Wednesday, October 31, 2007

John 15

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.

If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Happy Reformation Day!

Today is the 490th anniversary of Luther's 95 theses. This series of concepts presented for discussion dealt with whether a believer in Christ was to continue repenting from sin throughout his life, or whether he was instantly and forever absolved from responsibility. Here is a link to the document.

Luther, while not correct on every issue, had right the principle of Sola Scriptura: The Bible is the sole and complete rule of faith and practice.

Today is also the first anniversary of the existence of this website, The Worldviews Revolution. We have already seen numerous triumphs, as well as numerous persecutions. Praise be to God!

Let us continue to stand for the Scriptures alone as the key to all liberty, justice, revival, and Reformation!


-Your friend in Christ,

R. Josiah Magnuson

Monday, October 29, 2007

Business Cards with a Bang

Wow! Our new business cards are really being used! This weekend, from Friday night to Sunday night, I distributed (if I remember correctly) 31 cards, at three main events: first, a Boy Scout birthday party which we were invited to; second, the Bible quizzing competition; and third, a church we visited.

Fifteen of the cards went to other young people, mostly at the Bible quizzing. Twelve were placed in restrooms. Four went to adults. A whole bunch more, of course, were given to you distributors for future use.

Here is a picture of the current cards. I bought them from Vistaprint.


I think we need a different slogan below the name, for our next edition. Rather than "For Liberty In Law" which is rather bland and repetitive, we might say "Proclaiming God's Absolutes" or "Fundamental and Constitutionalist" or "Support Truth" or "A Bible-Believing Team" or so on. Please help me brainstorm on this one.

For these and other ideas, you may leave a comment below or email me at rjmpilgrim@aol.com.

Thanks From Josiah :-)

DeMint speaks out on LOST and DREAM

Here is a perhaps surprising letter sent out by our junior Senator here in SC, Jim DeMint. Mr. DeMint did not use to be so strong on immigration or sovereignty. There was a noticable change in him after Patrick Tyndall ran against him in 2004, forcing him to become educated on these issues. In any case, please take heed to what Mr. DeMint is saying here, especially about LOST.

Dear Friend,

I have some good news and some bad news. First, the good news:

Once again, the Democrat Senate attempted and failed to ram an amnesty bill through Congress. The large majority of Republicans rejected this attempt to reward illegal behavior because the American people have rightly demanded that we first secure our borders, enforce our laws, and create a legal immigration system that works.While advocates of the DREAM Act claimed it would be narrowly targeted to help children forced to come to the United States by their parents, the bill actually would have permitted millions to gain amnesty within a system ripe for fraud and abuse.

The Democrat DREAM Act would have allowed any illegal immigrant (including those with criminal records such as a DUI conviction) under t he age of 30 to apply for amnesty, as long as they claimed to have entered the country before the age of 16. Once the person is given legal status under the DREAM Act, they would then be able to claim legal status for other family members -- including parents and siblings who brought them to the country illegally in the first place. Additionally, the DREAM Act would give illegal immigrants access to publicly funded universities and colleges at in-state tuition rates, as well as access to federal aid and student loans. These rewards for illegal behavior would have only encouraged millions more to enter our country illegally.

It is certainly true that our government's failure to enforce its immigration laws has created many tragic circumstances for children and families, but the solution is not more of the same. We must have border security, enforce our laws and create a legal immigration system that works. Only after we have restored the confidence of the America n people can we begin to solve the problems associated with those here illegally.

Now, for some bad news: Currently, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is preparing to rubber stamp an international treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST) is a terrible idea because it creates a new unaccountable international bureaucracy that could impose taxes on Americans and infringe upon our nation's sovereignty. Under this treaty which includes Iran as a signatory, America will be forced to pay dues that amount to 25 percent of the operating costs of the organization.This week the Wall Street Journal summed up my opposition to this treaty:

Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina, who is leading the fight against ratification... insists that the Treaty is as wrong today as when Reagan opposed it. "We know from international groups like the U.N. that many signers of these agreements do not act in the best interest of the United States or the world." Now that sounds a lot like Ronald Reagan.

I hope you will join me in fighting this unnecessary international governing body that could significantly disrupt America's economy and our military operations. For more information on the Senate's rejection of the DREAM Act or on the upcoming debate about LOST, please visit my Web site.

Sincerely,

Jim DeMint

Thursday, October 25, 2007

How's this name?

