Huckabee:'TAKE THIS NATION BACK FOR CHRIST'

[JMS]

It's an eye catcher... Oh My, just when Huckabee was doing so well in the polls... Not sure if this is goiing to help him with the undecideds..

http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/jonesboro/afhuckabee08.asp

Huckabee: U.S. gave up on religion

School shootings were wake-up call, he says

LINDA S. CAILLOUET

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

SALT LAKE CITY -- Government may have dropped the ball in modern American society, but religion dropped it first, Gov. Mike Huckabee told Southern Baptist pastors Sunday night.

"The reason we have so much government is because we have so much broken humanity," he said. "And the reason we have so much broken humanity is because sin reigns in the hearts and lives of human beings instead of the Savior."

Huckabee, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, addressed his contemporaries at the two-day Pastors' Conference, which continues today. The three-day Southern Baptist Convention begins Tuesday here in the heartland of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the city in which the Mormons have their world headquarters.

Huckabee told the pastors gathered in the Salt Palace Convention Center that while the March 1, 1997, tornadoes which struck Arkansas were tragic, at least the devastation could be clearly seen from a helicopter. In contrast, he said, the catalysts for the nation's recent school shootings -- including the one March 24 near Jonesboro that left four students and a teacher dead and 10 others wounded -- were harder to see but were driven by "the winds of spiritual change in a nation that has forgotten its God."

"Government knows it does not have the answer, but it's arrogant and acts as though it does," Huckabee said. "Church does have the answer but will cowardly deny that it does and wonder when the world will be changed."

The shootings were just one more wake-up call to the nation, he said.

"I fear we will turn and hit the snooze button one more time and lose this great republic of ours."

Huckabee said ungiving individuals are responsible for higher taxes.

"I'm often asked why taxes are so high and government is so big. It's because the faith we have in local churches has become so small. If we'd been doing what we should have -- giving a dime from every dollar to help the widows, the orphans and the poor -- we now wouldn't be giving nearly 50 cents of every dollar to a government that's doing ... what we should have been doing all along."

Huckabee also explained why he left pastoring for politics.

"I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives."

He compared his entry into politics to "getting inside the dragon's belly," adding, "There's not one thing we can do in those marbled halls and domed capitols that can equal what's done when Jesus touches the lives of a sinner."

The most basic unit of government is not the city council, quorum court or state legislature, Huckabee said. "It is Mom and Dad raising kids and teaching them respect for authority, others and God."

The nation has descended gradually into crisis, Huckabee said, and repairing the damage needs to be gradual, too. He said the solution is simple: faith in Christ.

Huckabee recalled the five occasions he's had to sit by the phone on the eve of an execution.

"It's the greatest sense of helplessness and despair you can imagine to know we've exhausted all help and hope here on earth for that person."

He also spoke of his early misconceptions of his duties as a pastor.

"In one of the first churches I was assigned to, I thought I was supposed to be the captain of a warship leading the congregation into a battle against spiritual darkness," he said.

"But they wanted the captain of the Love Boat. They just wanted everybody to be happy. It was not about how many people were won to Christ or how many teens were pulled away from drugs or how many marriages were saved. Instead, it was about the seniors having a great trip going to watch the fall leaves change, the teen-agers going to a better summer camp than the church across town."

Huckabee concluded his speech by recalling his 10th birthday, when he accepted Christ.

"I went to Vacation Bible School for all the wrong reasons -- I was told they'd give me all the cookies I could eat and all the Kool-Aid I could drink. But that day I got something better than cookies and Kool-Aid. I got the Savior.

"I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ."

Before Huckabee spoke, more than 350 copies of his new book, Kids Who Kill: Confronting our Culture of Violence, had been placed in reporters' press boxes in the convention center press room.

The slick cover of the book is a grim one -- a black-and-white, blurry photograph of a young boy pointing a gun at the reader. The most prominent part of the photograph is the round barrel of the gun. At the top of the book, this question is posed: "Are we reaping what we've sown?"

