Just in time for Halloween, we have a spooky story from American Family Association founder Don Wildmon.
Wildmon, who opposes gay rights, wants to be sure that everyone knows how scary this election will be:
Every item of the homosexual agenda will be approved. All the laws protecting the unborn will be wiped away.
Of course, Wildmon, who claims to be a member of a pro-family-values organization, neglects to mention that divorce and family fragmentation costs us $112 billion per year in government spending.
He fails to note how the past 35 years of conservative ideology has not overturned Roe v. Wade.
And he doesn't seem too concerned that the nation's economy has fallen into the worst crisis since the Great Depression.
Full letter after the jump:
If you think things are bad now, just wait
October 8, 2008
Dear Friend,
The upcoming election is the most critical election in the history of our nation. The very future of our nation’s foundation is at stake.
Every person will be affected. If the liberals win, then our foundation no longer be based on the traditional Judeo-Christian morality. It will gradually but assuredly be based on an ever shifting, ever moving foundation. If the liberals win, the damage cannot be stopped with elections two, four, or forty years from now. America will be forever changed. We will keep seeing a gradual and growing hostility toward people of faith, especially Christians. The morals of our nation will continue to decline. Our children and grandchildren will pay the price.
In case you may think I’m a "the sky is falling" kind of person, you should know: When it comes to predictions, I am a very reserved person. But not on this one. I cannot overstate the damage a liberal victory will do to our country. The upcoming election is the most important in the history of our nation. Yes, if the liberals win you will lose some of your religious freedoms and free speech rights. Churches and pastors will not be exempt. You will not be allowed to say certain things about a particular group. Every item of the homosexual agenda will be approved. All the laws protecting the unborn will be wiped away.
I cannot overemphasize the importance of the Nov. 4 election. That is why I urge you to vote and encourage your family members, friends, Sunday school class, and church members to vote. America’s future – and the future of your children and grandchildren – is at stake.
Sincerely,
Don Wildmon
Founder and Chairman
American Family Association
As an Evangelical Christian, I find these scare tactics both misleading and appalling.
First, there is no reason to believe that the election of "liberals" will lead to a restriction on free speech. To the contrary, it is the conservative ideology which seeks to restrict both religious and civil liberties.
Second, if Mr. Wildmon is concerned about restrictions on hate speech (the euphemism is "saying certain things about a particular group"), he ought to consider what Jesus said about how to treat enemies.
Mr. Wildmon is right. The Judeo-Christian foundations of our nation are at stake. The founders of our nation established religious liberty after centuries of persecution and religious warfare. They established the Constitution because they believed that no group or sect should be victimized, as many of them were, by those who do violence in the name of God.
Jesus taught Christians to "love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." (Matthew 5:44) Jesus didn't teach us to hate anyone.
Jesus taught Christians to "judge not, lest you be judged." (Matthew 7) He taught that we will be judged by the same standard we use to judge others.
In the book of Micah, the Jewish prophet railed against greed and false prophecy. He said, "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)
The apostle Paul taught that we should "submit to the governing authorities" (Romans 13).
Jesus taught, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, and render unto God that which is God's." (Matthew 22:21)
The same religious freedoms which allow Americans to worship a Christian God as they see fit also allow Americans to worship Allah, or to meditate like Buddha, or to consult astrologers. When we infringe on the rights of others, we are walking on a very slippery slope.
What's most ironic, perhaps, is that Wildmon is attacking "liberals" for their position on gay rights, when in fact Sarah Palin and John McCain both support civil unions for homosexual couples. Is Wildmon saying that McCain and Palin are liberals?