Years ago, God called me to fight sexual orientation laws. Even before I was called to that important battle, Rev. Don Wildmon was slogging it out on the front lines. The Mississippi-based United Methodist minister has been relentless confronting evil. Rather than despair over the downward trajectory of the culture thirty years ago he decided to do something about it. He started the American Family Association.
I'll never forget my time with this great man a number of years ago at the South Portland Church of the Nazarene. He was our featured speaker that year. His ministry was boycotting Disneyland, and he told us all about what was going on. The audience was left speechless by his presentation. They were unaware of the horrors going on behind the scenes without debate or coverage in the media. It would be much worse today if not for the efforts of Rev. Don Wildmon and the American Family Association. They have been uncompromising in their witness for the gospel.
That is why I am so thrilled to announce that I am launching the American Family Association of Maine. We are officially affiliated with the American Family Association in Tupelo, Mississippi. They do not provide financial support to us. We must raise our own support locally. We welcome your donations and we need them to continue to form the ministry.
We have created a non-profit corporation called the American Family Association of Maine. We anticipate having things organized so that we can accept donations very soon. In the meantime we welcome, and need, your gifts. Make your checks out to Mike Heath and send them to 28 Mayflower Lane, South China, Maine 04358.
God Bless America Throughout the coming years And help us see the way to Save the Republic Though we be bleary eyed from tears
Hold true and firm to your Patriotic beliefs Though enemies surround and redicule You have many friends here who stand with you To share the warmth of Christmas yule
Never give up Faith in Nation Lift your eye's proudly to the Flag As we stand on the Founding Principles An army of Patriots, side by side
For we wish you a Patriotic Christmas Together we will lift our Country high above May the Angels bring you blessings Your families watched over with care and love
Merry Christmas to all our Proud American Citizens Union members, We look forward to the fight ahead... Rennie and Deborah Shiels
Every year we are subjected to the same two arguments about Christmas. One, "It's a holy day and should be celebrated as such". Two, "It's a holiday and there's no need for religion." Is either of these absolute? No, not at all.
Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus was not conceived as you and I were for he was the son of God. He grew in human form to be a man and sacrificed himself on the cross for our salvation. But how do you explain that to children? Do you want children to be excited about the birth of a baby that we know is going to be nailed to a cross? That's the stuff of nightmares.
Christmas is a holy day that went along with the spreading of Christianity. Those who were teaching the word of God found it so much easier to incorporate the non-Christian traditions of their converts into the lesson plan to make the faith more tangible. So winter solstice celebrations gave us the Christmas tree and other traditions. The foods that were part of each ethnic groups winter celebrations became the goodies of Christmas and the music became our Christmas carols.
Those that complain about the "commercialization" of Christmas are missing the point. Gift giving for adults is a part of the birthday party for Jesus Christ. Gift giving for children is a part of the magic that introduces them to the baby Jesus. The anticipation of Santa Claus coming with gifts is the re-enactment of the world's anticipation of the coming of Christ to deliver the gift of salvation; it all works together.
So whether you want to spell it holyday or holiday it all comes down to the greatest celebration of the greatest story ever told. We celebrate the birth of Christ with gifts, food, songs, trees, tinsel and jolly old Saint Nick all at the same time, without any need to apologize.
Merry Christmas and God bless us one and all. Now go shopping!
The Christian Civic League of Maine has issued the following statement regarding the recent death threat against the League's former Executive Director, Michael S. Heath:
The Christian Civic League of Maine welcomes the news that the Office of the Maine Attorney General is currently investigating the threat against the life of its former Executive Director, Michael S. Heath. The League learned of the involvement of the Civil Rights Unit’s Detective Margie Berkovich, (Margie.berkovich@maine.gov and www.maine.gov/ag/civil_rights/index.shtml), of the Maine Attorney General's Office on Tuesday after requesting a police report on the incident from the Augusta Police Department.
The Maine Attorney General's Civil Rights Unit enforces the Maine Civil Rights Act, a civil statute that authorizes the Attorney General to seek restraining orders against persons who commit violence, threat of violence of property damage motivated by bias on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.
The spirit of resentment and revenge voiced by so many supporters of same-sex marriage, as well as past incidents of vandalism and intimidation, compel the League to view the death threat against its former director with the utmost seriousness. Having faith in God's providence, the League is confident that the culprit will eventually be brought to justice. In the meantime, we invite the prayers of the people of Maine for the safety of all our pro-family leaders, and we look forward to the time when the institution of marriage is itself out of danger and restored to its rightful place of honor in society.
