Congressman McEwan, Politics, and Integrity

Dear  Friend,  

 

At  the  risk  of  telling  you  what  you  may  have  heard,   I’ll  start  my   letter  this  month  by  bringing  

you  up  to  date  regarding  my  recent  injury.  In  short,  I  fell  from  a  horse  on  September  10th  while  

hosting  a  “friend  raising”  event  at  a  ranch  in  Montana.  I  was  wearing  very  wide  walking  shoes  

instead  of  boots  (my  error)  and  my  foot  slipped  from  the  right  stirrup  when  my  hat  blew  off.  

While  reaching  back  for  it,  I  lost  my  balance  and  landed  flat  on  my  back  on  a  large  six-­‐shooter.  I  

broke  my  clavicle,  my  scapula,  and  bloodied  my  back,  and  then  spent  the  next  17  days  in  three  

hospitals.   I   have   never   experienced   such   pain   and   am   just   now   getting   back   to  work.   I   have  

been  riding  horses  since  I  was  four  years  old  without  a  mishap,  but  I  sure  had  a  doozy  this  time.  

It  will  take  another  month  to  fully  recover,  during  which  I  will  continue  to  have  regular  physical  

therapy  and   voice   therapy.   I   received   so  much  oxygen  while  hospitalized   that  my   larynx  was  

affected.  You  will  hear  a  scratchy  sound  for  a  while  when  I  speak  on  the  radio.  

 

Actually,   I   am   fortunate   to   be   alive,   because   I   could   have   suffered   a   fatal   head   injury   or  

fractured  my  spine.  God  has  been  so  good  to  me,  not  just  this  time  but  through  the  years.  Some  

of  you  have  been  praying  for  me,  and  I  appreciate  that  kindness  more  than  you  know.  Others  

have  written   to   scold  me,   saying,   “What   in   the  world  was  a  man  my  age  doing  on  a  horse?”  

Well,  I  am  far  too  young  to  start  playing  pitty  pat  with  life  now.  I  love  doing  what  I  do.  

 

 

 

 

That’s  enough  about  my   injury  except  to  say  that   it  provided  plenty  of   time  for  me  to  think   I  

needed  that  opportunity  to  slow  the  frantic  pace  of  everyday  responsibilities  and  listen  to  the  

voice   of   God.   That   is   what   I   have   been   doing   in   the   intervening   weeks.   I   have   drawn   two  

conclusions  that  I  want  to  share  with  you.  

 

First,   I   continue   to   be   thankful   for   the  ministry   of   Family   Talk.   It   is   growing,   and   the   Lord   is  

blessing  our  outreach.  When  I  left  Focus  on  the  Family  in  2010,  I  could  have  retired  and  hung  up  

the   spurs   (no   pun   intended).  Many   people   thought   I  would   do   just   that.   But   I   felt   a   distinct  

urging   from   the   Lord   to   continue   trying   to   defend   the   quavering   institutions   of   marriage,  

parenthood  and  other  aspects  of  the  family.  I  was  heartbroken  by  what  was  and  is  happening  

to   children   and   felt   I   should   try   to   help.   Thus,   the  mission   and   the  message   to  which   I   have  

devoted  my  professional   life   since   leaving  U.S.C.   School  of  Medicine   in  1977   is   still   valid   and  

worthy.  This  is  why  Family  Talk  exists  and  why  I  am  returning  to  it  now  that  I  can  move  again.  I  

heard  the  confirmation  of  my  call  while  lying  in  the  various  hospitals.  

 

Second,  and  related  to  the  first,   I  am  deeply  concerned  about  what   is  happening  to  our  great  

country.   I  saw  evidence  of  undeniable  decline   in  the  American  culture  as   I  watched  the  news  

from  morning  to  night.  This  concern  came  over  me  like  a  tidal  wave.  Murder,  mayhem,  riots  in  

the   U.S.   and   Europe,  marital   breakdown,   and   financial   disintegration   are   the   daily   fare.   It   is  

starting  to  feel  like  1968  again  when  traditional  values  unraveled.  