Here is a name I thought of last night for our YCLA newsletter. I had posted several ideas here before regarding this need, and as I told you, only the last one seemed to fit. Realizing later, and having talked to David about it, I began to see that "The Celestial Citizen," while being onomatopoeic, was not strong-sounding enough. So, the latest idea is "The Citizen-Leader." I googled this name and it has not been taken as a newsletter; the only meaningful usage was on a couple university websites. I think this is probably the best idea yet.

Thanks! From Josiah

New HTML objects

As you may have seen, I have added a bunch of HTML objects to the side here. The one thing I may delete after reviewing their look is the poll. I think it makes it too busy.

The "Friend of Ron Paul" flag links to a coalition site for friends of Ron Paul. You may go there to see others across the web who are supportive of his campaign. One site I found is that of Homeschoolers for Ron Paul. A couple days later, the Paul campaign announced that this person was being given a special new place on their main site! Wow!

The "November 5th" thing links to a site hoping to achieve the largest single-day campaign donation amount in history: 10 MILLION dollars, or $100 from each Meetup Group member. Please subscribe there, and/or donate as much as you can on November 5th, for a gigantic boost to our Christian constitutionalist creationist pro-freedom non-interventionist non-flip-flopper best-voting-record-ever... etc. Presidential candidate. :-)

The precious metals price tracker is from Kitco.com. I stuck it on here mostly for myself so I could have a quick summary of that stuff when I wanted it. Of course, it also gives an indication of how large inflation is becoming! Aw, not another Ron Paul issue... :-)

The final object has been there a while but I've never explained it. It is a web visit tracker from Sitemeter. Click on it to view nearly anything about those who come here, from how many to who sent them, and from their location in the world to how long they spent on this site. So far there have been almost 1,500 visitors!

You are one of those who is making that happen, and of course I really appreciate it! Come back again. From Josiah

Monday, October 22, 2007

Companies supporting the NAU

Here is a list of corporations which are members of the North America Competitiveness Council, the main group supporting and encouraging the progress of the coming union of Canada, the United States, and Mexico. (Here is a good report from FaxDC.com: Canadians are insisting upon a national up-or-down vote on the union! Follow the link to get more info)
  • Campbell Soup Company
  • Chevron Corporation
  • Ford Motor Corporation
  • FedEx Corporation
  • General Electric Company
  • General Motors Corporation
  • Kansas City Southern
  • Lockheed Martin Corporation
  • Merck & Co., Inc.
  • Mittal Steel USA
  • New York Life Insurance Company
  • Procter & Gamble
  • UPS
  • Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
  • Whirlpool Corporation
We should try to purchase as little as possible from these corporations. Especially stuff we don't need anyway, like Merck drugs! :-)

Thanks From Josiah

Ron Paul's record on health freedom

From the Ron Paul campaign
October 22, 2007


When health freedom advocates need a congressman to fight against attempts to restrict access to dietary supplements, they turn to Dr. Ron Paul. Dr. Paul is the leader in Washington who is not afraid to fight the powerful special interests that want to limit access to dietary supplements.

When Dr. Paul learned the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was trying to censor truthful health claims by supplement manufacturers, he introduced the Health Freedom Protection Act (H.R. 2117).

"The Health Freedom Protection Act will force the FDA to at last comply with the commands of Congress, the First Amendment, and the American people by codifying the First Amendment standards adopted by the federal courts. Specifically, the Health Freedom Protection Act stops the FDA from censoring truthful claims about the curative, mitigate, or preventative effects of dietary supplements, and adopts the federal court's suggested use of disclaimers as an alternative to censorship. The Health Freedom Protection Act also stops the FDA from prohibiting the distribution of scientific articles and publications regarding the role of nutrients in protecting against disease," Dr. Paul explained.

Our health freedom is also threatened by attempts to "harmonize" American laws with those of other countries, thus forcing Americans to live under European-style restrictions of dietary supplements. Dr. Paul worked to add language to the 1997 FDA Modernization Act forbidding the FDA from harmonizing our rules with those of any other nation.

The primary instrument of "harmonization" is the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a group of international bureaucrats who are developing "health care standards" for the United Nations and the World Trade Organization. The FDA is an enthusiastic participant in the Codex process.

When Dr. Paul learned the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) contained language that might facilitate the imposition of Codex's restrictive standards on American consumers, he informed his congressional colleagues of this danger with a series of letters. In addition, Dr. Paul sponsored several briefings on the issue.

