[Active-l] (NEWS) Justice Sunday III: Transcript and analysis

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

	Well, now I know why they were playing this one down a bit, compared 
to the previous two; this one is _much_ more religious even than the 
previous meetings. This one _is_ a revival meeting in no uncertain 
terms, and they talk rather more forthrightly about their religious 
goals for the United States. Much of the session had a Christian 
Reconstructionist-lite feel to it, with Bishop Wellington Boone saying 
things like this: "_How_ are the people gonna shut us up? How are a 
bunch of _liberals_ who don't have a _clue_ gonna shut us up? You were 
saying, that we are,  we're intolerant? _Intolerant?!_ We are become 
the nation that _allowed_ for all these other people to come in here to 
be able to worship their God! Yes, we are Bible-believing, 
Bible-carrying people, you say you're trying to proselytise - what do 
you mean? _Of course!_ What do you think, they're going to get saved by 
_osmosis_?! (applause starts) Of _course_ we're gonna get people saved! 
Of _course_ we're gonna talk about Jesus! (standing ovation starts) Of 
_course_ we're gonna say the name of Jesus without compromise!" (All 
emphasis in original.)

	In terms of the courts, they've moved the "bad judicial system" line 
further back again; it used to be the big focus was Roe v. Wade, but 
that's not even mentioned anymore; they went back to the rulings 
against teacher-led student prayer in 1961 last time; this time, 
they've moved the goalpost all the way back to 1947, in Everson v. 
Board of Education, where, "Justice Hugo Black changed the meaning of 
'Separation of Church & State'" in a dissent where state funding for 
religious school bussing systems was upheld. They like the ruling, but 
point to this case as the start of a supposed judicial war on 
Christianity. Tony Perkins (Family Research Council), Ed Meese (Reagan 
administration), and Alan Sears (Alliance Defense Fund, an 
anti-gay/fundamentalist legal group) spends a lot of time talking about 
this, in particular. IIRC, the ADF actually backs up the "bad 
decisions" line to 1812, Marlbury v. Madison, and do not think the 
courts should be able to rule laws unconstitutional at all. But that's 
not mentioned here and I may be confusing my fundamentalist legal 
entities.

	The fundamentalist right as represented here _firmly_ believe that 
Alito will rule in _exactly_ the ways they want to. James Dobson issues 
one of several ACTION ITEMs to support Alito. Falwell calls the Alito 
nomination the culmination of 30 years of work - "I feel that this is a 
crucial, crucial time. Judge Alito. What we've worked on for 30 years, 
to mobilise people of faith and values in this country. And no one's 
done it better than Dr. Dobson in recent times. So what we have done 
through this years is coming to culmination, to consummation, right 
now. We were able to hold off Michael Moore, and most of Hollywood, and 
most of the national media, and George Soros, and the Kennedy and other 
crowds who fought so fiercely against the re-election of George Bush. 
That was just a year ago. And now, now we're looking at what we really 
started on 30 years ago; a _reconstruction_ of a court system gone 
awry." (Emphasis his. Is this a Christian Reconstructionist/Dominionism 
message? I suspect so.)

	Don Feder of "Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation," 
jews4fairness.org, says that the American government can't work without 
Christianity: "I think it's important for all religious people to work 
against anti-Christian defamation. Obviously, we're all in this 
together; America's a country that's 76% Christian, America's survival 
depends upon the survival of Christianity. I think John Adams, our 
second president, said it best, when he commented that our Constitution 
was made for a moral and a religious people; it is wholly inadequate 
for the government of any other. That religion happens to be 
Christianity. If Christianity fails in America, if the left has its 
way, America as we know it will cease to exist."

	Rev. Herbert Lusk, one of the hosts, speaks pretty freely about 
abortion and being against marriage rights, and seems to equate the 
United States to the "rock" upon which Jesus builds his church, here: 
"The fact of the matter is the foundations [of our culture] will not be 
destroyed, because Jesus said, upon this rock, I build my church! And 
the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it!" Similarly, he's 
certainly colourful towards opponents: "Be careful how you fool with 
the church! When you start messing with the church, something stirs up 
inside of me! You be careful because the church has _surviving_ power! 
My friends, you know this, and know this well, don't fool with the 
church, because the church has buried a many a critic! And all the 
critics that we have no buried, we're making funeral arrangements for 
them!" That's part of a long sequence that got a standing ovation.

----- Begin transcript -----

Justice Sunday III
Proclaim Liberty!
It's On The Bell

Family Research Council
Focus on the Family Action

Greater Exodus Baptist Church
Philadelphia, PA

Sen. Rick Santorum
Dr. James Dobson
Dr. Jerry Falwell
Dr. Alvita King
Bishop Wellington Boone
Several others

Hosts: FRC president Tony Perkins, Rev. Herbert Lusk

Transcript by Dara Korra'ti. All quoted material is verbatim, except 
for (parenthetical comments) are descriptive inserts. All _emphasis_ 
marks are as spoken. Material not in quotes may contain my notes and 
comments, particularly early in the transcription.

-- start --
Lusk starts with: "Let the church say AMEN!" then praises Tony Perkins 
quite a bit, talks about how he "set our souls on evangelical fire," 
then hands the mike over.

Perkins: Proclaims religious freedoms "under attack." Lists off some of 
the usual complaints. Lusk interjects, "Are we gonna do something about 
it?!" Crowd roars approval. Introduces "someone who knows a lot about 
religious liberty and freedom," Rick Santorum.

