A Look Back at 2008!

As the year 2008 draws to a close, and we begin to participate in all the trappings of the holiday season, it seemed appropriate to take a look back at what transpired in the Sioux City community over these last few months. No month was more notable, in my view, than February, during the season our community was confronted with the issue of God and His appropriate place in our culture. I recall the comment of one local radio show host who said the public prayer issue controversy became the “biggest thing to happen in Sioux City in thirty years.”
Monday, February 25, 2008 – It was a very sad night! The night that spoken prayer was silenced by three members of the current Sioux City Council. Two councilmen, in particular, revealed both a general lack of respect for the proper, constitutional role of faith in the public square, as well as what might be fairly identified as “generalized Bible-illiteracy.”

When the pastor of Central Baptist church (the largest Baptist church in Sioux City) stood to read a letter of petition signed by 85 pastors across the State of Iowa, (representing well over 10,000 Iowa citizens, if we assume they all have very small churches, [but they don’t all have small churches]) only to be ignored and eventually interrupted by Sioux City’s Mayor, you might have thought the influence of so many respected community leaders would have received a few minutes of our local officials attention.

But instead, our freshman mayor, in a style all his own, chose to softly whisper something into the ears of his Mayor Pro-tem, Jim Rixner. (Apparently, whatever he said was not only more important than listening to the voice of 85 clergymen, but it was also funny, engendering an equally funny reply from Mr. Rixner.)

Personally, I was appalled that such a man as Pastor Don, representing so many respected leaders across the Midwest, would not be given the time to at least finish his comments (he shared with me that he would have been finished reading the letter, given another 30 seconds) particularly when it is well-known that the Mayor allowed his personal friends to take as much as ten minutes in a previous council meeting while discussing the same subject. Of course, the persons given so much time to speak were defending the mayor’s questionable behavior at the time, so one doesn’t have to wonder why he chose to be so generous with his stop-watch.

At best, on the night public prayer was discussed, the Mayor showed partiality for none other than himself – yet again. At least, I suppose, this time he didn’t choose to erupt into a burst of name-calling, as he did on a previous occasion when one citizen dared repudiate his actions during a now famous press conference. “You are AMORAL! YOU ARE AAAAAAMORRRAL!” he woofed at a citizen named Dennis Benson. (Is it possible to see your own reflection in a citizen’s eye-glasses at that distance?)

With less than one paragraph to go – the Mayor barked “TIME” and shut-down Pastor Don Craig’s appeal to allow prayer before council meetings in accordance with 232 years of American history.

I might have understood if I had been personally treated this way. I mean, some of our local officials have made it abundantly clear that they have no regard for me personally, or the church where I am honored to pastor. I actually CAN understand that. After all, I’m a serious threat to the relative quiet they enjoy, even when they publicly and/or “privately” misbehave and little to nothing appears in the newspaper about it. (For example, you never heard a lot of fascinating information regarding the mishandling of the 2006 school board elections, and, this year, yet again, spurious activities surrounded the mysterious alleged “human error” that resulted in the marginal loss of Jeremy Taylor’s state senate race).

I could, and probably will, eventually mount a serious campaign nightmare for the likes of them with my heretofore unnoticed Federal 527 organization, (is the swift boat coming to tell the truth in Sioux City someday soon? Inquiring minds want to know!) or my state-PAC, and for that, they occasionally feel the need to lob verbal grenades my way in an attempt to “scare me off,” I suppose. A day of reckoning will come. I can promise you that with plenty of confidence and… the most subtle of sinister grins. And afterward, it will become clearer to such persons that while it is perfectly fine to publicly disagree with PMI, it is NOT politically expedient to provoke me, personally, in a dishonest and underhanded way that unnecessarily hurts my friends and family while simultaneously cheapening the value of the local election process.

Oh, and to my critics who claim to obey the Bible: don’t waste your time sending me an e-mail or an anonymous letter criticizing and whining about your belief in, what I refer to as, “doormat theology.” I have all the cliché’s of doormat theology memorized forward and backward. Instead, YOU explain…YOU reconcile YOUR beliefs with the following passages that I have carefully emulated, with regard to society and culture: Matthew 11:20-24, Matthew 4:17, James 2:19-20, Hebrews 5:11-14, Matthew 18:15-17, Revelation 2:20-21, Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 16:22, 2 Thessalonians 3:6 and 14-16, 1 Corinthians 16:22, 1 Timothy 1:19-20, Romans 12:9. Then read the article “What is a Biblical PeaceMaker” posted at this site. Finally, ponder the calling of God upon some men to “tear-down and up-root” as described in Jeremiah chapter 1. After that, you may be more inclined to help than criticize, or else admit you don’t really obey the Bible, so much as you treat it like a weekend hobby.

