Considering the Condescension of God?

Easter morning I found myself considering the word Condescension as it applies to mortal men trying to figure out our purpose and relationship with God and His Only Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.  

I’d purchased chocolate bunnies to go along with the Easter Eggs that my grandchildren colored in the front yard; but that has little if anything to do with the spiritual importance of Easter.

Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines Condescension:

1. voluntary descent from one's rank or dignity in relations with an inferior

2. patronizing attitude or behavior

.

Most often when you hear the word Condescension it holds a negative meaning.  Someone feels they are above your station in life talks to you in a way intended to remind you that they are above you in stature.  Immediately the hair on your back bristles; you recognize the offensive attitude being presented, similar to how We The People react to those we’ve elected as they develop their self appointed elitist state of mind, a station above the lowly peasants.

  .

But with God, as with His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ; Condescension fits the first offered definition.   God the Father, in his eternal nature and love for all His spirit children made it possible for us to return to His presence through His Only Begotten Son who would make an atonement for each and everyone of us.  The Great Plan of Salvation took into account the need for such a Condescension, a necessary decent from His heavenly throne.

.

Bruce R. McConkie delivered a devotional talk just before Christmas back in 1969 entitled, Know Ye The Condescension of God?.    While given at Christmas, this wonderful explanation as to our relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ could as easily been directed to us at Easter; the two being joined at the hip, so to speak, as to their importance as pertain to individuals going through this probationary state.

.

Rather than regurgitate the information Elder McConkie presented I’ll leave it to you to enjoy the audio version as provided in the link.   Easter gives us an opportunity to consider the Condescension of God, to express our gratitude for a gift we are unable to fathom.

.

 (The Moral Liberal is down for construction at this time; but will return with improvements in due time)

The Missing Holiday

During Sunday School a question was asked, “Of all the holidays during the year, what’s your favorite?”  This being the third week in March several answered, "Easter", while Christmas, Thanksgiving and the 4^th of July were also in the running.  Then the instructor asked if anyone celebrated this coming Thursday; something I hadn’t considered as a ‘holiday’. 

As Easter weekend comes around perhaps this Thursday should be celebrated; if not as a holiday then surely it falls into the category of important and significant.

It was on a Thursday that Jesus and a few of his chosen disciples retired to the Garden of Gethsemane where the Lord could finish out his mortal ministry.   During those long lonely hours the Lord prayed to his Father and took upon himself the sins of the world, sweating, as it were, drops of blood from every pore.

And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.    (Alma 7: 11 – 13)

Those who follow the teachings of Jesus desire to one day worship at His feet in the Kingdom of Heaven, having accepted this wondrous gift, the atonement which makes it possible for our sins to be removed since no unclean thing may enter His presence.  

An odd thought entered my mind, something from an old country western tune, “Prop me up beside the jukebox if I die, Lord I want to go to heaven; but I don’t want to go tonight….”   Yes, they still let me attend Sunday School; but they keep a close eye on me.

How a gift is received is as important as how it was offered.  Are we living our lives in accordance with the gospel, avoiding sin where possible and repenting as needed along the way?   The Lord has already paid for our sins if we will accept the gift.   Or, we can reject His offer and face the music, so to speak; pay the price of sin via the same process which caused even the Lord to sweat great drops of blood.

 

While this Thursday may not be marked on our calendars as a holiday it most certainly should be acknowledged as one of the more important days in the history of mankind, the day the Lord took upon himself our sins.   Perhaps a silent prayer of gratitude is in order.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Growing into our Callings

This morning we were treated to a special Stake Conference presided over by Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Quorum of the Twelve, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I should point out that the meeting was held at the Hafer Road building which can accommodate about 900 people, give or take.  A friend of ours got a call letting him know the building was completely full at 8:00 am for a meeting scheduled for 10:00 am. 

The local church leadership had planned for a large turnout by having a secondary location, the Louetta Chapel as an overflow facility where the conference was to receive live broadcast via an internet connection.   Lucy and I are only a few minutes away from the Louetta building and were more than happy to comfortably enjoy the proceedings sitting on the soft cushioned pews instead of the folding metal chairs had we attended at the Hafer building.

