Tuesday, October 22, 2013
GINA MILLER: COMMON CORE COMMUNIST TO THE CORE
We are reprinting for educational and informational purposes the entire article of Gina Miller, unedited from http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/miller/131021 below:
October 21, 2013
By Gina Miller
Let's just jump right in here to the crux of the Common Core "State" Standards with an excerpt from the paper, "History of Education in Communist Countries," by Hae Yoon Jeong, 2009, Korean Minjok Leadership Academy:
The communist revolutions in the 20th century had their goal at creating total revolutions and establishing a new society different from the capitalist society. This new society required people with new loyalties, new motivations, and new concepts of individual and group life. Education was acknowledged to have a strategic role in achieving this revolution and development. Specifically, education was used to produce ardent revolutionaries ready to rebel against the old society and establish a new order and also to bring up a new generation of dexterous laborers to take up the various tasks of development and modernization.
... Marxist-Leninist philosophy was the basis of the Communist education system. It emphasized the role of schools and youth organizations in educating students by indoctrination. For this the Communist societies paid a lot of attention to schooling. There had been great confidence that schools would be a major instrument for building the "New Communist Man." Such a person would work diligently, would have a clear insight into the dynamics of social change, would understand and be skilled in modern technology, and follow the tenets of Marxism-Leninism.
According to Communist educational philosophy, a good, modern education is one that is polytechnic. Central to such an education is teaching about production and providing labor training and work experience to youngsters while they are in secondary and higher education. Marxist interpretations of the duty of the school include the job of teaching young people the leading role of material conditions of production in shaping social and political events(2). Young people should be given an understanding and some experience of the way production processes are organized; the social consequences of different ways of organizing production; and the importance of technological change.
Marxism-Leninism also stresses atheist education and anti-religious propaganda in the schools. The main approach taken is to emphasize the superior quality of the answers which science, as opposed to religion, can give to the basic questions of human existence.
All authoritarian regimes must necessarily commandeer their country's education system. They must own and mold the minds of the children to make the kids into pliable, group-thinking serfs of the state – "good citizens." Freedom of thought and wealth of real knowledge are anathema to communist leaders.
For those who are paying attention, it is quite clear that the United States of America has been taken over by hardcore communists, which is the culmination of a hundred years of communist termites chewing away at the foundations of our once-free Republic. Naturally, they don't call themselves communists, but they are doing the very things communists do. I need not give you, educated reader, the laundry list of anti-freedom, anti-American lawlessness that has poured forth from Barack Obama (or whatever his name is), his administration and Congress, all of which has dragged America toward tyrannical, centralized control of our nation, which is the definition of communism.
Centralized control of America's education system is of paramount importance to these lawless degenerates. The problem they face here in the United States is that our nation, from its founding, has forbidden the federal government from dictating education standards and curriculum to the states. The communist central planners have found a way around this. It's called theCommon Core "State" Standards. As with all communist programs, the name is misleading. In fact, it's a damnable lie. The Common Core is not a set of state-created standards. To the contrary, they were developed by a leftist, Washington-based think tank, Achieve, endorsed by two Washington-based trade groups, and funded, in part, with millions of dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others, like the Sandler Foundation (of Herb and Marion Sandler, hard Left allies of George Soros, ACORN, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for American Progress, MoveOn.org, and of course, so many more).
Pushers of the Common Core have been very careful to create the illusion that this is a state-led effort. To this end, they partnered with Washington's National Governors Association (which does not represent all the states) and Washington's Council of Chief State School Officers. Neither of these groups was tasked by any state or state board of education to create the new standards. In fact, state legislators, teachers and parents were left out of their development.
Common Core proponents also claim that the standards are voluntary, which is also misleading. In 2009, the Obama administration created a funding carrot for the states, Race to the Top grants, as well as waivers for provisions of No Child Left Behind. States could applies for these, but in order to qualify for the grants and waivers, states were required to adopt the Common Core standards and related national tests, sight unseen, because the standards were not even presented until 2010. Currently 45 states and the District of Columbia have taken the bribes and adopted Common Core, but a number of them are now working to get rid of it.
At present, the standards, which you can read online, only cover math and English language "arts." Naturally, the communists were not going to go overboard by initially including history, science and social studies in their standards, subjects that would reveal the leftist ideological agenda behind the standards. But science standards are on the way, and the rest will follow (as will nationalized curriculum based on the Common Core).
From a Concerned Women for America pamphlet:
Proponents claim that the Common Core standards are "rigorous," "evidenced-based," and will make students "college-ready." (8) However, curriculum experts believe the Common Core standards are below average and only prepare students for a community college rather than a four-year university. (9)
Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Professor Emerita at the University of Arkansas served on the Common Core Validation Committee and refused to sign off on the English language arts standards. She cited poor quality, empty skill sets, the de-emphasis on literature and low reading levels. She is concerned that the reading level that will assume students "college ready" will be seventh grade level. (10)
Equally disturbing is the prominence of nonfiction "informational texts" such as technical manuals, government documents, brochures and menus rather than highly regarded classic literature.
Dr. James Milgram of Stanford University, the only mathematician on the Common Core Validation Committee, refused to sign off on the math standards. Dr. Milgram maintains that the math standards will, by eighth grade, leave American students two years behind their peers in high performing countries. (11) [Endnotes available at source link]
But the quality of the standards is not really the point, is it? No. This is about central command and control of our nation's education system, about ripping the authority from states, local communities and most importantly parents, none of whom have any say whatsoever in what the standards entail, nor can they change them at all.
