Today at the Capital, a bunch of republican governors showed up to receive an olive branch of compromise from the leader of the free nation, Mr. President. In his speech, he proposed this bright idea: Within his health care prison in which the states are the prisoners, that those inside of the compound be allowed to live in the prison removed of any bars on the cells and be free to walk around as they please. A clear improvement of course from being constrained to living within one cell, making life much nicer inside this prison. Never mind the fact that we were all living out in the pasture before this law was passed, but nevertheless, we should feel better thanks to this olive branch.
Obama: Flexibility OK, but health care law remains
WASHINGTON – Anxious to ease deepening political tensions with the states, President Barack Obama on Monday told governors he wants to speed up their ability to enforce his signature health care law on their own terms. But his concession goes only so far: He warned he won't allow states to weaken the law.
He also told them not to vilify their own states' public workers while struggling with spending cuts.
Hosting governors of both parties on his own turf, Obama offered them what they often request: more flexibility as they cope with painful budget dilemmas. Declaring that he would "go to bat for whatever works," Obama supported letting states propose their own health care plans by 2014 — three years faster than the current law allows.
Yet this would be no change to the fundamental requirements of a federal law that has divided the nation and prompted about half the states to try to overturn it through lawsuits. To gain new powers, states would first have to convince Washington that their plans would cover as many people, provide equally affordable and comprehensive care and not add to the federal deficit.
Compromise
In dealing with compromise, pastor, preacher, martyr, and spy Dietrich Bonhoeffer got it. He faced a similar situation in the time of the Third Reich in dealing with the German church and how that German church should stand up to Hilter's theology.
Bohnhoeffer spent much of his life trying to confront a church that was eagerly trying to compromise with the official German church that was taken over by Hitler's theology upon his arrival in office. The official National church, once run by Hitler, imposed all sorts of doctrines such as the Arayan Paragraph which basically outlawed Jewish membership from the church, cessation of publishing the Bible in Germany, and instituting Mein Kampf as the greatest of all documents to be read upon the church alter. The clergy of Germany's response was not though of resistance, but of compromise. Bohnhoeffer consistently made the point to fellow pastors in Germany that this National state run church in power was not the real church. Bohnhoeffer kept having to battle them, making the point that the question at hand was not how to unify the church but how to secede from it.
Bohnhoeffer got it, and got it right away. He recognized the evil present in these doctrines as incompatible to the truth of God's word. Thus, he refused to compromise on any points.
Have we not already seen enough from this administration to know this administration is not committed to the principles of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, and the other founding fathers of our country? This health care law is the antithesis of freedom, forcing one to either buy insurance or be fined. Bailouts, corruption, rejection of the constitution and the rule of law, etc. have been a staple of everything that has gone on over the last two years within this administration. We don't need to unify this president's vision for America with what conservative America wants, we need to secede from this vision. Trying to reconcile his health care law with some sort of state autonomy is not honorable, it is blasphemy in the face of liberty and freedom. Instead of these governors attending in mass to listen to this man, they should be unified in opposition, refusing to discuss the law until it is first repealed. Having a backbone and standing for the Truth is the most honorable of endeavors, and the governors of this land would be wise to stand up and be counted.
Deception
Deception has taken many forms and has been mastered by many different tyannical leaders throughout history. Bonhoeffer saw this first hand during his time living among Germans during the time of the Third Reich. The Nazis deceived the church, using the German Christians when it was convenient, giving them a chance to do what was likely impossible--unifying the church's belief with Hitler's theology.
Hitlers methods could be best described as prudent pragmatism. Here are some of the examples of the deception that Hitler used on the church:
- In 1933 Hitler announced that church elections would be held to create an illusion of choice. Hitler was a member of the Catholic church through his lifetime.
- Hitler victoriously announced that a Concordat had been forged between the German Reich and the Vatican. The text of the Concordat began and the first article stated, "The German Reich guarantees freedom of profession and public practice of the Catholic religion. It acknowledges the right of the Catholic Church, within the framework of the law valid for all, to manage and regulate its own affairs independently, and, within the framework of its own competence, to issue binding laws and ordinances for its members.
- Hitler had a record of pro-Christian statements that reached back to the first days of his political life. In a 1922 speech, he called Jesus "our greatest Aryan hero."
In addition, the Bible states that deception should not surprise us:
"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness?"We know the Truth, and that is what we need to defend. We need to recognize evil and call it out by name. It is only after we have recognize that evil and stand up for truth that victory can be achieved.
Answer: Jesse Helms, Mr. Hell No Senator from the great state of North Carolina.
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