The book was co-written by Dr. George Grant, director of the King's Meadow Study Center and a contributor to World magazine.

The back cover states: "No more hand-wringing, no more finger-pointing. No more sound bites." It also makes a reference to the Jonesboro school shootings. Huckabee has recently been criticized by opponents claiming he has capitalized on the shootings with the publication of his book.

The back cover states: "Just after lunch on March 24, 1998, four school children and a teacher were murdered by two students, ages thirteen and eleven, at an Arkansas middle school. Governor Mike Huckabee was informed of the tragedy en route from Washington, D.C. By the time he arrived, the news media were already waiting -- already polling the pundits and drawing conclusions based on the sketchiest information. The quest for quick answers has robbed us of the truth. Until now."

The paperback is published by Broadman & Holman, a Nashville, Tenn., arm of the Baptist Sunday School Board. It retails for $11.99. Publicists for the book said last week they didn't expect it to arrive at the convention until today.

Huckabee and his wife, Janet, left Salt Lake City immediately after his speech, and the governor did not hold a book signing at the convention. In fact, Huckabee didn't know the books had made it to the convention, said editors of the biweekly Arkansas Baptist Newsmagazine who visited with the governor shortly before his speech.

Huckabee, governor since 1996, is a former president of the Arkansas Baptist Convention. He has authored one other book, Character is the Issue: How People with Integrity Can Revolutionize America, which was first publicly announced at the 1997 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas a year ago and released last September.

Other books given to reporters at the convention Sunday included a how-to boycott book aimed at the Walt Disney Co. by Richard D. Land titled Sending a Message to Mickey: The ABC's of Making Your Voice Heard at Disney. The back cover features an outline of the famous mouse's round ears and the words: "He who has ears, let him hear."

The other book was Mormonism Unmasked by R. Philip Roberts, who examines the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

[The_cavalierman]

"I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives."

Nothing scarier than another right wing nut job trying to WWJD himself into the presidency. This is not what Thomas Jefferson and others envisioned for this country.

Once the tough questions start coming in about his record and about his international affairs acumen this guy will fold like a cheap tent in a hurricane. Chuck Norris won't be able to save him either.

Huckabee is likely an honorable man, but after 8 years of Bush we need someone who is actually competent as president. Bush also claimed that God led his steps so I can't speak for anyone else but I am pretty fed up with the holy rollers at this point.

:2cents:

[Zguy28]

JMS, I don't see anything wrong with what he says. The church does need a wakeup call. They need to be doing what he says, taking care of the poor, orphans, widows. Instead we have thrown it on the governments shoulders as if it needed more things to deal with.

I don't think it will hurt him. Everybody already knows he was a preacher.

Nothing scarier than another right wing nut job trying to WWJD himself into the presidency. This is not what Thomas Jefferson and others envisioned for this country.

You knew Jefferson personally did you?

[JMS]

Huckabee is likely an honorable man, but after 8 years of Bush we need someone who is actually competent as president. Bush also claimed that God led his steps so I can't speak for anyone else but I am pretty fed up with the holy rollers at this point.

:2cents:

Maybe God is just a poor judge of presidencial timber, then again maybe God doesn't have anything to do with these guys ambitions.

[JMS]

I don't think it will hurt him. Everybody already knows he was a preacher.

It won't hurt him with the evangelicals and the born again crowd. But that's not where Huckabee needed help. There isn't really another candidate effectively competing with Huckabee for that crowd. I don't think that statement is an attractive statement with moderates, and moderates are where Huckabee had been making significant inroads.

I don't know if the Arkansas Democrat is doing a hatchet job on Huckabee in which case this will blow over, or if Huckabee's campagne just jumped the shark.

Bill Clinton used to have a philosophy. If you aren't pissing off the fringe of your own supporters, you weren't appealing to the middle. Clinton did that better than anybody. Looks like Huckabee is pursuing a different strategy. Bush's strategy of trying to energize to your base by getting out ahead of them on their own issues. It's a more polarizing strategy, which I don't think is a winning strategy in 2008.