Santorum: religious freedom is at risk because of "liberal activist 
judges on the Supreme Court." Claims the founders established two of 
three branches of governments "elected by the people" (which is not in 
fact really true. Direct election only for the House of 
Representatives, and most people couldn't vote). Talks about liberal 
judges "destroying traditional morality" and "creating a new moral 
code." Court is "imposing its own... will upon the people." Praises 
Judge Alito, "A powerful intellect... yet grounded in that common 
sense." "Appropriately unwilling to impose his views upon the American 
people." Says Democrats will "continue their far-left judicial activism 
on the Supreme Court," saying that they are going to "[destroy] Penn's 
great experiment, and of the Constitution given to us some 219 year ago 
here in Philadelphia."

Pre-taped section by FRC president Tony Perkins. Talks about the 
Liberty Bell. "It's become an important symbol of our freedom." Talks 
about political correctness, "but, my friend, it is historically 
correct" and "atheist groups, aided by the Federal Courts, have made 
great progress in their efforts to eradicate all public displays of our 
religious history." The film is weirdly jerky (as I later noticed is 
true for all the prerecorded segments); presumably a technical issue. 
Rev. James Kennedy: "The name of god, on our currency and on our 
monuments, is an important reminder of the person to whom we owe all 
that we have, which is God Almighty, the ultimate hero of America, 
whose providence, according to George Washington, was the very reason 
why we succeeded at arms, and gained our liberty and independence to 
begin with. To remove all of those things, all of those reminders, is 
to soon forget this one to whom we owe our liberty, our freedom, and 
all that we enjoy in this world. Therefore, let us indeed enter into 
the debate and let known our opinions about such important matters as 
these." Patrick Korten: VP, Knights of Columbus: "Recently, we've been 
heavily involved in defending the Pledge of Allegiance in the Federal 
Courts. We were responsible for the campaign to have the words 'Under 
God' inserted in the pledge back in 1954. We have always believed that 
it's important for those words to be there, because, as it's said in 
the Declaration of Independence, 'we are endowed by _our creator_ with 
certain inalienable rights.' That was a really important statement, 
because it said in America, we believe our rights come from our 
creator, from God, not from the state. It's not the state's to give and 
to take away." Invokes Communism.

Back to live footage in the church:

Dr. Alveda King, of "King for America": sings a spiritual. Crawl 
appears, noting Alito has the "highest rating" from the ABA. Also, 
"Alito has more priour judicial experience than any supreme court 
nominee in the last 70 years," "Leviticus 25:10-proclaim liberty 
throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof..." and a 
continuing series of other key talking points, most of which come from 
the just-shown pre-taped section. (These continued throughout the live 
sections throughout the show.) King: "Liberty is a precious right that 
we must preserve. When truth cannot be absolutely proclaimed, worship 
of tolerance becomes tyranny. The lives of all people, including the 
lives of the unborn, are caught up in the battle for religious freedom 
before us." "The materialism in America has been an unconscious thing. 
We didn't mean to do it. ... We didn't just go up and say, 'now God, 
we're gone.' We have gone a whole day's journey, America; and then we 
came to see that we have unconsciously ushered God out of our universe. 
That is the danger confronting us tonight, my friends... that in a 
nation such as ours... that we will unconsciously forget about God." 
Quotes Martin Luther King, Jr. a bit, praises God a lot. Quoting 
MLK,Jr: "If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover these 
precious values, that all reality hinges on moral foundations, and that 
all reality has spiritual control." Alveda King: "We can affirm those 
words here in America right now!" Prays. Sings "We Shall Overcome."

Pre-taped section: Thomas Jefferson referenced the Christian God four 
times in the Declaration of Independence. (All quotes say "Our 
Creator," and so on, but hey.) Attacks courts. Lots and LOTS of 
painting Jefferson as requiring Christianity for democratic government.

Rev. Lusk: Quotes Psalms 11:3. "If the foundations be destroyed, what 
shall the righteous do?" "I've been called a sellout, I've been called 
an Uncle Tom, and the New York Times called me 'a maverick to the black 
church.' Well, friends, I just want the Times to know, if a maverick 
can be defined as one who is pro-life, than I'm a maverick. (crowd 
cheers) And if being a maverick means that I am one who supports the 
original intent of God Almighty to have a husband and a wife 
(interrupted by cheers) then I want you to mark right next to my name, 
Herbert Hoover Lusk II, 'Maverick!'" "The foundations are being 
tampered with. ... 55 of the original signers of our Constitution were 
all men of God, but the foundation is being tampered with... like never 
before, this hostility against the people of God, and brothers and 
sisters, I want the people to know that I will not go down lightly!" 
(cheers)

"From the time 1963 until 1999, over 18 million African-American babies 
alone have been aborted! They've said that I don't speak for black 
people. Well, I may not speak for _all_ black people. But there are 
some black folk that I speak for!" (cheers)  (standing ovation) "We are 
against the redefinition of marriage! We are against abortion! We are 
against partial abortion! And we are against Christian bashing!" 
(cheers)