It is also about tracking and data-mining our kids from cradle to career to grave (Obamacare tracking also covers cradle to kindergarten and beyond, of course). Oh, yes! Tied to the adoption of the standards, states are required – in violation of privacy laws – to collect information on all students – detailed, invasive information – to be shared with the federal government and other "interested" third parties.
From the Concerned Women pamphlet:
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a June 8, 2009, speech, "Hopefully, someday, we can track children from preschool to high school and from high school to college and college to career." (5) This should send a chill down the spine of every parent.
States that chose to take federal money via the 2009 Stimulus bill had to agree to build expensive high-tech systems to track student performance and other personal data.
Further, in January 2012, the United States Department of Education, without Congressional approval, changed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to allow the transmission of students' personally identifiable information "to any governmental or private entity designated by the Department and others as an 'authorized representative,' for the purpose of evaluating an education program." (6)
This National Education Data Model recommends collecting data such as academic performance, disciplinary history, family income, religious affiliation, health history, etc. – over 400 data points in all (7) – without parental consent!
There is much more that can be said about the Common Core, like the ghastly price tag of it, which we can only guess at this point – a massively high price that will be borne by the states. There is also a whole book that could be written on the leftist revolutionaries who are behind the creation of the Common Core, and the billions, even trillions, of dollars that companies stand to make off of it – companies involved in its funding and development and the public relations push for it.
I have only touched on the surface of the communist education endgame of Common Core. Thankfully, millions of Americans are learning about this poison pill and are fighting back against it. It is essential that we learn all we can about the Common Core and that we tell our friends and family and let our state representatives and governors know that we want no part of this illegal federal takeover of our children's education.
You will find a wealth of informational resources on the Internet to help you understand and combat the Common Core. I also highly recommend anexcellent video series by Jane Robbins of the American Principles Project. The video is in five short parts that will give you a clear overview of the treacherous Common Core. Learn it, and fight it.
© Gina Miller
Gina Miller
Gina Miller, a native of Texas and current resident of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, is a conservative Christian political writer and radio/television voice professional. Contact her through Facebook.
October 21, 2013
Common Core would make any communist regime proud
By Gina Miller
Let's just jump right in here to the crux of the Common Core "State" Standards with an excerpt from the paper, "History of Education in Communist Countries," by Hae Yoon Jeong, 2009, Korean Minjok Leadership Academy:
The communist revolutions in the 20th century had their goal at creating total revolutions and establishing a new society different from the capitalist society. This new society required people with new loyalties, new motivations, and new concepts of individual and group life. Education was acknowledged to have a strategic role in achieving this revolution and development. Specifically, education was used to produce ardent revolutionaries ready to rebel against the old society and establish a new order and also to bring up a new generation of dexterous laborers to take up the various tasks of development and modernization.
... Marxist-Leninist philosophy was the basis of the Communist education system. It emphasized the role of schools and youth organizations in educating students by indoctrination. For this the Communist societies paid a lot of attention to schooling. There had been great confidence that schools would be a major instrument for building the "New Communist Man." Such a person would work diligently, would have a clear insight into the dynamics of social change, would understand and be skilled in modern technology, and follow the tenets of Marxism-Leninism.
According to Communist educational philosophy, a good, modern education is one that is polytechnic. Central to such an education is teaching about production and providing labor training and work experience to youngsters while they are in secondary and higher education. Marxist interpretations of the duty of the school include the job of teaching young people the leading role of material conditions of production in shaping social and political events(2). Young people should be given an understanding and some experience of the way production processes are organized; the social consequences of different ways of organizing production; and the importance of technological change.
Marxism-Leninism also stresses atheist education and anti-religious propaganda in the schools. The main approach taken is to emphasize the superior quality of the answers which science, as opposed to religion, can give to the basic questions of human existence.
All authoritarian regimes must necessarily commandeer their country's education system. They must own and mold the minds of the children to make the kids into pliable, group-thinking serfs of the state – "good citizens." Freedom of thought and wealth of real knowledge are anathema to communist leaders.
For those who are paying attention, it is quite clear that the United States of America has been taken over by hardcore communists, which is the culmination of a hundred years of communist termites chewing away at the foundations of our once-free Republic. Naturally, they don't call themselves communists, but they are doing the very things communists do. I need not give you, educated reader, the laundry list of anti-freedom, anti-American lawlessness that has poured forth from Barack Obama (or whatever his name is), his administration and Congress, all of which has dragged America toward tyrannical, centralized control of our nation, which is the definition of communism.
Centralized control of America's education system is of paramount importance to these lawless degenerates. The problem they face here in the United States is that our nation, from its founding, has forbidden the federal government from dictating education standards and curriculum to the states. The communist central planners have found a way around this. It's called theCommon Core "State" Standards. As with all communist programs, the name is misleading. In fact, it's a damnable lie. The Common Core is not a set of state-created standards. To the contrary, they were developed by a leftist, Washington-based think tank, Achieve, endorsed by two Washington-based trade groups, and funded, in part, with millions of dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others, like the Sandler Foundation (of Herb and Marion Sandler, hard Left allies of George Soros, ACORN, the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for American Progress, MoveOn.org, and of course, so many more).
