<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871</id><updated>2009-10-29T12:57:45.050-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Marriage and Family Savers Institute</title><subtitle type='html'>Marriage and Family Savers Institute is dedicated to restoring the institution of marriage through seminars and counseling as well as promoting marriage and family friendly public policy.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default?start-index=26&amp;max-results=25'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>30</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-5392594672826027866</id><published>2009-10-27T20:49:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-27T20:53:47.196-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Liberty'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='socialism'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Elections'/><title type='text'>Let It Begin in New York's 23rd C.D.</title><content type='html'>Let The Conservative Revolution begin in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For the last 50 years American culture has been steadily and incrementally drifting to the left without significant challenge because no one believed –except for a few prophetic voices on the fringes- that we could really lose our liberty. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now the liberal establishment has overreached their ability to keep the silent majority silent. The radical socialist agenda being advanced by the present administration has awakened the American working class. It has been provoked to action as evidenced by the Tea Party movement, town hall attendance, and a resurgence of Conservatism. In fact, it’s time to see the beginning of a Conservative revolution, and there is no better place to let it begin than in New York’s 23rd Congressional District race where both the Republican and Democrat candidates are liberals. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Only the Conservative candidate holds to Biblical values on the abortion,  traditional marriage and on other issues that are fundamental to American values.  &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;People of faith have a real opportunity to send a clear message to the establishment political parties that we will not compromise Biblical values for political expediency. We must stand for life, for traditional marriage and smaller government. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Forget about winning the mushy middle. We must move the middle to the right. After all, it’s not a political decision; it’s a Biblical mandate:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt; “The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left.” &lt;/em&gt;(Ecclesiastes 10:2 NIV) &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Let this congressional race be the shot heard around the world signaling the return of our “One Nation Under God.” It’s not time to be apologetic for our strong Christian roots. It’s time to say it loud. Be sure to call all your friends and relatives in the upstate New York area covered by the 23rd district and tell them what’s at stake, and encourage them to get to the polls. It’s not just about their district. It’s about the future of a nation, a new revolution to restore liberty and the primacy of our Constitution. It’s about the beginning of a new revolution. Let it begin here, in New York, in the 23rd.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-5392594672826027866?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/5392594672826027866/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=5392594672826027866' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/5392594672826027866'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/5392594672826027866'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/10/let-it-begin-in-new-yorks-23rd-cd.html' title='Let It Begin in New York&apos;s 23rd C.D.'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-8207197809134322607</id><published>2009-10-06T07:56:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-10-06T08:02:04.604-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Liberty'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='government'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Change'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='future'/><title type='text'>Time to Pray and Work</title><content type='html'>This is a time for serious prayer for our nation.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The President of the United States is demonstrating, almost daily, his incompetence for the job he has acquired. He is clearly in over his head, or as he put it when speaking of the abortion issue, “above his pay grade.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The massive stimulus plan didn’t work, and is only serving to create a government- dependent society. (Could that have been his goal in the first place?) &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His Foreign policy acumen demonstrated in such events like the Copenhagen debacle has turned us into the laughing stock of the Islamofascist world, and caused great anxiety among the leaders of civility. When the French prime minister accuses our president of being an appeaser you know we’ve got a problem.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Freedom loving people of the world see our wishy-washyness in Afghanistan and realize they can no longer  count on the U.S. to, as JFK put it, &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“ … pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Obama’s naiveté, or just plain ignorance, concerning  the Iranians may cause great harm and suffering to the people of Israel and others in the region.  Other men in his position have risen to the occasion because their core beliefs were rooted in traditional American values.  But Obama’s core beliefs are about change, a change we are already witnessing. Unfortunately, this change will bring great misery and pain to America, unless the people of God rise up and say, “No more!” Let it begin in November by throwing out every member of Congress, Republican or Democrat, who is not clearly aligned with core conservative principles. Never mind moving to the center. We need to move the center to the right.  That was precisely the strategy the left used –they moved the center to the left. What was considered preposterous ten years ago is now normal. We must reverse the trend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In November, we must demand from our candidates clear positions on three core principles: &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First, a renewed commitment to our national motto: “In God We Trust” and an allegiance to all that that would suggest. That must be our starting point. Then we must recommit to  a  strong national defense, and third, we must begin the work of dismantling the federal monster government consuming our liberties, and begin diffusing the job of governing back to the states and local governments.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;November must mark a turning point or our children may grow up in a country much “changed” from the nation we know and love. We must begin praying and working now.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-8207197809134322607?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/8207197809134322607/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=8207197809134322607' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/8207197809134322607'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/8207197809134322607'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/10/time-to-pray-and-work.html' title='Time to Pray and Work'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-6202493626863559611</id><published>2009-09-08T13:49:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-09-08T13:52:50.422-07:00</updated><title type='text'>FIRED UP? READY TO GO?</title><content type='html'>During President Obama’s speech to a union audience on Labor Day, he put great emphasis on an experience he had early in his campaign where a lady just kept saying “Fired up; ready to go!” at one of his campaign stops. He ended his speech with that chant as the audience joined him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This illustrates clearly how Obama appeals to the emotions of people who have little or no knowledge of the principles that impact national prosperity.  Unfortunately, the American populous has been “dumbed down” over the years. Today an average American is more likely to be an authority on American idol contestants, or major league baseball statistics than they would be on the issues affecting our liberties and prosperity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The recent activities at local town hall meetings are the result of citizens no longer taking for granted the idea that their congressional representatives will act in their best interest preserving traditional American values. Now citizens are studying the issues themselves. They are looking into the guiding philosophies of government being expressed by their representatives, and where they see those philosophies working against liberty they are raising objections, and rightly so.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The liberal left has overplayed its hand. They act as though they know what’s best for the masses, and they truly believe they are justified in going against the wishes of the people they were hired to represent, because they know better. They believe their role is to be more that of a parent than a representative.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Unfortunately, President Obama enjoys a cult-like following of people who wouldn’t dare think about questioning his policies. They have been dumbed down. Those who follow Obama must be either educated committed socialists or uneducated “groupies.”  It must be one or the other.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whether America continues to enjoy the peace and prosperity that we have inherited from our forbears or we enter into a new age of deprivation and servitude will be determined by “we the people.” If citizens will study the issues in light of the principles that have produced the greatest nation on the face of the earth we may yet redeem our culture for the next generation. If, on the other hand, we remain complacent and allow the socialist  ideologues to rule a dumbed down electorate we will be, at best, like other nations of the world, thus forfeiting our exceptionalism, and at worst, we may see an unimaginable tragedy passed on to the next generation. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is a time for courageous leaders to rise up and teach America about American principles and values rooted in Biblical principles. We must necessarily be as President Reagan told us either “one nation under God or we will be one nation gone under.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is the time for the clergy to rise up and even “get political.”  Government is a stewardship for which we will be held accountable. We dare not face God with the excuse that “we didn’t want to get political” or “our deacon board would be upset if I talked about politics.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Rise up, O Men of God” and preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ first. Then teach the difference between the holy and the common, and possess the gates of the enemy, so that our children will grow up in the same land “under God” that we did.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-6202493626863559611?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/6202493626863559611/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=6202493626863559611' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/6202493626863559611'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/6202493626863559611'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/09/fired-up-ready-to-go.html' title='FIRED UP? READY TO GO?