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The American Center for Law and Justice is calling a statement from the White House "despicable" and "outrageous."
Jay Sekulow's ACLJ said in a statement, "This is despicable. This is outrageous. And it is an insult to the captive Americans and their families."
The Obama administration says the president will veto any attempt by congress to attach the release of Pastor Abedini and 3 other hostages as a contingency for approving Obama's agreement with Iran, due to their unanimous compromise.
"Unanimous compromise"---a term often used in relationship to the new order of morality, virtue and principle, is rooted in the ever evolving relativism of our times. It is a shift from compromise in policy and process to a compromise in principle itself.
Christian Post is reporting, "President Obama's administration has warned that it would veto a proposed amendment that would require the release of Pastor Saeed Abedini and three other American citizens held prisoners in Iran before any final nuclear agreement deal is reached."
ACLJ says, "That is simply unbelievable. Refusing to discuss the Americans being held hostage by Iran at the bargaining table and rejecting any congressional attempt to make a deal with Iran contingent on the release of the Americans is unacceptable. It's appalling," they say.
Conservative Americans agree.
The response is directed at comments made by White House Press Secretary Josh Earnst to an ABC reporter who was asking about the Corker Bill and amendments, a bill being debated by the Senate that would require the release of the hostages before approval by congress.
Earnst said, "The president would certainly veto any amendment or any bill with an amendment that undermined the unanimous compromise that was reached...or that interfered with the ongoing negotiations."
This is an example of a greater shift in our culture---one in which compromise on policies is being replaced by compromise on principles.
When absolute moral truth is recognized, as it was with our Founders and the generations that followed, compromise of policy is a bi-partisan way of doing the right thing, while not compromising on principles.
When biblical Truth is removed, any sense of consistent morality is also removed.
When relativism replaces moral absolutes, "unanimous compromise" becomes the moral compass.
If everybody is doing it, then it is right. This is what has brought about the current attempt to conform biblical teaching to the culture rather than conforming the culture to biblical teaching.
And vice often becomes viewed as virtue, and virtue as vice, because each individual becomes a moral law unto themselves.
It's not surprising that this same "everybody's doing it so it must be right" notion showed up on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in a mocking criticism of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alitio who asked the same-sex marriage advocates if same-sex marriage is legalized, what would preclude a group of adults from marrying?
SNL's Colin Jost responded with this: "Well, Sam. I'm no legal expert... but they'd tell them 'no'. Because that's polygamy, and it's illegal, and also, not at all the same thing..."
Jost concluded it really doesn't matter because the train has left the station. "Look around you," he said, "everyone's already on board the gay train."
In direct defiance to biblical teaching, supporting the gay agenda has become, for many, the right---the moral thing to do. To oppose it and its attempt to redefine marriage and family---and sin, is to many now morally wrong.
Judges 21:25 defines a time when "every man did that which was right in his own eyes" because there was "no king in Israel." No higher power.
This was a deceptive time, with the people being described as trying to do what was "right" not "wrong" in their culture.
I am aware that some who advocate for secular progressive ideology actually believe that is the "right" way.
However, the lack of moral clarity rooted in eternal values was very costly to the people of ancient times. That is chronicled in the last 5 chapters of the biblical book of Judges. The reader discovers there was virtually no restraint among the people, doing what was morally right in their own eyes included the idolatry of Micah and the Danites, aggression against the Benjaminites, the slaughter of people in Jabeshgilead and raping the daughters of Shiloh.
History is punctuated with the tragedies of people doing what is right in their own eyes, while ignoring eternal principles, values and Truth.
In more recent history, Adolf Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf, "Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord."
Clearly Hitler thought this statement was the right thing to say. Whether it was "right" because he believed it, or "right" because it helped him achieve his personal aspirations for power, only God knows.
Everyone knows the consequences of Hitler's thoughts and deeds.
Consider this: "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord ponders the hearts."
Be Vigilant. Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Prayerful.