Manifest Destiny Became The Puritan Mantra: They Were New Israel and America Was the New Jerusalem!

At the heart of the culture wars, especially the immigration debate, is the notion that God has been on the side of “American Christians” since they bolted Europe onto the shores of what we now call the United States of America. They left their homeland and established a religious beachhead to get out from under the heavy handed arm of the church-state that ruled most of the then known world.

Reformed Christians had had enough of that Church and its collusion with the state, and were justified in leaving in hopes to practice religion without that organization’s persecution. Most religious scholars of that period knew that Church was not practicing biblical precepts as Luther and other great men of God rightly proved. Basically, the so-called Church was an off-shoot of Constantine’s invention when he merged paganistic Rome with the downtrodden remaining flock of the church of Jesus Christ, who accepted a watered-down version of the true Gospel after almost four centuries of being fed to the lions and other heinous persecutions. That can wear down even the most faithful and committed in due time.

After Constantine merged these two factions, the early leaders of the new religious order usurped and enforced a man-contrived persecutor's doctrine on the half Pagan, half true believers and misinterpreted (or rather twisted) the scriptures to infer that Jesus bestowed the leadership of the community of His true followers on the Apostle Peter when he stated thus in Matthew 16:17-20:

"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Religious zealots have believed for centuries that (in these verses) Jesus was bestowing the leadership of that (newly perceived religious) organization on the shoulders of the Apostle Peter, who they claim was the first Pope of the now powerful Catholic Church. This particular issue has caused a major chasm between Catholics and Protestants and continues to this very day.

However, many theologians (much, much more qualified than me) answered that question a long time ago and have provided deep biblical explanations as to what Christ was truly conveying to Peter. (See Was Saint Peter the first Pope? ). Nevertheless, the Internet alone contains thousands of individuals and organizations that continue with their pro and con opinions. There are two facts that settle the argument right out of the starting gate. One is provided by renowned and profound Bible commentator Matthew Henry, who summed up the issue as to whether Jesus was prophesying that the Apostle Peter was going to be the foundation of God’s church:

Now we have one of two choices. The church is built upon Peter, or the church is build upon Peter's confession, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Now the Catholics assert that the church was built on Peter. There are problems with this. Number one, Jesus said unto him, "Thou art Petros", which in the Greek is a little stone. And then He declared, "upon this Petras", which is a giant stone, "I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." The church was not build upon the little stone, but upon the giant rock; "Thou art Petros", a little stone, "upon this Petras".

This is great exegesis, to say the least. However, an even more profound fact besides Henry’s word comparison analysis (petras, petros) of Matthew 16:17-20, is one key word in this group of scripture few ever have focused on. It is the word build! I wrote about this profound fact in my book, The End Times Passover (page 32), a clear Bible-based fact that relatively few theologians have ever dealt with in their “Peter the Pope” debate that has torn apart any hope for unity between Catholics and Protestants. This revelation is actually a small and minor one that students of the Greek language should be able to understand, if only they would take the time to examine God’s words more closely.

When Jesus told Peter that upon this rock I will build my church (Matthew 16:18), Christ was telling him that on the Day of Pentecost, His (Jesus') already existing ecclesia (a people called out) would receive the edifying, strengthening and emboldening power from the Holy Spirit in order for His (Jesus') already existing ecclesia would have the power it never had before, (see Luke 24:49; Joel 2:28; Ephesians 1:13). In Matthew 16:18, the word build used by Jesus in this verse is the Greek verb oikodomeo, which means to strengthen, edify, embolden. If Jesus wanted to tell Peter He was going to create something new on the Day of Pentecost, Jesus would have used the more appropriate word for creating a new religious entity, which is the Greek verb ktizo, to create!

Jesus was not saying He would be creating a new religious order (the so-called Christian Church); but, rather, He was telling Peter that through Himself (the bigger rock) He would strengthen (through the power of the Holy Spirit) His already existing assembly (ecclesia), this small remnant group of faith-believing Israelites and Gentiles who are now following Him,(Luke 12:32).

How does someone strengthen something that supposedly does not already exist? If God’s ecclesia (a people called out) didn’t already exist before the outpouring of Holy Spirit-induced power, what was the Holy Spirit giving strength to? God’s ecclesia (a people called out) includes all of His children of promise going back to faithful Abel and up to those who today believe in the promised Messiah, who surrendered His life so believers could live for eternity with the Lamb of God right here on earth. Jesus was prophetically telling Peter that on the Day of Pentecost, those true believers would receive power to fulfill His mission of broadcasting His Good News to all mankind, not that Peter was going to be a Pope. God’s true church cannot function without Holy Spirit power. Even accomplished theologians and masters of varying philosophies since time immemorial can never convey God’s truth to humanity unless they are imbued with Holy Spirit power (1 Corinthians 2:14, 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 1:9-12.

