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National Sovereignty

Jul 27 2018
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How to Protect International Religious Freedom from the Politicization of Human Rights

By | National Sovereignty, Religious Issues, Religious Liberty | No Comments

Join CWA for a panel event co-sponsored by The Heritage Foundation on “How to Protect International Religious freedom from the Politicization of Human Rights”. This event is a side event for Secretary of State Pompeo’s Ministerial for Advancing Religious Freedom held at the U.S. Department of State July 24-26th 2018.

Panelists will discuss how our “natural” or fundamental human rights, such as religious freedom, protect the fairness of the political process by ensuring that individuals are free to think, speak, and act according to their convictions. Increasingly the human rights of individuals are being conflated with the social and economic policy priorities of particular groups and governments.  This undercuts the moral legitimacy and persuasive power of our natural rights, including our freedom to live according to our religious convictions.

Jun 19 2018
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A Statement on Immigration by Penny Nance

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The issue of Immigration is very complicated and fraught with emotional and political landmines.  The truth is that both Democrats and Republicans have used the issue to rev up their bases and score points against each other, ignoring the human cost.

Americans are aghast at the idea of separating legitimate parents from children.  However, the answer can’t be to not enforce the law.

It’s time for Democrats and Republicans to put aside petty politics and get to work on a solution that both protects children and respects the rule of law.

It’s a false choice to suggest that we cannot keep mothers and children together.  However, it is true that there must be a statutory fix to this heartbreaking problem.

I call on Congress to stop with the finger pointing and to pass legislation immediately.

 

Jun 18 2018
0

Trump is a Born Dealmaker — Let Him Do His Thing

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President Trump is a businessman and a deal-maker — we knew that when we elected him. His administration operates differently from any other previous presidential administration, including in diplomacy, where deals are truly an “art form.” So, it is not surprising President Trump threw protocol out the window when he met last week with Chairman Kim Jon Un, the first-ever meeting between a sitting U.S. president and North Korean leader.

Those disappointed with the outcomes of the summit posit that Kim, not Trump, benefited most, suggesting the U.S. gave up more than it got, following in the footsteps of previous U.S. administrations. For example, through threatening the U.S. with armed ballistic missiles, Kim “won” a private meeting with an American president, a longtime strategic goal of his family’s regime. Further criticism says the meeting itself gave legitimacy to the dictatorship of a gross violator of human rights, and that the result of the meeting — the U.S./DRPK joint statement — is only a one-page, “unsubstantial” document which does not outline specifics of denuclearization, nor give a timeline for doing so

Valid points, but in light of previous U.S. administrations’ “flimsy” agreements and failed diplomacy with North Korea, it is important to withhold judgement and give Trump’s new approach to foreign policy a chance. In previous administrations, the U.S. has seen a bottom-up approach to diplomacy, using lower-level officials to outline a deal, only bringing the president in at the end of negotiations to sign, seal, and deliver

Instead, Trump strategically brought the prestige of the U.S. presidency to North Korea, playing to the ego of an arrogant egomaniacal president and building trust, which in turn possibly opened the door to more substantive diplomatic discussion and relationship. He even gave a brief private meeting to Kim, which Trump called “a critical gauge of whether a deal is likely.”  As Trump remarked when asked about the minimum outcome he expected from the summit: “The minimum would be a relationship — you’d start at a dialogue … as a deal person, that is important.”

In addition, he used purposeful rhetoric to lay groundwork for the meeting, sometimes smoothing Kim’s feathers, and sometimes being tough, critical, and dismissive — balancing his response in accordance with the need, but always with the ultimate objective of controlling the outcomes.

One example is when, in mid-May, Kim threatened to cancel the summit. Trump abruptly and publicly cancelled the meeting with a letter citing Kim’s “tremendous anger and open hostility” in statements regarding the U.S.  In immediate response, Kim back-pedaled and offered the U.S. the “time and opportunities” to reconsider the meeting “at any time, at any format,” which Trump graciously accepted. However, he later warned Kim, “It’s a one-time shot” for negotiations, telling the world, “I think it’s going to work out very well” but that at the same time Kim “won’t have that opportunity again.”

“Trump the Negotiator,” for whom deals are an “art form,” is most likely in play here — the billion-dollar businessman who knows how to build lasting coalitions for maximum productivity and profit. Over the past eighteen months, his unorthodox methods have often brought concrete and prosperous results — such as record lows for unemployment, near destruction of ISIS, reduction in illegal immigration, and securing the release of three hostages from North Korea, just to name a few.

