Sally Kern: State Representative or State Supported Evangelist?

Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern is wasting Oklahoman tax dollars spending time trying to find ways to convert people to her variation of Christianity. Today she is set to make a proclamation to the state legislature which blames society's problems on the lack of Christianity in government and society.

First, it is one of the most random and unintelligent rant I have read in a long time coming from Oklahoman conservative politics. Second, its utter hypocrisy can be easily exposed. Question: Which variation of the Christian Church is the oldest and closest to the Church Fathers? Answer: The Catholic Church (now the Roman Catholic Church). So, what if the very most ancient Christian religion wrote a proclamation VERY similar to what Representative Kern wrote? Would Oklahoman Christians say "amen" and embrace it? Hmmm, read my Roman Catholic version of Kern's proclamation and consider whether it makes you feel better, or very nervous:

In response to the proclamation of heresy presented by Representative Sally Kern, devised to even further separate God from His people, I hereby provide this true Christian proclamation:

OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN’S PROCLAMATION FOR MORALITY
We the Christian people of Oklahoma, invoking the guidance of Pope Benedict XVI, Vicar of Christ and Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessing of Liberty; to secure just and rightful Government; to promote our mutual Welfare and Happiness, do establish this proclamation and call upon all people of the great State of Oklahoma, and our fellow Patriots in these United States of America to seek guidance from the one true Roman Catholic Church of Christ our Lord and acknowledge the need for a national awakening of righteousness in our land.

WHEREAS, “It is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand” (John Adams); and
WHEREAS, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by Religion and Morality” (John Adams); and
WHEREAS, “Our Constitution was made only for a Moral and Religious people” (John Adams); and
WHEREAS, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government…but upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God” (James Madison); and
WHEREAS, “Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God (Benjamin Franklin); and
WHEREAS, “God who gave us life gave us liberty and can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God” (Thomas Jefferson); and
WHEREAS, “Whether any free government can be permanent, where the public worship of God, and the support of Religion, constitute no part of the policy or duty of the state” (Joseph Story); and
WHEREAS, “We hold sacred the rights of conscience, and promise to the people…the free and undisturbed exercise of their religion” (Roger Sherman); and
WHEREAS, “This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians” (Patrick Henry); and
WHEREAS, “When you…exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed upon your mind that God commands you to choose just men who will rule in the fear of God” (Noah Webster); and
WHEREAS, “The principles of genuine Liberty and of wise laws and administrations are to be drawn from the Bible” (Noah Webster); and
WHEREAS, the people of Oklahoma have a strong tradition of reliance upon the Jesus our Lord, His Holy Mother Mary, and the Holy Roman Catholic Church; and
WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis resulting from falling away from the one true Roman Catholic Church; and
WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting birth control, abortion, pornography, “entertainment” depicting sin, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, idolatry through the support of non-Christian religions, atheism, and many other forms of debauchery and sin; and
WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Catholic heritage from which all Christian denominations were born and founded this nation; and
WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the United States President has refused to proclaim a National Day of Supplication and Prayer to the Mother of God and the Saints; and
WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the authority of the Pope to establish truth in all matters of faith and morals;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we the undersigned elected officials of the people of Oklahoma, religious leaders and citizens of the State of Oklahoma, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world, solemnly declare that the HOPE of the great State of Oklahoma and of these United States, rests upon the repentance of sin and heresy and return to the only representation of Christian faith on earth which is the Roman Catholic Church. A faith lead by Pope Benedict XVI, and informed by the sacred scriptures and Catholic traditions; and

LET IT RESOLVED that we, the undersigned, believers in the One True Holy Roman Catholic Church, one God, Jesus His only Son, and the Holy Mother Mary, call upon all to join with us in recognizing that “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord,” and humbly implore all who love Truth and Virtue to live above reproach in the sight of God and man with a firm reliance on the leadership and protection of Almighty God and His Holy Church; and

