thestream--2020-03-19--Verbal Voodoo Can Make Coronavirus ‘Non-Racist’

You ’ ve probably seen the press conference .
In the midst of a global emergency , one reporter after another with the unique opportunity to question the most powerful man in the world decides to ask … if it ’ s “ racist ” to call the Coronavirus “ Chinese.
” One relentlessly presses him to expose which official might have privately made a grim ( but witty ) joke , calling the virus “ Kung Flu.
” This while churches and schools go dark around the world .
While the Vatican cancels Mass in Rome .
And countless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other productive events face cancellation .
While stocks continue to plummet , potentially wiping out our retirement funds .
As restaurant owners , bartenders , waiters , and millions of other Americans watch their incomes disappear .
And parents and public health officials plead with college students to cancel their spring break plans .
To stay out of bars and clubs , for the love of God — or at least , their grandparents .
With all of this happening , our chattering class puts its focus on … the magic power of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asian-Americans face the threat of bias crimes if Trump doesn ’ t use some euphemism .
( There ’ s zero evidence for that . )
But we ’ re seeing something much deeper here .
These wordsmiths and image-mongers seem to think that if President Trump doesn ’ t call this virus from China a “ Chinese virus , ” that will actually change something .
It can wipe out the fact that this virus emerged from teeming farms and cruel , plague-breeding “ wet markets ” where Chinese buy live animals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that the Chinese government bungled this disease just as the Soviets botched Chernobyl .
That the Communist Party in China used cover-ups , arrested doctors , lied to the world for months , and let local politics trump public health .
Do you know the main reason Chinese bureaucrats let this virus escape from Wuhan ?
Chinese New Year .
Local officials , fully aware they had a new and contagious virus in that province , wouldn ’ t stop thousands of infected residents from traveling cross-country to visit their home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ custom for Chinese New Year . )
Because it ’ s a secretive , corruptocrat dictatorship , China can ’ t trust its people with the truth .
At least not until enough Party bosses have signed on to a plan for controlling them .
By the time China worked up that plan , the virus was past containing .
Doctors who blew the whistle got arrested , forced to retract , and later died of the disease .
( Or so China tells us .
We may never know , since it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Word magic in the 1990s obscured the grim cruelty of the Chinese regime , just enough to let establishment Republicans and Clintonite Democrats welcome China into the World Trade Organization .
( This as China was killing some 400 million babies through forced abortion in its vicious One-Child Policy . )
Vague but luminous language about how “ economic liberalization promotes democracy ” reassured us as we let an evil dictatorship get rich , by setting up massive sweatshops to replace American jobs .
The shiny rhetoric of globalization reassured us that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ monopolize the computer industry , our medical supplies , and countless electronic products .
Those like Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot who dared to object ?
It was easy to silence them with the right verbal spells .
Call them “ xenophobes , ” “ racists , ” or “ nativists.
” Imply that they must hate the nice family who owned the Chinese restaurant on their block .
Warn that they ’ re summoning “ echoes ” of our World War II internment of Japanese-Americans , or the Chinese exclusion acts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the second largest economy in the world .
It throws money at countless universities , establishing “ Confucius Institutes ” to spread regime propaganda on campuses .
China has strong-armed most of the world into un-recognizing Taiwan .
It has broken its solemn promises to Hong Kong .
It has thrown more than a million Muslims into concentration camps .
China routinely steals vital organs from these Muslims and other religious or political dissidents , sometimes while they ’ re alive .
Then its sells them to wealthy patients .
Muslim countries don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regimes that denounce Israel for the slightest act in its own self-defense stay mum about that genocide .
The Vatican forged a secret alliance with China against the capitalist West , and has thrown the true believers of China ’ s “ underground church ” to the wolves .
Western media rarely highlight China ’ s cruel abuses .
Is that because Chinese investors own large parts of their companies ?
Or maybe their networks fear exclusion from the country .
China can bully the NBA , the movie industry , and dozens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ buying up their resources .
Meanwhile China ’ s arming faster than Hitler did in the thirties .
You won ’ t learn any of this from watching the evening news .
You need to read little dissident media outlets , like the Epoch Times .
Or maybe some brave reporters based in Taiwan .
Read Bully of Asia by Stephen Mosher , the pro-life activist who exposed China ’ s One-Child Policy .
But most of our fluent friends in the media wipe all this away , or hide it behind euphemisms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blame them for thinking that words have the power to master reality .
( In the Middle Ages , people called this kind of sorcery “ Logomancy , ” and it could get you burned at the stake . )
Starting in high school , most members of our elites outside the STEM disciplines learned that B.S.-ing was quite sufficient to obtain a solid B+ , or maybe A- .
That was reinforced in college , except in the few , miserable science or math requirements their curricula still retained .
Help us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and human dignity .
Support The Stream » And out in the world ?
It was even truer .
In culture , politics , and politicized corporate boardrooms , words can make things real .
They can turn a harmless joke into “ evidence of bias , ” and get a real person tossed out on the street .
Words can transform a dead , dismembered baby into “ choice.
” Mere words can make a mutilated man into a “ transwoman , ” and a prostitute into a “ sex worker.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bully , and brainwash the public .
They can even transform the hard sciences themselves , at least by purging their ranks of truth-telling dissidents .
( Take that , you pointy-headed math nerds ! )
No wonder our opinion elites believe that words are magic .
That they can actually transform something as deadly real as a disease .
John Zmirak is a Senior Editor of The Stream , and author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .

You’ve probably seen the press conference. In the midst of a global emergency, one reporter after another with the unique opportunity to question the most powerful man in the world decides to ask … if it’s “racist” to call the Coronavirus “Chinese.” One relentlessly presses him to expose which official might have privately made a grim (but witty) joke, calling the virus “Kung Flu.”
This while churches and schools go dark around the world. While the Vatican cancels Mass in Rome. And countless business meetings, conferences, conventions and other productive events face cancellation. While stocks continue to plummet, potentially wiping out our retirement funds. As restaurant owners, bartenders, waiters, and millions of other Americans watch their incomes disappear. And parents and public health officials plead with college students to cancel their spring break plans. To stay out of bars and clubs, for the love of God — or at least, their grandparents. With all of this happening, our chattering class puts its focus on … the magic power of words.
Reporters and pundits pretend that Asian-Americans face the threat of bias crimes if Trump doesn’t use some euphemism. (There’s zero evidence for that.) But we’re seeing something much deeper here. These wordsmiths and image-mongers seem to think that if President Trump doesn’t call this virus from China a “Chinese virus,” that will actually change something. It can wipe out the fact that this virus emerged from teeming farms and cruel, plague-breeding “wet markets” where Chinese buy live animals for food.
Word magic can banish the fact that the Chinese government bungled this disease just as the Soviets botched Chernobyl. That the Communist Party in China used cover-ups, arrested doctors, lied to the world for months, and let local politics trump public health.
Corrupt Dictatorships Botch Things
Do you know the main reason Chinese bureaucrats let this virus escape from Wuhan? Chinese New Year. Local officials, fully aware they had a new and contagious virus in that province, wouldn’t stop thousands of infected residents from traveling cross-country to visit their home towns. (That’s the custom for Chinese New Year.)
Because it’s a secretive, corruptocrat dictatorship, China can’t trust its people with the truth. At least not until enough Party bosses have signed on to a plan for controlling them. By the time China worked up that plan, the virus was past containing. Doctors who blew the whistle got arrested, forced to retract, and later died of the disease. (Or so China tells us. We may never know, since it’s throwing out Western reporters.)
Magic Words Let China Become a World Power
Word magic in the 1990s obscured the grim cruelty of the Chinese regime, just enough to let establishment Republicans and Clintonite Democrats welcome China into the World Trade Organization. (This as China was killing some 400 million babies through forced abortion in its vicious One-Child Policy.)
Vague but luminous language about how “economic liberalization promotes democracy” reassured us as we let an evil dictatorship get rich, by setting up massive sweatshops to replace American jobs. The shiny rhetoric of globalization reassured us that it only made sense to let China monopolize the computer industry, our medical supplies, and countless electronic products.
Those like Pat Buchanan and Ross Perot who dared to object? It was easy to silence them with the right verbal spells. Call them “xenophobes,” “racists,” or “nativists.” Imply that they must hate the nice family who owned the Chinese restaurant on their block. Warn that they’re summoning “echoes” of our World War II internment of Japanese-Americans, or the Chinese exclusion acts.
A Global Bully
And it worked. China now has the second largest economy in the world. It throws money at countless universities, establishing “Confucius Institutes” to spread regime propaganda on campuses. China has strong-armed most of the world into un-recognizing Taiwan. It has broken its solemn promises to Hong Kong. It has thrown more than a million Muslims into concentration camps. China routinely steals vital organs from these Muslims and other religious or political dissidents, sometimes while they’re alive. Then its sells them to wealthy patients.
Starting in high school, most members of our elites outside the STEM disciplines learned that B.S.ing was quite sufficient to obtain a solid B+, or maybe A-.
Muslim countries don’t dare protest. The same regimes that denounce Israel for the slightest act in its own self-defense stay mum about that genocide. The Vatican forged a secret alliance with China against the capitalist West, and has thrown the true believers of China’s “underground church” to the wolves. Western media rarely highlight China’s cruel abuses. Is that because Chinese investors own large parts of their companies? Or maybe their networks fear exclusion from the country. China can bully the NBA, the movie industry, and dozens of sovereign countries where it’s buying up their resources.
Meanwhile China’s arming faster than Hitler did in the thirties.
You won’t learn any of this from watching the evening news. You need to read little dissident media outlets, like the Epoch Times. Or maybe some brave reporters based in Taiwan. Read Bully of Asia by Stephen Mosher, the pro-life activist who exposed China’s One-Child Policy.
The Masters of Words
But most of our fluent friends in the media wipe all this away, or hide it behind euphemisms. And you really can’t blame them for thinking that words have the power to master reality. (In the Middle Ages, people called this kind of sorcery “Logomancy,” and it could get you burned at the stake.) Starting in high school, most members of our elites outside the STEM disciplines learned that B.S.-ing was quite sufficient to obtain a solid B+, or maybe A-. That was reinforced in college, except in the few, miserable science or math requirements their curricula still retained.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
And out in the world? It was even truer. In culture, politics, and politicized corporate boardrooms, words can make things real. They can turn a harmless joke into “evidence of bias,” and get a real person tossed out on the street. Words can transform a dead, dismembered baby into “choice.” Mere words can make a mutilated man into a “transwoman,” and a prostitute into a “sex worker.”
Weaponized words can dominate, silence, bully, and brainwash the public. They can even transform the hard sciences themselves, at least by purging their ranks of truth-telling dissidents. (Take that, you pointy-headed math nerds!)
No wonder our opinion elites believe that words are magic. That they can actually transform something as deadly real as a disease.
John Zmirak is a Senior Editor of The Stream, and author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.