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-4321314554106466441</id><published>2009-08-21T09:11:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-21T12:59:42.228-07:00</updated><title type='text'>HEALTHCARE FOR AMERICA – A BIBLICAL AND MORAL  IMPERATIVE</title><content type='html'>The President recently had a telephone conference call with hundreds of leaders from the religious left to discuss the moral imperative of his healthcare reform proposal. So it’s only appropriate that we also look at this question, not from a politically biased point-of-view, but from a Biblical point-of-view.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The President was quick to use Biblical language like being our brother’s keeper, and referring to those with differing opinions as “bearing false witness” in his pitch to mobilize religious groups to take on his cause. (Whatever happened to separation of church and state here?) But nevertheless, let’s take a look at this issue without the political spin.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Jesus’ teachings called for “healing the sick,” caring for the “least of these,” caring for widows and orphans, and generally, caring for any disadvantaged persons who need help. This is the Biblical imperative. But there is a fundamental truth that cannot be overlooked without missing the whole point of Christ’s message: These instructions were addressed to free people, not to governing bodies. Jesus didn’t say, “Be faithful in your payment of taxes to Caesar so that Caesar can care for the sick.” He always addressed the people, because it was the responsibility of individuals to act out of genuine care and concern for others, not the responsibility of an impersonal government body.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The reason why we lead the world in healthcare is because our hospitals and healthcare institutions were founded, from the formation of our republic, by individuals and associations of free people –those who had willing hearts- who took Christ’s mandate personally to “minister” to the less fortunate. The minute a compulsory element is introduced into the equation the door opens for corruption and waste, and the very people we intend to help are, in the end, hurt by a corrupt and wasteful healthcare system. This is not theory. Just look around the world to the nations that are attempting this very thing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Both right and left agree that healing the sick is a Biblical and moral imperative. We disagree, however, on the best way to administer the care. The left believes it should happen through a compulsory government controlled program, while the right believes it should be left to the private sector where individuals and free associations of individuals can come together to provide the care needed. In reality, the deficiencies of our present system reflect not a deficiency of government, but rather a deficiency in the community of faith, and to that end, I believe the government is justified in providing a safety net, but that safety net should be kept to a minimum, because of the waste and corruption inherent in a godless secular system.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The question is often asked, “What would Jesus do?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I believe Jesus would encourage the private sector plan of administration because Jesus was always concerned mostly with the heart and motive of a people rather than their deeds. He would not be in support of a system that encourages people to pay taxes just to assuage their guilty consciences for not caring for their neighbor. He wants us to care for our neighbor from the heart.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We see this demonstrated even in our churches where individuals would rather contribute to missionary causes halfway around the world than go, personally, to a neighbor across the street who may be in need. Man looks upon the outward things, but God looks upon the heart.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So in the final analysis of examining this question, we see that it is the legitimate role of government to protect the people from unscrupulous business practices by insurance companies, but it is the role of free people, and free enterprise to care for one another. We cannot delegate this mandate that Christ has given to us. The responsibility is ours, not Caesar’s.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-4321314554106466441?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/4321314554106466441/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=4321314554106466441' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/4321314554106466441'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/4321314554106466441'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/08/healthcare-for-america-biblical-and.html' title='HEALTHCARE FOR AMERICA – A BIBLICAL AND MORAL  IMPERATIVE'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-5747441866715880946</id><published>2009-08-19T07:44:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-19T08:06:48.766-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Brad Pitt, Pop Culture and America's Future</title><content type='html'>Brad Pitt recently announced on T.V. that he would consider running for office on the platform of “Gay Marriage, No Religion and Legalizing Marijuana.” The reason why I believe his comments even warrant a response is because this mindset is representative of many in contemporary pop culture today, a mindset based in ignorance of American history and ignorance of logic. Yet, if this world view becomes more prevalent it will undermine the very underpinnings of the foundation of a peaceful and prosperous society. America will change –not for the better.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When asked by Bill Maher about his issues with religion Brad Pitt said this,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"You know, I grew up in a religious family, in a religious community and it just doesn't make sense to me. It just doesn't work for me in the long run," Pitt said. "I never wanted to stop anyone else's religion and their beliefs until I started seeing it defining policy.... Like gay marriage. You have a group of people telling other people how to live their lives, and &lt;em&gt;you can't do that.&lt;/em&gt; (Italics mine). In fact, I'm talking like there are actually Christians watching your show..."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Isn’t he telling Christians how to live their lives by that very statement, dictating what we can or cannot do? What he really means is that Christians must remain silent and allow the irreligious people to set public policy. His statement defies logic. You cannot tell someone they can’t tell someone what to do, without in that very statement telling them what to do. This shows ignorance of the basic principle of logic that truth must be consistent with itself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;His ignorance –and the ignorance in pop culture – of our American history is revealed by his apparent surprise that our religious views are influencing our public policy. Public policy has always, and in every country, is always a reflection of a religious world view. George Washington, the father of our country told us that it is “impossible to govern without God and the Bible.” And founding father of our country and our legal system James Wilson taught us that civil law must always be consistent with divine law.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My concern is that our young people are getting their information from uneducated or mis-educated personalities producing ignorant masses ready to follow any charismatic personality into bondage until we become like the other less exceptional nations of the world. Bill Bennett called it the “dumbing down of America.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Can you imagine someone like Brad Pitt running for office and winning? I can. Didn’t Al Franken, a comedian get in? If this trend continues, it won’t be long until our national anthem is replaced with a new one that is already being played at major public events: “Imagine.” Did you ever read the words written by the Beatles?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Imagine there's no heaven, It's easy if you try&lt;br /&gt;No hell below us, Above us only sky&lt;br /&gt;Imagine all the people Living for today...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Imagine there's no countries&lt;/strong&gt;, It isn't hard to do&lt;br /&gt;Nothing to kill or die for, &lt;strong&gt;And no religion too&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Imagine all the people, Living life in peace...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one&lt;br /&gt;I hope someday you'll join us, And the world will be as one&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Imagine no possessions&lt;/strong&gt;, I wonder if you can&lt;br /&gt;No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man&lt;br /&gt;Imagine all the people Sharing all the world...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I hope someday you'll join us&lt;/strong&gt;, And the world will live as one.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you don’t see anything wrong with the words to this song as a national anthem, than you have already been brainwashed –or shall I say, “brain polluted” by an ideology that will radically change American culture for the worse. I’m reminded of President Reagan’s warning,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“If we ever cease to be one nation under God, we will be one nation gone under.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is up to the educated people of God to speak truth to power as well as to our neighbors, so that our children will know the same liberty, peace and prosperity our parents passed on to us. The clergy must lead the way, and the people of God must be as the Sons of Issachar who understand the times and know what Israel –or America- must do.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-5747441866715880946?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/5747441866715880946/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=5747441866715880946' title='3 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/5747441866715880946'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/5747441866715880946'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/08/brad-pitt-and-pop-culture.html' title='Brad Pitt, Pop Culture and America&apos;s Future'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>3</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-7575624537592110858</id><published>2009-08-14T09:24:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-14T09:26:43.592-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Health Care Plan'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='socialism'/><title type='text'>H.R. 3200: Camel's Nose in the Tent</title><content type='html'>After looking at the text of H.R. 3200, the House of Representative’s Health Care Bill, it becomes quite apparent that this is nothing more -and nothing less- than the proverbial camel getting his nose in the tent; the camel being nationalized, single payer, government run and controlled health care.  When the President says, “If you like your present plan, you can keep it.” He is being technically correct, but deceptive in intent. Sure, you can keep it for awhile, but the conditions of keeping your private plan over time are so restrictive that sooner or later everyone will be absorbed into the government “option,” until the camel is fully in the tent. Eventually it will be all camel and no tent!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-7575624537592110858?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/7575624537592110858/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=7575624537592110858' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7575624537592110858'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7575624537592110858'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/08/hr-3200-camels-nose-in-tent.html' title='H.R. 3200: Camel&apos;s Nose in the Tent'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-2193669264526834705</id><published>2009-08-03T13:25:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-03T13:29:09.411-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Health Care Plan'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Liberty'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='socialism'/><title type='text'>We Are Not Stupid...or Are We?