Pushers of the Common Core have been very careful to create the illusion that this is a state-led effort. To this end, they partnered with Washington's National Governors Association (which does not represent all the states) and Washington's Council of Chief State School Officers. Neither of these groups was tasked by any state or state board of education to create the new standards. In fact, state legislators, teachers and parents were left out of their development.
Common Core proponents also claim that the standards are voluntary, which is also misleading. In 2009, the Obama administration created a funding carrot for the states, Race to the Top grants, as well as waivers for provisions of No Child Left Behind. States could applies for these, but in order to qualify for the grants and waivers, states were required to adopt the Common Core standards and related national tests, sight unseen, because the standards were not even presented until 2010. Currently 45 states and the District of Columbia have taken the bribes and adopted Common Core, but a number of them are now working to get rid of it.
At present, the standards, which you can read online, only cover math and English language "arts." Naturally, the communists were not going to go overboard by initially including history, science and social studies in their standards, subjects that would reveal the leftist ideological agenda behind the standards. But science standards are on the way, and the rest will follow (as will nationalized curriculum based on the Common Core).
From a Concerned Women for America pamphlet:
Proponents claim that the Common Core standards are "rigorous," "evidenced-based," and will make students "college-ready." (8) However, curriculum experts believe the Common Core standards are below average and only prepare students for a community college rather than a four-year university. (9)
Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Professor Emerita at the University of Arkansas served on the Common Core Validation Committee and refused to sign off on the English language arts standards. She cited poor quality, empty skill sets, the de-emphasis on literature and low reading levels. She is concerned that the reading level that will assume students "college ready" will be seventh grade level. (10)
Equally disturbing is the prominence of nonfiction "informational texts" such as technical manuals, government documents, brochures and menus rather than highly regarded classic literature.
Dr. James Milgram of Stanford University, the only mathematician on the Common Core Validation Committee, refused to sign off on the math standards. Dr. Milgram maintains that the math standards will, by eighth grade, leave American students two years behind their peers in high performing countries. (11) [Endnotes available at source link]
But the quality of the standards is not really the point, is it? No. This is about central command and control of our nation's education system, about ripping the authority from states, local communities and most importantly parents, none of whom have any say whatsoever in what the standards entail, nor can they change them at all.
It is also about tracking and data-mining our kids from cradle to career to grave (Obamacare tracking also covers cradle to kindergarten and beyond, of course). Oh, yes! Tied to the adoption of the standards, states are required – in violation of privacy laws – to collect information on all students – detailed, invasive information – to be shared with the federal government and other "interested" third parties.
From the Concerned Women pamphlet:
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a June 8, 2009, speech, "Hopefully, someday, we can track children from preschool to high school and from high school to college and college to career." (5) This should send a chill down the spine of every parent.
States that chose to take federal money via the 2009 Stimulus bill had to agree to build expensive high-tech systems to track student performance and other personal data.
Further, in January 2012, the United States Department of Education, without Congressional approval, changed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act to allow the transmission of students' personally identifiable information "to any governmental or private entity designated by the Department and others as an 'authorized representative,' for the purpose of evaluating an education program." (6)
This National Education Data Model recommends collecting data such as academic performance, disciplinary history, family income, religious affiliation, health history, etc. – over 400 data points in all (7) – without parental consent!
There is much more that can be said about the Common Core, like the ghastly price tag of it, which we can only guess at this point – a massively high price that will be borne by the states. There is also a whole book that could be written on the leftist revolutionaries who are behind the creation of the Common Core, and the billions, even trillions, of dollars that companies stand to make off of it – companies involved in its funding and development and the public relations push for it.
I have only touched on the surface of the communist education endgame of Common Core. Thankfully, millions of Americans are learning about this poison pill and are fighting back against it. It is essential that we learn all we can about the Common Core and that we tell our friends and family and let our state representatives and governors know that we want no part of this illegal federal takeover of our children's education.
You will find a wealth of informational resources on the Internet to help you understand and combat the Common Core. I also highly recommend anexcellent video series by Jane Robbins of the American Principles Project. The video is in five short parts that will give you a clear overview of the treacherous Common Core. Learn it, and fight it.
