Third Party and Other Options

Christan Ethics Today carried a recent cartoon about a pastor who decided to run for public office. He solicits help from a consultant who pays a visit to the minister with results. The consultant tells the preacher he finds the campaign probable, but there are some negatives. The potential candidate then asks, "What negatives?" To which the expert explains the positions on school finance, global warming and judicial appointments are some real negatives in the campaign. The pastors blows a sigh of relief and replies, "I thought when you said negatives that meant pictures!"
Finding an acceptable candidate for the Religious Right brings with it many options. For one, the shocking revelation that Bob Jones University has endorsed Romney for President was interesting. The school made famous over race issues like teaching the curse of Ham theory (blacks were cursed by God to be servants to whites), having a close historic relationship to the Klan, and giving an honorary doctors degree to Lester Maddoux (the Georgia politician who autographed ax handles he used to drive blacks away from the front of his restaurant), are just a few. How the school leaders decided to embrace a Mormon when one recent school president claimed Jerry Falwell was the most dangerous man in America is surprising.
What about Ron Paul, the Texas Congressman as an option? Ron might fit the bill of much of the crowd even though his excess baggage of extremist views might not settle well. Ron's office aid was Gary North, the rabid Reconstructionist married to R. J. Rushdoony's daughter. Rushdoony was founder of the Dominion movement which is about the church taking over the state and imposing Old Testament law on society. North has openly stated that the killing abortion providers and homosexuals is a scriptural mandate. Paul is against vouchers, which is appealing to many of us. However, Ron doesn't like vouchers because he does even want public education! He doesn't like public anything voting against just about any government program. Ron has openly embraced the John Birch Society.
Meanwhile my old classmate in seminary, Southern Baptist president Frank Page, is running potential GOP hopefuls before him to pass his litmus tests. Frank, who was a shy roommate to a close friend, is not shy about parading his opinions about candidates to the press. In what ethics leader Robert Parham called a violation of pastoral confidences, Frank spoke publicly of personal visits with candidates and evaluated their spiritual conditions. PHD Frank must have missed the class on pastoral counseling not to mention church history. At one time Dr. Page was pastor to William Estep who wrote the definitive book on Baptists and separation of church and state. Frank has deserted his former member's expertise to listen to the likes of Richard Land. Now Page is allowing candidates to come by and attempt to kiss his golden ring of approval. Serving as leader of the largest protestant denomination in the nation carries with it some cautions. One of them is not using the office like his Vice President Wiley Drake did.
Among the options is the prospect of a third party. One might view this is an idle threat, but perhaps the option will appeal to many. This third party choice might be a party all ready in position that meets and exceeds the profile. The U. S. Tax Payers or Constitutional Party is the option some might consider. This is an interesting group immersed in Reconstruction theology and leadership.
The Presidential candidate proposed by the Constitutional Party was Howard Phillips. I just received his son's catalog for Christian leaders which might serve as a splendid example of how the nation would function under Phillip's leadership. As the saying goes, the apple does not fall far from the tree. The catalog, named A Vision for Victory, has children dressed in various military uniforms from history holding sabers and guns on the cover. Several books and toys for children are military-type options. The web site can be found at www.visionforum.com
Catalog listings of Christian America offerings abound, a common theme in the movement. Recently the Southern Baptist Convention had a bulletin cover for church services with a painting of George Washington kneeling in prayer. Younger Phillips has written a book calling Washington America's Joshua. Phillips compares General Washington's leading America into battle to Joshua leading Israel. pg. 13 Several pages follow listing books abounding with the same view that the founders of the nation intended it be an official Christian state. On page 45, the book about Pilgrims facing Indians is revealing. The subtitle states, "Racial Genocide or Biblical Dominion in Colonial New England?" Thus eradicating Indians was divinely inspired as a Christan mandate. On the same page another book helps to correct bad history about the Christians and Deists in the government. Phillips has been busy writing and has come up with a book named, MANLINESS. Philllips is concerned about feminism and mothers who leave the home for jobs and thus has come up with a true vision of real men. (Southwestern Seminary sound familiar here.) An old photo of soldiers is on the cover. Phillips has worked with a woman to come up with a work on women. The book encourages women to be fruitful and multiply. pg. 31 Its the Dominion idea that Christian women need to reproduce themselves as often as they can.
To top off the catalog offering one can turn to page 11 to find a Home School Kit. This kit will allow the learner to come to grips with true American history. The historical revisionist, according the the ad on the page, have tried to strip the nation of its Christian origins. Thus the grave myths taught about separation of church and state can be corrected if only one buys this $45 set of DVDs.
How seriously anyone is taking this segment of the GOP will be a subject of speculation. It is doubtful that few journalist have an inkling of the type of society that this portion of the Religious Right has for the nation.

Don Wilkey Jr.
Oct. 22, 2007