thestream--2020-10-02--Hope Will Get Us Through

Hope Will Get Us Through

Walking the streets of lower Manhattan for the first time in a long time , I was talking with a friend a few days ago .
Over the course of 20 blocks or so , I would occasionally play with my facemask , to get a little extra air .
Not take it off , not to pull it down , but pull it outward .
I suspect that when I did that , my nose could have become exposed .
The point of this story is , a woman coming toward us , but still quite far , started @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I had no idea what was going on .
When I figured it out , I apologized .
Profusely , even .
“ You think this is a joke !
” she wailed .
She added that she ’ d recently had surgery .
I shouldn ’ t have played with my mask — it ’ s true that we live in a dangerous time , especially for vulnerable people , and everyone ’ s on edge .
On the other hand , that outburst that continued as she walked past us had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infraction .
My friend and I had been talking at some point in our walk about the obvious deepening darkness in the city .
“ This is life without God , ” he observed after the screaming incident .
Obviously , neither of us have any idea what the woman believes , but this is what we ’ re drowning in — the consequences of widespread unbelief .
I find myself wanting to apologize to people I don ’ t even know who can ’ t even conceal their miseries .
If Christians @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internal conflicts and corruption , we ’ d be making God ’ s love unmistakably clear .
There ’ s a lot of dismissing of “ thoughts and prayers ” in our culture .
And I certainly agree that a sentiment in a tweet or a press release doesn ’ t do much for the world .
It ’ s close to meaningless if it isn ’ t accompanied by some real pleading with God .
I recently saw the HBO series “ The Young Pope ” with Jude Law as the pontiff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which he declares “ God , we have to talk !
” He gets on his knees , expands his arms , and gives his prayer everything that is in him and then some .
That ’ s what some real prayer is about .
God gets us there if we give Him time .
At the same time as my encounter on the city streets , the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican released a document , “ Samaritanus Bonus , ” on the care of persons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
I am taken — drawn in — by so many passages , including this one : “ ( E ) specially in hospitals and clinics committed to Christian values , it is vital to create space for relationships built on the recognition of the fragility and vulnerability of the sick person .
Weakness makes us conscious of our dependence on God and invites us to respond with the respect due to our neighbor.
” It talks about “ a contemplative gaze that beholds in one ’ s own existence and that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , received and welcomed as a gift .
This is the gaze of the one who does not pretend to take possession of the reality of life but welcomes it as it is , with its difficulties and sufferings , and , guided by faith , finds in illness the readiness to abandon oneself to the Lord of life who is manifest therein.
” Imagine if we always looked at each other with such a gaze , letting weakness be an entryway for God ?
Christians owe it to the world to live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and it needs to spread now , at a time when it ’ s so often hidden .
COVID-19 and the stresses of shutdown have increased people ’ s anxiety .
We must show hope together , people of all faiths and none , to those who are gravely suffering and on the brink — or beyond — of despair .
There is a lot of anger in the world right now , and it will only increase as the election nears .
Don ’ t get distracted from the necessary mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — in the protests and the riots and the violence and the sadness and anxiety — they are from people longing for hope .
Make that your campaign — to show it .
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute , editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics : Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living .
She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan ’ s pro-life commission in New York .
She can be contacted at klopez @ nationalreview.com .

Walking the streets of lower Manhattan for the first time in a long time, I was talking with a friend a few days ago. Over the course of 20 blocks or so, I would occasionally play with my facemask, to get a little extra air. Not take it off, not to pull it down, but pull it outward. I suspect that when I did that, my nose could have become exposed. The point of this story is, a woman coming toward us, but still quite far, started screaming at me. At first, I had no idea what was going on. When I figured it out, I apologized. Profusely, even.
“You think this is a joke!” she wailed. She added that she’d recently had surgery. I shouldn’t have played with my mask — it’s true that we live in a dangerous time, especially for vulnerable people, and everyone’s on edge. On the other hand, that outburst that continued as she walked past us had to be about way more than my infraction. My friend and I had been talking at some point in our walk about the obvious deepening darkness in the city. “This is life without God,” he observed after the screaming incident.
Widespread Unbelief
Obviously, neither of us have any idea what the woman believes, but this is what we’re drowning in — the consequences of widespread unbelief. I find myself wanting to apologize to people I don’t even know who can’t even conceal their miseries. If Christians weren’t often so busy with internal conflicts and corruption, we’d be making God’s love unmistakably clear.
There’s a lot of dismissing of “thoughts and prayers” in our culture. And I certainly agree that a sentiment in a tweet or a press release doesn’t do much for the world. It’s close to meaningless if it isn’t accompanied by some real pleading with God. I recently saw the HBO series “The Young Pope” with Jude Law as the pontiff, and there’s an episode in which he declares “God, we have to talk!” He gets on his knees, expands his arms, and gives his prayer everything that is in him and then some. That’s what some real prayer is about. God gets us there if we give Him time.
Caring for Others
At the same time as my encounter on the city streets, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican released a document, “Samaritanus Bonus,” on the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life. I am taken — drawn in — by so many passages, including this one: “(E)specially in hospitals and clinics committed to Christian values, it is vital to create space for relationships built on the recognition of the fragility and vulnerability of the sick person. Weakness makes us conscious of our dependence on God and invites us to respond with the respect due to our neighbor.” It talks about “a contemplative gaze that beholds in one’s own existence and that of others a unique and unrepeatable wonder, received and welcomed as a gift. This is the gaze of the one who does not pretend to take possession of the reality of life but welcomes it as it is, with its difficulties and sufferings, and, guided by faith, finds in illness the readiness to abandon oneself to the Lord of life who is manifest therein.”
Imagine if we always looked at each other with such a gaze, letting weakness be an entryway for God?
An Entryway for God
Christians owe it to the world to live with overflowing hope. Hope is contagious, and it needs to spread now, at a time when it’s so often hidden. COVID-19 and the stresses of shutdown have increased people’s anxiety. We must show hope together, people of all faiths and none, to those who are gravely suffering and on the brink — or beyond — of despair. There is a lot of anger in the world right now, and it will only increase as the election nears. Don’t get distracted from the necessary mission of hope. Listen to the cries — in the protests and the riots and the violence and the sadness and anxiety — they are from people longing for hope. Make that your campaign — to show it.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living. She is also chair of Cardinal Dolan’s pro-life commission in New York. She can be contacted at [email protected].


thestream--2020-10-02--The Catholic Case for Biden, Part II: He’s Dead Wrong on Life Itself, But C’mon Man!

In our last column we promised a series examining in detail the two presidential candidates on 47 issues raised by the U.S. Catholic bishops .
The bishops offered a convoluted , virtually unreadable handbook for U.S. voters .
It promised public policy standards based on Catholic social teaching .
Based on this document , some Catholic commentators compiled an official-looking “ Catholic Voters Guide.
” We find it deeply misleading , and have chosen to answer in detail .
Before we do that , however , we must face facts .
The bishops ’ own grasp on Catholic moral teaching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing , forty percent of the bishops ’ own income depends on federal contracts with the U.S. government .
That means that almost half the bishops ’ activity , by law , is entirely secular .
The bishops have an existential institutional interest in convincing themselves and others that the federal government is the answer to any given problem .
If the feds devolved their programs to state or local agencies , or to the private sector ?
The U.S. church would go quite literally broke .
Dear Reader : Let ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how much of your own work were really essential to your employer .
The goal ?
To help it cut your salary as part of trimming costs .
Would you really trust yourself to be honest ?
Sorry , but turn it around , and we wouldn ’ t trust ourselves .
Man is fallen .
That includes bishops , and their well-paid D.C.-based staffers .
The U.S. Catholic Conference has been part of the D.C. swamp since the New Deal , and expanded vastly during the Great Society .
Its staffers live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a world that sees big government as the solution to virtually every problem .
Indeed , Washington , D.C. is a vast factory producing ever larger government , convincing itself and voters that we need it .
Since the Second Vatican Council , many in the Catholic Church have loosened their attachment to natural law and Church Tradition .
They ’ ve instead opened themselves to utilitarian , sentimental , or Utopian modes of secular moral reasoning , shoddily relabeled as “ Catholic.
” In Jacques Maritain ’ s words , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the World.
” With all this in mind , let ’ s proceed through the 47 issue-checklist which liberal Catholics derived from the bishops ’ guidelines .
We ’ ll evaluate Joe Biden ’ s or Donald Trump ’ s stances on these issues by the classical tenets of natural law and Catholic social teaching — not the U.S. bishops ’ or Pope Francis ’ latest updates thereof .
The contrast here is stark .
Donald Trump has moved from a pro-choice to a pro-life stance .
He has picked judges and enacted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All major pro-life groups have endorsed him or his views .
None seem worried that he is reluctant or insincere on the issue .
Biden by contrast has embraced the ever more extreme positions of the Democratic Party , which now opposes any protection of unborn life for any reason , even up through birth .
Biden now favors taxpayer funding of abortion .
As we argued previously , this issue alone should make a Christian unwilling to vote for Biden , period .
But other reasons in theory could make Trump objectionable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end our series here .
On this issue , the “ Catholic Voter Guide ” claims that Joe Biden aligns with core Christian doctrine that rejects suicide , assisted or not .
That surprised us , so we clicked on the link the authors rely on to claim that .
They refer to a single statement by Joe Biden 20 years ago .
Back then he also still opposed same-sex marriage , federal funding of abortion , and many other Democratic stances of 2020 .
However , Joe Biden ’ s party has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His home state of Delaware is now considering the “ End of Life Options Act.
” That ’ s an assisted suicide bill sponsored by Democrats .
Biden has not spoken against it .
It seems likely to pass .
Look at nations such as Belgium and The Netherlands .
Once the state opens the door to assisted suicide , abuses come rushing through .
The practice quickly leads to widespread and often involuntary euthanasia of the old , the sick , and the handicapped .
President Trump has not been vocal on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have generally opposed assisted suicide .
Trump appointee to the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch is an outspoken critic of the practice , even authoring a book on the subject .
That said , there is more Trump could do on this issue .
For instance , he could support those in Congress who wish to use its power to override the assisted suicide legislation passed by Democrats on the Washington , D.C. City Council .
On these issues , the “ Catholic Voter Guide ” admits that Joe Biden ’ s stance is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden voted yes on a 2007 bill vetoed by President Bush that would have let embryonic Americans be used as lab rats in vaccines , and be cannibalized for parts .
Donald Trump , by contrast , in 2019 directed the National Institutes for Health to stop fetal tissue research using the bodies of children from abortions .
Will Trump stand firm in rejecting the use of any COVID vaccine , however politically convenient for him , that ’ s created using aborted Americans ?
This is an issue where public pressure by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of death is a powerful motivator , and the media have whipped up Americans into a state of panic over this virus .
It would be all too easy for scared citizens to look past the profound evil here .
Several pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines that don ’ t rely on dead children ’ s bodies .
The Trump administration ought to be clearer that it will only promote those vaccines as possible preventatives for this deadly virus .
Only 44 More Issues to Go We will continue in our next column @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of national security , war and peace .
To read Part One click here .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

