The Mansfield Group - Latest Comments

Re: The Wisdom of Paul Harvey

Will Johnson — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 07:37:58 -0000

I've searched and searched and cannot a recording of Paul Harvey's, I AM A SALESMAN". Why do people refer to it and yet not provide it here on the net? He had far more comments equal to The Farmer, The Policeman (in which his father was a policeman), the devil.

Re: The Meaning of the New Pope

Jeff Gillum — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 09:21:54 -0000

Stephen, your words were very pre mature, and you were 100% off on your prediction that P. Francis would be conservative with the gay clergy agenda. Your discussion on March 27th was four months too soon, you should have just been quite. As of July 30th P. Francis is going to allow gay priest.
In fact you yourself had Desmond Tutu endorse your book on the 'Faith of Barack Obama', and Desmond Tutu promotes that the 'church' should accept gay clergy, and like Obama, anyone not for the gay agenda is discriminating. We need to hear men of prophetic stature, men who would never dream of having a pro 'gay' Anglican priest be able to write anything on their 'books'. I doubt Jesus would allow a pro 'gay' minister to write on the cover of any of the gospels, explaining how they are a 'good read'. Evil men love evil men. Proverbs 29:27 states that 'An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked'.

We truly are lacking men of prophetic stature in this hour, and you Stephen really showed your lack of discernment in this talk you gave about the new pope. Like the great prophet William Tyndale stated "“I defy the Pope and all his laws. If God spare my life ere many years, I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the scriptures than you!”

I too believe we have little children in our Bible teaching and believing churches that know more than you do about the Bible, and would never ever have written a book promoting Barack Obama, a book that caused undecided voters to vote for this anti God Senator to become our anti God President.
May you be slower to speak, and may you close your mouth from speaking such unseasoned and unsalted words without wisdom.

Re: One Duty of a Man

Olan R Milligan — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 15:12:27 -0000

true obama supports some of the ideas you mentioned rick. bush said that islam is another way to God. both claim they are christians. their salvation and their beliefs do not always align. i pray for them both.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

Dave Haigler — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:35:42 -0000

Very balanced & fair, my friend. And I would remind those who say we have to respect the verdict, yes, but it was only on the question whether Mr. Z was guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt, without hearing Trayvon's side. That jury had no jurisdiction or knowledge over that issue. Nor did they or could they rule on the fairness of FL's stand your ground law. History has raised questions over FL's racial evenhandedness in enforcing this law. Those questions remain despite respecting the Zimmerman verdict. Thank you.
-Dave

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

mymati — Sun, 21 Jul 2013 23:37:22 -0000

I would never question Mr. Mansfield's faith. I am only questioning him on the fairness of this statement. I am not concerned with his politics at all. He seems to have totally disregarded the fair trial based on the facts of the case.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

Emma720 — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 10:51:33 -0000

This event started when George Zimmerman got out of his car. By following a stranger on foot, he was acting in a predatory manner. While following someone may not be illegal, it is certainly threatening behavior. Our society teaches everyone to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious activity. So what were his intentions in getting out of the car? And how would Trayvon Martin know? Zimmerman didn't communicate his intentions verbally, and because Zimmerman and Martin were strangers, Zimmerman's non-verbal actions were menacing.

I have tremendous respect for you Stephen, and I thank you for this podcast. I hope that those who travel in your conservative circles, particularly those who use their platforms to demean people of color, can hear the heart of this message.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

ellen — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 22:16:51 -0000

Stephen is a great guy, who really does try to talk about issues in a non-emotional way, just to present facts or a biblical take. He's been to my church a couple of times, once prior to the 2008 election to just talk about what both candidates believed and where they stood on issues. He never said who he was voting for or tried to make it seem like one person was better, he just presented. He really lives out his faith with those he interacts with and not just those who he agrees with (he'll tell you he has friends who are republican and democrat, straight and gay friends, believers and atheists) and he treats them all the same: with love. Wow, what a goal for us Christians to follow :)