But yet that one issue (the Peter the Pope debate) alone keeps many beloved and believing Catholics and Protestants at each others throats, preventing greater unity among God’s children worldwide. The common believers, those who faithfully kneel before God inside a Catholic cathedral in Rome or inside a modern glass-hewn edifice in Dallas, Texas, have been kept biblical in the dark for centuries, as their leaders continue their contrived doctrinal battles, instead of teaching their parishioners God’s truth. And that truth cannot be discerned until both teacher and student have received this “power from on high!” Instead, those “competing” entities (Catholics and Protestants) adopt man-made precepts as if they hold more biblical sway than the other, when in fact they are both wrong on so many fronts. Sadly, the American version of Christianity is in shambles, crumbling, destined to the dust heap of religiosity, along with those who chose not Jesus’ way, but to practice church in and through their own culturally dominated fashion, to suit their own selfish needs.

A.W. Tozer, one of America’s greatest Bible scholars and preachers we have been blessed with in modern times, himself spoke of the church’s condition over forty years ago when he said:

Within the last quarter of a century we have actually seen a major shift in the beliefs and practices of the evangelical wing of the church so radical as to amount to a complete sellout; and all this behind the cloak of fervent orthodoxy. With Bibles under their arms and bundles of tracts in their pockets, religious persons now meet to carry on "services" so carnal, so pagan, that they can hardly be distinguished from the old vaudeville shows of earlier days. And for a preacher or a writer to challenge this heresy is to invite ridicule and abuse from every quarter, (Of God and Men, pg 16-18 by A.W. Tozer)

Pastors and priests need to tell their flocks the truth, and not encourage and perpetuate mythologies to control their man-conceived religions. The belief by the Catholic faithful in Mariology (reverence of Mary on an equal plane with God), confessions to a priest, repetitious prayers such as the Rosary, and lighting votive candles for the dead (among other man conceived traditions), are beliefs and practices that are not called for nor contained in the Bible any more than the belief by many Protestants that Jesus is planning to come down from heaven and secretly snatch born again Christians up to heaven seven years before His Parousia (return to earth), to avoid the so-called Great Tribulation.

There is no Bible truth foundation, either, to support the evangelical Protestant doctrine that the cult Zionism philosophy (which purports ethnic Jews and the land they currently control has been divinely promised to them) is Bible-based, nor that today’s nation of ethnic Jews will rule the whole world from the current city of Jerusalem.

Prior to this rampant break from things that involved the true spirit of Jesus Christ (who guides and directs His children of Promise to help the poor, widows and orphans, the infirm and the homeless), throughout the remaining years, leading up to the 16th century period when Reformist said, “Ya Basta,” the then known Church had totally decimated any semblance of the true religion that followers of Christ practiced and believed in. Through its manipulative alteration of scripture and invoking a myriad of diabolical, ecclessial distortions, some of which still exist today, the true disciples of Jesus Christ, His children of promise, those who are prepared to surrender everything they have (family, jobs, homes), ready to pick up their cross and follow Him, have been replaced with an American version of Christianity that belies everything Christ represents. If this angers you, instead of hanging your head in shame, your belief system needs to be questioned and challenged! Keep reading; it gets worse!

First of all, one can’t really blame the Puritans for leaving their European homelands to escape the painful rule and control by the religion-state cabbalistic elites. But two wrongs don’t make a right! From the outset, those Puritans who landed on Plymouth Rock got it all wrong; firstly, by believing the Manifest Destiny concoction that they were the “New Israel!” Even though that concept had not been coined yet, the emerging American church viewed itself as the modern Israel and assumed its perceived role as inheritors of the proverbial Promised Land, New Jerusalem USA!

Sadly the mostly pious Puritans viewed themselves as better than any other peoples in the then known world, and proved so (firstly) in their dealings with Native Americans, whom they called heathens. Early explorers such as Columbus and others who in the name of God conquered the Mayan and Aztec nations (of whom historians have painted as mere barbarians) served as inspiring examples for the Puritans.

Throughout America’s short history of 250 years, it has carved itself a worldwide reputation as a conquering body of so-called Christians, almost to the point of eradicating an entire nation of indigenous people through its genocidal penchant, all of this in the name of God. America forced the remaining Native Americans onto reservations, moved back the border lines (and in essence stole much of the land) of Mexico, and has proclaimed its Lordship over most peoples of color, including throughout its history, by building the most powerfully economical, political and societal infra-structure in history on the backs of African American slaves and Chinese and Mexican labor. Let us not forget the interned Japanese Americans during WW 11. All of this was done solely to enrich the coffers of the elitist money-changers of the world! Now, American Christians, what would Jesus say about all of these shenanigans?

And now, as the immigration reform debate becomes more heated as never before, the nativists reactions scream louder than the atomic bombs we dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki! And yet, many theologians of today are at the forefront and feed the mad frenzy of the uninformed, uneducated peoples with their “let’s save our culture and stop the browning of America” rhetoric and inciting their flocks to extricate from this country those “parasitic” Latino Immigrants also in the name of God!

Sad! So sad! Not for those Americans who feel their “culture” is being threatened by Liberals and the so-called “Reconquista” cabal (as the Lou Dobbs, Pat Buchanan, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh led mantra festers); but sad because those who claim to be “good American Christians” have no idea what has happened to what they believed was their ideal of Christianity.They have co-mingled Christianity and Americanism in such a distorted manner that no true believer of Jesus Christ can recognize the difference! The once patriotic tunes written by American heroes such as Francis Scott Key, Sabine-Baring-Gould and Arthur Sullivan have morphed into the background music of “Friday the 13rth!”

