Mike Heath: The Most Important Article I’ve Ever Written

Editor’s Note:  While I’ve reposted a number of articles that Mike Heath has written over the years, I’m pleased to announce with this article that Mike is going to be a regular contributor to Americans for Truth.  Mike is an outstanding Christian father and leader in Maine — as the former executive director of the Maine Christian Civic League. He sent this article out to his e-mail list this morning.  I encourage you to read it all the way to the end.  Mike takes no prisoners in this article. He is uniquely qualified to provide this honest perspective from inside our movement.  He needs our support.  Click here to visit Mike’s website and subscribe to his email.  He was one of the first in the movement many years ago to see the value of using broadcast e-mails in communicating truth.  Thanks in advance for reading all the way to the end! — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH

The hero from the new movie “For Greater Glory”

____________________________

By Michael S. Heath

I apologize for taking so long to write. Click here to read my last email to you, which was sent on April 30, 2012.

In that article I write candidly about my history of ministry in Maine. I encourage you to take a few moments to click through to the link and read the article again. It is important to understanding what I am going to write to you today.

I don’t mention in that article a group formed by the Maine Legislature many years ago called “The Ethics Commission.” I need to write about that this morning. Their existence provides a bit of explanation for why I haven’t been writing to you as often as I would like.

The Ethics Commission

They exist, in part, to provide a guarantee to Maine people that corruption isn’t happening in government — that everything in politics is above board … ethical. They provide this service to the public by forcing lobbyists, politicians, Maine citizens, businesses, corporations — everybody in America really — to fill out many, many forms and meet lots of deadlines if they choose to influence Maine politics. The forms, some of them dozens of pages in length, and governed by language only a lawyer working with his accountant could love (or understand) require the disclosure of everything related to finances including the names, addresses and business connection of donors. The ACLU has argued in the past that this is unconstitutional. The National Organization for Marriage is making the same argument now in court. I haven’t checked recently but I think they are still in court fighting the State of Maine over the 2009 vote on “marriage.” Their attorney, Jim Bopp, charges hundreds of dollars an hour for his services. They’ve been in court for years, and the case hasn’t completed the appeal process.

I’ve been in the headlines before as leader of the Christian Civic League of Maine charged with being unethical. It’s impossible to win those headlines when you are a religious leader. The press prints the accusations, but not the results (when you are exonerated).

When I started to write, earlier this year, about the latest political push by sodomy based marriage advocates I didn’t want to be involved with the Ethics Commission in any way, shape or form. I ultimately concluded, however, that would be unwise. while I think they should be disbanded, and the Clean Election Fund closed, they do exist and it would be imprudent to try to ignore them. That is why I joined with my dear friend Paul Madore in creating the No Special Rights PAC. Any funds designated by donors to my campaign activities related to the NO vote in November must be given to the No Special Rights PAC. I cannot use this “Shield of Faith” email to directly advocate for a NO vote. It may be wrong for me to even be critical of the other side between now and November, I’m not sure. I’m not an attorney. And I can’t afford Jim Bopp.

So, don’t donate to Helping Hands Ministry if you expect me to use your donation to influence the vote in November. If that is your expectation then send your donation to the No Special Rights PAC, P.O. Box 2433, Lewiston, ME 04241-2433.

I have decided to continue to write about, and speak out against, the sodomy lobby between now and the vote in November. I’ll probably just try to stay away from advocating for a NO vote in this email. I’ll save that sort of pointed advocacy for the volunteer work I am doing for the No Special Rights PAC.

The sodomy lobby silences Christians by using intimidation. They are bullies. There is no limit to the funds available to them. They are smart and creative people. They are diabolical. They use organizations like the Ethics Commission to intimidate good people into silence.

There’s no doubt in my mind that they are part of the cabal that is in the process right now of putting Mike Hein in jail.

Mike Hein

Popular Maine Tea Party Governor Paul LePage and Mike Hein (right).

Mike worked for me for six years. He was the most effective, honest and hard-working man I ever had in the Operations Director position. He handled well over a million dollars in small gifts from wonderful Christian people all over Maine. I NEVER had a problem with him. If anything he was too meticulous.

Now he stands charged by the State of Maine with “Theft by Deception.” He is looking at up to a year in jail, or a hefty fine. His crime?

He told a few folks to give their five bucks to their church in his attempt to qualify for Clean Election Funding. He needed to gather 60 five dollar checks to prove to the Ethics Commission that he was qualified to receive money from the taxpayers to pay for his lawn signs etc. He was running for the Legislature.

Mike was wrong. He should not have put his money into the process in this manner.

However, every one of the five dollar voters Mike found signed a form and a money order indicating they wanted him to run. The issue is not whether these voters wanted him to run or not. The issue is the source of the money. The State of Maine requires that the five dollars must come from the voter, not from the candidate. I can see the justification for the State’s position. Apparently, however, Mike would have been fine had he used something called “Seed Money.” This could have been raised from these same donors and used to purchase the money orders that the voter signed. I could be wrong about this. I don’t have time to check it out. Suffice it to say that we’re in some pretty deep “ethical” weeds here.

Mike forgot the truism, “The devil is in the details.” In Mike’s case the devil is in the government.