© Gina Miller
Monday, October 21, 2013
RICK WARREN'S NEW BOOK "THE DANIEL PLAN" TO BE RELEASED DECEMBER
Lighthouse Trails Research reviews Rick Warren's New Age plan:
See: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20131021.htm:
See: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20131021.htm:
Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan Accelerates – Tells Followers to Practice
4-7-8 Hinduistic Meditation
|
“Many people have unwittingly become New Agers by simply seeking to improve theirphysical and mental health through meditation.” - Ray Yungen Two and a half years ago, Lighthouse Trails first reported on Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan health program. That initial article titled “Rick Warren’s New Health and Wellness Initiative Could Have Profound Repercussions on Many,” said that Rick Warren was launching a “Decade of Destiny,” that would include focusing on health issues. Our article pointed out that the three doctors, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mark Hyman, whom Rick Warren had partnered with to help develop the Daniel Plan, were all strong advocates of eastern meditation and the philosophies that go with that. Consider the following three statements, one for each of the Daniel Plan doctors: 1. Dr. Amen is a proponent of tantric sex (the combining of sexual activity withmystical practices), which is probably the most extreme form of meditation. 2. In Dr. Hymen’s book, The Ultramind Solution, Hyman emphasizes meditation,saying that it doesn’t matter what religion one has to benefit from it (p. 322). Dr. Hyman suggests that “Mindful meditation is a powerful well-researched tool, developed by Buddhists” (p. 384). 3. In January 2010, Dr. Oz brought a Reiki master onto his show to demonstrateReiki and then ended the show saying, “try Reiki” as the #1 “Oz’s Order.” It would make sense that Dr. Oz would tell his viewers to try Reiki – his wife is a Reiki practitioner. If one needs more evidence to understand what these three doctors believe in and teach, see the article links below under Related Material. After seeing the evidence, there can really be no doubt that Dr. Hymen, Dr. Amen, and Dr. Oz each have a strongly devoted affinity to the practice of entering altered states of consciousness through meditation in order to attain to what is known as the “higher self” (i.e., the divinity within every person). So a fair question to ask is just how much of this New Age spirituality has rubbed off onto Rick Warren and the Daniel Plan? Well, we think quite a bit has. We would like to offer a convincing example. On September 26th, on the Daniel Plan website (owned and operated by Saddleback Church), an article titled “How to Manage Your Stress in 76 Seconds”was posted. The information below should be read and watched with discernment and in no wise is an endorsement from Lighthouse Trails. On the contrary, the practice we refer to below, if practiced, could potentially lead to dangerous Kundalini experiences. But we find it necessary to post this information because this is the direction that much of the church is heading right now. Our urgency to warn outweighs our hesitation to post this. People’s lives and souls are at stake. The Saddleback article on September 26th is written by Dr. Joel Kahn, who tells readers to practice a technique called the 4-7-8 relaxation breathing sequence. First giving the usual instruction for meditation to sit up straight, Kahn then proceeds to give the steps for this breathing exercise with a sequence of breath in for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. The rest of Kahn’s article tells readers of the benefits of doing this relaxation exercise. But let’s take a look at a video by another advocate of the exact same method – the 4-7-8 sequence – that gives more detail and explanation. As we stated a minute ago, because this is the direction the church at large is heading through the contemplative prayer (i.e., spiritual formation) movement (and the Daniel Plan movement), we are compelled to show this with the hope it will unveil the true nature of this and other forms of meditation. 
A photo from Dr. Joel Kahn’s website
proponent. He received his medical degree from Harvard University and is the Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine, University of Arizona. Dr. Weil is not a fringe personality. (If you cannot see this video below, click here. Our report continues below this video with some vital information. breathing techniques (including those used in Yoga) come from India (i.e., Hinduism). Lighthouse Trails has been trying to tell Christian leaders that for 11 years now! And contemplative prayer is in the same category as “breath” prayers, and both are spiritually dangerous. Ray Yungen elaborates: When we compare meditation techniques used in stress reduction with the type ofmeditation used in New Age spirituality, it is easy to see these practices as basically the same. Both methods use either the breathing technique or mantra exercises to still the mind. Unknown to most people, a blank mind in a meditative state is all that is necessary for contact with a spirit guide. An example of this is found in John Randolph Price, founder of the QuartusFoundation and initiate of the December 31 World Healing Day Meditation. Price became involved in New Age metaphysics through just such a meditative encounter. He reveals: “Back when I was in the business world, the American Management Association putout a little book on meditation, which indicated that meditation was a way to attain peace of mind and reduce stress in a corporate environment. So I decided I’d try it . . . I discovered how to come into a new sphere of consciousness. Consciousness actually shifts, and you move into a realm you may not have even known existed.”1 As one meditation teacher explains:esoteric knowledge of their own mystical tradition.”2 Thus, many people have unwittingly become New Agers by simply seeking toimprove their physical and mental health through meditation. Two examples on this issue are comments made by two authors who honor the higher self view of man, Joan Borysenko and Ann Wise. Borysenko, a medical doctor, revealed: “I originally took up secular meditation for its medical benefits and in time discoveredits deeper psychological and spiritual benefits.”3 Ann Wise, who works in the corporate field to improve decision-making abilities forbusiness people, makes an identical observation: “Those who initially participate in this work purely for enhancements to theirproductivity in the corporate world are often startled and pleased by what one VP called “the value and inevitable focus on spirituality that evolved from the work.” . . . I often find that individuals who began brainwave training [meditation] for a specific, objective purpose also become quickly interested and involved in seeking higher levels of spiritual consciousness.”4 (from A Time of Departing, pp. 98-100) What this means is that the people at Saddleback and the people who are participating in the Daniel Plan have been introduced to a meditation practice that can potentially turn them into New Agers! And remember, in the New Age, there is no room for the Cross at Calvary because the higher self takes the place of a need for a Savior. Incidentally, some people may think that the term “spirituality” means Christianity, but that is not it. When the term spirituality is used, it is referring to the idea that God is in everyone (ie., the higher self).
