The column by John Brummett titled On deference and denial, 08-14-2012 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is illustrative of the lies the left tells when the truth does not suit their needs. He excoriated Paul Ryan for his views on religion and government. Two facts stand out in the column: Brummett is deliberately ignorant of facts and can be called a prevaricator for the way he misrepresented Ryan’s views. (I tried to be nice by not using the word liar.)

Brummett wrote of America’s religious right wing. Would that not presume that there is a non-religious right wing since not everyone who opposes the left can be called religious?  But more to the point; since Brummett says there is a religious right wing, it is just as appropriate to say that there is a non-religious left wing to which Brummett has an affinity. And to suggest that those on the left are religious as Brummett used the word religious is an oxymoron. Take off the oxy and what is left is moron which defines the left perfectly.

In the column, Brummett tried to create conflict between God and the dollar; compassion and greed and the beatitudes and survival of the fittest. He, like most all liberals, attempts to invoke biblical principles to prove their leftist view. There is a certain irony with Brummett and his ilk. They have a disdain for the God and the Bible and yet they try to use it to prove their twisted points of view.

Thomas Jefferson receives condemnation from Brummett. The left is fond of calling Jefferson a heretic for several reasons, one of which is his ownership of the Koran. Try reading a bit of Jefferson’s history Mr. Brummett. Thomas Jefferson had a Koran so he could better understand the nature of the Islamic enemy.

In the 10^th paragraph of the column, Brummett wrote, [an] inquisitive and flawed man who helped found a great new nation of free religion, not just Christian religion. And we know he wrote letters encouraging a wall of separation between religion and government. His chief constitutional principle and objective-and our nation’s chief founding principle and objective-was liberty, not religion. These misrepresentations will be refuted one at a time. One, Brummett needs to understand the use of the word religion as used in the Constitution. There are four definitions of religion in Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, three of which   fit the use in the Constitution. 1. Religion, in its most comprehensive sense, includes a belief in the being and perfections of God, in the revelation of his will to man, in man's obligation to obey his commands, in a state of reward and punishment, and in man's accountableness to God; and also true godliness or piety of life, with the practice of all moral duties.  It therefore comprehends theology, as a system of doctrines or principles, as well as practical piety; for the practice of moral duties without a belief in a divine lawgiver, and without reference to his will or commands, is not religion.

2. Religion, as distinct from theology, is godliness or real piety in practice, consisting in the performance of all known duties to God. 3. Religion, as distinct from virtue, or morality, consists in the performance of the duties we owe directly to God, from a principle of obedience to his will.  Hence we often speak of religion and virtue, as different branches of one system, or the duties of the first and second tables of the law. Also, religion was used in the sense of denomination since that was the background of the founders. Islam and Muslim practices were not part of the founding of the republic and two; it was the principles of the Christian religion on which the republic was founded. Three, Jefferson did not write letters encouraging a wall of separation between religion and government. Jefferson wrote a letter to the Danbury Baptists that government could not and would not interfere with religion. As regards morality, Webster wrote; Let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion.

Writing again of Jefferson Brummett said that his chief objective was liberty, not religion. A letter of On April 21, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson wrote to Dr. Benjamin Rush, who was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence: My views...are the result of a life of inquiry and reflection, and very different from the anti-christian system imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions. To the corruptions of Christianity I am, indeed, opposed; but not to the genuine precepts of Jesus himself. I am a Christian in the only sense in which he wished any one to be; sincerely attached to his doctrines in preference to all others. The last line in the letter is  Of all the systems of morality, ancient and modern, which have come under my observation, none appear to me so pure as that of Jesus. On June 17, 1804, President Thomas Jefferson wrote to Henry Fry: I consider the doctrines of Jesus as delivered by himself to contain the outlines of the sublimest system of morality that has ever been taught but I hold in the most profound detestation and execration the corruptions of it which have been invented.  Then:  On January 23, 1808, in a letter to Samuel Miller, President Thomas Jefferson wrote: I consider the government of the United States as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. This results not only from the provision that no law shall be made respecting the establishment or free exercise of religion, but from that also which reserves to the states the powers not delegated to the United States [10th Amendment]. Certainly no power to prescribe any religious exercise, or to assume authority in religious discipline, has been delegated to them, General government. It must then rest with the States as far as it can be in any human authority.... I do not believe it is for the interest of religion to invite the civil magistrate to direct its exercises, its discipline, or its doctrines....Every religious society has a right to determine for itself the times for these exercises, and the objects proper for them, according to their own particular tenets. The last sentence underscores the definition of the word religion as used by the founders. Brummett’s last lie defies the imagination given all the history on the subject. Read again Brummett’s lie on the subject, His chief constitutional principle and objective-and our nation’s chief founding principle and objective-was liberty, not religion. The founders wanted religious freedom because they knew that liberty of life would only be possible when religious freedom was the order of the day. Mr. Brummett, read the First Amendment of the Constitution. It might enlighten you for without freedom of religion and its practice, there can be no liberty of any kind.

Not to let thoughts of lies be untold, Brummett launched into more lies. He wrote in paragraph 13, that Ryan has proposed the end of Medicare. Not exactly stated Mr. Brummett. He claimed that Ryan wanted to give old folks a voucher to buy insurance in the private market. He wrote sending great-grandma on her walker out into the marketplace to ponder deductibles, co-pays, premiums and riders. That is not only a lie, but a blatant lie. Ryan’s plan will not affect anyone presently on Medicare. It only affects those who are of working age below 55 years old and not eligible for Medicare. Those over 55 can continue with Medicare eligibility or opt out for private insurance. The voucher is for those who cannot afford the premium cost and has no effect on those already on Medicare. (Read the whole truth here http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/08/quick-thoughts-on-the-ryan-pick/) There is one glaring omission in Mr. Brummett’s column concerning Medicare. He omitted the fact that the nut job (a.k.a. Barack Hussein Obama) cut approximately 750 billion dollars from the program to pay for the unaffordable medical care fiasco. That is the truth and it is apparent that Mr. Brummett has problems with any truth that gives lie to the leftist agenda. Mr. Brummett, be honest and tell us who is destroying Medicare. Your prevarications won’t work.

John Brummett is a twister of the truth, practicing willful ignorance and prevarications to promote the nut job’s agenda. He believes that government is the solution to problems when the government is the cause of the problems. But he never will admit it.

That Brummett prefers lies to fact is even more obvious when he had a follow up column in which he castigated those who challenged his version of the facts (to which can be added that some Democrats agreed with Ryan’s plans for Medicare) with snarky and demeaning comments. He refused to change his portrayal of “grandma being shoved out into the cruel cold world of the market place by indicating what he wrote was true. Mr. Brummett does himself and his readers no service by misrepresenting the facts and then refusing to admit error. Of course, it is very difficult to retract a “misstatement” when it is a deliberate lie … oops prevarication. Such is the way of liberals with their agenda.       

© 08-14-2012 DEC     

Quotations form American Quotations by WILLIAM J. FEDERER Version 1.3  ©1997

Quotes attributed to John Brummett in the Arkansas Democrat–Gazette are made under the Fair Use Doctrine when commentary is made to refute or support the assertions of an author.

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