thestream--2020-07-22--Prosecutor Criticized for Charging St. Louis Couple Who Pointed Guns at Protesters

A Missouri prosecutor faces heavy scrutiny at the national and state level for bringing criminal charges against a St. Louis couple who pointed guns at trespassers in late June to defend themselves and their property .
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner filed the charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey , who became nationally known because of a viral video of them holding firearms outside their home as protesters marched past .
“ It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest , and while we are fortunate this situation did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis , ” Gardner , a Democrat , said in a statement .
The McCloskeys both were charged Monday with a single felony count of exhibiting a firearm in an angry or threatening manner .
He held a semiautomatic rifle , she a handgun .
The couple has said that protesters tore down a gate to gain entry to their property June 28 .
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday that she discussed the case with President Donald Trump that morning .
“ The president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morning .
He said it is absolutely absurd what is happening to the McCloskeys .
The White House press secretary noted that Patricia McCloskey said some trespassers threatened to kill the couple and occupy the house , while others shouted threats to burn down the house .
“ They were completely within their right , and it is an egregious abuse of power , ” McEnany said .
In a video announcement , Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt , the state ’ s top law enforcement official , said he would seek to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican , called it a “ political prosecution ” and said citizens shouldn ’ t be targeted for exercising their right to self-defense .
Missouri ’ s “ castle doctrine ” law allows residents to defend their property .
If it goes to trial , the case likely will boil down to whether a jury believes the couple reasonably believed they were acting in self-defense , said Amy Swearer , a legal fellow at the Institute for Constitutional Government at The Heritage Foundation .
“ The burden is on the state to prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Swearer told The Daily Signal .
“ There are so many questions to piece together for the facts and the timeline , I don ’ t envy lawyers from either side of this case .
But it is good to have so much video , so it ’ s not just a he said/she said.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Although there may be a legitimate question whether protesters were on the McCloskeys ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the crowd were armed and shouting threats , Swearer said .
The broader context includes the violent unrest that was happening in the area , she added .
The prosecution ’ s championing of the right to protest would be a difficult case to make , Swearer said .
“ The protesters were out of public property and in a private gated area , ” she said .
“ It ’ s not the case that the McCloskeys went out of their way to silence anyone.
” Missouri Gov .
Mike Parson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Every Missourian has the right to protect their family and their personal property.
” The previous day , Parson also was critical of Gardner on Twitter , noting that “ the Circuit Attorney ’ s office has admitted there is a backlog of cases and dozens of homicides that haven ’ t been prosecuted , yet she has accelerated this case forward.
” Mark McCloskey , 63 , and his wife Patricia , 61 , are both lawyers .
Sen. Josh Hawley , R-Mo.
, called the prosecution an abuse of power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department to investigate the prosecution by Gardner as a possible civil rights violation .
“ This is an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment , and I urge you to consider a federal civil rights investigation into the St. Louis Circuit Attorney ’ s Office to determine whether this investigation and impending prosecution violates this family ’ s constitutional rights , ” Hawley ’ s July 16 letter to Attorney General William Barr says , adding : There is no question under Missouri law that the McCloskeys had the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect themselves from threatened violence , and that any criminal prosecution for these actions is legally unsound .
The only possible motivation for the investigation , then , is a politically motivated attempt to punish this family for exercising their Second Amendment rights .
Indeed , this is part of a troubling pattern of politically motivated prosecutorial decisions by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney , who has not seen fit to prosecute many violent offenders , and who has expressed hostility to gun rights in the past .
Recently , reports indicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozens of individuals arrested during a weekend of riots in the city .
Gardner was elected in 2016 .
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that her campaign was financed in part by the Safety & Justice Committee , a super PAC financed by liberal billionaire George Soros .
Gardner framed the prosecution as protecting the First Amendment right to protest , saying : “ We must protect the right to peacefully protest , and any attempt to chill it through intimidation will not be tolerated.
” She added : “ The people of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equal justice under the law fairly and impartially , and that is what I intend to do .
”

A Missouri prosecutor faces heavy scrutiny at the national and state level for bringing criminal charges against a St. Louis couple who pointed guns at trespassers in late June to defend themselves and their property.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner filed the charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who became nationally known because of a viral video of them holding firearms outside their home as protesters marched past.
“It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protest, and while we are fortunate this situation did not escalate into deadly force, this type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis,” Gardner, a Democrat, said in a statement.
The McCloskeys both were charged Monday with a single felony count of exhibiting a firearm in an angry or threatening manner. He held a semiautomatic rifle, she a handgun.
1/ Statement from Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner – Today my office filed charges against Mark and Patricia McCloskey following an incident involving peaceful, unarmed protesters on June 28th. Full statement below: pic.twitter.com/zPucQ3MHs5 — Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) July 20, 2020
The couple has said that protesters tore down a gate to gain entry to their property June 28.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday that she discussed the case with President Donald Trump that morning.
“The president, I asked him about that this morning. He said it is absolutely absurd what is happening to the McCloskeys.
McEnany added of Gardner:
There have been many cases brought to her attention of violent rioters that she has failed to charge. But instead, she’s charging the individuals who are defending themselves from violent protesters. You have 300 to 500 protesters who stormed the gates, tore down the gates, and trespassed on their property.
The White House press secretary noted that Patricia McCloskey said some trespassers threatened to kill the couple and occupy the house, while others shouted threats to burn down the house.
“They were completely within their right, and it is an egregious abuse of power,” McEnany said.
In a video announcement, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, the state’s top law enforcement official, said he would seek to dismiss the case. Schmitt, a Republican, called it a “political prosecution” and said citizens shouldn’t be targeted for exercising their right to self-defense.
Citizens shouldn’t be targeted for exercising their #2A right to self-defense STL prosecutor Kim Gardner is engaged in a political prosecution As AG I’m entering the case seeking a dismissal & defend all Missourians’ right to protect their lives/property pic.twitter.com/kQLXOAhFIz — Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) July 20, 2020
Missouri’s “castle doctrine” law allows residents to defend their property.
If it goes to trial, the case likely will boil down to whether a jury believes the couple reasonably believed they were acting in self-defense, said Amy Swearer, a legal fellow at the Institute for Constitutional Government at The Heritage Foundation.
“The burden is on the state to prove it wasn’t reasonable self-defense,” Swearer told The Daily Signal. “There are so many questions to piece together for the facts and the timeline, I don’t envy lawyers from either side of this case. But it is good to have so much video, so it’s not just a he said/she said.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Although there may be a legitimate question whether protesters were on the McCloskeys’ property, the couple asserted that some in the crowd were armed and shouting threats, Swearer said. The broader context includes the violent unrest that was happening in the area, she added.
The prosecution’s championing of the right to protest would be a difficult case to make, Swearer said.
“The protesters were out of public property and in a private gated area,” she said. “It’s not the case that the McCloskeys went out of their way to silence anyone.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, tweeted Tuesday: “Every Missourian has the right to protect their family and their personal property.”
Every Missourian has the right to protect their family and their personal property. #CastleDoctrine https://t.co/OEJWzOD0Oe — Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) July 21, 2020
The previous day, Parson also was critical of Gardner on Twitter, noting that “the Circuit Attorney’s office has admitted there is a backlog of cases and dozens of homicides that haven’t been prosecuted, yet she has accelerated this case forward.”
Kim Gardner’s action toward the McCloskeys is outrageous. Even worse, the Circuit Attorney’s office has admitted there is a backlog of cases and dozens of homicides that haven’t been prosecuted, yet she has accelerated this case forward. — Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) July 20, 2020
We must prioritize laws that keep our citizens safe over political motivations. Kim Gardner owes every single family who has had a loved one murdered an explanation on why she has acted on the McCloskey case instead of theirs. — Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) July 20, 2020
Mark McCloskey, 63, and his wife Patricia, 61, are both lawyers.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., called the prosecution an abuse of power and last week asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the prosecution by Gardner as a possible civil rights violation.
“This is an unacceptable abuse of power and threat to the Second Amendment, and I urge you to consider a federal civil rights investigation into the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office to determine whether this investigation and impending prosecution violates this family’s constitutional rights,” Hawley’s July 16 letter to Attorney General William Barr says, adding:
There is no question under Missouri law that the McCloskeys had the right to own and use their firearms to protect themselves from threatened violence, and that any criminal prosecution for these actions is legally unsound. The only possible motivation for the investigation, then, is a politically motivated attempt to punish this family for exercising their Second Amendment rights. Indeed, this is part of a troubling pattern of politically motivated prosecutorial decisions by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney, who has not seen fit to prosecute many violent offenders, and who has expressed hostility to gun rights in the past. Recently, reports indicate that she declined to pursue charges against dozens of individuals arrested during a weekend of riots in the city.
Gardner was elected in 2016. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that her campaign was financed in part by the Safety & Justice Committee, a super PAC financed by liberal billionaire George Soros.
Gardner framed the prosecution as protecting the First Amendment right to protest, saying: “We must protect the right to peacefully protest, and any attempt to chill it through intimidation will not be tolerated.”
5/ We must protect the right to peacefully protest, & any attempt to chill it through intimidation will not be tolerated. — Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) July 20, 2020
She added: “The people of St. Louis have elected me to pursue equal justice under the law fairly and impartially, and that is what I intend to do.”
8/ The people of St. Louis have elected me to pursue equal justice under the law fairly and impartially, and that is what I intend to do. — Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) July 20, 2020
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-22--Trump: COVID-19 ‘Will Get Worse,’ but Vaccine Moving Along