More recently, Dr. Paul has shown how the FDA is working with its counterparts in Canada and Mexico on a Trilateral Cooperation charter that could "harmonize" regulation of dietary supplements among the three countries. Dr. Paul led a congressional inquiry into the Trilateral Cooperation, forcing the FDA to go on record about its involvement in the Trilateral charter.

As a congressman for 10 terms, Dr. Ron Paul has fought to protect your health freedom. Imagine what he will do as president.

Donate today: https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/

Editor's note: Congressman Paul is also unofficially endorsed for President by Major General Albert (Bert) N. Stubblebine III (U.S. Army, Retired) and Rima E. Laibow, M.D., co-founders of the Natural Solutions Foundation.

REAL-ID subcommittee videos

Here are some more videos of the REAL-ID battle from last spring. I think these are the ones of the subcommittee hearing. My Dad just uploaded them today for the people working in Pennsylvania. From Josiah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvm_sOTTP2Y

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tXrQMDDRZpA

Saturday, October 20, 2007

I Peter 4

Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Baldwin on BJIII's Romney Endorsement

Bob Jones' endorsement of the former Massachusetts governor illustrates just how low the Religious Right will go in compromising bedrock principle for the sake of political expediency. Jones says he is supporting Romney so as to help defeat Rudy Giuliani. I very much want to see what Jones will do if and when Giuliani gets the Republican nomination. I would anticipate that he will continue to follow his current modus operandi and support Giuliani, because he would then say that Giuliani is the "lesser of two evils."

Why do I say that? Because Jones is already demonstrating that he will support one liberal over another liberal. Mitt Romney is not a conservative--not by any measure of the word. And I am confident that Bob Jones knows it.

Read more here: http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071019.html

Naming the Newsletter

We have been thinking lately about what to call our YCLA newsletter.

Our first main concept was something having to do with battle or militarism. "The Battle Cry" is already taken, however, as well as several others like it. Besides, with the events which have gone down in the last couple weeks, we have decided to let slide the militaristic theme at least for a while.

The next idea was one having to do with Biblicism or Sola Scriptura, but we realized it would be very wierd having a bunch of youngsters claiming to have "one up" on all the supposed scholars. A title with that implication would appear proud and vastly arrogant. After all, we do not want to get ourselves in the mode of never being able to learn new things, or thinking that we have somehow got a handle on it all.

I thought about "The Pilgrim." This title, though, is rather trite and does not describe us.

Another thought was "The Bible Investor." But does that one even make sense? It doesn't really describe us anyway.

The YCLA is about civil stuff in relation to God and freedom. So my last idea was "The Heavenly Citizen." In order to make it more onomonapaic, I tried "The Celestial Citizen."

I believe that is a good name for us. If you have any thoughts or comments, leave them here or e-mail me at rjmpilgrim@aol.com. Thanks!


-R. Josiah Magnuson

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Propagation for the YCLA...

We had a great time with the Aguilars and Hacketts on Sunday. We assembled with ------ in the morning, ate lunch at the Aguilars' house, and then went to two recitals (Rahab's for organ, and Paul's for violin) in the afternoon.

I and David worked on the design for a newsletter (to be published via email for now).

We were also able to pass out about a dozen brochures to various young people, as well as adults we thought might be interested.

Then today, I received in the mail some business cards from Vistaprint.com. These were the low-quality type, but I was able to get some free premium-quality ones because of my creation of an account with them! Those cards (which look really good) will be coming sometime before the first of November.

Yes! :-) From Josiah

Friday, October 12, 2007

Columbus Day

"Your Highnesses, as...princes who love and promote the holy Christian faith, and enemies of the doctrine of Mahomet, and of all idolatry and heresy, determined to send me, Christopher Columbus, to the above-mentioned countries of India, to see the said princes, people, and territories, and to learn their disposition and the proper method of converting them to our holy faith; and furthermore directed that I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone."

-Journal of Christopher Columbus
Friday, 3 August 1492

Find more of Columbus' Journal here.

Proverbs 12:1-13:6

Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

A good man obtaineth favour of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. A man shall not be established by wickedness: but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them. The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand.

A man shall be commended according to his wisdom: but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised. He that is despised, and hath a servant, is better than he that honoureth himself, and lacketh bread. A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: but the just shall come out of trouble. A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth: and the recompence of a man’s hands shall be rendered unto him.