 

For  those  of  you  who  regularly  read  the  writings  of  conservative  commentators,  you  must  have  

come   across   other   examples   of   the   alarming   perspectives   I   am   sharing.   For   example,   Daniel  

Hannan,  a  member  of  the  European  Parliament,  was  a  guest  on  Neil  Cavuto  recently.  He  said  

what  is  going  on  in  Europe  is  catastrophic.  The  policies  implemented  by  European  socialists  are  

the   same   that  are   rampant  here   in   the  United  States.   Spend,   spend,   spend.  Borrow,  borrow,  

borrow.  “It  will  all  end  badly  and  soon,”  he  said.  Hannan  fears  for  us  all.  

 

 

Columnist  and   television  commentator  Pat  Buchanan  has  also  observed   these  ominous  signs.  

The   title   of   his   new   book   is   Suicide   of   a   Superpower,   which   addresses   the   sub-­‐title,   “Will  

America  Survive  to  2025?”  His  conclusion  is  that  given  where  we  are  headed,  this  country  will  

not   endure   as   a   Constitutional   democracy.   Buchanan   then   devotes   the   next   400   pages   to  

explaining   his   thesis.   Suicide   of   a   Superpower   has   just   hit   the   streets,   and   I   have   only   seen  

reviews  of  it  so  far.  There  may  be  concepts  therein  with  which  I  would  disagree.  However,  what  

I  have  read  to  this  point  projects  ominous  implications  for  our  future.  

 

Buchanan  writes:  

 

America  is  disintegrating.  The  centrifugal  forces  pulling  us  apart  are  growing  inexorably.  

What   unites   us   is   dissolving.   And   this   is   true   of  Western   Civilization.   Meanwhile,   the  

state  is  failing  in  its  most  fundamental  duties.  It  is  no  longer  able  to  defend  our  borders,  

balance  our  budgets,  or  win  our  wars.  1  

 

The  Drudge  Report  summarized  Buchanan’s  book  this  way:  “[It]  reads  as  if  it’s  been  written  to  

be  left  behind  in  the  ruins,  only  to  be  found  by  a  future  civilization."  2  

 

I  would  not  typically  put  much  stock  in  the  apocalyptic  writings  of  a  single  author  because  no  

one  can  predict   the   future  with  certainty.  However,   this  book  validates  my  own   independent  

observations  in  many  ways.  For  example,  Buchanan  says  this  in  his  second  chapter:  

 

…the   drive   to   de-­‐Christianize   America,   to   purge   Christianity   from   the   public   square,  

public  schools  and  public  life,  will  prove  culturally  and  socially  suicidal  for  the  nation.  The  

last  consequence  of  a  dying  Christianity  is  a  dying  people.  Not  one  post-­‐Christian  nation  

has  a  birth  rate  sufficient  to  keep  it  alive  ...  

 

The  death  of  European  Christianity  means  the  disappearance  of  the  European  tribe,  a  prospect  

visible  in  the  demographic  statistics  of  every  Western  nation.”  3  

Buchanan   is  a   life-­‐long  Catholic,  which   is  evident   in  his  book.  This   is  what  he  wrote  about  his  

church,  which  he  called  “The  crisis  of  Catholicism.”  

 

Half  a  century  on,  the  disaster  is  manifest.  The  robust  and  confident  Church  of  1958  no  

longer  exists.  Catholic  colleges  and  universities  remain  Catholic  in  name  only.  Parochial  

schools  and  high  schools  are  closing  as  rapidly  as  they  opened  in  the  1950s.  The  numbers  

of  nuns,  priests  and  seminarians  have  fallen  dramatically.  Mass  attendance  is  a  third  of  

what   it   was.   From   the   former   Speaker   of   the   House   to   the   Vice   President,   Catholic  

politicians  openly  support  abortion  on  demand.”  