In his first coronavirus press briefing since April , President Donald Trump sounded dour , warning the pandemic will get worse before it gets better , but also offered his more familiar optimistic tone in predicting a vaccine sooner than expected .
The president also made a more emphatic case in favor of wearing masks , even pulling one out of a suit pocket during the briefing .
“ It will probably , unfortunately , get worse before it gets better — something I don ’ t like saying about things , but that ’ s the way it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press briefing room .
“ It ’ s what we have .
Look over the world , it ’ s all over the world.
” Trump later said TV commentators make it sound as if only the United States has the problem , when in fact it ’ s a problem all over the world .
“ The China virus is a vicious and dangerous illness , ” Trump said .
Currently more than half of the nation ’ s new cases are in Arizona , California , Florida , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t been hit as hard as New York , New Jersey , and Connecticut were early in the year .
“ We want to get rid of it as soon as we can .
That is why getting a vaccine remains a top priority , ” Trump said .
He went on to provide more specifics .
Two vaccine candidates are entering the final stage of clinical trials this month .
This was achieved in record time .
It used to be years before you were in a position like we are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter final trials the following weeks .
We are mass producing all the top candidates so that the first approved vaccine will be available immediately .
Logistically , we have the military ready to go .
The briefing was considerably shorter than past briefings that would run close to two hours , as Trump , in the past flanked by Cabinet officials and top administration medical officials , would seemingly answer questions endlessly .
On Tuesday , only Trump spoke to reporters , and the briefing was barely 30 minutes .
Also , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , there were no testy exchanges between Trump and the media .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Trump noted that about half of the deaths were individuals in nursing homes or long-term care and about 90 % of those hospitalized had underlying medical conditions .
While youth are less likely to be hit hard , Trump nevertheless made the case to wear masks to avoid the spread .
“ Young adults may have mild symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ re sick , ” Trump said .
“ They won ’ t have any idea that they have a virus .
They won ’ t have any idea at all .
America ’ s youth will act responsibly.
” Trump later explained , “ A permanent shutdown was really never an option.
” “ We ’ re instead asking Americans to use masks , socially distance , and employ vigorous hygiene , wash your hands every chance you get while sheltering high-risk populations , ” the president stated .

In his first coronavirus press briefing since April, President Donald Trump sounded dour, warning the pandemic will get worse before it gets better, but also offered his more familiar optimistic tone in predicting a vaccine sooner than expected.
The president also made a more emphatic case in favor of wearing masks, even pulling one out of a suit pocket during the briefing.
“It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better — something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is,” Trump said Tuesday from the White House press briefing room. “It’s what we have. Look over the world, it’s all over the world.”
Trump later said TV commentators make it sound as if only the United States has the problem, when in fact it’s a problem all over the world.
“The China virus is a vicious and dangerous illness,” Trump said.
Currently more than half of the nation’s new cases are in Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas. Those states still haven’t been hit as hard as New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut were early in the year.
“We want to get rid of it as soon as we can. That is why getting a vaccine remains a top priority,” Trump said. He went on to provide more specifics.
Two vaccine candidates are entering the final stage of clinical trials this month. This was achieved in record time. It used to be years before you were in a position like we are in right now. Four other vaccines will enter final trials the following weeks. We are mass producing all the top candidates so that the first approved vaccine will be available immediately. Logistically, we have the military ready to go.
The briefing was considerably shorter than past briefings that would run close to two hours, as Trump, in the past flanked by Cabinet officials and top administration medical officials, would seemingly answer questions endlessly. On Tuesday, only Trump spoke to reporters, and the briefing was barely 30 minutes. Also, unlike occasional past briefings in March and April, there were no testy exchanges between Trump and the media.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Trump noted that about half of the deaths were individuals in nursing homes or long-term care and about 90% of those hospitalized had underlying medical conditions.
While youth are less likely to be hit hard, Trump nevertheless made the case to wear masks to avoid the spread.
“Young adults may have mild symptoms. They won’t even know they’re sick,” Trump said. “They won’t have any idea that they have a virus. They won’t have any idea at all. America’s youth will act responsibly.”
Trump continued:
We are asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact, they’ll have an effect — and we need everything we can get.
Trump later explained, “A permanent shutdown was really never an option.”
“We’re instead asking Americans to use masks, socially distance, and employ vigorous hygiene, wash your hands every chance you get while sheltering high-risk populations,” the president stated.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-22--Poll: Skepticism Among Americans Over Coronavirus Death Count is Growing

Americans are becoming increasingly more skeptical about the reported coronavirus death count , a Tuesday poll suggests .
Over 140,000 people have died from coronavirus in the United States as of July 20 , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) .
The Axios-Ipsos poll released Tuesday shows 31 % of Americans believe that the number of deaths is lower than what is being reported .
58 % of Republicans and 9 % of Democrats believed that “ the real number of deaths is less than the official count.
” Just 16 % of Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number is more than what is being reported .
The poll also showed 74 % of Americans believed other Americans are “ behaving in ways that make the pandemic somewhat or much worse , ” compared with 65 % of Republicans and 83 % of Democrats .
The survey showed 44 % of Americans visited friends and relatives in the past week , but only 18 % said that they wore a face mask at all times and only 23 % reported they maintained a 6-foot distance at all times .
As many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face masks when leaving the home , the poll suggested .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Masks are now required in 28 states across the country and recommended by the CDC and World Health Organization , according to CNBC .
Many private businesses , including Walmart and Starbucks require face masks while in their stores , even if they are in a state that does not mandate face masks for residents .
The CDC is trusted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 65 % trust national public health officials .
The White House is the least trusted ( 31 % ) , and state governments are trusted by a 57 % majority of Americans , the poll reported .
The poll was conducted July 17 -20 and based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1037 people aged 18 and older , with a margin of error of +/- 3.1-3.4 percentage points .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original content , please contact licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

Americans are becoming increasingly more skeptical about the reported coronavirus death count, a Tuesday poll suggests.
Over 140,000 people have died from coronavirus in the United States as of July 20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Axios-Ipsos poll released Tuesday shows 31% of Americans believe that the number of deaths is lower than what is being reported. 58% of Republicans and 9% of Democrats believed that “the real number of deaths is less than the official count.”
Just 16% of Republicans and 61% of Democrats say the number is more than what is being reported.
The poll also showed 74% of Americans believed other Americans are “behaving in ways that make the pandemic somewhat or much worse,” compared with 65% of Republicans and 83% of Democrats.
The survey showed 44% of Americans visited friends and relatives in the past week, but only 18% said that they wore a face mask at all times and only 23% reported they maintained a 6-foot distance at all times. As many as 62% of Americans report wearing face masks when leaving the home, the poll suggested.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Masks are now required in 28 states across the country and recommended by the CDC and World Health Organization, according to CNBC. Many private businesses, including Walmart and Starbucks require face masks while in their stores, even if they are in a state that does not mandate face masks for residents.
The CDC is trusted by 70% of Americans, while 65% trust national public health officials. The White House is the least trusted (31%), and state governments are trusted by a 57% majority of Americans, the poll reported.
The poll was conducted July 17 -20 and based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1037 people aged 18 and older, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1-3.4 percentage points.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-07-22--The Democrats’ Hideous Strength, and Why We Must Vote Orange, Not Blue