BE IT RESOLVED that we, the undersigned, humbly call upon Holy God, Redeemer, and His Mother to have mercy on this nation, to stay His hand of judgment, and grant a national awakening of righteousness and renewal as we repent of our great sins and return to the true Christ of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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In case the reader thinks I have exaggerated the wording, below is the actual proclamation set to be presented today by State Representative Kern:

OKLAHOMA CITIZEN’S PROCLAMATION FOR MORALITY
We the People of Oklahoma, Invoking the guidance of Almighty God, in order to secure and perpetuate the blessing of Liberty; to secure just and rightful Government; to promote our mutual Welfare and Happiness, do establish this proclamation and call upon the people of the great State of Oklahoma, and our fellow Patriots in these United States of America who look to the Lord for guidance, to acknowledge the need for a national awakening of righteousness in our land.

WHEREAS, “It is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand” (John Adams); and
WHEREAS, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by Religion and Morality” (John Adams); and
WHEREAS, “Our Constitution was made only for a Moral and Religious people” (John Adams); and
WHEREAS, “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government…but upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God” (James Madison); and
WHEREAS, “Freedom is not a gift bestowed upon us by other men, but a right that belongs to us by the laws of God (Benjamin Franklin); and
WHEREAS, “God who gave us life gave us liberty and can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God” (Thomas Jefferson); and
WHEREAS, “Whether any free government can be permanent, where the public worship of God, and the support of Religion, constitute no part of the policy or duty of the state” (Joseph Story); and
WHEREAS, “We hold sacred the rights of conscience, and promise to the people…the free and undisturbed exercise of their religion” (Roger Sherman); and
WHEREAS, “This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians” (Patrick Henry); and
WHEREAS, “When you…exercise the right of voting for public officers, let it be impressed upon your mind that God commands you to choose just men who will rule in the fear of God” (Noah Webster); and
WHEREAS, “The principles of genuine Liberty and of wise laws and administrations are to be drawn from the Bible” (Noah Webster); and
WHEREAS, the people of Oklahoma have a strong tradition of reliance upon the Creator of the Universe; and
WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and
WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and
WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and
WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and
WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we the undersigned elected officials of the people of Oklahoma, religious leaders and citizens of the State of Oklahoma, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world, solemnly declare that the HOPE of the great State of Oklahoma and of these United States, rests upon the Principles of Religion and Morality as put forth in the HOLY BIBLE; and

LET IT RESOLVED that we, the undersigned, believers in the One True God and His only Son, call upon all to join with us in recognizing that “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord,” and humbly implore all who love Truth and Virtue to live above reproach in the sight of God and man with a firm reliance on the leadership and protection of Almighty God; and

BE IT RESOLVED that we, the undersigned, humbly call upon Holy God, our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer, to have mercy on this nation, to stay His hand of judgment, and grant a national awakening of righteousness and Christian renewal as we repent of our great sin.

Signed on the second day of July in the year of our Lord Christ Two Thousand and Nine.
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Is Representative Kern a politician, going about the business of the people's work? Or, is she an evangelist, using taxpayer dollars to promote and impose her own religious views on Oklahomans. You decide.

Michael Jackson: Reflections on the man in the mirror

Death and tragedy are difficult to comprehend and give meaning. Yesterday’s news was stunning and today, as I listened to “Man in the mirror” on the radio, tears emerged as I began to process what he meant to me as a person; his great accomplishments; and, his human frailties.

The Jackson Five, featuring Michael Jackson, became famous when I was 12 years old. I grew up in a blue-collar Black and Creole neighborhood of New Orleans where music was a centerpiece of culture and often a source of pride and identity for Black Americans (particularly after the civil rights explosion). The Jackson Five’s music made me sing, dance, and even helped form my thinking about preadolescent love with songs such as, “I want you back,” “Who’s loving you,” “The love you save,” and “ABC.” In my imagination Michael Jackson and I grew older together sharing a synchronization of his music and my coming of age. A feeling that I suppose those Elvis fans, his age as they followed his career, could easily identify.

