Government

“We pray for all the emperors, that God may grant them long life, a secure government, a prosperous family, vigorous troops, a faithful senate, an obedient people; that the whole…

“Despotism may govern without faith, but liberty cannot.”

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Declaration of Independence is easily the most well-known document in American history, right?

Not so fast….

A tourist browsing a curio shop in New York noticed a very lifelike, bronze statue of a rat. It didn’t have a price tag, but the man was intrigued enough that he decided to buy it. “How much for the bronze rat?” he asked the shop owner.

“Fifty bucks for the rat. Two hundred bucks for the story,” came the reply.

Philip Seymour Hoffman. Cory Monteith. River Phoenix. They all share at least two things in common: they were highly-paid actors…and they died from an overdose of heroin. Now, lawmakers are working to ensure that no one else suffers the same fate.

But their “solution” is a highly contested one….

We’re in the midst of another crazy political season…which is the perfect time to share some of history’s greatest thoughts on politicians and their practices. Here are the Top 10 quotes about the folks we elect to represent us:

As Americans, we’re sometimes confused – or shocked – by laws from other countries. Foreign cultures may prohibit what clothes can be worn, who can vote, who can marry, and so on.

But the strangest laws in human history came from ancient Geneva, a religious city like no other.

Theodosius had a plan. He wanted all the people of his empire to worship the one true God revealed in the Bible. A noble endeavor, for sure. But there was one fatal flaw in the emperor’s strategy:

Those he couldn’t lead to Jesus…he would send to Jesus!

On April 16th, the phone rang at First Baptist Church in downtown Glendale. When Pastor Jefferson answered the phone, a member of the IRS introduced himself and said he had a few questions for the pastor.

“This can’t be good,” thought the pastor….