this is done under the banner of fairness and equality.
Tucsonans, like many in America, see the American Dream slipping away and they are using the freedom afforded citizens in the Constitution to say enough is enough. Tea Partiers are not willing to allow national poverty to become our new reality.
The Tea Party participants advocate free market solutions and smaller government run by the people to solve the problem of out of control government spending. The counter argument is to solve the problem by raising taxes and regulation, redistributing the wealth and increasing the size of government that is run by professionals who know what is best for the American people. For the Tea Partiers this election will not be the end of the rallies, but rather the beginning of holding our elected leaders accountable to represent our interests in Congress. Tea Partiers want a government, of the people, by the people and for the people.
The result has been that the average household wealth in America has decreased substantially over the last 18 months. The less fortunate are not becoming better off as a result of this experiment. Just the opposite – everyone is getting poorer together. This has never been the American way and most American citizens know it. They know it down deep in the core of their being. Over 61% of Americans believe that our country is on the wrong track. The American Dream has never been about owning
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9/11 Mosque Controversy
I
t has been quite interesting to watch the debate on the proposed New York Mosque to be built close to the World Trade Center site. Many debate the wisdom of a mosque built at the site where over 2,750 people were killed by Muslim extremists flying into the twin towers. There were 2,595 people in the World Trade Center and near it, including: • • • • • • • • •
343 NYFD firefighters and paramedics 23 NYPD police officers 37 Port Authority police officers 1,402 people in Tower 1 614 people in Tower 2 658 people at one company, Cantor Fitzgerald 1,762 New York residents 674 New Jersey residents 1 NYFD firefighter killed by a man jumping off the top floors of the Twin Towers
There were 157 people on the two planes that crashed into the WTC: • American Airlines Flight 1: 92 people (including five terrorists) • United Airlines Flight 175: 65 people (including five terrorists) The real story on the Mosque is why are so many politicians jumping into the fray of building a Mosque two blocks from “Ground Zero”? The President said…”As a citizen, and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as anyone else in this country. That includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances. This is America and our commitment to religious freedom must be unshakable.” (President Obama August 18, 2010) 10
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The Mayor of New York said…“This nation was founded on the principle that the government must never choose between religions or favor one over another. The World Trade Center site will forever hold a special place in our city, in our hearts. But we would be untrue to the best part of ourselves and who we are as New Yorkers and Americans if we said no to a mosque in lower Manhattan.” (Mayor Bloomberg, August 3, 2010) The Speaker of the US House of Representatives said…”I think everyone respects the right of people in our country to express their religious beliefs on their property. The decision, though, as to how to go forward in New York is up to New York.” (Rep Pelosi, August 18, 2010) The US Senate Majority Leader issued this statement… “The First Amendment protects freedom of religion. Senator Reid respects that, but thinks that
the mosque should be built someplace else.� These are the same people who strongly advocate for the separation of Church and State. If this was a Christian church or a Jewish synagogue proposed to be built on that site, would we see politicians coming out in strong support? What is the difference in this case? What would motivate irreligious people in the highest offices of government to support the building of a religious facility? These are politicians who are normally adverse to anything religious. Could the sudden interest in religious freedom find its roots in their support of the myth that American is not a Christian nation? Ask yourself, what possible motivation would cause these political chameleons to come out in the light just before an election in support of a highly controversial issue? Is it that they suddenly see that standing up for religion is in their political best interest? Probably not. Could it be campaign contributions will pour in for their strong stance on religious liberty? No evidence of this. Maybe their motivation is not that callus or crass. Maybe their motivation is simple. What if they truly believe in the concept that America is not a Christian nation and that we were founded on secular, not religious principles? What if they believe so strongly that Christianity is the bane of the civilized world that they are willing to risk a political firestorm to promote those beliefs? It would make sense for them to take a huge political risk to support a Mosque because of the very fact that it is not Christian. They could see this as promoting religious plurality and diminishing Christian influence. The more other faiths take root in America, the less it can be demonstrated that America is a Christian nation. Their angst is so strong against Christianity that they are willing to take any risk to be rid of its influence. GOOD NEWS TUCSON • www.GoodNewsTucson.com
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We Were There!