Christian Flag

Sadly, the existent cultural view of American Christianity was based on how our forefathers practiced religion to begin with. They left a world of paganism only to create a similar one, where they choose to bow before different icons and banners they themselves created, representing their own penchant for a larger and more powerful one than the one they escaped from. Their version of American Christianity has always been a “holier than thou” and “let’s see how many folks we can convert” to swell up our respective ranks. Let’s see how big we can build our “true” churches. And then, once we build them to heights unimagined, let’s see how we can control the government and mandate that all people in America have to practice religion the same way we do, because we are a Christian Nation!”

That version of America Christianity has been doing that ever since it landed on American shores. It has built huge, giant, mega-churches, crystal cathedrals, some of the biggest and most beautiful edifices this side of Rome. It has organized itself into various denominations, yet all with enough money and power to influence any politician they so choose. They have their “Christian” candidates that once they get into office they will hopefully change the “culture” back to the way it used to be, an American Identity (white conservative) culture, where primarily its adherents can rule over and or eradicate the good old USA of all “heathen” peoples.

Well, folks, the questions beg to be asked! What happened to listening to what the Holy Spirit wanted us to do? What happened to turning the other cheek? What happened to picking up our crosses and following Christ, ready, willing and able to die for Him as He did for us, in order that He may be glorified and get all the credit due Him for paying such a heavy price for our salvation? What happened to praying for the needy, the sick, the infirm, helping the widows and orphans and the aliens amongst our midst, as Christ told us was true religion? Instead, the churches then and the churches today have become smug, self-righteous, and holier than thou, vindictive, mean-spirited; full of pride, just like the “church” the Puritans fled from over 300 years ago!

Matthew Henry, once again, sums it up best:

“It is here plainly and peremptorily declared wherein true religion consists: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this:

(1.) It is the glory of religion to be pure and undefiled; not mixed with the inventions of men or with the corruption of the world. False religions may be known by their impurity and uncharitableness; according to that of John, He that doeth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loves not his brother, (1 John 3:10) But, on the other hand, a holy life and a charitable heart show a true religion.Our religion is not adorned with ceremonies, but purity and charity. And it is a good observation of his that a religion which is pure should be kept undefiled.

(2.) That religion is pure and undefiled which is so before God and the Father. That is right which is so in God’s eye, and which chiefly aims at his approbation. True religion teaches us to do every thing as in the presence of God; and to seek his favor, and study to please him in all our actions.

(3.) Compassion and charity to the poor and distressed from a very great and necessary part of true religion: Visiting the fatherless and widow in their affliction. Visiting is here put for all manner of relief which we are capable of giving to others; and fatherless and widows are here particularly mentioned, because they are generally most apt to be neglected or oppressed: but by them we are to understand all who are proper objects of charity, all who are in affliction. It is very remarkable that the sum of religion be drawn up to two articles: it is to be charitable and to relieve the afflicted,”(Matthew Henry Commentary on James 1:26-27)

There is no more afflicted person than one who is scorned, maligned, mistreated, and rejected (especially by those who call themselves American Christians), solely because economic conditions in Third World countries have forced the poor to seek work (wherever) to feed their families and their children.

God’s true disciples (not the American version) are hereby those whom Jesus uses; not the government, but His ecclesia, a people called out, to be the charitable ones, and those who will bring relief to the afflicted!

Joe Ortiz is the author of two books that challenge the Left Behind and Pre-Tribulation Rapture, and premillennial dispensational precepts and doctrines being promoted by many right-wing evangelicals. The two books include The End Times Passover (Etymological Challenges to Millenarian Doctrines) and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (The Sequel to The End Times Passover), published by Author House Publishers. The former talk show host, journalist and news columnist is the first Mexican American to host a show on an English-language, commercial radio station, beginning in 1971 at KABC-AM Radio in Los Angeles.

Blog addresses:
The End Times Passover Our Daily Bread
Web sites:
Joe Ortiz Associates Web site for Joe Ortiz Associates, a full service public relations company
The End Times Passover Web site to discuss end times topics and to promote books written by Joe Ortiz
Tom Flores NFL USA This is the new and official site of the Tom Flores Fan Club, managed by Joe Ortiz, fan club President

Immigration Fears: It’s All about Sowing and Reaping

This article was originally posted on another one of my blog sites on Thursday, April 29, 2010.

      The Arizona Legislature has dug itself into a deep hole due to the recently enacted (mean-spirited) legislation aimed at all Latinos, one that will make it extremely difficult to ever be recognized as "The Golden Rule State" again; a motto emblazened on it's cars' license plate that belies a 'help thy neighbor' status it once claimed.
    There is a verse in the Bible of which I have known and believed strongly in for the longest time, which states, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows,” (Galatians 6:7).

      This verse basically states that whatever a person (or a nation) does, whether good or bad, whatever seeds they plant, the net produce will yield a like-minded harvest. Some folks call it Karma, a term that comprises the entire cycle of cause and effect. Karma is a sum of all that an individual or country has done, is currently doing and will do. The effects of all deeds actively create present and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain in others.