 

How   can   Notre   Dame   credibly   teach   that   all   innocent   life   is   sacred,   and   then   honor   a   [U.S]  

president   committed   to   ensuring   that   a   woman’s   right   to   end   the   life   of   her   innocent   child  

remains  sacrosanct?  4  

 

As  an  Evangelical,   I   recognize  some  of   the  same  disturbing  contradictions  within  conservative  

Protestant   churches,   even   those   that   have   historically   been   committed   to   Scripture.   A   huge  

number  of   today’s  young  adults,  perhaps  a  majority  of   them,  have   lost   interest   in   traditional  

teachings   that   reflect   the   words   of   Jesus.   You’ll   remember   the   concepts   that   have   become  

politically   incorrect.   Sin,   repentance,   atonement,   holiness,   and   reconciliation   with   God   are  

discredited  or  ignored.  Without  an  understanding  of  these  biblical  concepts,  Jesus’  death  on  the  

cross  is  no  more  significant  than  that  of  any  other  martyr.  The  Savior  died  to  provide  a  remedy  

for  the  sin  that  dwells  within.  John  said  of  Jesus,  “Behold,  the  Lamb  of  God,  who  takes  away  the  

sin  of  the  world!”  (John  1:29)  Failure  to  teach  these  truths  is  deeply  disturbing  to  me  because  it  

leaves  human  beings  in  an  unregenerate  condition.  

 

Also,  as  Buchanan  wrote,  it  represents  a  threat  to  the  viability  of  the  nation  itself.  

 

 

Our   Founding   Fathers   clearly   understood   the   relationship   between   Christian   Truth   and   the  

stability   of   our   (then)   new   nation.   Here   are   just   a   few   quotes   that   express   that   essential  

connection.  

 

John  Adams,  our  first  vice  president  and  second  president,  wrote:  

 

Our  Constitution  was  made  only  for  a  moral  and  religious  people.  It  is  wholly  inadequate  

to  the  government  of  any  other.  –  1798  5  

 

Thomas  Jefferson,  our  third  president  and  one  of  the  principal  framers  of  the  Constitution  –  a  

man  who,   revisionists   tell   us,  wanted  a   "wall   of   separation"   to  protect   the  government   from  

people  of  faith  –  wrote  the  words  that  now  appear  on  his  memorial  in  Washington,  D.C.:  

 

Can  the   liberties  of  a  nation  be  thought  secure  when  we  have  removed  their  only   firm  

basis,  a  conviction  in  the  minds  of  the  people  that  these  liberties  are  of  the  gift  of  God?  –  

1781  6  

 

Our  sixth  president,  John  Quincy  Adams,  said  this:  

 

No  book  in  the  world  deserves  to  be  so  unceasingly  studied,  and  so  profoundly  meditated  

upon  as  the  Bible.  –  circa  1812  7  

 

Is   it   not   that   the   Declaration   of   Independence   first   organized   the   social   compact   on   the  

Foundation   of   the   Redeemer's   mission   upon   earth?   That   it   laid   the   cornerstone   of   human  

government  upon  the  first  precepts  of  Christianity?  –  1837  8  

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew  Jackson,  our  seventh  president,  made  this  statement:  

 

Sir,   I   am   in   the   hands   of   a   merciful   God.   I   have   full   confidence   in   his   goodness   and  

mercy...The  Bible   is  true...I  have  tried  to  conform  to   its  spirit  as  near  as  possible.  Upon  

that  sacred  volume,  I  rest  my  hope  for  eternal  salvation,  through  the  merits  and  blood  of  

our  blessed  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ.  –  1845  9  

 

I  must  include  a  quote  from  Lincoln  that  is  one  of  my  favorites:  

 

We  have  been  the  recipients  of  the  choicest  bounties  of  heaven;  we  have  been  preserved  

these   many   years   in   peace   and   prosperity;   we   have   grown   in   numbers,   wealth,   and  

power   as   no   other   nation   has   ever   grown.   But   we   have   forgotten   God.   We   have  

forgotten   the   gracious   hand  which   preserved   us   in   peace   and  multiplied   and   enriched  

and   strengthened  us;  and  we  have  vainly   imagined,   in   the  deceitfulness  of  our  hearts,  

that  all  these  blessings  were  produced  by  some  superior  wisdom  and  virtue  of  our  own.  

Intoxicated   with   unbroken   success,   we   have   become   too   self-­‐sufficient   to   feel   the  

necessity  of  redeeming  and  preserving  grace,  too  proud  to  pray  to  the  God  that  made  us.  

