Former Senator John Ashcroft was finally
confirmed as the attorney general on a 58 to 42 vote on February 1, but
only after every effort to demonize him over two weeks of questioning had
failed. While many believe the vicious attacks on Ashcroft were politics
as usual, it was in fact much more than that. If there was any doubt that
honesty, truth and integrity firmly based in Christianity is despised in
the halls of Congress, it should have been put to rest during these
hearings. Ashcroft's confirmation provides a wake-up call that
anti-Christian bigotry is now acceptable in America and growing rapidly.
Ashcroft attacked because of strong
Christian views
With contrived civility, these morally and
spiritually bankrupt pillars of the Senate relentlessly attacked
Ashcroft's character by calling him a racist and anti-feminist. The most
obscure past actions and activities were ferreted out and deliberately
taken out of context to make Ashcroft look as bad as possible. For
instance, take Ashcroft's statement of "no king but Jesus."
Actually Ashcroft was quoting a slogan from the American Revolution,
"We have no king but Jesus." Ashcroft was 100 percent correct in
the quote. Not only was it a favorite slogan of the Revolution, but it was
also the cornerstone to our US Declaration of Independence and
Constitution with its concept of limited federal powers--something that is
detested by many in Congress today.
It was clear from the questions asked by
the liberal Senators that they did not believe Ashcroft could administer a
law, like abortion, with which his "extreme" Christian beliefs
conflicted. In other words, they did not believe Ashcroft was fit to
govern because of his Christian beliefs.
They are right in their concern. What a
person believes does color how he or she acts in administering the law.
Former attorney general Janet Reno is a case in point. There is no reason
to think that she did not actually believe she was "administering the
law," even though most conservatives believe she perverted the law to
protect Clinton and advance her socialist agenda in ways that trashed her
opponents and permitted the deaths of dozens of people. She did what she
thought was right based in her own morality.
Likewise, Ashcroft will administer the law
in a way that is colored by what he personally believes. However, because
of his integrity, he will likely administer those laws that he may
disagree much more faithfully than did Reno. Nonetheless, his personal
beliefs will color how he administers them. This is what really
frightens these liberal Senators. It is perfectly acceptable if Reno bent
the law to her liking, but because Ashcroft is a Christian holding high
moral and ethical values, they can not tolerate any decision he
makes that is flavored by his beliefs. Hence, they used anything to attack
him.
Ironically, the attacks by these Senators
on Ashcroft were so flimsy and transparent that it is amazing that any
American, regardless of their personal beliefs, could stomach such
obviously manufactured and dishonest attacks. Yet, the mainline media
published the proceedings as if they were of the highest integrity,
without challenging the viciousness or validity of the attacks.
The cornerstone of the accusation that
Ashcroft was a racist, for instance, centered on Ashcroft's opposition of
the confirmation of Ronnie White — a black Missouri supreme-court
justice Clinton had nominated to the federal bench. When White was denied
the federal judgeship, Clinton immediately alleged racism by the
Republican Senate. White, however, was rejected largely because of his
dissent in the case of State of Missouri v. James R. Johnson,
when White voted in 1998 to overturn the death-penalty convictions of a
four-time murderer who killed in cold blood three law-enforcement officers
and the wife of a sheriff. White's rejection by Ashcroft and other Senate
Republicans had nothing to do with race and civil rights, and everything
to do with law and order and victims' rights. For the left to even use
this issue to smear Ashcroft is despicable.
Indeed the attacks on Ashcroft seem more motivated by a
fear that he might actually uphold the law than subvert it, claimed WorldNetDaily
on February 1. Family Research Council legal policy analyst Crystal
Roberts said the staunch opposition from a multitude of special interest
groups and some Senate Democrats has stemmed largely from fear that
Ashcroft "actually will vigorously defend the rule of law, thereby
upholding family, faith and freedom. The real agenda behind the
anti-Ashcroft campaign is the fear that he will enforce all federal laws,
including those his attackers have a long record of adamantly
opposing," Roberts said, according to the statement.
The hypocrisy of Ashcroft's accusers
The hypocrisy of the attack
on the former Missouri Senator is brought into sharp focus by comparing
the attack on Ashcroft to the love feast atmosphere displayed during the
confirmation hearings of Janet Reno eight years ago. In spite of
her dubious past track record, no difficult questions had been asked of
Reno. The favoritism was so bad during the hearings that then Senator
Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois, a black democrat, exclaimed at the
conclusion of the hearings that "Janet, these haven't been
confirmation hearings; this has been a love-in." Even the
liberal media questioned her qualifications. Florida attorney Jack
Thompson noted in the January
5 edition of NewsMax even "the liberal Miami Herald had called
her [Reno] 'not a prosecutor, but a frustrated social worker.'"
