By Allen Palmeri
Associate Editor
JEFFERSON CITY—Zel Fischer, Missouri Supreme Court judge and Missouri Baptist, gave a rousing speech on God and country near the end of his lecture Sept. 27 during the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) Worldview Conference at Memorial Baptist Church here.
Fischer, a member of First Baptist Church in Tarkio, lamented the fact that our nation is “in bondage to big government” but clearly stated that he is unafraid.
“My vision for America is that we recognize that our present crisis is not merely economic and political, but it’s moral in nature,” Fischer said. “At the root of these times should be the realization that people in positions of authority have walked away from some timeless truths—honesty, integrity, an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay, and the simple notion that you ought to treat your neighbor the way you treat yourself, that you ought to treat your colleague with honor and respect for his ideas
“My belief is that this nation will not be restored with public policy alone. I believe that what’s going to be required is public virtue. That emanates from our traditional institutions—life, liberty, and religious freedom.”
He noted that some political consultants would advise people to stay away from those socially conservative issues as the Nov. 2 election draws near.
“But do we really want to live in an America where the sole focus of our leadership is on our financial ledger?” Fischer said. “We do need our leaders to understand the concept that you can’t spend more than what you have. I live with that concept every month.
“I want to support leaders who can govern this nation in a manner where they can handle more than one problem at a time. Our forefathers worshipped a very big God, and they knew that our God is an awesome God, and He not only reigns in heaven but He reigns on this earth, and He’s here today.
“Thomas Jefferson said, ‘When the heart is right, the feet are swift.’ As Americans, we have always been at our best when we stood together for what matters the most. So while it’s OK to commit and focus on our nation’s financial situation, we must re-commit to protect innocent life and traditional family values, and secure religious freedom.
“The Bible says, ‘If we owe debts, then debt, if we owe respect, then respect.’ Well I say we owe a debt to our nation’s history and the principles upon which it was founded. So the time has come to take a respectful stand. We must not be timid to pursue with all strength but also in a dignified manner what has always been the source of America’s greatness—our faith in God and our religious freedom.”