Not that I know anything about political strategy.

[Zguy28]

It won't hurt him with the evangelicals and the born again crowd. But that's not where Huckabee needed help. There isn't really another candidate effectively competing with Huckabee for that crowd. I don't think that statement is an attractive statement with moderates, and moderates are where Huckabee had been making significant inroads.

I don't know if the Arkansas Democrat is doing a hatchet job on Huckabee in which case this will blow over, or if Huckabee's campagne just jumped the shark.

Bill Clinton used to have a philosophy. If you aren't pissing off the fringe of your own supporters, you weren't appealing to the middle. Clinton did that better than anybody. Looks like Huckabee is pursuing a different strategy. Bush's strategy of trying to energize to your base by getting out ahead of them on their own issues. It's a more polarizing strategy, which I don't think is a winning strategy in 2008.

Not that I know anything about political strategy.

Perhaps he's been presented with a dilemma? Choose between upholding his evangelical Christian principles or compromise them to gain votes.

[footballhenry]

and what would the collective think if a Muslim politician began to espouse 'We need Muhammad in our lives' on the campaign trail?

[Zguy28]

and what would the collective think if a Muslim politician began to espouse 'We need Muhammad in our lives' on the campaign trail?

I wouldn't have a problem with it.

I think perhaps people are thinking that Huckabee is endorsing state religion. He's not. He's speaking to evangelicals about doing what the church is called to do. He's speaking to Christians about influencing people for Christ through our everyday actions, not legislation.

[JMS]

Perhaps he's been presented with a dilemma? Choose between upholding his evangelical Christian principles or compromise them to gain votes.

Now I think that would be a legitamate strategy then. But that's not how I read this. I think Romney with his religious speach last week is on the ropes with Evangelicals. I don't think Evangelicals have anywere else to go in the Republican party other than Huckabee. Pandering to those who's vote you have locked up, while hurting yourself with the middle isn't a winning strategy. Frankly I thought Huckabee was smarter than this.

In General, God is a poor political platform. Cause politics requires compromise. Compromise inside of your party, and compromise with those outside of your party. If you're campaigning as God's candidate compromise is a hard thing to do in their eyes of your followers.

I was pretty impressed with Huckabee when I saw the last Republican debate. He was working hard to broaden his suport at that time it seemed to me. Also the Other Republicans were seeking to damage him because of his sucess. To me if Huckabee was taken in context here, and if this is a recent interview, Huckabee might have just defined himself and seriously harmed his ability to broaden his appeal.

[The_cavalierman]

JMS, I don't see anything wrong with what he says. The church does need a wakeup call. They need to be doing what he says, taking care of the poor, orphans, widows. Instead we have thrown it on the governments shoulders as if it needed more things to deal with.

I don't think it will hurt him. Everybody already knows he was a preacher.

You knew Jefferson personally did you?

Of course I did...Thomas Jefferson and I used to hang out at church together and pontificate on what the country would be like as a theocracy. :laugh:

[The_cavalierman]

Maybe God is just a poor judge of presidencial timber, then again maybe God doesn't have anything to do with these guys ambitions.

I tend to agree that a God doesn't give a crap about governments and politics...

A God could have anyone or anything deliever his/her/it's message to the people if it were that important.

That is why I have a hard time stomaching these preachers turned politicians. If God wanted them to make a difference they could do it as ministers, carpenters or fishermen etc.

According to the bible God's son was a carpenter...so that kinda proves you don't need to be POTUS to make a difference in the world. I think being president is something Mike Huckabee wants and not God.

:2cents:

[The_cavalierman]

and what would the collective think if a Muslim politician began to espouse 'We need Muhammad in our lives' on the campaign trail?

I cannot speak for anyone else but I would think of him/her as another holy roller that the country can do without.

We need a competent POTUS....and religion has very little if not nothing to do with that IMO. What would Jesus do or chuck Norris is not going to solve the problems/challenges facing our country today. A competent president might at least get us on the right track.