thestream--2020-03-19--In Connecticut’s Legislature, the Pro-Death Forces Cheat

Under the best of circumstances , Connecticut politics is played unfairly .
The liberals continually stack the deck against those of us who fight for the unborn , the natural family and religious liberty in this deep blue state .
Every victory we have ever won has been a miracle .
But the coronavirus pandemic is not the best of circumstances .
The deck is even more stacked than usual .
Connecticut ’ s pro-death lobbies want to exploit the virus to pass the bills the Family Institute of Connecticut ( which I direct ) and our allies have repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a complete monopoly on power .
They have controlled the governorship for the last decade .
With the briefest of exceptions , they have controlled the state legislature for as long as anyone can remember .
Our legislature has joint committees with co-chairs , one from the Senate and one from the House .
Because the Democrats are always the majority , they are always the co-chairs .
The co-chairs have incredible power .
They decide what bills will appear on the agenda .
What bills will get a public hearing .
What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what bills won ’ t appear on the agenda , won ’ t get a public hearing , and won ’ t be voted on .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » This means that good bills , even bills that would have bipartisan support , never get a public hearing .
Parental notification for minors seeking abortions had bipartisan support .
It might have passed the legislature and become law .
Did the co-chairmen of the appropriate committee let it get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bills , even bills we have repeatedly defeated , can get a hearing every year .
Right now , we are fighting a bill targeting crisis pregnancy centers for the third year in a row .
We beat it in 2018 and 2019 .
The Public Health Committee brought it back again .
Even though there has not been a single complaint against any Connecticut pregnancy center to any state agency .
All the claims come from the pro-abortion lobby , NARAL .
The pro-abortionists want it , so back it comes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ no matter how many times it fails .
The impression given is that such lobbies control our state legislature .
In some cases , a few powerful legislators favor those lobbies and their causes .
There is some evidence that they may be gearing up to exploit the coronavirus pandemic for that purpose .
All of my concerns come together in the matter of assisted suicide .
Assisted suicide has had five hearings since 2013 .
We have beaten it every year at the earliest possible stage , in committee .
Even with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the committee , it couldn ’ t pass .
But our pro-death legislators won ’ t take no for an answer .
They scheduled the issue to have a sixth hearing this year , until the pandemic shutdown our state legislature .
That hearing may still go forward this year .
To understand why that has me more concerned than usual , you have to know the history of the bill .
In the case of assisted suicide , having a powerful co-chair favor your cause does not just mean that you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It means you will get inside information before the general public does .
It means you will be given big advantages over your opponents .
And it means that if the votes aren ’ t there , the bill will be pulled without a vote , so that you will not suffer a defeat that will make it harder to bring up the bill again next year .
These are things we have experienced for much of the last decade .
This year started off no different .
But it got worse @ @ @ @ @ @ @ website listed the Assisted Suicide and Anti-Pregnancy Center bills as having been raised for a public hearing before the Committee even voted to do so , at a time when we were still lobbying them to not take up those bills this year .
The pro-assisted suicide lobby accurately reported to its members the original date of this year ’ s Assisted Suicide public hearing a week before it was revealed to the public .
The public kept in the dark for a week includes their pro-life opponents .
The hearing was originally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to March 16th because of the pandemic , then postponed altogether .
Both times the pro-assisted suicide lobby had the date before the public did .
But it was their email to their members with that second date that especially caught my eye .
In that second message , the lobby had emailed its members with the claim that only written testimony would be allowed , not in-person testimony , and encouraging them to email their submissions .
The public was never informed .
This would have given the pro-assisted suicide people a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in-person testimony from disabled persons that has defeated the bill every year .
It would stack the deck further against the public .
My sources tell me that this was one option among many that Democrats discussed among themselves , that no decision had been made .
The pro-assisted suicide lobby jumped the gun with their email .
But consider the history .
They are always tipped off before the rest of us are .
And their information is usually accurate .
In fact , what was inside information in their March 10th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a possibility that was the subject of news reports .
A local newspaper , the Republican-American , asked how the public could testify “ on legislation that did not receive a hearing before the legislative session was paused.
” The speaker of the House , Joe Aresimowicz , “ said one possibility is consolidating various bills that have been selected for emergency certification and conducting hearings on these combined measures.
” The head of the Senate , Martin Looney , “ said how such hearings might be conducted is another question that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether to limit public comments to written testimony , or permitting in-person testimony.
” It is outrageous .
It should not happen .
The Democratic leadership should not be allowed to try to pass such a controversial bill by sneaking by the process .
This is the problem when you have a corrupt process that favors insiders .
And those insiders favor things like assisted suicide .
When a crisis comes along , as has now happened , and the state government tells us they will fairly decide what business to take up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have every reason to believe that they won ’ t .
This isn ’ t the first time .
For years now , they have given us every reason to not trust them .
The legislature should halt every controversial piece of legislation for 2020 .
A government that could be trusted to treat each side fairly could still conduct such business in a crisis .
But that is not the government we have in Connecticut .
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action .
He lives in Waterbury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their seven children .
The views expressed on The Stream are solely his own .