Certainly, more details and specifics to the agreement must be outlined, definitions of what constitutes denuclearization must be clarified, and mechanisms to verifiability firmly laid out. As Mike Pompeo pointed out, the summit only opens discussion and sets conditions for future productive talks.

But Trump knows negotiation and how to get results, and is possibly laying the foundation for an agreement, not just for agreement’s sake or for the illusion of progress, but for a process that will actually have the power to accomplish full U.S. objectives. That will not happen overnight or in just one meeting. As the president himself has said: “There’s a good chance it won’t work out,” but “there’s probably an even better chance it will take a period of time.”

Let’s give President Trump a chance to do what we elected him to do—make a deal, in his own way.

Dr. Shea Garrison is Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs at Concerned Women for America.

 

Editor’s Note: A version of this article was published at Townhall.com. Click here to read it.

May 09 2018
0

Gina Haspel Begins Confirmation Hearings for CIA Director

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Washington, D.C. — This morning, President Trump’s nominee for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director, Gina Haspel, began her confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, issued the following statement in support of Haspel:

“Gina Haspel is a strong, intelligent woman of integrity who has unquestionable qualifications to serve as our nation’s next CIA director. She worked her way to the top in a male-dominated field, but she has risen based on her earned credentials and hard work. If confirmed, she would be the first woman to serve as CIA Director.

“Haspel is undeniably well-qualified for this crucial position. She has served in the CIA for over three decades and has shown a commitment to the rule of law and to the mission of the CIA. She previously served as Deputy Director under then-Director Pompeo and now serves as Acting Director. She has served in numerous senior-level positions, rising through the ranks of the CIA, proving her worth with each earned promotion and numerous awards and recognitions.

“Haspel requested a transfer to the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center to join the fight against al Qaeda. Her first day was a day our nation must never forget, September 11, 2001, the day we were attacked on American soil and almost 3,000 lives were lost. All of our lives forever changed.

“Perhaps most tellingly, Haspel is widely supported by her peers in the intelligence community and from national security officials. For example, Leon Panetta, former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense during the Obama Administration, said ‘I’m glad it’s Gina because, frankly, she is someone who really knows the CIA inside out.’ It’s one thing to win awards; it is another thing entirely to earn the respect of your colleagues and superiors.

“As our nation faces numerous threats from abroad, the CIA remains a crucial element of our national security. Haspel’s career at the CIA has no doubt prepared her, but her own hard work, integrity, and expertise in the field of intelligence is what makes her the best candidate for this job.

“I urge all senators to put partisan bickering and theatrics aside, focus on what is best for our national security, and swiftly confirm Haspel to be our next CIA Director.”

 

For an interview with Penny Nance, contact Annabelle Rutledge at [email protected] or 916-792-3973.

 

May 08 2018
0

Concerned Women for America Supports Withdrawal from Iran Nuclear Deal

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Washington, D.C. — Today President Trump took a bold step in terminating United States participation in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, issued the following statement in response:

“Concerned Women for America praises the Trump Administration’s decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal as a necessary step in protecting America’s vital national security interests.

“This was a bad deal from the beginning. The JCPOA has propped up the Iranian regime and enabled its continued illicit activities. Re-imposing much needed sanctions that target critical sectors of Iran’s economy will impose pressure on the Iranian regime to alter its course and stop rewarding its bad behavior.

“We must continue to hold accountable the worlds’ leading state sponsor of terrorism, stand by our ally Israel, and protect our national interests. Withdrawing from this deal will contribute to advancing peace in the Middle East and promote the security of Israel.”

 

For an interview with Penny Nance, contact Annabelle Rutledge at [email protected] or 916-792-3973.

Feb 12 2018
3

Pray for our Press

By | LBB, National Sovereignty, News and Events | No Comments

The mainstream media suicide continues. It is incredibly sad to watch. It is extremely troubling, especially when you think about the role and purpose it is supposed to serve. This weekend’s coverage of North Korea by many outlets was simply disgraceful. It is now a proven, tangible, quantifiable, irrefutable fact that you cannot trust the press.

It goes well beyond bias. Americans can see the press hates President Trump and Vice President Pence. But to prop up a murderous, oppressive regime like North Korea for the sake of embarrassing current U.S. leadership is just foolish, unnecessary, and malicious. You would think they’d be on guard and fully prepared to engage the spurious regime, but no. It seems they are willfully going along with North Korea’s deceit, because it is useful to them in “the resistance.”