Dr. Amen, Dr. Hymen, Rick Warren, and Dr. Oz
meditation technique. It was introduced to the Daniel Plan onOctober 14th 2012, One more thing you should know – on December 3rd, Rick Warren’s new book, The Daniel Plan, will be released. The co-authors of this book are Dr. Hymen and Dr. Amen. As we stated earlier, Dr. Amen is an advocate of tantric sex; and Dr. Hymen is connected to a shamanic organization called Four Winds (“where modern science meets ancient wisdom“). By all appearances and logic, it looks like Rick Warren is going full speed toward the New Age/New Spirituality with the throttle fully engaged. Related Material and Documentation: Emanuel Swedenborg’s Occultic Beliefs Influence Rick Warren’s Health Advisor and Now the Christian Church A Visit to Rick Warren’s Health Seminar – The Unfolding of a Global New Age Plan Rick Warren Speaks Out Against Those Warning the Church of Meditation Saddleback’s Response to Criticism Over Daniel Plan – An Unscriptural Paradox! Changing Science, Changing Mind – Healthcare More Than You Bargained For NEW PRINT BOOKLET TRACT: Rick Warren’s Daniel Plan – The New Age/Eastern Meditation Doctors Behind the Saddleback Health |
BIOLA UNIVERSITY WELCOMES MYSTIC RUTH HALEY BARTON
From Lighthouse Trails Research:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20131021.htm:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/newsletters/2013/newsletters20131021.htm:
| Biola Conference Welcomes Ruth Haley Barton as it Continues Heartily Down Contemplative Path |
  teacher Ruth Haley Barton was scheduled to be a featured speaker at the event. This does not come as a great surprise to the editors at Lighthouse Trails because Biola has been going down the contemplative path for quite sometime. But because there are still so many who do not know there is a crisis happening at Christian colleges and seminaries, Lighthouse Trails continues issuing the warnings. And there are Christian parents who are paying large amounts of money to send their children to these schools, thinking their children are going to be drawn closer to the Lord and the truth of His Word. But for most kids going to Christian colleges today, they are going to be handed a college diploma that has been obtained through the filter of contemplative spirituality. Such is definitely the case with Biola University. It was just earlier this year that we brought to our readers attention the Assemblies of God invitation of Ruth Haley Barton to the AG General Council conference. We wrote articles explaining the spirituality that Barton embraces and passes on to thousands of Christian pastors and church leaders. Sadly, our warnings fell on the deaf ears of AG leaders, and Barton’s invitation remained intact. In fact, AG General Superintendent Dr. George Wood defended the invitation publically and expressed his relaxed views about contemplative spirituality. You can read the coverage we did on that situation by clicking here. One of the main points we want to get across - something we have worked very hard at explaining clearly over the years - is that contemplative prayer is essentially the same mystical practice that takes place in occultism, the New Age, and eastern meditation. While intent may be different (contemplatives say they want to reach God), the methods are virtually the same, and the results are identical. In this particular article, “Lighthouse Trails Statement to Assemblies of God Response Regarding Invitation of Ruth Haley Barton,” we answer these important questions: 1. WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER AND EASTERN MEDITATION? 2. WHERE DID CONTEMPLATIVE PRACTICE COME FROM? and 3. WHAT IS THE PROOF THAT CONTEMPLATIVE IS OCCULTIC? As for Ruth Haley Barton, we have given ample evidence to prove that she is a bi-product, if you will, of the spirituality of contemplative panentheistic mystics Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, and Tilden Edwards. And the fact that she is now being welcomed so readily by evangelical denominations (Southern Baptist, Assemblies of God, Wesleyan, etc.) shows just how integrated contemplative spirituality has become in the evangelical and Protestant church. As we stated earlier in this article, we are not surprised that Biola has invited Ruth Haley Barton to the Torrey Conference. We first wrote about Biola University’s contemplative leanings in 2006 in an article titled “The Shape of Things to Come: Biola University Embraces Contemplative Spirituality.” And in that article, we pointed out that Biola had invited Barton to speak at an event. In that 2006 article, we stated “Biola University, the traditional virtual bedrock of conservative Christian higher education, has opened itself to influences that would have its founders turning over in their graves.” Incidentally, Biola is also engaging with contemplative author Adele Ahlberg Calhoun as you can see from this Biola page that has two videos of talks at Biola by Calhoun. Calhoun’s book, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, shows her strong propensities toward a number of eastern style mysticism advocates such as David Steindl-Rast, Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington, and Tilden Edwards (Shalem Institute). You can read our review of Calhoun’s book here. Biola has also welcomed the teachings of the recently late contemplative pioneer Dallas Willard (see Biola video here) and has resonated with and encouraged the teachings of Peter Drucker (see video here). Others who have spoken at Biola are meditation proponent Ken Blanchard (here), emerging church teacher Shane Claiborne (here), and lectio divina instructor, Joanne Jung (here) to name just a few. If you know someone who is attending Biola University, please deliver to them a sober warning about what he or she could encounter while attending Biola. To see the Lighthouse Trails list of contemplative colleges, click here. Related Articles: Biola’s New Gay and Lesbian Student Group – A “Fruit” of Their Contemplative Propensities? Book Warning: Kingdom Triangle by Biola Professor J.P. Moreland Biola Magazine Managing Editor Admits Biola Promotes Contemplative Spirituality |
NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT MANDATES GAY MARRIAGE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 21, 2013
The Culture News Blog has reported that the NJ Supreme Court has bypassed the people of the state and decided to permit gay marriages:
See: http://culturecampaign.blogspot.com/2013/10/supreme-court-mandates-gay-marriage-in.html.