Under the best of circumstances, Connecticut politics is played unfairly. The liberals continually stack the deck against those of us who fight for the unborn, the natural family and religious liberty in this deep blue state. Every victory we have ever won has been a miracle.
But the coronavirus pandemic is not the best of circumstances. The deck is even more stacked than usual. Connecticut’s pro-death lobbies want to exploit the virus to pass the bills the Family Institute of Connecticut (which I direct) and our allies have repeatedly stopped.
The Monopolist Party
The Democratic Party here has a complete monopoly on power. They have controlled the governorship for the last decade. With the briefest of exceptions, they have controlled the state legislature for as long as anyone can remember.
Our legislature has joint committees with co-chairs, one from the Senate and one from the House. Because the Democrats are always the majority, they are always the co-chairs. The co-chairs have incredible power. They decide what bills will appear on the agenda. What bills will get a public hearing. What bills will be voted on. And what bills won’t appear on the agenda, won’t get a public hearing, and won’t be voted on.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This means that good bills, even bills that would have bipartisan support, never get a public hearing. Parental notification for minors seeking abortions had bipartisan support. It might have passed the legislature and become law. Did the co-chairmen of the appropriate committee let it get a hearing? No.
But bad bills, even bills we have repeatedly defeated, can get a hearing every year. Right now, we are fighting a bill targeting crisis pregnancy centers for the third year in a row. We beat it in 2018 and 2019.
The Public Health Committee brought it back again. Even though there has not been a single complaint against any Connecticut pregnancy center to any state agency. All the claims come from the pro-abortion lobby, NARAL. The pro-abortionists want it, so back it comes. And it’ll keep coming back no matter how many times it fails. The impression given is that such lobbies control our state legislature.
Exploiting the Pandemic
In some cases, a few powerful legislators favor those lobbies and their causes. There is some evidence that they may be gearing up to exploit the coronavirus pandemic for that purpose.
All of my concerns come together in the matter of assisted suicide. Assisted suicide has had five hearings since 2013. We have beaten it every year at the earliest possible stage, in committee. Even with a Democratic chairman and a Democratic majority on the committee, it couldn’t pass.
But our pro-death legislators won’t take no for an answer. They scheduled the issue to have a sixth hearing this year, until the pandemic shutdown our state legislature. That hearing may still go forward this year. To understand why that has me more concerned than usual, you have to know the history of the bill.
In the case of assisted suicide, having a powerful co-chair favor your cause does not just mean that you will get six hearings in seven years. It means you will get inside information before the general public does. It means you will be given big advantages over your opponents. And it means that if the votes aren’t there, the bill will be pulled without a vote, so that you will not suffer a defeat that will make it harder to bring up the bill again next year.
These are things we have experienced for much of the last decade. This year started off no different. But it got worse.
This Year’s Corruption
The Connecticut General Assembly’s website listed the Assisted Suicide and Anti-Pregnancy Center bills as having been raised for a public hearing before the Committee even voted to do so, at a time when we were still lobbying them to not take up those bills this year. The pro-assisted suicide lobby accurately reported to its members the original date of this year’s Assisted Suicide public hearing a week before it was revealed to the public. The public kept in the dark for a week includes their pro-life opponents.
The hearing was originally scheduled for March 13th, then moved to March 16th because of the pandemic, then postponed altogether. Both times the pro-assisted suicide lobby had the date before the public did. But it was their email to their members with that second date that especially caught my eye.
In that second message, the lobby had emailed its members with the claim that only written testimony would be allowed, not in-person testimony, and encouraging them to email their submissions. The public was never informed.
This would have given the pro-assisted suicide people a tremendous edge, because it is the in-person testimony from disabled persons that has defeated the bill every year. It would stack the deck further against the public.
My sources tell me that this was one option among many that Democrats discussed among themselves, that no decision had been made. The pro-assisted suicide lobby jumped the gun with their email.
Always Tipped Off
But consider the history. They are always tipped off before the rest of us are. And their information is usually accurate.
In fact, what was inside information in their March 10th email blast was, by March 15th, a possibility that was the subject of news reports. A local newspaper, the Republican-American, asked how the public could testify “on legislation that did not receive a hearing before the legislative session was paused.”
The speaker of the House, Joe Aresimowicz, “said one possibility is consolidating various bills that have been selected for emergency certification and conducting hearings on these combined measures.” The head of the Senate, Martin Looney, “said how such hearings might be conducted is another question that will have to be decided, including whether to limit public comments to written testimony, or permitting in-person testimony.”
It is outrageous. It should not happen. The Democratic leadership should not be allowed to try to pass such a controversial bill by sneaking by the process.
A Corrupt Process
This is the problem when you have a corrupt process that favors insiders. And those insiders favor things like assisted suicide.
When a crisis comes along, as has now happened, and the state government tells us they will fairly decide what business to take up and what business to leave aside, we have every reason to believe that they won’t. This isn’t the first time. For years now, they have given us every reason to not trust them.
The legislature should halt every controversial piece of legislation for 2020. A government that could be trusted to treat each side fairly could still conduct such business in a crisis. But that is not the government we have in Connecticut.
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action. He lives in Waterbury, Connecticut, with his wife and their seven children. The views expressed on The Stream are solely his own.


thestream--2020-03-19--Military Photo of the Day: Demolition is a Blast

U.S. Army soldiers recently helped conduct a demolition range exercise at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany .
Thank you @ @ @ @ @ this photograph .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity @ @ @ @ @

U.S. Army soldiers recently helped conduct a demolition range exercise at the Grafenwoehr Training Area in Germany.
Thank you to Gertrud Zach for taking this photograph.
React to This Article What do you think of our coverage in this article? We value your feedback as we continue to grow.


thestream--2020-03-19--Don’ts and Dos on Coronavirus

Don’ts and Dos on Coronavirus

What do you to manage this coronavirus situation ?
Some of the views expressed here are controversial .
So , do ask your doctor .
I hope you have one — not just the HMO or retail clinic “ provider.
” Don ’ t panic .
That is always good advice .
If you , like the world ’ s economy , operate on just-in-time inventories , and did not take advice to stock up 3 weeks ago , do not join a mob at a big-box store .
Somebody there is no doubt infected .
Plus , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injured in a fist fight over the last roll of toilet paper .
Most of the world survives without that luxury good .
If you have no rice or beans or pasta in the pantry , that is more serious , but you should still avoid mobs if at all possible .
Take-out and drive-through places are booming .
Fever Might Be Your Friend Don ’ t treat fever without a doctor ’ s advice .
Fever is not a disease .
It is an important defense mechanism .
Very high fevers ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage , and children can have seizures .
But don ’ t pop Tylenol or ibuprofen at the first sign of fever .
Many of the casualties in the 1918 pandemic might have been caused by heavy use of aspirin .
Like aspirin , popular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories ( NSAIDS ) such ibuprofen also have detrimental effects on blood clotting .
Try lukewarm sponge baths for comfort .
Don ’ t rush out and get a flu shot .
I know , a lot of doctors and public health authorities urge everybody to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the flu shot decreases that risk by 30 % to 60 % — but there is evidence that it can make COVID-19 worse , both from the earlier SARS epidemic and lab research .
As with so many things in medicine , we have to play the odds .
Get Help By Phone Don ’ t go to the emergency room or urgent care unless you are severely ill .
There will be sick people there , and you might catch something .
You also might end up with a big bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t really need .
And if you have the flu or a cold or COVID-19 , and don ’ t need IV fluids or oxygen , they can ’ t do anything for you .
Telephone advice lines could help greatly .
Don ’ t go to events that are crowded , especially indoors in poorly ventilated rooms .
Staying home is good .
Don ’ t demand to be tested and rely on the results .
The tests are still in short supply and not very accurate .
If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ test is likely to be a false positive .
And if you are infected , the test may be negative at first .
We need much more testing — mainly for public health monitoring .
Don ’ t waste .
Expired medications are probably still good .
Most drugs or essential ingredients are made in China , and supplies are running out .
Masks ( also mostly made in China ) are meant to be disposable , but likely can ’ t be replaced ( see below ) .
Don ’ t touch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is very hard — preventing that is one function of a mask and eye protection .
Don ’ t fall for internet scams , or malware .
Hucksters will always be around to try to profit from panics .
A new type of malicious virus is embedded malware in sites that come up on a search for information .
( If you want to find the Johns Hopkins University dashboard of cases and deaths , go to the university ’ s website , don ’ t Google “ coronavirus map.
” ) Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take care of yourself and your family .
Be sure you have a fever thermometer , disposable gloves , plastic garbage bags , and cleaning supplies .
A pulse oximeter , available in many places for around $ 40 , is good to have to check oxygen levels .
Do clean and disinfect surfaces such as doorknobs , telephones , computer keyboards , toilets , and countertops often .
Virus can persist there for days .
Do remember that sunlight is the best disinfectant .
If you don ’ t have a pocket @ @ @ @ @ @ @ available on amazon ) , try putting things like masks or paper currency out in the sun .
The idea should be rigorously tested , but in times of need , you may have to guess .
Do wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer .
With SARS-CoV-2 , most disinfectants work , including 70-percent-alcohol-based sanitizers .
Do put a mask on sick people if you can .
For protecting yourself you need a minimum of an N95 mask and eye protection .
Do take your vitamins .
Most people may be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vitamin C escalates with infection .
Some 50 tons of vitamin C was shipped to Wuhan , and studies of effectiveness are underway .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » Do get your essential prescriptions refilled for 90 days — the supply chain depends on China .
If your managed-care plan won ’ t pay , consider paying cash .
You may be able to get a good price with a coupon from goodrx.com .
Do protect your immune system , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and diet , especially avoiding sugar if you feel ill. Do help your neighbors , and be responsible about protecting others as well as yourself from contagion .
Jane M. Orient , M.D .
has served as Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons ( AAPS ) since 1989 .
She is currently president of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness .
She is the author of YOUR Doctor Is Not In : Healthy Skepticism about National Healthcare .

What do you to manage this coronavirus situation? Some of the views expressed here are controversial. So, do ask your doctor. I hope you have one — not just the HMO or retail clinic “provider.”
Don’t panic. That is always good advice. If you, like the world’s economy, operate on just-in-time inventories, and did not take advice to stock up 3 weeks ago, do not join a mob at a big-box store. Somebody there is no doubt infected. Plus, there’s the risk of getting trampled or injured in a fist fight over the last roll of toilet paper. Most of the world survives without that luxury good. If you have no rice or beans or pasta in the pantry, that is more serious, but you should still avoid mobs if at all possible. Take-out and drive-through places are booming.
Fever Might Be Your Friend
Don’t treat fever without a doctor’s advice. Fever is not a disease. It is an important defense mechanism. Very high fevers (say 105 degrees) can cause brain damage, and children can have seizures. But don’t pop Tylenol or ibuprofen at the first sign of fever. Many of the casualties in the 1918 pandemic might have been caused by heavy use of aspirin. Like aspirin, popular nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDS) such ibuprofen also have detrimental effects on blood clotting. Try lukewarm sponge baths for comfort.
Don’t rush out and get a flu shot. I know, a lot of doctors and public health authorities urge everybody to do this. Influenza can kill you, and the flu shot decreases that risk by 30% to 60% — but there is evidence that it can make COVID-19 worse, both from the earlier SARS epidemic and lab research. As with so many things in medicine, we have to play the odds.
Get Help By Phone
Don’t go to the emergency room or urgent care unless you are severely ill. There will be sick people there, and you might catch something. You also might end up with a big bill, say for a CT scan you didn’t really need. And if you have the flu or a cold or COVID-19, and don’t need IV fluids or oxygen, they can’t do anything for you. Telephone advice lines could help greatly.
Don’t go to events that are crowded, especially indoors in poorly ventilated rooms. Staying home is good.
Don’t demand to be tested and rely on the results. The tests are still in short supply and not very accurate. If you are at low risk, a positive test is likely to be a false positive. And if you are infected, the test may be negative at first. We need much more testing — mainly for public health monitoring.
Don’t Waste Your Meds
Don’t waste. Expired medications are probably still good. Most drugs or essential ingredients are made in China, and supplies are running out. Masks (also mostly made in China) are meant to be disposable, but likely can’t be replaced (see below).
Don’t touch your face or your eyes. That is very hard — preventing that is one function of a mask and eye protection.
Don’t go to events that are crowded, especially indoors in poorly ventilated rooms. Staying home is good.
Don’t fall for internet scams, or malware. Hucksters will always be around to try to profit from panics. A new type of malicious virus is embedded malware in sites that come up on a search for information. (If you want to find the Johns Hopkins University dashboard of cases and deaths, go to the university’s website, don’t Google “coronavirus map.”)
Now for some dos:
Do prepare to take care of yourself and your family. Be sure you have a fever thermometer, disposable gloves, plastic garbage bags, and cleaning supplies. A pulse oximeter, available in many places for around $40, is good to have to check oxygen levels.
Keep it Clean
Do clean and disinfect surfaces such as doorknobs, telephones, computer keyboards, toilets, and countertops often. Virus can persist there for days.
Do remember that sunlight is the best disinfectant. If you don’t have a pocket ultraviolet lamp (they are or were available on amazon), try putting things like masks or paper currency out in the sun. The idea should be rigorously tested, but in times of need, you may have to guess.
Do wash your hands often and use hand sanitizer. With SARS-CoV-2, most disinfectants work, including 70-percent-alcohol-based sanitizers.
Do put a mask on sick people if you can. For protecting yourself you need a minimum of an N95 mask and eye protection.
Take Vitamins
Do take your vitamins. Most people may be vitamin D deficient. Your need for vitamin C escalates with infection. Some 50 tons of vitamin C was shipped to Wuhan, and studies of effectiveness are underway.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Do get your essential prescriptions refilled for 90 days — the supply chain depends on China. If your managed-care plan won’t pay, consider paying cash. You may be able to get a good price with a coupon from goodrx.com.
Do protect your immune system, with adequate sleep, exercise, fresh air, and diet, especially avoiding sugar if you feel ill.
Do help your neighbors, and be responsible about protecting others as well as yourself from contagion.
Jane M. Orient, M.D. has served as Executive Director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) since 1989. She is currently president of Doctors for Disaster Preparedness. She is the author of YOUR Doctor Is Not In: Healthy Skepticism about National Healthcare.


thestream--2020-03-20--What the Other Side is Up Against: History, Truth, and the Power of God

Christ-followers are up against a lot in today ’ s world .
I wrote about it a couple weeks ago : the world is throwing a lot at us , including sexual power-mongering and powerful spiritual deception .
But the story doesn ’ t end there ( even if it got set aside a few days due to the rise of the coronavirus ) .
If I ’ d left it at that , it would have been a message of despair , but it ’ s only half the story .
We may have a lot going against us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more .
I wouldn ’ t want to be in their position , even if it looks strong for the moment .
In the end they can ’ t win .
They ’ re fighting against history , against truth , and most of all , against the power of God .
Secularists ’ momentary victories are just that : momentary .
Christianity has history on its side .
The Left likes to tell us we ’ re on the wrong side of history , but that ’ s just silliness .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s right because it ’ s happening right now.
” They said the same thing about eugenics a century ago .
They said it about Nazism and communism .
It ’ s an empty rhetorical device , that ’ s all ; either that , or else it ’ s the myopia that thinks our own age is the first and only one in all history to figure everything out , and to do it without caring what God says .
It won ’ t last .
Nothing has , except one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talk history , you need to look at all that ’ s come and gone over the past few thousand years .
Kingdoms have risen fallen .
Intellectual movements have grown faddish and disappeared .
One thing has remained : the world ’ s major religions .
In the West , Christianity has outlasted all its foes , and in the rest of the world it ’ s growing quickly .
Christianity will outlive the Left .
It ’ ll outlast today ’ s sexual madness , and it will survive socialism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ history .
It ’ s no accident that Christianity has stood strong over the centuries .
We ’ ve got the truth on our side — truth about reality as it really is .
By God ’ s grace , we have truth behind us on the great social questions of the day — life , marriage , morality , the economy .
Reality doesn ’ t yield to lies or fantasies about such things .
Humans may push against it , but eventually it will push back and reassert itself .
Truth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ignore or reject it .
And Christianity is firmly settled in truth , God ’ s truth .
It ’ s important that we remember whose truth it is .
It isn ’ t ours , something to boast in as if we owned it in some way .
Unbelievers sometimes accuse us of arrogance for our conviction that we have the truth , and indeed we ’ re guilty of that , if we claim it as our own .
If on the other hand we remember it ’ s God ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ submit to , that ’ s humility , not arrogance .
Or as I ’ ve been saying it for some time now , we don ’ t hold the truth , the Truth holds us .
God ’ s truth is good , loving and joyful for those who trust in it .
Those who try to reject it will find out , sooner or later , that it ’ s also a holy and just truth , and there ’ s a price to be paid for fighting it .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even more going for it : the very power of God , keeping His people in His care , no matter what any person or any group may try to throw our way .
By God ’ s power the Church has even survived our own internal errors .
They have been many , century upon century , and in any ordinary social movement they would have been fatal .
But God has always kept a strong remnant in His Church , and we can be sure that until the end , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing Himself strong through His people .
It ’ s His way of revealing Himself in the world .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » This is not “ the Church triumphant , ” though , as if we would appear the victor in all earthly battles .
No , this is the Church kept strong by God ’ s power through whatever good times or struggles may come our way .
Jesus ’ greatest victory , His resurrection , followed upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the same way , Christianity has always shown itself strongest when it ’ s most under pressure .
Jesus ’ true followers can not lose earthly ground without gaining spiritual ground .
Historically that ’ s almost always included gaining more new followers of Christ .
The power of God is at work in His people , to guide , correct , support , and empower .
It ’ s foolish to stand up against that .
Some people try it anyway .
Eventually they ’ ll learn , and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
To Learn the Truth and the Power of God I keep hearing our opponents say , “ Sorry , but your side lost .
The marriage question is settled , and a decade or two there won ’ t be any of you homophobes left to complain about it.
” They ’ ll echo and extend that to religious freedom , and other issues we care about .
But this is only for a moment .
The day will come when they ’ ll learn the truth and the power of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Him .
They can learn it kneel before Him while alive here on earth , as Christ-followers do today , or they can learn it and kneel to Him before His throne of judgment later .
My prayer is that they ’ ll make the right decision while there ’ s still time .
Either way , Christ ’ s victory is secure , and He shares His victories with His people .
Our opponents have a lot going for them , but that ’ s okay .
I can remain calm over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by all appropriate means , not as the world fights ( 2 Cor .
10:3-5 ) , but God ’ s way , mostly through prayer and persuasion .
There ’ s reason for hope and for a smile , no matter what they might throw at us .
They ’ re up against a lot more than we are .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream , and the author of A Christian Mind : Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens , and the lead editor of True Reason : Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism .

Christ-followers are up against a lot in today’s world. I wrote about it a couple weeks ago: the world is throwing a lot at us, including sexual power-mongering and powerful spiritual deception. But the story doesn’t end there (even if it got set aside a few days due to the rise of the coronavirus). If I’d left it at that, it would have been a message of despair, but it’s only half the story. We may have a lot going against us, but the other side has even more.
I wouldn’t want to be in their position, even if it looks strong for the moment. In the end they can’t win. They’re fighting against history, against truth, and most of all, against the power of God.
History
Secularists’ momentary victories are just that: momentary. Christianity has history on its side. The Left likes to tell us we’re on the wrong side of history, but that’s just silliness. It analyzes down to saying, “It’s right because it’s happening right now.” They said the same thing about eugenics a century ago. They said it about Nazism and communism. It’s an empty rhetorical device, that’s all; either that, or else it’s the myopia that thinks our own age is the first and only one in all history to figure everything out, and to do it without caring what God says.
The day will come when they’ll learn the truth and the power of God, and they’ll submit to Him.
It won’t last. Nothing has, except one thing. If you really want to talk history, you need to look at all that’s come and gone over the past few thousand years. Kingdoms have risen fallen. Intellectual movements have grown faddish and disappeared. One thing has remained: the world’s major religions. In the West, Christianity has outlasted all its foes, and in the rest of the world it’s growing quickly.
Christianity will outlive the Left. It’ll outlast today’s sexual madness, and it will survive socialism. That’s the real lesson of history.
Truth
It’s no accident that Christianity has stood strong over the centuries. We’ve got the truth on our side — truth about reality as it really is. By God’s grace, we have truth behind us on the great social questions of the day — life, marriage, morality, the economy. Reality doesn’t yield to lies or fantasies about such things. Humans may push against it, but eventually it will push back and reassert itself. Truth remains true no matter how many people ignore or reject it.
And Christianity is firmly settled in truth, God’s truth. It’s important that we remember whose truth it is. It isn’t ours, something to boast in as if we owned it in some way. Unbelievers sometimes accuse us of arrogance for our conviction that we have the truth, and indeed we’re guilty of that, if we claim it as our own. If on the other hand we remember it’s God’s truth, truth we acknowledge and submit to, that’s humility, not arrogance. Or as I’ve been saying it for some time now, we don’t hold the truth, the Truth holds us.
God’s truth is good, loving and joyful for those who trust in it. Those who try to reject it will find out, sooner or later, that it’s also a holy and just truth, and there’s a price to be paid for fighting it.
The Power of God
And this truth, this reality, has even more going for it: the very power of God, keeping His people in His care, no matter what any person or any group may try to throw our way.
By God’s power the Church has even survived our own internal errors. They have been many, century upon century, and in any ordinary social movement they would have been fatal. But God has always kept a strong remnant in His Church, and we can be sure that until the end, when Christ returns, He will keep on showing Himself strong through His people. It’s His way of revealing Himself in the world.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This is not “the Church triumphant,” though, as if we would appear the victor in all earthly battles. No, this is the Church kept strong by God’s power through whatever good times or struggles may come our way. Jesus’ greatest victory, His resurrection, followed upon the moment His opponents thought was theirs. In the same way, Christianity has always shown itself strongest when it’s most under pressure. Jesus’ true followers cannot lose earthly ground without gaining spiritual ground. Historically that’s almost always included gaining more new followers of Christ.
The power of God is at work in His people, to guide, correct, support, and empower. It’s foolish to stand up against that. Some people try it anyway. Eventually they’ll learn, and for their sake, the sooner the better.
To Learn the Truth and the Power of God
I keep hearing our opponents say, “Sorry, but your side lost. The marriage question is settled, and a decade or two there won’t be any of you homophobes left to complain about it.” They’ll echo and extend that to religious freedom, and other issues we care about. But this is only for a moment.
The day will come when they’ll learn the truth and the power of God, and they’ll submit to Him. They can learn it kneel before Him while alive here on earth, as Christ-followers do today, or they can learn it and kneel to Him before His throne of judgment later. My prayer is that they’ll make the right decision while there’s still time. Either way, Christ’s victory is secure, and He shares His victories with His people.
Our opponents have a lot going for them, but that’s okay. I can remain calm over it, even as I fight it by all appropriate means, not as the world fights (2 Cor. 10:3-5), but God’s way, mostly through prayer and persuasion. There’s reason for hope and for a smile, no matter what they might throw at us. They’re up against a lot more than we are.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream, and the author of A Christian Mind: Thoughts on Life and Truth in Jesus Christ and Critical Conversations: A Christian Parent’s Guide to Discussing Homosexuality with Teens, and the lead editor of True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism.


thestream--2020-03-20--This Week at War: Courage Will Crush the Coronavirus

While searching for the next Military Photo of the Day , I stumbled on the above image of a U.S. Army paratrooper serving in Italy .
The European nation is essentially a war zone as the worldwide battle against the coronavirus intensifies .
Davide Dalla Massara ’ s photo struck me for two reasons .
First , it shows the gallantry of a warrior doing his best to stay prepared while deployed to the epicenter of an evolving crisis .
Second , this selfless soldier is almost certainly worried about his own family and friends back home .
These are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s remarkable troops and military families .
American service members are still being infected by COVID-19 as they work around the clock to protect us .
As of Thursday morning , 51 American troops had tested positive for the coronavirus .
While we pray for those infected , let us also celebrate some good news .
Two U.S. service members who previously tested positive for COVID-19 have reportedly recovered .
We thank God for giving these heroes renewed health and strength .
The valiant men and women of the National Guard are helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ order in dozens of American states .
The number of National Guard troops mobilized specifically to fight coronavirus is “ expected to double ” to about 4,000 in the next few days .
As President Trump made clear earlier this week , “ the world is at war with a hidden enemy.
” No fighting force is better equipped to lead the global battle against coronavirus than the extraordinary Americans who ’ ve spent the last 18 years fighting the world ’ s most dangerous terrorists .
In fact , the conflict in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ due to COVID-19 concerns .
“ The U.S. military is pausing the movement of any new troops into Afghanistan and is quarantining 1,500 troops and civilians who recently arrived to avoid any possible spread of the coronavirus , ” according to a Thursday report by the Associated Press .
While COVID-19 can ’ t be captured like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed , it can someday be eliminated like Osama bin Laden .
The day the disease is finally defeated won ’ t be as dramatic as a Navy SEAL raid , but if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other experts while letting doctors , nurses , first responders , service members , police , delivery and truck drivers , grocery store and pharmacy employees , postal workers and other essential workers do their jobs , this new war can be won .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » In addition to the National Guard ’ s extraordinary actions , the U.S. Air Force is busy transporting key items needed for testing kits .
The U.S. Navy is preparing two massive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and west coasts , according to The Hill .
U.S. Marines serving around the world are dealing with mandatory quarantines in some locations , according to the Marine Corps Times .
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will likely help build temporary hospitals , according to Military.com .
The U.S. Coast Guard is busy enforcing travel restrictions and dealing with the many cruise ships impacted by the coronavirus outbreak , according to multiple reports .
Every single American should be proud of our extraordinary troops and their families .
Like the days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepped forward to confront and defeat an almost entirely invisible enemy .
Like the soldier pictured above while serving in Italy , the courageous men and women of our Armed Forces will go anywhere and do whatever it takes to win the war on coronavirus .
God has blessed the United States with the greatest military on earth , and with His guidance , these heroes will lead America and the world to perhaps our greatest shared victory since the end of World War II .
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 8 Seconds of Courage , Brothers Forever , Fire in My Eyes and the forthcoming Three Wise Men .
Follow Tom on Twitter @ TSileo and The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

While searching for the next Military Photo of the Day, I stumbled on the above image of a U.S. Army paratrooper serving in Italy. The European nation is essentially a war zone as the worldwide battle against the coronavirus intensifies.
Davide Dalla Massara’s photo struck me for two reasons. First, it shows the gallantry of a warrior doing his best to stay prepared while deployed to the epicenter of an evolving crisis. Second, this selfless soldier is almost certainly worried about his own family and friends back home. These are the sacrifices made by our nation’s remarkable troops and military families.
American service members are still being infected by COVID-19 as they work around the clock to protect us. As of Thursday morning, 51 American troops had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Two U.S. troops have recovered from coronavirus, Pentagon says — Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) March 19, 2020
While we pray for those infected, let us also celebrate some good news. Two U.S. service members who previously tested positive for COVID-19 have reportedly recovered. We thank God for giving these heroes renewed health and strength.
The valiant men and women of the National Guard are helping provide food and supplies while also maintaining order in dozens of American states. The number of National Guard troops mobilized specifically to fight coronavirus is “expected to double” to about 4,000 in the next few days.
Our National Guard members continue to assist our local, state and federal partners protect our communities from the spread of COVID-19. https://t.co/xGzQNEf418 — National Guard (@USNationalGuard) March 18, 2020
As President Trump made clear earlier this week, “the world is at war with a hidden enemy.” No fighting force is better equipped to lead the global battle against coronavirus than the extraordinary Americans who’ve spent the last 18 years fighting the world’s most dangerous terrorists.
In fact, the conflict in Afghanistan has been mostly put on hold due to COVID-19 concerns. “The U.S. military is pausing the movement of any new troops into Afghanistan and is quarantining 1,500 troops and civilians who recently arrived to avoid any possible spread of the coronavirus,” according to a Thursday report by the Associated Press.
While COVID-19 can’t be captured like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, it can someday be eliminated like Osama bin Laden. The day the disease is finally defeated won’t be as dramatic as a Navy SEAL raid, but if we follow the guidance of the CDC and other experts while letting doctors, nurses, first responders, service members, police, delivery and truck drivers, grocery store and pharmacy employees, postal workers and other essential workers do their jobs, this new war can be won.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In addition to the National Guard’s extraordinary actions, the U.S. Air Force is busy transporting key items needed for testing kits.
We will do what it takes to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. Yesterday as part of a DHHS-led effort, AMC transported 13 pallets containing 500k COVID-19 sampling swabs on a C-17 Globemaster III. They took the kits from @AirAviano in Italy to the Memphis TN @AirNatlGuard Base. pic.twitter.com/vWyEhAGQHO — Air Mobility Command (@AirMobilityCmd) March 19, 2020
The U.S. Navy is preparing two massive hospital ships for deployment to the east and west coasts, according to The Hill. U.S. Marines serving around the world are dealing with mandatory quarantines in some locations, according to the Marine Corps Times.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will likely help build temporary hospitals, according to Military.com. The U.S. Coast Guard is busy enforcing travel restrictions and dealing with the many cruise ships impacted by the coronavirus outbreak, according to multiple reports.
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are discussing how best to handle the ship after a 2-year-old passenger recently tested positive for the coronavirus.https://t.co/hWBsJqyNjo — The Virginian-Pilot (@virginianpilot) March 17, 2020
Every single American should be proud of our extraordinary troops and their families. Like the days after 9/11, they have boldly and bravely stepped forward to confront and defeat an almost entirely invisible enemy.
Like the soldier pictured above while serving in Italy, the courageous men and women of our Armed Forces will go anywhere and do whatever it takes to win the war on coronavirus. God has blessed the United States with the greatest military on earth, and with His guidance, these heroes will lead America and the world to perhaps our greatest shared victory since the end of World War II.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of 8 Seconds of Courage, Brothers Forever, Fire in My Eyes and the forthcoming Three Wise Men. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-03-20--Coronavirus: Italian Grandmas, Guilt and a Trip on a Yellow Submarine

Three things are guaranteed about this coronavirus crisis .
First , it shall pass .
We will prevail .
Second , the crisis will bring out the best in most people .
And third , it ’ s already bringing out the goofy .
For all our faults and sins , we are a rather entertaining race .
If you do not have an Italian grandmother , I suggest you borrow someone else ’ s for a while .
( While maintaining social distancing , of course . )
I had two .
Both priceless .
Grandma Pellegrino was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spent decades insisting she was going to die .
Eventually she was proven right .
She also spent a lot of time telling me , “ Mangia , mangia !
” ( “ Eat , eat.
” ) I was obedient , as my waistline attests .
Grandma Perrotta , on the other hand , was sunny and shrewd , and loaded with old country wisdom .
This wonderful lady reminds me of both .
An Italian grandma with some advice for us all .
Pay attention to grandma and we ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the FTD ?
The flower delivery folks ?
Meet FTP .
A florist in Trumann , Ark .
is now offering customers bouquets of toilet paper .
What did Shakespeare say , “ A roll by any other name … “ ?
The arrangement from Blossom Events and Florist runs $ 75 , or roughly the same as they charge for a dozen roses .
( Yeah , try using roses to wipe the tushy . )
So far they ’ ve sold a couple of the TP bouquets , but with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get on a roll .
( So to speak . )
Owners David and Bart Faulkner say the TP bouquet is the same concept as a flower bouquet .
“ It has water , it has a vase , it has a ribbon .
Lots of mechanics on the inside.
” It takes a lot of labor they say .
“ You just can ’ t make tissue paper look pretty .
You just can ’ t. ” But , as the saying goes , “ It ’ s the thought that counts.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not only cleaning out stocks of toilet paper , it ’ s helping clear guilty consciences ?
Dateline Israel .
Fifteen years ago , a 2000-year-0ld ballista stone was stolen from an archaeological dig in Jerusalem .
In recent days , the artifact was returned to the Israel Antiquities Authority .
Why ?
The guilt-ridden thief told officials the pandemic made him suspect that “ the end of the world is near ” and he wanted to make things right .
Not that the thief actually turned himself in .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was mediated by one Moshe Manies .
Manies told the IAA the crime “ involved two ‘ shababniks ’ [ rebellious teenagers ] , who 15 years earlier , toured at the City of David site and came across a display of ballista stones , which were catapulted at fortifications .
One of the boys took one of those stones home.
” Since then , the bowling-ball sized stone had weighed heavy on his heart .
While cleaning his home for the upcoming Passover , he realized the time had come to clean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ill-gotten artifact .
“ The time has come to clear my conscience , ” the still-anonymous man said in a note , “ It feels that the end of the world is near.
” Pastors , there ’ s a good sermon in there somewhere .
“ Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways ; according to your love remember me , for you , Lord are good.
” ( Psalm 25:7 ) Now if only we can do something about those defiant spring break party animals … @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Finally , when the going gets tough , the tough sing !
Check out this New York City neighborhood that runs through the Beatles classic “ Yellow Submarine , ” and The Temptations “ My Girl ” before ending with an old spiritual and civil rights anthem that ’ s brought hope to our people for generations .
My only question : Does that neighborhood take requests ?
Have you come across any humorous stories or memes coming out of the crisis ?
Tweet ’ em to me at @ StreamingAl .
Al @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration .
You can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Three things are guaranteed about this coronavirus crisis. First, it shall pass. We will prevail. Second, the crisis will bring out the best in most people. And third, it’s already bringing out the goofy.
For all our faults and sins, we are a rather entertaining race.
The Italian Grandmother
If you do not have an Italian grandmother, I suggest you borrow someone else’s for a while. (While maintaining social distancing, of course.) I had two. Both priceless. Grandma Pellegrino was a pessimistic sort. As I recall she spent decades insisting she was going to die. Eventually she was proven right. She also spent a lot of time telling me, “Mangia, mangia!” (“Eat, eat.”) I was obedient, as my waistline attests. Grandma Perrotta, on the other hand, was sunny and shrewd, and loaded with old country wisdom.
This wonderful lady reminds me of both. An Italian grandma with some advice for us all. Pay attention to grandma and we’ll be alright.
Bene! Bene!
The Toilet Paper Florist
You’ve heard of the FTD? The flower delivery folks? Meet FTP.
A florist in Trumann, Arkansas, is now offering customers bouquets of toilet paper. What did Shakespeare say, “A roll by any other name … ”?
The arrangement from Blossom Events and Florist runs $75, or roughly the same as they charge for a dozen roses. (Yeah, try using roses to wipe the tushy.) So far they’ve sold a couple of the TP bouquets, but with the story going viral their shop could get on a roll. (So to speak.)
Owners David and Bart Faulkner say the TP bouquet is the same concept as a flower bouquet. “It has water, it has a vase, it has a ribbon. Lots of mechanics on the inside.” It takes a lot of labor they say. “You just can’t make tissue paper look pretty. You just can’t.”
But, as the saying goes, “It’s the thought that counts.”
The Repentant Thief
Did you know the coronavirus pandemic is not only cleaning out stocks of toilet paper, it’s helping clear guilty consciences?
Dateline Israel. Fifteen years ago, a 2000-year-old ballista stone was stolen from an archaeological dig in Jerusalem. In recent days, the artifact was returned to the Israel Antiquities Authority. Why? The guilt-ridden thief told officials the pandemic made him suspect that “the end of the world is near” and he wanted to make things right.
Not that the thief actually turned himself in. According to Haaretz, the artifact’s return was mediated by one Moshe Manies.
Manies told the IAA the crime “involved two ‘shababniks’ [rebellious teenagers], who 15 years earlier, toured at the City of David site and came across a display of ballista stones, which were catapulted at fortifications. One of the boys took one of those stones home.” Since then, the bowling-ball sized stone had weighed heavy on his heart.
While cleaning his home for the upcoming Passover, he realized the time had come to clean out his past mistake and return the ill-gotten artifact.
“The time has come to clear my conscience,” the still-anonymous man said in a note, “It feels that the end of the world is near.”
Pastors, there’s a good sermon in there somewhere. “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord are good.” (Psalm 25:7)
Now if only we can do something about those defiant spring break party animals …
We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
Finally, when the going gets tough, the tough sing! Check out this New York City neighborhood that runs through the Beatles classic “Yellow Submarine,” and The Temptations “My Girl” before ending with an old spiritual and civil rights anthem that’s brought hope to our people for generations.
As coronavirus restrictions went into effect in New York City, neighbors spread joy by singing The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" with one another from their apartment windows. https://t.co/ymYEbiEnDQ pic.twitter.com/S4SHH5RyCw — ABC News (@ABC) March 19, 2020
We shall overcome.
My only question: Does that neighborhood take requests?
Have you come across any humorous stories or memes coming out of the crisis? Tweet ’em to me at @StreamingAl.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-03-20--Melania Trump on Coronavirus: ‘We are All in This Together’

“ This is not how we will live forever , ” First Lady Melania Trump tweeted about the coronavirus Thursday @ @ @ @ @ return to school , people will return to work , we will gather at places @ @ @ @ @ sporting events again.
” The first lady urged viewers to stay connected with loved ones @ @ @ @ @ and social media .
She also asked viewers to follow CDC guidelines .
“ Stay @ @ @ @ @ , “ and remember while many of us are apart , we are all in @ @ @ @ @ champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » @ @ @ @ @ editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The @ @ @ @

“This is not how we will live forever,” First Lady Melania Trump tweeted about the coronavirus Thursday. “Our children will return to school, people will return to work, we will gather at places of worship, concerts and sporting events again.”
The first lady urged viewers to stay connected with loved ones and friends through phone calls and social media. She also asked viewers to follow CDC guidelines.
“Stay safe,” she added, “and remember while many of us are apart, we are all in this together.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-03-20--Porn to the Rescue?

Porn to the Rescue?

