The True Story behind Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

Rudolph

A man named Bob May, depressed and brokenhearted, stared out  his drafty apartment window into the chilling December night.

His 4-year-old daughter Barbara sat on his lap quietly sobbing. Bob's wife, Evelyn, was dying of cancer. 

Little Barbara couldn't understand why her mommy could never come home. Barbara looked up into her dad's eyes and asked, 

"Why isn't Mommy just like everybody else's Mommy?"
 Bob's jaw tightened and his eyes welled with tears. Her question brought waves of grief, but also of anger. It had been the story of Bob's life. Life always had to be different for Bob.He never seemed to fit in.   Small when he was a kid, Bob was often bullied by other boys. He was too little at the time to compete in sports. He was often called names he'd rather not remember. 

Bob did complete college, married his loving wife Evelyn and was grateful to get his job as a copywriter at Montgomery  Ward during the Great Depression. Then he was blessed with his little girl.

 

But it was all short-lived. Evelyn's bout with cancer stripped them of all their  savings and now Bob and his daughter were forced to live in a two-room apartment in the Chicago slums. Evelyn died just days before Christmas in 1938.

Bob struggled to give hope to his child, for whom he couldn't even afford to buy a Christmas gift. But if he couldn't buy a gift, he was determined to make one - a storybook!

 

Bob had created an animal character in his own mind and told the animal's story to little Barbara to give her comfort and hope. Again and again Bob told the story, embellishing it more with each telling.
 Who was the character? What was the story all about? The story Bob May created was his own autobiography in fable form. The character he created was a misfit outcast like he was. The name of the character? A little reindeer named Rudolph, with a big shiny nose.

 

Bob finished the book just in time to give it to his little girl on Christmas Day. But the story doesn't end there. 

The general manager of  Montgomery  Ward caught wind of the little storybook and offered Bob May a nominal fee to purchase the rights to print the book. Wards went on to print, “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and distribute it to children visiting Santa Claus in their stores.
 By 1946 Wards had printed and distributed more than six million copies of Rudolph. That same year, a major publisher wanted to purchase the rights from Wards to print an updated version of the book.  In an unprecedented gesture of kindness, the CEO of Wards returned all rights back to Bob May.

The book became a best seller. Many toy and marketing deals followed; and Bob May, now remarried with a growing family, became wealthy from the story he created to comfort his grieving daughter. But the story doesn't end there either. 

Bob's brother-in-law, John ny Marks, made a song adaptation to Rudolph. Though the song was turned down by such popular vocalists as Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore, it was recorded by the singing cowboy, Gene Autry.
 "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was released in 1949 and became a phenomenal success, selling more records than any other Christmas song, with the exception of "White Christmas." 

The gift of love that Bob May created for his daughter so long ago kept on returning back to bless him again and again. And Bob May learned the lesson, just like his dear friend Rudolph, that being different isn't so bad. In fact, being different can be a blessing. --author unknown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving By Congressman Randy Forbes November 27, 2013 There are some seasons when we feel immensely grateful, like when receiving a phone call from the doctor with news: “cancer free,” or hearing the announcement of new life. These blessings are obvious and big, and we feel overwhelmed with thanksgiving in these seasons. Then, there are some years where we are grateful for simple things, like having all the children home for the holidays or making a trip to visit an old friend. These are not glamorous things. Yet, they provide great joy in their simplicity.  And then there are other years where it takes a little more effort to find that for which we are grateful, especially in the face of job loss, the deterioration of a relationship, or the failing health of a parent. On one of my drives from Chesapeake to Washington, D.C. for the DC work week, I found myself thinking of these seasons. Each of us has probably found ourselves in these times at one point or another. We encounter people every day – at the grocery store, in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, at the carpool line at school – who are in varying seasons in their own lives. We, as a nation, find ourselves moving through seasons, too. Right now, we are in a year where many Americans may feel that it takes a little more effort to express gratitude. There is a sense of frustration at the state of our politically divided government. People are too exhausted to turn on the news. Many are looking at smaller budgets for the holiday season. In seasons where it is difficult to find gratitude, I find it helpful to look to the guiding words of others for inspiration. In 1789, George Washington issued a proclamation for a day of public thanksgiving and prayer. He called for this day to acknowledge “with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God.” The nation he addressed through this proclamation, by all accounts, lived in a season of exhaustion. We like to think of our nation at that time as being celebratory ­– we had won independence from England and the Constitution had finally been signed. But the nation still felt the shadow of a war. Families were still learning to exist in a new environment, many without much money. Some were trying to establish businesses to provide for their households. Daily life was hard. Yet, in the midst of that shadow, George Washington offered these charges, calling out very specific things for which our nation could be grateful:- for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of His providence… in the course and conclusion of the late war --  for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;- for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness;- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed;- the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;- and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath pleased to confer upon us.Today, I find George Washington’s proclamation encouraging. We have collectively lived through seasons of hardship, of shadows, of plenty, and of celebration. Through it all, we have remained united and free from tyranny.  We continue to see the peaceful transition of power. We still have the opportunity to rely on the powerful forces of freedom, courage, and sacrifice that determine the character and the course of our nation. This week as a nation, we celebrate Thanksgiving. But more than a holiday, thanksgiving is a word of action. It is something we choose to do. No one forces us to find gratitude. It must come from within. America is remarkable for overcoming our challenges to make this nation stronger and better for future generations. We have been given abundant blessings, direct results of the sacrifices of those that have come before us. Our challenge is to continue to acknowledge that for which we are grateful, no matter the season we face.

 Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, click here.

 

 

Thanksgiving, 1863.

 

America was suffering through its single greatest division in its 80-plus year history.  Hundreds of thousands were dead; hundreds of thousands of Americans, both North and South, would die. 

President Abraham Lincoln, fresh from delivering his Gettysburg Address, reminded the nation that it would not be through force of arms that the Union would survive... but only through the healing of Almighty God.  Lincoln's 1863 proclamation reads as follows:

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. 
 

To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. 
 

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. 
 

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. 
 

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. 
 

They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. 
 

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. 
 

And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
 
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.
 
Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.
 
By the President: Abraham Lincoln

 

It's easy to forget that in times such as these, when politics seems to replace religion, that our Founding Fathers gave us an inheritance that placed the success of our great nation in the hands -- not of the people necessarily -- but of God, both to guide us to prosperity, and to heal the wounds of a nation.

 

Lincoln understood and remembered this legacy from lights such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.  Even though force of arms would prevail, Lincoln knew that "unless the LORD builds the house, the laborer buildeth in vain."  (Psalm 127) 

 

Today's house may feel divided at times.  Only in the hands of God will such divisions ever heal.

 

by Rev. Louis P. Sheldon

 

 

 

The very first Americans
393 years ago a small band of religious pilgrims set sail from England to the New World to establish a better life. Upon arriving at Plymouth they founded a new settlement and agreed on how it would be governed. Their covenant began, “In the name of God, Amen.” Today, we know this agreement as the Mayflower Compact, and these pioneers as the Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims would have considered themselves among the earliest English settlers in the colonies — but in fact, they were some of the very first Americans.
These Pilgrims left their homes and came to this continent with nothing. They wanted to build a new life, to find freedom, and to participate in the great experiment of self-government.

 

Since 1620 this tremendous act of faith has been repeated by millions who have made their way to America to become part of this incredible experiment.
Today, we are blessed to live in this great country -- the freest and most prosperous nation on earth. We have so much to be thankful for!
This Thanksgiving, we hope you have an opportunity to enjoy the many pleasures of life in America with family and friends.
Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!
Your Friends,
Newt and Callista

 

 

 

 

Muslim official in UK says Christians must be defended

Born in England to Pakistani immigrants, Sayeeda Warsi was elevated to the House of Lords in 2007 at age 36, making her the youngest peer in parliament at the time.

In 2010, Prime Minister David Cameron appointed her as minister without portfolio, and in 2012 was named minister of faith and communities.

Sayeeda Warsi calls persecution 'the biggest challenge we face'

 

The first Muslim to serve in Britain's cabinet said Friday that Western governments must protect Christians being forced out of the Middle East.

"Persecution, I believe, is the biggest challenge we face in this young century", said Sayeeda Warsi during a speech Friday at Georgetown University, in Washington, D.C. Warsi, as the Minister for Faith and Communities, is a senior minister of state in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

 

Christians in the Middle East, she said, are seen as "newcomers" in the region where they have lived since the dawn of Christianity, seen as "outsiders" in societies they have helped shape for centuries, and blamed for  perceived Western offenses.

