ABOUT FAITH & FREEDOM

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Pompeo Keeps "Open Bible" On His Desk

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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told the American Association of Christian Counselors Friday in Nashville that he keeps an open Bible on his desk---he reads it and seeks wisdom from God to do his job every day.

Now the humanists, the secular Jews, the atheists, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations people are blasting him---much like they are doing to US Attorney General Bill Barr for his speech (on the same day) to law students at Notre Dame.

There's a trend. I'm liking what I'm hearing.

Be informed.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is facing strong criticism for talking publicly about what it's like to be a "Christian Leader."

Last Friday, he gave a speech at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Convention in Nashville.



His speech, titled "Being a Christian Leader," was posted to the State Department's web site over the weekend.

Boom!

The Left exploded.

What Pompeo said.


The Sec. of State emphasized that he seeks God's wisdom every day, in fact he keeps an open Bible on his desk and reads it every morning.

He said he is often reminded of President Abraham Lincoln's words: "I been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

He said he learned how to be a leader while serving at the US Military Academy West Point, but he stressed that we must be more than "leaders"---we must be "Christian leaders."

He has learned that through his "experience with God and his own personal faith in Christ," he told the counselors.

Pompeo explained that he and his wife, Susan, put "Christ at the center" of their lives and recalled how they served as Sunday school teachers.

He said, "Scripture calls us to be 'transformed by the renewing of our minds'...I need my mind renewed by truth each day"---he spoke about the Prodigal Son, and the importance of forgiveness.

The former director of the CIA and congressman continued by telling the counselors they need to remember they are "imperfect servants serving a perfect God who constantly forgives us each and every day."

And he said, "He keeps using us to do a higher work"...And "my work at the State Department, as it is for those who work alongside me, is to serve America each and every day."

Pompeo's speech was Friday. The same day US Attorney General was speaking to the Notre Dame law school with a similar Christian message. I wrote about it yesterday.

Our Founding Fathers would be giving him a standing ovation.

Many disagree with our Founding Fathers.


Once the speech was put up on the State Department's home page the humanists, secular far-Left Jews, atheists, and Muslims came for him.

They are claiming he has overstepped the lines between church and state.

The American Humanist Association (AHA) released a statement saying that it is "deeply troubled" by Pompeo's "advancement of Christian leadership" and the State Department's "promotion" of the speech on its home page.

"While today may be a great time to be a Christian Nationalist, it's a terrible day to be a person who cares deeply about the United States of America, religious plurality and diversity, or true religious freedom," AHA spokesperson Sarah Henry proclaimed.

AHA President Roy Speckhardt accused the Trump Administration ---which is no stranger to having cabinet members talk openly about their faith in Christ---of "religious favoritism."

"This kind of favoritism," he said, "is the kind of abuse of their duty to represent all Americans equally that demonstrates how fundamentalism is the driving force of this administration's agenda," Speckhardt said.

Aaron Keyak, former head of the National Jewish Democratic Council, is accusing Pompeo of using his platform to promote Christianity." He says, "Him talking as a Christian leader and billing it as such is an affront to our separation of church and state."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) said in a statement that they condemn Pompeo, contending that he shouldn't be a "Christian leader," but rather an "American leader" who is "leading a nation of people who have different faiths and no faiths."



Ironically, it's Christianity and its values and principles that have brought religious freedom to all.

Vice President Pence on religious freedom.


Speaking at the Second Annual Religious Freedom Ministerial this past July, Vice President Pence spoke to religious leaders from around the world, and every religion.

He opened with this:
We gather today as people who believe in freedom of religion and also the power of faith. As Vice President of the United States, I stand for the freedom of religion that animated the American founding and is enshrined in our Bill of Rights. But this is a special day for me as well because, on a personal level, my faith in Jesus Christ has brought meaning and purpose to me and my family every day of my life.
So I’m honored by your presence, and I’m especially honored to address you today as Vice President to an American President who has been a great champion of religious freedom at home and abroad. So allow me to begin by bringing greetings and welcome on behalf of the 45th President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump. (Applause.)
Since the earliest days of our nation, America has stood for religious freedom. Our first settlers left their homes and all they knew for the chance to, as the said, “Begin the world [all] over again.” They carved protections for religious liberty into the founding charters of our nation and our very earliest laws. And after our independence was won, the crafters of America’s Constitution enshrined religious liberty as the first of our American freedoms.
Our Declaration of Independence proclaims that our precious liberties are not the gift of government, but rather they’re the unalienable rights endowed by our Creator. Americans believe that people should live by the dictates of their conscience, not the diktats of government.
And we’re proud — proud that our long tradition of inspiring other nations to embrace religious freedom and respect for human rights has ushered in important improvements in the lives of people all over the world. And I want to take this opportunity to thank — to thank the distinguished representatives of the 106 countries who have chosen to be here today to join us in taking a strong stand in defense of religious freedom.

After a long and specific list of abuses of religious freedom in countries around the world, Pence concluded with this"
I leave here today with renewed confidence as I see all of you. And, properly, I close with faith — faith that we will make progress on behalf of religious liberty in the years ahead.
You know, inscribed on the Liberty Bell, which was given to the United States of America by France shortly after we won our independence, are ancient words. It reads: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land [and] unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
Americans and liberty-loving people throughout the world and throughout our history have done this. And I believe with all of my heart that as each of us in all of the nations represented here renewed our commitment to proclaim liberty throughout all our lands, that all faiths and freedom itself will flourish, for “where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
So thank you all. Thank you for your stand. And may God bless all who yearn for freedom and labor beneath persecution for their faith. May God bless all of your nations. And may God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you. (Applause.)

The appropriate response to the naysayers would be, "Take a deep breath, be quiet and enjoy the freedoms Christianity has provided you, regardless of your personal beliefs."

Be Informed. Be Vigilant. Be Bold. Be Prayerful. Be Blessed.