In our last column we promised a series examining in detail the two presidential candidates on 47 issues raised by the U.S. Catholic bishops. The bishops offered a convoluted, virtually unreadable handbook for U.S. voters. It promised public policy standards based on Catholic social teaching. Based on this document, some Catholic commentators compiled an official-looking “Catholic Voters Guide.” We find it deeply misleading, and have chosen to answer in detail.
Before we do that, however, we must face facts. The bishops’ own grasp on Catholic moral teaching is shaky and compromised.
Who Pays the Pipers?
For one thing, forty percent of the bishops’ own income depends on federal contracts with the U.S. government. That means that almost half the bishops’ activity, by law, is entirely secular. The bishops have an existential institutional interest in convincing themselves and others that the federal government is the answer to any given problem. If the feds devolved their programs to state or local agencies, or to the private sector? The U.S. church would go quite literally broke.
Dear Reader: Let’s say we asked you to carefully scrutinize how much of your own work were really essential to your employer. The goal? To help it cut your salary as part of trimming costs. Would you really trust yourself to be honest? Sorry, but turn it around, and we wouldn’t trust ourselves. Man is fallen. That includes bishops, and their well-paid D.C.-based staffers.
The U.S. Catholic Conference has been part of the D.C. swamp since the New Deal, and expanded vastly during the Great Society. Its staffers live, move, and have their being in a world that sees big government as the solution to virtually every problem. Indeed, Washington, D.C. is a vast factory producing ever larger government, convincing itself and voters that we need it.
The Collapse of Catholic Moral Reasoning
Since the Second Vatican Council, many in the Catholic Church have loosened their attachment to natural law and Church Tradition. They’ve instead opened themselves to utilitarian, sentimental, or Utopian modes of secular moral reasoning, shoddily relabeled as “Catholic.” In Jacques Maritain’s words, they’ve learned to “kneel before the World.”
As we argued last time, abortion alone should make a Christian unwilling to vote for Biden, period.
With all this in mind, let’s proceed through the 47 issue-checklist which liberal Catholics derived from the bishops’ guidelines. We’ll evaluate Joe Biden’s or Donald Trump’s stances on these issues by the classical tenets of natural law and Catholic social teaching — not the U.S. bishops’ or Pope Francis’ latest updates thereof.
Abortion
The contrast here is stark. Donald Trump has moved from a pro-choice to a pro-life stance. He has picked judges and enacted policies that “walk the talk.” All major pro-life groups have endorsed him or his views. None seem worried that he is reluctant or insincere on the issue. Biden by contrast has embraced the ever more extreme positions of the Democratic Party, which now opposes any protection of unborn life for any reason, even up through birth. Biden now favors taxpayer funding of abortion. As we argued previously, this issue alone should make a Christian unwilling to vote for Biden, period. But other reasons in theory could make Trump objectionable too, so we can’t end our series here.
Euthanasia
On this issue, the “Catholic Voter Guide” claims that Joe Biden aligns with core Christian doctrine that rejects suicide, assisted or not. That surprised us, so we clicked on the link the authors rely on to claim that. They refer to a single statement by Joe Biden 20 years ago. Back then he also still opposed same-sex marriage, federal funding of abortion, and many other Democratic stances of 2020. However, Joe Biden’s party has come a long way since then. His home state of Delaware is now considering the “End of Life Options Act.” That’s an assisted suicide bill sponsored by Democrats. Biden has not spoken against it. It seems likely to pass.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Look at nations such as Belgium and The Netherlands. Once the state opens the door to assisted suicide, abuses come rushing through. The practice quickly leads to widespread and often involuntary euthanasia of the old, the sick, and the handicapped.
President Trump has not been vocal on this issue, but his judicial appointments have generally opposed assisted suicide. Trump appointee to the Supreme Court Neil Gorsuch is an outspoken critic of the practice, even authoring a book on the subject. That said, there is more Trump could do on this issue. For instance, he could support those in Congress who wish to use its power to override the assisted suicide legislation passed by Democrats on the Washington, D.C. City Council.
Cloning & Destruction of Human Embryos for Research
On these issues, the “Catholic Voter Guide” admits that Joe Biden’s stance is completely at odds with Christian doctrine. Biden voted yes on a 2007 bill vetoed by President Bush that would have let embryonic Americans be used as lab rats in vaccines, and be cannibalized for parts. Donald Trump, by contrast, in 2019 directed the National Institutes for Health to stop fetal tissue research using the bodies of children from abortions.
Will Trump stand firm in rejecting the use of any COVID vaccine, however politically convenient for him, that’s created using aborted Americans? This is an issue where public pressure by pro-lifers would be helpful. The fear of death is a powerful motivator, and the media have whipped up Americans into a state of panic over this virus. It would be all too easy for scared citizens to look past the profound evil here. Several pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines that don’t rely on dead children’s bodies. The Trump administration ought to be clearer that it will only promote those vaccines as possible preventatives for this deadly virus.
Only 44 More Issues to Go
We will continue in our next column, addressing the Biden/Trump contrast on issues of national security, war and peace.
This is part of a six part series. To read Part One click here. For Part Three click here.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him at @JasonJonesShow.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism.
Together, Jones and Zmirak wrote The Race to Save Our Century.


thestream--2020-10-02--What Happened at the Debate and What Christians Should Do Moving Forward