      During my years as a teacher in both Los Angeles and Riverside school districts, I always shared this sowing and reaping philosophy with my students. I used to tell them that they can’t plant wheat and expect a harvest of tomatoes. I used this analogy to tell them that they can’t sit back and watch others work harder than them and expect to be promoted or make the same salary they do. It was my way of telling the kids to work as hard as they could and never give up on trying to fulfill their dreams. Some of the students complained that there is too much discrimination and no matter how hard they try, many doors will be closed. I told them to never, ever let anyone discourage them from being the best that they can be.

[Joe Ortiz interviews Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, with Cesar Chavez, at the 20th anniversay of the Chicano Moratorium held in East Los Angeles]

       At the same time, I also told the predominate community (through my radio, TV talk shows and newspaper columns), that they needed to embrace minorities and bring them into all aspects of the American experience. I supported bilingual education in the early grades because it helped immigrant kids to assimilate into the American mainstream at a more accelerated pace. I also told my students to master the English language, which is the key to excelling in any subject matter and sorely needed later in life to compete in the American marketplace. My entire career involvement included supporting numerous scholarship and other educational opportunity programs for young Latinos and Latinas, and basically seeking for them total inclusion to all economic, social, political and media institutions. I used to tell the predominate community, however, that if they continue to exclude Latinos from these institutions, one day those actions will come back to haunt them. My belief in the sowing and reaping axiom was the primary logic for this caveat.

      Unfortunately, most of those doors remained closed, and no amount of civil dialogue was as affective as the walkouts and demonstrations in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Yet, many of us civil rights era activists tried. Now, primarily due to America’s incessant demand for cheap labor, immigrants from Mexico cross over to this country in droves. This didn’t bother too many folks until recently; it now scares many of them to death. Sadly, the current debate on illegal immigration has brought to the surface much inherent negativity (building high fences, community activist patrolling of the borders and mean-spirited legislation) towards Latinos in general.

     The reasons cited are that illegal immigrants are taxing America’s education and the health delivery systems, taking jobs away from US Citizens, and (what they wont admit to publicly is) that their presence here is now diluting a predominately white Anglo-Saxon culture. Many even say that most of the criminals in American jails are illegal immigrants who have been arrested for sexual crimes. Basically, as the Mandingo metaphor was used to demean and stereotype African Americans as sexual savages who prey on white woman, thereby blocking them from gaining their rightful place in the American landscape, these similar tactics and fallacious accusations are being used to incite white America to stereotype Mexicans as worthless human beings and a pariah on a cultured society.

      Although their epithets are baseless and amount to panic rhetoric, it is having a reactionary affect designed to keep immigrant labor from coming into this country, and it most certainly provides cannon-fodder to many American citizens who are bitterly impassioned to get rid of those who are already here, including the young Mexican American citizens who were born in the US to immigrant parents.

    However, there is a major difference in the historical xenophobic saga of blacks and Mexicans. Africans did not migrate to America; they were forcibly brought here to function as slave laborers. The Mexican experience could be considered worse. While Mexico is one of America’s closest neighbors, we have always been treated (stereotypically) as “those people” from the other side of the tracks.

      The United States could have openly welcomed Mexicans to share equally in the America Dream a long time ago. If for no other reason than for their help in building America's infrastructure (railroads, dams, mines and agricultural) through their blood, sweat and tears! They say they have done so, but only to a certain point, always reminding us to keep ourselves in our place. There has never truly been a sincere acceptance, but they keep insisting we have to assimilate or at least acculturate to their own identity. While many of us have tried, they still treat Mexicans as mere peons.

      A former colleague of mine, Xavier Hermosillo, made a statement on the air about 20 years ago concerning the affect unwelcomed immigration was having on this country, which received much media attention, but little follow up by America’s institutions. Hermosillo coined the phrase, “Wake up America, and smell the refried beans.”

      Hermosillo was in essence stating that, whether Americans likes it or not, Mexicans are part of the fabric of this country’s freedom quilt, if for no other reasons than that they are already here. This is what scares many white Americans. No “ship them back to Mexico” legislation will change this. America has always had a chance to welcome Mexicans with open arms, to participate in every aspect of the American Dream. But it didn’t! Despite this institutional derisiveness, Mexicans have worked hard at their jobs and in their schools and have remained determined to succeed in America. They now represent a more than significant consumer power, and have made tremendous inroads into the political arena, a reality that will soon haunt those who tried to keep Mexicans from sharing in the American dream!

      It’s plain and simple! America is now reaping what it sowed!
~
[As a third-generation Mexican American, born and raised in the United States, a military veteran, a law-abiding, taxpayer, who has been blessed by God with the ability to articulate the hopes, dreams and aspirations of the Latino people and their varying subcultures, my first and foremost responsibility is to God, family and then country. Many of my fellow Americans (and even some family members) are upset that I abide by my mandate from God to boldly speak up for immigrants and their basic human rights (whether they are considered legal or non-legal). What many may not realize, is that God, commands all of us to do so! ]

Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the poor and needy. (Proverbs 31:8-9)
~
Joe Ortiz is the first Mexican American to host an English-language talk show on a commercial radio station (KABC-AM Talk Radio, 1971). He is the author of The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House), two books that refute the Left Behind and Pre-Tribulation Rapture doctrines, as well as white sumpremacism and racially motivated nativist ideologies promulgated by Right-Wing Evangelicals. He lives in Redlands and writes for several local and national periodicals. For more information about his blogs and books, click on Joe Ortiz Associates

Movie, The Alamo, Provides a Clue for Racial Harmony!