We got there early and I was able to help with some of the set up for the broadcast.  The IT specialist showed a couple of us how to assemble a large folding projection screen and position it behind the podium.  

My hearing isn’t all that great so I struggled as the messages were delivered; but I wasn’t alone, for some reason they couldn’t get the volume levels very high…, oh well.   Our Stake Presidency gave talks on basic gospel principles; sure wish they could have made it a little louder…

Elder Oaks didn’t have a prepared message; instead remarking on what each previous speaker had offered and adding his own thoughts along the way; having a General Authority’s insight applied to gospel principles is always gratifying.

At one point he asked how many in attendance had recently been given a new calling; about one fourth present raised their hands.  He then pointed to a young man, perhaps 8 – 10 years old sitting in the third row and had him come to the podium to help with a visual lesson.   Can you imagine how it must have felt to be singled out in front of everyone; but he was up to the task and awkwardly made his way forward.

Upon shaking hands Elder Oaks escorted the young man off to one side of the podium where he could be seen easily by everyone.  Elder Oaks then took off his jacket and placed it on the young man, the size difference was considerable to say the least as the edge of the jacket nearly touched the ground. 

Elder Oaks then explained how many folks feel intimidated or overwhelmed by the challenges of a new church calling; but by applying our efforts along with giving ourselves enough time we’re able to grow into the calling.  

As he spoke I felt tears welling up in the corners of my eyes; Elder Oaks had awakened an old memory, one from when I’d been a new member of the Church.  It was Déjà vu all over again; isn’t that the way Yogi Berra said it?

It was to have been my first opportunity to speak; what used to be referred to as a “Two and a Half Minute Talk”.   I can’t recall what my assigned topic was; only that I felt less than adequate, my being asked to address folks who’d been attending church for many years.  What could I tell them that they hadn’t heard before?

I remember reading scriptures and taking notes all week prior to the assignment; never feeling comfortable with what I’d written down in my notes.   Sunday morning I was up early putting together my thoughts when my two years old daughter came shuffling into the den area of the house wearing one of my police uniform shirts.

The shirt dragged along the floor covering her feet as a huge smile beamed from her innocent face.  Wearing her Dad’s police shirt with the PD’s and badge in place made her happy; didn’t do me any harm either.   Instantly I tossed all the notes taken during the week as inspiration, guided by the Spirit, showed me what I was to talk about later that day.

I knew I had a lot of growing to do as a new member of the Church, much as my daughter wearing that police shirt, there was plenty of room and it wasn’t going to happen over night.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Liberal Media picks GOP candidate, again

You’d think by now Republicans would get tired of letting the liberal media pick their presidential candidate; but they haven’t learned a thing as we go into Super Tuesday.  Old guard Republicans wanted Jeb Bush to continue their spiral towards socialism and what they perceive as a necessary means of getting along with folks on the other side of the aisle, shaking hands with the Devil might be more appropriate.  That’s not going to happen; Jeb’s campaign already tanked and he’s left the scene leaving Trump, Cruz and Rubio to duke it out.

This year the leftist media apparently has gotten behind Donald Trump, at least temporarily, providing him with millions upon millions of dollars in free air time.  According to some analysts, “46 percent of the media coverage over the last month about the GOP candidates was about Trump, as measured by articles that appeared in Google News.”   I say the media has temporarily gotten behind Trump because once the real race for the presidency begins that very same media will throw every thing, including the kitchen sink at Trump as they prepare the way for yet another Democrat candidate to occupy the White House.

“Other Republican candidates have noticed the Trump coverage, and some of them are frustrated by it. 

“It could be the free billion dollars of publicity he has gotten by being on every channel all the time,” said Kentucky senator and GOP 2016 candidate Rand Paul, when asked Tuesday on Fox News about Trump’s surge.” 

The leftist media, and don’t think for a moment NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN or even Fox are not part of a vast propaganda game that sponsors polling data that alters the public’s perception and the eventual outcome of elections.  They’ve propped up weak candidates to run against stronger opponents for years; how do you think we got John McCain?   You really think angry John McCain would have risen to the top of the Republican ticket had it not been for some serious help from the Democrat Party via one of their favorite tools, the news media?