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. A fool’s wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy. There shall no evil happen to the just: but the wicked shall be filled with mischief. Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute. Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious. In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke. A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence. He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat. A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame. Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

Propaganda on Bible Doctrine: A Summary

There are a number of propaganda techniques available for use by misinformers, and we all know what they are. However, I will give an overview here of how they seem to be used in discussions on Bible doctrine. You name the issue, if you are right and another is wrong and they know it but don't want to change, you will more than likely have one of these thrown at you. I've had it happen to me on more than one occasion.

The most important lesson for us to learn from this list is how not to defend our own ideas. If we are wrong, we should admit it and be willing to modify our positions to conform to Biblical truth.

Emotional appeal - "But don't you know, that's so divisive!" or "Can't you just see how much trouble (fill in the blank) has caused you?"

Straw man - "So you believe in (THIS obviously un-Biblical position!)"

Endorsement - "What about all the godly men that have believed (this)?" or "(So-and-so) believes (this), do you really think he's wrong?"

Non Sequitur - "(The weather is so nice today); what you're saying is a lie from the devil!"

Red Herring - "(The weather is so nice today.)"

Circular reasoning - "I believe (this) is true; I wouldn't believe it if it weren't true."

And the all-time favorite:

Bandwagon - "The vast majority of Christians hold to (this), why don't you?"


Thanks From Josiah

Ron Paul messages on the phone

Try it for yourself! Dial 1-641-715-3900

US Foreign Policy
4 min. Ext. 35004#
Protecting Civil Liberties 3 min. Ext. 35005#
Healthcare Reform 5 min. Ext. 35006#
Fixing the Inflation Tax 2 min. Ext. 35007#
Taxes and the IRS 2 min. Ext. 35008#
Entitlements 4 min. Ext. 35009#
Second Amendment 3 min. Ext. 35010#
Immigration Sanity 3 min. Ext. 35011#
Our Constitutional Republic 6 min. Ext. 35012#
Hear the latest from Ron Paul
Ext. 35013#

Thursday, October 11, 2007

The Real Meaning of Freedom

“…Man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.”
Ronald Reagan


We’ve all heard the words democracy and freedom used countless times, especially in the context of our invasion of Iraq. They are used interchangeably in modern political discourse, yet their true meanings are very different.

George Orwell wrote about “meaningless words” that are endlessly repeated in the political arena*. Words like “freedom,” “democracy,” and “justice,” Orwell explained, have been abused so long that their original meanings have been eviscerated. In Orwell’s view, political words were “Often used in a consciously dishonest way.” Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language. As a result, Americans have been conditioned to accept the word “democracy” as a synonym for freedom, and thus to believe that democracy is unquestionably good.

The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood this, as evidenced not only by our republican constitutional system, but also by their writings in the Federalist Papers and elsewhere. James Madison cautioned that under a democratic government, “There is nothing to check the inducement to sacrifice the weaker party or the obnoxious individual.” John Adams argued that democracies merely grant revocable rights to citizens depending on the whims of the masses, while a republic exists to secure and protect pre-existing rights. Yet how many Americans know that the word “democracy” is found neither in the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence, our very founding documents?

A truly democratic election in Iraq, without U.S. interference and U.S. puppet candidates, almost certainly would result in the creation of a Shiite theocracy. Shiite majority rule in Iraq might well mean the complete political, economic, and social subjugation of the minority Kurd and Sunni Arab populations. Such an outcome would be democratic, but would it be free? Would the Kurds and Sunnis consider themselves free? The administration talks about democracy in Iraq, but is it prepared to accept a democratically-elected Iraqi government no matter what its attitude toward the U.S. occupation? Hardly. For all our talk about freedom and democracy, the truth is we have no idea whether Iraqis will be free in the future. They’re certainly not free while a foreign army occupies their country. The real test is not whether Iraq adopts a democratic, pro-western government, but rather whether ordinary Iraqis can lead their personal, religious, social, and business lives without interference from government.

Simply put, freedom is the absence of government coercion. Our Founding Fathers understood this, and created the least coercive government in the history of the world. The Constitution established a very limited, decentralized government to provide national defense and little else. States, not the federal government, were charged with protecting individuals against criminal force and fraud. For the first time, a government was created solely to protect the rights, liberties, and property of its citizens. Any government coercion beyond that necessary to secure those rights was forbidden, both through the Bill of Rights and the doctrine of strictly enumerated powers. This reflected the founders’ belief that democratic government could be as tyrannical as any King.