      I saw the movie The Alamo over the weekend and walked away with something I have always known. Half way through it, an extremely important message concerning racial unity was uttered by one of the actors, and many people will probably miss it.

      Promoters of the movie before it came out touted it as being more historically accurate than the former version, starring John Wayne, Richard Widmark and other legendary actors. This version, starring Billy Bob Thornton (as Davy Crockett) and Dennis Quaid (as Sam Houston), supposedly would include much fact that native Tejanos (Mexicans born in Texas) played a significant role in defending the Alamo, and contributed greatly to Texas becoming a republic and eventually becoming the 28^th state in the Union on February 29, 1845. One of those heroes was Juan Seguin.

      Seguin was born in 1806 into a long-established Tejano family in San Antonio, Texas. History records little of Seguin’s early life, but he was a staunch critic of Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana, the despot leader of Mexico who had a strangle hold on Texas in the 1830's. Santa Ana personally led the slaughter of a group of Texas patriots at a former mission turned mini fortress in San Antonio called the Alamo.               
     Seguin was a strong political ally of William Travis, the Lt. Colonel who valiantly died defending the Alamo while commandeering its volunteer and military forces. Seguin played an active role in the Texas revolution. He served as provisional mayor of San Antonio and led a band of fellow Tejanos against Santa Ana's army in 1835. He was also at the Alamo for the first part of the siege, and survived that massacre because he was sent to gather reinforcements. Later, Seguin and his Tejano Company fought at the battle of San Jacinto, helping to defeat Santa Ana's army.

      Seguin, however, would soon feel the sword of betrayal by the aftermath of the Texas Revolution. Many cities in Texas moved to expel all of their Tejano residents and, even in his hometown of San Antonio, many anglos seriously favored such a move. But his most devastating pain came when Seguin helped defeat a Mexican expedition against San Antonio in 1842. In an effort to turn anglo Texans against him, Seguin was publicly accused by some that he was more loyal to Mexico than Texas. Although Seguin was the mayor of San Antonio at the time, Anglos who had been his former comrades suddenly turned on him. They drove him from the city where he had been born and forced him to flee to Mexico. Seguin's dream (that the Texas revolution would mean freedom for all Texans) was shattered.

     Seguin was forced to seek shelter in Mexico amongst those whom he had fought against while seeking Texas’ independence. He became separated from his homeland, parents, family, relatives and friends. The Mexican government didn’t welcome Seguin with open arms. Upon his arrival in Nuevo Laredo in 1842, Mexican authorities arrested him and told him to choose between serving in the Mexican army or face imprisonment. He reluctantly chose to join the army, and fought in the Mexican-American war against the United States. After the war Seguin received permission to return to Texas.                  

     However, in 1867 Seguin was the victim of further racial harassment that forced him back to Mexico. He died in Nuevo Laredo in 1890, right across the Rio Grande from the land for whose independence he had fought so bravely for. The movie didn’t reveal this aspect of the heroism and dilemma experienced by many patriotic (American) Tejanos.

      Sadly, this untold account of one of the most valiant Tejanos engaged in the Alamo serves as a grim reminder to many Americans of Mexican descent. Many find themselves experiencing the same agony. Thousand upon thousands of Mexican Americans (and other Latinos) have sacrificed their lives for America’s freedom on foreign land. During the Second World War, Hispanics received more Congressional Medals of Honor than any other ethnic group. A close look at today’s news reports reveals that many Latinos (some who weren’t even born in the United States), are still placing their lives in Harm’s Way to defend America. Yet, while most Latinos are proud, hard-working and taxpaying Americans, many still face derisiveness to one degree or the other. Sadly, they are also castigated by Mexican nationals who still call Mexican Americans pochos, a Spanish word which translated means sick or impure. Like Seguin, many Mexican Americans still find themselves between a rock and a hard place.

      However, the movie did contain a line delivered by Billy Bob Thornton, which rang ever so loudly in my mind and heart, as a cure for racial unity. As the story unfolded, Santa Ana’s large army was encamped about a half a mile across from the Alamo. The Mexican soldiers pointed their giant cannons towards the Alamo, and continuously fired its thunder balls to chip away at their resolve. Each time before they launched their immense fire power at the hapless few defending the small mission turned into a symbolic fortress, the Mexican army’s drum and bugle corps preceded the cannon volleys by playing a gruesome sounding tune to psychologically instill terror in the hearts of the volunteers. Right before one of those attacks, Billy Bob Thornton (as Crockett) stood up and said, “I know what’s missing.”