Tuesday night ’ s debate was… well… not a debate .
And — fair warning — this is not going to be easy to read .
If you are tough , continue .
If not , best to stop .
No snowflakes beyond this point .
Those who went into the debate for Biden came out for Biden , so relieved that he did not announce that he was “ running for President of Uganda , this year in 1996.
” Those who went into the debate for Trump came out for Trump , some glad he punched hard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so hard .
Many reported on social media that they were exhausted and barely made it through the debate .
Some prided themselves that they turned it off .
How noble .
Especially when you consider that the President has been getting by on four hours of sleep for four years trying to save the Republic .
Some said it made them feel “ uncomfortable.
” Sorry to be so direct but… tough !
The debate we witnessed was merely a reflection of our entire polarized nation .
That was not “ them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us .
We are a people deeply divided .
I would hope it would make you uncomfortable… so uncomfortable that you will take action to stand greater , stronger , better , and more efficiently for biblical truth .
And for the record , this is no longer the nice Republican Party against the nice Democrat Party .
This is not even Right vs. Left .
We are way beyond that .
This is right vs. wrong .
This is Good vs .
Evil .
This is people who cherish the lives of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vs. those who want to kill babies up to the moment of birth — and even after .
This is between people who honor God in the sacredness of marriage vs. those who want to legitimatize and legalize every conceivable sodomous act and reduce criminalization of adults having sex with young children ( new California law ) .
This is between those who value peace , serenity and order in our communities vs. those who applaud burning , violence , murder and mayhem , either by silence ( Biden ) or by helping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Harris ) who get back out ( via The Bail Project ) and commit acts of violence all over again .
This is between people who understand that Genesis says that we were created male and female by God vs. those who are so warped in their thinking that they think there are 56 genders .
Do I wish the President had not interrupted so much ?
Of course .
And I would wish the same of Joe Biden .
Joe said he “ is ” the Democrat Party .
Want to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Want to compare that to Scripture ?
Click on the graphic : One person private messaged me and said , “ The President was rude , so I might not vote for him.
” Well , okay .
But maybe it would be a lot smarter to ask , “ Why was the President so forceful , so strong ?
” That might be a good question to ask .
Okay , let me be blunt .
We are in war .
Real war .
We are in a civil war , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call it the “ Uncivil War ” which began in 2020 .
I do not know when it will end .
Nor who will win .
And it really is war .
This nation may not survive .
Some have said that for years .
But what has been said in the past is now unfolding .
YOU MAY NOT HAVE A COUNTRY IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS .
I too wish the President would not have interrupted so much , but to be blunt , he sees where we are , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is fighting… hard .
For you .
Even you who are worried about him interrupting .
President Trump is like the Hoover Dam holding back a plethora of evil .
And you are worried about him interrupting ?
Several years ago , I asked a group of people to pray about the condition of our nation .
Unfortunately , what came was a bunch of weak , tepid prayers .
“ Dear Jesus , Thank you for this day ” type prayers .
A bit snowflakey .
Wimpy .
I stopped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t know how to pray , or we don ’ t understand the seriousness of the situation.
” And then , since it was 2017 and ISIS was spreading across several nations terrorizing , raping and killing , I said , “ Pray as if ISIS was one-half mile away , coming after you and your family.
” I did not say that to be hyperbolic or melodramatic .
I said it because , that is where we are today .
A year ago , my wife and I were in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Albania .
We became friends .
Shaban and I communicate fairly often .
He translates many of the things I write into Albanian .
( He might even translate this . )
Shaban and his wife were to come to our March 2020 event in New York City and Washington , D.C. which was canceled by Covid-19 .
Their visas were set to run out , so he and his wife came to our all-day event in Washington , D.C. this past Sunday .
They presented us with a beautiful gift , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Albania .
Some of you seem to want President Trump to be a “ Mother Teresa.
” He can ’ t be .
We are in a war .
He is a fighter .
War is bad .
I happened to notice that when Rosemary unpacked the statue of Mother Teresa when we arrived home late Monday night that she unintentionally placed it beside a picture of Donald Trump , and another one of me in the White House .
My initial reaction was one of opposites : Donald Trump and Mother @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many people want the President to be a nice little Catholic nun.
” But then it hit me .
I had it all wrong .
The President IS like Mother Teresa .
Why would I say that ?
Mother Teresa fought for truth and was unafraid of whom she might offend .
When and where , you ask ?
In the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington , D.C. , in front of President Clinton and First Lady Hillary , and in front of Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fighter .
Bold .
A woman who understands that we are at war .
For the lives of defenseless babies .
In the presence of a radical pro-abortion Bill and Hillary , and thousands of their friends , she said : Peggy Noonan was present .
She wrote the following regarding the response to Mother Teresa ’ s blunt and true words : One comment online stated , “ I was helping with the National Prayer Breakfast when Mother Teresa spoke that day … she had been briefed by Clinton ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , except abortion .
Well , as you can see , that woman stood up there and spoke about abortion and the ramifications.
” There is a name for that .
It is called courage .
Boldness .
Fearlessness .
They said , “ You can ’ t talk about abortion.
” So she did .
So it was quite correct for the newly gifted statue of Mother Teresa to be placed next to a present-day fighter — Donald Trump — as both of them understand the challenge of fighting for the unborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One quietly so .
The other one loudly so .
But still gutsy .
While some Facebooking Christians were all in a twaddle about , “ Oh no , the President interrupted Joe , ” the nation is going to hell .
Sorry to drop the bomb on us all .
Yes — I wish he would not have interrupted as much either , because I knew that there might be someone with the historical , theological and political understanding of an ameba who would conclude that he/she could no longer vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That is like saying during the bombings of London in WWII , “ I can ’ t support Winston Churchill because he smokes cigars and swears.
” My response would have been : “ Get over it .
Without his leadership , we are all going to die.
” That is like saying during D-Day , “ I can ’ t follow General Eisenhower because — referring to his female driver — he has been immoral.
” Yes , everyone knows that old and unfortunate fact , but “ this is our chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow this General in this moment of crisis .
We can sort out Ike ’ s dalliances later , if we live.
” Yes — the President should not have interrupted so much , but let me lay out what you already know .
Donald Trump had waited for many months to face Joe Biden .
There was even a chance that Joe was not going to debate at all .
And as soon as the first debate was over , the Democrats were saying , “ Cancel the other two debates and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would they say that ?
Because Trump was exposing who Biden was .
Question : Why didn ’ t Chris Wallace expose the truth about Biden ?
The answer is too obvious .
Wallace ’ s bias was stunning .
Just stunning !
What do I mean ?
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his ignorant denial that ANTIFA exists , the organization that is global , highly financed , and has killed so many and decimated people ’ s lives .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ silence about BLM , which has become a “ Burning Looting Mob , ” which has resulted in the killing of many blacks and has inflicted pain on so many .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded that Joe actually really answer the question that Chris posed , “ Will you pack the court , ” but Joe stalled and dodged the question and made some sophomoric appeal about voting .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — something Americans deserve to know about — from Ukraine , China and Russia while Biden was VP , when Hunter flew on Air Force Two .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his strong endorsement of AOC , the role he has promised her , and the massive and unsustainable cost of the absurd “ Green New ( Disastrous ) Deal.
” But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded that Joe answer when the President challenged him to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which have in the past always endorsed Democrats — that was supporting Biden .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about totally embracing Bernie ’ s radical socialism .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about the billions of dollars he and Obama shipped on pallets to the worst terrorist state in the world .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his willingness to kill babies in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about the dissipating Democrat support for Israel .
But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
Wallace could have demanded Joe give an explanation of calling the President of the United States a “ clown.
” But Wallace let Biden off the hook .
And then there is the absurd charge that the President encourages white supremacists .
Let ’ s be clear , racism is sin .
White supremacy is sin .
There is only one supremacy , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The President has a phenomenal record with Black and Brown communities .
He stepped in , with financial aid , when he learned that predominantly Black colleges were economically floundering .
He delivered an economy that brought Black and Brown unemployment to the lowest in recorded history .
His nearly 9,000 “ Opportunity Zones ” in urban communities ( remarkably , few even know of this ! )
were making a profound difference , until Democrat Governors and Mayors allowed Antifa and BLM to riot and burn .
Donald Trump , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of hiring and promoting Blacks .
I served on the campaign ’ s “ Faith Advisory Board , ” with numbers of Blacks .
The President has had an attentive and responsive ear to Black and Brown concerns , and has acted quickly on behalf of justice .
His prison reform leadership has been stellar .
Know this : When the liberal-progressives run out of ideas ( which is all the time ) , they resort to their classic default technique , that it , they call everyone who disagrees with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fallback screed .
It gets old .
When there is no logic , screaming “ racist ” is all they know .
Why do they do it ?
Progressives are panicked because Blacks are leaving the enslavement of the Democratic “ plantation ” by the thousands in the # WalkAway movement .
Liberals are terrified because Blacks are discovering actual principles — biblical economic principles , I might add — which give them genuine socioeconomic lift .
If you were offended by the President ’ s rudeness , let me tell you how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t .
In this moment of crisis , that is about to become the least of your concerns .
You are about to lose your country .
The last thing you are going to be fretting about very soon is how many times Donald Trump interrupted Joe Biden .
Frankly , if Biden wins , you are going to be wishing the President would have interrupted him much more .
One lady wrote me that since the President was rude , she might not vote for him .
I wrote back , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ am not going to drive the car because the hubcaps fell off.
’ ” Hubcaps are nice .
They add something special .
But they are not essential to basic transportation .
And in this crisis , we need basic transportation .
Why am I so blunt ?
Because when you have an intercontinental missile coming at you , you best not be complaining about a mosquito on your arm .
Above the Fray — How Noble Then one of my buddies posted on Facebook how he refuses to get in the political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves applauding his courage and wisdom for being politically-governmentally disengaged .
How pathetic .
They even went on to bellow about how dirty politics is .
Yes , it is .
Because the “ clean ” people , like the ones writing that , are getting out .
For goodness sake , stay in .
Stay in the fray .
It ain ’ t fun .
It ’ s rough .
But stay in .
Yes , maintain a purity of heart and conformity with the Spirit , but stay in .
Never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( The Bible says there are three types and one of them is a holy righteous anger . )
Have the right type of anger .
Keep a smile on your face , but stay in .
Stay as winsome as you can , but push back .
And push back hard… with truth… and love .
Learn to take the heat .
Founding Father Benjamin Rush said , “ Every citizen of a republic must watch for the state as if its liberties depended upon his vigilance alone.
” Want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We Christians have a skill in destroying our country .
How ?
Our passivity and inaction .
Ninety million Christians in America are eligible to vote .
But forty million fail to vote in presidential election cycles .
And fifteen million are not even registered .
Is it any wonder that policies are enacted that are contrary to biblical values ?
Not participating in the civic and political arenas is — how do I say this nicely ?
— sin .
Billy Graham said , “ If America is to survive , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to public office , individuals who will seek Divine guidance in the affairs of state.
” So activate .
Get in the fray .
Involve yourself .
Don ’ t pride yourself for “ staying out of politics.
” Stay on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter .
Stay kind , but stay on .
Focus not on personalities , but on issues .
On policies .
On principles .
Form relationships — yes even friendships — with those who are unbiblical in their thinking .
Impact them .
But stay in the game @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the lie that faith is a private matter .
The result ?
As many as sixty-five million Christians don ’ t vote in local elections .
So while secular progressives seek to implement a counterfeit worldview at every level of government , many Christians have remained quietly inside the walls of the church .
But when informed Christians vote , they bring biblical values to the public square .
Evangelist Charles Finney said , “ God can not sustain this free and blessed country which we love and pray for unless the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jesus — and biblical values — into the voting booth .
He Will Flee From You And take on evil .
Go after it .
Command the devil and his demons to flee .
Ephesians 5:11 says , “ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness , but instead expose them.
” Listen to that .
We are commanded to expose the unfruitful works of darkness .
Out of love for our neighbor , don ’ t keep silent !
And what about pastors ?
Many pastors are bold and courageous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t speak out on the cultural and social issues that the Bible discusses .
They say , “ Well , we preach Jesus.
” At first , that sounds great .
Who would not preach Jesus ?
I pastored for decades and over the years I have closed hundreds of sermons with an invitation to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord .
But we should not only preach Jesus .
We should also preach what Jesus preached .
And that is the Kingdom of God .
When there is a kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who is the King of this Kingdom of God ?
King Jesus .
And what is He King over ?
Everything .
Absolutely everything .
And that includes the arena of civil governance .
When he is King , we are part of the Kingdom .
How does the Kingdom impact the political realm ?
The Kingdom extends — through us — to every aspect of our lives , including “ We The People ” being the government .
Thus , among other things , we work hard to save babies in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , and a host of other issues .
Dr. Jim Garlow , author of 21 books , has pastored for over four and half decades and has done over 1,500 print , radio and TV interviews .
He is CEO of Well Versed , a ministry that brings biblical principles of governance to government leaders through weekly Bible studies in the U.S. Congress , the United Nations in New York City and through private meetings with government leaders .
He is heard daily on 800 radio outlets .
He and his wife @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ten grandchildren .