See: http://culturecampaign.blogspot.com/2013/10/supreme-court-mandates-gay-marriage-in.html.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
SENATOR TED CRUZ (R-TEXAS) AT VALUES VOTER SUMMIT 2013
"THEY DON'T WANT THE TRUTH TO BE HEARD"
"LIBERALS FEAR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE"
"YOU WERE CALLED FOR A TIME SUCH AS THIS"
OBAMA HECKLERS INTERRUPT SPEECH
Ted Cruz
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rafael Edward "Ted" Cruz (born December 22, 1970)[1] is the junior United States Senator for the state of
Texas since 2013, and is a member of the Republican Party. He was Solicitor General of Texas from 2003 to May
2008, after being appointed byTexas Attorney General Greg Abbott.[1] He was the first Hispanic Solicitor General
in Texas,[3] the youngest Solicitor General in the United States, and the Solicitor General with the longest tenure
in Texas history. He was also the first Hispanic to be elected U.S. Senator from Texas.[4]
Cruz was a partner at the law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where he led the firm’s U.S. Supreme Court and
national appellate litigation practice.[5]
Between 1999 and 2003, Cruz served as the director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade
Commission, anAssociate Deputy Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice, and as Domestic
Policy Advisor to U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush on the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. In addition, Cruz was an
Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin, where he taught U.S. Supreme Court
litigation, from 2004 to 2009.
Cruz was the Republican nominee for the Senate seat which was vacated by fellow Republican Kay Bailey
Hutchison.[6] On July 31, 2012, he defeated Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst in the Republican primary runoff,
57–43.[7] Cruz defeated theDemocrat, former state Representative Paul Sadler, in the general election held on
November 6, 2012; he prevailed with 56–41 over Sadler.[7] Cruz supports the Tea Party and is endorsed by the
On November 14, 2012, Cruz was appointed vice-chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.[9]
| Ted Cruz | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator from Texas | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2013 Serving with John Cornyn | |
| Preceded by | Kay Bailey Hutchison |
| Solicitor General of Texas | |
| In office January 9, 2003 – May 2008 | |
| Governor | Rick Perry |
| Preceded by | Julie Parsley |
| Succeeded by | James Ho |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rafael Edward Cruz December 22, 1970 Calgary, AB, Canada[1] |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Heidi Suzanne (Nelson) Cruz |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Houston, Texas |
| Alma mater | Princeton University (A.B.)(1992) (cum laude)[1] Harvard University (J.D.)(1995) (magna cum laude)[1] |
| Religion | Southern Baptist[2] |
| Website | Ted Cruz for Senate Senator Ted Cruz |
Contents
[hide]Early life
[11][12][10][13][14][15] and Rafael Bienvenido Cruz,[14][13] were working in the oil business.[16][17] His
parents owned a seismic-data processing firm for oil drillers.[13][18] Cruz's father, who was born in 1939 in
Matanzas, Cuba,[14][13] did, as Robert T. Garrett of the Dallas Morning News has described, "suffered beatings
and imprisonment for protesting the oppressive regime"[13][18] of dictatorFulgencio Batista. He fought for
communist revolutionary Fidel Castro in the Cuban Revolution[19][20] when he was 14 years old, but "didn't know
Castro was a Communist." A few years later he became a staunch critic of Castro when "the rebel leader took
control and began seizing private property and suppressing dissent."[13][21] The elder Cruz fled Cuba in 1957 at
the age of 18, landing in Austin[18] to study at the University of Texas, knowing no English and with only $100
sewn into his underwear.[22][23] His younger sister fought in the counter-revolution and was tortured by the new
regime.[20] He remained regretful for his early support of Castro, and emphatically conveyed this remorse to his
young son over the following years.[13][20] The elder Cruz worked his way through college as a dishwasher,
making 50 cents an hour,[12] earning a degree in mathematics.[18] Cruz's father today is a pastor in Carrollton,
Cruz's mother was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware,[14] in a family of Irish and Italian descent.[17][12]
She was the first person in her family to attend college. She earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics
from Rice University in Houston in the 1950s, working summers at Foley's and Shell Oil.[24] She later worked in
Houston as a computer programmer at Shell.[18] Cruz has said, "I'm Cuban, Irish, and Italian, and yet somehow
I ended up Southern Baptist."[25]
Cruz's parents returned to Houston in 1974, after working in the Alberta oil fields, when a slump hit the price of
oil and they sold their first seismic data company.[11] Cruz's mother and father divorced after when Ted was in
law school.[18]
Education
Cruz attended high school at Faith West Academy in Katy, Texas,[26] and later graduated from Second Baptist
High School in Houston as valedictorian in 1988.[11] During high school, Cruz participated in a Houston-based
group called the Free Market Education Foundation where Cruz learned about free-market economic philosophers
such as Milton Friedman, Friedrich Hayek, Frédéric Bastiat and Ludwig von Mises.[20] The program was run by
Rolland Storey and Cruz entered the program at the age of 13.[18]
Cruz graduated cum laude from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of
Public and International Affairs in 1992.[1][4] While at Princeton, he competed for the American Whig-Cliosophic
Society's Debate Panel and won the top speaker award at both the 1992 U.S. National Debating Championship
and the 1992 North American Debating Championship.[27] In 1992, he was named U.S. National Speaker of the
Year and Team of the Year (with his debate partner, David Panton).[27] Cruz was also a semi-finalist at the 1995
Cruz's senior thesis on the separation of powers, titled "Clipping the Wings of Angels," draws its inspiration from
