How Corporate Leftists Are Defeating Democracy in America

Activist corporate chiefs like Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com are using the economic power of their corporations to overrule the will of voters across America. This is a new and very dangerous trend that must be understood and resisted.

Case in point, a recent law in Georgia (HB 757) was passed by the Georgia legislature and was well on its way to becoming law, when Mr. Benioff threatened to pull his business out of the state if the governor did not veto the bill. Money talks, and the bill was vetoed. This bill would have protected religious institutions from being forced to perform ceremonies that violate their sincerely held beliefs. I read the bill closely and can say without hesitation that this bill did not discriminate against any person on the basis of their sexual orientation, nor did it allow such discrimination. The bill simply prevented the state or local governments from penalizing religious organizations for refusing to provide services that are in violation of their beliefs and teachings.

So, can you understand that pastors in America will be forced to perform gay weddings against their conscience or face penalty of law? Of course the intent of these activists is not to have these services performed by those who object, but rather to shut down the religious organizations and people of faith who stand in their way.

Is this really America the land of the free? Well it had better be the home of the brave now, because those freedoms are being taken away, not by a majority of voters, but by leftist CEOs from San Francisco, New York and Boston. Is this DEMOCRACY? It reeks of plutocracy and hypocrisy from those who profess to be advocates for democratic policies.

If you want to understand more, please read this Wall Street Journal article (http://www.wsj.com/articles/salesforces-marc-benioff-has-kicked-off-new-era-of-corporate-social-activism-1462201172) (10-5-2020 NOTE: This article now requires subscription to WSJ. But in the last four years and especially in 2020, seemingly all corporate boards are being stacked with leftist activists like Benioff, under the banner of "ESG - Environmental, Social, Governance". Just check corporate news for any large multi-national corporation in the last 6 months).

My dear friends, corruption is not only coming down from Washington, but seeping into state governments from the most powerful corporations in America. Votes are important, but understanding where the influences are really coming from should help you decide how to more effectively resist these anti-democratic forces. Corporate boards are elected by shareholders, and if you are a shareholder you can speak up about this inappropriate use of company resources.

I leave you with this question: Who should control lawmakers in your state on matters of conscience, the voters of your state, or a San Francisco billionaire and his cronies?


Reference:
Religious Freedom Restoration Act
State Religious Freedom Restoration Acts
Free Exercise Protection Act of Georgia

The Puppet King

I will soon be helping with a children's puppet show at our church. One of the key puppet characters in the show will be the king who had Daniel thrown into the lion's den. But that's not the character I want to write about.

During the ministry of Christ on earth, Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee. Though some called him king, he was anything but sovereign. He served at the decree of Augustus emperor of Rome, as did his father Herod the Great. Thus he was in a sense a puppet of the Roman emperor. But those weren't the only people pulling his strings.

The descendants of Herod the Great were raised as Jews because of the forced Jewish conversion of Herod the Great's father Antipater, who was Idumean (Edomite) by descent. In order to rule the land of Israel, Herod and his descendants would not only collaborate with Rome, but with the Jewish religious leaders. In that line Herod Antipas, wanting to be accepted by his people, would receive the scalding preaching of John the Baptist, even when the finger of chastisement was pointed directly at him and his illegitimate wife Herodias.

Herodias wanted to execute John because of the public scorn she had to endure, until she finally found a way to pull Herod's strings. When Herodias' daughter danced at Herod's birthday party, Herod was filled with such incestuous lust that he offered her a gift of up to half the value of his kingdom. Herodias instructed her daughter to request John's head on a platter, an action which Herod reluctantly performed. It was not Herodias who pulled these strings however, but Herod's own sinful lust, probably augmented by a generous helping of alcohol and epicurean debauchery.

Jesus said "everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin". We don't see the puppet strings that control our own desires and decisions, but they are there nonetheless. We can never truly be rulers of our own destiny, but we are free to choose whom we serve. If you think you are truly free serving your own desires, look behind the curtain and see who pulls the strings. If it is not the God of Love, it is most certainly the one who seeks your destruction. Choose this day whom you will serve!