Re: One Duty of a Man

Rick — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 14:50:06 -0000

Stephen, you too need to work on being a man. A real man of God would not deceive people by stating our pro abortion, pro homosexual, pro communist president is a Christian. Who gave you the authority to state who is and is not a Christian? If you are using evidence, then with your enormous Bible knowledge you should see there is more evidence in the fruits of our leader that he is anti God, yet you take the freedom to state our President is a Christian. Your book helped him when he was a Senator to get elected. You have assisted in getting elected the most anti God president in our nations history, and you don't seem to be man enough to admit this. Yes men need life insurance to take care of their family, however we need real mean to preserve our families in America, not abort them, and see our nation go down the gutter to hell.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

mymati — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 10:49:00 -0000

It comes across right, ellen. Stephen is equivocating so as not to piss off all his black friends, it seems to me. Its clear from his pod cast that he did research this he got his info from the media that was shamefully one sided.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

mymati — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 10:16:53 -0000

So, are you saying that a guy that is getting his face beat in and his head bashed into the sidewalk does not have the right to defend himself? Also if you had done your research you would know that when 911 told him they did not need him to follow him he turned and headed back to his car. Then he went back to the area minutes later to get the address, and that is when TM jumped him.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

ellen — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 10:58:25 -0000

And I'm sorry if this comes across "wrong", I sometimes don't word my thoughts the best way so I hope no one takes this inappropriately. I'd rather ASK questions than keep them bottled inside.

Re: The Trayvon Martin-Zimmerman Case

ellen — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 10:56:28 -0000

Does this mean that in "the name of non-racism and equality" that we should turn a blind eye if we see a person committing a potential criminal activity and they happen to be black? Just b/c we don't want to appear racist? Can you elaborate on what you meant by blacks getting killed in murky suspicious circumstances? Not sure what you meant by that when most murders (at least the stats i've read) are black on black committed. I want a world where criminal activity is treated the same for the actions, not based on white/black/hispanic/purple, etc. (ie: we've arrested 3 people tonight, 2 are black, 1 white so we'd better let one black guy go free to make it equal, or go arrest another white person to maintain balance). Plus, how do I go about my life and not be concerned with my interracial interactions being worried that I might offend someone by accident? I feel as if non-blacks are being told to walk on eggshells or we'll offend someone and then the racist blame game starts again. Yes, we have a long way to go, but at the same time does any of this rest on the attitudes/actions of the black community? Just curious :) :)

Re: One Duty of a Man

Travis Todd — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 16:31:29 -0000

Good word!

Re: The Inner American Revolution

Rick — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 08:12:34 -0000

Stephen, thanks to men like you, who have used your writing talents to promote the most pro abortion, pro homosexual, pro muslim president in our history, there is not much to celebrate as the proverbs states when the wicked are in authority the people mourn.

You need to learn from some men who actually have wisdom, which cannot be something we attain without the fear of the Lord.

Response to Obama's Presidential Oath Inclusion of 'So Help Me God' - Bill Koenig

January 25, 2013

The U.S. Constitution specifies the exact language to be used in the oath given to an American President at their inauguration:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

According to numerous reports, President Barack Obama requested that at the end of the oath, the words "so help me God" be added.

The Library of Congress says those words were added by George Washington during the nation's first inauguration. Not all Presidents have chosen to recite those words. A Bible is traditionally used in administering the oath.

Obama took the official oath on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, at the White House with his left hand on the family Bible of his wife, Michelle.

At the Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, ceremonial swearing-in at the Capitol, he used Bibles from Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr.

When he says, "So help me God," what is he saying? Is he serious or is this for public consumption?

The following would be appropriate statements, questions and confessions for President Obama to make and consider when using the words, "so help me God."

False religions

So help me God to remember that "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

So help me God to understand that my telling people that there are other paths to You is blasphemy and not true.