</title><content type='html'>The total miscalculation of the “Cash for Clunkers” program is just one more glaring piece of evidence of the total incompetence of the present administration concerning our economy. Logic prevents us from putting any faith in the administration’s promises concerning national healthcare. What logic and recent history does tell us is that:&lt;br /&gt;· The cost will be incalculably more than any numbers they publish.&lt;br /&gt;· The administrative boondoggle will render any program totally ineffective.&lt;br /&gt;· Free enterprise, as we know it, will become a thing of the past.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The only thing this present administration is sure about is concentrating power in Washington D.C.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Woodrow Wilson warned us that,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The history of liberty is the history of the limitations of power, not the increase of it. When we resist, therefore, the concentration of power, we resist the powers of death, for the concentration of power always precedes the destruction of human liberties.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We dare not be counted among the uneducated or “mis”-educated concerning the preservation of our liberties. This August recess is the time for “we the people” to be heard by our congressional representatives who are attempting to advance the concentration of power using a manufactured crisis to pull the wool over the eyes of the American public. We are not stupid! Let your voice be heard.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Educate yourself on the issue. (Log on to &lt;a href="http://tinyurl.com/m2uswr"&gt;http://tinyurl.com/m2uswr&lt;/a&gt; for more information on the issue. Then call your local representative. Show up at town hall meetings. Write letters to the editor. Do it all. There is no earthly cause greater than fighting for our liberties. The next generation is counting on us.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-2193669264526834705?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/2193669264526834705/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=2193669264526834705' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/2193669264526834705'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/2193669264526834705'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/08/we-are-not-stupidor-are-we.html' title='We Are Not Stupid...or Are We?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-6623451345573804977</id><published>2009-06-29T20:08:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-29T20:15:35.193-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='revival'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Obama'/><title type='text'>CALLED TO FALL JULY 5TH</title><content type='html'>It’s quite telling that it was reported today that President Obama may attend the funeral of pop idol Michael Jackson while he refused to participate in last May’s National Day of Prayer observance. This tells me he thinks more highly of Michael Jackson than he does of God!  This is just one more indication that we must pray for leadership that is equal to the challenges of our time. Each day it becomes more obvious that Barak Obama is -to use a phrase he used as a candidate- in above his pay grade.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;President Obama is systematically destroying our economy in his quest to bring the Marxist-Socialist system he learned from his twenty-year mentor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. We’ve learned we cannot judge him by his speech. What he says has no bearing on what he does, because his words have one purpose - to gain favor from his audience in the moment.  Truth is relative, and just like his view of the “living” constitution, all is based in situational ethics. In other words, right is whatever will advance his agenda, and consolidate his power.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If he is not purposely lying to the public, he is guilty of gross incompetence. It must be one or the other. He said if he didn’t pass the massive $787 billion stimulus plan, (President Bush should never have started this trend in the first place.) that unemployment would rise to unacceptable numbers. Well, we did pass his stimulus plan, and unemployment still rose to those same levels. So what did we get for all the money we spent? More government control of American life. This was either a purposeful ruse or Obama is totally incompetent. It must be one or the other.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While he still tries to sell the illusion that 95% of Americans will see a tax break on one hand, on the other , he is about to sign the largest tax increase in America’s history for 100% of Americans with his new “Cap and Tax” bill. He has certainly proven himself to be a master at political slight-of-hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the foreign policy front, the very thing he campaigned about –regaining world respect- is the very thing we are quickly losing. Just ask Ahmadinejad of Iran, or Kim Jong Il of North Korea. While the President is naively trying to play nice, our enemies are planning our demise. Soon President Obama will be singing “Give Peace a Chance,” while our enemies are lobbing missiles and lopping heads.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We are at a time when we must turn back to God, or our children will suffer for our complacency. Democrats may be leading this downward plunge, but godless Republicans do no better. It’s time for Democrats, Republicans, Independents and others to turn back to God, then plan on “throwing the bums out” and replacing them with men and women who fear God, who understand the times and who know what America must do. It must begin in the Church. There is no other answer but that answer that is found in the book that helped birth this nation -the Bible. We must turn to God.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This July 5th, we are calling on believers everywhere to fall on their knees in repentance and cry out for God’s mercy on our nation. For more information on this event, log on to &lt;a href="http://www.call2fall.com/"&gt;www.call2fall.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The great 19th century revivalist, Charles Finney forewarned us when he said, “God will bless or curse this nation according to the course that Christians take in politics.” Let’s choose the right course.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-6623451345573804977?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/6623451345573804977/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=6623451345573804977' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/6623451345573804977'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/6623451345573804977'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/06/called-to-fall-july-5th.html' title='CALLED TO FALL JULY 5TH'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-7560098386205239571</id><published>2009-05-12T07:23:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-05-12T07:25:28.586-07:00</updated><title type='text'>SUBSIDIZING OUR OWN DEMISE</title><content type='html'>Not only is the present administration set to free 17 Chinese Jihadists on American soil, and let the American taxpayer support them via our welfare system, but now, all they have to do is claim to have been “tortured” and they can apply for almost 9 million dollars in federal grant money that the Department of Human Services has made available, through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. &lt;a style="mso-endnote-id: edn1" title="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5290052624943303871#_edn1" name="_ednref1"&gt;[i]&lt;/a&gt;  This is absolutely nuts!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not only will these Jihadists enjoy a life in America with more “blessings” than they’ve ever known, but now we will support them, and educate them so they can fine-tune their Jihadist training to bring down our system of liberty under God, to set up their system of Sharia law: bondage under Allah.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt; Looking at this most objectively one would have to ask, and seriously ponder, where does the insanity really lie? We’re financing our own demise.  God help us.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a style="mso-endnote-id: edn1" title="" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5290052624943303871#_ednref1" name="_edn1"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:78%;"&gt;[i]&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:78%;"&gt; Department of Health &amp;amp; Human Services Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2009-ACF-ORR-ZT-0050&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-7560098386205239571?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/7560098386205239571/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=7560098386205239571' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7560098386205239571'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7560098386205239571'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/05/subsidizing-our-own-demise.html' title='SUBSIDIZING OUR OWN DEMISE'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-3892604679088127521</id><published>2009-04-18T15:34:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-18T15:42:25.056-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Same-sex marriage'/><title type='text'>IT'S NOT A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE</title><content type='html'>Governor Paterson recently called for the redefinition of marriage to include homosexual and lesbian couples claiming this to be a civil rights issue.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. must be rolling in his grave!&lt;br /&gt;Mr. Paterson, himself an African-American, should have a better understanding of what constitutes a civil rights issue. Sadly, he denigrates his own heritage by associating the civil rights struggle of the African-Americans with the current trend to legitimize an immoral lifestyle. Governor Paterson insults the African-American community, and the memory of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by placing the gay rights movement on the same level as the civil rights movement of the 60s.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Civil rights movements are characterized by the defense of an oppressed minority, a people who demonstrate disadvantage in three areas: economically, politically and socially.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In every area the homosexual community enjoys not only equality, but superiority. They earn more, they have greater political clout, and they are, in fact, the only protected social class in America today.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They are not an oppressed ethnic minority, and it is an offense to legitimate minorities to place a group characterized by deviant behavior in the same class.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Homosexuality is not an immutable characteristic of one’s identity such as race, or as defining of one’s identity such as religion. There are no “ex” African-Americans, but there are thousands of “ex” homosexuals who have changed, and have chosen to develop healthy heterosexual relationships.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you want to properly include gays and lesbians in a class it would have to be in a class made up of people who are addicted to destructive behaviors, such as drug addicts, or alcoholics. Just like these addictive lifestyles, homosexuality can be nearly impossible to change without divine help, but as the evidence clearly indicates, change does happen. To this end we must always demonstrate love and compassion toward those who are bound by homosexuality.