My first article for The Stream was entitled , “ The Spiritual Dangers of a Trump Presidency , ” my most popular essay here so far .
I did not treat the former reality star gently : I do not repent of anything I said in that article .
Almost every time the president opens his mouth , he makes me miss Ronald Reagan or wish Ben Carson had won .
Nevertheless , I plan to vote for Donald Trump this November , and against every Democrat in sight .
I urge you to do the same , as you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is like two pilots fighting for control of the Titanic .
One is dancing on deck , declaring a “ block party ” and a “ summer of love ” as the ship of state careens towards a mountain of ice that will send us to the ocean floor .
The other , however obnoxious and self-regarding , is trying to steer us towards open water .
Over the past two months , the Democrats have not merely proven themselves unworthy of the captaincy of this ship of state , they have betrayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicians have stood by and watched a home-grown Taliban burn buildings , loot shops , and tear down public monuments .
The Speaker of the House of Representatives , the second most-powerful leader in the country , announced , “ I don ’ t care much about statues .
.
.
People will do what they do.
” Nancy Pelosi sounded like a teacher who thinks her job is to get the cool kids , the class bullies , to like her , not to create a safe learning environment for those they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Green , my history teacher , who , when kids had taken the cover off a baseball and thrown it around the room until the yarn crisscrossed our classroom , meekly picked up the ball and tossed it himself .
For that one remark alone , America should vote every Democrat out of the House of Representatives .
By declaring her indifference to such violence , Speaker Pelosi betrayed the very concept of a nation of law .
No doubt she recognized her voters among the mobs , and wished to placate them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , perhaps the nadir of acquiescence to gang violence came here in Seattle , when Mayor Jenny Durkan and the City Council abandoned part of the city , and a police station , to rioters .
Durkan described the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone as a “ block party ” and prophesied a “ summer of love.
” After several shootings and two deaths , plus a protestor killed on I-5 a few blocks away , which officials allowed rioters to control for weeks at a time ( though it had been built by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council knelt to the mob .
They voted to cut police spending in half .
In similar ways Democrats across the country made it clear they are on the side of the “ cool kids , ” and couldn ’ t care less about ordinary citizens .
Democratic governors like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan have also shown that they don ’ t care about equality before the law .
When some Michigan residents protested the Covid-19 shutdown , Whitmer shook her finger and said , “ This is not appropriate in a global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racist and misogynistic , ” and warned of “ calls to violence.
” But when her own base took to the streets in a movement that included not the imaginary threat of violence but the genuine rioting , looting , attacks on police , and burning of buildings , Whitmer joined the protestors .
Three months ago , 78 % of Americans , including most African-Americans , agreed that the police did a pretty good job of serving the public .
Now Democrats vie with one another to shame , degrade , insult @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as children are shot in the streets , business owners are terrorized , and inner-city neighborhoods lose jobs that could give families a chance .
This is a betrayal not just of hard-working police , but of society .
By placating mobs and gangsters , the Democratic Party shows that it can not be trusted to run a doghouse , let alone boulevards where innocent folk walk at night , or residential neighborhoods where old ladies try to keep apartments drug-free .
Worse yet may be the Democratic embrace of thought control .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ culture ” of our day , you can get fired for saying “ All lives matter.
” The curator of a museum lost his job and was called a “ white supremacist ” because he noted that while the museum would buy more works from minorities , of course they would also still purchase art by white people !
A Cornell professor was censured for criticizing Black Lives Matter .
More people seem to get fired every day for such thought crimes .
The Left has created a climate of terror that has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media .
Would Joe Biden ’ s Justice Department stand against these witch hunts ?
Don ’ t make me laugh .
We are told that the Black Lives Matter only talks about Americans of one race , not because they are racist , but because that is the house on fire .
Sorry , I don ’ t believe that story .
Read Robin DiAngelo ’ s repugnant White Fragility , which has become the Bible of the New Racism .
In fact , the American Left has now embraced the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ student leaders resign in shame for their skin color .
The very word “ White ” has become a pejorative .
Why , over the past four years , have phony racial incidents gone viral so quickly and so often ?
Why are fake stories about nooses , hate letters and death threats consistently picked up by the Washington Post , CNN , and other leading media outlets in an election year ?
The Left needs racism , as a heroin addict needs his next fix .
Cultural Marxism and the Soul of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that America is headed towards ?
Having studied Marx and lived in both Soviet and Chinese societies , I recognize Marxist influence on this movement : Group guilt .
“ Justified “ violence .
Public confessions of thought-crime by those who have been fired .
It ’ s a rejection of Christian and other traditional moralities , including the concept that people be judged “ on the content of their character.
” But the movement also exhibits a Nazi-like obsession with race , and makes use of what French academician Rene Girard called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spiritual sickness — neo-Marxism , Critical Studies , Intersectionalism , a Woke Awakening — it has now metastasized and infected the most powerful institutions in America .
“ That Hideous Strength , ” C. S. Lewis presciently called such a movement , in a novel of that name centered around the corruption of the university , which then spread through media and government .
America faces many challenges in 2020 : pandemic , recession , growing national debt , the rise of a powerful competitor in East Asia .
But it is our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had thought that while American families were falling apart , abortion was legalized up to the moment of birth , and we were denying even the categories of “ male ” and “ female , ” at least we had turned away from the sin of racism .
Now the Left has tossed even that progress aside with contempt .
The 2020 election must now answer one question : should America become like CHAZ ?
Or should we seek a different path ?
In That Hideous Strength the supernatural forces of good chose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of corruption : a man of dubious spirituality and violent temper , a man so culturally-disconnected he seemed almost from another world : Merlin the magician .
I will have to force myself to vote for our orange-haired Merlin .
These Democrats have shown they are not now fit to govern a chicken coop .
In 2020 , let us persuade our fellow Americans , if not to cheerfully support Donald Trump , at least to fight with all our might against the Hideous Strength that the modern Democratic Party has become .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ the Russian and Chinese Languages and Marxism , ” an M.A .
in Chinese Religions , and a Ph.D. in Christian Thought and Chinese Tradition .
His most recent book is Jesus is No Myth : The Fingerprints of God on the Gospels .

