{"id":634,"date":"2008-01-05T00:19:00","date_gmt":"2008-01-05T00:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arkansasfreedom.net\/?p=634"},"modified":"2008-01-05T00:19:00","modified_gmt":"2008-01-05T00:19:00","slug":"the-church-of-huck-growing-govt-in-the-name-of-religion-by-dukie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/?p=634","title":{"rendered":"The Church of Huck: Growing Gov’t in the name of religion by Dukie"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n
THE CHURCH OF HUCK: GROWING GOV’T.
\nIN THE NAME OF RELIGION<\/font><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

by
\nSelwyn Duke
\nDecember 25, 2007
\nNewsWithViews.com<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

There
\nis a candidate in the presidential race who has a serious religion
\nproblem. No, it’s not Mormon Mitt or recently-religious Rudy. It is
\nMike Huckabee. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Just
\nfor the record, I share Huck’s faith in Jesus Christ. Not only have
\nI no problem with religion in public life, I also understand that
\none can’t really separate a person’s world view from his politics.
\nThe political is merely a reflection of the spiritual; our politics
\ndoesn’t emerge in a vacuum. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

So
\nwhat is my problem with Huck? Do I accuse him of false religiosity?
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

No,
\nwhat scares me is that his beliefs are all too real. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

To
\nthat enormous secular conservative voting block out there, I will
\nsay, be not afraid. It’s not that Huck would impose religion through
\ngovernment. No, his actions would truly offend you. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

He
\nwould impose statism in the name of religion through government. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

While
\nHuck will say what you want to hear to win office, he will not hear
\nwhat you want to say once there. He will make tone-deaf Bush seem
\nlike a maestro. How do I know this? <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

He
\nbelieves. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Belief
\ncan be a great thing, of course. Our Founding Fathers’ unprecedented
\nrespect for liberty was born of their Christian belief that rights
\nwere bestowed by the divine king and not worldly ones. Mother Teresa’s
\nChristian beliefs inspired her to toil tirelessly to aid the destitute
\nand dying in India. But whereas the founders kept charity out of government
\nand Teresa kept government out of charity, Huck conflates the two
\nin a disastrous mix of bad theology and bad political science. Perverting
\nChristianity’s message and violating 2000 years of its tradition,
\nhe believes it is his Christian mandate to do good works through government.
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

With,
\nof course, your money. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Huck
\ninvokes faith to justify ambitions ranging from the insidious to the
\nidiotic. For the former, look no further than immigration, where Huck
\nespoused the Christian principle, “Do unto others as you would have
\nothers do unto you,” while advocating an apparent open-door
\npolicy<\/a>. This, despite the fact that if any good Christian were
\nto find himself in a country illegally, he would expect its citizens
\nto demand he return home. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

This
\nillegal-enabling attitude was also apparent in a deal to establish
\na partially taxpayer-financed Mexican consulate office in Little Rock,
\na scheme involving the lease of building space to the Mexican government
\nfor $1 a year. Then there was Huck’s support of drivers’ licenses,
\ngovernment benefits and in-state tuition rates for illegals and his
\nopposition to a bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

What
\nwas the motivation for these outrages? While some
\ncritics assert<\/a> that he created a “magnet” for illegals at the
\nbehest of business interests, for certain is that Huck invoked his
\nChristian faith while attacking supporters of the proof-of-citizenship
\nbill. He labeled the measure irresponsible, un-American, anti-life
\nand un-Christian<\/em>. This prompted one of the assailed legislators,
\nJim Holt, to
\nsay that<\/a> “Christian charity does not include turning a blind eye
\nto lawbreaking.” <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

The
\nproblem, according to many, is that Huck doesn’t agree. For instance,
\nDaniel Larison at the American Conservative<\/em> wrote, <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

“.
\n. . Huckabee regards it as his Christian duty to help subvert and
\nliberalize U.S. immigration laws. Together [with Sam Brownback], they
\nembrace the notion that fidelity to the Gospel requires privileging
\nthe interests of non-citizens over those of fellow citizens.” <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

(Note:
\nThis is why immigration crusader Tom Tancredo just exited the presidential
\nrace and endorsed Romney; he knows Mexicali Mike must be stopped.)
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Huck
\nexplicitly
\ncited<\/a> the same “Christian duty” when explaining a lenient attitude
\ntoward felons that would allow for twice as many pardons under his
\nArkansas administration as those of his last three predecessors combined<\/em>.
\nAmong those pardoned was the notorious Wayne Dumond, a thug serving
\n25 years for raping a teenage high school cheerleader. But Dumond
\nhad no feeling of Christian duty. He then raped and murdered a woman
\nnamed Carol Sue Shields. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

As
\nfor that ol’ Huck sense of Christian duty, “Thou shalt not bear false
\nwitness” seems no more a part of it than does the imperative to protect
\nthe innocent. He denied playing a role in Dumond’s pardon, but this
\nis contradicted<\/a>
\nby the very man who had to sign the criminal’s parole papers, one
\nErmer Pondexter. Said he, <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

“I
\nsigned the [parole] papers because the governor wanted Dumond paroled.”
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