It   behooves   us,   then,   to   humble   ourselves   before   the   offended   Power,   to   confess   our  

national  sins,  and  to  pray  for  clemency  and  forgiveness.  –  1863  10  

 

There  are  dozens  of  other  quotes  on  record  that  stand  as  expressions  of   faith  offered  by  our  

chief  executives  through  nearly  220  years  of  American  history.  "In  God  We  Trust"  was  adopted  

by  Congress  as  the  official  motto  of  the  United  States  as  recently  as  1956.  11  Hundreds  of  other  

quotations  exist,  including  brilliant  statements  by  military  heroes,  authors,  and  patriots  such  as  

Benjamin   Franklin,   Patrick   Henry,   and   Robert   E.   Lee.   I   can't   read   their   writings   without  

marveling   at   the   spiritual   heritage   that   has   been   handed   down   to   us   through   the   ages.   But  

these   statements   of   faith   also   evoke   a   sadness   over  what   is   happening   to   our   great   country  

today.  

 

We  are  witnessing  an  unprecedented  campaign  to  secularize  our  society  and  "de-­‐moralize"  our  

institutions   from   the   top   down.   The   effort,   now   in   its   fifth   decade,   has   been   enormously  

successful.  Most   forms  of  prayer  have  been  declared  unconstitutional   in   the  nation's  schools.  

The  Ten  Commandments  have  been  prohibited  on  school  bulletin  boards.  Secular  universities  

are  blatantly  hostile  to  Christian  precepts,  and  the  media  screams  "Foul!"  whenever  someone  

speaks  openly  of  his  beliefs.  In  this  wonderful  Land  of  the  Free,  we  have  gagged  and  bound  all  

of  our  public  officials,  our  teachers,  our  elected  representatives,  and  our  judges.  Since  we  have  

effectively   censored   their   expressions   of   faith   in   public   life,   the   predictable   is   happening:   a  

generation   of   young   people   is   growing   up   with   very   little   understanding   of   the   spiritual  

principles  on  which  our  country  was  founded.  And  we  wonder  why  so  many  of  them  can  kill,  

steal,  take  drugs,  and  engage  in  promiscuous  sex  with  no  pangs  of  conscience.  We  have  taught  

them   that   right   and  wrong   are   arbitrary   –   subjective   –   changing.   They   learned   their   lessons  

well.  

 

A  recent  poll  of  the  Wall  Street  protesters,  conducted  by  Doug  Shoen,  indicates  that  98  percent  

of  these  revolutionaries  support  civil  disobedience  to  achieve  their  goals,  and  31  percent  would  

support   violence   to   advance   their   agenda.12   Yet,   the   President   of   the   United   States   has  

expressed  support  for  their  movement.  It  is  Marxist  in  tone  and  implementation.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At  one  of  the  recent  presidential  debates,  all  the  candidates  focused  on  the  economic  peril  that  

has  gripped  our  country.  America  faces  a  debt  of  14  trillion  dollars,  which  can  never  be  repaid.  

It   is  significant  to  note,  however,  that  only  six  references  to  the  family  were  made  during  the  

event.  Former  Senator  Rick  Santorum  was  responsible  for  four  of  them.  He  said:  

 

The  biggest  problem  with  poverty  in  America…is  the  breakdown  of  the  American  family.  

You  want  to  look  at  the  poverty  rate  among  families  that  have  two  in  them  [a  husband  

and  a  wife.]  It  is  five  percent  today.  [By  contrast,]  a  family  that  is  headed  by  one  person  

is  30  percent.  …The  word  for  “home”  in  Greek  is  the  basis  for  the  word  economy.  It  is  the  

foundation   for   our   country.   We   need   to   have   a   policy   that   supports   families,   that  

encourages  marriage…that   has   fathers   take   responsibility   for   their   children.   You   can’t  

have  limited  government—you  can’t  have  a  wealthy  society  if  the  family  breaks  down—

that  basic  unit  of  society.  And  that  needs  to  be  included  in  this  economic  discussion.  13  

 

That   statement   is  precisely  on   target.   The   stability  of   the   family   is  not  only   important   to   the  

nation’s  prosperity,  but  it  is  critical  to  every  other  component  of  stability  and  wellbeing  in  the  

culture.  It  is  the  life-­‐blood  of  any  democracy.  I  have  been  trying  to  say  that  for  40  years,  and  yet  

this  God-­‐given  institution  is  coming  apart  at  the  seams.  It  is  breathtaking  to  see  how  hostile  our  

government  has  become  to  traditional  marriage,  and  how  both  Democrats  and  Republicans  are  

increasingly  antagonistic   to  parental   rights,  Christian  training,  and  the   financial  underpinnings  

of  family  life.  