So it’s happening again, only this time around the Democrat Party wants Hillary Clinton, or if she's already on her way to prison, Bernie Sanders running against Donald Trump; or better still, an Independent Party Donald Trump along with Ted Cruz for the GOP to split the vote.  Those who’ve jumped on the Trump band wagon are oblivious to this game of chess; for that is what it really is, a game of high stakes chess with the winner taking all the marbles. 

This time around the marbles include picking the next Supreme Court Justice, total implementation of the United Nation’s Agenda 21, expansion of the war on coal and oil for the purpose of destroying America’s ability to compete on the world market, eradication of the 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th and 10^th Amendments as found in the Bill of Rights along with shredding what’s left of our constitution.   

Other than that not much is at stake so don’t give it another thought as you blindly follow the media and pull the lever for Donald Trump; he’s our boy.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Two Americas - which will win

Several years ago presidential hopeful John Edwards used the phrase Two Americas, something he claimed existed due to the ‘haves and have nots’; typical class warfare rhetoric intended to cause envy while at the same time stirring up votes from the ‘oppressed’.  It was a catchy phrase, enough for historians to latch onto it; but in a sense there really are two Americas, just not the way John Edwards portrayed them.

Here’s a glimpse at one of the Americas, and it’s not a pretty sight…

Not long after the body of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia reached room temperature, according to Tom Knighton of TPNN dot com,  Georgetown law professor Rosa Brooks penned a vile op-ed piece which appeared at Foreign Policy Magazine (by subscription only).

Brooks didn’t hide her contempt for Justice Scalia, which in turn reflects her contempt for anyone who supports our constitutional republican form of government.

“The global legal and judicial communities, however, will mostly be indulging in joyful private choruses of ‘Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead.’ Or maybe not so private.” 

{…}

The Georgetown law professor wrote, “Scalia was famously dismissive of foreign and international law, which he considered good enough for, well, foreigners — but not for the great United States. ‘I doubt whether anybody [in the United States] would say, ‘Yes, we want to be governed by the views of foreigners,’’ he scoffed in 2005.”

While reading this it becomes painfully clear that two Americas are battling for supremacy; not the haves and have nots as John Edwards portrayed the division; but instead there are those who would prefer a transformation towards a European socialistic state which values the collective over individual rights.   These are the same folks who would prefer the United Nations dictate policy rather than continue as a sovereign self governing constitutional republic. 

In the other America are those who wish to restore the vision of our Founding Fathers (hope that riles the appropriate leftists); that of a nation set on a course of individual liberty by our Creator with certain inalienable God given rights with a Constitution written in fairly plain language limiting government from infringing on those rights. 

Or…, “as Brooks finished her screed by saying, “Goodbye, Justice Scalia. The Supreme Court will be a quieter, more cosmopolitan place without you. But Jack Bauer’s sure going to miss you,” alluding to the late justice’s informal comments.”

Troubling as it may be to consider Rosa Brooks’s remarks on the recently departed Justice Scalia would be her influence as a university professor, her influence over young malleable minds. 

Our public school system and a goodly number of universities are run by progressives.  Day in and day out the mantra of socialism is spread; … from kindergarten, high school and on through every level of college the indoctrination process never ends.

Is it any wonder we have so many young people confused as to what America stands for?  They’ve been taught a steady diet of half truths and lies about what our Founding Fathers intended for our country.  Instead of recognizing America as Ronald Reagan saw her, "a shining city on a hill", something desirable “whose beacon light guides freedom-loving people everywhere”, the folks in progressive America detest having our roots in gospel sod which nurtured, fed and prospered this great nation;  and instead teach that it’s a land built on oppression and greed.  

Social Democrats would prefer leaving God out of any discussion as they re-write history to eliminate inalienable God given individual rights.  Needless to say, liberalism’s goal is to destroy the Constitution and the legal contract which holds and limits government when dealing with We The People.

This brings to mind the old Cherokee legend of Two Wolves.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A  fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

The same is true regarding the two Americas…which will win?