A note from Stream Publisher, James Robison: I think this article is so great that the world should read it and pastors preach paragraphs from it till Jesus comes!
Tuesday night’s debate was… well… not a debate. And — fair warning — this is not going to be easy to read. If you are tough, continue. If not, best to stop. No snowflakes beyond this point.
Changed Minds?
Those who went into the debate for Biden came out for Biden, so relieved that he did not announce that he was “running for President of Uganda, this year in 1996.” Those who went into the debate for Trump came out for Trump, some glad he punched hard, others saying he should not have punched so hard.
Exhausted and Uncomfortable
Many reported on social media that they were exhausted and barely made it through the debate. Some prided themselves that they turned it off. How noble. Especially when you consider that the President has been getting by on four hours of sleep for four years trying to save the Republic.
Some said it made them feel “uncomfortable.” Sorry to be so direct but… tough! The debate we witnessed was merely a reflection of our entire polarized nation. That was not “them” on the platform. That is us. We are a people deeply divided. I would hope it would make you uncomfortable… so uncomfortable that you will take action to stand greater, stronger, better, and more efficiently for biblical truth.
Good vs. Evil
And for the record, this is no longer the nice Republican Party against the nice Democrat Party. This is not even Right vs. Left. We are way beyond that. This is right vs. wrong. This is Good vs. Evil.
This is people who cherish the lives of the most defenseless and innocent among us vs. those who want to kill babies up to the moment of birth — and even after.
This is between people who honor God in the sacredness of marriage vs. those who want to legitimatize and legalize every conceivable sodomous act and reduce criminalization of adults having sex with young children (new California law).
This is between those who value peace, serenity and order in our communities vs. those who applaud burning, violence, murder and mayhem, either by silence (Biden) or by helping to arrange bail for lawbreakers (Kamala Harris) who get back out (via The Bail Project) and commit acts of violence all over again.
This is between people who understand that Genesis says that we were created male and female by God vs. those who are so warped in their thinking that they think there are 56 genders.
Do I wish the President had not interrupted so much? Of course. And I would wish the same of Joe Biden. Joe said he “is” the Democrat Party. Want to know what they believe, in their words? Want to compare that to Scripture? Click on the graphic:
Rude?
One person private messaged me and said, “The President was rude, so I might not vote for him.” Well, okay. But maybe it would be a lot smarter to ask, “Why was the President so forceful, so strong?” That might be a good question to ask.
War
Okay, let me be blunt. We are in war. Real war. We are in a civil war, and you must realize it. I call it the “Uncivil War” which began in 2020. I do not know when it will end. Nor who will win. And it really is war. This nation may not survive. Some have said that for years. But what has been said in the past is now unfolding.
YOU MAY NOT HAVE A COUNTRY IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
(The radical left somehow got on our mailing list. They pick out key phrases and write articles on them. Dear Lefties, you might want to print the sentence above.)
I too wish the President would not have interrupted so much, but to be blunt, he sees where we are, what is happening to our nation, and he is fighting… hard. For you. Even you who are worried about him interrupting.
President Trump is like the Hoover Dam holding back a plethora of evil. And you are worried about him interrupting?
Several years ago, I asked a group of people to pray about the condition of our nation. Unfortunately, what came was a bunch of weak, tepid prayers. “Dear Jesus, Thank you for this day” type prayers. A bit snowflakey. Wimpy.
I stopped the group and said, “Either we don’t know how to pray, or we don’t understand the seriousness of the situation.” And then, since it was 2017 and ISIS was spreading across several nations terrorizing, raping and killing, I said, “Pray as if ISIS was one-half mile away, coming after you and your family.” I did not say that to be hyperbolic or melodramatic. I said it because, that is where we are today.
Mother Teresa
A year ago, my wife and I were in Germany. We met a couple from Albania. We became friends. Shaban and I communicate fairly often. He translates many of the things I write into Albanian. (He might even translate this.)
Shaban and his wife were to come to our March 2020 event in New York City and Washington, D.C. which was canceled by Covid-19. Their visas were set to run out, so he and his wife came to our all-day event in Washington, D.C. this past Sunday. They presented us with a beautiful gift, a statue of Mother Teresa, who was from Albania.
Some of you seem to want President Trump to be a “Mother Teresa.” He can’t be. We are in a war. He is a fighter. War is bad.
I happened to notice that when Rosemary unpacked the statue of Mother Teresa when we arrived home late Monday night that she unintentionally placed it beside a picture of Donald Trump, and another one of me in the White House. My initial reaction was one of opposites: Donald Trump and Mother Teresa. I thought, “too many people want the President to be a nice little Catholic nun.”
But then it hit me. I had it all wrong. The President IS like Mother Teresa. Why would I say that? Mother Teresa fought for truth and was unafraid of whom she might offend. When and where, you ask?
In the 1994 National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., in front of President Clinton and First Lady Hillary, and in front of Vice President Al Gore and his wife Tipper, Mother Teresa was blunt. She is a fighter. Bold. A woman who understands that we are at war. For the lives of defenseless babies. In the presence of a radical pro-abortion Bill and Hillary, and thousands of their friends, she said:
I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself. And if we accept that a mother can kill even her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another? How do we persuade a woman not to have an abortion? As always, we must persuade her with love and we remind ourselves that love means to be willing to give until it hurts. Jesus gave even His life to love us. So, the mother who is thinking of abortion, should be helped to love, that is, to give until it hurts her plans, or her free time, to respect the life of her child. The father of that child, whoever he is, must also give until it hurts. By abortion, the mother does not learn to love, but kills even her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, the father is told that he does not have to take any responsibility at all for the child he has brought into the world. That father is likely to put other women into the same trouble. So abortion just leads to more abortion. Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use any violence to get what they want. This is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion. (It can be watched by clicking HERE.)
Peggy Noonan was present. She wrote the following regarding the response to Mother Teresa’s blunt and true words:
Well, silence. Cool deep silence in the cool round cavern for just about 1.3 seconds. And then applause started on the right hand side of the room, and spread, and deepened, and now the room was swept with people applauding, and they would not stop for what I believe was five or six minutes. As they clapped they began to stand, in another wave from the right of the room to the center and the left. But not everyone applauded. The president and first lady, seated within a few feet of Mother Teresa on the dais, were not applauding. Nor were the vice president and Mrs. Gore. They looked like seated statues at Madame Tussauds. They glistened in the lights and moved not a muscle, looking at the speaker in a determinedly semi-pleasant way.
One comment online stated, “I was helping with the National Prayer Breakfast when Mother Teresa spoke that day … she had been briefed by Clinton’s staff that she could talk about anything, except abortion. Well, as you can see, that woman stood up there and spoke about abortion and the ramifications.”
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There is a name for that. It is called courage. Boldness. Fearlessness. They said, “You can’t talk about abortion.” So she did.
So it was quite correct for the newly gifted statue of Mother Teresa to be placed next to a present-day fighter — Donald Trump — as both of them understand the challenge of fighting for the unborn. And both of them are gutsy. One quietly so. The other one loudly so. But still gutsy.
Analogies
While some Facebooking Christians were all in a twaddle about, “Oh no, the President interrupted Joe,” the nation is going to hell. Sorry to drop the bomb on us all.
Yes — I wish he would not have interrupted as much either, because I knew that there might be someone with the historical, theological and political understanding of an ameba who would conclude that he/she could no longer vote for a “rude” President.
That is like saying during the bombings of London in WWII, “I can’t support Winston Churchill because he smokes cigars and swears.” My response would have been: “Get over it. Without his leadership, we are all going to die.”
That is like saying during D-Day, “I can’t follow General Eisenhower because — referring to his female driver — he has been immoral.” Yes, everyone knows that old and unfortunate fact, but “this is our chance to stop the Nazis so we better follow this General in this moment of crisis. We can sort out Ike’s dalliances later, if we live.”
Yes — the President should not have interrupted so much, but let me lay out what you already know.
The Long Wait
Donald Trump had waited for many months to face Joe Biden. There was even a chance that Joe was not going to debate at all. And as soon as the first debate was over, the Democrats were saying, “Cancel the other two debates and make this the only one.”
Why would they say that? Because Trump was exposing who Biden was.
Question: Why didn’t Chris Wallace expose the truth about Biden? The answer is too obvious.
Wallace’s bias was stunning. Just stunning! What do I mean?
Wallace Didn’t
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his ignorant denial that ANTIFA exists, the organization that is global, highly financed, and has killed so many and decimated people’s lives. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his total silence about BLM, which has become a “Burning Looting Mob,” which has resulted in the killing of many blacks and has inflicted pain on so many. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded that Joe actually really answer the question that Chris posed, “Will you pack the court,” but Joe stalled and dodged the question and made some sophomoric appeal about voting. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about the billions of dollars that flowed to Hunter — something Americans deserve to know about — from Ukraine, China and Russia while Biden was VP, when Hunter flew on Air Force Two. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his strong endorsement of AOC, the role he has promised her, and the massive and unsustainable cost of the absurd “Green New (Disastrous) Deal.” But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded that Joe answer when the President challenged him to name one single law enforcement group — which have in the past always endorsed Democrats — that was supporting Biden. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about totally embracing Bernie’s radical socialism. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about the billions of dollars he and Obama shipped on pallets to the worst terrorist state in the world. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about his willingness to kill babies in the womb right up to birth. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe talk about the dissipating Democrat support for Israel. But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
Wallace could have demanded Joe give an explanation of calling the President of the United States a “clown.” But Wallace let Biden off the hook.
White Supremacy
And then there is the absurd charge that the President encourages white supremacists. Let’s be clear, racism is sin. White supremacy is sin. There is only one supremacy, and that is the Supremacy of Jesus Christ.
The President has a phenomenal record with Black and Brown communities. He stepped in, with financial aid, when he learned that predominantly Black colleges were economically floundering. He delivered an economy that brought Black and Brown unemployment to the lowest in recorded history. His nearly 9,000 “Opportunity Zones” in urban communities (remarkably, few even know of this!) were making a profound difference, until Democrat Governors and Mayors allowed Antifa and BLM to riot and burn.
Progressives are panicked because Blacks are leaving the enslavement of the Democratic “plantation” by the thousands in the #WalkAway movement.
Donald Trump, as a business man, has a long history of hiring and promoting Blacks.
I served on the campaign’s “Faith Advisory Board,” with numbers of Blacks. The President has had an attentive and responsive ear to Black and Brown concerns, and has acted quickly on behalf of justice. His prison reform leadership has been stellar.
Know this: When the liberal-progressives run out of ideas (which is all the time), they resort to their classic default technique, that it, they call everyone who disagrees with them a “racist.” This is their fallback screed. It gets old. When there is no logic, screaming “racist” is all they know.
Why do they do it? Progressives are panicked because Blacks are leaving the enslavement of the Democratic “plantation” by the thousands in the #WalkAway movement. Liberals are terrified because Blacks are discovering actual principles — biblical economic principles, I might add — which give them genuine socioeconomic lift.
Loss of the Republic
If you were offended by the President’s rudeness, let me tell you how important that is, or isn’t. In this moment of crisis, that is about to become the least of your concerns. You are about to lose your country. The last thing you are going to be fretting about very soon is how many times Donald Trump interrupted Joe Biden. Frankly, if Biden wins, you are going to be wishing the President would have interrupted him much more.
One lady wrote me that since the President was rude, she might not vote for him. I wrote back, “That is like saying, ‘I am not going to drive the car because the hubcaps fell off.’” Hubcaps are nice. They add something special. But they are not essential to basic transportation. And in this crisis, we need basic transportation.
Why am I so blunt? Because when you have an intercontinental missile coming at you, you best not be complaining about a mosquito on your arm.
Above the Fray — How Noble
Then one of my buddies posted on Facebook how he refuses to get in the political fray, and people fell all over themselves applauding his courage and wisdom for being politically-governmentally disengaged. How pathetic. They even went on to bellow about how dirty politics is. Yes, it is. Because the “clean” people, like the ones writing that, are getting out.
Stay Engaged
For goodness sake, stay in. Stay in the fray. It ain’t fun. It’s rough. But stay in.
Yes, maintain a purity of heart and conformity with the Spirit, but stay in. Never yield to the wrong kind of anger. (The Bible says there are three types and one of them is a holy righteous anger.) Have the right type of anger. Keep a smile on your face, but stay in. Stay as winsome as you can, but push back. And push back hard… with truth… and love. Learn to take the heat. Founding Father Benjamin Rush said, “Every citizen of a republic must watch for the state as if its liberties depended upon his vigilance alone.” Want to know why? Because it does.
Passive
We Christians have a skill in destroying our country. How? Our passivity and inaction.
Ninety million Christians in America are eligible to vote. But forty million fail to vote in presidential election cycles. And fifteen million are not even registered.
Is it any wonder that policies are enacted that are contrary to biblical values? Not participating in the civic and political arenas is — how do I say this nicely? — sin. Billy Graham said, “If America is to survive, we must elect more God-centered men and women to public office, individuals who will seek Divine guidance in the affairs of state.”
Activate
So activate. Get in the fray. Involve yourself.
Don’t pride yourself for “staying out of politics.” Stay on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Stay kind, but stay on. Focus not on personalities, but on issues. On policies. On principles. Form relationships — yes even friendships — with those who are unbiblical in their thinking. Impact them. But stay in the game.
And vote. Vote biblical values.
Local Elections
For years, Christians have bought into the lie that faith is a private matter. The result? As many as sixty-five million Christians don’t vote in local elections. So while secular progressives seek to implement a counterfeit worldview at every level of government, many Christians have remained quietly inside the walls of the church.
We are commanded to expose the unfruitful works of darkness. Out of love for our neighbor, don’t keep silent!
But when informed Christians vote, they bring biblical values to the public square. Evangelist Charles Finney said, “God cannot sustain this free and blessed country which we love and pray for unless the Church will take right ground.”
Take Jesus — and biblical values — into the voting booth.
He Will Flee From You
And take on evil. Go after it. Command the devil and his demons to flee. Ephesians 5:11 says, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Listen to that. We are commanded to expose the unfruitful works of darkness. Out of love for our neighbor, don’t keep silent!
Pastors
And what about pastors? Many pastors are bold and courageous. Some are not.
Some pastors don’t speak out on the cultural and social issues that the Bible discusses. They say, “Well, we preach Jesus.” At first, that sounds great. Who would not preach Jesus?
I pastored for decades and over the years I have closed hundreds of sermons with an invitation to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. But we should not only preach Jesus. We should also preach what Jesus preached. And that is the Kingdom of God. When there is a kingdom, there is a king.
And who is the King of this Kingdom of God? King Jesus. And what is He King over? Everything. Absolutely everything. And that includes the arena of civil governance. When he is King, we are part of the Kingdom.
How does the Kingdom impact the political realm? The Kingdom extends — through us — to every aspect of our lives, including “We The People” being the government. Thus, among other things, we work hard to save babies in the womb, preserve biblical marriage, protect children, and a host of other issues.
Stay at it.
Dr. Jim Garlow, author of 21 books, has pastored for over four and half decades and has done over 1,500 print, radio and TV interviews. He is CEO of Well Versed, a ministry that brings biblical principles of governance to government leaders through weekly Bible studies in the U.S. Congress, the United Nations in New York City and through private meetings with government leaders. He is heard daily on 800 radio outlets. He and his wife Rosemary Schindler Garlow have eight children and ten grandchildren.
Originally published at wellversedworld.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-10-03--What Assyrians Can Teach Us About God’s Grace