The Christian Civic League of Maine issues this statement on the success of the same- sex marriage law People’s Veto:
The Christian Civic League of Maine welcomes the news of the win on Question 1. Shortly before the election, the League predicted that homosexual marriage would eventually be decisively and finally defeated. The League saw that the common sense of the people of Maine, combined with the Biblical truth about homosexuality would win out over any cynical manipulation of the political process.
The homosexual marriage forces were defeated despite the enormous advantage in spending and the support of a compliant media they enjoyed. Nor did a last minute appeal by Maine’s Governor and Attorney General succeed in swaying voters.
There will be much post-election analysis of why the vote went in favor of traditional marriage. The homosexual marriage supporting No on 1 side will say their defeat was a result of bigotry and discrimination. The Yes on 1 side will say their victory was the result of a skillful campaign. The unstated and very obvious truth is that the greatest disadvantage of the No on 1 side was the appalling absurdity of homosexual ‘marriage.’ There is simply no effective way of marketing such an obviously bad product to the people of Maine.
Supporters of traditional marriage are now feeling a mixture of joy and relief, the kind of elation one feels after a narrow escape from disaster. For the League and her supporters, this is a welcome feeling after years of hard work and sacrifice.
But we remind the people of Maine that our society is not out of danger yet. One factor in this election victory is the glaring double-standard employed by the homosexual marriage side. Even as radical homosexual rights activists appealed to the public for tolerance, they were working to deprive Donald Mendel, a local guidance counselor and traditional marriage supporter, of his right to earn a living. Despite the victory on Question 1, this intimidation is sure to intensify.
Victory over the radical homosexual lobby and its agenda does not consist in a temporary rejection of the concept of homosexual marriage. It means faithfulness to God's laws pertaining to marriage and the family, and a return to Biblical truth about homosexuality. Victory will only be realized when the public returns to an awareness that homosexuality is a sin.
The Christian Civic League of Maine pledges to continue to work towards this goal, and to remain faithful to its century-long mission of being a moral force in Maine.
Mike Hein, Administrator Christian Civic League of Maine www.cclmaine.org
The Maine Family Policy Council was formed in 1897. Then named the Christian Civic League of Maine the ministry devoted itself to three purposes.
1. To elect honest and competent public officials.
2. To enact good laws and provide their impartial enforcement.
3. To encourage all the people of Maine in good citizenship.
4. In the 1950s changes in the IRS tax code forced the ministry to form a second non-profit called the Christian Education League. This group devoted itself to performing purpose number three above. Changes in Maine ethics rules in 1990s forced the creation of the Christian Action League to perform purpose number one above.
In 1990 the Christian Civic League of Maine entered into a professional association with the Colorado-based parachurch ministry Focus on the Family. While this association solidified over the past two decades the League's association with churches and denominations weakened.
The ministry was formed primarily by Congregationalists and Methodists over one hundred years ago. In the 1960s these denominations started to abandon the League over sexuality and gender issues. By the 1990s their departure was complete. The League remained orthodox while these denominations abandoned traditional ideas about family-formation and sexual morality.
Focus on the Family remains committed to orthodoxy, and American evangelicalism as defined and practiced by the historic movement most closely identified with Billy Graham. Additionally, the national ministry provides outstanding resources to help citizens build strong families. The traditional family is the basic building block of civilization.
To enhance the League's public identification with Focus on the Family the ministry decided in the fall of 2008 to change it's name. The idea had been discussed by the board over the past fifteen years. The next century of the ministry's outreach will be characterized by faithfulness to the founding three purposes with an emphasis on building strong Christian families.
This textured history and tradition makes the Maine Family Policy Council the most unique among her peers. Over thirty states have Family Policy Councils. We are very proud to be associated with Focus on the Family, and to be part of this national network of independent Christian organizations.
The new names for the corporations are as follows:
Christian Civic League of Maine -- Maine Family Policy Council Christian Education League -- Maine Family Policy Council FOUNDATION Christian Action League -- Maine Family Policy Council ACTION COMMITTEE
None of the groups receive any financial support from Focus on the Family, or any other national groups. The ministry is primarily funded by donations from Maine families, churches and individuals.
Since 1994 the ministry has been capably led by Michael S. Heath. He has served in leadership at the League/MFPC since 1987.