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Unclaimed Prizes

There was quite a bit of chatter going on this past week about the possibility a $63 Million Dollar lottery prize would go unclaimed.  My daughter in law wondered out loud, “Can you imagine finding out you had the winning ticket only to be told you waited too long to claim your winnings.  That would be awful; just think about how you’d feel.”

The idea of missing out on something that big would upset most folks; but then I got to thinking about it from a different angle.  What if you never found out?  The winning numbers were picked; but you never bothered to see if they matched the ticket you purchased; how bad would you feel since you never knew how much money you missed out on?  For all you knew the only money you lost was the two dollars spent on the ticket.

Life is like that for most folks; but this has nothing to do with purchasing a lottery ticket.

Mortality is the ticket we purchased to prove ourselves, to make ourselves eligible for all that God has.  Interestingly, each ticket purchased is a winner; the only losers are those that are not claimed.

Admittedly there are some qualifiers in order to claim your prizes; but rest assured, you did purchase a winning ticket the moment you accepted the Great Plan of Salvation.

Some folks don’t even know who they are as they go through the challenges of life.  Oh, they might know their parents, grandparents and even a long list of ancestors going back hundreds of years; but do they really know they are children of our Heavenly Father?  Do they understand their royal lineage makes possible an inheritance beyond our ability to grasp?

We are created in His image and, in due time, we’re expected to figure out how to behave according to the commandments and other instructions given via the scriptures and servants of the Lord.  Upon successful completion of our probationary period we are promised all that he has; if that’s not greater than any lottery prize then I don’t know what would impress you.

Once you’ve figured out you’re holding the winning ticket; will it alter the way you approach life?  I would certainly hope so. 

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Our Sacred Honor...

The words we speak are important, what we hold sacred and what we will defend, even until death if required.  If we raise our arm to the square we are taking a solemn oath, considerably more than just lip service (someone please pass this information along to our elected and appointed representatives).  Our sacred honor is at stake as we declare our words are true, not only to our fellow citizens; but with God.  There is never a time when Pledges, Oaths and Testimonies are to be treated lightly.

Some years back a document was signed wherein grievances against the King of England were listed along with a formal Declaration of Independence.  As with most important documents, those who signed it were testifying of its truthfulness, no different than if they’d been standing in a court of law bearing witness to those present; except in this case these men were bearing witness to the entire world.

Perhaps that’s why they finished with these words, words that mean much as I consider, …each man signed with full knowledge, … the serious nature of such a  declaration…

“…And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”  

I mention testimonies and sacred honor as they play a significant role for those beginning a course of study this year, the Book of Mormon.  In Sunday School we prepared by reading from the Introduction where two documents worth mentioning are kept for good reason; the Testimony of Eight Witnesses and the Testimony of Three Witnesses.

Testimony of Eight Witnesses

"Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it."

While reading the account given by the eight witnesses I was immediately reminded of those who’d pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor before the world to declare our independence.   

These were bold statements which could not be taken lightly.  Having held the metal plates containing an ancient language that Joseph Smith was to translate and which would go out into the world, a world filled with skeptics; they didn’t claim to understand what had been written on those gold plates, only that plates from which the Book of Mormon sprang physically existed.  These witnesses knew many would be reluctant to accept additional scripture, even more would reject the Book of Mormon completely; that said they willingly signed their names.

An ancient prophet recorded the Lord’s foreknowledge of skeptics in our day regarding the Book of Mormon…

“And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.”

As you continue to read the rest of that chapter; the presumption being you will continue reading, it becomes clear the Lord has shared and will continue to share his words with other children who have been scattered while He blesses the seed of Abraham as promised. 

The second document, the Testimony of Three Witnesses is both a physical and a spiritual affidavit of importance for all God’s children.  These individuals were witnessing the restoration of the gospel for this, the Final Dispensation. 

They had seen an angel of the Lord present before them the Book of Mormon plates, explain, at least in part, the information provided on those plates and; perhaps more importantly, they were commanded by God to act as witnesses to what they had been privileged to observe regardless of what consequences the world would see fit to impose.

