Huckabee has been hosting vertical day on the HuckPAC blog where candidates for office, distinguished guest and ideas talk about how to move our country forward vertically: upward, that is. Huckabee explains the concept of Vertical politics, taking America up and not down. The Governor explains:

Representative Sam Graves (R-MO) explains why illegal immigration poses a threat to our nation’s security.

A Candidate for the Texas House of Representatives Brian Walker talks about the preciousness of human life. Indiana Congressional Candidate Luke Puckett relates a personal story to explain his pro-life position.

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) urges passage of the Child Custody Protection Act which protects children and parents from those who would abscond with minor children to take them across state lines to get abortions in contravention of their home state laws.

Want to talk tax reform? The original sponsor of the Fair Tax (H.R. 25) Rep. John Linder (R-GA) shows up with a post on his tax proposal.

Senator “Big” John Cornyn (R-TX) gives the answer to America’s energy problems: All of the Above.

What makes this HuckPAC event interesting is that Huckabee sought posts from regular citizens. Eight were chosen. My favorite is from Brian Donegan who has a great post with some thoughtful ideas for education reform.

Mike Huckabee didn’t get to be as active as he wanted in this Vertical Day due to being delayed in leaving Africa. His Daughter Sarah has a positive note on the folks behind HuckPAC, and they definitely deserve some praise.

They’ve managed to bring together a very distinguished guest list of posters with some fabulous posts on the issues. It represents a job well done by the Governor and all the folks at HuckPAC.

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Also posted here and here.

Someone really has to start keeping me from reading my local newspaper’s main section. I’m fine as long as I restrict myself to the sports section, the comics, and the features. But when I delve into the opinion columns and the readers’ letters, I likely won’t come out without being fired up.

Most of the time, I write a response in my head, and that is enough to satisfy me. But, today, I decided to actually write a rebuttal. I’ll post it here and a couple of other places, then perhaps submit it to my newspaper.

First, the original letter:

…America has become decadent.
It has become decadent when the personal, private and harmless activities of two consenting adults are grounds for immorality.
It has become decadent when one faith out of millions blelives that it has a monopoly on whom we may love.
It has become decadent when citizens believe their faith should override all others, ignoring the freedom of thought upon which this country was built.
And it has become decadent when fools cannot follow the teachings of their own religion: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” — Matthew 7:1.

~Mr. C. Payton

Did that get you riled up? Here’s my response:

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I suppose that the scathing “decadent” contributor on July 22 believes that his morality (if you can even call it that) should rule the day, for all legislation comes from a foundation of morality. He seems to feel very strongly on the issue of right and wrong, yet he gives no basis for his determinations. Is he depending on the “divine” wisdom or omniscience of his own mind? If so, that’s “just his opinion or preference, just truth for him,” as a relativist might say, and he might as well keep it to himself. Otherwise, he is the one exhibiting arrogance when he dares to pound the gavel on an issue with the arm of his own conjecture.

He certainly is not consulting the “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God,” as the Founders did, for he skewers reliance on God and turns a blind eye to the obvious, common-sense, self-evident realization of that which is natural and that which is not. Our ancestors would go so far as to call homosexuality a “crime against nature.”

We’ve reached an astounding level of illogic in this country when it is considered decadence to hold yourself and society to a standard of decent behavior, while following your own selfish passions no matter where they lead is deemed what? Virtue?

I fail to see where Christians are suppressing freedom of thought. I do see gay activists trying to restrict freedom of speech, the press, religion, and conscience through overreaching “hate speech” legislation, as well as employee “non-discrimination” measures. Not to mention how they endeavor to revolutionize the definition of marriage and family for everyone.

There’s an erroneous notion prevalent today that to be a tolerant person means to be a political pushover for your opponents. Now, while this is a very advantageous concept for those opposing you, it is utterly ridiculous, and I will not yield to it.

Matthew 7:1 is a condemnation of hypocrisy and a caution to pride in oneself, not a prohibition on biblical discretion. Just read the following verses to see what I mean. We are to be careful when judging others, but it is irrational to claim that we aren’t even allowed to judge conduct, especially when the Bible is so clear on a specific matter. Or else, there’s no point to a law system and much of the Bible–Old Testament and New–is negated.
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Here are two things which I would like to point out but chose not to include in the letter, for the sake of its length and flow:

1.) The original writer makes the faulty assumption that something is not immoral if it is “personal, private, and harmless.” First of all, he’s taking the liberty to define morality for himself, as I alluded in my response. The “private and harmless” concept, from the biblical commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself,” may form the basis for much of our civil justice system, but it does not decide what morality is and is not.

2.) He also makes the mistake of assuming that the sanctioning of homosexuality by our government would not have far-reaching effects on our society.