The blatant hypocrisy of the liberal left
was also exposed in all its ugliness when they attacked Linda Chavez, the
designee for Labor Secretary. Out of compassion, Chavez had taken in a
battered Marta Mercado, a Guatemalan in the U.S. illegally, who needed
help desperately. Chavez had befriended a fellow human being in desperate
need and had given Mercado some spending money for things she needed. As
expected, Mercado was very grateful and did some work around Chavez's home
in appreciation. Chavez had not "employed Mercado." Instead, it
was something that Chavez had done many times in the past. Apparently,
Chavez was a living example of the Biblical Good Samaritan.
While Chavez did technically break the law
by harboring an illegal alien, it was clear that she did it not to employ
Mercado, but out of real compassion. Compassion is something the liberal
democrats claim they champion when they can spend someone else's money,
but for which they almost never display any personal evidence.
It was right for Chavez to step down
because she had not been truthful to Bush about the incident. But, that is
not why she was demonized by the liberals. They could care less about
Chavez's compassion. They wanted her trashed because of her conservative
views. Patricia Ireland, president of the so-called National Organization
of Women, wanted her nomination denied because she is "mouthy"
and has "outrageous views." In other words, Chavez's
conservative Christian views would have exposed NOW and Ireland for the
frauds they are.
Ashcroft's Christian character is also a
real threat to the liberal left. Ashcroft responded to the vicious attacks
on his character and beliefs with humility, gentleness, and succinct
answers which made his attackers look like the hypocritical bigots they
really are. While Ashcroft went through hours of intensive preparation for
these hearings, it quickly became clear that his humility and gentleness
went well beyond this training. It was a part of his Christian character
that made up the very foundation of his being. He could only accomplish
this with years of training by the Holy Spirit and is an example for which
all Christians should strive.
Ashcroft is certainly not perfect and
should not be put on a pedestal. He did make mistakes that should have
been reviewed by the Senate. But it is obvious from these hearings that it
was his high moral standards and character that were under attack by a
powerful block of the US Senate, not his qualifications for the office of
Attorney General. This should be a red flag to all Christians throughout
the nation that their way of life is not only under strong attack, as is
generally understood by most Christians, but soon will not be tolerated at
all.
Christians and truth seekers beware
More than anything else, it was Ashcroft's
Christian beliefs that were on trial during the hearings. Although
Ashcroft was eventually confirmed because the opposition could find
nothing to prevent it, it should deeply concern all Christians that
Ashcroft's ordeal was precipitated not on what he had done wrong, but on
what he believed! Ashcroft was almost denied the position of U.S. Attorney
General because he did not hold the same beliefs as the socialist-liberal
faction of the Senate. In other words, they will not tolerate any belief
that opposes their own.
This is bigotry in its worst form. Yet, no
Christian should be surprised. Jesus warned all who would follow Him that
‘‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If
you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do
not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is
why the world hates you.... If they persecuted me, they will persecute you
also." Thousands of Christians in the early church were martyred
because of their stand on "no king but Jesus." We too can expect
increasing intolerance and hatred on the part of those who preach
tolerance and acceptance, but practice bigotry.
The Bible warns in Daniel 2, 7and 12; 2
Thessalonians 2; and Revelation 6, 7 and 17 that this kind of bigotry will
be caused by a great delusion that will spread over the earth during the
last days. Christians will be persecuted and martyred because of what they
believe. In Revelation 7:9-14 John saw millions of Christians in white
robes from every nation standing before Christ. An elder told John that
‘‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they
have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."
Later John saw in Revelation 17:6 that these saints were killed by what is
known as the Harlot Church of the Mystery of Babylon who was, "drunk
with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to
Jesus."
Are we in those last days? While everything
is pointing in that direction, it is still too early to say for sure. In
any event, we can expect increasing persecution of any Christian or person
who demonstrates the character of Christ. Darkness simply cannot stand
light. The attempted character assassination of John Ashcroft is just one
evidence of this. mc TOP
_________________________________
Bush
would have won a Miami-Dade recount!