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Albert J. Williams-Meyers, a professor of Black Studies at SUNY New Paltz, knows civil rights. He had this to say,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;"In terms of the civil rights movement of the '60s and '70s, there isn't much parallel there at all. People from the African continent were brought to America as slaves because of their skin color. Such factors don't figure into the discrimination that affects gays and lesbians.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Rev. Sylvester McClearn of Newburgh, NY was part of the black civil rights era. He said,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;"They are not deprived of anything. They are rich people. They are middle class. They are all kinds of people coming from all walks of life, not just poor people. They are a special interest group that is fighting for what they want."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;This is not a righteous fight for “marriage equality” as the gay community claims. They have equality already. They have as much a right to marriage as anyone --marriage being the union of a male and a female unrelated by blood. They don’t have the right to redefine marriage to suit their deviant lifestyle, and in doing so, making marriage more common, thus devaluing the institution itself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is not a civil rights issue, and it must not be so framed. It’s about legitimizing an immoral lifestyle, and changing the institution that has served as the foundation of civilization. It must not be changed, or our posterity will reap the unintended consequences of our immorality.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The “Father of Our Country,” George Washington, in his 1789 inaugural speech, reminded us that,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;We must demonstrate moral leadership, or we will continue to see a decline in the quality of life in America. We must continually work for the expansion of civil rights, but we must never encourage, by our public policy, civil wrongs.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-3892604679088127521?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/3892604679088127521/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=3892604679088127521' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/3892604679088127521'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/3892604679088127521'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/04/its-not-civil-rights-issue.html' title='IT&apos;S NOT A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-7954986270598266018</id><published>2009-04-07T06:46:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-07T06:52:27.606-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Christianity'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='America'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Church'/><title type='text'>Polarization, Not Decline</title><content type='html'>This week’s article in Newsweek, “The End of Christian America” claims that Christianity is on the decline in America. What the article really uncovered is that those who identify as Christians, but who have never lived for Christ –“pseudo” Christians- are now more willing to identify as Agnostics or Atheists. The mushy middle is disappearing, as the Bible teaches us would happen. (Revelation 12:11, 12).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On the other hand, every day of the week two new mega churches are opening their doors (Churches with more than 2,000 in attendance, according to Churchgrowthtoday.com.) So it becomes clear that what is happening is not a decline in Christianity –real Christianity- but rather a polarization in America.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, there are two Americas, not as defined by John Edwards, during his presidential bid, of the “haves” and “have-nots,” but two Americas defined by a fundamental worldview that either acknowledges God and the legitimacy of the Bible, or it does not, or put another way, those who believe in “One Nation Under God,” and those who do not.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It’s been said that God has no grandchildren. Americans who have grown as traditional or cultural Christians, are being compelled to decide for themselves who they will acknowledge as the only true God: the God of the Bible, or the god of their own creation. This polarization will continue, as the godless crowd gains the support of government and major institutions, like the media and public education.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sadly, the reality is that as we move away from our identity as “One Nation Under God,” we will find ourselves to be many nations under many gods. This will mean an accelerating decline in American life. We can look forward to more violence, less prosperity, and an overall continuing degeneration of our culture. The only answer is a spiritual renewal that will call us back to the faith of our Founders: a faith reflected by our greatest leaders, like President Lincoln who told us that&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependency upon the overruling power of God…”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5290052624943303871#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"&gt;[1]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Since it is illogical to expect ungodly institutions to teach the truth of our godly traditions and history, it is up to the Church to proclaim the truth, even when it brings division. It is time to see a decline of the mushy middle. Let the polarization continue while we pray for revival.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5290052624943303871#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1"&gt;[1]&lt;/a&gt; On March 30, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day:&lt;br /&gt;.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-7954986270598266018?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/7954986270598266018/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=7954986270598266018' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7954986270598266018'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7954986270598266018'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/04/polarization-not-decline.html' title='Polarization, Not Decline'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-869316987256992965</id><published>2009-03-29T12:25:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-29T19:23:20.309-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='socialism'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='libert'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Church'/><title type='text'>Obama Seeks To Replace The Church</title><content type='html'>I thought it interesting on this day, March 28, 114 years ago, the American Salvation Army was organized, and now in 2009 on this day, the new U.S. President is moving forward with his plan to replace the “Armies of Compassion” with the army of government. Obama’s plan to eliminate deductions for charitable giving is nothing more than an attempt to replace voluntary charitable organizations with big government. Where liberty thrives helping the poor is a product of compassion and care from those who are more fortunate. When the government takes over helping the poor is the justification for the existence of a wasteful, self-serving government bureaucracy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Church must rise up now to oppose this action, not simply because the Church stands to lose, but because this is another power grab to establish an authoritarian socialist government that must necessarily work to silence the Gospel, and will continue to do so little by little until our motto “In God We Trust” is replaced by “In Government We Trust.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is precisely the plan and the agenda of the spirit driving the present administration. The clergy must rise up as they have in times past to resist the forces of evil. It’s time for the prophet to prophesy to the king. We must teach our people the principles of liberty under God, and fulfill our duty to our country as stewards of the gift of liberty God has entrusted to us. God forbid that we remain “complacent in Zion.”&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-869316987256992965?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/869316987256992965/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=869316987256992965' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/869316987256992965'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/869316987256992965'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/03/obama-seeks-to-replace-church.html' title='Obama Seeks To Replace The Church'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-5690844653542379759</id><published>2009-03-12T20:16:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-12T20:19:53.094-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Above His Pay Grade?</title><content type='html'>It appears that Barak Obama is moving full speed ahead to destroy the economy. Why? Perhaps Obama wants us to be like the poor nations of the world to soothe a liberal anti-American guilt complex, or perhaps as one report claims, he knows exactly what he’s doing and is purposely throwing our economy into chaos to put Americans in a position where they will be clamoring for a savior, paving the way for government takeover of a once-free people.  Then again, perhaps this is an overestimation of his abilities. He may simply be in over his head, or as he stated, above his pay grade. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Whatever the reason, Americans will have to revisit the foundational principles that have made us the greatest nation on the face of the earth if we are to recover -the principles of liberty under God. These Biblical principles have provided restraints on American capitalism, and they will need to be reaffirmed and publicly acknowledged. The word “virtue” must once again become part of the American lexicon.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Even as the Obama crowd would waste no crisis in advancing their agenda, so should the people of God see this as an opportunity to rise up, exercise leadership and see America once again enjoy God’s favor as we publicly acknowledge that we are still “One Nation Under God.” The Church must lead the way.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-5690844653542379759?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/5690844653542379759/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=5690844653542379759' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/5690844653542379759'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/5690844653542379759'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/03/above-his-pay-grade.html' title='Above His Pay Grade?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-1949330033088380381</id><published>2009-03-03T08:23:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-03-03T08:38:07.545-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Tyler Speaks</title><content type='html'>It seems like every day we’re hearing of another multi-billion dollar bailout. I believe it bears repeating what was said over 200 years ago about the fall of the Athenian Republic by Scots Historian Professor Alexander Tyler, circa 1787:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse (generous gifts) from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship." &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There it is folks. A nation of fools will we be if knowing history, we simply repeat it. It’s up to those who know the truth to take a stand if we are to see our nation spared from the consequences proven through all of history to be our fate if we continue on the current path. Tyler also taught:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;"The average age of the world's greatest civilization has been two hundred years. These nations have progressed through this sequence. From bondage to spiritual faith; from spiritual faith to great courage; from courage to liberty; from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency; from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependence, from dependence back into bondage." &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p&gt;I'd say we're presently between the apathy and depency stage. What do you think?