Talks about oppression against Christians, and how bad it is, and "it 
looks so bad that we just need to throw in the towel!" (roars of "no" 
from audience) "The fact of the matter is the foundations will not be 
destroyed, because Jesus said, upon this rock, I build my church! And 
the very gates of hell shall not prevail against it!" "Be careful how 
you fool with the church! When you start messing with the church, 
something stirs up inside of me! You be careful because the church has 
_surviving_ power! My friends, you know this, and know this well, don't 
fool with the church, because the church has buried a many a critic! 
And all the critics that we have no buried, we're making funeral 
arrangements for them!" "We have surviving power, and we have thriving 
power! And I don't care how hard you hit us, the more you hit us, the 
stronger we get!" "We are persecuted, but not forsaken! Cast down, but 
not destroyed!" (All this is interrupted repeatedly by cheers.) "The 
church is the only organisation in the world that has arriving power! 
Are y'all hearing what I'm saying? We have arriving power. Everything 
else, you can put dead in on it (?) - nothing else goes past the 
graveyard but the church! Am I right about it? If you don't believe me, 
just walk through the gravesite of history for me. Walk with me and see 
all of the great men and women who came against the church and declared 
their name above Jesus, they are all passed away, like the pestilence 
of the storms, only to be remembered by the desolations they have made. 
Oh, my brothers and my sisters, there is nothing to compare with being 
a child of the King!" (standing ovation) (continually interrupted with 
cheers) "One day, one day, hope will be swallowed up in certainty. And 
one day, sight will be swallowed up in sights. And one day time will 
collapse at the foot of eternity. But the church of the living God will 
just be having breakfast!" "All hail the power of Jesus's name! Let 
angels prostrate towards him! Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown 
him LORD!" (standing ovation) (cheers)

Pre-taped segment: FRC's Tony Perkins again: "For the first 150 years 
of our country's history, the nation's highest court was a great 
defender of religious principles being taught in our schools, protected 
by our laws, and honoured in public. Unfortunately, that began to 
change about 60 years ago, as religious questions came before the 
court; as religious questions came before the court, the court has 
grown increasingly hostile to religion and to religious liberties. Just 
in our schools alone, prayer was outlawed, the Bible was banned, the 10 
Commandments removed, and members of the clergy prohibited from praying 
at graduations. America needs a court that will cease its hostility 
towards religion, and once again be a protector of religious faith and 
liberties."

Ed Meese: "From the beginning of our country in the 1780s, until about 
1947, the role of religion in public life was recognised as both 
significant and also as very legitimate. And this was the position the 
courts uniformly took over most of that history of our nation."

Alan Sears, Alliance Defense Fund: "In 1947, the Supreme Court of the 
United States issued a decision in Everson (Graphic flashes up: 
"Everson v. Board of Education, Justice Hugo Black Changed the meaning 
of 'Separation of Church & State'"), which has basically been the 
citation from then on of the words "The Separation of Church and 
State," even though Justice Hugo Black was in the minourity in that 
decision, did not persuade the entire court to go his way, he used a 
metaphor that has been now misused probably more than any other 
metaphor in American Constitutional law. In fact, in one 
man-on-the-street survey I saw not too long ago, a majority of 
Americans actually thought that phrase appeared in the Constitution. 
But it does not, and I'm glad to say that recently the 6th Circuit 
Federal Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, in a case involving the 10 
Commandments, they're tired of hearing the ACLU's worn-out argument 
about the separation of Church and State, because that phrase is not in 
the Constitution of the Untied States."

David Barton, "US Government History Expert," wallbuilders.com: "It was 
1947, Everson v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court said, 'well, we 
think that the wall of separation concept should not apply to the free 
exercise clause, we think it ought to apply to the establishment 
clause.' So now they're saying, 'we think it's the role of the Federal 
government to stop public religious activities.' Jefferson used that 
phrase to say, 'no, it's going to protect expression,' but in 1947, the 
court said, 'No, we're going to use it to stop expression.' So now, 
using Jefferson's phrase, the court steps in and says, 'Oh, we've got 
to stop voluntary school prayer. Oh, by the way, we have to take 'under 
God' out of the pledge of allegiance. Oh, by the way, we can't have 
nativity scenes in public, or the Mt. Soledad Cross over in California, 
can't do that; Indiana legislature, say a prayer, we can't - so what we 
have now is that separation phrase that for 150 years protected 
religious expression is now used to secularise the society. And that's 
completely the opposite of what it was intended to do!"

Back to live, for another segment:

Dr. James Dobson: (Standing ovation) "I tell you what, you folks have 
got my blood pressure up. You are on fire! And you know what? There are 
millions of more out there out there who just the way we do, and I'm 
excited to be here." "I think that this effort to help get Judge Samuel 
Alito confirmed may be one of the most important issues that has 
occurred, one of the most important efforts that has occurred in recent 
history. Because of the issue of judicial tyranny. That's what we're 
faced with. The video that you've seen all come down to that. Because, 
as you have heard, for 60 years this court has forced its will on the 
American people. The decisions that have been made about religious 
concerns have not been chosen by the American people, they have been 
forced on the American people and it's time to put it to an end." 
(applause)

"So you heard some of the decisions that have been made, let me enter 
into a dialogue with you, may I do that? I'm going to ask some 
questions and I want you to answer me. Will you let me hear from you? 
(Yes) Do you think that schoolchildren should be allowed to read the 
Bible in school? (yes) Do you believe that schoolchildren should be 
able to prayer, pray in school (YES!) Do you believe that there should 
be prayer at graduation activities? (Yes) And sporting events? (YES!) 
Do you resent the fact that the courts has made it impossible for your 
kids to participate in that (YES!!) Do you believe that every child in 
this country should be able to pray or to say the pledge of allegiance 
(Yes) with 'under God' included? (YES!) Now, do you believe that every 
child in the world should be welcomed into this world and protected and 
given a chance at life? (YES!) (applause) You see, every one of those 
issues is here in the United States and in many places around the 
world, a 70% issue or more. Some of them are 80%, one of them having to 
do with the Pledge of Allegiance, is a 90% issue. The American people 
_do not want_ what the Court has done to them! (Yes!)"

