Category: Christian

The Biblical base for Obama’s economic polices. Luke 16:1-8.

“Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy.”

President Obama really did say that at the recent National Prayer Breakfast.

He went on to say that his understanding of the Bible is his basis for his economic policies.

So the question is: Which Governmental policy was Jesus so supportive of?

I think I have found it: It is from: Luke 16:1-8 King James Version (KJV)

1And he (Jesus) said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

2And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.

3Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?

6And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.

7Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.

8And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

The certain rich man is the people of the United States, the steward is Obama, the goods are our national resources and heritage.

So far the People of the United States are commending the unjust steward.

Do you think this is the basis for his economic principles?

Please explain your theology, Mr. President.

Mr. President!

On the resent National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. you said:

“Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy.”

You went on to say that your understanding of the Bible is the basis for your economic policies.

Campaigning in Ohio, presidential candidate Rick Santorum was criticizing your radical environmental views, which he said hurt the American people.

“It’s not about you [people],” Santorum  declared. “It’s not about your quality of life. It’s not about your jobs. It’s about some phony ideal. Some phony theology. Oh, not a theology based on the Bible — a different theology.”

Very few commented on your statements at the prayer breakfast. People seem to be perfectly happy that you are using your understanding of the Bible as the basis for your polices.

When Rick Santorum challenges you on your understanding of the Bible, saying that your  theology is open to challenge, everybody is jumping on him, saying that any criticism of your Christian belief is over the line.

You invited a discussion on your understanding of the Bible since you use it as the basis for your economic polices.

What is your biblical basis for not having an opinion whether we should have a budget or not?

What is your biblical understanding on abortion? The only references on abortion I can find in the Bible are child sacrifices, as was practiced in Baal worship. Is that your basis?

Where is the biblical justification for Government regulation trumping Religion?

Please let me know where you stand on the Bible since it is your understanding of the Bible that is the basis for your economic polices.

You were in Rev. Jeremy Wright’s Church for twenty years. You said you never listened to his sermons. How did you obtain your understanding of the Bible?

 

98% of Catholic women use contraception. Really?

Planned Parenthood and NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) are telling their members that 98% of Catholic women use contraception.

My first observation is that this is a surprisingly large percentage. One Catholic woman in fifty is not using birth control. How can that be? Why would an 80 year old nun use birth control? 10% of all women are lesbians (this is a statistic that cannot be challenged), what type of birth control do they use? Or, is the very fact that they are lesbians a form of birth control? If so, why use the word contraception?

Planned Parenthood is quoting from a study made by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, a former Planned Parenthood affiliate. Did they exclude any women from their study, thus inflating the numbers?

Indeed they did. They included only women between the ages 15-44, normal child-bearing age. They excluded any woman who had not been sexually active in the last 3 months. They also excluded all postpartum or pregnant women. All women trying to get pregnant were also excluded. In fact, the only women included in the study were (pg.8 of the study) “those for whom a pregnancy would be unintended and who are “at risk” of becoming pregnant.” It is unclear if women whose attitude is: While I am not trying to get pregnant I am trusting in God, and if I do get pregnant it is the will of God to do a miracle in me. My hunch is that more than one Catholic woman in 50 has that attitude, so they would have to have been excluded as well.

The study probably should have been stated: 98% of all Catholic women using the services of Planned Parenthood use contraceptives and other forms of birth control, such as abortifacients  and abortion. That may be close to the truth.

There is no profit for Planned Parenthood in promoting abstinence. Yet it works every time.

Nancy Pelosi is informed as always. The hearing was on the constitutionality of the mandate, not biology.

This is her attitude to the Constitution of the United States:

Obama claims Jesus would back his tax policy. Really?

“Jesus would back my tax-the-rich policy.”

President Obama really did say that at the recent National Prayer Breakfast.

He went on to say that his understanding of the Bible is his basis for his economic policies.

So the question is: Which Governmental authority was Jesus so supportive of?

