Can Constitutionalists Ever Come Together?
by Chuck Baldwin
May 23, 2006

Back in 2004, I gave up hope that the Republican Party would ever again honestly promote a truly conservative, constitutionalist agenda in Washington, D.C. Since then, the GOP has not failed my expectations. It has nose-dived into a big government, big- spending, socialist, Big Brother, pro-illegal invasion party that no true conservative could remotely support!
As a result, I switched my party registration to the Constitution Party. The CP has a platform with which I enthusiastically agree! (See their party platform at http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php) The CP also traditionally enjoys ballot access in over 40 states, which makes it a very viable third party. In fact, in raw numbers, the CP is the third largest party behind only the two major parties.

However, it seems very clear to me that if conservative constitutionalists ever hope to regain national influence, it will take a combined effort. Currently, constitutionalists are fragmented and splintered to such a degree that, for all practical purposes, they are entirely ineffective. Moreover, they will continue to be ineffective unless they learn how to work together for a common cause.

"What is the cause?" you ask. The cause should be the restoration of our constitutional form of government. As far as governing principles are concerned, the U.S. Constitution is the greatest source of protection against the Machiavellian propensities of power-hungry men that the world has ever known! If America had not had the Constitution, we would have already become a third rate nation. It is the Constitution which has preserved whatever semblance of freedom and federalism that remains.

Without the Constitution (together with the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights), we would have little appreciation for religious liberty, the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, personal privacy, the right to trial by jury, or the right to keep and bear arms. America was founded upon the principles contained in the Constitution, not upon this mythical "two party system" we hear so much talk about today!

In fact, it has been the "two party" system that is largely responsible for much of America's woes. The two major parties abandoned the Constitution years ago! The only thing either party is interested in is power! They could not care less whether or not America's founding principles are preserved! Instead, over the past several decades, both parties have systematically and callously dismantled constitutional government with impunity!

If personal liberty is to prevail, if any of our historic American liberties are to last much beyond this generation, it will only be because those constitutionalists who are left are able to put aside individual differences and work together (as did our Founding Fathers) for the restoration of our constitutional republic!

We need a combined effort, a determined effort, a focused effort, and an indefatigable effort to do one thing: restore constitutional government to our land!

Constitutional government would rein in the abortion problem, the gay marriage problem, the illegal invasion problem, the federal spending problem, the American imperialism problem, the high taxation problem, the anti-religious freedom problem, the runaway judiciary problem, and most other national maladies.

Constitutional government would restore power to the individual States and liberty to individual citizens. It would stop this burgeoning Big Brother executive branch of government dead in its tracks, and it would put the House of Representatives back in charge of the country again, as the founders intended!

Constitutional government would break up the elitist makeup of the U.S. Senate and allow individual States to be truly represented in Washington, D.C. It would also permanently dismantle the Internal Revenue Service.

The 64 million dollar question is, "Can such an effort take place?" I believe the answer to that question is still in doubt.

There is still a sizeable number of Americans who truly understand this problem, including politicos, military men, educators, ministers, lawmen, engineers and scientists. However, we are sliced and diced all over the place!

Some are foolishly (and futilely) trying to "save" the GOP. Some are trying to do the same thing with the Donkeys. Some have divided themselves up into several minor parties, including the aforementioned Constitution Party, the Libertarian Party, or the Reform Party. Some are registered simply as Independents or as something else.

Furthermore, a majority of these "independents" would probably agree on the basic premise that the two major parties are thoroughly corrupt, totally dominated by big money interests, and wholly given to globalism. They would also likely agree that the restoration of the U.S. Constitution is primary to our nation's survival. In addition, people registered as independents (in their various consortiums) outnumber both Democrats and Republicans!

Again, the question is, can conservative constitutionalists put aside individual differences and reach a working consensus that would allow them to combine their energies and resources for the accomplishment of the goal of restoring constitutional government? I truly do not know the answer to that question. However, one thing I do know: if constitutional government is not restored soon, America is toast!