I recall the controversy of his leaving “our” beloved Jackson Five. “It was wrong, don’t break-up such a cool group!” Well, it ended up being a brilliant decision. Going solo moved Michael Jackson from the soul genre into a mixture of pop, R&B, rock genres that launched him into an international star. He broke racial stigmas, cultural barriers, music limits, and performance styles in the same way Bruce Lee redefined martial arts in popular culture. The great singer became an icon, solidifying this status with Thriller’s great success and the revolutionary concept of producing a mini-movie music video. With his fame was a passion for peace, love, and charity all over the world. He showed that he cared for people. Seemingly idealistic, it was as if he felt he could solve the world’s problems with his music’s message and his personal image.

Despite all he had contributed in so many ways, we also learned that Michael Jackson was human. He had frailties that people often speculated about, but only he completely knew. Black Americans struggled with the constant changes in his physical appearance. Many who felt so empowered by Jackson had felt somewhat betrayed, as though the question was, “Doesn’t he understand that he crushed the race barrier of music?” Many of us thought, “Why be ashamed of being Black when you are loved just as you are!” His fans grumbled but still loved him.
As time passed, fans of all ethnicities and nationalities (now being an international star) began to question Jackson’s basic sense of reality. From the plastic surgeries, to the exotic pets, sleep chamber, fascination with the so-called Elephant Man’s bones, and questions about his sexual orientation, his fans struggled with him. Those who were not so touched by Jackson’s music were willing to believe the worst based on what seemed to be a person out-of-touch with reality. There are few who really knew whether Michael Jackson crossed the line of decency. But, it was those serious challenges and human struggles which makes Michael Jackson so real to me. Michael Jackson has accomplished what few people can ever imagine, yet he struggled and suffered in some of life’s most simplest arenas—relationship, love, and identity.

So, as I reflect on Michael Jackson, I conclude that he was both great and flawed. In that conclusion, I also see the vast potential in the human spirit, and how greatness does not wipe away our human vulnerabilities. We all must deal with both for all our lives. To me this is the symbolic meaning of the early death of this entertainment icon. Similar to Marilyn Monroe, the images we will have are those of his youth and energy. His legacy cannot be comprehended at this time. But in my own lifetime, to that man in the mirror, I can say, “Thank you Michael Jackson. Thank you for all the memories and happiness you brought to my life and the lives of so many others, on those occasions when I awkwardly imitated you or shared your music and videos with others who grew to love your work. I believe you tried to be a good person. Maybe sometimes you did fail, only God knows what was in your heart. Regardless, your accomplishments gave me hope, and your frailty reminds me to remain humble. Again, thank you.”

Limbaugh and others share some blame for murders

Even before today’s deadly attack on the Holocaust Museum and Dr. George Tiler’s murder by an anti-abortion, I was asking myself why do so-called liberal political commentators and politicians refer to Rush Limbaugh as an entertainer? After the Holocaust Museum murder, journalists and political commentators went out of their way to separate public conservatives from “nut job extremist” conservatives. Of course not all conservatives use fear for political gain, but there are many in the mainstream Republican Party who do. So, if television liberals will not say it, I will write it: Individuals such as Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Bachmann, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, Sarah Palin, and Bill O’Reilly (and many more) share some blame for these murders.
They intentionally spout language which sparks fear, boldly proclaiming assertive women as “femi-nazis”; our president as a socialist and terrorist; the late Dr. Tiler as a “mass murderer”; and, suggest the “violent overthrow” of our government. They intentionally exploit existing prejudices, a bad economy, and anxiety to get their audience’s attention. Then they misinform this audience with political lies, otherwise known as propaganda, for their own political glory. Simply put, they knowingly create fear in people who are armed and willing to “protect” themselves from the “enemy” (i.e. feminists, liberals, illegal immigrants, and the President of the United States). They will not say it publically, but sadly some of these conservatives are pleased with the recent results of their political craft.
Liberal commentators, here is a comment for you—Stop using terms like “entertainer” for the likes of Limbaugh! He is a political mover. Someone who was a featured speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference and a recently most recognized as the “voice of the Republican Party” must be taken seriously. If you are unwilling, find sociologists and psychologists willing to directly describe how these political tactics contributes to violence.

Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton

The unpredicted, but not shocking, selection of the 20 month governor of Alaska as Senator McCain's vice-presidential choice is neither historical nor an advance in women's rights. The Democrats already made this statement in 1984's nomination of Geraldine Ferraro for vice-president. If the Republican Party truly wanted to make their mark for women's progress, they would have endorsed an experienced female candidate for president. Does anyone actually believe that McCain had Palin in mind as a potential running mate before the Obama/Clinton showdown in the primaries (if even that early)? John McCain saw an opportunity to exploit the disappointment of Senator Clinton's supporters, by placing a conservative female on the ticket. He could have selected a much stronger female, such as Senator Kay Hutchison. However, Sarah Palin will not complain, because she probably never imagined being in this position. So, who exactly is she? What is her national leadership experience? What happened to McCain's strong patriotic belief that there is no time for a learning curve for the role of Commander-in-Chief! She is that "heartbeat" away from being the United States President. There is much to learn about this person is, but I shall tell you who Sarah Palin is not, she is no Hillary Clinton.
In contrast, we have seen Senator Hillary Clinton work tirelessly to make her mark as a politician and public servant fighting for women's rights for over 20 years in numerous roles. She was the initial front-runner in a hard fought presidential campaign earning 18 million votes, just short of the nomination. The Democrats almost tore in half because of their sincere openness to a female president. On the other hand, the Republicans are using gender as a pawn. Sarah Palin adds nothing of substance regarding the rights of women nor has she paid her dues for this opportunity. Instead she is a variation of the "trophy wife". Some may feel upset at this thought, but what if it is true? What if the only reason she was added to the ticket is that she is a younger, attractive, and inexperienced, female? If I were a woman, I would feel patronized and angry. I would question McCain's motives to give a relative unknown this opportunity at the vice-presidency. The word "give" is intentional. Unlike Senator Clinton who worked for years to earn America's trust, Sarah Palin was appointed to prominence.
As a male, some may suggest that I cannot identify with this issue. However, as a Black American male, I have a clear analogy. His name is Clarence Thomas. He is also the reason I make the case that this is not an advance for women's rights. When Rick Warren asked Senator Obama which Supreme Court Justice he would not have nominated, he named Justice Thomas because he lacked the relative credentials compared to other possible nominees. However, with the Republicans in power, they replaced an out-going Black American Justice Marshall, who has historically fought for equal rights, with a token Black male who disagrees with most Black Americans on social issues. What about Palin's political views? Checking the politically-right leaning website "On the Issues" for Palin's positions, I learned that she is wants to outlaw the choice of abortion under any circumstances. More notable was what I was unable to learn. She had no recorded positions on foreign policy, corporations, drugs, families and children, free trade, government reform, immigration, local issues, principles and values, and technology. On those issues where there are position statements, they are very brief. Sarah Palin is the perfect token female candidate for Senator McCain, one without a long history of positions on issues most critical on the U.S. economy and foreign affairs. This allows her to simply develop political positions to align with Senator McCain.
History may show that Clarence Thomas and Sarah Palin to be the racial and gender poster children for a twisted kind of "affirmative action" called tokenism. It is insufficient to be a "Black" or "female" candidate in politics to earn a place in history as one who breaks racial barriers or glass ceiling. It also requires that such persons represent those values and positions resisted by the status-quo who fought against ethnic minority groups and women. It is the progress of positions and ideas which break the barriers, not the color or biological sex. Hillary Clinton fought for women's rights and equality. Sarah Palin will fight for John McCain.