Crossroads and the
Tale of Two Party Platforms
On Valley Radio This Weekend, Oct. 20-21,
or Online HERE Anytime
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“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens.”(President George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796)
“Providence has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as privilege and interest,of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” (John Jay, First Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.)
“[W]e 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 religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
(President John Adams, 1798)
“Without God, there is no virtue, because there’s no prompting of the conscience. … Without God, there is a coarsening of the society. And without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure. If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” (President Ronald Reagan, 1984)
“If a candidate for public office does not understand and will not fight to defend the fundamental truth that life begins at conception, that God’s design for marriage is only between one man and on woman, and that we have a God-given right to exercise our freedom of religion, then he or she does not deserve my trust and will not receive my vote.” (Rakazzi)
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The November Election: Why the Confusion?
With just over two weeks to go for state-wide elections on Nov. 6, some voters remain uncertain about which of the parties and their respective candidates to support for the U.S. Senate and for the House of Representatives, as well as for local offices.
Which ones identify most closely with America’s Godly Heritage and with the Judeo-Christian Values and Constitutional principles on which America was founded and has prospered? Which ones match our vision for Virginia and for the future or our families?
In addition, what if none of the candidates has really caught fire for us? Do we just sit this election out and not even vote? Or do we just close our eyes, cross our fingers, and mark our ballots for the ones that seem least objectionable? Where can we go for help?
The Party Platforms – and Why They Matter
There is one tool that might be useful in making up our minds. It is the platforms that both the Republican and Democratic Parties adopted at their national conventions two years ago.
These platforms clearly reflect the basic beliefs, core values, and fundamental principles on which each party and their candidates have taken a stand. They present two very different visions for Virginia and provide us with a very clear choice at the polls.
That is what Rita Dunaway and I will be presenting this weekend on our Crossroads radio program, drawing directly on language contained in each of the platforms.
To help us break down the 50-plus pages in each platform, we will look at the positions they take in two basic categories that embody the very heart and soul of what has made America such an exceptional nation for the past 400 years and on which it must continue to be guided for its continued survival.
The first category is their treatment of the core Judeo-Christian values of Life, Faith, Marriage and the Family, and Freedom. The second category is how they address the enduring Constitutional principles by which America has been governed. Both of these categories are referred to in the quotes cited above.
Where Do They Stand on Basic Judeo-Christian Values?
1. On Life
Republicans:
“We believe the unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed. Therefore, we oppose use of federal funds to perform/promote abortion, for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, and for healthcare programs that include abortion coverage. … We support the appointment of judges who respect … the sanctity of human life.”
Democrats:
“Every woman should have access … (to) safe and legal abortion. … We will oppose and seek to overturn laws that impede a woman’s access to abortion as well as laws that would defund Planned Parenthood. … We also believe that safe abortion must be included in America’s global health programming. … We will support sexual and reproductive health and (abortion) rights around the world.”
Comment: This is the issue on which the two party platforms differ perhaps most clearly, with one standing for the Sanctity of Life and the other standing for abortion – not only to defend it but also to promote it.
2. On Faith
Republicans:
“We urge reversal of the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage and oppose government discrimination against those who decline to participate in activities that violate their beliefs.
“We also believe that a good understanding of the Bible is indispensable for the development of an educated citizenry and therefore that it should be included … as an elective in America’s high schools.”
Democrats:
“Democrats will fight for sex-discrimination laws to cover LGBT people … We reject the misuse of religion to discriminate (and) will fight efforts by any nation to infringe on LGBT rights.”
Comment. The Republican platform includes numerous references to God (seven times on one page alone) whereas the Democrat platform mentions God only three times in the entire 51-page document, and then only in a passing reference to “God-given rights. It’s a reminder of how they tried to remove God from the party platform at their national convention in 2012.
3. On Marriage and the Family
Republicans:
“The cornerstone of the family is natural marriage, the union of one man and one woman. Children raised in two-parent households tend to be healthier, do better in school, less likely to use drugs and alcohol, engage in crime, or become pregnant outside of marriage. … Every child deserves a married mom and dad. … We do not accept the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage and urge its reversal.”
Democrats:
“(We) applaud the decision by the Supreme Court to recognize that LGBT people … have the right to marry the person they love.”