Take this CNN piece by Will Ripley headlining, “Pence’s Olympic trip a ‘missed opportunity’ for North Korea diplomacy, source says.” The source? A single “senior diplomatic source close to North Korea.” The lone sub-heading in the story highlights Vice President Pence’s, “Undignified behavior” – again, based on the unnamed source close to North Korea.

Reuters added, “North Korea heads for diplomacy gold medal at Olympics,” in their coverage.

The media gushed over North Korea’s forced cheerleaders and over dictator Kim Jong-un’s sister, whom the Washington Post headlined the “Ivanka Trump of North Korea.” Not to be outdone, The New York Times tweeted: “Without a word, only flashing smiles, Kim Jong-un’s sister outflanked Vice President Mike Pence in diplomacy.”

How embarrassing. But please understand, these outlets only harm their readers and patrons, not the supposed object of their collective loathing, President Donald J. Trump.

I speak generally, of course.  There are individuals trying to fight against this.

Reporter Salena Zito tweeted, “I am deeply saddened by how my profession has normalized and glamorized this murderous regime. And then we wonder why no one trusts us.”

Jack Tapper of CNN also noticed the slant tweeting, “If you hate US leaders more than you hate the Kim Jong-un regime, you really need to read up on North Korea.”

It is simply remarkable how little regard for the reality of North Korea the press has shown.  The family of murdered American Otto Warmbier was with Vice President Pence at the opening ceremony for crying out loud. Is it possible they are unsympathetic to them simply because they are associated now with President Trump after accepting his invitation to the State of the Union Address? It’s unconscionable, but very possible.

Let me conclude by asking you to join me in prayer for the press. It is an institution like any other, made up of individuals who must make individual choices, even as they face the pressures of their peers, their bosses, their sponsors, and the industry as a whole.  Let us pray for God to place more people of good will, interested in pursuing truth and able to stand against the pressures of the profession, in important journalism posts.

The current radical, liberal political drive against Trump is killing the press. But we cannot give up on the institution. We must seek to reform it for good.

May God hear our prayers.

—
Mario Diaz, Esq. is Concerned Women for America’s legal counsel. Follow him on Twitter @mariodiazesq.

Feb 02 2018
1

Obama-Era State Department Leftovers: Re-direct LGBTI Cultural Acceptance Funding

By | Blog, Defense of Family, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Religious Liberty | No Comments

In the beginning, God made man and woman in His own likeness—two distinct sexes each with unique and special characteristics—and declared His creation “good”. Who could have anticipated that this God-given and inherent identity of gender and sex would be so debated, twisted, and redefined by the liberal left today? Even more incredible is that the U.S government under Obama-era policies, not content with promoting multiple gender and sexual “identities” within the U.S., spends millions of tax dollars promoting Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Inquiring (LGBTI) cultural acceptance into foreign countries under the guise of “gender development” and “human rights”.

As Americans, regardless of whether or not we agree with a person’s sexual or gender “orientation”, we strongly believe in supporting the human rights of all people around the world and applaud the efforts of our government in this regard. That is, the right of a people to seek fulfillment of their basic needs, to feed and clothe themselves, to fully participate in society, and to be defended against human rights abuses such as violence, killing, wrongful discrimination, and false imprisonment. To be clear, we strongly support any programming which condemns the abuse of people who identify themselves as LGBTI and which builds the capacity within countries to treat all people equally and with human dignity.

However, currently the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) promote LGBT cultural and social acceptance within foreign countries through taxpayer-funded programs that extend far beyond the context of basic human rights. Rather, these programs encourage the exploration of gender and sexual identity, and promote multiple identities/orientations as a “progressive” value. These programs are backed by a political agenda begun during the Obama Administration and continue today in spite of the differing viewpoint of the Trump administration.

