www.theocracywatch.org/texas_gop.htm
Dominionists believe the federal government should recede into the background. Then the Church would assume responsibliltly for welfare and education. Tax cuts, Faith-based initiatives and school vouchers are the cornerstone of Bush administration domestic policies and recommended in the Texas GOP Platform. These policies are putting the US on the path toward becoming what the Platform calls a "Christian" nation. Highlights Tax Cuts, p 17 - "The Party urges the IRS be abolished," and the following taxes eliminated: "income tax, inheritance tax, gift tax, capital gains, corporate income tax, payroll tax and property tax." Tax cuts are accompanied by Downsizing the Federal Government on p 19 - We support the abolition of ... the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, the position of Surgeon General, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce and Labor. We also call for the de-funding or abolition of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Public Broadcasting System. Deregulation - Adherents of Dominion Theology support deregulation of industry. They use terms such as "unfettered" or "unhampered" by regulation. The first three agencies listed in the above paragraph are all regulatory agencies. The Texas GOP Platform calls for business to be "unencumbered by excessive government regulation."
" The Platform goes on to say "or any other religious symbols." The words "any other" probably mean "any other Christian symbols," for the religious right does not accept religions that aren't monotheistic.
Family Research Council, the most powerful lobbying organization of the religious right, spoke strongly against religious pluralism when a Hindu priest offered an invocation for Congress. They wrote: "hile it is true that the United States of America was founded on the sacred principle of religious freedom for all, that liberty was never intended to exalt other religions to the level that Christianity holds in our country's heritage." "Our Founders expected that Christianity -- and no other religion -- would receive support from the government as long as that support did not violate peoples' consciences and their right to worship. They would have found utterly incredible the idea that all religions, including paganism, be treated with equal deference." The "wall" of separation between church and state would need to come down to establish Biblical Law. On p8, Free Exercise of Religion: "Our party pledges to exert its influence to ... dispel the "myth" of the separation of church and state."
The authors of this Platform want all Texas Republicans to demonstrate they agree with it. On p5, candidates are advised to read and sign off on the platform as a condition for receiving financial support from the Texas State Republican Party: Any candidate running as a Republican for any public office should be required to complete and return to the County Republican Party Platform questionnaire indicating whether the candidate agrees, disagrees or is undecided on each plank of the current platform. We strongly urge the Executive Campaign Committee to consider candidates' support of the Party platform when granting financial or other support.
A Bill Eases Vote Curb on Churches By David Kirkpatrick, June 8, 2004) p8: "We reclaim freedom of religious expression in public on government property, and freedom from governmental interference."
Until that time, "Faith-based Initiatives as proposed by President George W Bush and currently implemented, should continue to be funded by federal monies. These programs would be funded through tithing -- collecting 10% of church members' income -- and through community, and business contributions.
America's Providential History, a popular text book in Christian schools and the Christian homeschool movement, "Scripture makes it clear that God is the provider, not the state, and that needy individuals are to be cared for by private acts of charity."
p2 #17: "We reaffirm belief in the fundamental constitutional right of an individual to use property without governmental interference." p2 #10: "We oppose conservation easements on our natural resources administered by organizations unaccountable to tax payers and voters." p2 #7: "We believe that groundwater is an absolute, vested right of the landowner." P 2 #13: "We oppose passage of any international treaty that overrides United States sovereignty including the Kyoto agreement and Biodiversity Treaty." "We reject the establishment of any mechanism to process, license, record, register or monitor the ownership of guns." As the ban on assault weapons is due to expire in September, 2004, police departments all over the country are prodding Congress and the President to renew the ban. House Majority Tom DeLay has said that he wouldn't bring a bill to renew the ban to a vote in Congress, and the President is remaining silent on the subject.
New York Times, July 17, 2004) The Family (pp 9-12) p9:Child Abuse - "The Party recognises that the family is a sovereign sphere of authority over which the state has no right to intervene unless the parent or guardian has committed criminal abuse."
Unborn Victims of Violence Act p10: Celebrating Traditional Marriage calls for a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, and opposes the legalization of "sodomy" ie homosexuality. p11 - Right to Life includes suspending use of RU 486 and commends President Bush for "banning the government funding of human embryo stem cell harvesting." p15: "We call for the abolition of the US Department of Education and the prohibition of the transfer of any of its functions to any other federal agency." Jerry Falwell was just creating the Moral Majority, he envisioned the future of this country: "I hope to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we don't have public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them."
abstinence only sex education which is strongly supported by the Bush administration. p15:"The Party urges Congress to repeal government-sponsored programs that deal with early childhood development, and phase them out as soon as possible." P16: Multiculturism - "We favor strengthening our common American identity and loyalty over the ideology of multiculturism that emphasizes the differences between racial and ethnic groups."
intelligent design (a form of creationism) and teaching evolution as merely a theory rather than scientific fact. p17: prohibits reproductive health care services in high schools. The Economy (pp, 13, 17-19) Preamble, p1 - "We believe that the future of our country depends upon a strong and vibrant public sector unencumbered by excessive government regulation." p19: Privatize government services such as high-speed rail, sports stadiums, or space exploration. p19: Downsizing the Federal Government - "Abolish the Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms, the position of Surgeon General, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Departments of Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce and Labor. We also call for the de-funding or abolition of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Public Broadcasting System." President Bush's 2,000 page budget proposal could make the above recommendations a reality. The proposal, spelled out in three short sentences, would give the president the power to appoint an eight-member panel called the "Sunset Commission," which would systematically review federal programs every ten years and decide whether they should be eliminated.
The United Nations p26: "The Party believes it is in the best interest of the citizens of the United States that we immediately rescind our membership, as well as financial and military contributions to, the United Nations... The Party urges Congress to evict the United Nations from US soil." Does President Bush's recess appointment of John Bolton to the United Nations reflect this antagonism? In an interview with Juan Williams on National Public Radio in 2000: Bolton: "If I were redoing the Security Council today, I'd have one permanent member b...
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