My first article for The Stream was entitled, “The Spiritual Dangers of a Trump Presidency,” my most popular essay here so far. I did not treat the former reality star gently:
“If we Christians help elect a self-regarding narcissist, a cruel, dishonest libertine who spews venom at reporters and competitors alike, American Christianity will rightly be weighed and found wanting in the sight of the world.”
I do not repent of anything I said in that article. Almost every time the president opens his mouth, he makes me miss Ronald Reagan or wish Ben Carson had won.
Nevertheless, I plan to vote for Donald Trump this November, and against every Democrat in sight. I urge you to do the same, as you love your country.
American politics today is like two pilots fighting for control of the Titanic. One is dancing on deck, declaring a “block party” and a “summer of love” as the ship of state careens towards a mountain of ice that will send us to the ocean floor. The other, however obnoxious and self-regarding, is trying to steer us towards open water.
Over the past two months, the Democrats have not merely proven themselves unworthy of the captaincy of this ship of state, they have betrayed our nation in astonishing ways.
Abandoning Law and Order
Democratic politicians have stood by and watched a home-grown Taliban burn buildings, loot shops, and tear down public monuments. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the second most-powerful leader in the country, announced, “I don’t care much about statues . . . People will do what they do.” Nancy Pelosi sounded like a teacher who thinks her job is to get the cool kids, the class bullies, to like her, not to create a safe learning environment for those they bully. She reminds me of Mr. Green, my history teacher, who, when kids had taken the cover off a baseball and thrown it around the room until the yarn crisscrossed our classroom, meekly picked up the ball and tossed it himself.
For that one remark alone, America should vote every Democrat out of the House of Representatives. By declaring her indifference to such violence, Speaker Pelosi betrayed the very concept of a nation of law. No doubt she recognized her voters among the mobs, and wished to placate them.
Nancy Pelosi must go.
While many officials similarly abase themselves, perhaps the nadir of acquiescence to gang violence came here in Seattle, when Mayor Jenny Durkan and the City Council abandoned part of the city, and a police station, to rioters. Durkan described the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone as a “block party” and prophesied a “summer of love.” After several shootings and two deaths, plus a protestor killed on I-5 a few blocks away, which officials allowed rioters to control for weeks at a time (though it had been built by taxpayer funds), the Seattle City Council knelt to the mob. They voted to cut police spending in half. In similar ways Democrats across the country made it clear they are on the side of the “cool kids,” and couldn’t care less about ordinary citizens.
Defending Mobs, Defunding Police
Democratic governors like Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan have also shown that they don’t care about equality before the law. When some Michigan residents protested the Covid-19 shutdown, Whitmer shook her finger and said, “This is not appropriate in a global pandemic.” She called right-wing protests “racist and misogynistic,” and warned of “calls to violence.” But when her own base took to the streets in a movement that included not the imaginary threat of violence but the genuine rioting, looting, attacks on police, and burning of buildings, Whitmer joined the protestors.
Three months ago, 78% of Americans, including most African-Americans, agreed that the police did a pretty good job of serving the public. Now Democrats vie with one another to shame, degrade, insult, and defund the cops, even as children are shot in the streets, business owners are terrorized, and inner-city neighborhoods lose jobs that could give families a chance.
This is a betrayal not just of hard-working police, but of society. By placating mobs and gangsters, the Democratic Party shows that it cannot be trusted to run a doghouse, let alone boulevards where innocent folk walk at night, or residential neighborhoods where old ladies try to keep apartments drug-free.
Escalating Racial Tensions
Worse yet may be the Democratic embrace of thought control. In the humorless and ruthless “cancel culture” of our day, you can get fired for saying “All lives matter.” The curator of a museum lost his job and was called a “white supremacist” because he noted that while the museum would buy more works from minorities, of course they would also still purchase art by white people! A Cornell professor was censured for criticizing Black Lives Matter. More people seem to get fired every day for such thought crimes. The Left has created a climate of terror that has spread from universities to board rooms and the media. Would Joe Biden’s Justice Department stand against these witch hunts? Don’t make me laugh.
We are told that the Black Lives Matter only talks about Americans of one race, not because they are racist, but because that is the house on fire. Sorry, I don’t believe that story. Read Robin DiAngelo’s repugnant White Fragility, which has become the Bible of the New Racism. In fact, the American Left has now embraced the most rampant and shameless racism. College student leaders resign in shame for their skin color. The very word “White” has become a pejorative.
Why, over the past four years, have phony racial incidents gone viral so quickly and so often? Why are fake stories about nooses, hate letters and death threats consistently picked up by the Washington Post, CNN, and other leading media outlets in an election year?
The Left needs racism, as a heroin addict needs his next fix.
Cultural Marxism and the Soul of America
What should we call the iceberg that America is headed towards? Having studied Marx and lived in both Soviet and Chinese societies, I recognize Marxist influence on this movement: Group guilt. “Justified“ violence. Public confessions of thought-crime by those who have been fired. It’s a rejection of Christian and other traditional moralities, including the concept that people be judged “on the content of their character.” But the movement also exhibits a Nazi-like obsession with race, and makes use of what French academician Rene Girard called “scapegoating.”
Whatever you call this spiritual sickness — neo-Marxism, Critical Studies, Intersectionalism, a Woke Awakening — it has now metastasized and infected the most powerful institutions in America. “That Hideous Strength,” C. S. Lewis presciently called such a movement, in a novel of that name centered around the corruption of the university, which then spread through media and government.
America faces many challenges in 2020: pandemic, recession, growing national debt, the rise of a powerful competitor in East Asia.
But it is our soul that worries me most. I had thought that while American families were falling apart, abortion was legalized up to the moment of birth, and we were denying even the categories of “male” and “female,” at least we had turned away from the sin of racism. Now the Left has tossed even that progress aside with contempt.
Our Only Choice
The 2020 election must now answer one question: should America become like CHAZ? Or should we seek a different path?
In That Hideous Strength the supernatural forces of good chose a surprising vessel to challenge the power of corruption: a man of dubious spirituality and violent temper, a man so culturally-disconnected he seemed almost from another world: Merlin the magician.
I will have to force myself to vote for our orange-haired Merlin. These Democrats have shown they are not now fit to govern a chicken coop. In 2020, let us persuade our fellow Americans, if not to cheerfully support Donald Trump, at least to fight with all our might against the Hideous Strength that the modern Democratic Party has become.
David Marshall holds a B.A. in “the Russian and Chinese Languages and Marxism,” an M.A. in Chinese Religions, and a Ph.D. in Christian Thought and Chinese Tradition. His most recent book is Jesus is No Myth: The Fingerprints of God on the Gospels.


thestream--2020-07-22--‘We Will Not Retreat’: DHS’ Chad Wolf Defends Portland Intervention Amid Riots

Chad Wolf , acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security , said the ongoing protests in Portland are “ the complete opposite ” of peaceful demonstrations and that the federal government would “ not retreat.
” “ We support and we will protect those who want to peacefully protest , ” Wolf said in a press conference Tuesday .
“ Unfortunately , what we ’ re seeing in Portland every night , roughly from midnight to 4:30 or 5 a.m. is the complete opposite.
” “ If you ’ re a violent rioter or looking to inflict damage on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to find another line of work , ” Wolf said .
“ We will not retreat.
” The targets of the rioters include the Mark O. Hatfield U.S .
Courthouse and the Multnomah County Justice Center .
Violence began on May 29 , days after the death of George Floyd , who died in police custody in Minneapolis .
Wolf said the city of Portland has turned a blind eye to crime that has been occurring throughout the city , which has continued since the reported dismantling of the cop-free zone during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The city of Portland takes little to no action to stop or disperse this crowd , ” Wolf said .
“ These individuals carry lasers , baseball bats , explosive fireworks , metal pipes , glass bottles , accelerants , and other weapons , all targeting federal facilities and federal law enforcement .
And yet the city of Portland takes little to no action.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Wolf said the rioters are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courthouse in Portland .
He also said they have been taking plywood off the courthouse and setting it on fire , as well as tossing explosive materials into the courthouse .
He also decried the attacks against law enforcement in Portland as “ disgusting.
” “ Many of our law enforcement officers in Portland have other responsibilities around the country .
They are away from their families and putting their lives at risk every night , ” he said , adding : Wolf also pushed back on the notion that the federal government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Portland .
“ I ’ ve heard the mayor of Portland recently stated the federal government is to blame for this violence , ” Wolf said , adding : Portland has declared a riot on numerous occasions because of this nightly violence .
While this action helps , unfortunately , they only take this action when city officials or local law enforcement are targeted , not federal .
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler , a Democrat , told CNN Sunday , “ The tactics that the Trump administration are using on the streets of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being literally scooped off the street into unmarked vans , rental cars , apparently , ” Wheeler said .
“ They are being denied probable cause .
And they are denied due process .
They don ’ t even know who ’ s pulling them into the vans .
The people aren ’ t identifying themselves .
And , as far as I can see , this is completely unconstitutional.
” Previously this summer , another northwest city , Seattle , was an epicenter of violence and unrest following the death of Floyd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequently became home to the so-called Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ( CHAZ ) , also known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest ( CHOP ) , which was a self-declared “ autonomous ” and cop-free zone .
The city of Seattle ultimately took action and dispersed the participants at the beginning of July .

Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the ongoing protests in Portland are “the complete opposite” of peaceful demonstrations and that the federal government would “not retreat.”
“We support and we will protect those who want to peacefully protest,” Wolf said in a press conference Tuesday. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing in Portland every night, roughly from midnight to 4:30 or 5 a.m. is the complete opposite.”
“If you’re a violent rioter or looking to inflict damage on property or law enforcement officers, you need to find another line of work,” Wolf said. “We will not retreat.”
The targets of the rioters include the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse and the Multnomah County Justice Center.
Violence began on May 29, days after the death of George Floyd, who died in police custody in Minneapolis.
Wolf said the city of Portland has turned a blind eye to crime that has been occurring throughout the city, which has continued since the reported dismantling of the cop-free zone during the first week of July.
“The city of Portland takes little to no action to stop or disperse this crowd,” Wolf said.
“These individuals carry lasers, baseball bats, explosive fireworks, metal pipes, glass bottles, accelerants, and other weapons, all targeting federal facilities and federal law enforcement. And yet the city of Portland takes little to no action.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Wolf said the rioters are also destroying fencing and painting graffiti at the courthouse in Portland. He also said they have been taking plywood off the courthouse and setting it on fire, as well as tossing explosive materials into the courthouse.
He also decried the attacks against law enforcement in Portland as “disgusting.”
“Many of our law enforcement officers in Portland have other responsibilities around the country. They are away from their families and putting their lives at risk every night,” he said, adding:
The smear attacks leveled against our officers is disgusting. As it relates to CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] officers deployed in Portland, these highly trained officers are in multi-camouflage wear because they work on the southwest border and they work in an environment that demands that that is their everyday uniform. And it is completely appropriate.
Wolf also pushed back on the notion that the federal government is to blame for the unrest in Portland.
“I’ve heard the mayor of Portland recently stated the federal government is to blame for this violence,” Wolf said, adding:
Rational people know that is not true. He would have you believe that enforcing federal law incites violence. He would have you believe that holding criminals accountable incites violence in the last 52 days.
Portland has declared a riot on numerous occasions because of this nightly violence. While this action helps, unfortunately, they only take this action when city officials or local law enforcement are targeted, not federal.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, told CNN Sunday, “The tactics that the Trump administration are using on the streets of Portland are abhorrent.”
“People are being literally scooped off the street into unmarked vans, rental cars, apparently,” Wheeler said. “They are being denied probable cause. And they are denied due process. They don’t even know who’s pulling them into the vans. The people aren’t identifying themselves. And, as far as I can see, this is completely unconstitutional.”
Previously this summer, another northwest city, Seattle, was an epicenter of violence and unrest following the death of Floyd on May 25. The Seattle area subsequently became home to the so-called Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), also known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP), which was a self-declared “autonomous” and cop-free zone.
The city of Seattle ultimately took action and dispersed the participants at the beginning of July.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-23--Kanye West: The Baby Planned Parenthood Forgot to Kill

