“It is patently un-American to tax workers all their lives on the fruits of their labor, and then still take sizeable chunks of what’s left at the end that rightfully belongs to their families.
  -- Dr. Ron Paul


“The only Republican with the potential to pull an upset victory over Clinton is
Ron Paul.”
  -- Dr. Chuck
      Baldwin, Pastor


"I have never
been one who is comfortable talking about my faith in the political arena. In fact, the pandering that typically occurs in the election season I find to be distasteful. But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do."
  -- Dr. Ron Paul


“Defiance of God’s Law will eventually bring havoc to a society.”
  -- Dr. Ron Paul


"Our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty."
  -- Samuel Adams


"The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending against all hazards: And it is our duty to defend them against all attacks."
  -- Samuel Adams


It is not the function of the government to keep the citizens from falling into error; it is the function of the citizen to keep the government from falling into error.
 -- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert Parker


“Be religiously careful in our choice of all public officers . . . and judge of the tree
by its fruits.”
  -- Elias Boudinot


"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever."
   -- John Adams


"Guard against
the impostures
of pretended patriotism."
 -- George Washington

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
  -- Samuel Adams
 

 
With many of us Christian conservatives trying to find a Republican presidential candidate we can support, some of us are getting excited about former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee.  So is it true that Mr. Huckabee is the one who Christian conservatives should be supporting?

Mike Huckabee’s record is, at first glance, largely conservative. He is pro-life, pro-family, pro-gun, and has made his Christian beliefs very clear in the public arena. However, the fact is that a quick delve into Mr. Huckabee’s past tells a bit of a different story. As John Fund, journalist for opinionjournal.com, has stated, “I have known and liked him for years . . . . But I also know he is not the ‘consistent conservative’ he now claims to be.” Likewise, Betsy Hagan, Arkansas director of conservative group Eagle Forum was once “his Number 1 fan.” But she ended up disappointed with his record. “He was pro-life and pro-gun, but otherwise a liberal,” she says. “Just like Bill Clinton he will charm you, but don’t be surprised if he takes a completely different turn in office.”

Likewise, Phyllis Schlafly, president of the Eagle Forum stated, “[Mr. Huckabee] destroyed the conservative movement in Arkansas, and left the Republican Party a shambles. Yet some of the same evangelicals who sold us on George W. Bush as a ‘compassionate conservative’ are now trying to sell us on Mike Huckabee.”

As a staunch Christian, freedom-loving American myself, I have found the perfect alternative to Mike Huckabee as the Republican nominee. His name is Dr. Ron Paul.  Dr. Ron Paul is a conservative Christian grandfather, an Obstetrician by trade, and the leading advocate for freedom since the late 70’s as a Republican Congressman in our nation’s capital.

His fellow Congressmen have long recognized him as one of the only honest men in Washington; one of his colleagues has noted, “Ron Paul personifies the Founding Fathers’ ideal of the citizen-statesman. He makes it clear that his principles will never be compromised, and they never are.”

   
 So, in what ways are Mr. Huckabee’s positions unacceptable to true conservatives, and how are Dr. Ron Paul’s views preferable?
 

Mr. Huckabee is strongly in favor of a Federal Constitutional Ammendment defining marriage as being only between one man and one woman. Initially, this seems to be a positive fact for Christians. But the prospect of permitting our federal government to define marriage is a dangerous one at best. It has enormous potential to destroy other aspects of the family, such as parental rights.

Mr. Huckabee’s stance on federally defining marriage is reminiscent of Hillary Clinton’s, “it takes a village” philosophy. The Federal government can take the very precedents we ask them to set, and then use them in the future to in turn and declare that one’s marriage and family are legally void if they don’t educate and raise their children the way the government requires. This is at LEAST as much of a risk as the kind of family dynamic that many are trying to prevent with a Marriage Amendment. Many Christians seem to believe that, without legal recognition of marriage, the sanctity of the family is in jeopardy.