"A mass exodus is taking place, on a biblical scale", Warsi said. "In some places, there is real danger that Christianity will become extinct".

In her Georgetown speech, Warsi said leaders of all faiths and governments in the West can fight the "new sectarianism that is breaking out across continents" in four ways:

·         Emphasizing the moments in history when people of one faith came to the aid of the people of a different faith.

·         Insisting that "the presence of other faiths doesn’t come at the expense of your own".

·         Promoting the link between religious freedom and economic health. "Persecution is bad for business", she said.

·         Encouraging leaders of the major faiths to defend the others.

 

"Our response to this global crisis must not itself be sectarian", Warsi said. "It must not be a case of Christians defending Christians, Muslims defending Muslims, or indeed faith groups defending faith groups".

Earlier Friday, during a question-and-answer session at the Council on Foreign Relations, Warsi said the rise of sectarian violence has driven a wedge between the major religions, creating space for extremist elements.

 

"[T]he challenge appears to be that certain bits of the world want to talk about Islamophobia in the West and other bits of the world want to talk about freedom of expression and persecution of Christians, so it is very polarizing, and it's about trying to find that middle way," she told the audience at the Council on Foreign Relations event.

Part of the response to sectarian violence, she said, requires religious authorities to refute extremists when they point to their religion to justify persecution.

"[T]ake away from the extremists their moral high ground", she said ."Do not allow them the faith. And anything that allows them to take the faith as their mantle, I think, empowers them. And we've got to take that away from them."

 

*****************

©2013 World Watch Monitor

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The White House Commission
on the National Moment of Remembrance

Compiled by a Navy Chaplain in 2002

 

Almighty God, the past year will be indelibly inscribed in our memories.

We looked with horror on the terrorist attacks of last September 11th.
But we looked with honor on acts of courage by ordinary people
who sacrificed themselves to prevent further death and destruction.

We shed our tears in a common bond of grief for those we loved and lost.
We journeyed through a dark valley, but your light has led us to a place of hope.
You have turned our grief into determination.
We are resolved to do what is good, and right, and just.

Help us to remember what it means to be Americans—
a people endowed with abundant blessings.
Help us to cherish the freedoms we enjoy and inspire us to stand
with courage, united as one Nation in the midst of any adversity.

Lord, hear this prayer for our Nation. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From World Jewish Daily: Netanyahu's Rosh Hashanah Message

Netanyahu's Rosh Hashanah Message

of Jewish Strength and Unity

...In the seventh month, on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation. -Leviticus 16:24

Rosh Hashanah

Greeting: L'shanah tovah! (For a good year!)

Sunset September 4, 2013 - nightfall September 6, 2013

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ushered in the Jewish new year on Wednesday with a message of strength and unity.

In a video issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Netanyahu said that the Jews "defied the laws of history" and "Jewish unity is a major part of our collective strength."

He expressed confidence "that Jewish communities will continue to stand by Israel" and Israel would do the same for them.

He also touched on some of the hot button issues of the moment, saying that Iran's nuclear program must be stopped, and any peace with the Palestinians must be "real and enduring." In the face of regional upheaval, he said, "we remain an oasis of democracy, stability, tolerance, and liberty."

More than anything, Netanyahu's message was one of faith in Israel and the Jewish people's capacity to survive and prosper. "Together," he said, "we can continue to achieve great things for Jewish people and the world.... Shana tova umetuka. It means a good year and a sweet new year. I hope you have both."

World Jewish Daily

The Armed Forces Prayer Book

God Bless America

 

From 'The Armed Forces Prayer Book,' June 5, 1951

This Prayer Book is sent by the Church to the men and women of the Armed Forces, with the assurance of the affection, the deep interest, and the prayers of the Church people at home for God's blessing upon you.  We follow all that you do and are with gratitude.  May this book be a reminder of your dedication in Baptism to be Christ's faithful soldier and servant to your life's end.  You will find these prayers, hymns, and Bible readings a daily source of spiritual strength and courage.

Henry K. Sherrill
Presiding Bishop
The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America

From 'Prayers' which starts at page 47

AN ACT OF ADORATION

Worthy art thou, O God, to receive the honour and the power; for thou didst create all things, and because of thy will they are and were created.

Glory be to thee, O God.

Glory to thee, O Christ, who didst redeem with thy love men of every kindred and tongue and people and nation.