Recently, Concerned Women for America met with a Trump-appointed USAID senior official to express the concern that these programs contradict the priorities of foreign assistance and damage our relationship with foreign peoples. We base are concern on four main points:

  • First, these programs turn gender development funding and programming away from increasing the wellbeing of women and girls around the world. This is unfortunate, especially considering that initiatives protecting the rights of females and advancing their participation in the social, economic, and political spheres are severely lacking in support and funding. To consider: While millions of people are victims of human trafficking each year, 50% of whom are women and 21% of whom are girls under the age of 18[1], and while 41% of girls in the least developed countries are married before the age of 18,[2] the U.S. is funding homosexual and transgender cultural acceptance into foreign countries under the name of gender development. We at Concerned Women for America consider this taxpayer money that is not well spent.
  • Second, these programs and initiatives violate the conscience, culture, values and religious beliefs of the majority of the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian people in the countries we propose to “support” with U.S. aid.
  • Third, as taxpayer funded programs, these programs should represent the values of the majority of American citizens, but unfortunately they do not.
  • And fourth, there is little to no scientific research to show that the cultural socialization of LGBT values abroad contributes to foreign policy goals or even the developmental objectives of USAID’s Guiding Principles.

As was explained to CWA during the meeting at USAID, many of these programs have been left over from the previous administration and will remain until their contract runs out. Simply put, just because a new administration takes office, it does not mean that current programming will immediately expire or change. However, CWA wants our constituents to be aware of how foreign taxpayer dollars are currently spent and to know that we are monitoring the progress of the potential change in the focus of U.S. development aid and foreign relations. For example, the State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism is currently seeking a nonprofit to “explore gender identities of boys and men in Kenya”, stating that men being “tough, heterosexual, aggressive, unemotional, and achieving” increases their vulnerability to joining groups of Islamic extremism. [3]

Concerned Women for America urges our government to strongly oppose human rights abuses against LGBT communities but also to no longer entangle U.S. tax dollars with LGBT cultural issues overseas through U.S. embassies, schools, and international programming. We ask that our tax dollars be redirected toward objectives that focus more clearly on U.S. foreign diplomacy and developmental goals. We ask that our “gender empowerment” tax dollars be used to promote policies and programs which best support the rights and wellbeing of females around the world. Last, we ask that State and USAID-funded programs be representative of the majority of the values and beliefs of Americans and of the foreign cultures which we support.

The following is only a small part of LGBT activist efforts on behalf of the U.S. government. According to the Obama White House Fact Sheet from June 2016: [4]

  • The U.S. Department of State … “launched two global funding partnerships – the Global Equality Fund and the LGBT Global Development Partnership – which have provided millions of dollars in assistance … to LGBT civil society activists and organizations” (emphasis added). The Global Equality Fund alone spent more than $30 million dollars in 80 countries.
  • Multiple departments and agencies, including State, USAID, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and the Peace Corps, provide training “for staff and implementing partners to better understand the issues of gender identity and sexual orientation and agency roles in advancing the human rights of LGBT persons”.
  • U.S. embassies, consulates, USAID missions, and Department of Defense installations around the world host and participate in gay pride events, and march in gay pride parades. U.S. embassies around the world fly rainbow flags to show homosexual pride support.

Currently, USAID supports a large number of field- and Washington-based programs and funding avenues that are LGBT-specific or LGBT-inclusive, including within schools in developing countries.  These programs are based on the principles written in the 23-page USAID policy document titled “LGBTI Vision for Action.”[5] A few examples are:

  • USAID’s LGBTI Global Development Partnership key activities include awarding over 100 grants to LGBTI civil society organizations and training over 1,700 LGBTI entrepreneurs and businesses
  • USAID promotes “LGBTI Education Inclusion” in schools around the world through multiple avenues including:
    • Regional Development Mission for Asia: Partnering the Purple My School initiative through a program called “Being LGBTI in Asia” in schools in eight different countries. This program is facilitated by teachers who discuss the issues of homophobia and the free expression of gender identity and sexual orientation. Students are encouraged to wear, draw, or make something purple.
    • Hosting LGBTI rights and inclusion training to over 140 school principals in USAID’s Basic Education Program in Kosovo within its annual School Management and Leadership Program.
    • Hosting a Live Chat for LGBTI Pride Month at the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia
    • Providing LGBTI Online Training courses through USAID University

[1] United Nations (2014) UNODC, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2014, (United Nations Publication, Sales No. E 14. V.10) p. 5

[2] UNICEF Child-protection-child marriage database may 2016, Web Accessed August 2017 at: data.unicef.org.

[3] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/22/state-department-spending-592500-to-explore-gender-identities-boys-and-men-in-kenya.html

[4] The White House Office of the Press Secretary (June 29, 2016) June 2016 Update. Web accessed October 17, 2017 at:  https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/29/fact-sheet-promoting-and-protecting-human-rights-lgbt-persons

[5] https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1874/LGBT%20Vision.pdf.