For those of you who have been through a traumatic event (and most of us have), you understand that it doesn't take much to trigger the fear and anxiety associated with those traumatic events. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is the psychological term used to describe the feelings of panic, despair, anxiety, fear, etc. that are triggered by something that reminds us of the traumatic event. PTSD is mostly associated with war veterans who have engaged in combat but it is also associated with victims of domestic violence, victims of sexual assault, victims of any kind of car accident or accident in general, and obviously the victims of the attacks of 9/11.
It doesn't take much to trigger a PTSD response. In this particular case, the sound of the low flying plane near the location of ground zero was all it took to throw New Yorkers into a state of panic based on what they experienced in 2001. The sad part is that the plane was a White House plane, accompanied by two Air Force fighter jets, that flew over the Statue of Liberty for a photo op. Apparently, the "appropriate people" were notified but that list did not include the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg and the New York City citizens. And now we are learning that the White House officials asked that the "appropriate people" not tell the public about the fly over.
Today, New Yorkers are angry and they have every right to be. Obviously the White House is more concerned about photo ops than the mental health of millions of New Yorkers affected by the devastating outcome of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But, that isn't surprising given the fact that the White House doesn't even consider our enemy "terrorists" any more and in fact wants to give them the same rights an American citizen would have. The CIA is not allowed to "torture" our enemy to get information to save Americans because the White House does not believe that the end result is as important as keeping our enemy comfortable. Never mind the fact that the terrorists planned the biggest attack on US soil with no compassion or empathy for the thousands of innocent people who died and the millions of public service professionals and families negatively affected by their plotting, scheming, and implementation.
What is wrong with this country? First our President says he is African American when he is not; he is half African American, maybe. Then after getting elected, he touts that he is a Muslim. Now, every decision he is making supports using "kid gloves" with our enemy who just happens to be of Muslim descent and he wants to give them every right a US Citizen has. He wants to close Gitmo, he suspended "torture" of any kind, he released the memos outlining the torture techniques giving the enemy the information they need to train their "soldiers" for the future, he supports immigration and open borders wholeheartedly, he has flown all over the world and met mostly with the leaders who are known for tyrannical leadership and abuse of their citizenry. Is it just me? Or is what is happening to America the most ridiculous series of events ever witnessed in our country?
Finally, the most insidious part of this whole mess is the authorization of the trillions of dollars of spending that Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator Susan Collins, and Senator Arlen Specter, who is now in the process of changing his party from Republican to Democrat, helped him pass. Where do you think they are going to get the money? We are going to borrow it from China or Japan. And, like your home, you don't really own it, the bank owns it. So, now we are going to be owned by China and/or Japan. This just feels like a strategic move to weaken the US economy to the point that we cannot fund a strong defense against our enemy.
And, what are we doing? We are falling for all the liberal media opinion and bias, most likely because we don't want to know the truth. The truth is too hard to handle. So instead, we are just sitting back believing the news channels who are owned by Obama supporters and contributors whether directly or indirectly in the form of advertising. If it wasn't for Fox News, I think I would just go insane because everyone appears to be giving our President and our so-called representative Congress a pass on all these moves to weaken our country and weaken our economy. And, now the Senate is looking at securing a filibuster because Arlen Specter is bringing the Democratic total to 59. If Al Franken wins the Senate seat in Minnesota, the Senate will be at 60 Democrats which means that our mostly Democratic Congress will have complete control of Congress and will be able to end any and all future debates.
Our checks and balances are gone America. We have a far left radical President calling himself a Democrat because of the current two-party system. We have a far left radical Congress calling themselves Democrats. We have a new President that will have the power to appoint a judge to the Supreme Court when and if the opportunity arises to ensure a far left decision making authority. We have a President appointing far left people to positions of power in the Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Attorney General, etc. Where does it end? Healthy debate is good for our country. These people are taking complete control of our entire federal political process. We need both Democrats and Republicans engaged in the debates to ensure that compromises can be reached and our country is actually represented.
Please consider the big picture here America. Whether you like it or not, we need to vote Republican in 2010 to ensure that the checks and balances are in place. Fine, we have a Democratic President but in order to ensure that their is a compromise between tax and spend welfare programs and a strong defense, we must have a Republican Congress. Unfortunately, in Maine regardless of whether or not Snowe and Collins are Republicans, it doesn't help us. They are so moderate that they might as well join Arlen Specter and change parties. They helped Specter push the big spending bills right through Congress and they could have stopped it had they listened to their constituents. But, obviously they feel that they know what is best for us uninformed Mainers, which is the problem with our Representatives and Senators. It is no longer about representing "we the people," it is about what they feel is best for us and/or their political careers.