a passage attributed to President James Madison: "If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal
controls on government would be necessary." Cruz argued that the drafters of the Constitution intended to protect
the rights of their constituents, and the last two items in the Bill of Rights offered an explicit stop against an
all-powerful state. Cruz wrote: "They simply do so from different directions. The Tenthstops new powers, and the
After graduating from Princeton, Cruz attended Harvard Law School, graduating magna cum laude in 1995 with
a Juris Doctor.[1][30] While at Harvard Law, Cruz was a primary editor of the Harvard Law Review, and executive
editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, and a founding editor of the Harvard Latino Law Review.[4]
Referring to Cruz's time as a student at Harvard Law, Professor Alan Dershowitz said, "Cruz was off-the-charts
brilliant."[12][31][32][33][34][35] At Harvard Law, Cruz was a John M. Olin Fellow in Law and Economics.[36]
Legal career
Cruz giving a speech to the Montgomery County Republican Party meeting held in Conroe, Texas,
on August 19, 2013
Clerkships
Cruz served as a law clerk to J. Michael Luttig of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in
1995[3][36] and William Rehnquist,Chief Justice of the United States in 1996.[1] Cruz was the first Hispanic ever
to clerk for a Chief Justice of the United States.[38]
Private practice
After Cruz finished his clerkships, he took a position with Cooper, Carvin & Rosenthal, which is now known as
Cooper & Kirk, LLC, from 1997 to 1998.[39]
In 1998, Cruz served as private counsel for Congressman John Boehner during Boehner's lawsuit against
Congressman Jim McDermott for releasing a tape recording of a Boehner telephone conversation.[40]
Bush Administration
Cruz joined the Bush–Cheney campaign in 1999 as a domestic policy adviser, advising then-Governor George W.
Bush on a wide range of policy and legal matters, including civil justice, criminal justice, constitutional law,
immigration, and government reform.[39]
Cruz assisted in assembling the Bush legal team, devise strategy, and draft pleadings for filing with the Supreme
Court of Florida and U.S. Supreme Court, the specific case being Bush v. Gore, during the 2000 Florida presidential
After President Bush took office, Cruz served as an associate deputy attorney general in the U.S. Justice
Department[1][41] and as the director of policy planning at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.[1][12][41]
Texas Solicitor General
Appointed to the office of Solicitor General of Texas by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott,[3][42] Cruz served
Cruz has authored more than 80 United States Supreme Court briefs and presented 43 oral arguments, including
nine before the United States Supreme Court.[3][22][12] Cruz's record of having argued before the Supreme
Court nine times is more than any practicing lawyer in Texas or any current member of Congress.[43] Cruz has
commented on his nine cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court: "We ended up year after year arguing some of
the biggest cases in the country. There was a degree of serendipity in that, but there was also a concerted effort
to seek out and lead conservative fights."[43]
In the landmark case of District of Columbia v. Heller, Cruz drafted the amicus brief signed by attorneys general of
31 states, which said that the D.C. handgun ban should be struck down as infringing upon the Second Amendment
right to keep and bear arms.[22][44] Cruz also presented oral argument for the amici states in the companion
case to Heller before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.[22][45]
In addition to his success in Heller, Cruz has successfully defended the constitutionality of Ten Commandments
monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds before the Fifth Circuitand the U.S. Supreme Court, winning 5-4
Cruz authored a U.S. Supreme Court brief for all 50 states successfully defending the recitation of the Pledge of
Cruz served as lead counsel for the state and successfully defended the multiple litigation challenges to the 2003
Texas congressional redistricting plan in state and federal district courts and before the U.S. Supreme Court,
Cruz also successfully defended, in Medellin v. Texas, the State of Texas against an attempt by the International
Court of Justice to re-open the criminal convictions of 51 murderers on death row throughout the United
Cruz has been named by American Lawyer magazine as one of the 50 Best Litigators under 45 in
Private practice
After leaving the Solicitor General position in 2008, he worked in a private law firm in Houston, Morgan, Lewis
& Bockius, often representing corporate clients, until he was sworn in a U.S. Senator from Texas in 2013.[24][36]
At Morgan, Lewis, he led the firm’s U.S. Supreme Court and national appellate litigation practice.[5]
In 2009, while working for Morgan, Lewis, Cruz formed and then abandoned a bid for state attorney general when
the incumbent Attorney General Greg Abbott, who hired Cruz as Solicitor General, decided to run for re-election.[11]
U.S. Senate
2012 election
Main article: United States Senate election in Texas, 2012
Cruz's election has been described by the Washington Post as “the biggest upset of 2012 . . . a true grassroots
victory against very long odds.”[52] On January 19, 2011, after U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison said she would
not seek reelection, Cruz announced his candidacy via a blogger conference call.[6] In the Republican senatorial
primary, Cruz ran against sitting Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. Cruz was endorsed by the Club for Growth,
a fiscally conservative political action committee;[53] Erick Erickson, editor of prominent conservative blog Red
State;[54] the FreedomWorks for America super PAC;[55] nationally syndicated radio host Mark Levin;[56] former
Attorney General Edwin Meese;[41] Tea Party Express;[57] Young Conservatives of Texas;[58] and U.S. Senators
Tom Coburn,[59] Jim DeMint,[60] Mike Lee,[61] Rand Paul[62] and Pat Toomey.[63] He was also endorsed by