"Now, this is the point... we are the deciders of our government. This 
is a wonderful experiment in self-governing. And it is being undermined 
and representative government is being weakened and vilified and indeed 
made illegal. And that is why we are here, because there is so much at 
stake. It is just hard to get ahold of what we are facing at this time. 
This Supreme Court and certainly the next one, the next two or three 
years, is going to deal with some awesome issues. One of them is 
partial-birth abortion. That is going to be considered again by this 
court. That horrible, Nazi-esque procedure by which babies are 
delivered, all but the tops of their heads, and they're fully brimming 
with life! And a doctor inserts a canular, a tube in the back of the 
head, sucks the brains out of those babies, and collapses the head of 
the baby and delivers a dead baby. This Supreme Court's gonna decide 
that! That ought to be decided by us, because I _know_ what the 
decision would be!" (applause)

"It is very likely that in the next few years the court is going to 
decide on the definition of marriage! Imagine that! Should not the 
American people make that decision? The beginning of the preamble to 
the Constitution says, "we, the people, of the United States," - we're 
supposed to decide the great moral decisions of our time. And all of 
them are being made for us! And it is wrong, and it has to stop!" ... 
"There are just so many other religious issues, going back to the 
matter of marriage; 19 states have now considered what the definition 
of marriage should be, and put it in their Constitution. 19 states! All 
19 of them have said between one man and on woman!" (shouts of 
approval) (applause) "yet according to Justice Kennedy, in Lawrence vs. 
Texas, he made it pretty clear that the American people are not going 
to get a chance to make that decision, the court's going to make it for 
us! And I say NO!" (shouts of approval) "And I think they need to hear 
us loud and clear."

"Now folks, the good news, is that the President of the United States, 
George Bush, has appointed, or nominated, an outstanding judge to be a 
justice on the Supreme Court. Samuel Alito has all the qualifications. 
The American Bar Association, with which I don't agree on much, has 
given him the highest rating. He has more judicial experience than 105 
out of 108 nominees to the Supreme Court. And he has made it very clear 
[FRC hotline flashes up: 877.FRC.4545], and I believe him, that he will 
be an originalist. An originalist is one who will not legislate from 
the bench, but who will interpret the Constitution, which is the limit 
of their ability." (applause)

"And there's gonna be an all-out effort to defeat him. It starts 
tomorrow. And you're going to hear all kinds of charges against him; we 
already heard on _Meet the Press_, or one of the talk shows this 
morning, Senator Schumer talking about all the evil that this man has 
done. _Do not believe it!_ This is a good man who will make wise 
decisions, I'm thankful that he's been appointed, and now, I urge you, 
my friends and fellow Christian and neighbours and countrymen, I urge 
you to _let your senators know_ how you feel about this. Tell them two 
things: DO NOT FILIBUSTER. (applause) Would you repeat that with me? 
DO. NOT. FILIBUSTER. (audience does.) And give this man the courtesy of 
an up or down vote. That's all we're requesting. Give him the courtesy 
of a simple up or down vote. And if we do that and we let our voices be 
heard, I believe we can put an end to judicial tyranny and once again 
we can have government of the people, by the people, and for the 
people, in this country. Thank you all." (standing ovation)

Pre-taped segment: Tony Perkins, FRC: points at Christ Church in 
Philadelphia, saying "it was the clergy" that were "a driving force in 
securing and defending America's liberty. Today, we often see formal 
complaints filed against pastors who speak out on the issues from a 
Biblical perspective. But the members of the Continental Congress and 
those who attended services here at Christ Church, would have thought 
that not only foolish, but they would have seen those complaints as 
downright dangerous." Talks about pastors being responsible for the 
spread of the independence movement and of the anti-slavery movement 
and the civil rights movement, and the anti-abortion movement. "Thank 
God there have always been religious people in our nation with 
God-given convictions for truth, justice, and religious freedom. They 
have kept our nation on course towards its high calling of being a 
beacon of freedom for all people, a strong nation, one nation, under 
God."

James Kennedy: "The founders of this country believed that religious 
liberty was the most important liberty that we have. That is why it is 
first in the bill of rights. Before any of the other liberties are 
mentioned, first of all, there is the guarantee of religious freedom. 
Without that, this nation would soon lose all of its liberty.

Don Feder, "Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation," jews4fairness.org: 
"I think it's important for all religious people to work against 
anti-Christian defamation. Obviously, we're all in this together; 
America's a country that's 76% Christian, America's survival depends 
upon the survival of Christianity. I think John Adams, our second 
president, said it best, when he commented that our Constitution was 
made for a moral and a religious people; it is wholly inadequate for 
the government of any other. That religion happens to be Christianity. 
If Christianity fails in America, if the left has its way, America as 
we know it will cease to exist." William Donohue, President & CEO, 
Catholic League: "You cannot talk about liberty in this country without 
talking about religious freedom. The most elementary form of freedom is 
religious freedom. If you don't have that, all other freedoms are 
meaningless. And Catholics and evangelicals have come together. We 
understand what's at state. Our culture is going south. And unless we 
rescue it, we're all going down together. And that's why we've reached 
out with observant Jews and people of faith of _all_ faiths, because we 
have a war in this country between the secular supremacists who want to 
gut our society and out religious heritage of any expression of 
religion, and those people who understand the traditional understanding 
of freedom of religion going back to the time of James Madison. Look: 
the time for an alliance is _now_. Evangelicals, traditional Catholics, 
observant Jews, standing together against the secular supremacists. 
Either they win, or we win!"

