Amen

From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Fri, 2006-10-13 19:55

A quote from Dick Armey at freedomworks.org, 12 October 2006

Freedom works. Freedom is a gift from God Almighty, and we have a responsibility to protect it. Christians face a temptation to power when we are fortunate enough to have a majority of support in Congress. But government can never advance a faith that is freely given, and it is corrosive to even try. Just look at Europe, where decades of nanny-state activism – including taxpayer support for churches and for religious political parties – have severely eroded the faith. In America today, too many of our Christian leaders fail to recognize the temptation to power and the danger it holds for our society and our faith.

And so America’s Christian conservative movement is confronted with this divide: small government advocates who want to practice their faith independent of heavy-handed government versus big government sympathizers who want to impose their version of “righteousness” on others through the hammer of law.

We must avoid the temptation to use the power of government to perfect our society and its citizens. That is the same urge that drives the Left and the socialists, and I can assure you that every program or power we give government today in the name of our values can be turned against us when the day comes where a majority of Congress is hostile to us.

Instead, we need to limit the sphere of government and create civil space where private institutions, individual responsibility and religious faith can flourish. By reducing the size of the welfare state, we increase the importance of the works of Christian charities and our church communities. By reducing the tax burden on families, we make it easier for Christian households to tithe or for young mothers to stay home to raise their children. The same is true for retirement security based on ownership. Reducing the ever-growing reach of the federal government means local communities, and more important, parents, are free to establish the standards and values for the education of their children.

Conception of Christian Funding...

Submitted by Kapitein Andre on Sun, 2006-10-15 08:32.

Despite decline in its actual practice and influence, Christianity is an integral part of Europe's culture and history. Preserving old monasteries and cathedrals is no different from preserving Buckingham Palace, the Hermitage, or Viking graves. Should we tear down the the Tower of London because its historical use (royal absolutism, execution, and torture) is at odds with current society? Should we bulldoze the Viking mounds because they were misogynistic and barbarian murderers, theives and rapists? Should Trafalgar Square be renamed because France and Spain are allies with the UK?

 

I am afraid that the EU is appeasing Islam in the hopes of somehow averting a race war - let's call it by what it is. The "Eurocrats" cannot close the borders to Muslims because those inside already would run amok, yet they cannot assimilate them either. It is a catch-22, not a conspiracy.

I do not know of taxpayer

Submitted by Voyager on Sat, 2006-10-14 12:00.

I do not know of taxpayer funded "religious" political parties, I certainly hope he does not think Christian Democrats are religious parties or he will have to ask why US taxpayers funded them for decades after WWII for their Anti-Communist stance through CIA funding.

The only religion given State funding in Britain is Islam. Then again the US gives very generous tax subsidies to religious groups through exemption from taxation  which is why so many corporations exist as tele-evangelists like Jim and Tammy Bakker

 

 

Bakker

Church funds

Submitted by Bob Doney on Sat, 2006-10-14 13:52.

"The only religion given State funding in Britain is Islam."

The UK government provides funds for the upkeep of Christian church buildings and provides most of the finance for Christian church schools.

It would be nice if you would do the most elementary checking of facts before you post.

Bob Doney

The Armey Curve in Belgium

Submitted by Flanders Fields on Sat, 2006-10-14 10:22.

Dick Armey is not favorable to any who support excessive socialism in government, hence I know that BBC would never find him acceptable. He is plain spoken and it gets him into trouble, but, at the same time his ideas are on a practical level and persuasive. He is known for his expert analysis on economic issues.

His theory, known as the Armey Curve among economists, is discussed here relative to Belgium and Europe: http://www.workforall.org/WFA_study_English.pdf

The BBC just fried this guy

Submitted by Amsterdamsky on Sat, 2006-10-14 08:23.

The BBC just fried this guy on "The Interview".  He basically stated that he, Bush and other Christians expect Jesus to return when Israel has reclaimed the "Holy Land" or something to that effect.  The interviewer unstated  something to the effect of "can you see how that might be of some concern to other people in the world?".  If I can find the link I will come back and post it.  Just another reminder of why I left the US.

AMEN!....

Submitted by oiznop on Fri, 2006-10-13 20:31.

The short version: Big Government = indivuduals regressing, Less Government = indivuduals flourishing...Dick Armey, a wise man who's name has lot's of testosterone!....;-D....I wish he were still in Congress....