Mike has not been bashful about confronting local politicians with whom he disagrees — especially on moral issues like abortion and homosexuality. He’s been taking those stands for many years and his enemies list is very long indeed. There is no doubt in my mind that part of the motivation here is the political crucifixion of Mike Hein, and the principles for which he fights.

Mike has no legal record of wrongdoing — none. That obviously should have been taken into consideration by Maine’s Attorney General when he decided to take the case.

Somehow an investigation was triggered by the Attorney General’s office. We all know that if Mike was a friend of the establishment the matter would have been dropped right then. The case, however, quickly became a high priority for the Maine Attorney General and within days Mike was formally charged in the headlines with “Theft by Deception.” I thought his political enemies would be satisfied with that. The bad press caused him to lose the primary election to a place holder put up by the Republican establishment who desperately want to destroy Mike’s reputation.

They didn’t drop it. Mike told me just a few days ago that his choice is between pleading guilty or facing a protracted and very expensive legal fight. A fine isn’t being offered as a possibility by the Attorney General. The Attorney General, the establishment Republican Bill Schneider, wants jail time. Mike supports Ron Paul. Ron Paul’s movement disestablished the establishment of the Republican Party here in Maine earlier this month in a two day long very entertaining political blood bath.

There is nothing ethical about using the idea of ethics to accomplish evil ends. The accusation of “Theft by Deception” for this incident is itself unethical. It isn’t proportionate to the crime — it doesn’t fit the “crime.” It is laughable that Mike would even be fined at this point. There is nothing ethical about what is being done here.

Mike has already lost his job and savings over this. The Attorney General should be satisfied with a guilty plea, and urge the Judge to be lenient given these facts. Mike is not a rich man.

Mike wants to plead innocent and tell his story to a jury of his peers. He can’t do that because it would cost him tens of thousands of dollars. That is just plain wrong. That isn’t the America I want to build. Money must not be the gatekeeper to justice. This is very evil.

This is a perfect example of why good people are running away from the government and politics. They know that with tens of thousands of pages of laws, rules and regulations it is only a matter of time before you find yourself on the wrong side of the law. This is especially true if you choose not to be politically correct. It is only a matter of time.

The Christian Civic League of Maine

I know this fear informs the rhetoric and tactics of the League. When I worked for the League — a tiny organization in budget and number of donors — I consumed enormous amounts of staff time and money dealing with legal and accounting issues. I found I couldn’t move politically because of the fear that existed in pastors and board members. I thought that reducing the size of the board, and appointing only Christian warriors to the board, would resolve some of the dilemmas and enable us to do our job — fight against sin and evil.

It didn’t work. I resigned. The League was tamed.

Mike Hein remained when I resigned. He tried to carry on the fight. It isn’t in his nature to resign like I did.

Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council

I knew that the pastors had decided years ago, in collusion with Tony Perkins at the Family Research Council, to back Pastor Bob Emrich instead of me. Mike has always been an implacable foe of Bob Emrich, and the womanish brand of evanjellyfishism that he has decided to lead. He urged me many times to deal with him. Maybe he was right. I decided, however, during those years it was better not to start a fight in the ranks.

It is interesting to note that Bob Emrich now leads what is left of the “social conservative” movement in Maine. He takes his orders from well-funded national groups like the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family. He, and they, are hyper sensitive to Republican politics. Focus on the Family even went so far as to force their founder, Dr. James Dobson, to abandon the ministry. I resigned in September of 2009. Dr. Dobson was forced to abandon his very popular radio show weeks later. It isn’t a stretch to suggest there is a connection.

Dr. Dobson had tried for years to navigate the rapids of Republican power politics. His efforts to placate those forces failed in the end, and he was tossed from the boat. The only difference between Dr. Dobson and me is age. I tried to placate those same forces, I’m ashamed to say.

I’m not, however, ashamed to say that they no longer factor into my political calculus. I want the gospel of Jesus Christ to win. I don’t care what happens to Republicans, Democrats or America if Jesus loses and they win. And in recent decades his gospel, and the basic morality of Christianity, has been taking it on the chin. That is unacceptable.

The leader of the Exodus Mandate, Chaplain E. Ray Moore, just mailed a book to me.  I am nearly finished reading it.  It is titled We Won’t Get Fooled Again [AFTAH founder and president Peter LaBarbera is a featured interview in this book].  If you don’t want to believe my testimony about the political and religious forces that are at work here do take time to read the book.  After you’ve read it you’ll send me an apology.

For Greater Glory

On Tuesday Paulie and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. I took her to see a film. The Greater Glory is the best movie I’ve ever seen.

In that movie the government declares war on Christianity. Unlike American evanjellyfish the Christians fight back.

It is long past time for us to fight back. The clock is ticking on our ability to influence the course of things through politics. Political martyrs are dropping like flies all around us. How long before we will be forced to give not only our careers, personal security and money? How long before the government forces us to choose them or Jesus Christ — and the wrong answer leads to a bloody end? How long?

It really isn’t about the economy, stupid. It really is about the morality. And there is nothing “gay” about sodomizing other people.

I’m sure it would encourage Mike if you sent him an email. You can reach him at michael.g.hein@gmail.com.