If you ever wonder why God sent two whole prophets to prophesy about Nineveh capitol of Assyria , you can ask an Assyrian .
God sent Jonah to Nineveh .
The city repented , but it went back to being evil fairly soon after Jonah preached .
Then God sent Nahum to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh .
If God had done the same for every city before its destruction the Bible would be too big to carry .
Why did God sent two prophets for a city he knew he would destroy anyway ?
A city so cruel , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their wicked ways and violence , as if it wouldn ’ t have occurred to them that violence was wicked ?
So cruel Nahum , said that the world would rejoice to hear it was destroyed ?
You really can ask an Assyrian .
No , I don ’ t mean a Syrian or a long-dead Assyrian .
The Assyrian people live in scattered communities throughout the Middle East to this day .
Genetic studies , history , and linguistics have completely convinced almost all scholars that the modern Assyrians are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Assyrians , for their part , had already been saying so .
Nineveh was destroyed , but Assyrians were not .
So why did God send two prophets to Nineveh ?
You don ’ t have to ask .
We already know God cares for each lost sheep .
So maybe God sent Jonah to rescue the Assyrians who died repentant before their city backslid .
But if you can ask a modern Assyrian , he may tell you this : After Jesus ’ disciples received the Great Commission , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups to convert to Christianity .
And they have remained Christians to this day .
Maybe Jonah ’ s success wasn ’ t short-lived after all .
And maybe Nahum not only prophesied punishment for Assyria but also prepared Assyria for a lesson .
He was foretelling Nineveh ’ s destruction for its wickedness , so Assyrians would know Nineveh fell because the God of Israel was punishing them for it , as Jonah had warned before .
After Jonah and Nahum ’ s prophecies came true , how could the Assyrians ignore @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perhaps they longed for God ’ s mercy that Jonah had offered , which they had lost .
But they had not lost it forever .
They must have been so glad when the disciples told them how Christ had taken their sins forever !
When they heard the gospel of mercy and salvation , they quickly turned from wickedness and lived in righteousness by God ’ s grace .
And this time , they did not backslide .
Though they were ruled by Zoroastrians and by the Muslims who converted most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even when they were persecuted for it with the same violence their ancestors had committed against Israel .
Perhaps God ’ s work through Jonah and Nahum had prepared the Assyrians for the gospel .
Assyrians today take pride in their historical place in the Bible .
It seems like a strange history to be proud of .
And I ’ m sure it isn ’ t because of their ancestors ’ violent wickedness .
They aren ’ t proud of the way their ancestors treated Israel .
They stand out in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel and the Jewish people .
More likely their pride is in God ’ s great mercy .
“ But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ ” ( Galatians 6:14 , RSV ) .
Whenever their strength or reputation or anything has been less than boast-worthy , they did not turn to a religion that promised to give them the power and glory they deserved .
They hadn ’ t come to Christ for what they deserved , but for the grace they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be surprised that two prophets could have such lasting effect .
“ For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven , and return not thither but water the earth , making it bring forth and sprout , giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater , so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth ; it shall not return to me empty , but it shall accomplish that which I purpose , and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
” ( Isaiah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God through Jonah and Nahum , and the Word of God , Jesus Christ , did not return to Him empty , but accomplished God ’ s purpose , and prospered in the thing for which he sent it , even for people of Assyria .
Praise God forever .
Dante Hosseini is a graduate of the University of North Texas and a freelance writer living in Texas .