Why have you been hearing so much about Kanye West ’ s “ mental health crisis ?
” Let me explain .
A few nights ago , Kanye West gave an impassioned personal testimony about how the evil of abortion has hurt him and his family .
And you ’ re supposed to forget that this happened .
“ My mom saved my life !
” he said .
“ My dad wanted to abort me , because he was too busy … .
” West was overcome with tears for a moment before he went on to admit that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too was once tempted to use the deadly abortion industry against his own child .
“ I almost killed my daughter !
” he confessed , weeping , and in visible pain .
That ’ s the moment when he stopped to warn us what would come next : He would suffer , and he would be maligned for what he had just said .
Our ruling class would “ try to tell you that I ’ m crazy , ” he said .
But the truth is : “ The world is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the most talented among us please us , we call them “ geniuses.
” When they displease us , we call them “ crazy.
” We wave them in with palms , then nail them to the cross .
All the most powerful opinion-makers immediately labeled his testimony a “ mental breakdown.
” They launched a perfectly coordinated pressure campaign against anyone who shared footage of the powerful moment .
The accusatory , threatening narrative they came up with was that anyone who listened to West , amplified his statement , and respected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mental health patient .
That ’ s why you ’ re supposed to forget he ever said a thing .
One person who was wise and humane enough to ignore that narrative was Dave Chappelle .
He immediately took a plane from Ohio to Wyoming to visit his friend Kanye .
The two of them shot a video together , embracing and telling one another “ I love you.
” That ’ s because Chappelle already knew the score years ago .
He was a personal friend to A-list Hollywood artists who , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ meltdowns.
” People who went “ crazy.
” But Chappelle didn ’ t forget his friends when the media told him to .
And rather than asking what was going on with them , Chappelle asked “ What is going on in Hollywood ?
” “ The worst thing to call somebody is crazy , ” Chappelle said in an interview over a decade ago .
“ It ’ s dismissive .
‘ I don ’ t understand this person .
So they ’ re crazy.
’ That ’ s bulls**t. These @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re strong people.
” Instead of labeling them “ mentally ill , ” he suggested we consider the alternative : “ Maybe their environment is a little sick.
” As one commentator put it on the night of West ’ s abortion testimony : “ Kanye West is what happens when a powerful person goes sane in an insane world.
” This is What Abortion Does to People The real message of those dismissing Kanye ’ s abortion statement as a mental health “ episode ” is this : Abortion is nothing to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , depression , and anger have nothing to do with America ’ s abortion regime .
Abortion is normal .
Abortion is safe .
Abortion is happy .
Everyone who has ever been touched by abortion knows this is a lie .
An abusive lie .
The kind of lie that powerful men tell to sexually exploited teenagers .
And it ’ s a lie so contrary to the real world experience of abortion survivors that it makes them into second-class citizens .
People whose real inner lives count for nothing , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in polite society .
Throughout my life , people have told me that lie , and even called me crazy when I rejected it .
I was born to a 16-year-old girl , and I know for a fact that close family members recommended my mother abort me .
Later , my high school girlfriend ’ s father forced her to undergo a third-trimester abortion .
In my pro-life work , I often say I ’ m seeking vengeance for my daughter who was forcibly aborted .
But if I ’ m honest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ down that I ’ m also seeking vengeance for myself .
So I understand why Kanye West , knowing perfectly well that he ’ d be maligned and dismissed , felt compelled to say what he said anyway .
“ I love my daughter !
” he explained .
He was speaking up for her , and for himself , two near-victims of abortion .
They aren ’ t sick .
The environment created by the abortion regime in elite cultural circles is sick .
The Power of an Unborn Child Days after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ read one of the most historic news reports of my lifetime .
From the New York Times : Kanye West , a black survivor of an industry that targets black Americans , made this happen .
He put New York ’ s abortion industry , which currently kills more than half of local black children conceived per year , on the defense .
And he forced them to acknowledge the racism of the founding mission of Planned Parenthood , their leading institution .
Faced with a powerful force like Kanye West , what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ maneuver ?
To try to do to him what they do to all their victims .
Through their surrogates in the media and in politics , the abortion industry is trying desperately to do to Kanye what they do to desperate teenage victims of sex trafficking , to millions of post-abortive mothers and fathers like me and my high school girlfriend , and to the unborn children themselves : Make you forget them .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why you ’ ve been hearing so much about Kanye West ’ s mental health .
Whether you knew it or not , you ’ ve been watching a national advertising campaign for abortion .
But luckily , this attempt at damage control is too late .
Because Kanye didn ’ t forget that his mom saved his life .
And when Planned Parenthood failed to abort him , they let the wrong baby get away .
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream .
He is a film producer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You can follow him @ JasonJonesShow .

Why have you been hearing so much about Kanye West’s “mental health crisis?” Let me explain.
A few nights ago, Kanye West gave an impassioned personal testimony about how the evil of abortion has hurt him and his family.
And you’re supposed to forget that this happened.
“My mom saved my life!” he said. “My dad wanted to abort me, because he was too busy … .” West was overcome with tears for a moment before he went on to admit that, like his own father, he too was once tempted to use the deadly abortion industry against his own child.
“I almost killed my daughter!” he confessed, weeping, and in visible pain.
That’s the moment when he stopped to warn us what would come next: He would suffer, and he would be maligned for what he had just said. Our ruling class would “try to tell you that I’m crazy,” he said. But the truth is: “The world is crazy.”
He was right.
Soviet Psychiatry Returns
When the most talented among us please us, we call them “geniuses.” When they displease us, we call them “crazy.” We wave them in with palms, then nail them to the cross.
All the most powerful opinion-makers immediately labeled his testimony a “mental breakdown.”
They launched a perfectly coordinated pressure campaign against anyone who shared footage of the powerful moment.
Kanye West is what happens when a powerful person goes sane in an insane world.
The accusatory, threatening narrative they came up with was that anyone who listened to West, amplified his statement, and respected his perspective was “exploiting” a mental health patient.
That’s why you’re supposed to forget he ever said a thing.
Dave Chappelle Goes Off Script
One person who was wise and humane enough to ignore that narrative was Dave Chappelle. He immediately took a plane from Ohio to Wyoming to visit his friend Kanye. The two of them shot a video together, embracing and telling one another “I love you.”
That’s because Chappelle already knew the score years ago. He was a personal friend to A-list Hollywood artists who, as the media put it, had “meltdowns.” People who went “crazy.”
But Chappelle didn’t forget his friends when the media told him to. And rather than asking what was going on with them, Chappelle asked “What is going on in Hollywood?”
“The worst thing to call somebody is crazy,” Chappelle said in an interview over a decade ago. “It’s dismissive. ‘I don’t understand this person. So they’re crazy.’ That’s bulls**t. These people are not crazy. They’re strong people.” Instead of labeling them “mentally ill,” he suggested we consider the alternative: “Maybe their environment is a little sick.”
As one commentator put it on the night of West’s abortion testimony: “Kanye West is what happens when a powerful person goes sane in an insane world.”
This is What Abortion Does to People
The real message of those dismissing Kanye’s abortion statement as a mental health “episode” is this: Abortion is nothing to get emotional about. Feelings of guilt, depression, and anger have nothing to do with America’s abortion regime. Abortion is normal. Abortion is safe. Abortion is happy.
Everyone who has ever been touched by abortion knows this is a lie. An abusive lie. The kind of lie that powerful men tell to sexually exploited teenagers.
And it’s a lie so contrary to the real world experience of abortion survivors that it makes them into second-class citizens. People whose real inner lives count for nothing, and who can never openly share their perspective in polite society.
You’re supposed to forget them.
Escape from the Memory Hole
Throughout my life, people have told me that lie, and even called me crazy when I rejected it.
But I refuse to forget.
I was born to a 16-year-old girl, and I know for a fact that close family members recommended my mother abort me. Later, my high school girlfriend’s father forced her to undergo a third-trimester abortion.
In my pro-life work, I often say I’m seeking vengeance for my daughter who was forcibly aborted. But if I’m honest, I’ve always known deep down that I’m also seeking vengeance for myself.
So I understand why Kanye West, knowing perfectly well that he’d be maligned and dismissed, felt compelled to say what he said anyway.
“I love my daughter!” he explained. He was speaking up for her, and for himself, two near-victims of abortion. They aren’t sick. The environment created by the abortion regime in elite cultural circles is sick.
The Power of an Unborn Child
Days after Kanye West made his statement, I read one of the most historic news reports of my lifetime. From the New York Times:
Planned Parenthood in N.Y. Disavows Margaret Sanger Over Eugenics Ms. Sanger, a feminist icon and reproductive-rights pioneer, supported a discredited belief in improving the human race through selective breeding. The news came just one week after West called out the racist history of Planned Parenthood, and reminded the whole world of its foundress’s hatred of black Americans. As he put it, “Planned Parenthoods have been placed inside cities by white supremacists to do the Devil’s work.”
Kanye West, a black survivor of an industry that targets black Americans, made this happen. He put New York’s abortion industry, which currently kills more than half of local black children conceived per year, on the defense. And he forced them to acknowledge the racism of the founding mission of Planned Parenthood, their leading institution.
Trying to Abort Kanye
Faced with a powerful force like Kanye West, what is the abortion industry’s defensive maneuver? To try to do to him what they do to all their victims.
Through their surrogates in the media and in politics, the abortion industry is trying desperately to do to Kanye what they do to desperate teenage victims of sex trafficking, to millions of post-abortive mothers and fathers like me and my high school girlfriend, and to the unborn children themselves: Make you forget them.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
And that’s why you’ve been hearing so much about Kanye West’s mental health. Whether you knew it or not, you’ve been watching a national advertising campaign for abortion.
But luckily, this attempt at damage control is too late.
Because Kanye didn’t forget that his mom saved his life.
And when Planned Parenthood failed to abort him, they let the wrong baby get away.
Jason Jones is a senior contributor to The Stream. He is a film producer, author, activist and human rights worker. You can follow him @JasonJonesShow.