I am very saddened by the direction our country is heading in. Here we are fighting for what is best for our beloved Rumford town and we don't have a chance with Barack Obama and our current Congress in power. There are no bailouts for Paper Mills unless they can "GO GREEN". The cap and trade legislation will cripple the already struggling paper mills and the card check legislation, if passed, will strengthen the Unions and hurt the ability for mill owners and managers to come to a compromise with the Unions to save the business. America, look at the big picture here. Am I the only one that sees this? Am I the only one that is putting all of this together? Please, open your eyes and see how what the federal government is doing has a direct impact on us here in Rumford, Maine. It's time for us to take care of ourselves and forget about turning to the State and the Feds to bail us out. They are not going to bail us out and we need to depend on one another to ensure that our community is protected and safeguarded in the future.
Everything is connected. God gave us the perfect man to be our Town Manager right now but he needs our support. He needs US! He can't do it alone. No one can do it alone. We all need to get involved and do our part. And, just like the federal government, we cannot allow the enemy to weaken our position both economically and strategically. Unfortunately, we will have the enemy trying to hurt us but together we can overcome that. Don't let the enemy hurt the best thing that has ever happened to us Rumford. Carlo Puiia was born and bred in Rumford, Maine and he of all people has this town's best interest in mind. It was evident when his family owned a local business and it is evident in his job as a Tax Collector. He has been ELECTED over and over because he ensures that the checks and balances are there. Are you starting to understand how and why checks and balances are so important? Rumford's founding fathers understood that, which is why they made the Tax Collector and Town Clerk elected positions. The people have the power where those two positions are concerned because it ensures the checks and balances required for a healthy form of government.
We do not currently have a healthy form of government at the State and Federal level. But, we do have a healthy form of government at the local level because of the Rumford Charter and because the citizens of Rumford voted to ensure that our current form of government remained in place. Our enemy tried to change our form of government to mirror that of the State and Feds to ensure complete control, which would have been possible with a Town Council form of government, appointing a Tax Collector, appointing a Town Clerk, and eliminating the Finance Committee. We adjusted our voting process from a biased show of hands at an Annual Town Meeting to a Secret Ballot process to ensure that the Town of Rumford citizens were represented without fear of reprisal from those who used to be in charge. And, one of our very own took the fall for us when he drafted the Secret Ballot legislation, just like our Founding Fathers did, to ensure taxation WITH representation.
Like my mother always said, all you can to is take care of your own little corner of the world. And that Rumford is precisely what we need to do. Don't be fooled by the enemy and look to your belief in God to help you see that the enemy is going to fight what is good and right for Rumford. On that note, please support our newest Town Manager with all of your might so that he can move our town forward in the direction we need to go. He needs US not the State and Feds to lead us through these tough times. And, we need to be there for him.
Editor's Note: The Holy Savior School also asks for money from the Town of Rumford in the form of Initiated Articles. Please click here for the amounts they received in last year's 2008 Budget.
Dear Editor,
Where's the common sense?
We are writing to express our concerns about the financial feasibility of keeping the local Catholic school open. We hear that there will only be approximately 35-40 students from K-8 at Holy Savior school in the fall of 2009. We continue to read the school's advertisements for next year's registrations and continue to wonder how long we will be forced to pay for this drain on the parish. The school's budget, we learned, is somewhere around $300,000.00. The Parish of the Holy Savior is responsible for 1/3 of that budget, and it doesn't make financial sense to force that upon the parishioners, especially in a time when the whole country is in such an economic crisis. Doing the math is not that difficult. $300,000.00 divided by approximately 38 students is $7895.00 per student. The parish is forced to pay $2632.00 per student. It is unconscionable that the school board can justify putting this financial burden on the parish. If the school must remain open, it should be up to the parents of the students there to pay the tuition in full.
There are many more children who belong to the parish who do not attend the school, and it is selfish on the part of the school board and the teachers to throw all the resources at only the select few who are in the school. Religious education should be the main focus for ALL parish children. We argue that anyone operating a household budget in this way would go bankrupt very quickly. Is this how the school board operates their own personal budgets, or is it that a third-party purchase allows for less than responsible spending?
Sincerely,
Concerned Parishioners of the Parish of the Holy Savior
"There is a quality even meaner than outright ugliness or disorder, and this meaner quality is the dishonest mask of pretended order, achieved by ignoring or suppressing the real order that is struggling to exist and to be served." Jane Jacobs