Few Americans understand that all government action is inherently coercive. If nothing else, government action requires taxes. If taxes were freely paid, they wouldn’t be called taxes, they’d be called donations. If we intend to use the word freedom in an honest way, we should have the simple integrity to give it real meaning: Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating more government action or less.

The political left equates freedom with liberation from material wants, always via a large and benevolent government that exists to create equality on earth. To modern liberals, men are free only when the laws of economics and scarcity are suspended, the landlord is rebuffed, the doctor presents no bill, and groceries are given away. But philosopher Ayn Rand (and many others before her) demolished this argument by explaining how such “freedom” for some is possible only when government takes freedoms away from others. In other words, government claims on the lives and property of those who are expected to provide housing, medical care, food, etc. for others are coercive-- and thus incompatible with freedom. “Liberalism,” which once stood for civil, political, and economic liberties, has become a synonym for omnipotent coercive government.

The political right equates freedom with national greatness brought about through military strength. Like the left, modern conservatives favor an all-powerful central state-- but for militarism, corporatism, and faith-based welfarism. Unlike the Taft-Goldwater conservatives of yesteryear, today’s Republicans are eager to expand government spending, increase the federal police apparatus, and intervene militarily around the world. The last tenuous links between conservatives and support for smaller government have been severed. “Conservatism,” which once meant respect for tradition and distrust of active government, has transformed into big-government utopian grandiosity.

Orwell certainly was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words politicians use to deceive us. We must reassert that America is a republic, not a democracy, and remind ourselves that the Constitution places limits on government that no majority can overrule. We must resist any use of the word “freedom” to describe state action. We must reject the current meaningless designations of “liberals” and “conservatives,” in favor of an accurate term for both: statists.

Every politician on earth claims to support freedom. The problem is so few of them understand the simple meaning of the word.

*Politics and the English Language, 1946.

Article from FaxDC.com on the NAU

EX-MEXICAN PREZ: REGIONAL CURRENCY COMING

Tell Congress you support a Resolution to end the North America Union and the
abandonment of integration with Canada, Mexico.

Alert: Former Mexican President Vicente Fox confirmed the existence of a plan
conceived with President Bush to create a new regional currency in the Americas,
in an interview last night on CNN's "Larry King Live."

It possibly was the first time a leader of Mexico, Canada or the U.S. openly
confirmed a plan for a regional currency. Fox explained the current regional
trade agreement that encompasses the Western Hemisphere is intended to evolve
into other previously hidden aspects of integration.

According to a transcript published by CNN, King, near the end of the broadcast,
asked Fox a question e-mailed from a listener, a Ms. Gonzalez from Elizabeth,
N.J.: "Mr. Fox, I would like to know how you feel about the possibility of
having a Latin America united with one currency?"

Fox answered in the affirmative, indicating it was a long-term plan. He admitted
he and President Bush had agreed to pursue the Free Trade Agreement of the
Americas – a free-trade zone extending throughout the Western Hemisphere,
suggesting part of the plan was to institute eventually a regional currency.

"Long term, very long term," he said. "What we proposed together, President Bush
and myself, it's ALCA, which is a trade union for all the Americas."

ALCA is the acronym for the Area de Libre Comercio de las Américas, the name of
the FTAA in Spanish.

King, evidently startled by Fox's revelation of the currency, asked pointedly,
"It's going to be like the euro dollar (sic), you mean?"

"Well, that would be long, long term," Fox repeated.

Fox noted the FTAA plan had been thwarted by Hugo Chavez, the radical socialist
president of Venezuela.

"Everything was running fluently until Hugo Chavez came," Fox commented. "He
decided to combat the idea and destroy the idea."

Fox explained that he and Bush intended to proceed incrementally, establishing
FTAA as an economic agreement first and waiting to create an amero-type currency
later – a plan he also suggested was in place for NAFTA itself.

"I think the process to go, first step is trading agreement," Fox said. "And
then further on, a new vision, like we are trying to do with NAFTA."

Fox's reply to the CNN viewer was captured in a clip posted on YouTube.com. CNN
posted video of the interview but did not include the segment with questions
from viewers.

Last week, BankIntroductions.com, a Canadian company that specializes in global
banking strategies and currency consulting, is advising clients the amero may be
the currency of North America within 10 years.

Coin designer Daniel Carr has issued for sale a series of private-issue fantasy
pattern amero coins that have drawn attention on the Internet.

