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December 1, 2021
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We’ve received many letters in response to yesterday's story on the Salvation Army. (A follow-up story ran today.) Here are few that called out for responses.

From Larry (excerpt):

Love your show and your website, have for a long time. Just want to express a concern about people falling in the trap of using racist terms that are promoted by the left. You used one of the most racist terms in your article when you said " people of color." ...White is a color, it's just not one the racist democrats like.

It's just one of many things that non-Democrats fall prey to because they don't stop to think about a word before they just accept it and start using it.

As I said, we've always thought you were, and still are, one of the smartest people in the public eye that speaks for Conservatives and Christians. Best wishes.

From the Gov:

Thanks for writing, Larry, and for your kind words. We’re really sensitive to the language and how leftists try to shape it, and are glad to see you are, too. Keep in mind that commentaries include quotations, and these are run in quotation marks exactly as they were originally stated. The commentary you refer to included lengthy excerpts from a CRT-based publication, and that’s the term they used. I wouldn’t soften or censor what someone else said unless it was vulgar or otherwise over-the-line offensive.

We all have different ideas on how to use language respectfully to refer to race, and it continues to evolve. Personally, I’m baffled as to why leftists like the abbreviation “POC” for “people of color,” because it also stands for something offensive. But, again, I and my staff didn't use either of these; we were just quoting someone else.

From Jane (excerpt):

I am of heavy Irish descent. In fact I am Irish Catholic, which is amongst the Irish the most discriminated against, including by our own government (my grandfather was only allowed to work for the government if he professed himself to be an orange man)...I guess the existence of Irish slaves in the colonies (who were considered to be less valuable than the black slaves) is an inconvenient truth to yet another position that the Democrats take in order to control people. So, are there any non-woke charities out there that we can donate gently used items to?

From the Gov:

Thank you, Jane, for a history lesson that most people never receive. This is why it does no good for some groups to do a personal accounting of the accumulated grievances that were done to their ancestors. An ideology based on past victimhood poisons the present. As for non-woke charities, I’m sure there are still quite a few, and it’s always good to start close to home.

From Dale:

I am really disappointed that Huckabee would write something that can be damaging to the Salvation Army. They have already recanted and removed those Guides which could be wrongly construed. I will be canceling my daily Huckabee Newsletter because of this!!

From the Gov:

Dale, I hope you’ll stay. Actually, if you see the update today, the SA is “reviewing” those guides but has not recanted. Perhaps they will, and I’ll update the story if they do. But so far, they’ve blamed readers for believing they’ve promoted damaging ideas they actually HAVE promoted. This poison has turned some once-laudable organizations into something very different in 2021.

I did not specifically call for a boycott of the SA, and will not. But it would be a failure on my part not to report on what’s happening to major charities in the U.S. That’s the only way they’re going to be brought back to sanity.

Finally, this from Duncan:

News flash, woke people!!! EVERYONE has 'unconscious bias' about someone or something. If you claim to be completely conscious you better notify the Dalai Llama. He might have some advice for you to help you cope with total enlightenment.

It does behoove all of us to be aware of the possibility that we may be unaware of our faults. On the other hand, let's not let fear(s) paralyze us to living and growing. The most simple and central tenant of Christianity, ‘Treat thy neighbor as you would be treated,' pretty much says it all.

Thanks Governor for your ongoing clear common-sense publications. Keep it going!

From the Gov:

Thanks, Duncan. You have indeed said it all, so you get the last word.


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Comments 21-28 of 28

  • Sandra Anderson

    12/05/2021 02:50 PM

    I've always supported the Salvation Army because also they help the down & out, their ulterior motive is to win souls for Christ. Is this no longer true?

  • DanaVincent

    12/05/2021 02:15 PM

    Hi,
    Love your messages!~ But the Salvation Army story has really bothered me a lot. All my life I've
    always donated money and items to the Salvation Army. I got this trait from my mother who told me that Goodwill was highly publicized but also a big business. That it was the Salvation Army that was always out there helping others in tragedies but never got the publicity that Goodwill always managed to obtain. Your story on their apparent introduction of "Woke-ism" has really got to me. Makes no difference if it's an elective or not. I think starting this year I'll stop donating money to the Salvation Army until this whole mess gets some further clarification. Until then, I'll continue to say "Merry Christmas" to those that ring the bell in front of stores trying to get folks to put a few dollars in their collection tub but will not donate another dime.
    It's not that I contribute a whole lot but to me and my limited budget it is a lot. So while this gets sorted out I'm donating to St. Jude's Hospital. One of the best charities founded by Danny Thomas years ago. They do a wonderful job.

  • Virginia Routzon

    12/05/2021 01:10 PM

    I'll probably be vilified for this, but here goes. I was raised with friends who were (are) Native American Indians (they call themselves that!). They have been marginalized, murdered in cold blood, marched 1500 miles (men, women, children and babies) to a scrub land in the middle of nowhere (now Oklahoma) and told to stay there! Did any of you know that they had buildings, not tents, a written language, houses of worship, thriving farms, and a Council House for
    government actions? Yet even today they are turned away when applying for a job, because of
    flimsy excuses that are obviously made-up. Where are the demonstrations for them? Where are their rights being respected?
    I know I've gone on a bit long, Pastor Mike. Forgive me. (This is for David, Carol, and Raquel, and others too numerous to mention!)