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At the very core of this entire issue is our collective trust in the King of the Universe. Remember, it was Ronald Reagan who taught us that, &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;"if we ever cease to be one nation under God, we will be a nation gone under."&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That’s the bottom line. No economic plan will save us from the bondage that befalls nations that turn their backs on God. This, too, is proven by history. It is my constant prayer that our nation will turn back to the God of our Fathers. Only then will there be real “hope” for a future of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It must begin with the people of God. Church leaders must rise up to the call or we will have to answer to our children and grandchildren for the liberty lost, because of our complacency. God has always had a people, a faithful remnant willing to sacrifice "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor." I'm confident He still has.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-1949330033088380381?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/1949330033088380381/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=1949330033088380381' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/1949330033088380381'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/1949330033088380381'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/03/tyler-speaks.html' title='Tyler Speaks'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-4510516483897137877</id><published>2009-02-19T07:43:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-19T07:45:19.859-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Defense of Marriage'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Nadya Suleman'/><title type='text'>LESSONS FROM NADYA</title><content type='html'>The case of Nadya Suleman, the “octomom”  who had eight children by in vitro fertilization adding to the six she already had,  presents a clear warning sign indicating where our culture is headed if we continue on this present course to societal chaos and dysfunction.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God has a design for his human creation: First marriage, then children raised by a mother and a father, not by a village or government welfare. Unfortunately, Nadya’s case is slowly becoming more “normal.”  In many communities across our nation young girls no longer associate child-bearing with marriage. They see these as two unrelated events, with the former being more desirable than the latter.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For the sake of generations to come we must do our best to support single parent families, while we work to re-establish the prominence of the natural family. Men must step up to the plate to provide loving leadership while we all reaffirm that children are a sacred gift from God for whom parents must be willing to sacrifice. God help us if we become a nation that sacrifices the children for the parents’ happiness. God help the next generation if we don’t turn things around.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-4510516483897137877?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/4510516483897137877/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=4510516483897137877' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/4510516483897137877'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/4510516483897137877'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/02/lessons-from-nadya.html' title='LESSONS FROM NADYA'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-6669982150061300754</id><published>2009-02-11T14:05:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-11T14:12:01.570-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='prosperity'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='poverty'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='stimulus'/><title type='text'>CUT THE HOLE OUT OF MY JEANS</title><content type='html'>The “stimulus” package the feds are about to execute reminds me of the story of the little boy who came home crying because he had fallen and torn a large hole on the kneecap area of his brand new jeans. He pleaded with his mother, “Please Mom, cut the hole out of my jeans so it won’t be there any more.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Needless to say, cutting out the hole just creates a bigger hole, but alas, at least “we’ll be doing something!” For people who claim at least a minimal level of intelligence, this is a pretty dumb move.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All one has to do is to look at the facts, look at our history, and project out into the future to see that by every measure this is a loser. But then again, that presumes the ability to defer immediate gratification for a long-term good, which the present administration and Congress doesn’t seem to have the common sense to do. Goodbye prosperity; hello poverty. God help us, and God help the next generation.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-6669982150061300754?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/6669982150061300754/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=6669982150061300754' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/6669982150061300754'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/6669982150061300754'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/02/cut-hole-out-of-my-jeans.html' title='CUT THE HOLE OUT OF MY JEANS'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-7051476723362870300</id><published>2009-01-07T06:47:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-07T09:03:00.663-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='2009'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Obama'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Church'/><title type='text'>COMING "CORRUSION"</title><content type='html'>Already, we’re seeing plenty of evidence of what I believe will be the norm for the next four years. Let’s call it “corrusion.” That’s the combined effect of corruption and confusion. Let me explain.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Confusion will take place when the new administration attempts to govern by situational ethics rather than by the time-tested principles codified by our founding fathers. The liberal view of our constitution held by Barak Obama sees a document interpreted by the light of current trends. As they see it, the Constitution, and all laws that derive from it, should be “liquid” enough to change as conditions change. They call it a “living” constitution. In effect, this means that the Constitution, and the entire legal system that flows from it, can mean anything depending on who is reading it. The final authority is the “reader,” not the document. Thus with many different readers you will have mass confusion. (The conservative view holds that the Constitution and the written law is the final authority.)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Corruption will then follow, because without a fixed sense of authority human nature will cause many to see their way as the right way. This will be further accelerated by our move away from being “One Nation Under God.” Everyone will be a god unto himself. More people in government will be driven by self-interests, and fewer will be there to serve others. It is a Judeo-Christian idea to live to serve others, while those gazing through a humanistic-evolutionary lens are guided by a drive for “survival of the fittest” and “self-preservation.” In this environment the “right thing” will be whatever is self-serving. The means justifies the ends. Just don’t get caught!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will begin to resemble third world countries where the law is determined by who you know.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The confusion and corruption –the corrusion- will steal our peace and prosperity. Enemies, foreign and domestic, will take advantage of the confusion. Social, political and economic corrusion will be the norm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That’s why the “What’s next?” question for the Christian has to be prayer –a lot of prayer! We must pray for our new president and those in power over us. We must pray for revival in our land. We must repent of our own sin of religious pride that shows up in ways that keeps us divided and ineffective.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” &lt;/em&gt;2 Chron 7:14&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We’ve heard it enough, now we must do it!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-7051476723362870300?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/7051476723362870300/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=7051476723362870300' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7051476723362870300'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/7051476723362870300'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2009/01/coming-corrusion.html' title='COMING &quot;CORRUSION&quot;'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-1674485571910215987</id><published>2008-11-25T13:56:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-25T14:02:47.670-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Bailouts'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Christian Ethics'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Economy'/><title type='text'>The End of Liberty?</title><content type='html'>With all this talk about the federal government bailing out car manufacturers, and financial institutions, there comes a valid question we must ask: “Has capitalism failed? Is this the end of our liberties and our free market system?” First of all we must realize -and make it known- that the reason our financial institutions got into trouble is not because of the free market, but rather because of government intervention. When the federal government mandated that banks make loans to people who weren’t financially sound we injected a manipulation into the market that caused it to operate according to a model doomed to eventual failure. Then everyone just kept passing the buck until it stopped at the American taxpayer. Now if the federal government bails out the auto industry they will again inject a false set of numbers that will eventually have to be paid by the taxpayer. The federal government will become an enabler to shoddy business practices. We’ll be like the rest of the world. Our free enterprise system is the best in the world, but it can only remain so as we adhere to sound principles based on a solid Judeo-Christian ethic.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-1674485571910215987?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/1674485571910215987/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=1674485571910215987' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/1674485571910215987'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/1674485571910215987'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/11/end-of-liberty.html' title='The End of Liberty?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-9178737925988035903</id><published>2008-11-05T15:58:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2008-11-05T16:03:36.126-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Obama Wins - Now What?