former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin[64] and former Texas Congressman Ron Paul,[65] George P. Bush,[41] and
former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum.[66]
Cruz won the runoff for the Republican nomination with a 14-point margin over Dewhurst.[67] In the November 6
general election, Cruz faced Democrat Paul Sadler, an attorney and a former state representative from Henderson,
in east Texas. Cruz won with 4.5 million votes (56.4%) to Sadler's 3.2 million (40.6%). Two minor candidates got
Political positions
Cruz is pro-life, with an exception only when a pregnancy endangers the mother's life.[70][71] Cruz also supports
a federal definition of marriage and opposes same-sex marriage.[72]
Cruz is a gun-rights supporter.[73] On March 25, 2013, an announcement was made by Cruz and U.S. Senators
Rand Paul and Mike Lee threatening that they would filibuster any legislation that would entail gun control, such
as the Manchin-Toomey Amendment, which would require additional background checks on sales at gun shows.[74]
On April 17, 2013, Cruz voted against the Manchin-Toomey Amendment.[75] Republicans successfully filibustered
the amendment by a vote of 54–46, as 60 votes were needed for cloture.[76]
On April 17, 2013, Cruz voted against the Manchin-Toomey Amendment.[75] Republicans successfully filibustered
the amendment by a vote of 54–46, as 60 votes were needed for cloture.[76]
Regarding foreign policy, in 2004, he criticized Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry for being "against
defending American values, against standing up to our enemies, and, in effect, for appeasing totalitarian
despots." [77] In 2013, Cruz stated that America had no “dog in the fight” during the Syrian civil war.[78]
Affordable Care Act and U.S. government shutdown of 2013
Main article: Affordable Care Act
Main article: United States federal government shutdown of 2013
In the summer of 2013, Cruz embarked on a nationwide tour sponsored by The Heritage Foundation to promote
a congressional effort to defund the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, arguing that a shutdown of the
On September 24, 2013, Cruz began a speech on the floor of the Senate regarding the Affordable Care Act
relative to a continuing resolution designed to fund the government and avert a government shutdown.[81][82]
Cruz promised to keep speaking until he was "no longer able to stand."[83] Cruz yielded the floor at noon the
following day for the start of the proceeding legislative session after twenty-one hours nineteen minutes.[84]
His speech was the fourth-longest in United States Senate history.[85] Following Cruz's speech, the Senate voted
100–0 regarding a "procedural hurdle toward passing a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown."[86]
Cruz was joined by 18 Republican senators in his effort to prevent stripping out a clause that would have defunded
the Affordable Care by voting against the cloture motion, leaving the effort 21 votes short of the required number
to deny cloture.[87]
Cruz is believed to a major force behind the U.S. government shutdown in 2013.[88][89] Cruz delivered a
message on October 11, 2013 to fellow Republicans against acceptingObamacare and describing it as a "train
wreck," claimed the American people remain "energized" around the goal of gutting the law.[90] Cruz claimed
Obamacare is causing "enormous harm" to the economy.[90] Republican strategist Mike Murphy stated: "Cruz
is trying to start a wave of Salem witch trials in the G.O.P. on the shutdown and Obamacare, and that fear is
impacting some people’s calculations on 2016."[89]
The Houston Chronicle which had endorsed Cruz in the general election, regretted that he had not lived up to the
standard set by the previous U.S. Senator from Texas, Kay Bailey Hutchison.[91][92] After a deal was made to
end the shutdown and to extend the debt-ceiling deadline, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called Cruz's
actions "not a smart play" and a "tactical error"[93] and Cruz stated: “I would do anything, and I will continue to
do anything I can, to stop the train wreck that is Obamacare. The test that matters. . . is are we doing anything
for all the people that are getting hurt from Obamacare?”[94]
Committee assignments
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on the Judiciary
- Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation
- Committee on Rules and Administration
- Special Committee on Aging
Speculation for higher office
Further information: United States presidential election, 2016
Many commentators have expressed their opinion that Cruz is running for President in 2016.[95][96][97]
On March 14, 2013, Cruz gave the keynote speech at the 2013 Conservative Political Action Conference in
Washington DC.[98] He came in tied for 7th place in the 2013 CPAC straw poll on March 16, winning 4% of the
votes cast.[99]
Cruz planned several speaking events for the summer of 2013 across Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina
which are early primary states, leading to speculation that he was laying the groundwork for a run for President
in 2016.[100]
As Cruz was born in Canada, various commentators from the Austin American-Statesman[101] and the
Los Angeles Times,[102] discussed Cruz's legal status as a natural-born citizen. Because he was a U.S. citizen at
birth (since his mother was a U.S. citizen who lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years as required by the
Nationality Act of 1940), most commentators believe Cruz is eligible to serve as President of the United
States.[10][103][10][104] After hearing that according to legal experts he is a dual citizen of Canada and the
U.S., Cruz announced on August 19, 2013 that he would renounce his Canadian citizenship.[105]
Personal life
Cruz and his wife, Heidi Cruz (née Nelson), have two daughters. Cruz met his wife while working on the George
W. Bush presidential campaign of 2000. Cruz's wife is currently head of the Southwest Region in the Investment
Management Division of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and previously worked in the White House for Condoleezza Rice
and in New York as aninvestment banker.[106]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)