I did not vote for Bush (41) but I could sleep easy at night because I knew he was a competent president that would not do anything DUMB.

Let's just say the apple fell a light year from the tree....with Bush (43)

[JosephGibbs]

It is ironic that six months to a year ago, people were saying that the Republican candidate was going to have to be a moderate or maybe even more of liberal on issues (Rudy) because of GWB. It seems both GWB and huckabee are lockstep on their spiritual and religious beliefs, so it is surprising that Huckabee is getting such good ratings. He will have to do more than just thump his religious stances though. And I agree JMS, I think he will have to appeal more to moderates, but not at compromising his character and stands.

[JosephGibbs]

and what would the collective think if a Muslim politician began to espouse 'We need Muhammad in our lives' on the campaign trail?

Maybe if the politician was in an Arab country, but when 80% of this country professes the Christian faith, you cant expect a politician to say that and have no repercussions. That being said some people forget that they are not voting for a preacher, but a government representative.

[gbear]

I read this as potential republican Jimmy Carter. He's likable. He comes across as earnest, but heck if I want him as president.

[LilSkinnette]

and what would the collective think if a Muslim politician began to espouse 'We need Muhammad in our lives' on the campaign trail?

I agree. I can't begin to imagine all the various religions out there that feel excluded from statements such as Huck's. Not to mention all the Agnostics and Athiests in this country.

[McMetal]

Cue Martin Short in "Dead Zone":

"The missiles are flying, gentlemen...hallelujah."

Yeah, religious zealotry and government is a great mix...how's that working out for us in the Middle East?

Are people just getting stupider?

[DGreenistheBest]

Are people just getting stupider?

Yes. Hadn't you noticed before?

[rincewind]

Not to mention all the Agnostics and Athiests in this country.

Hell yeah - take this nation back for nobody!!! Or maybe for somebody, maybe not!

[chiefhogskin48]

Yeah, Huck, that's just what we need :doh:

[The_cavalierman]

It is ironic that six months to a year ago, people were saying that the Republican candidate was going to have to be a moderate or maybe even more of liberal on issues (Rudy) because of GWB. It seems both GWB and huckabee are lockstep on their spiritual and religious beliefs, so it is surprising that Huckabee is getting such good ratings. He will have to do more than just thump his religious stances though. And I agree JMS, I think he will have to appeal more to moderates, but not at compromising his character and stands.

It's called a honeymoon period...

The same thing Rudy went through before they started slapping him about the head and neck with his record and less than stellar ethics.

[youngestson]

Sadly most people will never actually read this or really listen to anything he (or any other candadate) says outside of 3 second sound clips.

Most people will look at him, hear how charming he is, and how he will make it magically possible to pay no taxes and vote for him. THEN when he is in office they will be shocked, SHOCKED that he is a right-wing loony with delusions that god is speaking directly to him. They will learn nothing from the last 8 years.

It's depressing really.

[techboy]

It's funny. I see a Christian exorting other Christians to stop slacking in their private responsibilities and step up to the plate so government doesn't have to. I don't see anything in there about demanding things from the government or even non-Christians.

In other words, I see an exortation to keep the role of the Church out of the government's hands. Classic seperation of Church and State.

On the other hand, many seem to see this as Huckabee trying to bring the Church into the government.

I think they misunderstood him, but of course the problem for Huckabee is that if enough people read him that way, it doesn't really matter what he actually meant, and this may well hurt him badly with undecideds and moderates.

[DGreenistheBest]

Hell yeah - take this nation back for nobody!!! Or maybe for somebody, maybe not!

I thought taking the nation back for the good of the American people would have been sufficient.

[NoCalMike]

Someone should ask Huckabee about GWB stating that "Jesus told him to go to war with Iraq" or whatever the exact quote was. Ask Huckabee if God speaks to him in such ways and whether or not Jesus reads CIA Intelligence reports.

I wouldn't vote for Huckabee, but I do believe the guy is honestly a man of god, and I wonder what his opinion is in regards to politicians telling the public that god directly spoke to them about certain policies, especially foreign policies.