If you ever wonder why God sent two whole prophets to prophesy about Nineveh capitol of Assyria, you can ask an Assyrian.
God sent Jonah to Nineveh. The city repented, but it went back to being evil fairly soon after Jonah preached. Then God sent Nahum to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh. If God had done the same for every city before its destruction the Bible would be too big to carry. Why did God send two prophets for a city he knew he would destroy anyway? A city so cruel Jonah had to tell them to repent of their wicked ways and violence, as if it wouldn’t have occurred to them that violence was wicked? So cruel that Nahum said the world would rejoice to hear it was destroyed?
You really can ask an Assyrian.
No, I don’t mean a Syrian or a long-dead Assyrian. The Assyrian people live in scattered communities throughout the Middle East to this day. Genetic studies, history, and linguistics have completely convinced almost all scholars that the modern Assyrians are the same as the biblical Assyrians. Today’s Assyrians, for their part, had already been saying so. Nineveh was destroyed, but Assyrians were not.
God Shows His Care for Lost Sheep
So why did God send two prophets to Nineveh? You don’t have to ask. We already know God cares for each lost sheep. So maybe God sent Jonah to rescue the Assyrians who died repentant before their city backslid. But if you can ask a modern Assyrian, he may tell you this:
After Jesus’ disciples received the Great Commission, the Assyrians were one of the first ethnic groups to convert to Christianity. And they have remained Christians to this day.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Maybe Jonah’s success wasn’t short-lived after all. And maybe Nahum not only prophesied punishment for Assyria but also prepared Assyria for a lesson. He was foretelling Nineveh’s destruction for its wickedness, so Assyrians would know Nineveh fell because the God of Israel was punishing them for it, as Jonah had warned before. After Jonah and Nahum’s prophecies came true, how could the Assyrians ignore the power and justice of God? Perhaps they longed for God’s mercy that Jonah had offered, which they had lost.
But they had not lost it forever. They must have been so glad when the disciples told them how Christ had taken their sins forever! When they heard the gospel of mercy and salvation, they quickly turned from wickedness and lived in righteousness by God’s grace. And this time, they did not backslide. Though they were ruled by Zoroastrians and by the Muslims who converted most of their neighbors, they remained Christians, even when they were persecuted for it with the same violence their ancestors had committed against Israel. Perhaps God’s work through Jonah and Nahum had prepared the Assyrians for the gospel.
The Grace They Couldn’t Deserve
Assyrians today take pride in their historical place in the Bible. It seems like a strange history to be proud of. And I’m sure it isn’t because of their ancestors’ violent wickedness. They aren’t proud of the way their ancestors treated Israel. They stand out in the Middle East for their strong support of Israel and the Jewish people. More likely their pride is in God’s great mercy. “But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14, RSV).
Whenever their strength or reputation or anything has been less than boast-worthy, they did not turn to a religion that promised to give them the power and glory they deserved. They hadn’t come to Christ for what they deserved, but for the grace they couldn’t deserve.
Do not be surprised that two prophets could have such lasting effect. “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11, RSV)
The words of God through Jonah and Nahum, and the Word of God, Jesus Christ, did not return to Him empty, but accomplished God’s purpose, and prospered in the thing for which he sent it, even for people of Assyria. Praise God forever.
Dante Hosseini is a graduate of the University of North Texas and a freelance writer living in Texas.


thestream--2020-10-03--50 Questions #29: ‘Why Do People Go To Hell?’

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison ’ s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian .
Read the series intro here .
Guy P. Harrison postures throughout his 50 Questions book as a serious student of world religions .
He pretends it ’ s a book of serious questions .
Nothing shows up his pretense more than his chapter titled , “ Why Do People Go To Hell ?
” I started into the chapter thinking I might want to skip it , because frankly , I ’ d rather not have to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the way , Catholics often capitalize but Protestants rarely do ) .
It is the most serious subject I know .
Harrison let me off the hook , though , by writing a silly chapter on it .
Popular Atheism Is Too Often Too Silly I shouldn ’ t be surprised , here in my 29th answer to his 50 questions .
There ’ s been a lot of silliness in this book .
It ’ s of a piece with everything else I ’ ve read in recent popular atheist apologetics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Poobah , wrote a supremely silly anti-Christian book , The God Delusion .
It proved only that he knew nothing of the Christianity he was attacking , a fact he freely admitted afterward , with fellow atheist P.Z .
Myers ’ help .
He said Christianity was so nonsensical there was no need to learn anything about it .
It didn ’ t interest him at all that by studying the subject he might find out some of his opinions on it were plainly false , and it would make him look ridiculous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , claims to have studied his subject .
That leaves me asking which is worse ?
Ignorance justified by contempt for a billion people , or ignorance with no justification whatsoever ?
Harrison displays his ignorance first with childish foolishness .
Here ’ s how he defines his terms , speaking of heaven and hell : “ Heaven , serving up round-the-clock goodness for all eternity , seems like it might become a bit boring after the first few trillion years or so .
But hell offers constant excitement for residents in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Never a dull day in hell.
” Was that meant merely as humor ?
Is Harrison 13 years old ?
Contrary to cartoonish misconceptions , constant goodness is constantly good .
Was the logic there too complicated ?
I ’ ll try it again another way : If it ’ s always good , it ’ s always good .
Harrison seems to think “ good ” eventually flattens out into “ boring ” and “ bland.
” He has way too little imagination , and way too little sense of God @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and beauty .
I like to think of this question in terms of great music .
There ’ s motion in it ; tension that rises and falls ; even dissonance .
The Finale to Beethoven ’ s 9th Symphony , for example , has an incredibly wild , disturbing , dissonant chord , just moments before the first vocal solo .
Suppose you stop the music there .
If you have any sensitivity to music at all , you ’ ll be left in a state of horrific need .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on , to find release , to “ resolve , ” as musicians put it .
That ’ s exactly what that chord is meant to do .
So does that mean it ’ s not good ?
Hardly !
It ’ s very good ; no , it ’ s great .
Many aficionados would call this Finale the greatest movement in the greatest symphony ever written .
Boring ?
Tame ?
Insipid ?
Bland ?
You ’ ve got to be kidding !
And if Beethoven can make goodness that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God could do it even more in heaven ?
As for “ never a dull day in hell , ” I can only guess Harrison has never suffered the monotony of constant pain .
He asked , “ Why do people go to hell ?
” So far I haven ’ t begun to answer it seriously .
Instead I ’ m showing that Harrison didn ’ t ask it seriously .
He says that he has asked Christians their views on hell .
But “ the usual response is to launch a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support their respective positions .
… In short , some say hell is in the Bible so it must be real , while others say Jesus is way too nice to be mean.
” The grand revelation there is that Christians don ’ t agree on everything .
Well , that ’ s news !
But he suspects “ much of the disagreement between Christians on the specifics of hell comes down to personality types .
The tough , hard-nosed sort of Christians are happy to talk about all the suffering and screaming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but that makes me want to put the subject of this chapter in a totally different context : “ Like h-*** !
” It makes me that angry .
Happy to talk about it ?
Christians ?
I ’ ve traveled the world with Christians , from Korea to the Caribbean , and I ’ ve never met a single believer who wouldn ’ t reject Harrison ’ s caricatures out of hand .
Maybe there are exceptions .
Maybe Harrison has met some .
He doesn ’ t posture them as being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ isn ’ t being serious .
He isn ’ t being serious , either , when he tries to start an argument between religions .
“ Which hell do the damned go to ?
” Hindus “ are in trouble with both Islam and Christianity … so which hell do they end up in ?
” In a book of questions for Christians , this may be the silliest one .
And on the most serious subject .
Harrison almost sounds adult when he asks , “ Where is the love ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas that God/Jesus forgives and that Christianity is a religion of love are very important to most Christians .
However , the concept of hell seems to contradict these claims.
” Any serious student of Christianity would know that ’ s just another caricature .
Yes , God is love .
He ’ s forgiving .
But he ’ s not merely that ; He ’ s not a one-dimensional God .
He ’ s also just .
The answer to Harrison ’ s opening question , “ Why do people go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there because of sin .
Sin is any active or passive rejection of God .
It could range from quiet apathy to rapacious tyranny ; either way , it ’ s a form of , “ I don ’ t care , ” directed at the God who designed us , created us , loved us .
Hell is a just and fitting landing place for people who don ’ t really want God very much .
“ If Jesus is the only way to heaven , ” he says , “ and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of nice people must be in hell right now.
” True .
“ Nice ” doesn ’ t rise anywhere near the level of goodness God looks for .
None of us has it in us to reach that level .
There ’ s only one hope , and that ’ s forgiveness .
There ’ s only one just way in which God can offer that forgiveness , and that ’ s through Jesus ’ death on the cross , by which he paid the penalty of sin on our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone to heaven .
Only Jesus does .
Finally we reach Harrison ’ s real problem with hell , or rather , his problem with God : God isn ’ t as good as Harrison is , Harrison thinks .
He had to punish his children for wrongdoing at times , he says , “ But never once , no matter how made I was , did I consider punishing them forever.
” I ’ ll admit the “ forever ” aspect of hell bothers me , too .
I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own satisfaction , much less to the satisfaction of an atheist like Harrison .
Remember , though , he ’ s already proved he has no conception what goodness means .
Yet here he goes , comparing God ’ s morality to his , and declaring himself the winner .
I admit I don ’ t know the whole answer to the question , “ Why is hell forever ?
” but I am very sure it isn ’ t , “ Because God ’ s justice doesn ’ t measure up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear — though I absolutely rebel against his foolish idea that I might happy about it — I fear he ’ s just asking to find out about God ’ s justice the hard way .
Tom Gilson ( @ TomGilsonAuthor ) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books , including the recently released Too Good To Be False : How Jesus ’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality .

Part of an extended series of answers to Guy P. Harrison’s book 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Read the series intro here.
Guy P. Harrison postures throughout his 50 Questions book as a serious student of world religions. He pretends it’s a book of serious questions. Nothing shows up his pretense more than his chapter titled, “Why Do People Go To Hell?”
I started into the chapter thinking I might want to skip it, because frankly, I’d rather not have to talk about hell (a word which, by the way, Catholics often capitalize but Protestants rarely do). It is the most serious subject I know. Harrison let me off the hook, though, by writing a silly chapter on it.
Popular Atheism Is Too Often Too Silly
I shouldn’t be surprised, here in my 29th answer to his 50 questions. There’s been a lot of silliness in this book. It’s of a piece with everything else I’ve read in recent popular atheist apologetics. Richard Dawkins, erstwhile New Atheist Grand Poobah, wrote a supremely silly anti-Christian book, The God Delusion. It proved only that he knew nothing of the Christianity he was attacking, a fact he freely admitted afterward, with fellow atheist P.Z. Myers’ help. He said Christianity was so nonsensical there was no need to learn anything about it. It didn’t interest him at all that by studying the subject he might find out some of his opinions on it were plainly false, and it would make him look ridiculous.
Harrison, on the other hand, claims to have studied his subject. That leaves me asking which is worse? Ignorance justified by contempt for a billion people, or ignorance with no justification whatsoever?
Cartoonish Misconceptions About Heaven and Hell
Harrison displays his ignorance first with childish foolishness. Here’s how he defines his terms, speaking of heaven and hell: “Heaven, serving up round-the-clock goodness for all eternity, seems like it might become a bit boring after the first few trillion years or so. But hell offers constant excitement for residents in the form of weird demons and endless agony. Never a dull day in hell.” Was that meant merely as humor? Is Harrison 13 years old?
Contrary to cartoonish misconceptions, constant goodness is constantly good. Was the logic there too complicated? I’ll try it again another way: If it’s always good, it’s always good. Harrison seems to think “good” eventually flattens out into “boring” and “bland.” He has way too little imagination, and way too little sense of God’s goodness, power, creativity, and beauty.
If Beethoven can make goodness that interesting on earth, do you doubt God could do it even more in heaven?
I like to think of this question in terms of great music. There’s motion in it; tension that rises and falls; even dissonance. The Finale to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, for example, has an incredibly wild, disturbing, dissonant chord, just moments before the first vocal solo. Suppose you stop the music there. If you have any sensitivity to music at all, you’ll be left in a state of horrific need. You’ll be begging for it to move on, to find release, to “resolve,” as musicians put it. That’s exactly what that chord is meant to do.
So does that mean it’s not good? Hardly! It’s very good; no, it’s great. Many aficionados would call this Finale the greatest movement in the greatest symphony ever written. Boring? Tame? Insipid? Bland? You’ve got to be kidding! And if Beethoven can make goodness that interesting on earth, do you doubt God could do it even more in heaven?
As for “never a dull day in hell,” I can only guess Harrison has never suffered the monotony of constant pain.
Disgustingly Wrong on Christians’ Attitudes Toward Hell
He asked, “Why do people go to hell?” So far I haven’t begun to answer it seriously. Instead I’m showing that Harrison didn’t ask it seriously. He says that he has asked Christians their views on hell. But “the usual response is to launch a barrage of Bible excerpts that seem to support their respective positions. … In short, some say hell is in the Bible so it must be real, while others say Jesus is way too nice to be mean.”
The grand revelation there is that Christians don’t agree on everything. Well, that’s news! But he suspects “much of the disagreement between Christians on the specifics of hell comes down to personality types. The tough, hard-nosed sort of Christians are happy to talk about all the suffering and screaming of the damned.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Pardon me, but that makes me want to put the subject of this chapter in a totally different context: “Like h-***!” It makes me that angry. Happy to talk about it? Christians? I’ve traveled the world with Christians, from Korea to the Caribbean, and I’ve never met a single believer who wouldn’t reject Harrison’s caricatures out of hand. Maybe there are exceptions. Maybe Harrison has met some. He doesn’t posture them as being rare or exceptional, though. Harrison isn’t being serious.
He isn’t being serious, either, when he tries to start an argument between religions. “Which hell do the damned go to?” Hindus “are in trouble with both Islam and Christianity … so which hell do they end up in?” In a book of questions for Christians, this may be the silliest one. And on the most serious subject.
Foolish Imaginations of a One-Dimensional God
Harrison almost sounds adult when he asks, “Where is the love?” As he puts it, “The ideas that God/Jesus forgives and that Christianity is a religion of love are very important to most Christians. However, the concept of hell seems to contradict these claims.”
Any serious student of Christianity would know that’s just another caricature. Yes, God is love. He’s forgiving. But he’s not merely that; He’s not a one-dimensional God. He’s also just.
Niceness doesn’t get anyone to heaven. Only Jesus does.
The answer to Harrison’s opening question, “Why do people go to hell?” is that we go there because of sin. Sin is any active or passive rejection of God. It could range from quiet apathy to rapacious tyranny; either way, it’s a form of, “I don’t care,” directed at the God who designed us, created us, loved us. Hell is a just and fitting landing place for people who don’t really want God very much.
“If Jesus is the only way to heaven,” he says, “and if hell is the alternative, then a lot of nice people must be in hell right now.” True. “Nice” doesn’t rise anywhere near the level of goodness God looks for. None of us has it in us to reach that level. There’s only one hope, and that’s forgiveness. There’s only one just way in which God can offer that forgiveness, and that’s through Jesus’ death on the cross, by which he paid the penalty of sin on our behalf. Niceness doesn’t get anyone to heaven. Only Jesus does.
Thinking He’s Better Than God
Finally we reach Harrison’s real problem with hell, or rather, his problem with God: God isn’t as good as Harrison is, Harrison thinks. He had to punish his children for wrongdoing at times, he says, “But never once, no matter how made I was, did I consider punishing them forever.”
I’ll admit the “forever” aspect of hell bothers me, too. I don’t know how to explain it to my own satisfaction, much less to the satisfaction of an atheist like Harrison. Remember, though, he’s already proved he has no conception what goodness means. Yet here he goes, comparing God’s morality to his, and declaring himself the winner. I admit I don’t know the whole answer to the question, “Why is hell forever?” but I am very sure it isn’t, “Because God’s justice doesn’t measure up to Guy P. Harrison’s.”
I fear — though I absolutely rebel against his foolish idea that I might happy about it — I fear he’s just asking to find out about God’s justice the hard way.
Tom Gilson (@TomGilsonAuthor) is a senior editor with The Stream and the author or editor of six books, including the recently released Too Good To Be False: How Jesus’ Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality.


thestream--2020-10-03--Why Won’t Trump Denounce Punctuality, Professionalism, the Nuclear Family, and America?