Back to live segment:

"Chancellor of Liberty University, Dr. Jerry Falwell:" Thanks Rev. 
Lusk, Dr. Dobson, Tony Perkins, Family Research Council, "And the 
people who have worked so hard at this crucial time to deliver a 
message to people of faith in this country that it's now or never." 
Talks about meeting Dr. Tim LaHaye 30 years before in California, then 
head of Californians for Biblical Morality. "What can we do about what 
appeared to be a terrible move towards secularisation in our country. I 
had no idea how far we'd go, but with the Shemp (School District of 
Abbington Township v. Shemp) case, we had eliminated prayer, 
Bible-reading, but I didn't know what to do - I had been taught in 
school that religion and politics don't mix. I'd never bothered to look 
for the book chapter and verse - it isn't in there, it's like 
separation of Church and State, it's not in the Constitution - but we 
had been so brainwashed that I felt my hands were tied. Dr. LaHaye had 
done something spectacular out in California, and I wondered 'why can 
that not be done nationally?' So in 1979... we formed the Moral 
Majority. And we weren't intending to say that everyone else is of the 
immoral minourity. We were simply saying that we believe most Americans 
believe in matters of faith and family and decency and the 
Judeo-Christian ethic, that generally a majority at that time agreed 
with that position, and I think they still do. Well, the press, very 
quickly, in a pejorative way, dubbed us the 'Religious Right.' You 
could get most of our preachers in a phone booth at that time, who 
wanted to get involved in political issues, but I've never looked on 
abortion, and family values, as being political. First and foremost, 
and primarily, they're moral, and they're social issues (cries of 
support from audience), and if the pulpit is not to address those 
issues, what are we to address?" (support from audience)

"I feel that this is a crucial, crucial time. Judge Alito. What we've 
worked on for 30 years, to mobilise people of faith and values in this 
country. And no one's done it better than Dr. Dobson in recent times. 
So what we have done through this years is coming to culmination, to 
consummation, right now. We were able to hold off Michael Moore, and 
most of Hollywood, and most of the national media, and George Soros, 
and the Kennedy and other crowds who fought so fiercely against the 
re-election of George Bush. That was just a year ago."

"And now, now we're looking at what we really started on 30 years ago; 
a _reconstruction_ of a court system gone awry. Robert, John Roberts, 
is now on the court, he's Chief Justice, and everybody thinks he's 
wonderful. But these same guys were calling him bad names just a few 
months ago. And now, today, on the talk shows everywhere, poor Judge 
Alito, didn't know how bad he was, how dishonest he is, he heard that 
today. [www.frc.org] But the fact is, he is a qualified justice. And 
all the president's trying to do is keep his promise to put on the 
court more men like Scalia, and Thomas, who will stand for a strict 
constructionist application of the Constitution, and stand for faith 
and family, and all the things that this nation under God has for plus 
200 years been."

"I want to challenge every one of you watching by television. You have 
two senators. If you don't know their names, you ought to repent first 
(laughter), and then call the US Capitol, and talk with whoever you can 
talk with, and urge them to vote for the confirmation of this judge. 
The President has three more years, God willing, and there could be 
another, maybe two - who knows? And it could be that not only the House 
and the Senate and many of the state houses, and the people of course, 
would be getting their act together on moral and social issues; it 
could be that the court, after 30 long hard years, from people like 
you, there could be a reconstruction of the US Supreme Court in our 
immediate lifetime. What a wonderful thing that would be."

"The wisest man who ever lived, Solomon, said, 'Living by God's 
principles brings, uh - violating God's principles brings shame. Living 
by those principles brings a nation to greatness.' We need to come back 
to what the founding fathers and David Barton was just telling us about 
- we are a nation under God. (support from audience) I was raised in 
the home of a man who didn't know God, I didn't know the Bible; my 
father was in business - oil, gas, nightclubs; I grew up without 
knowing a verse of scripture; and through hearing Charles E. Fuller's 
Old-Fashioned Revival Hour broadcast as a sophomore in college, 54 
years ago, gave my heart to the Lord. (applause) I have to learn from 
scratch everything I know about him, about Christ. And now, some 54 
years later, I want to see for my children and my grandchildren - and I 
have many of them - that they will enjoy the same America in which I 
was born. It can't be talked about, it must be acted upon. Go to the 
telephone. Write your letters. Get to your US senators. And let's, 
let's confirm this man, Judge Alito, to the US Supreme Court, and let's 
make one more step towards bringing America back to one nation under 
God. God bless you." (Standing ovation)

Tony Perkins: Quotes Luke Chapter 18, 'Men should not lose heart, but 
they should pray.' There are many difficult days ahead, and I want to 
challenge you here tonight to pray. We need to be praying for our 
nation. Can I hear an amen?" (Audience AMEN). Quotes Timothy: "'We are 
to pray for those in authority.' We need to be praying for our senators 
this week. We need to be praying for our president. (applause) We need 
to be praying for all those in authority. Scripture also tells us that 
we should pray for those who curse us (shouts of approval) and 
persecute us. And I want to challenge you this, over the next 21 days, 
to pray for those who say we shouldn't be here tonight. For those who 
would like to take away your voice. Let's pray for them that they too 
might experience the fullness of God's joy and his peace. And at a time 
when the Middle East stands at a crisis and turmoil with the illness of 
the Prime Minster, Psalm 1:22 instructs us to pray for the peace of 
Jerusalem." Points people to frc.org; asks people to join the "FRC 
Prayer Team," and get their weekly prayer team updates, particularly 
over the Alito nomination. "We've got to put feet to our prayers, and 
we've got to stand up, and we've got to take action. And we can help 
you do that, too, at the Family Research Council..." Plugs website 
again, and phone number (877.FRC.4545), to sign up to get prayer team 
reports and daily Washington Update bulletin. Asks audience to commit 
to praying over the next 21 days. Asks audience to commit to taking 
action over the next 21 days.