When you think about raising your arm to the square and testifying, the full impact of your testimony comes into play.  Not only are you swearing before your equals, your fellow men; but you are standing at the feet of God who knows the truth of all things.  What’s at stake?  Only your sacred honor; Heaven help those who bear false witness.

A friend of mine, Russ Parker, temporarily lost his wallet the other day.  Other than being concerned for the possibility of having to replace his drivers license and credit cards he’d also lost several items of personal value contained therein; treasures of wisdom if you will, that he reads on a daily basis to motivate and support him. 

He showed the wallet which he’d later found along with a scrap of paper with one of the treasures of wisdom which I’ll share.  It’s a short quote from Ezra Taft Benson’s General Conference talk given October, 1986.

“It is not just that the Book of Mormon teaches us truth, though it indeed does that. It is not just that the Book of Mormon bears testimony of Christ, though it indeed does that, too. But there is something more. There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called “the words of life” (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance.”

With that I challenge you to obtain the truths contained within the Book of Mormon, that you might hunger and thirst after those words and find life in greater and greater abundance.   I add my testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Joseph Smith is/was the Prophet of God chosen to bring forth the restoration of the gospel in our day.  On my sacred honor, and in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Left behind at the Temple

A couple of years ago while I was working at the Houston Texas Temple in the Baptistery a large youth group came by to do vicarious ordinance work for their kindred dead. One young man, age 12, was attending the temple for his first time and was a bit embarrassed when, during his turn to do baptisms, he got water up his nose causing his sinus cavities to drain uncontrollably. This was near the end of his group’s visit and when the young man came out of the dressing room he was alarmed, almost in a panic as he looked around and found he was alone in the Baptistery.

He’d concluded that while he’d spent an inordinate amount of time in the dressing room, that perhaps his group had gone on without him, leaving him to find a way home. There was a momentary look of despair which caused me to step up to the challenge.

I explained to him that one time in the distant past another young boy about his same age had accidentally been left behind during a family trip to the temple. I mentioned that it was someone high up in the church that he’d probably heard of; waiting for him to gather his thoughts on who it might have been.

“Was it Thomas Monson”, he asked on his first guess? 

“No, it was someone much higher”, I responded. You could see that my answer puzzled the young man; who would be higher than the President of the Church?

I then explained how Jesus had gone to the temple as a young man and while teaching the elders of Israel his family left him there by accident; but upon going a short distance realized his not being present so they immediately returned to find him with the learned men, expounding great truths with power and authority.

“So you’re in good company, now aren’t you?” The young man thought about what I’d said and the biggest smile came over him, his shoulders squared up and he no longer felt embarrassed for having lost control of his sinuses. An adult member of his group came from the outer foyer looking for him about that time. I wish I’d been able to take the young man down the hall to where the picture of the young Jesus teaching at the temple was hanging on the wall; but that area was restricted so it wasn’t to be.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.

Getting Around Constitutionally Protected Rights

This past week many sites, to include The Federalist Papers Project, linked to a video of Congressman Trey Gowdy’s public hearings.  Acting on behalf of the American public he carefully and methodically destroyed Deputy Assistant Secretary Ms. Burriesci, representing the Department of Homeland Security, as government officials attempted to explain the ‘process’ by which American citizens could petition the government to restore rights which had been removed, those who’d been denied their right to own and purchase firearms, these same individuals who’d been placed on the Do Not Fly List.    

Congressman Gowdy wanted to know more about the ‘process’; but what he really wanted was to remind Ms. Burriesci about a different ‘process’, one which was being ignored completely…

Congressman Gowdy thoughtfully explained his use of the word ‘process’ as he originally referred to it, to be more specific, the term is Due Process.  He reminded the witness that our constitution limits government’s ability to infringe on any individual’s God given inalienable rights without Due Process.

For clarification purposes, Ryan Williams’s entry to the 2010 Yale Law Journal defined this term and concept more precisely:

“In United States constitutional law, substantive due process is a principle which allows courts to protect certain rights deemed fundamental from government interference under the authority of the due process clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, which prohibit the federal and state governments, respectively, from depriving any person of "life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." That is, substantive due process demarcates the line between acts by persons that courts hold are subject to government regulation or legislation and those acts that courts place beyond the reach of governmental interference. Whether the Fifth and/or Fourteenth Amendments were intended to serve this function continues to be a matter of scholarly as well as judicial discussion and dissent.”