 

The   hope   of   the   future   is   prayer   and   a   spiritual   renewal   that   will   sweep   the   nation.   It   has  

happened  before,  and  with  concerted  prayer,  could  occur  again.  Rather  than  being  depressed  

and  discouraged,  let’s  let  our  voices  ring  out  on  behalf  of  this  great  country.  We  can  rediscover  

the  eternal  principles  that  made  us  the  most  blessed  people  in  the  history  of  the  world.  But  if  

we  continue  down  the  road  we  are  now  traveling,  I  fear  for  us  all.  

 

 

Family  Talk  will   fight   for   the   things  we  believe   if  given  a  chance.   I  know  there  are  millions  of  

people  out  there  who  hold  to  biblical  truths  and  want  to  be  represented  in  the  public  square.  

We  will  not  compromise  those  fundamentals  one  inch.  I  hope  you  will  help  us  hold  the  line  on  

behalf  of  families  and  righteousness  everywhere.  

 

Candidly,  this  ministry  continues  to  struggle  financially,  and  our  very  survival  will  depend  on  the  

generosity  of  our  constituents  in  the  next  two  months.  That  will  tell  the  tale,  not  only  for  this  

organization  but  for  many  other  non-­‐profit  entities  that  are  hanging  by  a  thread.  We  will  follow  

the   leading  of  the  Lord   in  these  closing  days  of  2011.  Please  pray  with  us  about  the  future  of  

this  ministry.  

 

I  would  love  to  have  you  come  visit  us  in  Colorado  Springs  sometime,  and  see  for  yourself  what  

the  Lord  has  done  so  quickly.  We  are  heard  on  750  radio  stations.  If  you  don’t  live  near  one  of  

them,  you  can   find  us  every  day  by  accessing   familytalk.org  and  clicking  on  One  Place.   It’s  as  

easy  as  pie.  

 

Sincerely  in  Christ,  

 

James  C.  Dobson,  Ph.D.  

President  and  Founder  

ENDNOTES: 1. Buchanan, Pat, SUICIDE OF A SUPERPOWER: WILL AMERICA SURVIVE TO 2025?

(Thomas Dunne Books, 2011) 2. http://www.drudgereport.com/flashpb.htm 3. Buchanan, Pat, SUICIDE OF A SUPERPOWER: WILL AMERICA SURVIVE TO 2025?

(Thomas Dunne Books, 2011) 4. Ibid. 5. Adams, Charles Francis, ed., THE WORKS OF JOHN ADAMS, SECOND PRESIDENT OF

THE UNITED STATES, (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1954), IX, p. 229 6. Padover, Saul K. ed., THE COMPLETE JEFFERSON, Query XVII (New York: Tudor

Publishing, 1943), p. 677 7. LETTERS OF JOHN QUINCY ADAMS TO HIS SON ON THE BIBLE AND ITS

TEACHINGS, (Auburn, N.Y.: James M. Alden, 1850), p. 119 8. Adams, John Quincy, AN ORATION DELIVERED BEFORE THE INHABITANTS OF THE

TOWN ON NEWBURYPORT, AT THEIR REQUEST ON THE SIXTY-FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, July 4, 1837, (Newburyport: Morass and Brewster, 1837)

9. Remini, Robert V., ANDREW JACKSON AND THE COURSE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY 1833-1845, (New York: Harper and Row, 1984), vol. III, p. 186

10. 1 11. Basler, Roy P., ed., THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, (New

Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press, 1953), vol. VI, p. 156. 12. Stokes, Anson Phelps, CHURCH AND STATE IN THE UNITED STATES, (New York:

Harper and Brothers, 1950), vol. III, p. 186 13. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204479504576637082965745362.html

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU11J06&f=RF07B06