thestream--2020-07-23--Military Photo of the Day: Illuminating the Sky in Syria

U.S. Army soldiers watch from a distance as illumination mortar rounds light up the night sky as part of a @ @ @ @ @ in Syria on June 22 , 2020 .
Thank you to all of our country @ @ @ @ @ We are praying for your swift and safe return .
Please Support The Stream : @ @ @ @ @ About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .

U.S. Army soldiers watch from a distance as illumination mortar rounds light up the night sky as part of a training exercise near At-Tanf Garrison in Syria on June 22, 2020.
Thank you to all of our country’s deployed heroes. We are praying for your swift and safe return.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-07-23--National Association of Christian Lawmakers Holds Charter Meeting as a Call to ‘Take a Bold Stand fo

National Association of Christian Lawmakers Holds Charter Meeting as a Call to ‘Take a Bold Stand for God and Country’

A newly formed organization calling for elected officials and supporters to “ take a bold stand for God and Country , ” will host its charter meeting August 4-5 in Destin , Florida .
The National Association of Christian Lawmakers ( NACL ) was incorporated in 2019 .
According to a statement on their website , the NACL is the “ first fully functioning national legislative policy organization to be led by Christian elected officials at the local , state and federal levels .
The organization is dedicated to the Judeo-Christian foundation of our nation and addressing major policy issues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biblical worldview.
” NACL added , The goal is for elected officials to come together in support of clear Biblical principles and do our best to ensure that our nation lives up to our national motto ‘ In God We Trust.
’ The meeting , called “ For Such a Time as This , ” will be held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in the panhandle of Florida on the gulf coast .
Speakers will include Governor Mike Huckabee , Congressman Bob McEwen , Dr. Richard Lee , Andy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other Christian elected officials and leaders .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

A newly formed organization calling for elected officials and supporters to “take a bold stand for God and Country,” will host its charter meeting August 4-5 in Destin, Florida.
The National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) was incorporated in 2019. According to a statement on their website, the NACL is the “first fully functioning national legislative policy organization to be led by Christian elected officials at the local, state and federal levels. The organization is dedicated to the Judeo-Christian foundation of our nation and addressing major policy issues facing our states and nation from a Biblical worldview.” NACL added,
The goal is for elected officials to come together in support of clear Biblical principles and do our best to ensure that our nation lives up to our national motto ‘In God We Trust.’
The meeting, called “For Such a Time as This,” will be held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in the panhandle of Florida on the gulf coast.
Speakers will include Governor Mike Huckabee, Congressman Bob McEwen, Dr. Richard Lee, Andy Andrews, Janet Porter, Andrew Wommack, and other Christian elected officials and leaders.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-23--Next Weekend: Promise Keepers Ventures ‘Deeper’ With Simulcast to Men Worldwide

“ Society is now in cataclysmic trouble , ” said Dr. Tony Evans in a phone interview .
“ This relaunch is absolutely needed because of the role that God has called men to play for the well-being of society.
” In the 1990s , Promise Keepers worship events in sports stadiums drew millions of men — and brought Evans ’ voice to prominence .
Since then , Evans , author of the only verse-by-verse biblical commentary written by an African American and longtime Dallas pastor , has spoken at venues worldwide .
Under new leadership , Promise Keepers ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recent years .
Longtime men ’ s minister Ken Harrison came on as CEO in 2017 , with his friend Judge Vance Day soon installed as president .
The two have worked for years to relaunch PK in summer 2020 , now a virtual event slated for next weekend starting July 31 .
“ Sometimes we as men forget that we have to fight for the things God is giving us , ” said Day in a phone interview .
“ He gave the promised land to ancient Israel .
But it took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ halfway to subduing it .
“ He gives us authority , but he expects us to take the territory.
” Harrison , a former Los Angeles police officer who now leads a nonprofit financial services firm , brings an outsider ’ s view to the men ’ s ministry .
He never participated in past PK events .
“ The message will be : ‘ Let ’ s get busy , guys , ’ ” he said .
“ Complacency has seeped into the church .
Some essentially say : ‘ Be a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pew , and don ’ t create any problems.
’ “ God wants men who create problems , then make solutions to issues that are destroying his people and the nation.
” Diverse speakers including Evans , Mark Batterson , Miles McPherson , author Bob Goff , James Robison , and others are united in seeing the need for PK in 2020 .
“ God said in Ezekiel 22:30 that he looked for a man so he didn ’ t have to curse the land , ” said Evans .
“ Our land @ @ @ @ @ @ @ major reason is men are not operating in their biblical roles.
” After two years of preparing for 80,000 men to converge on AT & T Stadium , it was a blow for public health concerns to shift it to virtual .
Harrison recalls how they would not relent for months .
“ There is wisdom in an abundance of counselors , ” he said .
“ Early on , I even put out a video that said : ‘ If we ’ re the only ones at that stadium come July 31 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be just us and Michael W. Smith praising the Lord.
’ ” Interaction with the Texas Governor ’ s office led them to change plans .
“ The state was not going to allow us to hold this live event due to the COVID-19 virus , ” said Day .
“ Our board saw that sooner than we did .
Over the last six weeks , we ’ ve had to shift in order to produce six hours of amazing content.
” The leaders see a relevant lesson for all men .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pie on that one , to be honest , ” said Harrison .
“ Sometimes being strong and macho means saying , ‘ I was wrong .
And I ’ m sorry.
’ Then doing it a different way.
” Protests against race-based injustice have made those issues a top priority to address .
Touching on past criticisms that PK events kept race discussions surface-level , Evans noted this event will go “ deeper than hugs ” in approaching these issues .
“ Recent events with the killing of George Floyd and its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level of discussion , ” said Evans .
“ We need to return to a biblical definition of reconciliation .
That starts with a biblical understanding of our identity in Christ — how it supersedes race , without negating racial identity.
” In recent weeks , Evans has sought to educate evangelicals on complex issues including with a short video on systemic racism .
“ There is a lack of understanding , ” he said .
“ If we will return to a biblical worldview on these topics , we as Christians wouldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and confusion.
” He has lately recounted an incident that marked his early radio ministry , which took years to take off .
“ Station managers told me that a black speaker would offend too many of their listeners , ” said Evans .
“ What I faced was an issue of structural racism .
There was very little to no interest in trying to draw in African American listeners.
” Only a top radio host ’ s recommendation finally landed him on a few stations .
“ James Dobson wrote a letter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our broadcast , ” said Evans .
“ That ’ s a role white Christians can play , to leverage their influence for just reasons.
” At PK 2020 , his talk will discuss men ’ s role in healing society .
“ Whether men en masse begin to operate with righteousness and justice in their spheres of influence is what matters most , ” said Evans .
Only one week away , hundreds of churches nationwide — and even globally — are currently listed as host sites for the PK simulcast .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is critical because it helps them to form relationships , ” said Day .
“ The Great Commission is not about saving souls , it ’ s about making disciples .
In these tumultuous days , we believe churches will step into that role in a greater way.
” The six-hour experience will touch on issues that past PK events noted only in passing .
“ What we say on protecting lives in the womb will be hard-hitting , but not finger pointing , ” said Harrison .
“ Statistics tell us that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have abortions say they did so because the man abandoned them .
“ We ’ re going to be clear about what God ’ s Word says on the sanctity of life and the responsibility of a man.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
That message goes hand-in-hand with discussing current justice issues , noted Evans .
“ It is when you bifurcate it that people believe you ’ re just being political , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comprehensive in addressing issues of human dignity , it will not be viewed as partisan.
” He has seen firsthand how Promise Keepers has changed men , including when more than one million Christians united in 1997 on the National Mall .
“ Men are critical for the family , for the church , and for righteousness and justice to flourish in society , ” said Evans .
“ This event will reignite them to become the kind of kingdom men God created them to be.
” Register now for the free July @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robison interview Promise Keepers CEO Ken Harrison in the video below .
Stream contributor Josh M. Shepherd covers culture , faith , and public policy issues for media outlets including The Federalist .
Find him on Twitter and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