We have four choices: The Pharisees, The Sadducees, The local government, represented by Herod the Tetrarch, or the Roman government under Caesar Tiberius, represented by Pontius Pilate?

We all know his opinion of the Pharisees and Sadducees: Matthew 23:27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.”

This would be his opinion of Congress: Luke 11:46
And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.”

On Herod: Mark 8:15
And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”  

 Acts 12:1
[ James Killed and Peter Imprisoned ] About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church.

Could it have been the Roman Empire that deserved the taxes? Jesus did say: Matthew 22:15-22 

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for  you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to  Caesar, or not?”  But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?  Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”  They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marvelled. And they left him and went away.

The tax mentioned was really a “tribute” and refers to a poll, or head tax, paid directly to the emperor by the subject peoples of the empire.

By His enigmatic response, did Jesus really mean for His followers to provide financial support (willingly or unwillingly) to Tiberius Caesar – a man, who, in his personal life, was a pedophile, a sexual deviant, and a murderer and who, as emperor, claimed to be a god and oppressed and enslaved millions of people, including Jesus’ own? The answer, of course, is: the traditional, pro-tax interpretation of the Tribute Episode is simply wrong. Jesus never meant for His answer to be interpreted as an endorsement of Caesar’s tribute or any taxes.

Instead of jumping into the political discussion, though, Jesus curiously requests to see the coin of the tribute. It is not necessary that Jesus possess the coin to answer their question. He could certainly respond without seeing the coin. That He requests to see the coin suggests that there is something meaningful about the coin itself.

In the Tribute Episode, the questioners produce a denarius. The denarius was approximately 1/10 of a troy ounce of silver and roughly worth a day’s wages for a common laborer. It carried the image of Tiberius, and Tiberius was so jealous of his image that Tiberius even made it a capital crime to carry any coin stamped with his image into a bathroom or a brothel.

Jesus then asks the counter question “Whose image is on the coin? They answer Caesar’s. But that is not all. The inscription also says “Tiberius Caesar, Worshipful Son of the God, Augustus.” And on the other side it says  “Pontif Maxim,” which means High Priest.

It was at tha point Jesus says “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. “

It really had nothing to do with the lawfulness of paying taxes, but an admonition to keep their priorities straight.

So what is Jesus attitude towards collective duty versus individual responsibility?

An answer can be found in the parable of the ten talents:   Matthew 25:14-30 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and * settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

22 “Also the one who had received the two )talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24 “And the one also who had received the one (L)talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money ]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

If that doesn’t speak of individual responsibility before God, I do not know what will.

Oh, and with Jesus saying you should have put the talent in the bank, so I would have received my money back with usury he preempted Sharia Law which forbids interest payment on loans. Therefore Sharia Law is not of God.

The last words of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and what they mean to us.

The last words of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and what they mean to us.

President Obama held a speech in Cairo in 2009 where he among other things mentioned the story of Isra.   Obama said:” Too many tears have been shed. Too much blood has been shed. All of us have a responsibility to work for the day when the mothers of Israelis and Palestinians can see their children grow up without fear; when the Holy Land of the three great faiths is the place of peace that God intended it to be; when Jerusalem is a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims, and a place for all of the children of Abraham to mingle peacefully together as in the story of Isra — (applause) — as in the story of Isra, when Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon them, joined in prayer. (Applause.)”

It sounds good, and there is now a movement started to promote “Chrislam”, where we ignore our differences, concentrate on what unites us and thus promote peace and goodwill.  There are a few problems with this approach. Jews, Christians and Muslims agree on many things pertaining to living and interpersonal relationships. The disagreements are about the essential parts of the respective faiths.

To get a glimpse of the differences   let us go through the last days of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and see what a message they delivered to us.

Moses had delivered his people out of Egypt and was now, at the ripe old age of 120 years ready to enter the promised land. But because of Moses disobedience, God (YHWH) had told him that he was not allowed to enter into the promised land. He was however permitted to see it. So Moses recited his song and the blessings  on the tribes of Israel (Found in chapters 32 and 33 of Deuteronomy) ending with:

Deuteronomy 33:28-29 (King James Version) 28Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. 29Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

After that Moses went up Mount Nebo and saw the promised land Deuteronomy 34:4 (King James Version) 4And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

After that Moses died and to this day no one knows the place he was buried. The Bible goes on to record: Deuteronomy 34:10-12 (King James Version) And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.