O
n August 28th, 2010 several of us met at the Restoring Honor Rally in Washington, DC. It was a sight to behold. It was to start at 10am, but crowds began pouring in as early as 5:00 am. Because one of our friends showed up at 5:30 am we were only able to get close to the Jumbo Tran at about the middle of the reflection pool.
to tithe to our churches and to support our communities when we got back home. Charity is love for your own household but also for your fellow man, demonstrated in tangible ways.
Alveda King, Martin Luther King, Jr’s niece, gave an inspirational speech challenging the supportive and largely white crowd to keep working toward racial unity. What a tribute to the progress we have made in America. Just 47 years ago, her uncle gave his famous, We really didn’t know what to expect, but we were “I Have A Dream” speech challenging America to told that it would not be a political rally. In fact, it had judge people “by the content of their character and not nothing to do with politics. It was more like a three the color of their skin.” While we still suffer from the hour church service where the speakers challenged each divisiveness of racism in America, you would not have American to hold to the values that have historically found a more receptive audience for her challenge. made America great. The three values that captured The rally ended with bagpipes playing Amazing Grace the day were faith, hope and charity. and then being joined with several hundred thousand Faith – the day started with black choirs singing songs attendees singing along. of unity in the body of Christ. Several pastors stressed the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus All in all, it was a day celebrating the importance of God in our lives and the importance of JudeoChrist. Christian values in the warp and woof of United States Hope – many war heroes were honored for their of America. outstanding sacrifices for the freedom we enjoy in this country. They had tragic stories that, through After the crowd dispersed, the mall grounds were hope, they had overcome. These are the true picture of spotless. Not a scrap of paper or water bottle was left America. An appeal was made to text in a $10 donation behind. It was great to see the respect and honor that to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, whose this many people showed for the grounds around the purpose is to scholarship the education of the children memorials. of our fallen heroes. It was a great day to be an American. Charity – we were challenged to be a generous people, 12
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Cut Waste Not Cops!!!
council offices. That’s a total of $1,750,000.
Vote NO on Prop 400 – the increase in city sales tax
T
ext of Proposition 400 – “Proposed amendment to the Tucson Charter referred by Mayor and Council relating to increasing the authorized upper limit of the City’s Business Privilege Tax (“Sales Tax”) from 2% to 2.5% for a period of 5 years and dedicating the portion over 2% to maintaining and preserving staffing and programs for Public Safety Services, Transportation Services including maintenance of City streets, and Parks and Recreation facilities and programs.” Here we go again! We hear from many in our local government that the city needs to increase the city sales tax another ½ cent or they will have to cut police services. Doesn’t sound like much until you consider that Tucson currently has a 9.1% sales tax and wants to add another .5%, increasing the city sales tax to 9.6%. That means we will have a higher city sales tax than the largest city in the United States: New York City at 8.975%. They are proposing to raise sales taxes on every single individual that purchases anything in the city of Tucson to one of the highest in the nation. But is seems our government leaders have plenty of money for other projects. Which of these projects do you want to trade for less cops on the street? $8.5 million expansion to Reid Park Zoo with $3.7 million from increased revenues and bonds. $14.5 million for a bridge to take the streetcar over the Santa Cruz River to a dirt lot. $35 million subsidy to Sun Tran; up $3.2 to $5 million this year alone.
$400,000 spent per year on dues and magazine subscriptions. $1 million per year for 20 years to finance the Department of Neighborhood Resources which, among other things, is tasked with sending newsletters to neighborhoods . $1.3 million general fund subsidy to the Zoo. $7.8 million Tucson golf course fund. $900,000 budget items to the city’s Channel 12. $750,000 to Access Tucson from the city as an outside agency. $10 million to outside consultants and miscellaneous professional service. It seems that our city leaders have plenty of money for everything except core services, like police. Maybe we are paying these folks too much. Maybe they aren’t experiencing the same pain as the rest of the city residents and think that our money is as easy to get as theirs. There are over 200 city employees who earn over $100,000 per year when the median income in Tucson is $46,082. Governments never create wealth! Governments only create jobs by confiscating your wealth through increased taxes. “The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.” Thomas Jefferson
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