Glory be to thee, O Christ.

Glory to thee, O Holy Spirit, for thy work in the Church, which will not cease until thou hast made of all mankind one family, to the praise and glory of God.

Glory be to thee, O Holy Spirit.

Page 51: For God's Protection

O Almighty and most merciful God, of thy bountiful goodness keep us, we beseech thee, from all things that may hurt us; that we, being ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully accomplish those things which thou commandest; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Pages 54-59:

FOR ALL IN THE SERVICE OF OUR COUNTRY O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defense, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FOR OUR ARMED FORCES Heavenly Father, we commend to thy gracious care and keeping all the men and women in our Armed Forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with thy heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils that beset them; and help them to know that none can pluck out of thy hand those who put their trust in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Eternal God, we commend to thy fatherly care all those who are enlisted ill the Armed Forces. In time of preparation grant that discipline and training may fit them worthily to serve our country, and in the day of strife guide and sustain them in upholding the cause of justice and freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR SERVICEMEN AND SERVICEWOMEN Almighty Father, we commit to thy loving care all those servicemen and servicewomen upon whose faithfulness the welfare of our Armed Forces depends. In the fulfilment of their duties give them patience, loyalty, and courage; and grant that those who are sustained by their toil may remember them with gratitude; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THE ARMY O Lord God of Hosts, stretch forth, we pray thee, thine almighty arm to strengthen and protect the soldiers of our country. Support them in the day of battle, and in the times of rest and training keep them safe from all evil; endue them with courage and loyalty; and grant that in all things they may serve without reproach; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THE NAVY O eternal Lord God, who alone spread est out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; Vouchsafe to take into thy almighty and most gracious protection our country's Navy, and all who serve therein. Preserve them from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy; that they may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve thee our God, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THE AIR FORCE O Lord God of hosts, who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain; Watch over and protect, we pray thee, the airmen of our country as they fly upon their appointed tasks. Give them courage as they face the foe, and skill in the performance of their duty. Sustain them with thy Everlasting Arms. May thy hand lead them and thy right hand hold them up that they may return to the earth with a grateful sense of thy mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THE MARINE CORPS O Eternal Father, we commend to thy protection and care the members of the Marine Corps. Guide and direct them in the defense of our country and in the maintenance of justice among nations. Protect them in the hour of danger. Grant that wherever they serve they may be loyal to their high traditions and that at all times they may put their trust in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FOR THE COAST GUARD O Lord, who of old didst still the raging of the sea, watch over, we beseech thee, the men of the Coast Guard as they sail upon their missions of helpfulness and succour. Grant them courage and skill and a safe return, and a grateful sense of thy mercy toward them; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THE MERCHANT MARINE Almighty God, who raiseth the wind and who makketh the storm a calm, we pray thee for thy blessing upon the seamen of the Merchant Marine, Grant that they that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters, may see thy works, O Lord, and thy wonders in the deep. Preserve them from all peril, both of body and of soul, both at sea and ashore; and give them a heart to praise thy holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FOR CHAPLAINS IN THE ARMED FORCES Blessed Lord, who didst commission thy disciples to continue the work which the Father sent thee into the world to do, support, we beseech thee, with thy Holy Spirit, those who minister in the Armed Forces of our country. Give them grace that they may both by their life and doctrine, set forth thy true and lively word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy sacraments. Strengthen them in their temptations and make them courageous in the perils of their calling, that they may glorify thee before all men; and do thou hold them ever in thy gracious keeping; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THOSE WHO MINISTER TO THE WOUNDED AND SICK O merciful God, whose blessed Son went about doing good; Uphold with thy strength and grace those who do service to the wounded and the sick; grant to the ministers of thy gospel faithfulness and love, to the physicians and surgeons wisdom and skill, to the nurses sympathy and patience; and we beseech thee to protect and bless them in all dangers, anxieties, and labours; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND ALL IN CIVIL AUTHORITY Almighty God, whose kingdom is everlasting and power infinite; Have mercy upon this whole land; and so rule the hearts of thy servants THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, The Governor of this State, and all others in authority, that they, knowing whose ministers they are, may above all things seek thy honour and glory: and that we and all the People, duly considering whose authority they hear, may faithfully and obediently honour them, according to thy blessed Word and ordinance; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end. Amen.   FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY O Lord God Almighty, guide, we pray thee, all those to whom thou hast committed the government of this nation, and grant to them at this time special gifts of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength; that upholding what is right, and following what is true, they may obey thy holy will and fulfil thy divine purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
FOR JUSTICE AND FREEDOM O God, the King of righteousness, lead us, we pray thee, in ways of justice and peace; inspire us to break down all tyranny and oppression, to gain for every man his due reward, and from every man his due service; that each may live for all and all may care for each, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 Lori's Prayer Closet

In memory of our honored dead, click here.

