Thursday, July 13, 2006

My Friends

I was among friends last night, many of whom I do not yet know. I attended the speech at St. John Fisher church by the great Dennis Prager, and was fortunate to sit in the front row between Marie Alessandra and Bill Kuretich and two seats from Father Ted Fisher. Anthony Lubega was there as was Carolyn Heyn and other friends, but I felt as though the packed hall was full of friends since we all share a fundamental value system.

Dennis spoke about the moral superiority of America’s Judeo-Christian values that made us great but are under attack from without and within.

If you want a short-hand reminder of the Judeo-Christian value system just look at any US coin with its three sayings: In God We Trust, Liberty and E Pluribus Unum. The fundamental American belief in God, the Creator of Judeo-Christian values, means that our values are universal, good for all peoples at all times. Hindus, Muslims, secularists and atheists have differing opinions – that is their right – but they are wrong.

America was the only nation founded on Judeo-Christian values and has been largely faithful to its roots. Values, like other important ideas, have consequences and our values have led to the most powerful, most successful country in history and the country that has done the most good for mankind.

Prager warned that secular leftists in America and Europe oppose our values and that the outcome of the resulting culture war is still in doubt. The anti-American-values crowd needs to bad mouth America, since admitting America’s greatness would validate our value system.

Liberty, a gift from God, is the right of all men. Yet there are governments and cultures that don’t share that belief. They are grotesquely wrong, and it is America’s obligation to work for the spread of liberty around the world. The American founders and presidents of both parties have believed in that principle and President Bush has made it the centerpiece of our foreign policy. Universal liberty is a basic Judeo-Christian value.

America has long been a cultural melting pot – e pluribus unum – yet lefty multiculturalists do not share that value, preferring e pluribus pluribus.
Cultural separation will destroy the unique American creed but that is the objective of some among us.

Dennis spoke of the objection on the left to the imposition of any social distinctions: good vs evil, morality vs amorality, men and women … none of these are distinguished by the moral relativists. To them one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. To them, who are we to impose child porn laws on the internet. How dare we suggest that men and women have differing interests and talents or that men should marry women? You have to be a college graduate to have the lefties' advanced views.

In the Q&A session, someone asked whether Dennis was pessimistic about America’s future given the culture war, suspecting that he was. Dennis admitted that he was becoming more and more pessimistic before 9/11. However, the 9/11 attack on America had the effect of clarifying the issues. We can no longer pretend like Bill Clinton did that the Islamists are not our enemies. In 20 years time when we look back, some of us were concerned with terrorism and others with Algore’s global warming. One side will be right.

Clarity is more important than agreement to Dennis. Thus, in the aftermath of 9/11 the sharp divide between the left and right in America - on issues from abortion to public education to socialism to support of Israel to fighting the forces of evil - are clearer than ever. Your friends will be those who share your views on those seminal issues.

Thank you, Dennis.



12 Comments:

Blogger Walt Lucas said...

I was in southern California on business a few years ago and while I was in Manhattan Beach I saw a banner saying that Dennis would be speaking that night at the Jewish Community Center. I couldn't miss the chance so off I went. I met Dennis after the speech and had him sign my copy of Happiness is a serious problem.
He is great guy and a wonderful speaker.

4:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good article Bill. I would have liked to see Dennis and hear what he had to say. I had a meeting that I had to go to. I hope to hear him next time he is in the area.

Rosie

10:44 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill:

Thanks...I have great respect for Dennis...have listened to him for many years. Not an extremist.

Tom R.

10:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Prager. I'm sorry I missed hearing him speak.

Beverly

10:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank for the synopsis - I wanted to go but missed it due to the four letter word - work.

Steve

10:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill,
Mary & I were also there, closer to the last row, but we too were inspired as we expected to be. Thanks for your excellent summary,

Zoltan

11:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

AAAAAHHHHHH…next time Dennis Prager is speaking locally let me know. I enjoy listening to him and share many of his thoughts and feelings.

Dori

11:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great post. Thanks for the mention.
I loved that you didn’t take notes, but caught all of Dennis’ pertinent points!!

Sent it on to my son as well as others!!

Marie

11:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill,not all Jews are bad....
Almost all Israeli Jews are very supportive of President George W.Bush. Most American Jews are not...foo.

Last Sunday,my husband and I attended a Republican Jewish coalition function at President Ronald Reagan's library in Simi Valley. It was wonderful,Norm Coleman,senator from MN and Ken Mehlman RNC were special guests.I left empowered as a person and as a Republican.

Haya

3:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bill,
I, too, was there. But your trenchant summary was a welcome reminder of the Dennis' key points.
Thanks,
Gene

3:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Excellent as usual Bill!!!!
I love Dennis Prager.

Rose

1:51 PM  
Blogger Free Agency Rules said...

Dennis is my favorite speaker. You can hear the love in his voice for his fellow man. He almost never says bad things to his guests or his opponents as he sees them as brothers and sisters even if they happen to hold incorrect views at this point in their life, they may yet wake up and see the "little red hen" problems with socialism some day.

FAR.

2:57 AM  

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