The reality is that a legal definition of marriage would begin the erosion of the sovereignty of one’s family over their own home. In addition, it is ill-advised that many in the church continue to believe that we must judge candidates based on their willingness to use the government to enforce family values. The Apostle Paul makes it clear in Romans that the breakdown of values in Roman society was itself an effect, not a cause. It was the judgment of God against a people who had turned away from Him and His glory to worship the creations of man in the first place. The state is not God, nor can it do His job. We need a government that is kept in check and fulfills only its proper role of protecting the temporal life, liberty, and property of the individual, or we will continue our nation’s spiritual decline. No laws or surrender of our God-given individual rights will stop it.

By contrast . . .
 
Dr. Ron Paul has stated that that his preference would be for CHURCHES to decide on the issue of marriage,rather than federal government. God has already defined marriage - why should the government need to qualify Divine Law? Dr. Paul supports the Defense of Marriage Act & the Marriage Protection Act, both of which seek to protect traditional marriage at the state level.

In his own words, “I am unwilling either to cede to federal courts the authority to redefine marriage, or to deny a state’s ability to preserve the traditional definition of marriage.” If we allow government to define marriage at all, then we have already given up on the principle that our marriage and families are between us and our God, and we would therefore no longer have the right to complain about odd definitions of marriage. By giving the central planners power over the definition, they can (and eventually probably will) expand “marriage” to include anything they want it to. If we truly care about marriage, we should make sure that it is kept sacred by securing it as far away from government regulations as possible.
 

Mr. Huckabee is unmistakably and commendably pro-life. However, his approach to eliminating abortion is an unfortunately impractical one, and would take many years longer than his presidential term, during which millions more unborn children would continue to die. His preferred method is to eliminate abortion by means of yet another Constitutional amendment. While this is a worthy effort, the fact is that the Constitutional amendment process is a lengthy one, and one over which the U.S. President holds little, if any, say-so. Not only that, but once the amendment comes up for a vote, it would likely be denied, which would reset the entire process.

By contrast . . .
 
Dr. Ron Paul’s position is that abortion should be removed from Federal jurisdiction altogether. Like other forms of violent crime, such as murder, abortion should be an issue for the individual states to decide upon. This is the approach that will start savings babies’ lives immediately - the ability to fight and defeat the pro-abortion movement will be infinitely easier at the state level than at the federal level. How many millions of the unborn have died because of the nationalized lawmaking approach to abortion? Roe vs. Wade should be overturned, and decision-making power with regards to abortion should eliminated from the realm of the federal courts. While this is not the perfect solution to elimination abortion throughout America, it is the only viably immediate solution, and it is the Constitutional approach.

NOTE: On Tuesday, January 22nd—the 35th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision—Norma McCorvey endorsed Ron Paul for President. Norma McCorvey runs Crossing Over Ministry—formerly Roe no More Minsitry— and is best known as "Jane Roe" in the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision. McCorvey, who is now a pro-life activist, said "[Ron Paul] has never wavered on the issue of being pro-life and has the voting record to prove it."
 

Mr Huckabee supports the continued occupation and undeclared war against Iraq. He has made it clear that he will allow our troops to remain in the Middle East. He admittedly will also continue the current trend of preemptive warfare.

By contrast . . .
 
Dr. Ron Paul believes in the Christian doctrine of, “Just War,” which basically mandates that war, while sometimes necessary, must only be waged as a last resort - for a discernible moral and public good, with the right intentions, vetted through established legal authorities (a constitutionally required declaration of the Congress). The U.S. occupation of Iraq does not meet this criteria.

In Dr. Paul’s own words, “It has been and remains my firm belief that the current United Nations mandated, no-win police action in Iraq fails to meet the high moral threshold required to wage just war. That is why I have offered moral and practical opposition to the invasion, occupation and social engineering police exercise now underway in Iraq. It is my belief, borne out by five years of abject failure and tens of thousands of lost lives, that the Iraq operation has been a dangerous diversion from the rightful and appropriate focus of our efforts to bring to justice to the jihadists that have attacked us and seek still to undermine our nation, our values, and our way of life.”
 