The African Union is moving down the path of regional economic integration, with
the African Central Bank planning to create the "Gold Mandela" as a single
African continental currency by 2010.

The Council on Foreign Relations has supported regional and global currencies
designed to replace nationally issued currencies.

In an article in the May/June issue of Foreign Affairs, entitled "The End of
National Currency," CFR economist Benn Steil asserts the dollar is a temporary
currency.

Steil concluded "countries should abandon monetary nationalism," moving to adopt
regional currencies, on the road to a global "one world currency."

Steve Previs, a vice president at Jeffries International Ltd. in London, said
the amero "is the proposed new currency for the North American Community which
is being developed right now between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico."

A continued slide in the value of the dollar on world currency markets could set
up conditions in which the adoption of the amero as a North American currency
gains momentum.

DO NOT BE SILENCED BY ANYONE STAND UP! MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!

TAKE ACTION: Send YOUR blast faxes to ALL 535 Congressman NOW!

To visit FAXDC.com, click here: http://faxdc.com/

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Theme Quote Explained

Somebody asked me today what the theme quote to the top-left on this site is really supposed to mean - and what exactly John Adams believed needed "revolving" as a precursor to American Independence.

The answer is that Adams was referring to the fact that the people had to realize the dichotomy which existed between the unlimited power the king of Great Britain believed he possessed, and their natural rights as given by God.

Without the understanding that God was supreme, even over the national powers of the world, what would the Americans have had to stand for? They would just have been fighting to seize control. However, our forebears believed in the Law of the Creator. As they stated in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights..."

The revolution in the hearts and minds of the people is as intrinsic to liberty as it was in 1776. This revolution is one of worldviews.


-R. Josiah Magnuson

Letter to the Editor by Dr. Paul

Ron Paul: I advocate the same foreign policy the Founding Fathers would

Read article in original publication: UnionLeader.com

By RON PAUL

Any response to this paper's Friday editorial on my foreign policy position must rest on two fundamental assertions: first, that the Founding Fathers were not isolationists; and second, that their political philosophy -- the wisdom of the Constitution, the Declaration, and our Revolution itself -- is not just a primitive cultural relic.

If I understand the editors' concerns, I have not been accused of deviating from the Founders' logic; if anything I have been accused of adhering to it too strictly. The question, therefore, before readers -- and soon voters -- is the same question I have asked for almost 20 years in Congress: by what superior wisdom have we now declared Jefferson, Washington, and Madison to be "unrealistic and dangerous"? Why do we insist on throwing away their most considered warnings?

A non-interventionist foreign policy is not an isolationist foreign policy. It is quite the opposite. Under a Paul administration, the United States would trade freely with any nation that seeks to engage with us. American citizens would be encouraged to visit other countries and interact with other peoples rather than be told by their own government that certain countries are off limits to them.

SEpt30 Ron Paul 220px (BOB  LAPREE)

Rep. RON PAUL (BOB LAPREE)

American citizens would be allowed to spend their hard-earned money wherever they wish across the globe, not told that certain countries are under embargo and thus off limits. An American trade policy would encourage private American businesses to seek partners overseas and engage them in trade. The hostility toward American citizens overseas in the wake of our current foreign policy has actually made it difficult if not dangerous for Americans to travel abroad. Is this not an isolationist consequence from a policy of aggressive foreign interventionism?

It is not we non-interventionists who are isolationists. The real isolationists are those who impose sanctions and embargoes on countries and peoples across the globe because they disagree with the internal and foreign policies of their leaders. The real isolationists are those who choose to use force overseas to promote democracy, rather than seek change through diplomacy, engagement, and by setting a positive example.

I do not believe that ideas have an expiration date, or that their value can be gauged by their novelty. The test for new and old is that of wisdom and experience, or as the editors wrote "historical reality," which argues passionately now against the course of anti-Constitutional interventionism.

A Paul administration would see Americans engaged overseas like never before, in business and cultural activities. But a Paul administration would never attempt to export democracy or other values at the barrel of a gun, as we have seen over and over again that this is a counterproductive approach that actually leads the United States to be resented and more isolated in the world.

Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is running for the Republican presidential nomination.

"Our Christian President"

A few public catch phrases; some prayer breakfasts; a few references to Jesus; some personal meetings; and a few phone calls or personal meetings with big-name evangelicals was all it took to beguile the vast majority of professing believers. Because of this, George W. Bush is now and forever known as "our beloved Christian President."