May 26 2017
1

This Memorial Day: We Remember

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By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.
And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
— 1 John 3:16

 

All gave some… Some gave all. Join CWA as we remember those who have died defending our country and our freedoms. Let us pause to remember: With blood was our freedom bought, and with blood it is kept. Heroes one and all. May we never forget.

We hope that you will join us in commemorating Memorial Day by doing something special this year to honor those who have died defending our country, whether it be paying your respects at a veteran’s cemetery, taking your children to a Memorial Day parade, or simply putting the American flag up outside your house. (Here are guidelines on how to correctly display the flag.)

Don’t forget to thank all of the men and women we currently have serving in the Armed Forces. We’ve included two graphics below for you to share on Facebook to show your gratitude.

May God bless our troops and may God bless America.

The History of Memorial Day

By the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of Union veterans — the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) — established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.

The ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee. Various Washington officials, including Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Did You Know?

On December 28, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed S. 3181, the National Moment of Remembrance Act, into law that declared 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day of every year as the National Moment of Remembrance “in honor of the men and women of the United States who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.”

In President Clinton’s speech after signing the National Moment of Remembrance Act, he said, “This Act recognizes in law a commemoration begun on Memorial Day in May 1997, when “Taps” was played at 3:00 p.m. on many radio and television stations across the Nation as Americans paused to remember the men and women who have lost their lives in service to our country. This past May, both a Congressional Resolution and a Presidential Proclamation called for the observance of a National Moment of Remembrance. It is my hope that the establishment of the National Moment of Remembrance in law, along with the creation of the White House Commission, will promote greater understanding of the meaning of the Memorial Day holiday for all Americans.”

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May 26 2017
1

Memorial Day: Were it Not for America

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This morning I attended the small town funeral of a World War II veteran.  He served in the Air Force B-24 Bomber Squadron, 8th Air Force, England.  Watching the presentation of the flag to his widow, a British war bride (they were married 66 years), I was deeply touched once again by what these brave Americans did way back then.  Hearing Taps being bravely played by his 15-year-old granddaughter, a local high school freshman, put it over the top for me.  It was honor of a higher level as she nailed it and then collapsed in tears as the last tone from her trumpet hung in the air.  I happened to be standing near her and took her into my arms and held her sobbing frame while telling her that were it not for men like her grandfather, I might have grown up speaking German.  She looked at me and smiled through her tears.  I hope she understood what I was trying to tell her.  Indeed a moment to preserve.

Often, when I have the blessed opportunity to speak at gatherings here in this great country, I ask if there are veterans, but especially WWII veterans present.  Why?  Because I want them to know that I remember.  I grew up in Norway raised by parents who lived through five years of horror during the Nazi occupation.  And though I was born what seems to be an eternity away from that horrible era, it was only 17 short years that seemed like a blink of an eye to those who lived through it all.  The small town I was born in was the home of the factory that produced Heavy Water, a vital component sought after in the race for the atom bomb.  So, needless to say, the presence of the Gestapo as well as the Norwegian Resistance movement was large and intense.  (If you are interested, Heroes of Telemark, the 1963 movie featuring Kirk Douglas, is based on the true story.)  My grandfather was in the Resistance and hid in the mountains for months on end, while the Gestapo took his sons hostage and put them in labor camps in order to flush him out from hiding.  He could not come out as he knew the price for surrender was too high, even higher than that of his children’s well-being and even their lives.  At the recent funeral of my mother, one of my uncles stood up and talked about it all for the first time that I can remember, and I was stunned at some of the information that came to light, the price they all paid, yet the determination to fight for freedom at all costs.  It was something my parents drilled into our heads, almost daily, while growing up.  Stories of my dad smuggling horse meat home to cook, cut and stolen from a Nazi commander’s portion, and tales of my mom’s encounters with the Allied bombs that rained over the friendly little town – bombs aimed at saving the world, not to kill; however, kill they did.  Now, so many years later, I am ever grateful for the upbringing and heritage of a family devoted to liberty and freedom, to honor and sacrifice, and I often wonder about the providence of being born into such a family and where it takes one along the path of life.