This
\nClintonesque relationship with truth also evidenced itself in the
\nYouTube debate when Huck was asked about his plan for college tuition
\nbenefits for illegals. Writing about this, columnist Jerome
\nCorsi has<\/a> “identified five specific, easily documented misrepresentations
\nof historical facts” in Huck’s answer to the question. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Yet
\nthere is another fact: In his quest to fill the schools, Huck hasn’t
\nforgotten citizens. No, not at all. Huck signed
\na bill<\/a> in Arkansas making it more difficult to homeschool your
\nchildren, perhaps at the behest of the left-wing National Education
\nAssociation (whose New Hampshire endorsement he captured). The homeschooling
\nfamilies supporting him should take note.<\/p>\n

But
\nwhat will concern all families is Huck’s philosophy on one of the
\nbiggest issues of our time, terrorism. He has
\nsome very definite ideas<\/a> about thwarting it, and they’re probably
\na bit different from yours. Said Huck, <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

\n

We
\nmust first destroy existing terrorist groups and then attack the
\nunderlying conditions that breed them: the lack of basic sanitation,
\nhealth care, education, jobs, a free press, fair courts – which
\nall translates into a lack of opportunity and hope. The United States’
\nstrategic interests as the world’s most powerful country coincide
\nwith its moral obligations as the richest.<\/font><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Ah,
\ntrue innovation: Giving social programs international scope. And,
\nI wonder, does Huck know that Osama bin Laden is worth about $300
\nmillion? I’ll also note that there is no moral obligation to use other
\npeople’s money for your government-run charities. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Then
\nthere are Huck’s silly health-police measures. He says he would favor
\na national<\/em> smoking
\nban<\/a> (not the role of the federal government – unconstitutional).
\nThen, many of us have heard about how Huck shed more than 100 pounds
\nafter developing diabetes, a commendable achievement. But, not content
\nwith personal victory in the battle of the bulge, Huck took his crusade
\npublic, creating a program to test the body-fat index of every<\/em>
\nstudent in Arkansas’ school system. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Is
\nthis Huck’s conception of small government and proper use of tax money?
\nDoes a 10-year-old child oft-teased as a double-wide need that assessment
\naffirmed through a taxpayer-funded program? Yes, Christy, just so
\nyou know, you’re now officially, legally fat – signed and stamped
\nby the state. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Huck’s
\npuerile passions are understandable, but not excusable. He lost all
\nthat weight, and he said his wife’s 1975 battle with cancer left him
\n“scared to death” of the disease. Thus, like gun-control nut Carolyn
\nMcCarthy – elected to Congress after her husband and son were shot
\nin the L.I.R.R.
\nmassacre<\/a> – he is a statist who feels compelled to impose his passions
\nthrough government. But, I’m sorry, I don’t find the nanny state more
\nattractive because she’s dressed up like the church lady. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Protect
\nour borders, Huck; I can protect my own lungs and arteries, thank
\nyou. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Perhaps
\nwhat’s most offensive about the Huck, though, is his clear message
\nthat those opposed to his statist measures aren’t good Christians.
\nYet I will cede that he’s half right, in that we should pursue charity
\nin ways that correspond with our gifts. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

And
\nI hear that the Ghatal Missionary Baptist Fellowship in India is looking
\nfor candidates. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

As
\nfor candidates, Huck is the only one who would bring not just missionary
\nzeal to the White House, but missionary intentions<\/em>. This makes
\nhim especially dangerous because, to use a variation on a famous Blaise
\nPascal line, men never grow government so completely and cheerfully
\nas when they do it with religious conviction. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

This
\nis why those who support Huck because he has religious conviction
\nought to wonder what those convictions actually are. Is it enough
\nthat he professes some version of Christianity? I will remind you
\nthat Jesus himself said, <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

“You
\nwill know them by their fruits. . . . Not everyone that says to me,
\nLord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. . . .<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Nor
\ndo simple pronouncements qualify one to enter the White House. Sure,
\nHuck now speaks in a tongue palatable to his audience; he’s Tom Tancredo
\non immigration, Torquemada on punishment and the ancient Chinese on
\nborder barriers. But you can believe the rhetoric or the reality.
\nHe hasn’t changed his ways and in office would fulfill his statist
\npromise, not his promises. How do I know<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Because
\nhe believes. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

As
\na man of faith, I understand that when you believe your principles
\nreflect God’s will, you won’t bend. <\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Ever.
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

This
\nis the greatest asset; that is, when you have the right principles.
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

As
\nto this, it’s just too bad the Church of Huck has nothing to say about
\nlying to get elected.<\/font>\n<\/p>\n

Related
\nArticle:
\n<\/font><\/strong><\/font>Huckabee
\ncampaigning for 23% sales tax<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/font>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n

\u00c2\u00a9 2007 Selwyn Duke – All
\nRights Reserved
\n<\/font>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THE CHURCH OF HUCK: GROWING GOV’T. IN THE NAME OF RELIGION       by Selwyn Duke December 25, 2007 NewsWithViews.com There is a candidate in the presidential race who has a serious religion problem. No, it’s not Mormon Mitt or recently-religious Rudy. It is Mike Huckabee. Just for the record, I share Huck’s faith … Continue reading The Church of Huck: Growing Gov’t in the name of religion by Dukie<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-huckabee-shameful-record"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arkansasfreedom.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}