A Memorial Day Prayer  God, lift the hearts of those
for whom this holiday is not just diversion,
but painful memory and continued deprivation.  by Rev. Dick Kozelka (ret)

E-cards

R.I.P., Boy Scouts of America by Matt Barber

R.I.P., Boy Scouts of America
By Matt Barber

 

“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

(Mark 8:36)

It’s a sad day for both Scouting and for freedom. Indeed, it’s a sad day for America. The century-old Boy Scouts of America (BSA) – created in 1910 to “prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes” – has betrayed its own constituency, mission, oath and law.

Last Thursday, approximately 1,400 adult BSA delegates from around the country gathered in Texas and decided, in a disgracefully lopsided vote, to welcome into its ranks, “open and avowed” homosexuality (boy-on-boy sexual attraction and behavior), thereby disavowing the “morally straight” Scout Oath its members are sworn to uphold.

They voted unwisely.

History will reflect that on this day the BSA turned from morally straight to immorally bent – that this once great organization – founded on “honor,” “reverence” and biblical morality – was crushed beneath the worldly weight of pagan idolatry.

Whereas, for over a century, millions of boys have raised their right hands, swearing “on my honor” to “do my duty to God and my country” – on this day, hundreds of adult delegates likewise raised their right hands, shook their fists at God and flipped their middle fingers at both the boys they serve and the parents who trusted them.

While endeavoring to “gain the world,” this once honorable institution has forfeited its soul.
Scripture admonishes: “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom. 6:23). This was a catastrophic miscalculation. It was sin, and, tragically, through this sin, the BSA has now effectively sealed its own fate. It has set into motion its own demise.

Even by its own estimates, BSA leadership admits that the decision will likely result in a mass exodus from Scouting. They anticipate that as many as 400,000 Scouts and Scouters will leave the organization (acceptable casualties in the war on morality, I guess). Still, as devastating as this number is, it too represents a gross miscalculation.

Consider, for instance, that when Canada’s version of the Boy Scouts voted in 1998 to welcome open homosexuality, its membership rolls plummeted by over half in just five years, forcing camp closures, staff layoffs and huge budget cuts. Looking north of the border for clues, then, we can expect that, with current membership at around 2.6 million, it’s more likely that roughly 1.5 million Boy Scouts and troop masters will walk.

Then again, we’re talking about “progressive” Canada. This is the good ol’ USA. With over 61 percent of Scouts, Scouters and parents opposing the homosexualization of Boy Scouts, and over 70 percent of U.S. Scout groups sponsored by churches and religious organizations, it’s not unreasonable to expect that defections will even exceed this estimate.

In short, BSA’s betrayal may well result in near-total ruin. The wages of sin is death.
Here’s the reality: Reality has not changed. Objective truth did not suddenly and miraculously reverse itself on May 23, 2013. As BSA has always acknowledged (until Thursday), homosexual behavior remains empirically disordered and immoral. The only thing that has changed is politics.

Ultimately, this decision had nothing to do with “tolerance” or “inclusivity.” Neither did it concern the best interests of the boys who make up Boy Scouting. Instead, this decision was rooted in pure evil. It had everything to do with money. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10).

And wandered from the faith they have.

Now come the many griefs.

Really, three things drove this decision: Fear, greed and politics. A number of high-dollar corporate donors threatened to pull funding from BSA if they maintained the existing policy on sexual morality. Additionally, a number of extremist pressure groups, aided by a sympathetic left-wing media, brought tremendous pressure to bear.

But the pressure’s not going away. The BSA made a critical error in judgment. It showed weakness. This has only whipped these radicals into a heightened frenzy. Within moments of the “gay” announcement, Nancy Pelosi called the move “an important first step.” The Human Rights Campaign demanded “the new policy doesn’t go far enough,” and Mother Jones, a liberal online publication, posted an article titled, “Boy Scouts: You Can Be Gay Until You’re 18.”