Talk about a perverse response .
Talk about the exact opposite of what we need to be doing during a pandemic .
Talk about feeding the flesh when we should be nurturing our spirits .
Talk about giving ourselves to carnality when we should crying out for mercy .
As things stand today , normal life has been totally upended .
Families are suffering .
Companies are going out of business .
Health care systems are being stretched beyond the limit .
Italy can not bury its dead .
Yet it is a pornography website that comes to the rescue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the headline on PC Mag announced , “ Pornhub Premium to the Rescue : France , Spain to Get Free Access , Too.
” Yes , “ Italy won ’ t be the only country to get free access to Pornhub ’ s premium service in the wake of the coronavirus .
“ The adult website is now expanding the same offer to users in France and Spain , which have also been experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases .
Residents in both countries are now facing lockdowns , forcing them to stay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will give the country ’ s users free access to the premium service for the next month.
” No , Thank You Thanks , but no thanks , Pornhub .
The last thing we need is more porn .
Of course , we can readily question the altruism of Pornhub .
This is just another cynical attempt to get more people hooked on porn , leading to more subscriptions .
Yet even without this ploy , more people are accessing porn .
As reported by Adweek on March 13 , “ Pornhub Reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Self-Quarantine .
The adult site believes this spike is from users working from home.
” Such is the way of the human race .
But even if Pornhub decided to give away free porn for life , there ’ s nothing good about it .
Porn leads to shame .
To pollution .
To degradation .
To perversion .
To death .
The last thing we need during an international health crisis is more porn .
Really !
To be sure , we don ’ t know exactly what sparked the current crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or natural .
And we can hardly say that , in every nation around the world , the virus is an act of divine judgment .
But we can say that we desperately need divine intervention .
We can say that this is a time for prayer and fasting rather than a time for partying and feasting .
Help us champion truth , freedom , limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » We can say that this is no time to be increasing our intake of porn .
More than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a national crisis , the prophet Isaiah delivered this message : “ The Lord , the Lord Almighty , called you on that day to weep and to wail , to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth .
But see , there is joy and revelry , slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep , eating of meat and drinking of wine !
‘ Let us eat and drink , ’ you say , ‘ for tomorrow we die !
’ ” ( Isaiah 22:12-13 ) Does this sound familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ severe : “ The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing : ‘ Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for , ’ says the Lord , the Lord Almighty.
’ ” ( Isaiah 22:14 ) Madness : Pornhub Offers Perversion to Pass the Time When Countries are Falling Apart So it is today that , with Italy in crisis and with France and Spain in great danger too , Pornhub is saying , “ Have a month free on us !
Get hooked at our expense !
Watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unimaginable ) sex act !
This is what you do when your country is falling apart .
This is how you pass your time.
” What madness .
What absolute and utter madness .
And what a picture of our world today .
We have lost our moral bearings .
We have lost our spiritual foundations .
We have lost our fear of God .
Even here in America , as our elderly lay dying , our young people are partying .
While hospitals search for ventilators , college-age kids get wasted and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s spring break !
We have lost both our minds and our souls .
Now is the Time to Turn to God But all is not lost .
And not all of us are lost .
Many are praying for mercy .
Many are sobering up .
Many are changing their ways .
Many are hearing the divine wake-up call .
Many are examining their lives .
Their priorities .
Their standards .
Their values .
The Lord is getting our attention .
Now is the time to turn from uncleanness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
From greed .
From complacency .
From porn .
Now is the time to turn to God until — meaning , until He intervenes .
Until He pours out mercy .
Until He changes us .
Until we learn the holy lessons of the moment .
It is prayer , not porn , to the rescue .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Jezebel ’ s War With America : The Plot to Destroy Our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turn the Tide .
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

Talk about a perverse response. Talk about the exact opposite of what we need to be doing during a pandemic. Talk about feeding the flesh when we should be nurturing our spirits. Talk about giving ourselves to carnality when we should crying out for mercy.
As things stand today, normal life has been totally upended. Families are suffering. Companies are going out of business. Health care systems are being stretched beyond the limit. Italy cannot bury its dead. Yet it is a pornography website that comes to the rescue. I kid you not.
As the headline on PC Mag announced, “Pornhub Premium to the Rescue: France, Spain to Get Free Access, Too.”
Yes, “Italy won’t be the only country to get free access to Pornhub’s premium service in the wake of the coronavirus.
“The adult website is now expanding the same offer to users in France and Spain, which have also been experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. Residents in both countries are now facing lockdowns, forcing them to stay at home. In response, Pornhub will give the country’s users free access to the premium service for the next month.”
No, Thank You
Thanks, but no thanks, Pornhub.
The last thing we need is more porn.
Of course, we can readily question the altruism of Pornhub. This is just another cynical attempt to get more people hooked on porn, leading to more subscriptions.
This is a time for prayer and fasting rather than a time for partying and feasting.
Yet even without this ploy, more people are accessing porn. As reported by Adweek on March 13, “Pornhub Reports an Increase in Traffic as More People Self-Quarantine. The adult site believes this spike is from users working from home.”
Such is the way of the human race.
But even if Pornhub decided to give away free porn for life, there’s nothing good about it. Porn leads to shame. To pollution. To degradation. To perversion. To death.
The last thing we need during an international health crisis is more porn. Really!
We Desperately Need Divine Intervention
To be sure, we don’t know exactly what sparked the current crisis, be the cause human, divine or natural. And we can hardly say that, in every nation around the world, the virus is an act of divine judgment.
But we can say that we desperately need divine intervention.
We can say that this is a time for prayer and fasting rather than a time for partying and feasting.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
We can say that this is no time to be increasing our intake of porn.
More than 2,500 years ago, in the midst of a national crisis, the prophet Isaiah delivered this message: “The Lord, the Lord Almighty, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth. But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! ‘Let us eat and drink,’ you say, ‘for tomorrow we die!’” (Isaiah 22:12-13)
Does this sound familiar? The Lord’s response was severe: “The Lord Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: ‘Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for,’ says the Lord, the Lord Almighty.’” (Isaiah 22:14)
Madness: Pornhub Offers Perversion to Pass the Time When Countries are Falling Apart
So it is today that, with Italy in crisis and with France and Spain in great danger too, Pornhub is saying, “Have a month free on us! Get hooked at our expense! Watch explicit videos containing every imaginable (and unimaginable) sex act! This is what you do when your country is falling apart. This is how you pass your time.”
What madness. What absolute and utter madness. And what a picture of our world today. We have lost our moral bearings. We have lost our spiritual foundations. We have lost our fear of God.
Even here in America, as our elderly lay dying, our young people are partying. While hospitals search for ventilators, college-age kids get wasted and sleep around. After all, it’s spring break!
We have lost both our minds and our souls.
Now is the Time to Turn to God
But all is not lost. And not all of us are lost.
Many are seeking God earnestly.
Many are praying for mercy.
Many are sobering up.
It is prayer, not porn, to the rescue.
Many are changing their ways.
Many are hearing the divine wake-up call.
Many are examining their lives. Their priorities. Their standards. Their values. The Lord is getting our attention.
Now is the time to turn from uncleanness. To turn from sin. From selfishness. From greed. From complacency. From porn.
Now is the time to turn to God until — meaning, until He intervenes. Until He pours out mercy. Until He changes us. Until we learn the holy lessons of the moment.
It is prayer, not porn, to the rescue.
God have mercy.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Jezebel’s War With America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-03-20--Hope for the Broken

Hope for the Broken

If the walls could speak of the times I ’ ve been weak When everybody thought I was strong Could I show my face if it weren ’ t for the grace Of the one who ’ s known the truth all along If the walls could speak they ’ d say that my only hope is the grace Of Jesus , the grace of Jesus — Steven Curtis Chapman Permit me to tell you about two extraordinary heroes of the faith .
The first one , William Wilberforce , led the effort to abolish the slave trade and founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Animals , among other things .
If you have listened to Breakpoint for more than a few months you know why the Colson Center ’ s award for Christians “ who have publicly lived out their Christian faith and have had a positive impact on their communities and the world ” is named for Wilberforce .
You have probably never heard of the second one , Mark Ji Tianxiang .
Ji was born into a Christian family , trained to be a doctor and was committed to caring for his poor neighbors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worst times to be a Christian in Chinese history , the Boxer Rebellion .
Between 1899 and 1901 , Western missionaries were killed or driven out of China , and as many as 100,000 Chinese Christians were killed .
One of these was Mark Ji Tianxiang , or as the Roman Catholic Church calls him , Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang .
At his place of execution , “ Ji begged his captors to kill him last so that none of his family would have to die alone.
” They granted him that small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Church that begins “ Lord , have mercy on us .
Christ , have mercy on us .
Lord , have mercy on us .
Christ hear us … ” In 2000 , Ji was canonized by Pope John Paul II .
Wilberforce and Ji had another thing in common : They were opium addicts .
They were addicts while they “ publicly lived out their Christian faith and … had a positive impact on their communities and the world.
” Both men ’ s addictions resulted from using opium to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ medical practice at the time .
Ji ’ s neighbors and his priests treated him as the nineteenth century equivalent of a leper .
His priest , concluding that after many relapses that Ji wasn ’ t serious about amending his life , ultimately denied him absolution , which meant he couldn ’ t take communion .
Despite being barred from the central act of faith and practice , Ji continued to attend mass and died a martyr , and eventually became a saint .
What became of the priest is unknown .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ limited government and human dignity .
Support The Stream » In contrast , Wilberforce ’ s dependence on opium is something his admirers either don ’ t know about or deny , despite “ one observer [ characterizing ] Wilberforce ’ s consumption habit as ‘ the constant use of opium in large quantities , ’ ” and other evidence of dependence on the drug .
As Timothy McMahan King , the author of Addiction Nation , wrote in the Wall Street Journal , one reason for this denial is that Wilberforce didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an addict .
He was , as a psychiatrist might put it , “ high functioning.
” As the history of the opioid crisis and even television shows like House should have taught us , as long as they have affordable and ready access to opioids , most addicts are “ high functioning.
” It ’ s only when their supply is cut off that that they begin to conform to our stereotypes .
Another reason is the belief that a person of such “ great moral courage , ” like Wilberforce , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weakness.
” To insist otherwise must be a kind of iconoclasm and irreligiosity .
One of the holiest men I have ever known once told me about the blessing he gets from attending Alcoholic Anonymous meetings .
Not because he is a recovering alcoholic ; I wouldn ’ t be surprised to learn that he has never had a drink in his life .
He is blessed , he told me , by being around people who are not afraid to admit that they are broken .
We are all broken in some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those at AA meetings , admit it .
The rest of us , while paying ritual obeisance to the idea of our own sinfulness , believe our sinfulness to be , to borrow Ruby Turpin ’ s dichotomy , respectable not trashy .
We have little trouble acknowledging the “ small sins or the sins that matter little to us , ” but we struggle to “ present honestly to God the sins most deeply woven into the fabric of our lives.
” And we live as though God ’ s ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our personal rectitude .
This belief ignores the paradox at the heart of the Christian worldview : the crucified God .
A God who was executed in the most humiliating and degrading way possible by those whom the world regarded as respectable .
It ignores that the paradox doesn ’ t end there .
That degrading and humiliating execution ushered in a kingdom that , as the book of Acts says , turns the world upside down .
The first are last and the last are first .
Whomever who would lead must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the procession in Lewis ’ The Great Divorce .
Given the fanfare , the narrator thinks the woman he sees might be the Virgin Mary .
Instead , it ’ s someone “ ye ’ ll have never heard of … Sarah Smith , ” who is “ one of the great ones ” where it matters .
In this kingdom , the strength needed to do the works of God true is perfected in weakness .
People who know they are broken , who regard themselves of no account , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waken all the dead things of the universe into life.
” If this isn ’ t true , then God would have found some more respectable way to accomplish the work of redemption .
If it isn ’ t true , then He would have found some more respectable earthly companions for his son , instead of what David Bentley Hart rightly called “ Christ ’ s rabble.
” And if it isn ’ t true , He might have chosen someone less broken to lead the fight against the slave trade and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for countless Chinese Christians to follow .
But , thankfully , He didn ’ t .
That means that maybe you and I can be the kind of people through whom God can waken the dead things , at least the ones around us , into life .
Roberto Rivera is a Fellow and Senior Writer at the Colson Center .
Since joining Breakpoint and the predecessor to the Colson Center in 1995 , he has written nearly 2000 commentaries , hundreds of columns and several book introductions .
He has written for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Culture , Touchstone , and First Things , among other publications .

If the walls could speak of the times I’ve been weak
When everybody thought I was strong
Could I show my face if it weren’t for the grace
Of the one who’s known the truth all along
If the walls could speak they’d say that my only hope is the grace
Of Jesus, the grace of Jesus — Steven Curtis Chapman
Permit me to tell you about two extraordinary heroes of the faith.
William Wilberforce
The first one, William Wilberforce, led the effort to abolish the slave trade and founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, among other things.
If you have listened to Breakpoint for more than a few months you know why the Colson Center’s award for Christians “who have publicly lived out their Christian faith and have had a positive impact on their communities and the world” is named for Wilberforce.
Mark Ji Tianxiang
You have probably never heard of the second one, Mark Ji Tianxiang. Ji was born into a Christian family, trained to be a doctor and was committed to caring for his poor neighbors.
Ji lived during one of the worst times to be a Christian in Chinese history, the Boxer Rebellion. Between 1899 and 1901, Western missionaries were killed or driven out of China, and as many as 100,000 Chinese Christians were killed.
One of these was Mark Ji Tianxiang, or as the Roman Catholic Church calls him, Saint Mark Ji Tianxiang. At his place of execution, “Ji begged his captors to kill him last so that none of his family would have to die alone.”
They granted him that small mercy. He died singing the litany of the Church that begins “Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ hear us …” In 2000, Ji was canonized by Pope John Paul II.
Opium Addiction and Faith
Wilberforce and Ji had another thing in common: They were opium addicts. They were addicts while they “publicly lived out their Christian faith and … had a positive impact on their communities and the world.”
Both men’s addictions resulted from using opium to treat medical problems, which was standard medical practice at the time. Ji’s neighbors and his priests treated him as the nineteenth century equivalent of a leper. His priest, concluding that after many relapses that Ji wasn’t serious about amending his life, ultimately denied him absolution, which meant he couldn’t take communion.
Despite being barred from the central act of faith and practice, Ji continued to attend mass and died a martyr, and eventually became a saint. What became of the priest is unknown.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In contrast, Wilberforce’s dependence on opium is something his admirers either don’t know about or deny, despite “one observer [characterizing] Wilberforce’s consumption habit as ‘the constant use of opium in large quantities,’” and other evidence of dependence on the drug.
As Timothy McMahan King, the author of Addiction Nation, wrote in the Wall Street Journal, one reason for this denial is that Wilberforce didn’t conform to our image of an addict. He was, as a psychiatrist might put it, “high functioning.”
As the history of the opioid crisis and even television shows like House should have taught us, as long as they have affordable and ready access to opioids, most addicts are “high functioning.” It’s only when their supply is cut off that that they begin to conform to our stereotypes.
Another reason is the belief that a person of such “great moral courage,” like Wilberforce, “would not succumb to such a weakness.” To insist otherwise must be a kind of iconoclasm and irreligiosity.
Broken People
One of the holiest men I have ever known once told me about the blessing he gets from attending Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Not because he is a recovering alcoholic; I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that he has never had a drink in his life.
He is blessed, he told me, by being around people who are not afraid to admit that they are broken.
We are all broken in some way. Some of us, like those at AA meetings, admit it. The rest of us, while paying ritual obeisance to the idea of our own sinfulness, believe our sinfulness to be, to borrow Ruby Turpin’s dichotomy, respectable not trashy.
We have little trouble acknowledging the “small sins or the sins that matter little to us,” but we struggle to “present honestly to God the sins most deeply woven into the fabric of our lives.” And we live as though God’s ability to work through us is a function of our personal rectitude.
This belief ignores the paradox at the heart of the Christian worldview: the crucified God. A God who was executed in the most humiliating and degrading way possible by those whom the world regarded as respectable.
Servant of All
It ignores that the paradox doesn’t end there. That degrading and humiliating execution ushered in a kingdom that, as the book of Acts says, turns the world upside down. The first are last and the last are first. Whomever who would lead must become the servant of all.
Think of the procession in Lewis’ The Great Divorce. Given the fanfare, the narrator thinks the woman he sees might be the Virgin Mary. Instead, it’s someone “ye’ll have never heard of … Sarah Smith,” who is “one of the great ones” where it matters.
In this kingdom, the strength needed to do the works of God true is perfected in weakness. People who know they are broken, who regard themselves of no account, are the ones through whom God will “waken all the dead things of the universe into life.”
If this isn’t true, then God would have found some more respectable way to accomplish the work of redemption. If it isn’t true, then He would have found some more respectable earthly companions for his son, instead of what David Bentley Hart rightly called “Christ’s rabble.”
And if it isn’t true, He might have chosen someone less broken to lead the fight against the slave trade and another less broken person set an example for countless Chinese Christians to follow.
But, thankfully, He didn’t. That means that maybe you and I can be the kind of people through whom God can waken the dead things, at least the ones around us, into life.
Roberto Rivera is a Fellow and Senior Writer at the Colson Center. Since joining Breakpoint and the predecessor to the Colson Center in 1995, he has written nearly 2000 commentaries, hundreds of columns and several book introductions. He has written for Sojourners, Christianity Today, Books & Culture, Touchstone, and First Things, among other publications.
Copyright 2019 Breakpoint. Originally published March 11, 2020. Republished with permission.


thestream--2020-03-20--James Robison Joins LIFE Today Live to Discuss the Coronavirus and President Trump’s Desire for Wisd

James Robison Joins LIFE Today Live to Discuss the Coronavirus and President Trump’s Desire for Wisdom and Truth

James Robison joined LIFE Today Live host Randy Robison today to answer your questions about spiritual realities related to the coronavirus .
They also talked about President Trump ’ s desire for godly wisdom and truth .
“ I have never seen a president have such a great desire to be surrounded by prayer , wisdom and truth , ” James said .
James shared that Trump once told him “ Surround me with prayer and wisdom and don ’ t ever let me forget it.
” Have a question that didn ’ t get answered ?
James and Randy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. Central .
You can join them on LIFE Today ’ s Facebook page or YouTube channel .
James Robison is The Stream ’ s founder and publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today .
He ’ s the author of many books , including Indivisible ( with Jay Richards ) and Living Amazed .
James Randall Robison ( Randy ) is a writer , producer and host for the television program LIFE Today .
His books , interviews and other materials can be found at @ @

James Robison joined LIFE Today Live host Randy Robison today to answer your questions about spiritual realities related to the coronavirus. They also talked about President Trump’s desire for godly wisdom and truth.
“I have never seen a president have such a great desire to be surrounded by prayer, wisdom and truth,” James said.
James shared that Trump once told him “Surround me with prayer and wisdom and don’t ever let me forget it.”
“You’re not wasting your prayers,” James added.
Have a question that didn’t get answered? James and Randy will be livestreaming again tomorrow at 12 p.m. Central. You can join them on LIFE Today’s Facebook page or YouTube channel.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.
James Randall Robison (Randy) is a writer, producer and host for the television program LIFE Today. His books, interviews and other materials can be found at randyrobison.com.