So help me God does not mean bowing to or honoring other religions that are in direct opposition to the Bible

So help me God to get rid of the damage from attending a hate-filled anti-Semitic church for 20 years.

Cairo speech -- June 4, 2009

So help me God to understand that my speech to the Muslim world from Cairo, Egypt, on June 4, 2009, was filled with distortions and inaccuracies that greatly confused people and endangered America.

So help me God to quit speaking as if Allah is the same as the God of the Bible.

So help me God to understand the confusion I have created for honoring Islam, a religion that is in direct opposition to Christianity.

So help me God to not make statements to the Muslim world about the copy of the Koran in Thomas Jefferson's library without mentioning the real reason why (that it was war booty).

So help me God does not mean comparing the horrific Jewish Holocaust to the plight of the Palestinians, who have been robbed by their corrupt leaders.

So help me God to not distort American history by stating Muslims had a significant role in making our nation great.

Islam

So help me God to understand that Islam is not a religion of peace.

So help me God quit spending time defending Islam instead of Christianity.

So help me God not to be silent any longer about the many Christians being persecuted in countries throughout the Middle East since the beginning of the Arab Spring in January 2011.

So help me God to realize the serious error in providing access to the Muslim Brotherhood at top levels within my administration.

So help me God to understand that American allies in the Middle East don't trust me, and enemies don't fear me.

America

So help me God understand that by using Executive Orders and czars to circumvent the Constitution, I am not fulfilling the oath of office that I swore to uphold.

So help me God to understand it is wrong for me to initiate class warfare or ethnic division through speeches and policies.

So help me God to understand it is not godly to verbally attack people, distort their backgrounds and malign their reputations in campaigns.

So help me God to understand that the trillion-dollar annual fiscal deficits during my time in office are bankrupting the United States.

So help me God to understand that you see everything I think about and every plan I scheme.

So help me God to fully understand that you are sovereign over our climate and everything that happens on Earth, and that it is pure arrogance to think that humanity controls the climate cycles when it occupies only a small part of the planet and two-thirds of earth is covered by water.

Abortion

So help me God to understand that You knew us before we were formed in our mothers' wombs, and that I should personally attempt to stop the slaughter of preborn children in their mothers' wombs.

So help me God to understand that there is no greater violence known to man than the ripping apart of a preborn child in her mother's womb, which has happened 56 million times since 1973.

So help me God to stop the annual financial support for Planned Parenthood, which boasted of performing 330,000 abortions of preborn children in their mothers' wombs in 2012.

So help me God to stop my Administration from forcing Christian organizations or any others that refuse to offer their employees access to the morning-after and week-after pill intended to prevent pregnancy after known or suspected contraceptive failure or unprotected sex, like Hobby Lobby, which has been legally obligated by a federal court to pay a fine of $1.3 million a day until it complies.

LGBT promotion

So help me God to understand that promoting a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender agenda (LGBT) is an abomination to God in the Old and New Testaments.

So help me God to fully understand that God loves the sinner but hates the sin.

So help me God to stop proclaiming that the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional and instruct the Attorney General to defend it.

So help me God to repent for declaring that I have done more than 43 previous U.S. presidents to promote the LGBT agenda.

So help me God to understand I am responsible for promoting an immoral lifestyle in the United States and through the United Nations, and that I have threatened to stop U.S. aid to nations that don't support the LGBT movement.

So help me God to understand that as Commander in Chief, I should not have forced generals at the Pentagon to agree to my "don't ask, don't tell" agenda, contrary to their biblical beliefs, which will have consequences for our military, our nation and me.

So help me God to understand that military chaplains should not experience persecution for their biblical beliefs, be forced out of the military for praying in Jesus Christ's name, or be obligated to perform same-sex marriages.

Israel

So help me God to stop pressuring Israel to allow an Arab state in the Promised Land of Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem — land that was given by God to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants in an everlasting and unconditional covenant.

So help me God to understand that my Middle East policies, my promotion of the Arab Spring, my relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, and lack of involvement against radical Islamists are endangering the region and leaving Israel in great danger on its borders and internally.

So help me God to stop pressuring Israel to divide land that would give them indefensible borders and endanger their future.

Re: The Continued Over-reach of Government

Douglas Patterson — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:55:15 -0000

Actually, it remains to be seen just how much prior administrations violated our constitutional rights in the same way and to the same extent as this administration. Merely stating that all have done it does not adequately characterize the extent of this administrations efforts to attack their political "enemies" (their words). I believe we have never seen the Chicago Way played out as we are witnessing today.

Re: Mansfield’s “Killing Jesus” Draws Attention

Steven Mansfield Group — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:16:43 -0000

No doubt the most up close and personal account of Lincoln's religion and his personal faith in God's will and the impact it had on his view of the institution of slavery. No human being given a choice would choose slavery over freedom. This entire story has been a most touching and revealing experience about a a great man I only thought I knew.

Bill Smith, former United States History Teacher

Re: Speaking, Writing, Reading: The Power of Words

Mike Newcomb — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 21:48:04 -0000

Is there an article "Speaking, Writing, Reading: The Power of Words" I can't find it?

Re: Abraham Lincoln and Conservatives

Yeesha Chen — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:26:27 -0000

Thank you for your article and interview on Foxnews.
It gave me hope. Thanks!

Re: The Tragedy of Palin

Dana Salsbury — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:03:12 -0000

Well said. The left seems to have as deep of a hatred for her as GW Bush. She will be back, but the left needs to really feel disillusionment with President Obama first. They need to see him as the opposite team. Then I hope she comes back, but as more of a Margaret Thatcher.

I tired quicky of Palin on the campaign trail. She had nothing inspired or intelligent to say, but reminded me (and I'm sure countless others) of a nagging wife, streaking through the house. I don't care how beautiful she is -- it made her look ugly.

But there is a Sarah Palin who talks softly into the microphone before a silent, reverent room with authority that takes your breath away. I can't wait to see her.

Re: The Tragedy of Palin

Steve — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:47:44 -0000

very good; it happens alright. she was the ONLY energy in the entire McCain campaign; she was more qualified that Obama to be president. the liberal left would not have put, and still put, much effort in to destroying her if they had not seen her as a threat. but sadly, you are right on it......and it just happens....it just happens.

Re: The Tragedy of Palin

msmit035 — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 16:10:05 -0000

Great analysis of a very talented politician. I do believe she was forced into being something that was against her core in order to help McCain and unfortunately wasn't allowed to be who she really is as a person.

Re: Answering the Culture of Despair

Michael — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:45:00 -0000

Excellent podcast! I concur with your sentiments and Christians shouldn't despair over the current cultural and political climate. Unfortunately, when we take our eyes off Him and place our trust and hope in the temporal, we become disillusioned. Statesmanship is a virtuous pursuit, but only if the greater good is the goal. I'm convinced that a tipping point has been reached and the greater good has been replaced by a zealous desire to enrich oneself at the expense of others. Furthermore, politicians enact legislation to keep law-abiding citizens from choosing to own certain weapons to "save just one child's" life. How ironic these same legislators sanction the killing of 55 million innocents and cloak it in choice?

Tough to reconcile that.......which convinces me we're certainly not living in a Golden Age right now........

Thanks for the thouvht-provoking blog......

Re: Answering the Culture of Despair

Travis Todd — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:10:14 -0000

Excellent. I also have many friends and family members that want to complain about the current status of things while yelling at their TV. I have told several of them recently that voting is only the bare minimum if they want to change things. I get mixed reactions, but the people that are truly concerned are going to put their feet (and money) where their mouth is.

Re: Hope for the New Year

Travis Todd — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 12:53:05 -0000

I love the "feel" of this podcast. It has so much life to it given your setting. You should do this more often!

Re: My Nashville (Part 1)

kayce hughes — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 16:50:07 -0000

Loving the more personal tone and looking forward to hearing more about your Nashville.