</title><content type='html'>Barak Obama has won the election for President of the United States. There was a time when the nation of Israel asked for a king like all their surrounding neighbors, and God granted their wish. King Saul became their leader to their detriment. God has, once again, honored the free will of his creation. The person we have chosen is a reflection of the character of the nation. If we have elected an individual driven by selfish ambition, it is because we, as a people, are driven by selfish ambition. There will be change. That’s not the issue. My concern is that the coming change will be to our detriment, and to the detriment of our posterity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If there is any blame to be laid, it must be directed toward the Church. It is righteousness that exalts a nation, and that standard of righteousness has been entrusted to the Church. We have failed to teach righteousness –the principles of liberty under God- and we have failed to teach those under our care that our responsibility to provide godly leadership for our nation is part of our responsibility to God. 2 Chronicles 7:14 never rang more true than it does today:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“If my people, who are called by my name”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now it’s time to gird our loins and prepare for battle. Unless Barak Obama has a Damascus Road experience with God, (We must all be in constant prayer for his salvation and for the salvation of his family) we will have to fight for the lives of 3,000 babies every day that are being murdered in the womb by fighting Obama’s promised “Freedom of Choice Act.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will have to fight to protect what God has called holy, “marriage” and work to keep the spirit of Sodom from permeating our culture by the repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, as promised by Obama.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will have to fight to protect our right to preach the Gospel in the church and on every street corner, by fighting Obama’s promised hate crimes laws and the Fairness Doctrine.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will have to fight for the right to raise our children according to our value system without government interference by fighting Obama’s plans to indoctrinate our children using the Department of Education.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We will have to fight to preserve our liberty under God by resisting Obama’s plan to bring more of our economy and our society under government control. Woodrow Wilson taught us,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The history of liberty is the history of the limitations of power, not the increase of it. When we resist, therefore, the concentration of power, we resist the powers of death, for the concentration of power always precedes the destruction of human liberties.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We We will have to fight, or we will repeat the sins of the complacent church, in days past, that stood by while leaders driven by selfish ambition committed atrocities on innocent people. It’s nothing new.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My question is, “Will we?” Will we, as the prophet Nehemiah challenged the people of God,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; (Nehemiah 4:14)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I pray we will.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-9178737925988035903?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/9178737925988035903/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=9178737925988035903' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/9178737925988035903'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/9178737925988035903'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/11/obama-wins-now-what.html' title='Obama Wins - Now What?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-1389483206833542297</id><published>2008-09-05T05:58:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-09-05T06:05:10.253-07:00</updated><title type='text'>GLITTER OR GAVITAS?</title><content type='html'>The contrast between the competing tickets in the Presidential race seems to have come to a simple matter of  “glitter  vs. gravitas.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I began to see this when I watched the dual interview of Obama and McCain at Saddleback Church.  I remember how after Obama spoke, I thought how polished he sounded.  McCain was going to have to do pretty well to compete. But when McCain came on, it was clear he was in a totally different league than Obama. Where Obama’s responses were articulate and well reasoned, McCain’s responses took on an air of authority, depth of character and confidence. The contrast was stark. Obama sounded like a decent politician whose rhetoric was nice but superficial. McCain sounded like a leader. One was glitter, the other had gravitas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now with McCain’s choice of Sarah Palin for VP we see a team that has a proven record of performance cleaning up government, something many have dismissed as ever being possible beyond theory.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The electorate was ready to settle for promise of change, but now there is a renewed sense of hope in the possibility of real change. Glitter or gravitas.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The choice is ours. I pray we make the right one.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-1389483206833542297?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/1389483206833542297/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=1389483206833542297' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/1389483206833542297'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/1389483206833542297'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/09/glitter-or-gavitas.html' title='GLITTER OR GAVITAS?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-4894364028182952783</id><published>2008-08-28T14:26:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-28T14:40:04.121-07:00</updated><title type='text'>How Should a Christian Vote in 2008?</title><content type='html'>Someone called me this morning and asked the question I often hear just before election seasons begin, “How should a Christian vote?”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have answered this question in a booklet I wrote several years ago entitled “How Shall I Vote? – choosing godly leaders in an ungodly world.” But let me here summarize some of the main points, particularly as we look forward to the November 2008 elections.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;These are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of any organizations I have been associated with now or in the past.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We begin with the Bible. Throughout the Scriptures we are instructed to &lt;a name="OLE_LINK2"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a name="OLE_LINK1"&gt;choose leaders who &lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain.”&lt;/em&gt; (Exodus 18:21)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So when we look at the candidates we want to compare their positions, voting records, and governing philosophy with the standards of the Bible. The candidate whose positions on issues most closely lines up with God’s standard of righteousness, as revealed in Scripture, should get the Christian vote.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Before we even investigate a candidate’s general philosophy of governance, we must look at two major issues facing us in 2008 that, by themselves, in my opinion, settle the issue.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;First is the issue of baby killing -abortion&lt;/strong&gt;. Proverbs 24:11 is a clear call to rescue those who are perishing, who are being led away to slaughter, with the warning that we dare not turn a blind eye by saying we didn’t know. This was the sin of the Church during the Jewish holocaust, and it will be the sin of the current-day church if we pretend it’s not happening in America to 3,000 babies each day.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A Christian must not vote for a candidate who would continue to promote baby-killing, even if it is in the name of “choice,” nor should a Christian become an accomplice to murder by voting for anyone who would promote such an agenda.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This one issue outweighs all others. It is the only issue that matters to a million babies each year. Without the right to life, there can be no other rights.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A Christian cannot vote for a candidate who supports abortion –no matter where he stands on other issues- or he will surely have the blood of these babies on his own hands.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Though Barak Obama claims that he is driven by the Scripture,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Whatever you did not do for the least of these you did not do for me.”&lt;/em&gt; (Matthew 25:45),&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;it’s obvious he does not count a baby in the womb –or out of the womb- among “the least” when a woman’s choice is involved.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Obama’s voting record is radically pro-abortion. He even voted against a bill that would protect the life of a baby if it was accidentally born alive, claiming that the mother’s intent for an abortion should be paramount.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On this issue alone, a true Christian cannot vote for a candidate whose views are so radically pro-murder. This would be no different than cheering on King Herod while he gave the order to kill every child under two years old in his quest to murder the Christ child for his own personal reasons.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Roman Catholic Church, a champion for the unborn in our country, has categorically denounced Obama and his Vice-Presidential candidate, Joe Biden because of his pro-murder voting record though he claims to be a Roman Catholic.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Obama and Biden would clearly continue this American holocaust, and expand it, while Senator McCain has always demonstrated a clear pro-life position in all his years in Washington.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Furthermore, McCain has declared that he would select Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia, Moore and Thomas, strict constructionists, to replace more liberal retiring justices allowing the possibility of overturning the horrendous Roe v. Wade decision.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This issue, alone, disqualifies Obama and Biden from gaining the vote of the Christian.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The second major issue is the definition of marriage.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept pure.”&lt;/em&gt; (Hebrews 13:4).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God is the one who defined marriage, &lt;em&gt;“male and female, he created them.”&lt;/em&gt; (Genesis 1:27)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Any attempt to redefine what God has called holy could only bring detrimental consequences to a nation. Billy Graham reminded us that if God allowed us to accept homosexuality as normal, he would have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. Founding father, James Wilson, taught us that civil law must be consistent with divine law.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Therefore, any candidate who will not protect the definition and the sanctity of marriage should not get the Christian vote.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Though both presidential candidates have publicly stated that they believe marriage to be the union of a man and a woman, only John McCain has publicly supported efforts to protect that definition through constitutional amendments in California, Arizona and in other states where the issue is in question.