Unlike our rabid-secularist “friends” and neighbors, we (PM PAC) won’t have to lie and cheat to defeat those that challenge us. We’ll just share the truth with the public through every means of media communication available. Things are in the works – we have great California talent connections to produce outstanding commercials that will educate the public on the poor behavior some of our elected officials who have been getting passes from the local media for far too long.

Until then, considering who we’re talking about, it does make perfect sense that they… do what they do. But my colleague, Pastor Don? A non-controversial Baptist minister? I suppose he was doomed to be ill-treated for daring to sit next to me on the front row of the council chambers? Sorry Don – I’ll sit by myself next time I attend something of this sort.

Mr. Rixner graced us all – a pensive audience somewhat held hostage – as he presumed to preach a mini-sermon on “how to be a peacemaker.” He seemed a little ill-prepared for what we must assume was extemporaneous inspiration brought upon him by the shrill attacks against humanist “virtues”? Several friends in attendance with me that night mentioned afterward that he literally seemed to grimace in pain every time the Constitution was mentioned by a citizen during the evening debate, as if to imply with his body language that no one there, other than himself, could possibly understand such a complicated document.

But he didn’t allow his public display of disdain for historical facts or his personal lack of theological prowess to get in his way. Oh no, not at all! He forged bravely ahead with much verbiage. I’m sure the sermon wasn’t meant for me personally (nudge, nudge, wink, wink 🙂

Somewhere during the sermonette, we all searched for a moment of clarity as we heard the story of Moses… and… God… who, allegedly, had a conversation about saving a wicked city. (We must assume he meant to speak of Abraham, not Moses, since the story he referenced, which had to do with Abraham’s use of VERBAL SPOKEN PRAYER to SAVE AN EVIL CITY, and the elusive conclusion…against prayer?… for which he struggled to pontificate, were both, (how do I write this kindly) curious, confused, and just slightly ironic.

Now, had he meant to make an argument in FAVOR of public prayer on behalf of a city, the story of Abraham’s (not Moses’) prayer for Sodom might have made some sense.

Rest assured, based upon what we do know from the Bible about Moses, had he been in the council chambers that night, he might have walked right up to Jim Rixner’s microphone and smashed his stone tablets over it, right before the earth opened and swallowed him and the mayor up with all their households, families, and livestock. Never mind the Alamo, folks – REMEMBER KORAAAAAHHHHH!

The highlight of the night for me personally? At one point, I was publicly “thanked” for “institutionalizing sarcasm.” This came from a particularly sarcastic member of the community who volunteered as “Exhibit A” for the entire point given by the 85 men who signed the letter of petition I am prepared to post for your reading pleasure, in just a moment. I say he “volunteered” as “Exhibit A” because the letter from the pastors warned that secularists who [I paraphrase] “pretend to value silent prayer today, will inevitably seek to remove that form of prayer from the public square tomorrow.” I couldn’t have planned the night better if I had used PAC money to control the agenda myself! (Sorry – there I go again, getting sarcastic 🙂 Isn’t this a fun read? For the record, it’s only “sarcasm” if you disagree with me, for the rest of us, its considered “having a sense of humor” instead of getting fire-spitting mad at left-wing insolence.

Right after the letter read by Pastor Don was…well…almost finished, the very breed of radical secularist of which the clergy-men warned stood and said (I both soften and paraphrase) I’m AGAINST silent prayer too! It’s a silly waste of time! Fix the pot-holes! I know this sounds surreal to all of you who weren’t there in person, but you just can’t make-up this kind of stuff, folks!

There were certainly two kinds of people in the room that night; of that, there can be no doubt. One who understood history and wished to preserve those traditions our founders deemed most sacred, and those who would have poked God Himself in the eyes with a lecture about secularist virtues if He had the misfortune of having been in their temporarily captive audience that evening!

In the interest of truth and intelligence, I have acquired and pasted below a copy of the letter that was never finished before the City Council. I hope you will enjoy reading the great thoughts of these fine Christian leaders sprinkled across the landscape of our State and Nation. May God multiply and bless these men of God in every city! May God Bless Councilman Aaron Rochester and Brent Hoffman for their yes votes on prayer that evening!

I predict this will not be the last good idea our city is fortunate enough to receive from Councilman Rochester. He is a principled man that doesn’t suffer fools. We can only pray (out-loud) that our community may be blessed with more fine men just like him. If we ever have another, it will probably only occur because of prayer and God’s tender mercies toward the undeserving.

I bid you all adieu, and wish you a grand read. The following letter, in my opinion, was really very well done.