I ’ ve tried to illuminate the breakdown of political dialogue by listening in on the arguments between a white female Democrat , “ Karen , ” from New York City , and a white male Republican from Texas , “ Obadiah.
” This is the latest of their exchanges .
Let ’ s imagine it happening outside a Starbucks in Manhattan , where Obadiah has come on a business trip , from a social distance of six feet .
Each is wearing a mask .
Obadiah ’ s reads “ Trump 2020.
” Karen ’ s is a rainbow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have there .
I hope you ’ re very proud of it .
OBADIAH : I ’ m not exactly thrilled that your governor has us wearing face diapers at outdoor tables , no .
But I don ’ t want to get arrested , so I figure I ’ ll play along .
Maybe later I ’ ll join a “ peaceful protest ” and torch a police station .
Apparently you can ’ t get busted for that .
KAREN : How do you think people of color feel when they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ person of pallor , I ’ m not even supposed to try to attempt that , am I ?
Wouldn ’ t that be “ imaginative appropriation , ” or something ?
Probably get me “ cancelled.
” KAREN : Very funny .
Racism is just one big laugh riot , for those born with Privilege .
OBADIAH : Double-digit percentages of blacks and Hispanics are voting for Trump .
But I guess they “ ain ’ t really black ” or brown , are they ?
KAREN : They might not be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ denounce white supremacist groups .
Not even after four long years , not even during a presidential debate .
He thinks they ’ re “ very fine people , ” in fact .
OBADIAH : I could try to correct you , but it wouldn ’ t do any good .
Right here on my phone I could call up the transcript of what Trump really said about Charlottesville .
How he was distinguishing “ peaceful protesters , ” defending Civil War memorials , from neo-Nazi scum — whom he denounced in no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more times that Trump , whose Jewish daughter is raising Jewish grandkids , has condemned racial extremists .
It wouldn ’ t matter .
Like trying to wear down Mt .
Rushmore with a garden hose .
Sorry , does that monument “ trigger ” you ?
KAREN : Trump reluctantly reads statements his staff write for him .
But when he ’ s off-script he goes back to the dog-whistles .
OBADIAH : See , right there .
That ’ s what I ’ m talking about .
You think anyone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you pick up from The New York Times or The Atlantic isn ’ t even human .
They ’ re animals , vicious dogs , who don ’ t respond to reason but only to whistles .
If that ’ s true , then stop using words with me , and leave me to wolfing down this bacon sandwich .
When I ’ m done , I ’ ll take a whizz on that fire hydrant , okay ?
But I ’ ll tell you one thing , I ’ m fixing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take that away from us , though even if we win you ’ ll try to nullify this election the way you nullified the last one .
KAREN : If your president somehow ekes out a win in the Electoral College using a system rigged by slave-owners … OBADIAH : There we go !
We dug two inches and hit Crazy .
Happens every time .
Go on , sorry to interrupt you .
Too bad Chris Wallace isn ’ t here to spank me with his hairbrush .
You were saying that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wait , don ’ t tell me … the Senate is too , am I right ?
KAREN : Given that it offers far more power per capita to whites than people of color , yes .
OBADIAH : And it was designed to be racist , right ?
Because the Founders knew that there ’ d be huge cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco , full of descendants of freed slaves and Hispanic immigrants .
They could see that , couldn ’ t they ?
In their Masonic crystal ball .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foresaw 21st century demographics and planned accordingly .
They made sure to give South Dakota the same power in the Senate as California .
Of course , at the time the Senate had the opposite effect , giving tiny , free Rhode Island the same Senate power as huge , slave-owning Virginia .
But that doesn ’ t matter , right ?
Because of disparate … KAREN : Impact , exactly .
The impact of the Constitution on people of color is disparate , and that means it ’ s racist de facto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of them slave-owners , intended .
Do You Renounce America and All Its Works ?
OBADIAH : Okay , we ’ re cooking with gas now .
The “ racism ” Donald Trump is supposed to disavow isn ’ t a bunch of skinheads crawling out of their mom ’ s basement .
It ’ s the very structure of the country , even the aspects that never had any racist intent .
And the Founding itself , because you believe in the 1619 Project , which claims that the U.S. was founded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even though he never tried to abolish it .
So Trump needs to renounce both the founding and the governing documents of the U.S. Is that enough ?
KAREN : The white power complex pervades our whole culture and economy .
OBADIAH : So Trump needs to denounce that too , doesn ’ t he ?
Capitalism , that has a disparate impact , because some whites and Asians have a lot more money than blacks .
So we have to get rid of that .
And punctuality , professionalism , goal-oriented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Smithsonian Institution denounced all that as part of white culture .
So they have to go .
Let ’ s run everything like the DMV , shall we ?
Oh yes , I almost forgot .
The “ Nuclear Family ” — Black Lives Matter demands we abolish that too .
Or did , before it got timid and scrubbed that and its odes to Marxism from its website .
The Wayback Machine , that ’ s racist too , isn ’ t it ?
KAREN : Now you ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ re right about that , ma ’ am .
Since I ’ m wearing this stupid mask you can ’ t see my face .
I ’ m not sure my tone conveys adequately just how much contempt I feel for the ideas you picked up like birdseed off the sidewalk .
I wish I had semaphore flags I could use to drive the point home in one more way , in case you missed it .
Maybe I can make a sock puppet … .
[ Obadiah takes off one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Karen snorts , stands up , and flounces off . ]
[ He rips off his mask , breathes free , and smiles . ]
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

I’ve tried to illuminate the breakdown of political dialogue by listening in on the arguments between a white female Democrat, “Karen,” from New York City, and a white male Republican from Texas, “Obadiah.” This is the latest of their exchanges. Let’s imagine it happening outside a Starbucks in Manhattan, where Obadiah has come on a business trip, from a social distance of six feet.
Each is wearing a mask. Obadiah’s reads “Trump 2020.” Karen’s is a rainbow flag.
KAREN: Nice mask you have there. I hope you’re very proud of it.
OBADIAH: I’m not exactly thrilled that your governor has us wearing face diapers at outdoor tables, no. But I don’t want to get arrested, so I figure I’ll play along. Maybe later I’ll join a “peaceful protest” and torch a police station. Apparently you can’t get busted for that.
KAREN: How do you think people of color feel when they see it?
OBADIAH: As a person of pallor, I’m not even supposed to try to attempt that, am I? Wouldn’t that be “imaginative appropriation,” or something? Probably get me “cancelled.”
KAREN: Very funny. Racism is just one big laugh riot, for those born with Privilege.
Your President Refuses
OBADIAH: Double-digit percentages of blacks and Hispanics are voting for Trump. But I guess they “ain’t really black” or brown, are they?
KAREN: They might not be fully aware that your president refuses to denounce white supremacist groups. Not even after four long years, not even during a presidential debate. He thinks they’re “very fine people,” in fact.
OBADIAH: I could try to correct you, but it wouldn’t do any good. Right here on my phone I could call up the transcript of what Trump really said about Charlottesville. How he was distinguishing “peaceful protesters,” defending Civil War memorials, from neo-Nazi scum — whom he denounced in no uncertain terms. I could cite twenty more times that Trump, whose Jewish daughter is raising Jewish grandkids, has condemned racial extremists. It wouldn’t matter. Like trying to wear down Mt. Rushmore with a garden hose. Sorry, does that monument “trigger” you?
You think anyone who doesn’t follow the paint-by-numbers you pick up from The New York Times or The Atlantic isn’t even human.
KAREN: Trump reluctantly reads statements his staff write for him. But when he’s off-script he goes back to the dog-whistles.
Dog Whistles for Vicious Curs
OBADIAH: See, right there. That’s what I’m talking about. You think anyone who doesn’t follow the paint-by-numbers kit you pick up from The New York Times or The Atlantic isn’t even human. They’re animals, vicious dogs, who don’t respond to reason but only to whistles. If that’s true, then stop using words with me, and leave me to wolfing down this bacon sandwich. When I’m done, I’ll take a whizz on that fire hydrant, okay? But I’ll tell you one thing, I’m fixing to vote. You all can’t take that away from us, though even if we win you’ll try to nullify this election the way you nullified the last one.
KAREN: If that man …
OBADIAH: Orange Man? Him BAD!
KAREN: If your president somehow ekes out a win in the Electoral College using a system rigged by slave-owners …
Gravity Is Racist. Electromagnetism Too.
OBADIAH: There we go! We dug two inches and hit Crazy. Happens every time. Go on, sorry to interrupt you. Too bad Chris Wallace isn’t here to spank me with his hairbrush. You were saying that … the Electoral College is racist. Wait, don’t tell me … the Senate is too, am I right?
KAREN: Given that it offers far more power per capita to whites than people of color, yes.
OBADIAH: And it was designed to be racist, right? Because the Founders knew that there’d be huge cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, full of descendants of freed slaves and Hispanic immigrants. They could see that, couldn’t they? In their Masonic crystal ball. Hamilton and Madison held seances where they foresaw 21st century demographics and planned accordingly. They made sure to give South Dakota the same power in the Senate as California. Of course, at the time the Senate had the opposite effect, giving tiny, free Rhode Island the same Senate power as huge, slave-owning Virginia. But that doesn’t matter, right? Because of disparate …
KAREN: Impact, exactly. The impact of the Constitution on people of color is disparate, and that means it’s racist de facto, whatever your sainted Founders, some of them slave-owners, intended.
Do You Renounce America and All Its Works?
OBADIAH: Okay, we’re cooking with gas now. The “racism” Donald Trump is supposed to disavow isn’t a bunch of skinheads crawling out of their mom’s basement. It’s the very structure of the country, even the aspects that never had any racist intent. And the Founding itself, because you believe in the 1619 Project, which claims that the U.S. was founded to protect slavery from King George III. Even though he never tried to abolish it. So Trump needs to renounce both the founding and the governing documents of the U.S. Is that enough?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
KAREN: The white power complex pervades our whole culture and economy.
OBADIAH: So Trump needs to denounce that too, doesn’t he? Capitalism, that has a disparate impact, because some whites and Asians have a lot more money than blacks. So we have to get rid of that. And punctuality, professionalism, goal-oriented behavior, and planning for the future. The Smithsonian Institution denounced all that as part of white culture. So they have to go. Let’s run everything like the DMV, shall we? Oh yes, I almost forgot.
The “Nuclear Family” — Black Lives Matter demands we abolish that too. Or did, before it got timid and scrubbed that and its odes to Marxism from its website. The Wayback Machine, that’s racist too, isn’t it?
KAREN: Now you’re just being flippant.
OBADIAH: Oh you’re right about that, ma’am. Since I’m wearing this stupid mask you can’t see my face. I’m not sure my tone conveys adequately just how much contempt I feel for the ideas you picked up like birdseed off the sidewalk. I wish I had semaphore flags I could use to drive the point home in one more way, in case you missed it. Maybe I can make a sock puppet … .
[Obadiah takes off one of his shoes, then a sock. Karen snorts, stands up, and flounces off.]
OBADIAH: Finally.
[He rips off his mask, breathes free, and smiles.]
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”