This indicates there never was another prophet like Moses. But Moses promised another prophet was to come after him. This is found in Deuteronomy 18:14-18 (New International Version, ©2010) 14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17 The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

We have two candidates: Jesus and Muhammad.

What about Jesus? Was Jesus a prophet?

The first reaction is: Of course, he was a prophet. Look at all he did and predicted. But that totally misses the point. Was He a prophet? Or was he more than a prophet?

In the Old Testament of the Bible there is an old book called Job. We do not know much about him except he was before Moses and has a reputation of being “patient as Job”, refusing to turn from God when a series of misfortunes happened to him. He was looking forward to a redeemer: Job 19:25-26 (King James Version) For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Was Jesus that redeemer? What does “redemption” mean? Christian belief is that the reason Jesus came to earth was to redeem mankind back to God. Because of sin man is incapable to do it himself, so God had to do it. For this reason Jesus came as God incarnate to die on a cross for our sins. According to  the prophesies given by Isaiah about 800 B.C. in chapter 53 Jesus rejection and crucifixion was described. The earliest preserved copy of Isaiah dates back to second century B.C. so the prophecy is secure. These are Jesus last words on the cross. They confirm it was Jesus that died on the cross and not someone else.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). The word of divine forgiveness.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46.) Jesus became sin for us.

He said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27). The word of love.

“I thirst!” (John 19:28) The word of humanness.

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The word of promise.

“It is finished!” (John 19:30). The word of redemption.

“Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). The word of death.

Many people stop there, as if these were Jesus’ last words. But death was not the end of Jesus. On the third day Jesus rose again and gave instructions to his faithful for forty days.

His last recorded words were:    “It is not for you to know times or seasons (of his return) that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” After that Jesus was taken up to heaven.

The third person in the trio was Muhammad. He had received messages from the angel Gabriel, very complimentary  about the Jewish people, the people of the Book, but while in Mecca he was not accepted as a Prophet so he moved on to Medina where he was accepted by some followers.

They asked the Jews whether he was the Prophet Moses spoke of, but the Jews said, No, not at all, he is an impostor and not “The Prophet”.

That changed things and the angel Gabriel told him to change the direction of their prayers from Jerusalem to Mecca, since they are in opposite direction of each other if you are in Medina. This forced people to disclose their true adherence.

From that moment on Gabriel changed his instructions to Muhammad and the feud was on. Muhammad and his team started to attack Jewish villages and force them into subservience. After a raid on a Jewish village a young Jewish girl poisoned Mohammad’s food. He never saw it coming, nor did Gabriel warn him so he ate it. He never recovered from it and died two years later.

Muhammad’s last recorded words before he died was: Hadith, Volume 2, Book 23, Number 414: Narrated ‘Urwa: Aisha said, “The Prophet in his fatal illness said, ‘Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as places for praying.”‘ Aisha added, “Had it not been for that the grave of the Prophet (p.b.u.h) would have been made prominent but I am afraid it might be taken (as a) place for praying.

Volume 8, Book 75, Number 359: Narrated ‘Aisha: When Allah’s Apostle was healthy, he used to say, “No prophet dies till he is shown his place in Paradise, and then he is given the option (to live or die).” So when death approached him (during his illness), and while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious for a while, and when he recovered, he fixed his eyes on the ceiling and said, “O Allah! (Let me join) the Highest Companions (see Qur’an 4:69),” I said, “So, he does not choose us.” Then I realized that it was the application of the statement he used to relate to us when he was healthy. So that was his last utterance (before he died), i.e. “O Allah! (Let me join) the Highest Companions.” (Surah 4:69 Sahih International And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.