January 25, 2008
Dear Distinguished Mayor Hobart; Distinguished Members of the City Council: Mr. Rochester, Mr. Ferris, Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Rixner; Distinguished City Manager Eckert; and Distinguished City Attorney Andrew Mai:

Our elected officials MUST consider where the logical conclusion of secularist thinking inevitably leads BEFORE making the poor decision to further suppress public religious expression by denying Councilman Rochester’s recent reasonable request to open meetings with verbal prayer. Of the following, there can be no question: the “secularist thinkers” that some elected officials accommodate by insisting upon “silent” prayer will eventually act to eliminate “silence” from our legislative bodies, as well. The militant opposition to public religious expression has an ongoing history revealing a bent toward the irrational. Recently, this has been demonstrated in the Sioux City community by both traditional and electronic methods of publication. Those who demand the elimination of all public expressions of faith (in the name of sensitivity) routinely demonstrate an egregious lack of “sensitivity” toward the underpinnings of Western civilization itself. Time would not avail us to discuss the proposed removal of all wooden crosses from the graveyards of our fallen heroes, simply because they were buried in “government owned” sepulchers.

Another argument against this proposal was openly discussed by both Mayor Hobart and Mr. Rixner, and further propelled as the basis for the Sioux City Journal Editorial Board’s opposition to the same: an argument of majoritarianism – the so-called “tyranny of the majority.” We would ask dissenting voices on the council to clearly explain the alternative to the dangers of an alleged majoritarianism, for it seems the alternative proposed by those who would dissent is minoritarism “the tyranny of a small minority.”

Is this in line with the Constitution of the United States that elected officials are sworn to uphold?

George Washington explained, “The fundamental principle of our Constitution enjoins [requires] that the will of the majority shall prevail.” Thomas Jefferson added, “The will of the majority [is] the natural law of every society [and] is the only sure guardian of the rights of man. Perhaps even this may sometimes err. But its errors are honest, solitary and short-lived.”

While the constitution does protect the minority’s right to have equal access to the sea of public opinion, it cannot afford the minority a right to usurp the decisions of the majority. The minority is afforded an opportunity, one and the same as that experienced by millions of Americans at the conclusion of every election “when the losing side’s arguments fail to convince the masses, it demands the civility of the minority to accept political defeat. It was a majority of voters which determined your current position on this council. It will be a majority that sustains that position.

Where does the secularist line of thinking lead? Consider this: A New Jersey bill proposing that students begin each day by reciting the first 56 words from the Declaration of Independence was loudly denounced as a thinly-veiled attempt to put prayer in schools, the first step on the road to a – you guessed it – theocracy! Secularists in that community vehemently opposed having school children read the actual wording of the Declaration of Independence because, as they put it, it would lead to something worse than the federal establishment of religion, it would lead to theocracy. The time has come, gentlemen, for our citizens to dispense with such diatribe.

Make no mistake, our secularist citizens pretend – today – to value silent-prayer, but if we continue to cater to their empty arguments and reckless disregard for American traditions – tomorrow – will prove their ultimate desire to assault silent prayer as well. Our nation cannot afford to have leaders who are willing to pander to the irrelevant threat of would-be frivolous lawsuits when current legal expertise agrees that such would inevitably be thrown out of court due to a lack of precedent. We ask that you do the right thing and support the right of your fellow councilmen, and future councilmen, to offer-up voluntary, non-sectarian, verbal prayer, as is allowed in accordance with the United States Constitution.

Having all publicly pledged to uphold the Constitution of the United States requires that you acknowledge and support the easily demonstrable reality of constitutional intent. Remember, two days after Jefferson wrote his often misquoted separation letter to the Danbury Baptists, he attended worship services in the U. S. Capitol, where he heard the Rev. John Leland preach a sermon. We would also ask that you recall, as President of the United States Senate, Jefferson personally approved the use of the Capitol Building for Sunday worship services. It is a matter of congressional record that Jefferson ordered the Marine Band to play the worship services on behalf of the church meeting beneath the Capitol Dome. Moreover, it is also a matter of public record that Jefferson also sanctioned weekly church services in both the War Department and the Treasury Building.
We further request that this body dispense with the tripe-filled arguments provided by A.C.L.U. revisionists in many modern publications, and execute your duty to protect this nation from its ongoing secularist hijacking.

Please understand that what this council does in the great city of Sioux City will make an impact on far more than just Sioux City. We implore you to set the example for other leaders in the Midwest by showing the appropriate respect for the kind of public expression of faith enjoined by Thomas Jefferson himself, the one so often falsely credited with today’s inaccurate definition of “separation of church and state.”

Protect the American traditions for which the Midwest still shines as a bastion of hope setting us apart from our fellow Americans in coastal states who are known for crime-rates and liberal hostilities toward faith-based institutions.