(Many broadcasters now leave; final 30 minutes not carried on all 
stations.)

Perkins pulls Collin Hannah out of the crowd - he's a county 
commissioner who fought to keep a courthouse 10 Commandments display 
(Credited as being with Let Freedom Ring); "We received a letter in 
2001 from the ACLU... we were not intimidated; we did not go down 
lightly; we united, and we answered the letter with a letter that was 
very politely worded... but said no." Lost first round, appealed to the 
3rd circuit (Alito's circuit) and won a reversal; "my message to other 
elected officials in a similar situation is, 'Do not go down lightly; 
you can win.'" Perkins again: "In your communities, pray that God would 
raise up men like Collin Hannah and others who fear God more than man, 
and will stand, because we stand, guess what happens? We win."

Pre-recorded section, Tony Perkins again: Carpenter's Hall, meeting 
place of the 1st Continental Congress. Portrays 1st Continental 
Congress as a prayer revival. "Our nation was born in public prayer, 
and it will be sustained by no less. Unfortunately, in the last 229 
years, our nation has moved away from that prayer, in fact, to the 
point where the Supreme Court has said children cannot pray in our 
schools, and the practice of praying before high school football games 
is prohibited. The very clergy that our founders turned to in a time of 
need have now been turned away from the public square." (Note: Children 
can pray in schools. School officials can't lead them in prayer It's 
not the same thing, though they are intermixed for propagandistic 
effect.)

James Kennedy: "For courts to dictate how chaplains should pray in 
public is to deny religious liberty at its very heart. Because if we 
cannot appeal to our God in the way that our God has instructed us - 
and Jesus has said, 'Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I 
do' - therefore, religious freedom and liberty are destroyed. 
Therefore, it's vitally important that not only chaplains, but pastors 
- even lay people, in various circumstances - would be free to pray 
according to what their religion teaches them. And as Christians, we 
know that that involves speaking to God the Father in the name of Jesus 
Christ, his only son, who alone promises us that our prayers, in his 
name, will be heard."

Brian Bosma, Speaker of the House, Indiana State Legislature: "We've 
had a 189-year tradition in the Indiana House of Representatives of 
having men and women of faith be invited to our chamber and pray in 
accordance with the dictates of their own conscience, uncensored by 
either elected officials or Federal courts, and that has resulted in a 
reverent opportunity for men and women of faith to open our session for 
nearly 200 years now. After we placed our sessions on the internet, 
which was one of the things that I did this last year, the Indiana 
Civil Liberties Union then took the opportunity to count the number of 
times that someone in our opening prayer mentioned the name of Jesus 
Christ or otherwise referred to their saviour or shepherd. And 29 out 
of 54 times was too much for the Indiana Civil Liberties Union. Along 
with the assistance of one legislator, they filed a lawsuit in Federal 
court that has sought and now has received an injunction directing me 
as the Speaker of the House, not to allow sectarian prayers, especially 
those that mention the name of Jesus Christ, or any reference to the 
second coming, the resurrection, or the fact that Jesus is our 
redeemer. The Indiana Civil Liberties Union, and, in fact, many of the 
local governments, have reacted to this ruling by saying that it 
applies to all units of government, and, if it's sustained and upheld 
by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, it will be applicable to every 
unit of government throughout the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. And if 
it's appealed to the Supreme Court, which we intend to do if necessary, 
and is upheld, then it applies to every unit of government throughout 
the United States. So this really is a larger issue of just what's 
happening in the Indiana House to the intersection of faith and 
government and the broader cultural war we find ourselves in today 
against those who want to take every bit of religion out of our state, 
local, and Federal government. Personally, I find this to be an 
intolerable ruling, it's one that I have directed our state Attorney 
General and our legal team to file an aggressive and immediate appeal 
of, and we will seek to defend the name of Jesus Christ, but more 
importantly, the ability of every citizen, perhaps in the United 
States, to pray in accordance with their own conscience. They should 
have uncensored speech and the ability to pray in accordance with their 
own conscience, and that's what we're going to seek to defend.