Update: On August 1, more than 750,000 men across all 50 U.S. states and 84 nations participated in the Promise Keepers simulcast. An encore simulcast has been slated for September 11. This story was originally published on July 23.
“Society is now in cataclysmic trouble,” said Dr. Tony Evans in a phone interview. “This relaunch is absolutely needed because of the role that God has called men to play for the well-being of society.”
In the 1990s, Promise Keepers worship events in sports stadiums drew millions of men — and brought Evans’ voice to prominence. Since then, Evans, author of the only verse-by-verse biblical commentary written by an African American and longtime Dallas pastor, has spoken at venues worldwide.
Under new leadership, Promise Keepers (PK) is back after floundering in recent years. Longtime men’s minister Ken Harrison came on as CEO in 2017, with his friend Judge Vance Day soon installed as president.
The two have worked for years to relaunch PK in summer 2020, now a virtual event slated for next weekend.
“Sometimes we as men forget that we have to fight for the things God is giving us,” said Day in a phone interview. “He gave the promised land to ancient Israel. But it took them years of fighting to even get halfway to subduing it.
“God wants men who create problems, then make solutions to issues that are destroying his people.” – Ken Harrison
“He gives us authority, but he expects us to take the territory.”
Harrison, a former Los Angeles police officer who now leads a nonprofit financial services firm, brings an outsider’s view to the men’s ministry. He never participated in past PK events.
“The message will be: ‘Let’s get busy, guys,’” he said. “Complacency has seeped into the church. Some essentially say: ‘Be a good little boy, sit in your pew, and don’t create any problems.’
“God wants men who create problems, then make solutions to issues that are destroying his people and the nation.”
COVID-19 Forces Stadium Event Online
Diverse speakers including Evans, Mark Batterson, Miles McPherson, author Bob Goff, James Robison, and others are united in seeing the need for PK in 2020.
“God said in Ezekiel 22:30 that he looked for a man so he didn’t have to curse the land,” said Evans. “Our land is unraveling at warp speed. One major reason is men are not operating in their biblical roles.”
After two years of preparing for 80,000 men to converge on AT&T Stadium, it was a blow for public health concerns to shift it to virtual.
Harrison recalls how they would not relent for months.
“There is wisdom in an abundance of counselors,” he said. “Early on, I even put out a video that said: ‘If we’re the only ones at that stadium come July 31, then I guess it’ll be just us and Michael W. Smith praising the Lord.’”
Interaction with the Texas Governor’s office led them to change plans.
“The state was not going to allow us to hold this live event due to the COVID-19 virus,” said Day. “Our board saw that sooner than we did. Over the last six weeks, we’ve had to shift in order to produce six hours of amazing content.”
The leaders see a relevant lesson for all men. “We both had to eat some humble pie on that one, to be honest,” said Harrison. “Sometimes being strong and macho means saying, ‘I was wrong. And I’m sorry.’ Then doing it a different way.”
Discussing Race Issues At ‘Higher Level’
Protests against race-based injustice have made those issues a top priority to address.
Touching on past criticisms that PK events kept race discussions surface-level, Evans noted this event will go “deeper than hugs” in approaching these issues.
“Recent events with the killing of George Floyd and its aftermath have forced a different and higher level of discussion,” said Evans.
“We need to return to a biblical definition of reconciliation. That starts with a biblical understanding of our identity in Christ — how it supersedes race, without negating racial identity.”
In recent weeks, Evans has sought to educate evangelicals on complex issues including with a short video on systemic racism.
“There is a lack of understanding,” he said. “If we will return to a biblical worldview on these topics, we as Christians wouldn’t be in endless cultural discussions and confusion.”
He has lately recounted an incident that marked his early radio ministry, which took years to take off.
“Whether men en masse begin to operate with righteousness and justice in spheres of influence is what matters most.” – Tony Evans
“Station managers told me that a black speaker would offend too many of their listeners,” said Evans. “What I faced was an issue of structural racism. There was very little to no interest in trying to draw in African American listeners.”
Only a top radio host’s recommendation finally landed him on a few stations. “James Dobson wrote a letter to stations, encouraging them to consider our broadcast,” said Evans. “That’s a role white Christians can play, to leverage their influence for just reasons.”
At PK 2020, his talk will discuss men’s role in healing society. “Whether men en masse begin to operate with righteousness and justice in their spheres of influence is what matters most,” said Evans.
Becoming ‘Kingdom Men’
Only one week away, hundreds of churches nationwide — and even globally — are currently listed as host sites for the PK simulcast.
“Getting men together at an event is critical because it helps them to form relationships,” said Day. “The Great Commission is not about saving souls, it’s about making disciples. In these tumultuous days, we believe churches will step into that role in a greater way.”
The six-hour experience will touch on issues that past PK events noted only in passing. “What we say on protecting lives in the womb will be hard-hitting, but not finger pointing,” said Harrison. “Statistics tell us that at least 55 percent of women who have abortions say they did so because the man abandoned them.
“We’re going to be clear about what God’s Word says on the sanctity of life and the responsibility of a man.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
That message goes hand-in-hand with discussing current justice issues, noted Evans. “It is when you bifurcate it that people believe you’re just being political,” he said. “When we’re comprehensive in addressing issues of human dignity, it will not be viewed as partisan.”
He has seen firsthand how Promise Keepers has changed men, including when more than one million Christians united in 1997 on the National Mall.
“Men are critical for the family, for the church, and for righteousness and justice to flourish in society,” said Evans. “This event will reignite them to become the kind of kingdom men God created them to be.”
Register now for the free online event, and learn more in the video below.
Stream contributor Josh M. Shepherd covers culture, faith, and public policy issues for media outlets including The Federalist. Find him on Twitter and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.
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thestream--2020-07-23--Joy Break: A Few Good Young Men

Joy Break: A Few Good Young Men

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down .
Where are all the good stories ?
They ’ re still there .
Here ’ s one that we hope will bless you .
A King County , Washington , sheriff ’ s deputy escaped what could have been a fatal encounter thanks to some quick-thinking teenagers .
Deputy Elliott was on her way home last week when she was flagged down because an intoxicated man had caused an accident .
She had to chase after the man .
When she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her in a headlock and began squeezing .
She struggled to get away , but was unable .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Then she heard men ’ s voices telling the intoxicated man to get off of her .
According to a Facebook post by King County Sheriff ’ s Office , “ A group of young men , pictured below , jumped on the suspect and struggled with him as Deputy Elliott was able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suspects [ sic ] shoulders and legs to the ground to allow Deputy Elliott to handcuff the man.
” The sheriff ’ s office posted that the young men quite possibly saved her life and that their parents should be proud of them .
“ The photo was taken just a few minutes after the teens helped her .
Moms and Dads , you should be proud of these kids !
” Elliott suffered some scrapes and bruises , but escaped with her life because a few young men decided to get involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? They’re still there. Here’s one that we hope will bless you.
A King County, Washington, sheriff’s deputy escaped what could have been a fatal encounter thanks to some quick-thinking teenagers.
Deputy Elliott was on her way home last week when she was flagged down because an intoxicated man had caused an accident. She had to chase after the man. When she tried to handcuff him, he put her in a headlock and began squeezing. She struggled to get away, but was unable.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Then she heard men’s voices telling the intoxicated man to get off of her. According to a Facebook post by King County Sheriff’s Office, “A group of young men, pictured below, jumped on the suspect and struggled with him as Deputy Elliott was able to get free. They held the suspects [sic] shoulders and legs to the ground to allow Deputy Elliott to handcuff the man.”
The sheriff’s office posted that the young men quite possibly saved her life and that their parents should be proud of them. “The photo was taken just a few minutes after the teens helped her. Moms and Dads, you should be proud of these kids!”
Elliott suffered some scrapes and bruises, but escaped with her life because a few young men decided to get involved and help.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-23--The Left Comes for Religious Hospitals with Surgical Precision

