LET THE GAMES BEGIN

On Monday, January 8^th, 2007, the 82^nd General Assembly of the Iowa Legislature will begin its 120-day first session. Not since Harold Hughes was governor has the Democrat Party held the reigns of power so completely. They have a 30 to 20 majority in the Senate, a 56 to 44 majority in the House. They control the offices of the Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and Treasurer. How this power shift will translate into legislation will become evident early in the session. Will the moderate Democrats keep their party focused on the bread and butter issues, like the minimum wage, teachers’ salaries, health care for the uninsured or underinsured, union representation and Medicaid benefits, to name just a few. Or, will the far left members prevail in getting their politically correct, society changing issues like giving sexual preference civil rights protections, expanding the culture of death by changing Iowa’s cloning prohibition and making lifestyle criticism a hate crime. These are their most obvious issues; they have subtler, no less destructive changes to our culture on their wish list. We will alert you to these as they surface.

So what does all this mean to values voters, evangelical conservatives, libertarians and the average Iowa citizen who are, for the most part, in agreement with our past and present way of life? It means that like the second largest auto rental company, we will try harder.

As a start, I will visit with every newly elected Senator and Representative to determine their interest in and opinions about the issues values voters hold dear. If they campaigned as a moderate, we will let you know if they legislate as a moderate. We will revisit both Republican and Democrat legislators who have in the past supported our issues to reconnect and reaffirm their support. As the session progresses, we will give you our candid opinion of most, if not all, of the legislators, based on their votes on family value legislation. We hope making you more aware of how your legislator reacts and votes on your issues will encourage you to contact them, both for praise and constructive criticism.

This legislative session will not be easy; but none of them are. These next two years will require us, all of us, to be alert, informed and willing to act. Your support of ICA and its legislative activities will be crucial to our success. Your phone calls, e-mails and letters to legislators, and the administration (Governor Culver) can make a difference. But above all, we will need the fervent prayer of all God’s people.

Declaring a National Day of Prayer and Fasting following the Battle of Bull Run, President Abraham Lincoln wrote, “It is fit and becoming in all people, at times to acknowledge and revere the Supreme Government of God; to bow in humble submission to His chastisement to confess and deplore their sins and transgressions in the full conviction that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and to pray, with all fervency and contrition, for the pardon of their past offenses, and for a blessing upon their present and prospective action.”

I know that many of you went into a deep funk after this last election. I hope that like me, God reminded you that He is still on His Throne. He is there and He is not silent. Some pundits and talking heads tried to lay the defeat of the Republican Party on the evangelical conservative Christians. There is much I could say about that contention, but space and time constraints compel brevity. Here it is, “balderdash.” (It’s a word; look it up). As believers, we not only have the right to attempt to influence the politics of our country, state and local government, we have an obligation to do so. Edmund Burke said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” George Washington said, “Do not let anyone claim to be a true American if they ever attempt to remove religion from politics.” Another great American, Daniel Webster said, “If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prospering and to prosper; but if we and our posterity neglect its instructions and authority, no man can tell how sudden a catastrophe may overwhelm us and bury all our glory in profound obscurity.”

In conclusion, the Word of God tells us: “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious…for adulterers and perverts…and whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which He entrusted me.” (1Timothy 1:8-ll)

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)