Back to live:

Fellowship International Churches, Bishop Wellington Boone: Quotes 
Psalms 84:5. "'Will thou not revive us again, that our people might 
rejoice in thee? Show us thy mercy O Lord, and grant us thy 
salvation.'" "Isaiah 56, verse 7, says 'My  house should be called a 
house of prayer for all people.' I don't know, it seems to me that 
we're almost going out of our minds. In reality, we don't understand, 
seemingly, in this day, that America became America on the wings of 
somebody on their _knees_." (affirmation from audience)

"God is causing the whole nation - when Dr. Lusk got up and he talked 
about the foundations be destroyed - the basic foundation is the 
foundation of _prayer_. But you know the Lord is not going to come back 
and look to the government and look to even educational institutions - 
he's going to come back and look to the _church_ (applause starts) and 
say, 'you're the sword and you're the light! you're the ones who have 
to make the difference right now!' (lots of applause) I believe the 
times are summoning the church to take its position in the marketplace, 
because it seems like the world, even in this nation, don't seem to 
understand what to do! How could we, in this particular day and time, 
not understand that we need revival again! We need the fires of prayer 
and the fires of revival to come back to this nation again!" (applause)

"You know good and well that this nation was started on the basis of 
somebody wanting religious freedom, somebody who would stand on the 
word, somebody who would, who would actually win people to Jesus, try 
to make a nation under God, that's why we ended up on our dollar bill 
with 'One Nation Under God!' I mean, how are we gonna, how're they 
going to think we're so weak that you're going to make us back down on 
something as basic as that? (affirmation) God is calling - I'm still 
mad right now, and I'm trying to calm down right now and not scream. 
But we're not going back - you heard it already. Look at all the 
documents. Look at what we're reminding ourselves of, as though we've 
forgotten. You can go back to the early 1700s and we used to be reading 
in our history classes, _Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God_, 
Jonathan Edwards, messages he used to read, with thick glasses 
something like these, and it would seem as though that while he was 
reading that message, rote, not trying to be charismatic, just reading 
the message, that people would see themselves dangling over the fires 
of hell and scream out for God to come into their hearts. That began 
the first Great Awakening in the 1700s, which became the foundation for 
this nation, an awakening to God like never before. And when you think 
about it, every Ivy League school started by somebody praying and by 
somebody saying, 'we need _training schools_ for _ministers_.'"

"It's intellectual dishonesty not to think that our whole nation began 
with God and with prayer. (affirmations) How can we be arguing with 
somebody who don't have a clue? God's just calling us to stand up! 
(affirmations) You go to the 1800s, in the beginning of the 1800s, and 
you saw that the claim to fame, really, of Jefferson, was the Louisiana 
Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States, but there were 
guys like Barton Stone and James McCreedy, that said, that 'when you 
guys went west' - because that's where we got the idea of 'Go West, 
Young Man' - he said, 'God went with you.' And out in Kentucky, there 
was, the people who said, 'we gotta pray, we got to call people 
together to pray again,' so they would go out into the woods and cut 
down trees and to pray and seek God, what happened? Red River, Muddy 
River, and the Cain River Revival, our nation was awakened again! 
Second Great Awakening in this country!

"Then Finney, preacher, didn't compromise the message - you know, Lymon 
Beecher, up there in the _north_ (contemptuously) of this nation, would 
say Finney had these new measures, we weren't going to put up with 
this, because, you know, he's gone too far. But Finney was summoned to 
Philadelphia, which is where we are today, and he came to Philadelphia, 
because Philadelphia was the Harlem of that day, meaning that there was 
so much stuff going on, so many kinds of sins, so many drinking, so 
many kinds of crimes going on, he came here, sent Father Nash to pray 
for weeks in advance, he would call inquiry meetings, in the inquiry 
meetings, the place, the house that he would go into, they'd start 
crying, power of God would come, because God began to break the nation! 
This nation needed to be broken! Their hearts needed to be impacted by 
God again! Somebody gotta pray like never before!

"When Lymon Beecher heard what happened in Philadelphia, where this 
Great Awakening occurred, where this place was transformed, he said, 
'would you please come to New England,' met him at the state line; as a 
result of that, Rome, New York was touched, Rochester, New York; whole 
cities were transformed. Crime dried up in whole cities! Why? Because 
somebody prayed and somebody preached. And Jesus called his disciples 
and he said to his disciples, 'Go into every city and town where I 
myself would come.' He sent his disciples out two by two. Look, just 
take a whole city, take a whole city in prayer, and then he said, 'Go 
ye, pray there before you go there.' _How_ are the people gonna shut us 
up? How are a bunch of _liberals_ who don't have a _clue_ gonna shut us 
up? You were saying, that we are,  we're intolerant? _Intolerant?!_ We 
are become the nation that _allowed_ for all these other people to come 
in here to be able to worship their God! Yes, we are Bible-believing, 
Bible-carrying people, you say you're trying to proselytise - what do 
you mean? _Of course!_ What do you think, they're going to get saved by 
_osmosis_?! (applause starts) Of _course_ we're gonna get people saved! 
Of _course_ we're gonna talk about Jesus! (standing ovation starts) Of 
_course_ we're gonna say the name of Jesus without compromise! Of 
_course_ we're gonna pray, like never before! That's what I'm talking 
about! (sustained applause)

"It's on the wings of prayer that our nation has become what it is. So 
sure, I applaud big politicians who are praying. I applaud, like, the 
one that just finished, Bosma, there in Indiana, and I applaud the 
senators and I applaud men like Senator Santorum standing up for the 
Lord. But you know what? If you don't _stand_ for anything, you won't 
_die_ for anything. It's time for us to stand like never before now, 
and come to this place of prayer. Our nation needs you now, like never 
before. African-Americans, we're not going to put up with this - let's 
face it. We're called religious people. And where some of the other 
people are worried about, you understand, this matter of prayer, we're 
not _worried_ about being political. It's time now for us to _stand 
up_. (shouting now) God _will not_ (?!) revive us again, you can't 
_tell_ me that abortion and this matter of all this, is a white man's 
issue! It is an issue of _unrighteousness_! And black people who are 
the ones who are aborting at a rate as nobody else, where sin does 
abound, grace must more abound, black people have to stand up! and 
pray! (standing ovation starts) We will not die! We will not give in to 
this same old stupid stuff we're sayin'.