So Mohammad chose to curse Christians and Jews and join with his fellow martyrs.

You can judge for yourself which message to believe, which message is peaceful, and which message is the true message from God.

I have decided to follow Jesus. He is the risen Savior.

Obama like Henry the 8th decides what is faith. A Limerick.

Obama is doing the Henry the 8th. (1)

“I am the King. I decide what is faith.

And I like abortions (2)

of Baal-like proportions

and orgies galore. I don’t care what you saith.” (3)

(1) Besides his six marriages, Henry VIII is known for his role in the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. Henry’s struggles with Rome led to the separation of the Church of England from papal authority, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and establishing himself as the Supreme Head of the Church of England.

(2) How else can you explain his insistance that he will veto any bill that has an amendment defunding Planned Parenthood, and is suing the states that do?

(3) The principal pillars of Baalism were child sacrifice, sexual immorality (both heterosexual and homosexual) and pantheism (reverence of creation over the Creator).

Ritualistic Baal worship, in sum, looked a little like this: Adults would gather around the altar of Baal. Infants would then be burned alive as a sacrificial offering to the deity. Amid horrific screams and the stench of charred human flesh, congregants – men and women alike – would engage in bisexual orgies. The ritual of convenience was intended to produce economic prosperity by prompting Baal to bring rain for the fertility of “mother earth.”

The natural consequences of such behavior – pregnancy and childbirth – and the associated financial burdens of “unplanned parenthood” were easily offset. One could either choose to engage in homosexual conduct or – with child sacrifice available on demand – could simply take part in another fertility ceremony to “terminate” the unwanted child.

Modern liberalism deviates little from its ancient predecessor. While its macabre rituals have been sanitized with flowery and euphemistic terms of art, its core tenets and practices remain eerily similar. The worship of “fertility” has been replaced with worship of “reproductive freedom” or “choice.” Child sacrifice via burnt offering has been updated, ever so slightly, to become child sacrifice by way of abortion. The ritualistic promotion, practice and celebration of both heterosexual and homosexual immorality and promiscuity have been carefully whitewashed – yet wholeheartedly embraced – by the cults of radical feminism, militant “gay rights” and “comprehensive sex education.” And, the pantheistic worship of “mother earth” has been substituted – in name only – for radical environmentalism.

Excerpt from: http://defendingcontending.com/2009/02/16/baal-worship-then-and-now/

Obama on healthcare: Sex is an illness. Free abortifacients! A limerick.

Obama on Healthcare: It’s worse than it looks

He tells the insurers: “You must cook the books”

And give free their rations:

Abortifacations.

Less sex is an illness they are evil crooks.

“Mormonism, America’s Islam” Can that possibly be true?

“Mormonism, America’s Islam” is a book written in 1912 by Bruce Kinney. Can that premise possibly be true?

Let us find out what Mormons and Muslims have in common.

Here is a list of Similarities between Muhammad and Joseph Smith:

– Visited by an angel.  (Muhammad: Gabriel. Joseph Smith: Moroni)
– Given visions.
– Told that no true religion existed on the earth.
– Was sent to restore the long-lost faith as the one true religion.
– A book produced from their teachings claimed to be “inspired by God.” (1)
– Each claimed to be illiterate or uneducated and used this as proof the book was inspired.
– Each claimed the Bible was lost, altered, corrupted and unreliable. (2)
– Each claimed his new holy book was the most correct and perfect book on earth.
– Each claimed to be a final prophet of God.
– Each claimed he was persecuted because of his pure faith.
– Each was a polygamist who had many wives.
– Immediately after his death a fight broke out from among the “faithful converts” as to who would succeed him.
– Both religions have those who follow the “original doctrine” of the founding leaders and like these founding leaders, have been violent, polygamists, and have revelations justifying their evil actions. (3)
– Each has progressive revelation. (“New” revelation always replaces older revelation that became inconvenient to the prophet.)

– Each advocated a theocratic type of government.

– Each rejected original sin and the doctrine of the trinity.
– Each taught a salvation by good works.