* We the undersigned members of the clergy, representing thousands of American citizens throughout Sioux City, the Midwest, and beyond, call upon you to protect and preserve tradition, faith, family, and freedom.
Cordially yours,

Pastor Gene Stockton Sioux City, IA
Rev. Cary K. Gordon Sioux City, IA
Pastor Don Craig Sioux City, IA
Pastor Al Weiss Sioux City, IA
Pastor Larry H. Gordon Sioux City, IA
Pastor Bob Rasmussen Sioux City, IA
Pastor Douglas M. Daniels Sioux City, IA
Pastor Terry Embke Sioux City, IA
Pastor Donna Smith Sioux City, IA
Pastor Craig Mellendorf Sioux City, IA
Pastor Jeff Erlemeier Harlan, IA
Rev. Rebecca Erlemeier Harlan, IA
Pastor Jeffrey Schroeder Jefferson, IA
Pastor Amy Schroeder Jefferson, IA
Pastor Alan Dean Spencer, IA
Pastor Barbara Dean Spencer, IA
Pastor William Tvedt Oskaloosa, IA
Rev. Michael Dotson Oskaloosa, IA
Pastor Joyce Hoyt Oskaloosa, IA
Pastor Gary Goetsch Humbolt, IA
Pastor Bruce Wangler Winterset, IA
Dr. John Shaull Winterset, IA
Pastor Jack Andrews Belle Plaine, IA
Rev. Loren L. Hirschy Dubuque, IA
Pastor Mike Root Independence, IA
Pastor John Cupryna Independence, IA
Pastor Deb Cupryna Independence, IA
Rev. Richard Wearmouth Independence, IA
Pastor Brad Schroeder Macedonia, IA
Pastor Ross Craig Odebolt, IA
Rev. Gary A. Miller Iowa City, IA
Pastor Steven A. Beeman DesMoines, IA
Pastor Tim Rude Des Moines, IA
Pastor Ron Marsiglio Des Moines, IA
Pastor Robert J. Deever West Des Moines, IA
Rev. Dale Van Donselaar Pella, IA
Pastor Jerry Vance Burlington, IA
Rev. Randall R. Gearhart Burlington, IA
Dr. Frank R. Beaty Burlington, IA
Pastor Darrel Carr Washington, IA
Pastor Mark Tanner Ottumwa, IA
Pastor Joshua F. Bowers Ottumwa, IA
Pastor Gary Brooks Ottumwa, IA
Rev. Chris Strube Centerville, IA
Pastor Van Davis Swea City, IA
Pastor Mark Anderson Muskatine, IA
Rev. Duane P. Marburger Muscatine, IA
Pastor Dan Paxton Cedar Falls, IA
Pastor Mark Holton Cedar Falls, IA
Pastor Bruce W. Miller Cedar Falls, IA
Pastor Dave Rex Newton, IA
Pastor Marvin Potter Newton, IA
Rev. Jay Rudolf Eagle Grove, IA
Pastor Ronald Breese Kalona, IA
Pastor Brad Sherman Coralville, IA
Pastor Paul Miller Mt. Pleasant, IA
Rev. Dr. Larry Doughan Holland, IA
Dr. Larry C. Hoop Holland, IA
Rev. John K. Wilson Kamrar, IA
Rev. Kenneth A. Artrip Webster City, IA
Pastor Dustin Cox Waterloo, IA
Pastor Stuart Schwenke Oelwein, IA
Pastor Marcus B. Moffitt Marcus, IA
Pastor Rob Noah Oskaloosa, IA
Pastor Bruce Thompson Oskaloosa, IA
Rev. Spencer Thury Oskaloosa, IA
Pastor Daryl Martin Oskaloosa, IA
Rev. Carolyn L.R. Bittner New Hartford, IA
Pastor Gary Hollers Council Bluffs, IA
Pastor Nathan Martin Salem, IA
Pastor Lauris Meek Newton, IA
Pastor Cory Stout Newton, IA
Rev. Robert R. Beery Jr. Joice, IA
Pastor Jim Sears Monroe, IA
Rev. Phillip Schrauben New Sharon, IA
Pastor Joel Jorgenson Estherville, IA
Pastor Howard Duane LaCock Hillsboro, IA
Pastor Jack Ray Whittier, IA
Pastor Mike Gardner Norfolk, NE
Pastor Michael Krier Norfolk, NE
Pastor Larry Paulsen Rapid City, SD
Pastor Tim Ginter Liverpool, OH
Pastor Douglas M. Bankson Apopka, FL
Pastor Jeri Bankson Apopka, FL
Pastor Gregory Squires St. Cloud, FL

* This document is signed by 85 members of the clergy, covering 43 cities in the State of Iowa, with the remaining signatories spanning 5 states.