"'Judge Alito will turn back the hands of civil rights a hundred 
years.' (boos) Don't spit in my face and call it rain! That's the same 
old stupid stuff we've been saying for years. Have you read his record? 
Have you looked at what he's done? If you haven't done your research, 
stop looking to man and look to God, and stand up now and be the people 
God called you to be. This is our day!" (still standing, audience 
cheers more, sits)

Tony Perkins: "That prayer begins with us. And we must pray, and again, 
I want to encourage you to be a part of praying intently over the next 
21 ays, over the next three weeks, commit to pray..." plugs FRC.org 
again, and daily prayer updates, and daily Washington Update, and copy 
of "Publicly Honouring God," the dissent of Justice Thomas Scalia in a 
recent 10 Commandments case, "It gives you the history, the _Christian_ 
history, of America, and I encourage you to do that as you sign up." 
Calls assembly to corporate prayer. (There are about 15 minutes left.)

Pastor Lusk calls a a variety of preachers all come up to pray. Starts 
with the Lord's Prayer as a boatload of preachers slowly head up to the 
front of the church, then starts handing the microphone around.

Pastor Craig gives a prayer thanking for not being forsaken and asking 
for God to "come to the aid of your people;" "And now Lord, like never 
before, we stand in the place of need, for your mercy, and your 
justice;" calls for "justice to be in the standard of God;" asks for 
God to "touch the hearts of your people, that we will be the conscience 
and the voice of those that are unborn, that we would be the voice and 
the conscience to those that are unseen, that we would let men and 
women know, that we are not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ," 
etc.

Bishop Morris: "We ask Christians boldly proclaim the name of Jesus 
Christ, for we believe that Jesus died that we might live..." "Jesus 
Christ is Lord and saviour. And every knee shall bow, and every tongue 
shall confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord."

Pastor Lobek(?): "We come tonight as the free children of God... come 
to this country that you've created, because your word has been given 
the liberty to be heard, to be believed, and to be lived out. Father, 
we ask that once again in the name of Christ that liberty would be 
proclaimed throughout the land, unto every inhabitant thereof, that you 
would free your people, that you'd allow your word to be mighty and 
powerful, and that you'd sanctify us, through your word and by your 
spirit. ... You have said that you will build your church, and 
therefore may not secularism or unbelief, or a hostile Supreme Court, 
prevail against your word. Sanctify us through your word, for your word 
is true. We come in faith, trusting this, in the name of every one that 
trusts in Jesus. We come as Christians, trusting in the name that's 
above every name, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."

Jerrod(?) Paradise(?): "Father, it's so clear; that your hand has been 
upon this nation from the very beginning; father, we are your 
experiment; father thank you for the founders, thank you for those who 
shed blood, to grant us freedom; thank you for all the years, thank you 
for the multiplied thousands of churches; thank you for the millions of 
Christians; thank you for all the scriptures, all the missioners, all 
the work that has gone out from this nation. And father, now, we're 
threatened, our liberties are threatened, but you're greater, and your 
hand is still upon us. I pray, pour out your holy spirit empower, and 
give to your church a spirit of courage, a spirit of conviction, a 
spirit of revival, a spirit that loves the truth and takes a stand for 
righteousness. God, put your hand upon us in a powerful, powerful way, 
and in all things father we pray that you are honoured, your son Jesus 
Christ is glorified and magnified and exalted and praised and put on 
display. We are the light, we are the salt, we are your people. In your 
great name we pray, Lord Jesus, amen and amen."

Bishop Coleman: "Heavenly father, your word says, that you have not 
given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. And 
father, as we come tonight, united as the Body of Christ, I pray O God 
that you'll bring America back to holiness. Bring America back to 
righteous living. Bring America back to the Godly standard that is the 
foundation of this nation. And most of all father and Lord(?), I pray 
that you'll touch the heart of every believer, and that we'll rise 
together and stand together with one voice, and to be able to say that 
we've taken it long enough, we're not gonna take it anymore, that we're 
not going to stand and allow all of the liberties that we have been 
given by you almighty God, to be taken away from us any longer. Because 
father, your word says, 'by the blessing of the upright, the city shall 
be exalted. Jesus Christ will be Lord!"

Back to Rev. Lusk, who starts a "YES!" chant, to "YES LORD!" and more 
song. "YES to your will! YES to your way! YES to your word!" with 
audience response and singing. (mass applause as music ends)

Tony Perkins again: "Let's pray together, join hands with those 
standing next to you, let's thank God for tonight, and pray that we 
don't have to wait for Justice Sunday IV to see congregations across 
this nation standing hand in hand, black American, white American, 
Christians standing together, for if we stand together, we'll never be 
divided. Father, thank you for this evening; thank you for the 
opportunity that we have had together, together in your house, to 
praise your name. We pray indeed for this nation, we pray for those in 
authority, we pray Lord that you, will turn this nation back to you, we 
pray for our president, we pray for those senators who will be deciding 
about the judges who sit on the Federal courts, we pray Lord that your 
name be glorified in this nation again. We lift you up tonight, we 
thank you, we praise you, and Lord, we wait with great anticipation of 
what you are going to do in our nation. Thank you, Lord. Can somebody 
say Amen!" (Congregation is led in song as credits roll.)

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