By John Hood
John Locke Foundation

A useful way to think about the two Democratic wave elections of 2006 and 2008 is that they’ve taken America back to the status quo ante of 1993, though not all the way back in the case of North Carolina.

After the 1992 election, America had a young Democratic president promising change, economic recovery, and a middle-class tax cut and a Democratic Congress intent on federalizing health care and cutting defense spending. There were 57 Democrats and 43 Republicans in the U.S. Senate. In the House, the Democratic majority consisted of 256 members. At the state level, Democrats controlled both legislative chambers in 25 states, Republicans in eight, and power was split in 16 (Nebraska’s legislature is nonpartisan and unicameral). There were 29 Democratic governors, 20 Republicans, and one third-party governor. Read the rest of this entry

By Bob Steinberg

After 21 months, the longest presidential campaign in this nation’s history has mercifully drawn to a close. On January 20, President- elect Barack Obama will be sworn in as our 44^th president. Obama’s nearly flawless campaign managed to overcome swirls of controversy surrounding many of his past associations with a cast of characters right off the pages of a modern day conspiracy novel.

How did a candidate this far to the left ever get elected to the presidency in a nation that most would agree is center-right? A friend shared a story about an experience he witnessed while working at the polls last Tuesday. A black woman, accompanied by her husband, entered a polling precinct here appearing to be in severe pain. She was pregnant and obviously near term. When my friend inquired if there was anything wrong, she told him her doctor instructed her to remain in bed for the final days leading up to her delivery. Her husband, she said, insisted that she vote. She did - and gave birth less than 24 hours later.

The above story illustrates just how committed African-Americans were to elect Obama. Read the rest of this entry »

Myths about U.S. Christianity dispelled by stats
By Ed Vitagliano
American Family Association Journal
November 15, 2008

“This is a must read article for great encouragement”
- Rev. Mark Creech

The litany of woes concerning Christianity in America is well-rehearsed: church attendance is declining; churches are losing their young people; Americans prefer the comfort of Disneyland-like “megachurches” to the Bible-believing, traditional, smaller church setting; and so on.

But these well-known “truths,” which have provided the fodder for countless jeremiads in recent years, aren’t so true after all. Baylor University sociologist Rodney Stark insists these are myths that have become like religious versions of the popular “urban legends” that spread via the Internet.

Stark has posited his contentions in his fascinating study of American Christianity titled What Americans Really Believe. Stark’s new book is anchored in research he’s done on religion in the U.S. for more than 40 years, and relies on recent surveys conducted in 2005, 2006 and 2007 by the Gallup Organization for Baylor University. Read the rest of this entry

Christian Action League of North Carolina

GREENVILLE – Eastern North Carolina Christians looking for a voice in Raleigh, eager for an update on critical legislative issues or simply in need of a word of encouragement can find it all at the Christian Action League’s annual meeting on Monday, Nov. 17, at Grace Church in Greenville.

“This is our chance to showcase the work of the CAL and to give supporters a preview of a few of the issues that we expect to face when the General Assembly comes back into session in January,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the non-profit organization that represents believers and promotes a Biblical worldview in the State Capitol.

“While we expect to see our Advisory Board members there and will have a brief business meeting at the end, this service is open to anyone who is interested,” said the Rev. Creech. “It’s a chance for us to connect with supporters and help them get plugged in so they can make a difference in our state government.”  Read the rest of this entry »

By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League

RALEIGH - Election Day 2008 no doubt brought conservative Christians across North Carolina to their knees in despair after seeing race after race lost to candidates who have shown indifference, if not hostility, toward the values treasured by our founding fathers and held dear to us today.

The Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, admitted late this week that he has truly grieved over what he likened to believers’ being “body slammed” at the polls. But deeper than his grief is his conviction that God will use this very dark moment in our nation’s history to reverse its course permanently.

“In a sense I believe it is kind of like a drug addict that has to hit rock bottom before turning around,” Creech said. “I’m afraid our country and state have to hit rock bottom before realizing that the ideas it has embraced are bankrupt.”  Read the rest of this entry »

By Becky Gray
John Locke Foundation

During the early spring of 1939, when war with the Germans was inevitable, the British government commissioned posters with the slogan, “Keep calm and carry on,” assuring citizens that all capable measures to defend and protect Great Britain were being employed.

North Carolina is not on the verge of war, but we are facing troubling and crucial challenges. With the recent outcome of state elections, new leadership will take the helm in January and the uncertainty of how those challenges will be met has left many North Carolinians feeling that same uncertainty and uneasiness that the British felt at the beginning of World War II. Read the rest of this entry »

By Doug Carlson
Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

The longest, most expensive presidential race in U.S. history drew to a close last night. After eyeing the candidates’ every move on the campaign trail for the better part of two years, Americans made their choice: Barack Obama now assumes the title of president-elect.

But with 77 days separating Election Day from Inauguration Day, and with Congress in recess for more than a month and counting, there is much work to be done in Washington. In fact, it is critical that Congress bring closure to its unfinished business before the end of the year. All bills that have been introduced since January of last year but fail to get passed by both Houses and signed into law by year’s end will have to be reintroduced. The speeches, the hearings, the committee votes, the floor votes will begin anew. The legislative clock effectively resets to Day 1 in the New Year.  Read the rest of this entry »

Christian Action League

Dear Friend of the Christian Action League,

This morning I was awakened in the dead of night and felt called of God to get up and pray for our nation and the coming election. I agree with Don Wildmon of the American Family Association who recently said: “If the liberals win the election… This ‘city set on a hill’ which our forefathers founded, will go dark. The damage will be deep and long lasting.”

Indeed it will. But we can never give up. If Christ lives, so does hope. The resurrection is God’s testimony of the alchemy of his grace to redeem any situation and provide our greatest triumphs.

Let me take this opportunity to urge you to also pray for our nation and the coming election. This Sunday, pastors should not only urge their members to be informed and cast a vote consistent with their Christian values (The two articles in this week’s Update - Voters Could Miss Out, Bob Steinberg’s, Emotion Often Clouds Judgment, and the North Carolina Family Policy Council’s Voter’s Guide are great resources for making an intelligent vote) but they should call for concerts of prayer by Sunday School classes, prayer groups, worship services, family and friends. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you know where the candidates stand on critical social issues?
By L.A. Williams, Correspondent
Christian Action League of North Carolina

RALEIGH - A mailbox stuffed with slick campaign propaganda, televised attack ads, radio commercials and media coverage of staged political events - if these are what voters are relying on to help them decide which buttons to push on Tuesday, they’ll miss out on critical issues.

“Christians simply must know where the candidates stand on family values types of issues. We need to examine not only what they say, but their voting records as well,” said the Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina. “Nowhere is this more important than in the presidential race.” Read the rest of this entry »

Christian Action League

TAYLORSVILLE - Attendees at the Christian Action League’s first annual meeting of its Western Convention were inspired, informed and invigorated on Oct. 28 as speakers addressed critical state and national legislative issues.

The Rev. Mark Creech, longtime pastor and executive director of the Christian Action League, brought the issues home to a crowd of more than 225 with a rousing sermon focusing on Christ, the author of our spiritual liberty and the freedoms on which our nation was founded.

Oxford Memorial Baptist Church hosted the meeting, the first of three regional conventions designed to help Christians throughout the Tar Heel state connect with the organization representing their values in Raleigh. CAL supporters from at least eight western North Carolina counties attended.  Read the rest of this entry »