      He quickly got up to one of the Alamo’s towers and began playing a patriotic tune on his violin. As the violin sounds wafted loudly towards the Mexican encampment, both adversaries stood in stunned silence as the Mexican bugles’ and drums’ blaring cacophony melded with Crockett’s music to form a melodious and quieting sonata.

    After a few moments, the volunteers manning the Alamo nervously waited for the cannons to start pounding them again, but nothing happened. The next scene shows Billy Bob Thornton musing at what had just happened, and he uttered probably the most profound line in the entire movie, one that can bode well for racial unity in this country:

      “It’s amazing what a little bit of harmony can accomplish!”

-30-

[Joe Ortiz has the distinction of being the first Mexican American in US history to host an English-language talk show on a commercial radio station. He currently lives in Redlands, California and is the author of a two newly published books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House). For more information, click Joe Ortiz Web Sites & Blogs

[Originally posted on Sunday, April 25, 2010 on another blog]

Legendary Twice Super Bowl Winning Coach, Tom Flores, finally has been added to the NFL Hall of Fame "Finalists" list! We Need Your Help!

The following article was posted by Joe Ortiz on Thursday, November 24, 2011 at 12:48 AM, after legendary Latino football player and twice "Super Bowl" winning coach was left off the ballot to be inducted into the NFL's Hall of Fame. Since then, Tom made the list of the "finalists" for the 2013 National Football League's Hall of Fame.

We are asking for your help to contact the voters (see email addresses after the article) to encourage them to vote for Tom. We are re-posting this article because its message still holds true today.

He has FOUR Super Bowl Championship rings; one as a player, one as an assistant coach (under John Madden) and twice as head coach for the World Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders.

But, that's not enough to convince the voters to consider inducting the first Mexican American quarterback and head coach in pro football, as well as the first General Manager of a professional football team (with the Seattle Seahawks), among many other accomplishments to be so honored.

Tom Flores has distinguished himself in the pro-football community as few have (much less the fact he is a Latino) in the last 51 years, and still going strong as a color commentator for the Oakland Raiders Radio Network. He is already a member of the California Sports Hall of Fame and the old American Football (and holds several records as a quarterback in that fledgling) league that reached such profound football greatness it had to be considered legitimate enough in the course of its play that it caused having to merge with the established league. Had there been no merger football fans would not be enjoying the most significant sporting event in world history, the Super Bowl. How many current inductees in the NFL HOF can present a greater resume?

Flores was recently honored by the National Council of La Raza with the coveted "Roberto Clemente Award for Sports Excellence" in Washington, D.C. That gesture was not based on a public relations ploy by the Mexican American community. It is aware (and it recognized) one individual from within its community that has not only distinguished himself above and beyond the norm, but has surpassed many of the accomplishments from other members of the predominate community with a commitment to excellence rarely experienced.

If nothing else (and we all know there is a certain amount of politics that plays into the minds of the voters) the owners could have made note to the voters that based on the changing demographics, electing a Latino to the Hall of Fame would have been a stroke of public relations genius, which would obviously increase attendance. Obviously, it would have created a more appreciated atmosphere towards a consumer that will soon be the largest paying customer in the sports community.

Look out NFL, the game of soccer (which is favored by Latinos more than pro football) is rearing its ugly head.
Oh well!

[Click this link to see Tom Flores' acceptance speech. It will make you proud to be an American] 

Also click the following link to see videos of Tom's friends (Jim Plunkett, Carlos Santana, Greg Papa and others) who share why Tom should be inducted:

The Tom Flores Legacy Page on Facebook

Below are the email addresses of the sports writers and others who cast a vote for future inductees. Please send them all an email in support of Tom Flores, or at least to the voter nearest you.

Thank You!

Joe Ortiz, President
The Official Tom Flores Fan Club

NFL Hall o Fame Voter’s Email List

Arizona - David Casstevens, Arizona Republic

Atlanta - Furman Bisher, The Atlanta Journal

Baltimore - John Steadman, The Baltimore Sun 501 N. Calvert St. Baltimore, MD 21278

Buffalo - Larry Felser, Buffalo News 1-800-777-8610 editorial switchboard

Carolina - Charles Chandler, Charlotte Observer

Chicago - Don Pierson, Chicago Tribune**

Cincinnati - Geoff Hobson, Cincinnati Enquirer

Dallas - Frank Luksa, Dallas Morning News

Denver - Woodrow Paige, Denver Post

Detroit - Jerry Green, The Detroit News**

Green Bay - Mike Bauman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 333 W. State St.  P.O. Box 371, Milwaukee, WI 53201-0371

Indianapolis - John Bansch, Indianapolis Star

Jacksonville - Sam Kouvaris, WJXT-TV, Jacksonville

Kansas City - Bob Gretz, KCFX Overland Park, KS

Miami - Edwin Pope, Miami Herald

Minnesota - Sid Hartman, The Minneapolis Star Tribune 425 Portland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55488

New England - Will Macedon, Boston Globe, NBC Sports

New Orleans - Pete Finney, Times-Picayune**

New York (Giants) - Vinny DiTrani, Bergen Record

New York (Jets) - Paul Zimmerman, Sports Illustrated 1271 Ave. of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Or you may fax him at 212-522-4543.