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Barak Obama, on the other hand, has publicly denounced efforts to protect the definition of marriage calling such efforts, “divisive and discriminatory.”&lt;a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5290052624943303871#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1"&gt;[1]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The definition of marriage will be fundamental to the peace and order of our society for generations to come. It is imperative that we maintain this godly order or be prepared to suffer consequences yet unimagined.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In his farewell address, the Father of our country, George Washington reminded us that&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“&lt;em&gt;The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Therefore, the Christian looking at these two major issues must disqualify Obama and Biden from receiving his or her vote.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;General Philosophies of Governance&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Though my father has long ago left this planet, I can still hear his voice as I was growing up saying, “The Republicans are for the rich; the Democrats are for the poor.” This same sentiment is still operative in the thinking of so many well-meaning supporters of the Democratic platform. But the truth is that both parties have the interests of the poor in mind. They just have different ideas about how to take care of the poor.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Democrat idea is that it is the government’s responsibility to provide for the poor, while the Republican philosophy holds that liberty requires the citizenry to care for the poor with the least government intrusion as possible.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What does the Bible teach? Jesus commanded us to take care of the poor directly. He never encouraged us to pay higher tribute to Caesar so that Caesar would care for the poor. The same reason why no one would dare think of entrusting Caesar to care for the poor should warn us today about paying higher taxes to government and expecting the government to care for the poor.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nationalized healthcare, guaranteed college tuition, and all the other promises made by the Democratic platform necessitate government control. What the government gives it must control. The more it gives the more control it must have, &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;thus the loss of liberty.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A vote for the Democratic Party is a vote for Socialism and government control –a loss of liberty.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Republican Party philosophy of governance places more responsibility on individuals, and voluntary associations and institutions established for the purpose of caring for the less advantaged. It adheres to the Jeffersonian idea that the government that governs least, governs best. The danger here is that the citizenry must freely choose to care for its own. Liberty necessarily implies the freedom to fail as well as the freedom to succeed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We can go on and on illustrating the contrasts in the two distinct governing philosophies. For a further study I would suggest the booklet “How Shall I Vote?” However, I believe it sufficiently sums up the difference to say that the &lt;strong&gt;Democrats are for Socialism, while the Republicans are for Liberty.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;IN CLOSING&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;In making these statements, I am exercising my own First Amendment Right to Freedom of speech much as the preachers during our founding period spoke out against the unbiblical policies of the British government, and I encourage preachers around the country to do the same.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Teaching our people how to vote is part of teaching the full Gospel. We must teach our people how to “&lt;em&gt;choose leaders who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain.”&lt;/em&gt; (Exodus 18:21)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a title="" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=5290052624943303871#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1"&gt;[1]&lt;/a&gt; Letter to a San Francisco Homosexual Activist Group&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-4894364028182952783?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/4894364028182952783/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=4894364028182952783' title='6 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/4894364028182952783'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/4894364028182952783'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-should-christian-vote-in-2008.html' title='How Should a Christian Vote in 2008?'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>6</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-458083180560055283</id><published>2008-08-03T09:00:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-08-03T09:32:49.897-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Defense of Marriage'/><title type='text'>MASSACHUSETTS FALLS!</title><content type='html'>Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick just signed a law allowing homosexual couples from other states to get "married" in Massachusetts. The Bay State now joins California in legalizing same-sex marriage" without restrictions.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The gay rights crowd is ecstatic over what they see as one more domino going down in their assault against traditional marriage in the U.S.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute, said "With the protective barrier removed, out-of-state, same-sex couples who 'marry' here will sue to seek recognition in their home states … further eroding the people's right to define marriage," he said. This is "doing terrible harm to marriage laws across the country."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In California, gay activists are pulling out all the stops as the state prepares to vote on a marriage-protection amendment.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Will New York be next? Governor Paterson is already trying to impose same-sex marriage by executive decree. Our legal action against him is, at best, a temporary obstacle put in the path of the gay rights hordes advancing their conquest of American culture. If the Church does not rise to defend what God has called holy, our children will pay the price for our complacency as our nation -as Judge Robert Bork put it- continues its slouch toward Gomorrah. Remember the words inscribed on Thomas Jefferson’s memorial,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I tremble when I reflect that God is just; that his justice will not sleep forever.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It’s up to us, the people of God, to be stewards of that holy institution entrusted to His Church. It is time to do as Nehemiah told the Israelites,&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”&lt;/em&gt; (Nehemiah 4:14b)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nehemiah traveled with a trumpeter whose mission was to sound the trumpet when danger approached so the people of God could rally to the place of the threat. We are sounding the trumpet! The people of God must rally around the issue of marriage. This is no time for excuses, theological or otherwise. I’m reminded of the words of E. Stanley Jones who taught that:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;"An individual gospel without a social gospel is a soul without a body, and a social gospel without an individual gospel is a body without a soul. One is a ghost and the other a corpse."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We must have both. This is a time for born again, spirit-filled believers to rise up and take a stand for the institution of marriage. This not a time to be “complacent in Zion” or our children and generations to follow will pay the price for our sins of omission when judgment falls on our nation. Billy Graham reminded us that if God lets us get away with our sins he’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. I just don’t see that ever happening.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We’re calling on every believer to do something. Begin with prayer according to 1 Timothy 2.&lt;br /&gt;Then call your legislative representatives on every level or write them a letter. Then write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Do not be silent!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Every member of the clergy must preach and teach concerning these issues and the responsibility of the Church to be the salt of the earth. Personal salvation first, but then works that reflect a faith based in the Word of God. Teach the difference between the “holy and the common.”&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;We stand ready to help. Just call or email us. We sound the trumpet knowing that if we will rally, our God will fight for us. The victory will be passed on to our children, and their children.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-458083180560055283?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/458083180560055283/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=458083180560055283' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/458083180560055283'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/458083180560055283'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/08/massachusetts-governor-deval-patrick.html' title='MASSACHUSETTS FALLS!'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-986079813883045891</id><published>2008-06-17T16:27:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-06-17T16:34:37.017-07:00</updated><title type='text'>CALIFORNIA AND A NATION</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Today, America takes yet another step downward toward the abyss of social chaos and national degradation with the California attempt to make holy matrimony a common social fraternity for anyone who would try to claim legitimacy in a sacred institution. Marriage was created by God to represent the fullness of His human creation&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;in the union of a man and a woman. Since God is the One who created marriage, only He can redefine it, and He has not done so.&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Judges who would take it upon themselves to subvert the authority of God violate the basic tenets of their trade, as taught by founding father and originator of the American legal system James Wilson, that civil law must be consistent with divine law.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Today’s intellectual elites think it ignorance to associate national disasters with national sin. But our founding fathers thought differently:&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;George Mason, father of our Bill of Rights&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;taught us: &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;As nations cannot be rewarded or punished in the next world, so they must be in this. By an inevitable chain of causes and effects, Providence punishes national sins by national calamities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;They understood that national calamity, poverty and war are instruments of God’s judgment for nations that disregard His rules of social order. According to the father of our country, George Washington:&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoBodyText"&gt;“The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained.”&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoBodyText"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: normal;"&gt;God’s judgment on America is evidenced today in the high rate of divorce, broken families, wandering youth, record crime rates, and this is only the beginning. Our economy will continue to reverse the trend of prosperity, wars will increase, and natural disasters will accelerate in frequency and intensity. Unless we publicly reaffirm our Trust in God we will be just like the other countries of the earth that are steeped in poverty, violence and every kind of darkness -the normal state of this world. All one need do is to trace the travel of the Christianity and you will see the advancement of civilization, peace and prosperity.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoBodyText"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: normal;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoBodyText"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: normal;"&gt;We need leaders today who, rather than end their talks with the traditional “God Bless America” will begin their talks with, “We are one nation under God” and will then go on teach and model what it means to be a nation under God with liberty under God and a calling to be a light to a lost and dying world, as President Reagan’s”City on a Hill.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoBodyText"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: normal;"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Even Thomas Jefferson, one of the least religious of our founding fathers understood that:&lt;i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--&gt;&lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;”God who gave us life gave us liberty.”&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;And he challenges us with the question, &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;“… can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the Gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with His wrath?&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Then he goes on to state the conclusion of the matter, &lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;God’s justice will not sleep forever. I cannot draw a direct correlation between one national sin and its particular consequence. That connection is made in the heavenlies beyond human perception. But I can tell you there is a correlation. Our God of mercy is also a God of justice, and his justice will not sleep forever.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We must be once again, one nation under God. Regardless of one’s religion or even one’s irreligion we must collectively acknowledge that God governs in the affairs of men and of nations, and we must once again strive to live a national life in accordance with God’s plan for his human creation as much as we can know and understand it.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We need leaders who will not be afraid to declare that we are one nation under God, and it is in God that we put our trust, not in human intellect or whim. Continue to take God and the Bible out of the national life of America, and you will continue to see national calamity. One doesn’t have to believe in gravity to fall off the end of a roof. One doesn’t have to believe in the laws of God to suffer the consequences of neglecting his rules for order.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Whether you believe in God or not, His laws of order, peace and prosperity will always prevail. Better to understand them and strive to live in a way that will bring the greatest blessing possible. &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;There’s always hope; we can change; yes we can. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-986079813883045891?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/986079813883045891/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=986079813883045891' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/986079813883045891'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/986079813883045891'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/06/california-and-nation.html' title='CALIFORNIA AND A NATION'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-3734163202413794689</id><published>2008-05-30T14:45:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-30T14:51:16.998-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Defense of Marriage'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Same-sex marriage'/><title type='text'>NY Governor Usurps Legislative Process</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The governor of New York has just issued a directive and a video web cast directing state agencies to recognize same-sex marriages solemnized in other states, and even other countries. By this action he shows his solidarity with the radical homosexual activists who are attempting to impose their morality on New Yorkers undermining the legislative process and violating the New York State Constitution that explicitly places the power of making laws in the hands of the legislature, not judges in Monroe County, California, Massachusetts or Canada! According to the&lt;i&gt; New York Times&lt;/i&gt;, New York will be the only state to recognize homosexual “marriages” where homosexual “marriage” is not legal. That doesn’t even make logical sense, but that is only a sample of the chaos that will be unleashed if sanity is not restored to government. Remember, that in 2006 the state’s highest court refused to recognize same-sex “marriage” and rightly said the issue should be decided by the legislature, but Governor Paterson is joining with forces that would subvert our democratic process to push their own agenda.&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;This must not stand.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We are calling on New Yorkers to write, call, email the governor’s office, as well as the offices of their state legislators, and let them know that for the sake of the next generation we will not surrender the institution of marriage to a special interest group bent on destroying those bedrock values and institutions that our parents passed on to us.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The actions of the Governor, and even the appeals court judge who chose to disregard New York’s highest court ruling must be rejected by New Yorkers of common sense.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Impeachment for these attempts to undermine our constitution should not be out of the question.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-3734163202413794689?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/3734163202413794689/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=3734163202413794689' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/3734163202413794689'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/3734163202413794689'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/05/ny-governor-usurps-legislative-process.html' title='NY Governor Usurps Legislative Process'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5290052624943303871.post-3857598391590759924</id><published>2008-05-18T08:16:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-05-18T08:55:13.646-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Gay Marriage'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Defense of Marriage'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Judicial Tyranny'/><title type='text'>CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT ON GAY MARRIAGE</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The four judges of California Supreme Court who decided to overrule the will of the people of California who have determined in a loud and clear voice that marriage will be only the union of a man and a woman demonstrate the new trend to usurp a government of the people by a government of the few liberals in power.&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;Despite their twisted appeals to the California Constitution they are in fact exchanging any fixed rule of law for popular passing whims of special interest groups.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;By their action they demonstrate an attempt to transform our democratic republic into an oligarchy, and this must not stand. We are calling on people of faith, as well as others of common sense to rise up and make their voices be heard. This is no time for a silent majority. The future of the next generation depends on the actions of those who know what is right, but who have been silent because, simply put, they have not been directly effected.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;The British statesman Edmund Burke admonished us, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Make no mistake about it; this move is driven by an evil force working to wreak havoc on the next generation that will succeed unless we take a stand against it.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We are calling on every individual to write to their state and their federal legislators to express righteous indignation at the attempt to redefine the institution of marriage, the bedrock foundation of any civilized society. Write and call and encourage others to do the same.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;God will not be mocked. Our founders taught us that since nations cannot be judged in the afterlife, they are judged in this life with national calamity and deprivation. The United States has been blessed above all other nations because we have been historically “One Nation &lt;i&gt;Under&lt;/i&gt; God.” If we, now throw off God’s authority for the twisted thinking of man we will see an end to “God’s grace shed on thee.” We will see an increase of national disasters, economic loss and social chaos. God will not be mocked. We cannot expect the ungodly to stand up for Godly principles, so it falls on people of faith of every denomination to call on our leaders to return to the principles that have preserved and prospered us as a nation, or we will begin to experience life without God’s grace and blessing –life under the curse.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Some will accuse me of using fear to advance an agenda. Let it be so, for fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is a healthy reverence for the eternal laws that God has set in order -for God’s agenda.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Some may claim these are the rants of a religious fanatic. Then one would have to label our founding fathers the same, for this was what they believed, and the principles upon which this nation –and our Constitution- were established.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;These are the people each one should call and write to:&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;Your State Assemblyman, State Senator, The Governor, your congressman, your U.S. Senator and the President of the United States as well as the candidates running for office, and then write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;We must do our part and raise a mighty voice or our children will pay the price for our complacency. Let’s do it now remembering the words of our Lord, &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” &lt;/i&gt;(Proverbs 14:34)&lt;i&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoHeader" style=""&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--&gt; &lt;!--[endif]--&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5290052624943303871-3857598391590759924?l=bill-banuchi.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/feeds/3857598391590759924/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5290052624943303871&amp;postID=3857598391590759924' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/3857598391590759924'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/5290052624943303871/posts/default/3857598391590759924'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://bill-banuchi.blogspot.com/2008/05/california-supreme-court-on-gay.html' title='CALIFORNIA SUPREME COURT ON GAY MARRIAGE'/><author><name>Rev. Bill Banuchi</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/13555819367135603755</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:extendedProperty xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' name='OpenSocialUserId' value='16636895830761657635'/></author><thr:total xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'>0</thr:total></entry></feed>