Our founding fathers recognized universal truths as applying to all of mankind regardless of religion. That is why the Declaration of Independence says that you have inalienable rights granted to you by your creator. That is a universal truth. In order to preserve those rights, they created a document limited to universal truths.  Those universal truths were found in the Scripture. Man has never found through rationalization or empiricism a universal truth, those are found in the Scripture.  There are three methods of perception for mankind.  They are rationalism, empiricism, and faith. Our nation was built upon faith and that faith was contained in universal truths. When we stop borrowing, we are going to have to go back to our faith in universal truths. We will have discovered that our rationalism and our empiricism have not solved our problems.

The fight to limit government through universal truths is on going. Above are sample Public Service Announcements for seleceted issues and below are selected projects and correspondece on which the LGIRS is working.

We’d like to thank the New York Times
For making our point for us.

By Roger McCredie

Ed. Note: The New York Times has never been noted for endorsing conservative values or viewpoints, so the LGIRS was more than a little interested in an op-ed piece by Thomas B. Edsall, published on Sunday, January 15, entitled, “What the Right gets Right.”  Mr. Edsall asked several prominent “academics and activists on the left” what, if anything, they admired about the mindset of conservatives in general.  These progressives were surprisingly candid in conceding that their conservative colleagues actually had some honestly-held values which they were attempting to advance in good faith for the good of the country.  The LGIRS is even more interested in the fact that each of these points can be matched to a Universal Truth as found in scripture.

Here are the things progressives think “the right gets right,” according to the Times, with the scriptural authority for them.  First, some points from a senior fellow at Columbia University’s Richman Center.  (His comments are in italics; scriptural comments are in
boldface. )
“They [conservatives] appreciate more instinctively the need for fiscal balance.”  (Deuteronomy 15:6:  “For the LORD thy God blesseth thee as He promised thee; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.”)
“They understand people’s more innate belief in hard work and individual responsibility and see government as too often lacking that understanding.”  (Proverbs 10:4: “He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.”  II Thessalonians 3:8:” …  nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you.”
“They are more suspicious from a philosophical point of view of big government as an answer to many issues …”  (Colossians 1:16:“For by him were all things were created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.”  Romans 13:1: “…for there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God.”)
“They respect the need for private sector economic growth … they are more pro-small business.”  (Deuteronomy 8:18:  “But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”)

Edsall next turned to a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, a “liberal democrat” who, according to Edsall, nevertheless believes that conservatives “ ‘are closer to traditional ideas of liberty’ like ‘the right to be left alone, and they often resent liberal programs that use government to infringe on their liberties in order to protect the groups that liberals care most about.’ ” (II Peter 2:19: "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.")
 Edsall further quotes his source as saying, “Everyone gets angry when people take more than they deserve. But conservatives care more,” favoring a vision of society “in which the basic social unit is the family, rather than the individual, and in which order, hierarchy, and tradition are highly valued.”  In addition, conservatives “detect threats to moral capital that liberals cannot perceive. They do not oppose change of all kinds … but they fight back ferociously when they believe that change will damage the institutions and traditions that provide our moral exoskeletons (such as the family). Preserving those institutions and traditions is their most sacred value.”  [Emphasis added.] (Genesis 8:19: “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”
It is important to note that the LGIRS, in relating this article and juxtaposing relevant scriptural passages, is in no way implying that conservatives are more spiritually fit or knowledgeable than progressives.  (There are plenty of spiritually confused or unfocused conservatives as well as progressives wandering around the halls of government and in other positions of authority.)  Rather, the core mission of the LGIRS is to help bring the universal truths contained in scripture to bear once again on the governance of our nation by encouraging the reintroduction of scripture into public discourse.  As such, we were interested – and even a little hopeful – to note that prominent self-styled progressives were able to concede that there are values held by their opponents, the conservatives, which are worthy of emulation.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Psalms 111:10)      

Roger McCredie is Public Relations Director of the LGIRS.

Cherokee County will risk lawsuit and graduate in churches

Should public school graduations be held in churches?

In voting Thursday night to continue holding its high school graduations in churches, Cherokee County’s school board could be setting the county taxpayers up for a court fight.

Apparently, the school board thinks the matter is worth the risk, and also believes that free legal services would be forthcoming. (I would want that offer in writing if I were a Cherokee taxpayer.)

You can read the AJC story below, but I wanted to share an e-mail from a DeKalb reader who is Jewish. She looks at this situation with what seems to me a balanced view and one worthy of consideration when debating this issue. Please note that this practice came to the forefront in Cherokee because of a Jewish high school student who did not attend graduation because of discomfort over the use of a church:

My synagogue meets at a church. Every year, some of the largest Jewish High Holiday services are held in churches – many synagogues got their starts in churches.

The cross at the door doesn’t bother me or many others.

In our synagogue, the cross on the stage and other blatant signs are covered with our own banners – the largest is tactfully concealed by a large banner with a Star of David on a telescoping pole.

However, I vividly remember seeing my friend’s graduation photos from Lakeside and being astonished at how blatantly Christian the space seemed – and how prominently the crosses and Jesus banners are displayed throughout the chapel/auditorium where graduations are held. It’s been three years since I’ve seen those photos and they are still in my mind. I am pretty open-minded, yet I remember thinking that it will really bother me when my own daughter graduates if nothing is done about the very religious displays that, in my opinion, mar the photos of a very special event.

If truly there is no better public, civic auditorium that can accommodate large graduations, and without significantly higher expense, then I can understand the choice of the mega-churches as a venue. However, the school systems MUST invest in school system signage and other décor that will cover the Christian symbols and take the time to make the space neutral for each and every graduation ceremony. The churches should be willing to remove religious proclamation banners from the public spaces while they are rented out to schools. It seems a small investment and compromise to keep graduations accessible and affordable.

Here is the AJC story on the unanimous vote: