| Fritzpw_Admin says, Hello everyone! Thank you for joining us tonight for our Chat with syndicated Christian columnist, Cal Thomas. Cal has most recently written about the Enron happenings and the part that Jesse Jackson has had in them. Please feel free to begin asking your questions! |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, Helping me on stage tonight I have our Entertainment Editor and our News Editor as well as SpikeHost and GeHost |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, Clare_host, Daisyhost and Applehost are holding down the fort in the Auditorium. |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, And now… Cal Thomas! |
| News_Editor asks, What are your thoughts on the President’s State of the Union Address? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I wrote a column on it that can be found here. I thought it was an excellent speech. He said what needed to be said about the war and he got in a few plugs about the economy. Well delivered, too. More details in the column |
| clare_host asks, Mr. Thomas, what do you think of the HHSA move today to declare it a states right to call a fetus and unborn baby, so that they would qualify for CHIP benefits? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I thought it was a brilliant move. I debated it on Fox this afternoon with NARAL’s general consul. I had her defending their position that poor pregnant women should not get help for babies they choose to have. This law was pushed through in the Clinton Administration. I congratulate the Bush people on taking full advantage of it and putting pro-choicers in the position of having to be against the choice of poor women to care for their unborn children! |
| maxfaith asks, Where do you see Rudy Giuliani in years to come? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think he may run for Governor of New York. He surely will make a lot of money in the meantime on the lecture circuit and doing a book. |
| initnotofit asks, What do you think the USA’s next move should be concerning Bin Laden, because it seems we as a country will be hunting him forever? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Bin Laden is only a symbol. As the President said in his SOU speech, terrorism is a worldwide problem. I think he’s named the targets. The difficulty will be how to deal with them and keeping Americans on the alert when the tendency is to relax. |
| maxfaith asks, How do you think the standoff between the White House and the GAO will end? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I can’t see the courts upholding the GAO. They’re a branch of Congress and therefore the separation of powers should apply. It’s amazing to me that the GAO never sued the Clinton WH for Hillary’s secret meetings. |
| madchatter asks, Do you have an opinion on the NRB/Wayne Pederson controversy? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Yes I do but I’m not going to go public about it… Wayne is a good man. |
| nukeglow asks, Mr. Thomas, there has been much warning from Secretary Rumsfeld regarding possibility of further terrorist attacks equal or worse than that of 9/11, do you think there is intelligence to support this fear? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Yes I do or I don’t believe they would be saying it. We are paying a price for our inattention to intelligence gathering during the Clinton years. |
| vandoor asks, How do you gauge the state of affairs in Pakistan and Afghanistan? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I don’t have access to the latest intelligence, but… It would appear that President Mushariff of Pakistan is on board helping U.S. Interests and that Afghanistan is moving in our direction. Tribalism, though, continues to be a problem. |
| clare_host asks, Regarding Enron, do you believe that the White House should willingly turn over information to show good will, or are they right to withhold information based on privacy? |
| Cal_Thomas says, At first I thought they should for political reasons, but I think VP Cheney was persuasive on the Sunday talk shows. People have a right to see their leaders and to give them their best advice without worrying whether it will make the newspapers. |
| initnotofit asks, What do you think the Congressman Conditt situation after the media has kind of let it lye for a while now? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think he’s going to lose. Even leading Democrats are embarrassed by him. Too bad the police haven’t found a body. |
| madchatter asks, The President named the 3 evil axis… N. Korea is a tad bit upset at being included. Do you think the President is considering taking further action in these countries in the near future? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I don’t know, but he certainly has put them on notice. After what we are doing in Afghanistan I would think they’d be at least a little nervous and that’s good. Tyrants only understand power. |
| clare_host asks, since we know as Christians evil exists in this world…and will exist until Christ comes again…what can we really hope to expect from this war on terrorism? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Scripture teaches the world is winding down. Our role is to introduce people to Christ and not to “save America” or “reform culture.” I addressed this in the book I co-authored with Ed Dobson called “Blinded By Might,” which I sincerely hope you’ll read. By the way, that doesn’t mean we should withdraw, but rather not expect that princes and kings will save us. Our problems are moral and spiritual, not economic and political. |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, I think Chatmaster has some announcements for us… |