The justices predicted a war — and almost one month to the day of their Bostock ruling , they got one .
The first shot was fired last Thursday , when the ACLU decided to sue Maryland ’ s St. Joseph Medical Center for refusing to take out a woman ’ s perfectly healthy uterus just because she wanted to live as a man .
It goes against the hospital ’ s religious beliefs , St. Joseph argued .
But now , thanks to the Supreme Court , it might go against six justices ’ ridiculous definition of “ sex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Doors The last thing anyone should want right now is fewer hospitals .
And yet , that may very well be the outcome of lawsuits like this one .
If people are worried about the health care system being overwhelmed today , just wait until liberals force the religiously affiliated groups entirely out of business .
Because that ’ s what ’ ll happen if the left insists on forcing religious facilities to embrace its radical views .
Catholic nonprofits have told the country before — in adoption and abortion debates — that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no choice at all .
They ’ d rather shut their doors than bend an inch on biblical teachings .
The ACLU , on the other hand , is more than willing to blow a gaping hole in America ’ s medical care just to advance its political goals .
And that ’ s all this is about .
It ’ s certainly not about justice for Jesse Hammons — she already got her surgery somewhere else .
It ’ s about making the nonconformists pay .
St. Joseph ’ s refusal , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ discriminatory and unconstitutional application of Catholic religious doctrine.
” Worse , Hammons said , “ I felt like this hospital didn ’ t see any worth in my life and the care that I needed.
” On the contrary , St. Joseph ’ s might have been the only one who did see the worth in Hammons — because it , unlike the attorneys exploiting her story — refused to mistake bodily harm for medical “ care.
” Either way , a spokesman insisted , the hospital ’ s decision has nothing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people struggling with their gender .
It has to do with the hospital ’ s religious code .
St. Joseph ’ s has been under the umbrella of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops since it became a hospital in 1864 .
And those directives are clear : There are limits on the “ removal of healthy organs.
” At the end of the day , Wesley Smith argues at National Review , the denial actually has nothing to do with Hammons identifying as transgender .
If she ’ d had a cancerous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been a problem .
But this procedure would have sterilized her , Smith explains , and the church has very strong feelings about that .
It ’ s their right to say they won ’ t destroy a womb .
Just as it was Hammons ’ right to go elsewhere — which she did , nine days after the Bostock ruling — and have her body changed .
By all accounts , everyone should have been satisfied .
Hammons got the surgery she wanted , and the hospital didn ’ t have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sued anyway — proving , once again , that this debate has never been about coexistence or compromise .
The Battle is Here Maybe those are possible in a civil society where everyone is adult enough to put aside their hostility and see the value in respecting different viewpoints .
If instead of suing people like Aaron and Melissa Klein out of business , couples simply found another bakery .
If instead of jeopardizing care for everyone else , Hammons was content with an alternate location and moved on .
If instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But unfortunately , all of that became even more of a pipe dream once the Supreme Court stepped in to redefine the word “ sex , ” deciding for everyone that millennia of biology , history , and morality no longer applied .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Justice Samuel Alito tried to warn where this would lead , but six of his colleagues were too busy legislating to listen .
“ Healthcare , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … may emerge as an intense battleground under the Court ’ s holding.
” Workers are already suing for sex reassignment surgery under their insurance , Alito pointed out .
This sets up another major conflict , since , as he points out , “ requiring them to pay for or to perform these procedures will have a severe impact on their ability to honor their deeply held religious beliefs.
” The battle that Alito worried about is here .
“ It is open season on Catholic hospitals , ” Smith writes , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gender .
“ Medicine is becoming a major front in the accelerating attacks on religious liberty in this country .
The assault against medical conscience can only exacerbate our bitter cultural divisions already at the ripping point.
” Six activists on the Supreme Court think they ’ ve done Hammons a favor by ordering America to help her live as a man .
But what about the hospitals that want to live as Christians ?
We need justices who will stand up and protect them .
Tony Perkins is President of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wife have been married for over 30 years and have five children .
Tony is also an ordained minister , as well as the host of a daily , nationally syndicated radio show , Washington Watch with Tony Perkins .

The justices predicted a war — and almost one month to the day of their Bostock ruling, they got one.
The first shot was fired last Thursday, when the ACLU decided to sue Maryland’s St. Joseph Medical Center for refusing to take out a woman’s perfectly healthy uterus just because she wanted to live as a man. It goes against the hospital’s religious beliefs, St. Joseph argued. But now, thanks to the Supreme Court, it might go against six justices’ ridiculous definition of “sex” too.
They Will Shut Their Doors
The last thing anyone should want right now is fewer hospitals. And yet, that may very well be the outcome of lawsuits like this one.
If people are worried about the health care system being overwhelmed today, just wait until liberals force the religiously affiliated groups entirely out of business. Because that’s what’ll happen if the left insists on forcing religious facilities to embrace its radical views.
Catholic nonprofits have told the country before — in adoption and abortion debates — that choosing between their faith and ministry is no choice at all. They’d rather shut their doors than bend an inch on biblical teachings.
It’s Not About Justice
The ACLU, on the other hand, is more than willing to blow a gaping hole in America’s medical care just to advance its political goals. And that’s all this is about. It’s certainly not about justice for Jesse Hammons — she already got her surgery somewhere else. It’s about making the nonconformists pay.
St. Joseph’s refusal, the liberal attorneys insist, was a “discriminatory and unconstitutional application of Catholic religious doctrine.” Worse, Hammons said, “I felt like this hospital didn’t see any worth in my life and the care that I needed.”
On the contrary, St. Joseph’s might have been the only one who did see the worth in Hammons — because it, unlike the attorneys exploiting her story — refused to mistake bodily harm for medical “care.”
Either way, a spokesman insisted, the hospital’s decision has nothing to do with Hammons or animus toward people struggling with their gender. It has to do with the hospital’s religious code. St. Joseph’s has been under the umbrella of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops since it became a hospital in 1864. And those directives are clear: There are limits on the “removal of healthy organs.”
At the end of the day, Wesley Smith argues at National Review, the denial actually has nothing to do with Hammons identifying as transgender. If she’d had a cancerous uterus, surgery wouldn’t have been a problem. But this procedure would have sterilized her, Smith explains, and the church has very strong feelings about that. It’s their right to say they won’t destroy a womb. Just as it was Hammons’ right to go elsewhere — which she did, nine days after the Bostock ruling — and have her body changed.
By all accounts, everyone should have been satisfied.
By all accounts, everyone should have been satisfied. Hammons got the surgery she wanted, and the hospital didn’t have to violate its conscience. But the ACLU sued anyway — proving, once again, that this debate has never been about coexistence or compromise.
The Battle is Here
Maybe those are possible in a civil society where everyone is adult enough to put aside their hostility and see the value in respecting different viewpoints. If instead of suing people like Aaron and Melissa Klein out of business, couples simply found another bakery. If instead of jeopardizing care for everyone else, Hammons was content with an alternate location and moved on. If instead of preaching tolerance, activists practiced it.
But unfortunately, all of that became even more of a pipe dream once the Supreme Court stepped in to redefine the word “sex,” deciding for everyone that millennia of biology, history, and morality no longer applied.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Justice Samuel Alito tried to warn where this would lead, but six of his colleagues were too busy legislating to listen. “Healthcare,” he wrote in his Bostock dissent, “ … may emerge as an intense battleground under the Court’s holding.”
Workers are already suing for sex reassignment surgery under their insurance, Alito pointed out. This sets up another major conflict, since, as he points out, “requiring them to pay for or to perform these procedures will have a severe impact on their ability to honor their deeply held religious beliefs.”
The battle that Alito worried about is here. “It is open season on Catholic hospitals,” Smith writes, and anyone else with a biblical view of gender. “Medicine is becoming a major front in the accelerating attacks on religious liberty in this country. The assault against medical conscience can only exacerbate our bitter cultural divisions already at the ripping point.”
Six activists on the Supreme Court think they’ve done Hammons a favor by ordering America to help her live as a man. But what about the hospitals that want to live as Christians? We need justices who will stand up and protect them.
Tony Perkins is President of the Family Research Council. He and his wife have been married for over 30 years and have five children. Tony is also an ordained minister, as well as the host of a daily, nationally syndicated radio show, Washington Watch with Tony Perkins.
Originally published by Family Research Council’s Washington Update.