It is inevitable that, during an election, the candidates’ personal lives will eventually come under scrutiny. While our aim should not be to personally attack anyone, it is important to take an individual’s personal, demonstrated values into account when considering how fit they are for office. Having said that, I consider it worth mentioning that Mike Huckabee has been involved in several events which cause one to seriously question his integrity and honesty.

According to various news sources (including the American Spectator and MSNBC), the Arkansas Ethics Commission officially reprimanded Mr. Huckabee for ethics violations five times in 14 years, including once for taking money from an organization whose donors he refused to disclose. He also misused the Governer’s Mansion fund as his personal, “piggy bank,” using it for family restaurant meals, boat expenses, and other personal uses. He attempted to claim as his own (i.e., steal) $70,000 worth of furnishings that were actually donated to the governor’s mansion, not to him. State ethics rules later forced him to give back this claimed, “gift.”

He has also repeatedly maintained the claim that a particular tax which he passed during his term as governor was actually voted for by the citizens of the state. In fact, this is a complete falsehood - this tax for which the people, “voted” never actually appeared on the ballot, it was signed straight into effect by then-governor Huckabee. In addition, Mr. Huckabee mysteriously destroyed all of the hard drives in the governer’s office upon his departure from that office. All of these and other ethics concerns have led the conservative Judicial Watch committee to include Mike Huckabee on its list of, “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians for 2007.”

By contrast . . .
 
If there has ever been a truly squeaky-clean politician, Dr. Ron Paul fits the bill. Having never encountered a politician whom I deemed truly trustworthy, I was personally very skeptical when I initially heard of Dr. Paul. So I set out to find out the truth about him - or rather, to TRY to find something bad about him.

Every candidate has at least a little hidden dirt, right?  Well, apparently not this one.

His fellow congressmen are admittedly humbled by his consistent, quiet integrity. He has never accepted a government-paid junket (would you or I be willing to forgo this seemingly harmless perk of Congressional life?), refuses participation on the lucrative Congressional pension program, and even refused to allow his children to accept federal funds for their college educations, all because his personal principals do not allow him to use taxpayers’ money for such purposes. And throughout his congressional career, his principals have NEVER changed - not once.

He has stated, “I have never been one who is comfortable talking about my faith in the political arena. In fact, the pandering that typically occurs in the election season I find to be distasteful. But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do. I know, as you do, that our freedoms come not from man, but from God.” And his record has proven this belief.

In addition, Dr. Paul’s humility is refreshing and inspiring. When I recently witnessed his being asked why he is the best candidate for President, his quiet response was, “Oh, I don’t think I’m the best judge of that.” Adherence to principals in one’s personal life, regardless of what virtues they may publicly espouse, is the true test of that person’s integrity. In my research of the major candidates, only Ron Paul passes the test.
 

Mike Huckabee has defended his many tax increases during his tenure as governor by maintaining that he also managed to lower many other taxes. I will not attempt to prove otherwise, as his tax record can speak for itself. What I have observed, however, is the fact that, while Mr. Huckabee praises the virtues of lower taxes, his policy proposals are in direct contradiction to his claimed commitment to less taxation. He has proposed many additional social entitlement programs, paid for by federal taxes; he states, “Every child deserves a quality education, first-rate health care, decent housing . . . .” etc. While this goal seems laudable, his proposal of forcing taxpayers to pay for these programs (the moral equivalent of stealing someone’s money to give it to another) would serve only to plunge our nation further into debt and financial danger. Mr. Huckabee is a proponent of the so-called, “Fair Tax,” a federal sales tax of approximately 30%.

By contrast . . .
 
Ron Paul believes that concern for our fellow man should be our motivation to help others, not government-mandated taxpayer charity. As he has stated concerning misplaced government spending, “It is, of course, very easy to be generous with the people’s money.” He believes that we, the Church, should take responsibility for helping those in need, and that welfare programs primarily serve only to perpetuate the poverty of most recipients, rather than motivating them to improve their station in life. Dr. Ron Paul wishes to, in his own words, “get rid of the income tax and replace it with nothing.” He does not advocate a flat tax, nor a, “fair” tax. Eliminating the federal income tax would easily be possible by simply reducing federal spending.
 