chatmaster shouts, Hey everyone! Come join us for our Chat with writer, Cal Thomas, going on NOW in the Auditorium. There will be some door prizes given out!” |
chatmaster shouts, Congrats to initnotofit and russ who have been chosen to receive Cal’s book, The Wit and Wisdom of Cal Thomas, courtesy of Cal Thomas and your friends at Crosswalk.com!” |
chatmaster shouts, Order your own copy of “Blinded By Might“. Goto http://www.thinkbigusa.com/calthomas“ |
| guest3686 asks, What do you think about the proposed Federal Bill 602P which would tax each e-mail 5 cents? |
| Cal_Thomas says, There is no such bill. It is one of those internet rumors. |
| bobby_c asks, Evening Cal. What do you think about the major Christian music labels now being run by EMI, AOL, and Zomba? |
| Cal_Thomas says, The Christian music industry is more of an industry than it is Christian. I recall one major label head saying about an artist who had committed adultery and whose albums they were still producing… “we’ve got to make money or we don’t have a ministry.” That would have surprised Jesus, who sent out the Disciples with nothing but clothes on their backs. |
| initnotofit asks, What kind of action do you think we as Christians should take regarding the teaching of the Muslim so called faith in public schools in California and do you see this as the tip of the iceberg |
| Cal_Thomas says, I long ago gave up on government schools and believe the sons and daughters of believers should be taught in solid Christian schools or at home. It is an outrage that you can’t say “Merry Christmas” in government schools, but can teach Islam. (Related article.) |
| nukeglow asks, Mr. Thomas, in the past the American people have been reluctant to change presidents during a war regardless of politics, If the ‘war against Terrorism” continues through President Bush’s first term do you believe the door will be ‘automatically’ open for him to continue a 2nd term? |
| Cal_Thomas says, There is nothing automatic in politics. He’ll have to earn it. Like anyone else. |
| maxfaith asks, Which is the bigger scandal…Enron or Global Crossing? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Neither. It’s politics. And that colors everything. But if you’re attacking Enron while making money off global crossing… That’s why the word “hypocrite” was invented! |
| happyanne asks, Should one part of the government sue another branch of the government? Is it smart. |
| Cal_Thomas says, The Founders established the doctrine of separation of powers, which almost always means what it says. |
| guest3698 asks, Where do you think our country is in the area of racism? Martin Luther King, Jr., made some great headway. Have we digressed? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think we’ve made great progress, but the race-baiters (Jackson, Sharpton, et al.) make a lot of money off racism. Their greatest fear is that brotherly love would break out and they would have to find real work! |
| bobby_c asks, Which quiz program of those on the air now (Weakest Link, Millionaire, Jeopardy!, et al) is the best? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I don’t watch TV. I only appear on it! |
| guest3686 asks, I have been reading a lot about the Democratic Parties Plan to equate Fundamental Christians as equal to the Taliban? What do you think? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think that’s a big mistake. The Democrats need to win back the South to win elections. By equating Christians with the Taliban, they are alienating many Southern Christians. |
| madchatter asks, Do you think that Jesse’s empire is really going to die or just go dormant until the next liberal president comes into power? |
| Cal_Thomas says, It’s in serious trouble. They’re laying off staff. Regnery is publishing a book in March called “Shakedown.” It is about Jackson’s outrageous behavior with corporations. A must read, I think. |
| guest3701 asks, Should Christians read the Harry Potter series? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I haven’t. Better to read (and see) “Lord of the Rings.” There are plenty of things worse than Harry Potter out there. I wish we’d put more energy into creating good things instead of always knocking things we see as bad. (Related article.) |
| maxfaith asks, How much agreement is there between Colin Powell and the rest of the administration? Is he on a different page? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Yes, I think he is. Don’t forget he is a self-described “Rockefeller Republican,” that is, a liberal. |
| madchatter asks, which cat has more personality… your cat or Garfield? *snicker* |
| Cal_Thomas says, Mine, but Garfield makes more money. |
| bobby_c asks, The Democrats are winning back the South with gambling, and appointing Zell Miller as Senator gave Daschle his majority. Do you think the liberals are gaining back the South with successful expansion of government through inception of the state lottery, as we have seen in Georgia and could see in South Carolina? Here in SC, I no longer fuel my truck at stations which sell lottery tickets. |
| Cal_Thomas says, No, I don’t. I think they are still in deep trouble in the South. |
| guest3688 asks, What do you think of the relatives of the victims of 911 suing the U.S. government? |
| Cal_Thomas says, There is a difficult situation. As I understand it, the government will make funds available only to those it feels are “needy.” People who have life insurance and other assistance won’t get as much as people with little or none. My understanding is that the charities are not limited by the government formula. |
| guest3686 asks, I’ve been concerned about the rhetoric from Yassar Arafat? I wish the President would just say “I pay very little attention to what you say but I’m watching everything you do?” |
| Cal_Thomas says, Good line! I think Arafat is history, but the trick is to come up with his replacement. As long as the official position of the “Palestinians” is the elimination of Israel, it won’t matter who the leader is. (Related article.) |
| initnotofit asks, How do you think Jeb Bush is doing as the Governor of Florida? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I don’t follow him regularly (I live in the Washington, D.C. Area.) But he seems to be doing OK. I like his education choice plan. Too bad about his daughter. We should pray for his family. |
| vandoor asks, How do you feel about the state of the European Union and its new currency? Do you feel the EU will soon displace the U.S. as the premiere world economy? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I wrote a column on that last month when it changed over.. I don’t like it. Miss the sovereign money. Glad the Brits are holding out, at least for a while. |
| maxfaith asks, Before 9/11, the administration was going to dangle the carrot of Palestinian statehood. What in the world were they thinking? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Yes, well, the State Department willingly suspends its disbelief (to paraphrase Coleridge). |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, Chatmaster has some more announcements for us… |
chatmaster shouts, Hey everyone! Come join us for our Chat with writer, Cal Thomas, going on NOW in the Auditorium. There will be some door prizes given out!” |
chatmaster shouts, Congrats to maxfaith and lightphoto who have been chosen to receive Cal’s book, The Wit and Wisdom of Cal Thomas, courtesy of Cal Thomas and your friends at Crosswalk.com!” |
chatmaster shouts, Order your own copy of “Blinded By Might“. Goto http://www.thinkbigusa.com/calthomas“ |
| clare_host asks, Back to the SOU address and education, do you believe that Head Start, a governmentally run program, is really a good way to save our children? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think it can help, especially with the breakfast program. But feeding the stomach without feeding the mind and soul doesn’t do much good and that’s why I’d like to see people have a choice on where to send their kids to school. |
| guest3702 asks, Thinking ahead to after the Bush years, perhaps even after whoever follows him — do you think there will be a future for true conservatives in our country? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Certainly. Look at what’s been accomplished recently: End of the Soviet Union, end of welfare as we knew it, growth in the crisis pregnancy center and Christian School movements, taxes cut tremendously, etc. |
| guest3715 asks, It’s obvious that the US policy in the Middle east has caused the seed bed for the extreme anti American sentiment that fuels terrorist agendas, How would you handle the sanction regime in Iraq, and how would you go about changing the attitudes of our middle eastern brothers and sisters |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think those people and nations would have hated us whether Israel existed or not. Remember, the Arab states supported Hitler’s attempt to exterminate Jews during WW2 BEFORE Israel became a modern nation-state. If Israel ceased to exist, many Arabs would still persecute the Jews. |
| guest3686 asks, What do think about the 22 Arab Nations asking for someone to define what is a terrorist? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think they’re playing moral equivalency word games. |
| vandoor asks, Another question about foreign affairs… Which third world countries do you feel are in most need of monetary / humanitarian assistance? How much aide should the US send? In what form should we send the aide? |
| Cal_Thomas says, The President proposed an expanded Peace Corps. I like that. The best aid other nations can be given is not monetary, but philosophical and economic. American ideals work wherever they are tried. |
| guest3720 asks, What are the chances that the supreme court will get several new members, soon? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think they’re good, given the age of the Justices. But I’m not necessarily convinced that Bush will name conservatives, though I hope he will. Democrats (if they are still running the Senate, which is why the Fall election is critical) will block any conservative. |
| guest3701 asks, The Home School legal defense fund is against vouchers because it will allow the government to regulate private school. What do you think about vouchers? |
| Cal_Thomas says, If the legislation is written to allow the students and parents to make the choice (as is the case with Pell Grants) then I don’t think it’s a problem. |
| guest3698 asks, You mentioned you live in the DC area … do you follow professional sports? Have you gotten to know your new ‘neighbor’ Michael Jordan? Sad about his divorce … classic case of choosing work over family. Are you that driven? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Never met the man. Sad, indeed. Been a Washington Redskins fan for years, but they’re getting too expensive and produce little but frustration in return! |
| guest3727 asks, Cal what about the false rhetoric our President and so many others are putting out to the American people that Islam is a Peaceful Religion, AND IT”S NOT! |
| Cal_Thomas says, Checkout the current issue of Christianity Today. Excellent cover story on Islam. Everyone needs to be informed on this. I think his words are more diplomatic than substantive, but if he means it, he’s flat wrong. There is plenty of evidence to the contrary, in addition to 9/11. (Related article.) |
| guest3724 asks, the abortion forces are rallying right now in all the conservative magazines scaring people into thinking that roe/wade will be repealed do you think it will ever be repealed? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I’m not sure. Abortion is not the cause of our decadence. It is a reflection of it. So is divorce, corrupt culture, films, TV, etc. And divorce! |
| maxfaith asks, What do you think of the new “gender inclusive” version of the NIV Bible? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I haven’t read it yet, but I’m always concerned when people try to “improve” the Word of God. “The grass withers; the flowers fade; but the word of our God shall stand forever.” |
| guest3741 asks, Can you name three committed Christian journalists, and your three favorite people who do political commentary? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Fred Barnes, Russ Pullium (Indianapolis News editor), Brit Hume. There are many… Tony Snow. Favorite commentators include William Safire, Peggy Noonan and Wes Pruden. |
| initnotofit asks, What are you planning to do as far as writing any more books or are you working on one now |
| Cal_Thomas says, Books are a pain for me because I have to add them to everything else I do. Trying to persuade my wife to write one so she can start “keeping” me! |
| guest3701 asks, I read a Barnum survey that said that the Christian divorce rate is higher than the nonChristian divorce rate. What is the cause of this phenomenon in your opinion? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Materialism primarily and self-focus. |
| guest3724 asks, How did you break into writing? and at what age? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I started in radio when I was 16 and joined NBC News in Washington as a copyboy at 18. The column started in 1984 and is currently in 530 papers. |
| guest3711 asks, God gave the command for parents to train their children in righteousness, do you think the government should help those families accomplish this even as they homeschool with no federal funding at all? |
| Cal_Thomas says, The government ought to be irrelevant to how we rear our children. What the government does or doesn’t do has no bearing on what God’s people are commanded to do. Look up the words “teach” and “learn” and also “mind” in a concordance. It’s a great lesson. |
| guest3741 asks, My son would like to know your favorite Bible character outside of Jesus? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Jeremiah in the Old Testament and Paul in the New. |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, I do believe the mighty Chatmaster has some more words for us… |
chatmaster shouts, Hey everyone! Come join us for our Chat with writer, Cal Thomas, going on NOW in the Auditorium. There will be some door prizes given out!” |
chatmaster shouts, Congrats to vandoor who has been chosen to receive Cal’s book, The Wit and Wisdom of Cal Thomas, courtesy of Cal Thomas and your friends at Crosswalk.com!” |
chatmaster shouts, Order your own copy of “Blinded By Might“. Goto http://www.thinkbigusa.com/calthomas“ |
| guest3727 asks, Why can’t our Christian leadership in the U.S. Govt. tell the truth about this nations heritage and background. The entire Nation taught the Bible in our Public Schools until 1960? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Yes, they did. And the Soviets banned it. Now Russia accepts it and America bans it. What do you suppose the Russians remember that we forgot? Having said that, I wonder how many people who want the Bible read in school read it with their children at home? |
| maxfaith asks, With so many mainline denominations falling into liberalism and sometimes even heresy, do you think committed Christians should “jump ship” or stay and fight it out? |
| Cal_Thomas says, “Come out from among them and be separate.” Few denominations or churches that start going liberal ever return to the Truth. The Southern Baptists are a rare exception. |
| guest3756 asks, how do you balance your Christian belief and what you do at work |
| Cal_Thomas says, I seek to apply God’s truth to the issues about which I write. My screen saver is taken from Galatians: “Please God, not men.” |
| guest3744 asks, I heard you read scripture at a wedding in Dallas a few years back. (My in-laws know you from way back) You did a great job with the memorized poem! Anyway, I read Dobson’s newsletter back when your “Blinded By Might” came out, and I thought that either you had gone off the deep end or he hadn’t actually read your book. It seems that the latter was true. Since reading your book, I have found it to be more and more on the money. Have you and Dobson ever come to see eye-to-eye on this one, and have you been disappointed by the response to that book in Christian circles? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Thank you very much! Your note is like many others we have received. Our book was totally misrepresented. We never called for anyone to withdraw from politics, except preachers whom are set apart for a higher calling. But even preachers, if they stay faithful to the Bible, will touch on every moral issue there is. I appreciate your taking the time to read the book instead of believing what another has said about it. |
| guest3701 asks, Why is the church losing its ability to affect modern day culture? |
| Cal_Thomas says, That is not the church’s role. Re-read what Paul said and did in Corinth, a city far more wicked than any other. He didn’t attempt to reform culture. (which was and is impossible since those who don’t have the mind of Christ will not be persuaded by those who do.) He sought to redeem men and women,. Done in sufficient numbers, culture is influenced, but the world is winding down and Jesus is coming sooner than yesterday. |
| vandoor asks, I am concerned over the deforestation of the rain forests in central America and Africa and I realize that somebody needs to make sure the rainforest is not depleted by clear cutting deforestation. What is the current state of affairs as far as forest regulation? Since there are other international issues, do you feel the UN should be given increased regulatory power? |
| Cal_Thomas says, No. The last thing we need is more regulators. I think this issue is overstated and I urge you to do more research on the subject. Google is an excellent search engine for different points of view. As is The heritage Foundation in Washington. (They have a website and cover environmental issues too.) |
| guest3711 asks, I like president Bush’s new definition of child now to include fetus. How about you? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I do, too. As a former fetus I have some experience in this matter! |
| vandoor asks, Do you think that our intelligence capabilities need to be expanded? |
| Cal_Thomas says, No, I think our wisdom does! |
| initnotofit asks, With so many versions of the Bible out there which one is the right one. I have a NIV bible and I had someone scold me by saying I am not reading the right bible and they called the NIV Bible the ‘New Idiots Bible’. So, what is the right version |
| Cal_Thomas says, The NIV is a faithful translation. The original no longer exists but the best we have has been faithfully copied through the centuries. Among the translations, you should read the one that best speaks to your heart and soul. |
| billy asks, hey Cal how did 911 change you or did it? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I was depressed for several weeks. The Pentagon is near my house. I could see the smoke from my roof. I had a friend who died on the plane. My fellow citizens were needlessly hurt and killed. I was saddened for them. I try to read the profiles every day in the NY Times. It has made me appreciate life and its brevity even more. |
| initnotofit asks, What have you been doing these days since our last chat session on crosswalk.com |
| Cal_Thomas says, waiting for the next one! Writing the column, speaking, loving my cat and my grandchildren! |
| vandoor asks, I am from California and we are soon to have a gubernatorial election. Do you have an opinion on who should be the next governor that you’d like to share? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Not much of a choice. Riordon is a liberal, as is Davis. |
| guest3724 asks, Tricky regional question…the greens want to regulate snowmobile access in Yellowstone National Park…most motor heads see this as just another assault on access to public lands. I’m not either group…but want to protect access to federal land…what does the talk on the street say about this issue…any developing trends??? |
| Cal_Thomas says, That’s really out of my area of expertise. I’m a conservationist. I want to protect the environment, but not at the cost of excessive regulations. |
| guest3745 asks, what do you think about heavy metal worship music? My preacher was bashing it from the pulpit |
| Cal_Thomas says, I think he should preach the Gospel. Music is an individual taste, though I do think some sounds so much like the world it is difficult to tell the difference. |
| Cal_Thomas says, But if we get caught up in side issues, we rob the Gospel of its power* |
| billy asks, Cal what would you say to those who think the USA is wrong for the war we are now in? |
| Cal_Thomas says, Evil must be opposed. We live in a fallen world. These people killed innocent people. Hitler was evil and he was rightly opposed and I think the just war theory is correct. |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, Cal, thank you for taking the time to chat with us tonight. Is there anything you would like to say in closing? |
| Cal_Thomas says, I hope people will read “Blinded By Might.” It is an important book. Also please write your local paper, thanking them for carrying me if they do and asking them to if they don’t. I lost Kansas City Star today because not enough people wrote! These liberal editors don’t carry me out of the goodness of their hearts! And please pray for me when you think about it. |
| Cal_Thomas waves at everyone. |
| Fritzpw_Admin says, Thanks again for coming everyone. I hope you enjoyed the event. Don’t forget to join us again for our next Chat on Feb. 7 when we’ll be hosting Singer/Songwriter Jennifer Knapp. |
chatmaster shouts, Order your own copy of “Blinded By Might“. Goto http://www.thinkbigusa.com/calthomas“ |