Then again, how would our Christian brethren react if someone came into their church and said that "all religions pray to the same God"? I dare say such a statement would be met with the most vehement rejection. Yet, that is exactly what President Bush has said repeatedly. The latest example was just last Friday, October 5, 2007.


Read more here:
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2007/cbarchive_20071009.html

Mission: Church

As we revolve our culture to the Biblical worldview, the idea is more than anything to revolve the Church and Christianity. It seems there are an increasing array of folks who tend to believe in the ecumenical free-for-all position, and another group which is so legalistic they will not tolerate other ideas.

Neither of these are really the best attitude. It is my opinion that we must agree on the foundational principles. In doing so, we must also allow for disagreement on issues which are not foundational.

The YCLA, the LIL Coalition and all our visions and ideas pretty much come down to finding the people who truly have this spirit of Christ and educating them in Biblical supremacy. There are many of them around; and one does not have to believe in the correct Bible version or the Sabbath or musical standards to be such. In other words, these beliefs are not in fact foundational. However, God will eventually present these issues to those who have a heart for Truth.

Because Truth is what makes one Different.

John 8:31-32 If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.


-R. Josiah Magnuson

Sunday, October 07, 2007

YCLA Constitution DONE

Hi everyone! I am happy to inform you that we have completed the very final (amended) YCLA Constitution. Hooray! We're even about done with the brochure.

Please note our following websites:

http://www.YoungChristianLeaders.org; Our main site.

http://www.yclajournal.blogspot.com/; The official journal of proceedings.

And be sure to look up this site, which has our full Constitution as amended: http://www.yclaconstitution.blogspot.com/

Thanks a lot! From Josiah

Bio for myself

I wrote a little bio for myself, which needs more editing probably but will work for now... :-)

R. Josiah Magnuson is a homeschooled sixteen-year-old of Taylors, SC. He has been interested in government since the year 2000 when his family was introduced to the Constitution Party. In 2004, he created the idea of the Liberty In Law Coalition, an alliance of pro-freedom organizations for cooperation and efficiency under the Biblical worldview. He “graduated” in July of 2005 from Michael Anthony Peroutka’s Institute on the Constitution. Mr. Magnuson is the only person to win placing in the top five for two consecutive years in the Answers in Genesis annual essay contest. He worked as Intelligent Design Advisor to the Gene Chapman Presidential campaign from August 2006 until Chapman dropped out in March of 2007. His family also played a major role in the defeat of REAL-ID in South Carolina, preventing South Carolinians from being required to carry a national ID card. He has written several important papers, including Democracy, America’s Problem?, Designed Freedom: The Worldview of Naturalism as a Threat to Liberty, and Survival of the Functional: How Natural Selection Kills Evolution. Mr. Magnuson currently holds the office of President of the Young Christian Leaders’ Alliance. His other interests include chess, soccer, and investments.

Favorite verses: Isaiah 33:22 - For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us. John 8:31-32 - If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Press Release from Dr. Paul


October 3, 2007

Paul Campaign Raises Over $5,000,000 In Third Quarter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA - The Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign raised $5,080,000 during the third quarter of 2007. That is an impressive 114 percent increase from the second quarter.

Cash on hand for the Paul campaign is $5,300,000.

"Dr. Paul's message is freedom, peace and prosperity," said Paul campaign chairman Kent Snyder. "As these fundraising numbers show, more Americans each day are embracing Dr. Paul's message."

Ron Paul's 114 percent increase is in stark contrast to the decrease suffered by Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani, and John McCain. Romney's fundraising was down 29 percent. Giuliani was down 40 percent. McCain was down 55 percent.

Monday, October 01, 2007

Comments on candidates

Looks like Rudy McRomneyson is in for a hard time. Dr. James Dobson has now said that he will never support either Rudy or Thompson, and wow! Ron Paul has got a huge amount of money - over 600,000 dollars over his original fundraising goal, in one week!

Mike Huckabee is doing a lot better, and Alan Keyes is in the race. These two will continue Lord-willing to deprive the "big guys" of votes. Especially Romney.

I wish Alan Keyes were not in, though. It is hard to convince people to go for Ron Paul against him. Of course, the main reasons I still am working for Dr. Paul are Dr. Paul's proven record, experience in campaigning and government, and gigantic already-existing support.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Dr. Paul for the wonderful boost.


From Josiah

A new site for our YCLA

www.YoungChristianLeaders.org !

From Josiah