© Chuck Baldwin

Religious Right Needs To Defend All Saints Episcopal
by Chuck Baldwin
September 19, 2006






The Los Angeles Times recently reported that "the Internal Revenue Service ordered a liberal Pasadena parish to turn over all the documents and e-mails it produced during the 2004 election year with references to political candidates.

"All Saints Episcopal Church and its rector, the Rev. Ed Bacon, have until Sept. 29 to present the sermons, newsletters and electronic communications.

"The IRS investigation was triggered by an antiwar sermon delivered by its former rector, the Rev. George F. Regas, at the church two days before the 2004 presidential election. The summons even requests utility bills to establish costs associated with hosting Regas' speech. Bacon was ordered to testify before IRS officials Oct. 11."

That Rev. Regas and All Saints Episcopal represent a liberal point of view must not cloud the fact that what is at stake here is religious liberty. From the very beginning of our constitutional republic, America's pastors and ministers have courageously engaged the culture. We must not allow the IRS, or any other government agency, to now trample this heritage.

Can one imagine the potential outcome for religious freedom should the IRS be allowed to stifle religious dissent? Think of the voter registration drives, the get-out-the-vote campaigns, and public forums that take place in America's churches.

Beyond that, there is not a local, state, or federal election that takes place that ministers of every stripe and color do not boldly express their convictions and provide spiritual consideration on salient issues that will be directly affected by those elections. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, liberal, conservative, moderate, Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish: they all freely voice their concerns. I say, more power to them!

Yet, there is an even bigger issue here. Not only do ministers have a fundamental right under our Constitution to speak freely regarding their agreements or disagreements with "the powers that be," they also have a moral and Biblical mandate to do so.

I'm sure the IRS would accuse John the Baptist of "getting into politics" when he denounced King Herod's adultery. However, not only did John keep preaching, but the Lord Jesus commended John, saying there was none greater than he ever born.

The truth is, it is virtually impossible for a minister to faithfully preach the Scriptures without dealing with current events, including those that bleed over into politics. For example, the Bible condemned abortion a long time before it became a football in American politics. Therefore, to be faithful to Scripture, preachers must deal with the abortion issue.

What about homosexuality, adultery, greed, falsehood, thievery, etc.? When those issues become political or impact political candidates and office holders, must preachers remove themselves from the debate? Perish the thought.

Preachers form America's collective conscience and provide a collective moral authority for those in and out of politics. To demand that preachers be silent on political issues would be to throw America into a moral and spiritual vacuum from which there would be no return.

However, under President George W. Bush, the IRS has become extremely aggressive in using acts of intimidation against churches and other organizations. During the past two years alone, using its new enforcement program, the Political Activity Compliance Initiative, the IRS has investigated more than 200 organizations nationwide, including 40 churches.

The IRS attack against All Saints Episcopal has occurred even though Rev. Regas' sermon "did not endorse or oppose any of the candidates, [but] addressed the moral and religious implications of various social issues facing the nation at the time." Good grief! There is hardly a pastor in the country that has not done the same thing. Will all of us pastors and our churches be the next targets of the IRS?

I doubt that I have much in common with the Rev. Bob Edgar, an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church and general secretary of the National Council of Churches USA, but I whole-heartedly agree with him when he said, "I'm outraged. Preachers ought to have the liberty to speak truth to power." Amen!

If this were the Clinton administration's IRS threatening a conservative evangelical church, the Religious Right would be screaming to the heavens. Yet, the Religious Right needs to look beyond the liberalism of the Rev. Regas and All Saints Episcopal and come quickly and vehemently to their defense, realizing that religious liberty either applies to us all or it applies to none of us at all. As someone once said so well, "I may not agree with what you say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it."

The American political system is not threatened by Rev. Regas, but religious liberty is most assuredly being threatened by the Internal Revenue Service. The Religious Right, especially, needs to realize that fact.