Rafael Cruz Inspires Eagle Forum

Phyllis Schlafly’s Eagle Forum conference at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa this weekend was not just informational, but inspirational, with an eclectic group of speakers. They spoke on subjects such as Liberty vs Socialism, Islam, the influence of Christianity on our founding, the evolution of Common Core, the dangers facing the American Church, integrity in the News and Entertainment industry, legislation robbing us of our freedom, and the imperative role of the church in changing America.

Andrew Lowe, an Irish immigrant, said he was a Center left European socialist when he came here. But witnessing how limited government allowed people to rise out of poverty, his heart turned to God and Liberty. He now mentors and educates others on the importance of limited government and protecting individual liberty.

Jamie Glazov, host of the Glazov Gang and author of “United in Hate Talk”, spoke about the influence of media on politics and policies. He spoke about how media supports immigrants speaking their native languages and not assimilating, creating a tower of Babel while at the same time, pushing us to all think alike. If we continue on this path we’ll all be wearing Maoist pajamas. He spoke about not being polite anymore. We need to fight fire with fire. He reminded us of Romney’s tepid reply after Obama “misspoke” about calling Benghazi a terrorist attack. Jamie said Romney should have turned to Obama and told him the blood of those men who died that night was on HIS hands.

One of the main speakers was Mary Byrne, an education expert. She spent half of her talk comparing scripture to our founding documents and quotes from our founders. She pointed out that our founders knew religious morality was necessary to maintain our Constitution and expected it to be taught to our children. Byrne reminded us that a Liberal Arts education was to cultivate a wise and virtuous people. Today a Liberal Arts degree equals a Servile Arts degree.

Byrne said the best way to control man was to obliterate his understanding of history. “No Child Left Behind” empathizes math and literature and minimizes history. The Mayflower Compact, which is the foundation of our Constitution, is no longer in the curriculum. Neither are individual achievements, only collective achievements.

Common Core designers were very clever. They copyrighted the curriculum which means not even a word can be changed without permission. There is no wiggle room for teachers to improvise or try other approaches. Social Studies now teaches about centralized ownership and social justice. It’s very anti-capitalist. It shifts loyalties from family to state.

Brad Dacus from the Pacific Justice Institute spoke about what his group is doing to fight legislation in California. He said the worst legislation was never legislated, Common Core. It was implemented without our knowledge or consent. He said the worst legislation that was passed by the legislature, was the law against homosexual counceling and unisex bathrooms. In a free country how is someone denied counceling, if they want it? His organization is suing on behalf of both issues. The unisex bathrooms issue is about it qualifying for the 2016 election. Groups collected nearly twice the signatures needed to put it on the ballot. The Registrar threw out more than half (something that isn’t statistically possible). If someone filled out the name and address for their spouse and then had him/her sign it, even if the signature matched their registration, they threw out not just your spouses signature, but yours too. He is hoping to get this resolved to get it on the ballot in 2016.

The legislature is now trying to pass an assisted suicide bill. Dacus said that is in violation of the Hippocratic Oath. It was the Hippocratic Oath, first do no harm, that was the beginning of the Western society. It was the first time people had been promised they would not be harmed. If doctors are going to break their oath, where does it end? Zeke Emanuel (Rahm’s brother) thinks 75 years is long enough for anyone to live.

Dacus spoke of the shift from parental rights. Schools need parental consent to give your child an aspirin, but they can take your child for an abortion and not inform you, let alone, get your consent. Dacus said it is the natural order for government to take power. We need to be involved to protect our values and rights.

The keynote speaker for the convention was a man, nearly as well known as his Presidential candidate son, Pastor Rafael Cruz, father of Ted Cruz. As Rafael commanded the stage, walking and talking, connecting to the audience, it wasn’t hard to see where Ted gets his passion. Rafael said secular humanism has infected too many churches. He said social justice sounds like a good thing, who wants social injustice? But social justice is collectivism that denies individual liberty. It has no place in the church.

Separation of church and state is not in the Constitution or Declaration of Independence. Our founders never intended to prevent the church from having influence over every aspect of life. In fact, it was the pastors running up to the American Revolution who preached about individual liberty. As the revolution was breaking out, Pastor Peter Muhlenberg’s text for the day was Ecclesiastics 3: “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven….”. He turned to his congregation and said, “there is a time to preach and a time to prey, but that time has passed away…….there is a time to fight and that time is now come”. With that he removed his black robe to reveal his military uniform. He asked who would join him and 300 men did.

Cruz said Congress printed the first Bible in America. It was the primary textbook in our schools. In 1962 the Supreme Court banned prayer from schools, the following year the Bible was banned from schools. The crime rate climbed, morality declined.

Cruz believes our churches must speak out and we must demand it. He said in 1973 when the Supreme Court passed Roe vs Wade, the churches were silent. He quoted Proverbs 17:15, “he who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord”. And Exodus 18:21, “Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them, as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens”.

Cruz also reminded us that many evangelical Christians don’t vote. Their pastors need to preach the importance of it. He said it’s the church’s fault if religious people don’t run for office or vote. And we need to encourage both.

Cruz spoke of Benjamin Franklin. During a difficult point in the Constitutional Convention, when no one was agreeing, he asked why they didn’t pray about it. He said if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without God’s notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? They prayed and fasted for three days and came together to agree on the Constitution.

Cruz said the wicked will legislate their immorality upon us. If we lack moral discrimination, pulpits are to blame. If we are losing interest in religion, pulpits are to blame. Preachers need to preach moral principals.

As I listened, I thought of the Catholic schoolteacher who was fired for posting her support for traditional marriage on her private Facebook page. Her church fired her. http://linkis.com/www.gopusa.com/fresh/k2eJc

During breaks between speakers, Pastor Cruz warmly and graciously greeted attendees, listened to them, comforted them and posed for pictures.

Phyllis Schafly, who is now 90, addressed the convention by video. Her daughter, Anne, represented her in person. She told us the best solution for income inequality is to get married and stay married. She said people, not government, make the difference. Apathy is defeat, energy is victory. We must be involved. We must each find where our talents are best used and concentrate on educating those you can.

Eagle Form’s motto is God, Family, Country. This event was a perfect reflection of their vision.