Oakland - Frank Cooney, Fox Sports**

Philadelphia - Mike Rathet, Philadelphia Daily News

Pittsburgh - Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Voice Mail - 1-412-263-3878

St. Louis - Bob Oates, Los Angeles Times**

San Diego - Jerry Magee, San Diego Union Tribune

San Francisco - Ira Miller, San Francisco Chronicle

Seattle -  John Clayton, ESPN/ESPN Magazine

Tampa Bay - Tom McEwen, Tampa Tribune

Tennessee - John McClain, Houston Chronicle**

Washington - Len Shapiro, Washington Post leave voice mail is best - (202) 334-5002

PFWA - Steve Schoenfeld, Arizona Republic/Phoenix Gazette

At Large - Jarrett Bell, USA Today**

At Large - Dave Goldberg, Associated Press**

At Large - Tony Grossi, Cleveland Plain Dealer

At Large - Peter King, Sports Illustrated 1271 Ave. of the Americas New York, NY 10020 Or you may fax him at 212-522-4543.

At Large - Mike Wilbon, Washington Post

We still need 8 good contact email addresses or phone numbers to call to complete the list. If it's marked with **,we need it.

We are in the process of completing this list. We need your help! We do not have every voters contact information. If you can assist, we can surely use your help! Thank You! We need an email address to them or where they work, a number to call and/or an address to mail them letter. Please send it directly to me at Joe.Ortiz9299@Gmail.com.

A BIG "THANK YOU!"

Tom Flores has earned 4 Super Bowl Championship rings

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An Open Message to Lamar Smith, Texas Congressman ~

Man’s Capricious Laws Should Not Supersede God’s Laws. God Requires a Price from Those Who Enact Them!

     The following 'open letter' to Texas Congressmen Lamar Smith is in response to his efforts to enact H.R. 2885, the most powerful bill ever to be considered in Congressional Committee, ostensibly designed to turn off what Smith believes is a job magnet for illegal immigration and ostensibly to protect jobs for the American worker. Let's call it what it really is, a hate bill designed to appease the out-of-control xenophobia that pervades the American spirit!

     You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselvesand for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 in whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD (Ezekiel 47:21)!
     We have been sharing the above group of scriptures with friends, neighbors and relatives (actually, with the entire general public) through this blog, making the case that government bodies (local, statewide and national) cannot supersede God's laws. Those folks who are vehemently and adamantly opposed to immigrants in this country, always use (as their last resort and feeling it's) the most powerful argument in their political arsenal, that immigrants who cross the border to this country are law-breakers, therefore they need to be punished.
     If anyone presents logical or common sensical arguments that proposing new laws such as H.R. 2885 and SB1070 that was enacted by the government of Arizona does not address the concerns they have about American unemployment, terrorist fears or drug trafficking, (such as Doris Meisner's article that appeared in the Washington Post on May 5, 2010, which more than sufficiently argued that immigration problems are more myth than fact), proponents of the law always come back and say, "Regardless, they are breaking the law."   

     Even when Meisner pointed out that 40% of the alleged "illegal immigrants" came through with proper credentials and visas, but over-stayed their time limits, their retort is, "They are now illegal even though they crossed over with proper documents, they are still law-breakers."         

       Yet, we did not hear any complaints about immigrants taking jobs away from Americans when they were here with legal documentation! Why? Because immigrants for the most part were holding jobs most Americans would ever dream of doing. Has anyone seen a non-brown person picking grapes lately? Or any complaints that farmers are discriminating against non-brown people seeking those back-breaking, heat exhausting to near death jobs? 
     When we point out that there is a greater principle to this immigration saga, they poo poo the scripture we send them (we have posted over 190 Bible verses on my other blog last year) that clearly state that God has a special place in His heart for the poor and the alien, and He will punish those who mistreat these people.          
     Yet, they come back stating that God does not favor law-breakers, therefore "Illegal Immigrants" must be arrested and pay for their crimes (of crossing the border without documentation to find work to feed their family)."
     Well, folks, what can we say? If they don't believe what God most clearly states through His spoken word, maybe they will believe someone else. As we were pondering this matter, we see printed in today's Internet an article that more eloquently states our case; one that reminded us of a statement Jesus made when He delivered a parable concerning Lazarus and Rich Man to His disciples.
     As the parable went, Lazarus was a beggar who died and the angels carried Him to Abraham's house (heaven) and when the rich man died he was sent to hell. The rich man is seen pleading for mercy, asking that at least Abraham will send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue, because he is in agony in this fire.'
     "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27" He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29" Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'31" He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "(Luke 16:25-31)
     The point in the parable by Jesus is that people basically are very hard headed when it comes to things of God. Most don't believe in authorities (like Moses and the Prophets) and many are so thick-headed, they won't believe even Jesus who rose from the dead.
     But, not Christians! Right? 
     They believe in Jesus' resurrection, which (for the most part they claim) guarantees their right to spend eternity with Christ when He returns to rule and reign on earth forever!
     Unfortunately, that belief seems to be the only thing they cling to and many of them also feel that they don't have to obey God's laws anymore because they now have salvation, by grace. Not only individual Christians believe this way, but many governments, whether it be companies, churches and all (local, state and federal) governing entities, believe thus because they possess the power to enact laws to suit their own purposes, based on the "cash-heavy" contributors who assured their elections. They stir up the emotions of the public by using their media manipulators (from both the left and the right sides) to eventually do their bidding, and then they claim the people (their constituents) demanded these new laws!
     These politicians and their contributors (largely major corporations and very wealthy donors, who control most media) pretty much dictate how laws are enacted in the US, in order for them to benefit their compatriots' pocketbooks. And, many times those laws they enact actually negate the proverbial laws established by the same person who gave and clearly set forth their duties of governance. Hallelujah! Instead of governing the body as God intended, they rule the way they want to, feeling they now know better than God!
      Well, they don't believe Moses, nor the Prophets, and most certainly do not believe nor obey (as Jesus stated in the parable) someone who rose from thedead!
     OK! OK! Let's give this proclamation effort one more human try.    
     The writer of the following article makes some powerful points in regards to what the governing bodies' responsibilities are all about, and one thing they most definitely should not do, is to supersede God's immutable laws.