The platform also devotes a lengthy section to LGBT rights and to “sexual orientation” as a protected category equal to that of race and religion but makes no mention of the importance of marriages that would give every child a loving father and mother.
4. On Freedom
Republicans:
“To protect religious liberty, we will ensure that faith-based institutions do not face discrimination by government. … We endorse the First Amendment Defense Act to bar government discrimination against faith-based groups. … We urge repeal of the 1954 Johnson Amendment (that placed limits on the pulpits’ freedom of political speech and activity). … (We also) support displays of the 10 Commandments and voluntary prayer in schools.”
“The constitution gives the federal government no role in education. Therefore, we oppose national standards and Common Core. In its place, we support choice-based, parent-driven, local control of our schools.
“We encourage states to resist federal guidelines that would allow men to use women’s restrooms.”
Democrats:
In the context of addressing persecution of religious minorities overseas, the platform states that “We will do all we can to protect religious minorities and the fundamental right of freedom of religion (and) bolster groups and individuals who fight for fundamental human rights.” (However, the platform makes no mention of the need to protect the rights of Christians in America who oppose forced participation in abortion and LGBT related activities that violate their conscience.)
Where Do They Stand on Enduring Constitutional Principles?
Republicans: Limiting the Reach and Power of the Federal Government
“We support independent institutions that stand between the citizen and the government and (which) create spaces where the power of government should not intrude.
“We affirm the 10th Amendment defense of state sovereignty and condemn federal assaults on our liberties, including school bathroom policies, universal health care, climate change policies, judicial activism, and discrimination against those who refuse to participate in activities that violate their beliefs.
Re: the Supreme Court’s decision to recognize same-sex marriage, the platform states that “(the Court) wrongly removed the ability of Congress and the will of the people to define marriage policy. … We therefore support the appointment of judges who respect the constitutional limits on their power.”
“We promote Right to Work laws and reducing the national debt. (We also) condemn government’s actions to overregulate all sectors, including a war on coal, blocking the Keystone pipeline and nuclear industry development, and imposing insupportable climate change policies and regulations.
Re: universal health care, the platform states that “Obamacare is invalid and must be repealed and replaced.”
Democrats: Expanding the Reach and Power of the Federal Government
“We believe a good education is the basic right of all Americans (and) will build a cradle-to-grave pipeline where every child can live up to his or her God-given potential.
“(We) will provide every family in America with access to high-quality childcare and high-quality preschool programs (plus) … increased investments in after-school and summer learning programs.
“Every student should be able to go to college debt-free, and working families should not have to pay any tuition to go to public colleges and universities. … We will also make community colleges free.
“(We) believe that health care is a right, not a privilege, and will never falter in the fight to guarantee health care for every American (and) to expand Medicaid in every state.”
“We will ensure that any new spending programs are offset by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy so as not to add to the national debt.”
Summary: It is clear from all of this that the Republicans favor a more limited government with a corresponding deference to protecting individual freedom and responsibility, while the Democrats clearly prefer a larger government at the expense of such liberties and responsibilities.
Moreover, it leaves two questions for the Democrats: 1) Who will pay for all of these “free” government benefits, and 2) Where do they get the power under the Constitution to actually provide them?
For Further Review
For the complete text of both party platforms, go to http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/papers_pdf/117717.pdf and to https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/static/home/data/platform.pdf. In addition, for other independent, non-partisan summaries and reviews of the two platforms, go to www.billygraham.org/story/2016-party-platforms or to http://townhall.com/columnists/robertknight/2016/08/02/a-tale-of-two-platforms-n2200849.
Crossroads & the Party Platforms
For more on all of this, please join Rita Dunaway and me this weekend on the following stations: WBTX (1470/AM and 102.1/FM) at 4:00 p.m. today and again on Sunday at 7:30 a.m., followed by WSVA (550/AM and 92.1/FM) at 8:30, and WNLR (1150/AM) at 11:30. You can also listen online at www.valleyfamilyforum.org.
Crossroads is entirely listener supported. Therefore, if you would like to help, please send your check to Crossroads at PO Box 881, Harrisonburg, 22803. All donations are tax-deductible and deeply appreciated.
From the Crossroads Team, for God and Country!
Dean