There are many more reasons why Dr. Paul’s message of Christian Liberty has rung true with so many people, and why I feel he is the only valid choice for our presidential nominee. Please research his positions for yourself - there are several websites below to help you get started. The information contained in this article can be verified through various online news sources, or you can contact me personally, Lauren Walker, at mrsjtwalker@gmail.com for more information. I hope you will join me in praying for God’s will in the upcoming presidential election, and please vote in your state primary!

        -- Lauren Walker

PS The following is a Transcript of a YouTube Video I saw recently: http://youtube.com/watch?v=393BLypi1cc   It's an excellent compliation of reasons why Ron Paul is the only choice for Christians and Homeschoolers!
    -- Lauren
 

Hello. My name is Pat. I’m a Christian and a mother to 9 children. My husband and I have been homeschooling our children for almost 28 years. I still have 4 children at home. There are a few issues that our family are passionate about and doctrine, worldviews, and politics rank right at the top. I made this video for homeschooling moms.

One of the beauties of homeschooling is the privilege we have to use current events in order to educate our children. The events that unfold during an election year offer many learning opportunities. As homeschooling parents one of our primary goals is to raise children to live and think responsibly, reasonably, and wisely. It is my hope that this video might stimulate further discussion between you and your children regarding the present presidential election.

Our family does not take the responsibility of choosing a candidate to support lightly. We do our homework and research each candidate before deciding on the best choice. Our family has chosen to support Ron Paul for President and I want to address a few of the comments we’ve received since making this declaration.

Before I address the often heard reasons for not supporting Ron Paul, let me give you a little more food for thought. Why do you think the mainstream media is either totally ignoring Ron Paul or mentioning him only in derogatory terms? This should make a person sit up and take note. Also, why do you suppose that an outspoken evangelical candidate like Mike Huckabee has so quickly moved to the front of the media’s attention? Hm …. more food for thought.

Comment #1 “You are wasting your vote. He doesn’t stand a chance.” If everyone who thought this way voted their conscience rather than voting for the one “most likely to win” then the results might prove otherwise. Good is often the enemy of the best. Choosing a candidate based on his “chance to win” is not a biblical principle. Look at the men of God who took a stand regardless of impending challenges and unpopularity: Abraham, Noah, David, John the Baptist, Paul — Scripture is filled with examples of men who took a stand for righteousness even when it wasn’t widely accepted, supported, or understood. [Note: in addition, Ron Paul's campaign is faring MUCh better than is being acknowledged by the mainstream media! He has placed well in several states, and won many delegates. See his message about this here: http://ronpaul2008.typepad.com/ron_paul_2008/2008/01/message-from--2.html]*

Statement #2: “I’m afraid to support Ron Paul because he’s a Libertarian.” This is one of the terms the media often uses in a derogatory sense. If you look at Ron Paul’s stand on the issues you will see he is only libertarian in the sense that he believes in limiting the Federal government as set out in the Constitution. Many libertarians are pro-choice and pro-homosexuality. Ron Paul is neither. [Ron Paul is a Republican in the traditional sense, not the modern, neo-con one. His veiws line up with those of the Republican party we USED to know and love!]