Timothy Sandefur recorded in, The Right to Earn a Living: Economic Freedom and the Law, as published via the Cato Institute in 2010:

“In contrast, substantive due process aims to protect individuals against majoritarian policy enactments that exceed the limits of governmental authority—that is, courts may find that a majority's enactment is not law, and cannot be enforced as such, regardless of how fair the processes of enactment and enforcement actually are.”

In short, there are laws being enforced (far too many) which are outside of restrictions placed on government, restrictions intended to safeguard individual God given rights (or Natural rights) and it is important to remind those in government that they are not above the Constitution and have no such powers.   We are, after all, a nation dependent on the Rule of Law. 

 

Let me insert a partial transcription of Congressman Gowdy’s efforts...

“What process is afforded a United States citizen before that person’s Constitutional right is infringed. That [The President] is fine with doing it with the Second Amendment.

My question is, how about the First? How about we not let them set up a website, or a Google account?

How about we not let them join a church until they petition Government to get off the list? How about not get a lawyer? How about the 6th amendment?

How about you can’t get a lawyer until you petition the government to get off the list? Or my favorite, how about the 8th amendment?

We’re going to subject you to cruel and unusual punishment until you petition the government to get off the list?

Is there another Constitutional right that we treat the same way for American citizens than we do the Second Amendment? Can you think of one?”

“The No-Fly List itself is a violation of Constitutional rights all by itself, but to use that illegal list as a way to snatch other rights away from the people is abhorrent and sets a dangerous precedent for the future.”

When our government tries to get around the Rule of Law as if it were outside of restrictions placed on it by the Constitution, at that time we can say without equivocation that tyranny has replaced our representative form of government.

Dan Riehl wrote an article the day after the San Bernardino premeditated attack in which Muslim Terrorists proudly admitted their association with ISIS and then murdered 14 Americans.  Riehl pointed out that Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, on behalf of the Department of Justice was more concerned about anti-Muslim rhetoric’s effect on those of that faith than on the threat posed to the American public.

“Loretta Lynch, at a press conference yesterday, termed the San Bernardino shootings a “wonderful opportunity” to change the nature of police work: “We’re at the point where these issues have come together really like never before in law enforcement thought and in our nation’s history and it gives us a wonderful opportunity and a wonderful moment to really make significant change.”

The Obama administration continues to use any gun related tragedy as a means to launch additional gun control measures.  They went to extreme measures to cover this event, as with other shootings as if guns walked in and shot all those folks without a Muslim Terrorist holding those guns.

  

Obama has threatened to implement extreme gun control actions via Executive Order, effectively bypassing Congress.  If you put these two thoughts together we have a totalitarian effort (tyranny) to eradicate the 2^nd Amendment; but also destroy freedom of speech as protected by the 1^st Amendment.

So, back to Congressman Gowdy’s questions regarding our government’s attempts to get around the constitution, to get around inalienable God given rights and deny any American their right to own and bear arms, to express their thoughts without fear of government interference or imprisonment… to get around Due Process...

What part of Due Process, more specifically, what part of substantive due process do these department heads not understand?  (Really, you actually consider that a possibility?)   No, under the Obama administration there is a willful and calculated effort to get around the constitution.

David A. Patten, along with almost every other political correspondent, recorded Barrack Hussein Obama’s comments regarding the Constitution back when he was running for the presidency.

“Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama described the U.S. Constitution as having “deep flaws” during a September 2001 Chicago public radio program, adding that the country’s Founding Fathers had “an enormous blind spot” when they wrote it.

Obama also remarked that the Constitution “reflected the fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day.”

Obama’s promise to America has been, and continues to be a great Transformation, to make it what (he thinks) it should be.  His actions support his promise.  

America will no longer be a land of liberty; but instead will become a totalitarian communist state where your constitutional republic, your God given inalienable rights as set down by the Founding Fathers, and without question, Due Process and the Rule of Law will become a faded memory.

This article has been cross posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government, & The American Constitution”.