– Each taught a here-after with graded rewards for works.
– Both claim Mormonism and Islam to be the world’s fastest growing religion. (4)

 

(1) Joseph Smith: The Book of Mormon, Muhammad: The Quran.

(2) The golden plates with reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics shown to Joseph Smith are nowhere to be found, so no source critical analysis can be performed. The sayings of Mohammad were written down in part, but mostly carried by oral tradition until 130 years later when the Quran was written down and agreed upon by a committee.  No source critical analysis is allowed, since this would blaspheme Muhammad. Contrast this with the Holy Bible. It has received many revisions of source critical analysis, and when the Dead Sea Scrolls were found it turned out that most, if not all claims of alteration were false.

(3) Mormons have turned peaceful, no violent conversion is permitted, but if you want a Temple wedding you have to fulfill your missionary duty. Muhammad started the concept of Jihad, or Holy War. In the Quran it means just that, and according to Sharia Law 1/8 of all your charitable giving must go to Jihad. Many modern Muslims take Jihad to be proselytizing by persuation.

(4) The fastest growing faith is Evangelical Christianity, mostly in Asia and frequently of the Charismatic type.

 

Obama’s 2011 Thanksgiving proclamation vs. George Washington’s 1789 proclamation. A contrast.

 Left: President Obama at second swearing in ceremony in the White House. Notice the absence of the Holy Bible.

Things like that are not important to this President.

Obama’s 2011 Thanksgiving Proclamation: One of our Nation’s oldest and most cherished traditions, Thanksgiving Day brings us closer to our loved ones and invites us to reflect on the blessings that enrich our lives. The observance recalls the celebration of an autumn harvest centuries ago, when the Wampanoag tribe joined the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony to share in the fruits of a bountiful season. The feast honored the Wampanoag for generously extending their knowledge of local game and agriculture to the Pilgrims, and today we renew our gratitude to all American Indians and Alaska Natives. We take this time to remember the ways that the First Americans have enriched our Nation’s heritage, from their generosity centuries ago to the everyday contributions they make to all facets of American life. As we come together with friends, family, and neighbors to celebrate, let us set aside our daily concerns and give thanks for the providence bestowed upon us. Though our traditions have evolved, the spirit of grace and humility at the heart of Thanksgiving has persisted through every chapter of our story. When President George Washington proclaimed our country’s first Thanksgiving, he praised a generous and knowing God for shepherding our young Republic through its uncertain beginnings. Decades later, President Abraham Lincoln looked to the divine to protect those who had known the worst of civil war, and to restore the Nation “to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.” In times of adversity and times of plenty, we have lifted our hearts by giving humble thanks for the blessings we have received and for those who bring meaning to our lives. Today, let us offer gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their many sacrifices, and keep in our thoughts the families who save an empty seat at the table for a loved one stationed in harm’s way. And as members of our American family make do with less, let us rededicate ourselves to our friends and fellow citizens in need of a helping hand. As we gather in our communities and in our homes, around the table or near the hearth, we give thanks to each other and to God for the many kindnesses and comforts that grace our lives. Let us pause to recount the simple gifts that sustain us, and resolve to pay them forward in the year to come.

 NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 24, 2011, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to come together whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of fellowship for friends and neighbors to give thanks for all we have received in the past year, to express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and to share our bounty with others. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-sixth.

God is not mentioned until the second paragraph, where He is referred to as a generous and knowing God. The original 1621 Thanksgiving celebration is now referred to as a feast which only purpose was to thank the Wampanoag tribe. Nothing could be more incomplete. While they did invite and thank the Indians, the primary object of their thanksgiving was the Sovereign and Almighty God for his bountiful provision.

Compare this 2011 proclamation with:  George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:” Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becomming a nation; 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 enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other trangressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

This reminds me of a famous quote from Fiddler on the roof: Chava: The world is changing, Papa! Tevye: [rounding on her] No! [calmly] Tevye: No. Some things do not change for us. Some things will never change.

And so it is: God is still God Almighty and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)