Statement #3: “I’m pro-life and that issue is more important to me than any other issue and Ron Paul is opposed to a Federal amendment prohibiting abortion.” Ron Paul is very pro-life. He’s an obstetrician who has delivered thousands of babies. He introduced legislation to define life as beginning at conception. What Ron Paul is opposed to is the Federal government passing legislation that mandates every state. This should be a state issue. Not a Federal issue. Many Christians erroneously conclude that Ron Paul must be opposed to something if he won’t favor Federal legislation of such. This is not true. [See Ron Paul discuss his pro-life views here: http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/life-and-liberty]*

Statement #4: “I’m not going to vote for Ron Paul because he doesn’t favor the marriage amendment.” Ron Paul strongly believes in a one woman/one man definition of marriage. His opposition, again, is to a Federal mandate — not to the issue. My husband and I refused to sign petitions for a Federal marriage mandate yet we were very involved in obtaining signatures for a state mandate. What this country needs is leadership willing to study, understand, and lead the country constitutionally. Christians believe (for the most part) in absolute truth and not in moral relativity. To say that we support a limited, constitutionally led government and then justify supporting Federal mandates because they are issues near and dear to our hearts is wrong. One of the most dangerous battles facing Christians who are determined to teach their children to live out their worldview is the battle for the truth. The end does not justify the means. Moral relativity is the prevalent teaching in public schools today and the end result to moral relativity is sociopath criminals.

Statement #5: “But Ron Paul is not as outspoken about his faith as Mike Huckabee.” Ron Paul will tell you that he is a believer in Christ but he will also tell you that he won’t use his faith to sway votes. Yes, electing a Christian to office is a good thing. However, as Christians, we need to be careful not to restrict our allegiance to the most vocal Christian running. After all, history has proven that a vocal Christian does not necessarily a good politician make. We’ve elected a few who spoke the rhetoric but then took actions in office that were opposed to the values of many Christians.

Statement #6: “Ron Paul is against education.” No he’s not. He’s against the Department of Education because education is not a constitutional function of our government. If anyone realizes the danger in turning over the educational system of a people to the government, it should be the Christians. Wouldn’t you be glad to get back the tax dollars spent on the brainwashing of American children? I would. Mike Huckabee, by the way, not only spoke at an NEA event, but he has garnered their support.

Statement #7: “Ron Paul is an isolationist.” No he’s not. He’s for free trade. What he’s opposed to is exactly what Washington and Jefferson warned us of — entangling alliances. Who decided that America should police the world? What’s going to happen if our shores are attacked and our soldiers (including the guard) are posted in over 160 other countries around the world? We are spending money to be in places where we are not wanted and we are leaving our soil exposed.

Statement #8: “But Ron Paul is against the war!” Yes, he is. He is also against all the control given the President after 9-11, control that is unconstitutional. Congress should be the body to declare war, not one individual. Ron Paul has written several articles that explain his stand on this issue and I suggest you read some of these articles with your children and then discuss this issue. I have a question for you — at what point do you think it will be okay to remove our troops from the Middle East? The problem I have with this issue is the fact that we are helping set up a Muslim government. Since the 3 factions of Islam are hostile to one another, which government should and will rule? Why should we risk lives and money setting up a government in a nation whose primary belief system encourages death to those opposed to their beliefs? Here’s another question — if we are going to police the world and try to rid governments of oppressive leadership then why haven’t we taken over Cuba, a nation located less than 100 miles from our shores, and freed the people living under Castro’s dictatorship?

Statement #9: “We have to elect the candidate that has the best chance of beating the Democrat.” Of course we want the candidate we support in the primary to win the general election, but your convictions shouldn’t be compromised in order to procure an end result. Again, this is an “end justifies the means” mentality. [See http://www.newswithviews.com/baldwin/baldwin398.htm for the reasons why Ron Paul is the ONLY one who can beat a Democratic candidate!]*

One of the reasons that David beat Goliath is that he was willing to take a stand for righteousness, knowing that God + 1 is a majority. He wasn’t persuaded by others to follow the traditional route (wearing armor and using conventional weapons). David used his God given talents to defeat Goliath. We, as Christians, are often set apart from mainstream America. If we aren’t, we should be. Scripture tells us that if we seek God’s kingdom we’ll have persecution. My dad recently said, “Ron Paul won’t win. He’s too smart. And besides, your candidates never win.” I’d like to prove him wrong this one time! If you want more information on where Ron Paul stands, go to www.ronpaullibrary.org.
 
* [Note: Lauren's comments in brackets]