  • Douglas D. Settle

    12/05/2021 12:48 PM

    Thank you Gov. for open and most enlightening commentary. I really enjoy and look forward to your emails.

  • David Smiley

    12/05/2021 12:45 PM

    Controversy in West Lafayette, IN

    Dear Faith Church Family,

    Imagine a world where if a counselor used the Bible to minister to a teenager who voluntarily sought advice about sexual issues, the person could be fined by the police at the rate of $1,000 per day. Does this sound outrageous and impossible in Indiana? This is precisely what could happen if the West Lafayette City Council passes the present version of their proposed ordinance No. 31-21.

    Sponsored by City Councilors James Blanco and David Sanders, the legislation takes aim at principles from God’s Word that our church holds dear. It seeks to prohibit “non-licensed counselors” from practicing what the council and others define as “conversion therapy” with minors.

    Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries (FBCM) has never practiced conversion therapy or ever used that term. However, because the legislators define conversion therapy broadly as, “any practices or treatments that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender”, we could possibly be accused of doing some of those things.

    While FBCM counselors are certified through a national certifying organization (the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) they are purposely not licensed with the State of Indiana because we do not want the government dictating what we tell people in the counseling room from Scripture. Since Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry has the largest number of non-licensed counselors in the city, your church’s counseling ministry would be the one who could be most affected if this ordinance passes.

    There are numerous passages from the Word of God that are directly in the crosshairs of this definition. For example, consider 1 Corinthians 6:9–11 – Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

    When counselees embrace the gospel and use its power to begin a path of change, many things will be converted, including the choices they make with their bodies. For 2000 years, the church of Jesus Christ has upheld the standard of chastity in singleness and fidelity in marriage. These biblical principles are not simply applied to gay or lesbian persons, but everyone who names the name of Christ. As I wrote in a blog post ten years ago when this issue bubbled up in a national conversation, conversion is at the very heart of the gospel message.

    The ordinance proclaims that “The City of West Lafayette, Indiana has a compelling interest in protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors, including but not limited to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender from exposure to the serious harms and risks caused by conversion therapy or reparative therapy by unlicensed persons.” This means that if parents or counselors wished to discuss a biblical view of human sexuality with their children or counselees, they would be acting in violation of the City of West Lafayette’s so-called “compelling interest.” As you may have seen in the news recently, a democratic candidate for governor in Virginia suggested that parents were not qualified to influence the curriculum in their child’s schools. Similarly, our legislators seem to believe they know better than parents what is best for their child’s sexual expression.

    Those choosing to disobey the City Council in this matter would be fined by the police, “these provisions are exercises of the police power of the City of West Lafayette, Indiana for the public safety health, and welfare, and its provisions shall be liberally construed to accomplish that purpose… Any violation of this ordinance shall result in a fine of $1,000. A separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day that a violation occurs or continues.” Please pause and consider the outrageous nature of that statement. “

    There are many reasons to object to this legislation in its present form, but let me list three.

    Parental Rights. It is not the role of the government to decide which messages are best for their own children to hear. If parents wish to take their minor child to a counselor who uses the Word of God as their standard of truth, the mother or father should be able to freely make that choice without government intrusion.
    Religious Liberty. Faith-based counseling centers are allowed to freely operate in our community without fear of threats and wrongful discrimination by the government. The principle of separation of state and church must be carefully guarded.
    Individual Rights. The government should not suppress the right of a anyone to hear counsel from a variety of sources, including faith-based ones. This legislation could have a chilling impact on the availability of faith-based counsel to youth in our community.
    This legislation was drafted with no attempt to communicate with non-licensed counselors in our community. When Faith Church learned about it, I asked the city council members to include language that clearly exempts faith-based entities:

    “Notwithstanding any other provision of this ordinance, religious pastors and ministers who are counselors and lay religious counselors may freely exercise their religious freedom to counsel their counselees consistent with the counselor’s sincerely held religious beliefs relating to sexual orientation that are based upon their source of religious truth, such as the Bible or the Koran.”

    None of the council members have been willing to commit to this kind of language which is why I am writing to you.

    In addition to praying, please consider sending a brief, respectful e-mail to each of the city council members whose contact information is available here. Even if you are not a resident of West Lafayette, your tithes and offerings go to support our biblical counseling center at Faith West.

    Would you consider asking the council to either table the ordinance for further consultation or add a clear amendment that comprehensively exempts faith-based entities?

    Thank you for your careful consideration of this matter.

    Pastor Viars

  • Janet Bahl

    12/05/2021 11:14 AM

    I don’t think it was Martin Luther King’s plan to say that only the white population is racist at all but rather he wanted to unite all races to work together at issues. It’s not always Donald Trump’s fault when Biden has another catastrophe! Mr. King would not have approved of this extreme division of races that exists today in America. So Let’s Get Along, People!

  • Annette Petrone

    12/02/2021 01:00 PM

    Did you ever think about writing a book about why you or your subscribers picked a certain
    scripture to be on your website? The answers might be very interesting and enlightening.

  • Diane

    12/01/2021 08:06 AM

    I have let bell ringers know I am not "WHITE" enough to donate. I am now giving to my locale church that runs a charity similar to Salvation Army. I used to donate to SA generiously.... their loss by being political morons.