Sin is never satisfied. The homofascist thirst for absolute affirmation is unquenchable.
What’s the next step? Activists now demand that adult men who desire sex with other males (“gay” scout masters) be allowed to take your sons camping overnight. Soon they’ll be insisting that “transgender boys” (girls who wish they were boys) be allowed to join as well.

What a camping trip. Imagine the pup tent. Your son and Jimmy – who’s got a crush on him – along with Billy and Billy’s boyfriend Bobby, all snuggly warm in the middle of nowhere.

But make room for Sammy (formerly Suzie) and Sammy’s boyfriend Gary (formerly Gertrude).
Don’t forget to hang the disco ball.

And “always be prepared.”

You think there won’t be new membership stagnation? Who wants to sign their boy up for the “Gay Scouts”? What’s a kid gotta to do to earn his “tolerance badge”? Parents, you might want to get out while the gettin’s good. As one Eagle Scout told me, “I’m not leaving the Boy Scouts, the Boy Scouts left me.”

It’s only a matter of time until BSA caves on these demands as well. They’ll admit “gay” men and girls soon. They have no choice. Now that they’ve opened the door, they’ve waived the only legal defense they once had: religious and moral conviction.

But here’s the good news. I and dozens more will be convening for a coalition meeting of pro-family leaders next month in Louisville, Ky., to discuss the creation of a moral alternative to the Boy Scouts. Nature abhors a vacuum. We intend to fill it.

Still, until then, please join me as we mourn the loss of this once honorable organization. The Boy Scouts of America: Born Feb. 8, 1910 – Died May 23, 2013.

May it rest in peace.

Matt Barber (@jmattbarber on Twitter) is an attorney concentrating in constitutional law. He serves as Vice President of Liberty Counsel Action. (This information is provided for identification purposes only.)


Not for the weak in mind or body - A group that builds future leaders

Group formed to counteract liberalism even before Tea Party was underway

New Website: Speaking the truth about Girl Scouts

Thoughts from a Conservative Mom

Nation Founded in Prayer By Congressman Randy Forbes May 2, 2013                      The greatness of a nation comes from its foundation. Today marks the 62nd annual observance of the National Day of Prayer, and there could be no more appropriate time than today to acknowledge the action that has most shaped our country―prayer. The foundation of America, from the Revolution to the Constitutional Convention, was steeped in prayer. When the first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774, its first act was to ask a minister to open in prayer. As our war-tattered nation was struggling to hold fast in the wake of the fight for freedom and the members of the Constitutional Congress found themselves in a quagmire of fighting and disagreements, they turned to prayer. Benjamin Franklin called on the members to begin each meeting in prayer, famously stating, I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that ‘except the Lord build the House they labor in vain that build it.’ I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the Builders of Babel. Only after the members heeded Mr. Franklin’s advice was the world’s greatest founding document, the Constitution, born out of the ashes of war and disagreement. Presidential recognition of the vital role of prayer in the continuance of our freedoms has a strong pedigree. As our nation was on the verge of splitting in half in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed a national day of prayer, that “the united cry of the nation will be heard on high and answered with blessings no less than the pardon of our national sins and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country to its former happy condition of unity and peace.” On the eve of D-Day in 1944 as General Eisenhower and his troops carried out the perilous invasion of Normandy, President Franklin D. Roosevelt led the nation in prayer. Since the inauguration of President Washington in 1789, there have been well over two hundred fifty Presidential calls to prayer. The first National Day of Prayer as we now know it was passed by Congress on April 17, 1952, and called for the President to “set aside and proclaim a suitable day each year . . . on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.” On May 9, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the current version of the law, calling on the President to issue a proclamation each year designating the first Thursday in May as a National Day of Prayer. Today, we stand at another critical moment in our nation’s history. We must decide whether we will continue to honor the principles on which our nation was founded, or allow our religious freedoms to be squelched in the wake of a cultural shift that champions equality and tolerance, even as it continues to silence the voice of faith everywhere except the most private of places. On this National Day of Prayer, let us continue to build on the foundation laid for us in faith by our Founding Fathers and join together today in prayer for our leaders, for our communities, and for our spiritual welfare. Let us stand up and defend our heritage, so that all who follow in our footsteps will find we were faithful to the God who blessed our nation because it was founded in prayer.