Truth or DAR?
January 03, 2013 - Thursday
The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded to honor the war for independence--but today, members find themselves fighting for their own freedom. That's because the leaders of this timeless organization have decided to turn their attention--not to commemorating our past, but rewriting it. Fox's Todd Starnes broke the story, which, according to DAR members, has been more than a year in the making.
The controversy started in late 2011 when the organization's guiding books were revised to exclude the name of Jesus Christ. In a newsletter to members, the DAR president explained that the updates "reflect the desire to be considerate of other belief systems" and admonished state chapters to follow the national example by excluding Jesus from their prayers. DAR must "appreciate the differences in members' religious beliefs," the statement read, "and to adapt our rituals and prayers to respect these differences." According to sources, the edits were made without the approval or vote of the nearly 170,000-member body, many of whom are devout believers.
For the organization, which was established in 1890, this signals a dramatic change in the strong Judeo-Christian roots of the DAR. After all, this is a service group meant to perpetuate the memory of the American Revolution and the values for which we fought. Like it or not, those values and our nation's identity were rooted in the Christian tradition. And while society may have changed over the years, the intentions of our founders--to build a godly nation--has not.
This is blatant historical revisionism, and it's driven by the environment of hostility this administration has created toward every kind of Christian expression. The Left would like nothing more than to remake the world in its godless image. But try as it might, these leaders cannot change who participated in the Revolution or the Christian convictions that inspired them. It's time for the members of the Daughters of the American Revolution to follow their patriots' examples and say "enough is enough!"
House Visits a Stretch of Sandy Breaches
After six weeks of classes on everything from the Capitol floor plan to parliamentary procedure, 84 new members hit the ground running this morning in the first official day of the 113th Congress. For these 35 Republicans and 49 Democrats, it will take more than freshman orientation to adjust to the bitter taste left behind from the last session, which barely adjourned two days ago. Unlike the 112th Congress, which included plenty of moderates, this House seems to be more ideologically driven than its predecessor. Although the chambers didn't switch hands, the subtle changes from last year's elections could mean a whole new complexion to the debates of the 113th. What were once squishy Republicans or middle-of-the-road Democrats have been replaced by strong conservatives and liberals--which could, some believe, make the chamber even more polarized than before.
While some Congresses have the luxury of easing into their new jobs, this one does not. Thanks to all the unfinished business from the 112th, these freshmen will be thrown into the deep end of America 's economic crises before they can even unpack their boxes. The first test for freshmen is the Sandy relief package, which the House postponed when it realized that the package was as flooded with pork as New Jersey homes were with water. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) took a lot of heat, most noticeably from Governor Chris Christie (R-N.J.), for refusing to fast-track a bill that uses hurricane victims as an excuse to pass almost $40 billion in government waste.
Republicans like Darrell Issa (Calif.) put the blame on Democrats. "The fact is, the Senate didn't do their job," he said. "They sent us a budget full of pork, and then left town." Millions of dollars for AMTRAK, the National Park Service, and Head Start all weighed down a bill that, without the earmarks, would have been a cinch to pass. Instead, Senate Democrats tripled the cost of Sandy aid and dared Republicans to swallow the spending or adjourn and face the music. Fortunately, House leaders don't have the same appetite for pork that Christie and the Senate do and decided to leave the measure on the table.
Unfortunately, the road after Sandy aid is just as bumpy, since the new Congress also inherited the borrowing mess of the past two administrations. As of December 31, the U.S. officially maxed out its credit limit, leaving the House and Senate with one month to either raise the debt ceiling or default on our loans. Either way, it will be a huge test for conservatives, who have made it clear that any changes to the borrowing limit have to be tied to meaningful spending cuts. It will be up to this caucus--and its freshmen--to be the anchor for the GOP if its leaders stray from their moorings. If the members survive the debt debate, their reward is a showdown over the sequestration cuts to the military, the continuing budget resolution, the Senate filibuster, immigration, gun control, and more. But if they can keep their heads and uphold their oath "to support and defend the Constitution," then they've already exceeded most Americans' expectations.
Hobby Lobby: Specializing in Hearts and Crafts
If DAR is looking for a profile in courage, they have one in Hobby Lobby. The Christian-owned craft chain is sticking by its pledge to defy the President's abortion pill mandate despite fines in excess of a million dollars a day. After a disappointing outcome in the 10th Circuit Court, the owners will fight on, racking up massive penalties in the process. Of the more than 100 plaintiffs in the lawsuits against the HHS mandate, Hobby Lobby has the most to lose.
But conviction is worth more than profits, insists the Green family--and they refuse to compromise theirs, even if it means the end of their business. Although the company provides contraception for employees, they draw the line at the morning-after pill and abortion pill, which are both required coverage of the new ObamaCare law. "These abortion-causing drugs go against our faith, and our family is now being forced to choose between following the laws of the land that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business success and supported our family and thousands of our employees... We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate."
Their heroic stance is prompting Christians across the country to stand with the Greens and show their support by shopping at the stores in a special Hobby Lobby Appreciation Day this Saturday. On January 16th, President Obama will announce the annual observance of National Religious Freedom Day. His administration needs to hear from the American people that what is being done to the Green family under the HHS abortion mandate is a profound violation of what our Founders identified as our First Freedom, the freedom of religion. Join us in supporting our Constitutional rights and Hobby Lobby by visiting our Facebook page and sharing the post with your network of friends and family!
** Earlier this week, FRC's General Jerry Boykin appeared on Fox News to talk about the attack on prayer at West Point. If you missed it, check the video out below.