Let's Bring Down Political Gods!
By Gary DeMar | Published: May 7, 2010

     Rep. André Carson, an elected official from Indiana’s 7th District, believes that people who are involved in calling this present civil government (both Democrats and Republicans) to account are similar to Islamic terrorists. Here’s an exchange between Washington Times reporter Kerry Pickett and Carson:
     KERRY PICKET: Do you think the people outside are generally dangerous or no?
     REP. CARSON: Oh absolutely. I worked in homeland security. I’m from intelligence, and I’ll tell you, one of the largest threats to our internal security…. I mean terrorism has an Islamic face, but it really comes from racial supremacist groups. . . . It’s the kind of thing we keep a threat assessment on record [for].
     PICKET: From groups like this?
     REP. CARSON: Oh absolutely.
     Does Carson offer any evidence of terrorist acts? No. He doesn’t have to since he believes that to question what this (his) government is doing is by definition a terrorist act. Criticism and the warning of removing someone from office through the electoral process are terrorist threats for the simple reason that government has become a god, and as such, “No other god can be put before it.” To criticize god, is to blaspheme and commit treason.
     Rep. Carson needs a lesson in civil government from God’s perspective. God established civil government to be an avenger who brings wrathupon those who practice evil. The civil government's power to use the sword is legitimate in certain limited cases. The Bible has mandated that the power of the sword is to keep the peace, to protect those who do what is right. Civil rulers are said to be “ministers of God” similar to the way pastors are “ministers of God.” They are God’s “deacons” in their designated governments, one ecclesiastical and the other civil.
     Not all rulers live up to the honorable title of “minister.” Paul is speaking of the ideal. Not everyone who rules is ministering in the biblical sense: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock ... I know that after my departuresavage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28–30).
     What’s true in the church is equally true in civil government. Not every ruler who seizes power or who is elected to office will minister in a just way (e.g., Pontius Pilate, Herod, Hitler, etc.). Paul is describing what a ruler’s proper function is. The apostle is not making a moral judgment about any particular ruler or political policy. Rather, his words describe what civil governments ought to be and ought to do. Every ruler should seek to minister as Christ ministered.
     Jesus called Herod “that fox” (Luke 13:32). Jesus was not calling the legitimacy of civil government into question. He was making a value judgment about the government of Herod. This shows that it is biblically proper to criticize a ruler. Of course, our own Constitution gives us that right in that we can petition the government for a “redress of grievances” (First Amendment) and vote anyone out of office for any reason.
     The typical ruler of Jesus’ day was a tyrant. “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them” (Luke 22:25). The distinguishing characteristic of true leadership is that of a servant. The ministry of the civil magistrate does not exist to serve its own end; it’s not a god. The true minister (servant) exists to serve others, but never apart from the laws of God. This means that the citizenry should not appeal to the magistrate to govern outside his designated ministerial duties.
     The rulers in the realm of civil government must rule according to God’s law, the standard of good and evil. No government has the freedom to rule by some arbitrary man-centered standard of good and evil or the “will of the people.” The civil magistrate is a true minister when it operates according to biblical guidelines.     The additional duties of civil governments are the well ordering of society and the maintaining of peace so that Christians are free to worship God, unhindered by forces hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The State has the duty to preserve law and order so that the Church is free to spread the gospel of peace. The civil government must be made to realize that there is no real peace without the presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
     This climate of peace can only be accomplished by administering justice and righteousness to everyone. Justice and righteousness are defined in terms of God’s law. Civil rulers are commissioned to represent God as the judge. They act in such a capacity when they punish those who do evil (i.e., break God’s laws), as well as publicly commend those who do good (Romans 13:3–4). 

 ~

    Thanks Gary DeMar! They laugh when we try to point this fact to them. Hopefully, your eloquent article will resonate. As we stated above, they no longer listen to the words of Moses nor of the Prophets, nor of the one person who sacrificed so much just to give His creation the opportunity to live with Him forever!

For more information about this blog and Joe Ortiz' two newly published books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House), please click here Joe Ortiz