So, today, at the funeral, I was overwhelmed by the honor shown this precious man and his family.  After all, how can you not be when standing in the bitter cold North Dakota wind, the soldiers with great precision folding  Old Glory and passing  on not only his memory but to remind the grandchildren and great- grandchildren of the exceptionalism of the American soldier and what is required of him/her in the quest for liberty.  Granted, this man came home, farmed and raised a large family, but many returned in a casket, and even more bodies never did return to the soil of their birth.  We must never ever take their service for granted, nor stop passing on the stories of history to our children, no matter how far removed it may seem.  Humanity has a way of repeating history, for good and for bad.  It is up to us to make sure it is for the better for the coming generations.

We need leadership from the local to the state to national level that understands the blessing that is America, the fundamental beauty of the charters set forth by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, and the duty that comes with it.

I believe leadership that understands America and her charters and blessings cannot but exude patriotism as they share their passion in the public square.  I cannot say what the future holds for any of us and much less who will reside in the White House come January 2013, and out of honor for this family on this day, I will not be as political as I would generally be in regards to the 2012 presidential race.  However, suffice to say that we need, and I sincerely hunger for, patriotic, proud leadership in this great nation.  Several years back, I swore an oath to America becoming a citizen of this great country.  And while doing so, having pride in the fact that my roots and upbringing come from a nation who has stood with America through over a century of partnership for freedom and liberty.  Sure, there are differences, but the core belief in liberty is deep in both nations and the willingness to sacrifice similar throughout history.  The words of my late father urge us to always “stand up for what you believe in, never be silent, and fight for those who cannot fight for themselves”, and my late and non-political mom’s advice after September 11 was, “never trust any bad guy, do not let anyone give you a Chamberlain message of peace in our time as long as bad guys are out there; tell your American President to always get the bad guy before he gets you.” Their advice rings loud and true in my soul.  Being an American comes with great responsibility, and that oath I took meant something to me.  Combine that with the heritage with which God has blessed me, and I will not stay silent, nor will I apologize for what I believe, that God did shed His grace on thee, America.  Hope comes from Providence.  That is nothing for which to apologize!  And we will not apologize for it, not now and not in the future.   This belief in America is nothing for which to apologize!

Although I fear for America and the world today, (we have leadership on many levels that cannot see clearly that America is truly exceptional) we are a nation that has always lent itself to fight for the cause of liberty across the world regardless of cost.  I have great hope that we can see America renewed, revived, and restored to the values that made her great.  We must find and elect leaders who will insure that a future of freedom and prosperity will be provided this precious 15-year-old granddaughter who, by sounding the trumpet today, gave the honor so well deserved for her grandfather’s service.  I, for one, was reminded once again today that were it not for America and its staunch allies, my path of life would indeed have been different and may not have included freedom.

Editor’s Note: We bring you this blog post as part of our Memorial Day remembrance of all those who faithfully served our country.  It was written by guest blogger Janne Myrdal, who at the time of writing served as state director for Concerned Women for America of North Dakota. It was originally posted April 19, 2011. To read more on Memorial Day, click here.

May 23 2017
3

Our One Motivation

By | Blog, Defense of Family, Education, National Sovereignty, News and Events, Religious Liberty, Sanctity of Life, Sexual Exploitation, Support for Israel | No Comments

As women who are concerned for America, why do we do what we do? Why support lobbying efforts, write letters to Congress, make phone calls to the White House, and give our money to support these endeavors?  And why do we pray? It’s because we know the one true God.

We support human life from conception, because we know that every child is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalms 139).

We reject gender fluidity, because we know “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).

We work against sexual exploitation and homosexual “marriage,” because we know that marriage is God’s good design, a mystery that points beautifully to Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:32).

We oppose overbearing government control of education, because God instructs parents to teach their children diligently (Deuteronomy 6:7) and bring them up in the instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

We advocate for religious liberty, because we know that, ultimately, the truth will win out and will set people free (John 8:32).

God created the universe. He put every star in its place. He designed the Earth and sculpted the mountains. He established the seas and fashioned a diversity of animals. He formed man out of the dust of the Earth and breathed life into him. Trying to live without acknowledging our Creator is like covering our eyes and ears and stumbling about in the dark. Knowing God brings us into the light. His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105).

Knowing the God who brings meaning to life motivates us to continue to lobby, write letters, make phone calls, give money, and pray! We must persevere to glorify Him. And we must persevere in knowing Him through His Word.

Keri Folmar was press secretary for Concerned Women for America in the 90’s and now lives in the Middle East where her husband, John, is the pastor of the United Christian Church of Dubai. She has recently written The Good Portion: The Doctrine of Scripture for Every Woman and has published several Bible studies for women.